ok...so i've been bouncing around the idea of creating this thread for sometime now, only because it's gonna be a somewhat longterm thread. but being that my ideas are finalized, i figured i'd get some opinions on the install...not the product.

the parts...
Headunit...undecided and somewhat unimportant.
Processor...Audison BitOne
Active Front Stage...Hertz HV 165XL.4 Midbass driver, HV70.4 Midrange Driver, HT28 Tweeter
Subs...Hybrid Audio I6SW 6.5" Long Throw Subwoofer
Front Stage Amp...Arc Audio KS 900.6
Sub Amp...Arc Audio KS 300.2
Wiring...Connection Wiring
Sound Deadening...Second Skin.

front stage will have off-axis mid and tweet in pillars and midbass driver sealed off in the doors. the sub stage will be in a small sealed enclosure in the rear floor area, amp rack in spare tire well.

well...there is the generic details.

 

Headunit...undecided and somewhat unimportant. <---very important would only buy eclipse unless you have big time $$$ to spend
Processor...Audison BitOne <---good choice for the $
Active Front Stage...Hertz HV 165XL.4 Midbass driver, HV70.4 Midrange Driver, HT28 Tweeter <----look into the DynAudio Esotar2
Subs...Hybrid Audio I6SW 6.5" Long Throw Subwoofer <----may want to consider something bigger that wont roll off before 60hrz (alumapro, ultra, tc sounds comes to mind)
Front Stage Amp...Arc Audio KS 900.6 <---- look into Butler Audio tube driver....nothing for a front stage that is transistor driven will ever sound as open as a tube amplifier.
Sub Amp...Arc Audio KS 300.2
Wiring...Connection Wiring <--- Look into Kimber Kable http://www.kimber.com/products/interconnects/analog/ make some of the best interconnects period.
Sound Deadening...Second Skin.

also no mention of power reinforcement? stiffening caps etc? power conditioning?

 

ok...ok...start with looking at link in signature...now...to retaliate

head unit through processor is not THAT important as the Bitone pulls 2ch analog audio through low level input, or 4ch audio through high level, and then auto corrects.

hybrid i6sw roll off is in the 20hz range, it's a SUBWOOFER, and won't be released till december.

interconnects will be custom RJ59 quad shielded coax custom cut to length

power will be stinger h/o alt, with XSPower D5100R batt and a connection 1 farad cap.

as for front stage...again...look at what i'm a factory authorized dealer for.

 

if you have a good head unit with clean output stage then you wont need a processor (a processor will cleanup the output waveform but will also introduce artifacts)
ive yet to test any 6" sub that didnt start rolling off around 50-60hrz even with high BL and xmax

"look at what I'm a factory authorized dealer for" since you have a retail license then you shouldn't have a problem going through a wholesaler or factory direct for other brands
grew up in a stereo shop my father opened in 88...not new to this game
i do like arc audio...their factory is about 45 minutes drive from me...know some people who work there and got to take a tour.
i will also state again...no transistor amp will ever touch a tube amplifier

 

i already have a bit one in my truck...thing is amazing

im using the image dynamics cxs series for fronts and the arc audio 300.2 for the front amp

2 image dynamics max 10's for subs and a arc 1000.4 for each sub


hertz is a great speaker

 

sorry, don't like to dip my hands into too many buckets, i'm happy with the product line i have. don't need more just to pickup brands. my resale license isn't for making my car sound good, it's for supporting my business, and i can't do that with picking up every brand that everyone says is good.

tube amps dwarf transistor, understood, but not for the money. it's not like i'm running a class d amp just cuz, and it's like i'm running a class ab just to say i'm not running a class d. show me a 6ch tube amp that does what the arc 900.6 does for the money.

i'm glad you grew up around car audio, i never questioned it, nor did i question your choices. all i said was look what i have access to, and base your "you should run this" on that. i love dyn audio, they are amazing in my home speakers, and i don't doubt their car audio ability.

now...a clean output stage in a HU eliminates a processor how?? i'll be running an electronic full 8ch active crossover with 31 band EQ with my processor. and with the exception of the pioneer prs stuff, there isn't a relatively available HU that will do what my processor will do.

 

if the hu output is flat from 20hrz to 20khz (hopefully more like 5hrz to 25khz but cd's are 20to20) and the amplifier is flat from 20 to 20 or better on freq response +/- 1db or better then there is no need for an eq...good speakers should also play their specified freq range flat....all that would need to be done properly is the crossover networks and enclosure and you should have a great sq setup.

ive never liked the idea of using an eq or processors as they add artifacts into the music.

 

so you propose running passive crossover networks??

the use of EQ's or processors is used to account for much more than adding artifacts...most of the time they are used to REMOVE anything from music. the use of an EQ and an RTA corrects for possible inperfections in the car at listening position, or to correct for a slight speaker spike. in my setup it will be used to balance, not add.

several other points to the processor ideal, bluetooth interrupt with bandbass crossover, analog and digital aux input with input settings, multiple user profiles, set level input volume control (which most HUs do NOT have), along with previously mentioned items like electronic crossovers, EQs (to flatten out what little imperfections one might hear).

i guess i should have clarified this will be a demo car, and built on a "budget" i could have opted to go with audison amps, or i could have signed up with TRU Tech to get some amazing tube amps, but i didn't. i'm building this for an everyday joe. someone who could sit down and go...WOW...all that out of this. i'm not going with the most expensive amps, i'm not going with speakers you can find online at wholesale prices. i'm building this car to give people a reason to support their local car audio shop.

also...give me some examples of the HU you are talking about...and i mean current ones. McIntosh, Denon, and that russian company?!?

 

I get what your saying....
McIntosh and denon have some nice equipment....i also like nakamichi, eclipse, most hu's that use Burr-Brown DACs
Basicly what your looking for is a hu with signal to noise ratio of 110+ dBa and a dynamic head room of 100+ dB with distortion output below .01%....of course something like this will set you back $$$. way beyond what most people will pay.

http://caraudiomag.com/articles/top-...e-source-units here is some good choices although i dont agree with him on a couple of the units (im not a big fan of pioneer anything)

 

yeah...those are all great headunits, but all are discontinued. eleminiating those from the selection...that's why i specified that the HU isn't that important.

These are pretty much the current versions available of anything from that list.
Nakamichi - CD700II - $1500
McIntosh - $1150
Pioneer P99RS - $1200 (This would be the best option for people who do not want an external processor)

you say eclipse, but they are no longer in business.

 

why such a small sub?

 

there is still a lot of eclipse headunits out there that are new old stock in the wholesale wharehouses. fujitsu ten the parent company will still warranty eclipse products.
out of the 3 listed i would go with nakamichi personally. i love their home audio equipment i have.

 

because im guessing he just wants to fill in the low end and not **** off the neighbors coming home. most people think big loud subs with a **** ton of power behind them make a great stereo. then they buy cheap speakers and a crappy head unit for the front.

doesn't anyone understand dampening factor and s/n ratio and dynamic headroom anymore?

 

yeah...even if they are NOS product, i would never think about picking up wholesale discontinued equipment. fujitsu ten can warranty whatever they like...but i'd never think about putting something in my car to use as a demo if the product is something i can't stand behind.

 

oh...and for the 6.5" subs. you're exactly right. i can get everything I want out two 6.5" subs that most people get out of a 10". and i don't have to worry all the trunk dampening and weight. i can run a hybrid 6.5" sub that's natural low freq roll off is in the 20hz range (similar to the Ultra and Kicker 6.5" subs), and get the results out of two 6.5" than i can with 1 10" and these only require about .3 cu ft per driver.

 

Relax guy.

I don't even see the purpose of a 6.5" sub. There's a reason subs are usually start at 8 and up. It takes cone area to move air. I just looked over the I6ws..looks like it'll make a nice midbass driver..but something to get down to 30hz with authority? not so much.

what 10's are you comparing these to? Saying you'll get the same output as a 10 is vague as hell.

 

there is another shop in town that put 2 I6SW in a f body camaro in twin sealed boxes, and i would compare it to an ultra a-10. they are great sq addition. i wouldn't say that they are stupid loud, or can move a ton of air, but in cab on a civic they are gonna be a great addition. i've heard two ultra lv-6 subs in a sealed enclosure in a tacoma, and they were amazing. midbass driver my ***...they were subs.

 

i doubt two of those would touch the one alumapro 10 i have.
and yes 6.5inch sub doesnt have enough surface area to play low frequency...it will roll off around 50-60hrz pretty bad....UNLESS ----> he put the two 6.5"inch subs in the same enclosure....my NHT home theater speakers use two 6.5" drivers in a seperate enclosure for the subs and not only are they extremely accurate but they will play very low.
i think cobb knows what he is doing....hell he carries brands 99% of people have never heard of....and they are damn good ones...i just happen to prefer some other companies a bit more (more brands most people have never heard of)

 

More power to you if you get it to work, but i def think the subs are gonna be the bottleneck of this system.

Cool.

 

thanks man... I've been doing this for a while...and i like to think that I've picked a great group of products to support my business. an alumapro is a great speaker, and i'm not saying that these will touch that, but mine are also only 150w +- RMS. so they aren't designed to make your hair move, just make a smooth transition from front stage to sub stage, and still play into the 20hz range without sounding stressed or forced.

 

i had a friend of mine that used two of the older fosgate 8" subs in a single enclosure...they were amazing to say the least....quick enough to keep up with kick drum put still play low enough for bass guitar without sounding muddy.

put those two 6.5" in the same enclosure (or maybe 3 if they make a 12ohm or dual 6ohm version) and you should be able to blow people away.

 

they are single 4ohm only

 

3 4ohm subs will give you 1.33ohms which would be perfect for a 1ohm stable monoblock amplifier.

 

but i am only running two. if i wanted to blow people away i'd run an ultra lv-12 or a hertz hi-energy 12. but i'm not a sub person really anymore...so the 2 6.5" subs will be perfect

 

4 would him 1.

Or get a 2 channel that does 300 x 2 @ 2