Sound system under way

Well, i just recently insured and registered my 1992 svx and am finally driving it (have owned for 8 or so months...). And the sound system is under way, as the title suggests. i didnt see too many threads about audio, but i figure at least someone would be interested.

and i figured itd be a good way to introduce myself, haha!

im chase, from colorado.

The car is a 1992 svx ls-i, silver. The current system is:

Eclipse cd8454
JL 250/1 powering:
2 radioshack 12s (it deserves a laugh, but for the money, they are INCREDIBLE)
Infinity kappa 625.1 (i think thats the number.. have owned them too long!)

Finished system will be:

Eclipse cd8454
Elemental Designs nIne.1 powering:
Ascendant Audio Avalanche 15 (still working out enclosure size, as im sure others have found out, clearance is a big issue with this trunk! will most likely be ~2.75ft.^3)
Old rockford fosgate 400a4 powering:
previously mentioned kappas

I will be building in-door enclosures for the kappas, as the door on this car has some nice room to work with. Everything will be copiously sound deadened, and there will be a cascade of filters (ground loop, soft start, etc etc).

Already have eD amp and the Avalanche is on its way.

i do have a few questions though;

first is, what is the stock rating of the alternator? its mainly for giggles, since ill be upgrading, which leads me to my next question;

where can i get upgraded alternators? i know ohio generators is a big one, but the svx is a different breed, so i dont know even if someone on here does them..

A bit of my vehicle history;

first car was a 1989 subaru xt6, beautiful car, but was too young to appreciate it.

i then purchased a 1990 mitsubishi eclipse gsx, and a factory freak at that! speed was a concern, but mods were limited to free mods, boost controller, rewired fuel pump, and some lightening. sounds system was:

Pioneer DEHP730
JL 250/1 powering:
JL Audio 12w6 (later the dual radioshack 12 setup)
Old rockford fosgate 400a4 powering:
infinity kappas matched with 4" infinity mid-range in front(tuning was terrible, but the results were excellent)
panasonic 4-way 6x9s in rear (bought them because old ones blew, dont even know model number!)
and a few fun filters here and there

I also own a 1994 CBR600 thats too modded to repeat whats done to it, plus the fact that i cant remember it is not for the street.

i look forward to bringing what knowledge i have to the table, and hope to come away with a good experience! i just noticed the length, but i do tend to be a talker, haha.

[McTaff]

Building a sound "SVXtem"??

I'm interested to find out about the alternator too. I'm building a 2x 10-inch sub with one amp and having another amp powering the four inside speakers. All the speakers are pretty hefty and suck a lot of juice.

I'm guessing alternator-wise you have two options:
1) Getting an aftermarket one, or
2) Getting a professional to re-wind and trick a stock one up a bit.

Now, option #1 is tricky; I am guessing there is no manufactured one that will just bolt in without any fuss. (However, I don't know because I haven't checked.) However, Subarus have been extremely generous with the flat-cylinder design, and it is fairly easy to make them fit if they don't stright up, due to the room you have to play with.

Option #2 isn't much better, as there isn't a lot to do to make an alternator better as far as I know.

If anyone can help here, please do. I'm guessing one that is perhaps 15% - 25% more efficient is what we are after.

----------------

Another battery is #2 on your list, buddy. I'm going for one of those little enclosed batteries, and I'll have it put inside the sub box. People often ask me why, but the answer is easy:

Batteries almost never explode or leak, but why take the chance? Have it stored away somewhere where if this happens it is not in contact with the interior.

Simply put it inside the sub box, inside it's own little enclosure (so as to not expose the subs themselves to damage.) It should be fairly easy to find suitable materials for making the inside of the box "battery-proof". I will simply have the enclosure slightly bigger to compensate for the loss of interior cu-ft.

================

Also, don't neglect a capacitor to stop repetitive loads being placed on your electrical system. One farad is a hell of a lot. Half that is enough to do the job, as far as I am aware.

Don't underestimate a good trickle charger. You can get lovely little units that you put into the car and they have a dinky little plug you pull out from the bonnet (hood) and plug into a transformer pack in the mains. You are almost guaranteed a good start the next day!

I take it that you are getting a professional to install the system. Even if they are, just ensure you have each power lead properly fused as close to the battery as possible, and all the earthing is hooked up as securely as possible. Don't want your SVX going up in flames, man.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[AFBeefcake]

Well here is my curent set up that I'm runing.

Sony ES XR-M550 head unit (soon to be replaced with a XAV-7W)
Sony CDX-757MX 10 disk MP3 CD changer
NEO 20GB MP3 Jukebox
Sony XA-107 Source Selector
Diamond Audio HEX S600A 6 1/2" Components
Diamond Audio M5 1122.8 12" Sub
Diamond Audio M361i 6 1/2" 2 way
Custom Ported Sub Box
2 KAC-X201T Power Amps
2 Lightning Audio 1.0 Farad Caps
Lightning Audio 4 Gage Wire Kit
Aura Bass Vibration System
Bosh 110 Amp Alternor (OE fit)

af do u still get pull on the alt or power of car with the cap and stuff. any light diming at all. i am planning on a system and looked into a stinger alt and it ran 500 bones. hefty price. i just want more juice even with out a system. i feel the svxes lack electric power. also the bosch 110amp is that stock running amps or was that a higher quality alt.

i also like the set up its nice.

[AFBeefcake]

The stock alt is only 95 amps I think. This one has more output then stock. I killed 2 95 amp alts with my system before I got the 110 amp one. My lights don't dim, but I would still like to upgrade to some thing with more out put.

[Jnthn_Sctt]

Just my two cents.....

But if you're looking for sound, (and it looks like you've already put an awful lot of extra weight in your rides so I'm assuming you're not racing them), have you considered a second alternator setup?

I'm no mechanic, and wouldn't know how to start something like this, let alone make it work. But with the brains we've got on this network I'm sure there's an engineer who can help you design it. Either a completely seperate power system to power the sound system, or piggyback it on the current electrical system to upgrade the entire electrical system.

Jonathan

good idea but alot of work. that stinger alt was said to be 175 to 230amps depending on how much u want to spend.

I'm guessing alternator-wise you have two options:
1) Getting an aftermarket one, or
2) Getting a professional to re-wind and trick a stock one up a bit.

correct! i think the search may be easier if an alternator from another subaru vehicle could be used (i know subaru parts tend to be quite interchangeable), but i have no information on that.

Also, don't neglect a capacitor to stop repetitive loads being placed on your electrical system. One farad is a hell of a lot. Half that is enough to do the job, as far as I am aware.

There will be quite a bit put into this system, not everything was listed. however, there are some interesting studies on alternators vs capacitors. it was a while back, so it may not hold true anymore, and i dont remember specifics either, but basically, since it took the same amount of energy to charge the cap each time, the system went through the same hardships as no cap. perhaps even more due to the initial charging and final discharging of the cap. however, i can only see system stability increasing..

I take it that you are getting a professional to install the system. Even if they are, just ensure you have each power lead properly fused as close to the battery as possible, and all the earthing is hooked up as securely as possible. Don't want your SVX going up in flames, man.

actually, i will be installing it myself. the only time i had something installed (rockford 400a4 amp in old GSX), they wrecked my deck in order to sell me a new one. the problem is, they had on record my warranty ran out, and acted accordingly last time i EVER let someone else work on my car because of my own laziness. i certainly have the know-how to do it myself, the only thing that trips me up sometimes is the cars electrical system (im used to home theater, and sometimes revert to habit).

Well here is my curent set up that I'm runing.

Sony ES XR-M550 head unit (soon to be replaced with a XAV-7W)
Sony CDX-757MX 10 disk MP3 CD changer
NEO 20GB MP3 Jukebox
Sony XA-107 Source Selector
Diamond Audio HEX S600A 6 1/2" Components
Diamond Audio M5 1122.8 12" Sub
Diamond Audio M361i 6 1/2" 2 way
Custom Ported Sub Box
2 KAC-X201T Power Amps
2 Lightning Audio 1.0 Farad Caps
Lightning Audio 4 Gage Wire Kit
Aura Bass Vibration System
Bosh 110 Amp Alternor (OE fit)

sounds good, and i like the install. why did you decide on sony over what else is out there? also, how was the box designed/who designed it? it looks interesting!

Just my two cents.....

But if you're looking for sound, (and it looks like you've already put an awful lot of extra weight in your rides so I'm assuming you're not racing them), have you considered a second alternator setup?

I'm no mechanic, and wouldn't know how to start something like this, let alone make it work. But with the brains we've got on this network I'm sure there's an engineer who can help you design it. Either a completely seperate power system to power the sound system, or piggyback it on the current electrical system to upgrade the entire electrical system.

Jonathan

Im no mechanic either, but i think mounting may become an issue. also, it would be beneficial all around to upgrade the current electrical system. IMO, simplicity is always best. adding onto something that only needs upgrading itself seems running ahead of the game. cost would also be an issue, as it would take more fabrication than "the big 3" (battery, alternator, and all related wiring). in short, by upgrading the current system, not only will the sound system "benefit," but so will the overall running quality of the vehicles electrical system (resulting in a better running car). i can see a piggyback system implemented when current supplies cant meet the demand you want from them (such as running 10,000+ watts when there are no aftermarket alternators for the vehicle), but that is simply not required on a system that will not exceed 2500 watts (on this first, or on any of the later incarnations ). i definitely appreciate the input!

[AFBeefcake]

I run Sony stuff because thats what I had at the time. With the XAV-7W that I'm going to get. It was one of the only LCD screens that I know will fit in the svx dash without mods.

On the box. Me and my cousin designed and built the box, using some type of software that tells you what size to build the ports for the right sound with the sub that you are running.

Look here for more pics of the box.

i definitely like that box, it must have some interesting acoustic characteristics. what hz is the box tuned to? also, what do you think of the diamond audio stuff? i mean, really any component system sounds pretty decent (if tuned correctly), but can you find flaws in them? i think the d9 series, especially, is intriguing. a 7" woofer would blend very well with a 15" sub Then add in a 3" mid and some nice tweeters... probably even throw the 7"s an amp of their own. thats much further down the road though, hahaha, once i actually get enough money to mess around with the upper ranges.. Itd take a lot of work to blend all the speakers correctly, but i really think the slight overkill would pay off. with a crossover system, along with an external eq, im sure it wouldnt take too terribly long. i think the hardest part would be finding speakers that sonic signatures matched closely enough. i mean, anything in that setup would sound nice, but by matching, things start to sound much better quite quickly.

i ramble when im tired

[AFBeefcake]

The box is tuned to 32 Hz. Down the road I would like to get a diamond audio amp.

i was looking at door speakers and componet sets. do we have alot of depth in the doors. i saw some 7 in component subs i want to install in the future. and for the 6x9s has any one had any that have not fit on the install height wize(i want to keep stock cover). the 7 in com. were either polk or eclipse. i have always done eclipse setups in my rides with alpine amps. i trust the two combined. im afraid of trying something new and not liking.

[Tim]

I'm currently running

Alpine CDA-9805
CDT CL-61a's with 3/4" tweeter
Adcom 4304 running at 75x2 RMS at 4 ohms (stable down to .25 ohm)
Profile CA600M 420 watts RMS at 2 ohm
Elemental designs 10o.44 dvc in a 1.2 cf sealed box
Creative Nomad Zen Xtra 30 gb connected via Alpine KCA 121b AI-net auxiliary adapter.

i'm thinking about upgrading to the imaging kit so I can have tweeters mounted a little closer to the woofer. The placement in the svx is decent, but hte tweeters are mounted a bit too far for my tastes.

The front doors dont rattle very much, its mostly my rear deck that I have to take care of and everything should be good.

Otherwise everything is smooth and transparent. The only thing I really could use is a separate EQ or a better HU with a parametric equalizer.

i was looking at door speakers and componet sets. do we have alot of depth in the doors. i saw some 7 in component subs i want to install in the future. and for the 6x9s has any one had any that have not fit on the install height wize(i want to keep stock cover). the 7 in com. were either polk or eclipse. i have always done eclipse setups in my rides with alpine amps. i trust the two combined. im afraid of trying something new and not liking.

There is substantial depth in the doors, however, you might run into some issues with it actually sounding GOOD by just mounting it in the door. that is far from optimal for any speaker, even with proper sound deadening. one nice thing is that the stock speakers use a mounting bracket that allows for a slightly oversized hole in the door. i didnt take measurements, but a seven may fit in with no work! however, with something like that, id HIGHLY suggest an in-door enclosure, or create some kick panel enclosures. thatd be the only way to go also, really dont be afraid to try new equipment (or anything new, for that matter). certainly dont go into it blindly though. i thought i would be pioneer HU's for life, and then i bought this eclipse for a good price (300 for the cd8454), and i couldnt be happier. it has everything i wanted the pioneer to have, and more.

I'm currently running

Alpine CDA-9805
CDT CL-61a's with 3/4" tweeter
Adcom 4304 running at 75x2 RMS at 4 ohms (stable down to .25 ohm)
Profile CA600M 420 watts RMS at 2 ohm
Elemental designs 10o.44 dvc in a 1.2 cf sealed box
Creative Nomad Zen Xtra 30 gb connected via Alpine KCA 121b AI-net auxiliary adapter.

i'm thinking about upgrading to the imaging kit so I can have tweeters mounted a little closer to the woofer. The placement in the svx is decent, but hte tweeters are mounted a bit too far for my tastes.

The front doors dont rattle very much, its mostly my rear deck that I have to take care of and everything should be good.

Otherwise everything is smooth and transparent. The only thing I really could use is a separate EQ or a better HU with a parametric equalizer.

im not sure of the measurements in the SVX, but generally speaking, kick-panel enclosures are about as good as you can go for imaging. there are some horn kits from.... u/s/d.... that actually mount along the underside of the dash. i dont see it getting much better than that, if you are willing the shell out the $800 for them, and that was a couple years ago, haha.

for sound customization, i have never come across a better deck than the eclipse i have now. in pro sound mode, it has a ten band parametric equalizer, time alignment, and a crossover (HPF, MLPF, MHPF, LPF) tunable to 6/12/18/24 db dropoffs. it also has a microphone to take in-cabin readings. you then write it to the memory stick, go online, and have the parametric readings optimized to reduce peaks and valleys specific to the vehicles acoustics.

if youre a perfectionist, youd probably enjoy the external EQ. itd give the best sound, and gives the most accurate adjustments of that sound. plus, its fun to mess around with.

what are your thoughts on the eD sub? what have you had to compare it to?