Bauer24

Hey Everybody...

I'm having a heck of a time deciding how to set up my sound system in my car. Here is what I have...

Deck- Pioneer deh-p80mp 27 watts rms x 4
Front Speakers- Infinity Reference 6.5" 60 watts rms each
Rear Speakers- Alpine Type-R 6x9" 100 watts rms each
Sub- Infinity Kappa 10" 350 watts rms
Amp#1- 4 Channel MTX TC4004 4x50 rms
Amp#2- 2 Channel MTX TC3002

Now.. when i bought this amp i was under the impression that it would be enough power to run the alpine 6X9's but now i see that they are at 4 ohms and the rating for that on the amp is only 4x50 where as the speakers are rms100..

I have heard it's a bad thing to under power your speakers, so my question is what should i do..

As far as i can tell, I have 2 options..
1-Return the alpines for Type S.. which i believe are 50 rms or
2-Bridge the 4 channel amp and use it only for the rear speakers.. the thing with this is... I'm worried that all the sound will come from behind me and also this would put the rms at 2x200.

Please let me know what I should do.. Thank you!

fcm

Under-powering speakers is not a bad thing in itself, it can NOT hurt the speakers, the problem is that an underpowered amp is much easier to drive into constant clipping and that is very bad for the speakers.
I would recommend replacing both the amps as they are both underpowered, the TC3002 is 1x300W RMS into 4 ohms, [for a 350W sub].

I would look for a 4ch amp that is at least 4x75W RMS into 4 ohms,
and a mono block sub amp 1x400-500W RMS into [depending on subs impedance, need model number].

Your rear speakers are there for rear fill only and do not require a lot of power, I would wire the rear speakers in series and connect them to the bridged rear channels of the 4ch amp for a mono rear fill, I would also disable the tweeters in the rear speakers [it will help imaging and staging and pretty much eliminate "left/right bias". 94

Bauer24

Alright.. the thing is, i can still return the Alpine Type R 6x9's for something cheaper. Would that work just as well as getting a smaller amp?

Also, is there a way to help prevent this "clipping?"

I'm not sure about the T3002.. its kinda old, but i know that I have the certificate thing i got with the T4004 and it says rated for 4x50 but actually tested for 4x71. Not sure if that makes much of a difference....

Also, you were saying that the T3002 is 300w.. is that bridged.. because remember i only have one sub so therefore I have it bridged.

And just to clarify.. you were saying I should run the rears in series attached to the bridged rear channel of the amp. (i think it is rated for 2x200 in bridged power). Then run the front speakers separately into the front channels of the amp?

dohcvtak

iTrader: (1)

..nothing wrong with the speaker its just your amps arnt there yet..

to prevent clipping you set the gains accordingly... if you cant do it by ear u can do it with a multimeter and a recorded test tone and a mathematical formula.

yes 300wx1 @4ohm bridged... but your sub is at 350w rms

what fcm was trying to say is run your rear speakers wired in a series 8ohm (connects the positive of one speaker with the negative of the other speaker) then bridge it on the amp
pos of one channel and neg of the other channel.. and run the fronts normally (brilliant btw never would of known if fcm didnt mention it in a past thread)

Bauer24

yes, it does sound like a very good idea..

The reason i ask about the cheaper speakers as opposed to a better amp is because i just bought the speakers and can still get full refund for them. Where as the amp i'd have to find someone to buy it.

fcm

The 4ch amp is still underpowered for the front speakers, [although not by much] and it depends on what the voltage was to get the 4x71W RMS.

If you can return the rear speakers, do so, rear speakers are not needed, if you replace them, find some mid-bass/mid-range 6x9s for the rear, [no tweeters].

For now to save a few $$$, bridge the 4ch amp into a 2ch amp and use it to drive the front speakers, just watch how much gain you use on the amp, [no more then 50%] at 2x200W RMS into 4 ohms it is way overpowered for the speakers.

Use the TC3002 for the sub for now but replace it with a mono block sub amp ASAP and be careful with the gain on it also.

Clipping is heard to hear in a cars audio system when driving, especially on the sub mounted in the trunk, best way to avoid it is to use overpowered amps, lacking that, very careful adjustments of the amps gain control.

Using some "clean" music, [something you know very well] set all HU controls to flat, turn off any "boosts" EQs, loudness, best way is to reboot the HU, [disconnect batt. neg(-), wait a few min. and reconnect], load the CD and only use the volume control, turn gains on amps all the way down, turn HU volume up 75%, slowly turn front speaker amp gain up till you get the best possible sound out of the front speakers, [this will work in both 4ch and 2ch mode] this should take some time as you will need to lisen to more then a few sec. of the music at any given gain to make sure the amp does not clip, distorted sound from the speakers, keep adding a little gain as long as the sound is clean and clear.

Maximum/optimum speaker output will depend a lot on speaker installation quality.

Once the front speakers are set do the rears, [if used], if adjusted properly you should not be able to hear the rear speakers without "cupping" your hands over your ears, [open towards the back].

The adjustment for the sub amp is the same, turn gain up as long as bass is clean and clear.

Your done. 94

Bauer24

Sweet Thank you so much..

The amp says 14.4 Volts.

And I made a mistake, my front speakers are the Infinity 6012i - power range: 2-60 watts RMS (180 watts peak power). So the amp should be perfect for them.. now just for some better rears..( or worse technically). What would be an example of mid bass/ mid range 6x9s? The apline type-s? or are they still too good for my amp?

Oh and I assume i cant bridge my deck's internal amp can I?

Finally, the amp recommends a 4 gauge power wire and ground wire..I'm just wondering if i could get away with an 8 gauge until i get a 4 gauge one? And what could doing this cause?

fcm

Neither of the amps need a 4ga power cable, even if the 4ch is bridged into 2x200W, [400W] you would not need a 4ga unless the power cable was going to be 12 feet or longer.

Run two 8ga power leads and you will be fine. 94

Bauer24

Thank you very much for your help