Bought an amp. Now what??

[mattyass]

Hello all

Im after upgrading my front door speakers in the mk3. When i bought it it came with some fli (inteceptors i think) which dont really ofer much quality.

I want to upgrade these but am on a budget. Im looking for a new set for around the £45 mark.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated?

[JamesBaby]

Hi

I put these Alpine's in the front and in the rear. They are cheap and a step up from the Kenwoods that were in mine.

http://www.online-caraudio.co.uk/shopscr225.html

I then bought a cheap 4 channel amp from a eBay shop (£40 with wiring kit - Mutant) and then wired them up. Sounds ace for the price. But you will need a sub as the cheaper end of the scale speakers don't produce anything usefull below 100hz.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MUTANT-MT2004-4x70W-RMS-STEREO-4-CHANNEL-AMP-AMPLIFIER_W0QQitemZ370133089342QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GPS_Car_Amplifiers_PP?hash=item562da6bc3e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

However if I had around £45 ish + I would give these Pioneer ones a go.
http://www.online-caraudio.co.uk/shopscr1042.html

J

[mattyass]

Thanks James. I'll probably look into buying slightly higher end speakers as i dont want to amp them up just yet. I'll save that til i get a proper audio set up.

The Alpine's and Pioneer's look good tho.

Im trying to keep my eye on some ebay bargains and am currently bidding on some Infinity Kappa's.

Are there any real standout makes i should look out for? And equally any crap ones that i should be careful of?

[JamesBaby]

Hi

Just a thought re how you spend your cash.

The problem IMO with buying slightly better speakers\high end is that you will not get the best from them if you just run them from a head unit. The sound quality will be affected more by the output from the head unit rather than speaker capability. For example most head units that are 4 x 50w actually only put out about 18w RMS. So your 35w, 45w, or 50w speakers aren't getting enough clean power anyway let alone potential 70w+ speakers. The temptation is then to turn up the head unit beyond half way, but then you send distortion to the speakers. This distortion then makes it seem that the speakers are not capable of handling the power due to them sounding so bad. When in actual fact it's the signal being sent to them.

Take my setup for e.g. I have an Alpine head unit running the Alpine 45w speakers. At volume setting 17 it sounds ok, but it's not loud enough and the low end is very poor. But at volume 23 it's plenty loud enough but then the treble is harsh and the lower end just farts and rattles the doors.

However, when I send the "17" level signal to an amp, I can amplify this clean signal to a higher level. The result is a really nice loud clean crisp sound with no door farting (louder than volume 23 on the head unit). On top of this you then have the extra control of not sending anything below 80hz to the doors and letting the sub handle it. This makes the door speakers sound even punchy'er. Thus you have achieved nice sound with cheaper speakers.

So in other words, get the balance right on how you spend your money. A 4 channel amp can be had off eBay quite cheap and it will make a world of difference. Plus, you can upgrade speakers (or even your cheap amp) to your hearts content later, knowing that between your head unit and the amp you will be able to send enough clean power to make them loud and crisp.

I'd say that for now, don't go above your current speaker budget. Then save up and get an amp. I bought and installed mine for about £80. Sounds awesome.  Give me a call and I can talk you through the install if you want.

[mattyass]

Wow! Cheers dude thats some great info. Hmm sh!t shall i just get an amp now then?? Descisions descisions!

I am a quite the novice when it comes to audio but am well into my music so really need to get my sounds sorted.

Ok so maybe i could amp up the speakers that are in the car. There are some xpolod 6x9s in the back and the fli integrators in the front (installed by previous owner) i get decent enough quality with these but really want to upgrade.

So in therory i could just get a decent 4 cannel amp (4 channel??) and vastly iprove the sound quaility??

What about a set of components? Could i run those in the front thus giving more power to the 6x9s in the rear?

The can of worms in now open!!

[JamesBaby]

I would get a 4 channel amp and power all the speakers from it. If you are keeping the 6x9 then use them as the rear channel, and power the fronts from the front channels on the amp. You can even use the crossovers on the amp to remove any frequencies that the speakers are not able to handle (the very low end stuff). I reckon you will be grinning when you hear it.

If you are just starting out don't go mad on high end gear. But rather get the install right so you are ready for the future. Use thick power cable from battery to amp, and ground. RCA from head unit should be sent down the other side of the car to the power. etc etc. I might post an install guide when I get a moment.

Either way if you install an amp you have nothing to lose. You will make your existing stuff sound much better. Whilst also getting yourself ready for potential upgrades in the future. 

[mattyass]

Hmm. Definate food for thought fella. I like your thinking. I'll keep my eye out for a decent enough amp.

U say i need a 4 cannel amp is that regarding the 4 speakers?

There is a mutant one on ebay for cheap including wires. And a couple on edition that ive got my eye on. Might just wait til e38 and see what might be for sale there.

Your help is much appreciated fella. And a write up would be awesome!

[JamesBaby]

Yes, 4 channel amp because you have 4 speakers.

I got the mutant amp and I think it's great. The wiring kit that comes with it is ok except for the power cables, they are far too thin. You will need to get some of your own, proper stuff. I got mine from here http://www.knukonceptz.co.uk/productMaster.cfm?Category=Power%20Wire

Get the 4 Gauge power wire. Here is a great guide to installing audio gear http://www.caraudiohelp.com/how_to_install_a_car_amp/how_to_install_a_car_amp.htm . It's just for a reference really.

You will need :
4 metres for the +Positive
2 metres for -Ground (get different colour to +)
RCA leads to go from Head Unit. Check your unit to see how many outputs it has. If only one then you will need on ly 1 RCA but then a Male to Female RCA splitter to go at the Amp end.
Crimp connectors and crimping tool. (The ratchet type makes the job so much easier)

 

[mattyass]

Nice one James

Top stuff here im liking the sound of this. Might try n hold out until edition to see if i can pick up a decent amp for much cheapness.

That installation guide is very useful i'll definately be referring to that.

With regards to the power wire. Do u know what lengths it is sold at from that site you've referred me to?? And did u get one of those fuse holders?

[JamesBaby]

Great stuff. It's the way forward 

Re the cable. They sell it per metre. So the price on the site is per metre, but then there is a delivery charge of £4 per shipment. I think it is very reasonable indeed as you get proper wire. Not some chinese rubbish that has the outer jacket thicker than the cable inside it. (They do this due to the increase in the price of copper.)

Re the fuse holder. If you get the mutant amp it will come with a kit, and in the kit are some things are are usable. Such as the fuse holder, and the 60 amp fuse. If you don't get that, just get one seperately. Some of the pre-made kits are daylight robbery.