Does anyone know if I can run 4 ch off my HU while ALSO running 4 ch off my amp while the amp is connected via RCA's to my HU? in other words- 4-ch from the HU & 4-ch from the amp at same time, for total of 8-ch???? I'm wanting to get something done once & for all- this shi**y stereo thing has been going on for 5yrs now & I'm sick of it...


I just want 4 simple channels w/as much bass as possible W/OUT subs..... I would prefer 6.5's all around w/the fronts being components- I'm planning to keep the 6.5 coax Kappas I have in rear & I'm removing the 6x8 fronts I currently have... I'd really like to get rid of the 4-ch ADS amp & JUST use a HU IF one would give me enough power.... The amp is a PQ10- 40w peak- not sure about RMS, but, my Kenwood HU is 22rms/47peak- the Kenwood seems to be weaker though- I heard an Alpine Mossfet(sp?) long ago (27 RMS / 60 peak) running some MBQ 6.5's & had PLENTY of power- the guy at the stereo store SWORE there was no additional amp running them- hard to believe....? I mean, it took me a long time to understand that aftermarket speakers needed a LOT more power to make them sound better than stock...

Anyway, can you bridge a HU to run a pair of speakers? I've been told both "yes" & "no." If you can, then, how....?

HAS ANYONE HERE EVER SEEN 6.5'S INSTALLED UP FRONT IN ONE OF THESE CARS??? If so, what, how, & where.....?

I could bridge the amp for the rears & run a pair of 5.25's w/my rear HU channels & a pair of 4x6's w/the front HU channels. OR, run the rears & some 5.25 components (front) w/my amp & then run an extra set of 4" speakers (mounted in turbo S location w/the 5.25's) w/two HU channels & then a set of 4x6's w/the other two HU channels....

A TON of combinations, but, it all hinges on my intial question.....? IF the answer is "yes," then, could I stilll use the balance/fader/bass/treble/etc on my HU? I have none of those on the amp.... this is frustrating b/c I thought I had all of this figured out before- was going to run 6.5 rears & 6x8 component fronts all off my ADS 4-ch amp... 6x8s aren't working for several reasons, so....

Any input on any of this....??

thanks

 

Robby, you crack me up... you and stereos... best of friends.

 

You can have as many speakers as you want, provided they each have a power channel. Bear in mind that, unless youre using dvd-audio or something bizarre, music is 2 sound channels (stereo).

6.5" up front...doesnt look very good:

Instead of getting 6.5" dynamic speakers...why not get a 6" sub? If you tune it properly at the amp, it won't be too boomy. I honestly don't see the logic behind not using a sub.

 

Man, it's driving me NUTS!!!!! I've learned a lot of things during this, but, I just want what I can't seem to have- 6.5's up front..... that's not asking much, though, is it....? REALLY? I mean WTF!?!?!? The damn dashboard again- the way it goes up against the door panel when the dor closes dammit! Early cars (pre-85.5) did not have this prob, of course, I like the looks of the new ones better....

you know, IF I had the money, I think I'd get a nicer, stronger, amp, a 3-way component set of CDT or ADS or MBQ's (6.5", 4", tweeter) & some 5.25 seperates. I'd mount the 6.5s in rear w/the tweeter, just like Turbo S, etc.... then, the 4" from the rear set would be in the plastic frame under the armrest w/the other 5.25 speaker & the 5.25's tweeter would be at top of door- run them off the 4-ch amp. would be slightly strange since the 4" speakers would out of their set, but, since they're all components, it really shouldn't matter, unless you really wanted to fade the stereo some funny way.... Of course, I STILL don't know if the above would give as much bass as just 4 straight 6.5's....


never heard that about the 4x6's though- what you mentioned in the other thread..... I've been reading lately where some say that oval speakers are better for bass- I had always been told the opposite, but.... WTF knows...? In any event, this wouldn't do anything for SQ & THAT is most important.... it's just that there ARE a TON of 4x6's to choose from & they would almost all easily mount down there- they could be run from a stock HU too, easier than 6.5's, but, 6.5's would obviously be better for bass- of course, I'd have to run the 6.5's from an amp- bass needs power.... it's a PITFA, Catch-22, circle...

 

Serge, thanks for the input- I was just asking the original question, b/c, I was thinking that if the HU RCA's were running the amp which was running all 4 chan's, then, I might NOT be able to run another 4-speakers from the 4 HU chan's at same time... Also- IF I hooked speakers to the amp & then speakers to the HU, BOTH like this, then, would the fader, bass, treble, etc, all work from my HU just like they did before?

IF I just used two channels of the HU to run the front speakers & then bridged the amp to run the back two, would it blow the two UNused channels of the HU?

Last- can the 4-channels of the HU be bridged (like an amp) to run just two speakers???

The 6.5 in that picture must have been too deep (lke 99% of them for that locatioon)- it's REALLY the better location FOR front speakers though- the rears are a bit too far forward, &, w/Turbo S fronts, the fronts & rears are way too close together- poor imaging. The only way I would mount the 6.5's is by using a simple wooden spacer- I wouldn't want to build anything like that- IF I use a spacer (the ONLY way to get decent depth) It CAN'T stick out too far or the map pocket will not work- it's only giving me ~3/4" extra depth total & the total depth of the hole to the window frame rail is ~1 3/4" ( I HAD a pic before)- the thickness of the pocket adds 1/8" maybe, so, 2.5" + 1/8" MAXIMUM depth AND the speaker has to be placed so that there is NO CHANCE of the dash getting in the way & pinching it b/t the dash & door....

who's car is that in the pic? it LOOKS like it's mounted slightly further back for some reason....

"Instead of getting 6.5" dynamic speakers...why not get a 6" sub? If you tune it properly at the amp, it won't be too boomy. I honestly don't see the logic behind not using a sub."

I don't want the weight of the extra sub (I really don't like the idea of adding extra speakers for this simple reason too) & I don't want to have to wire & mount it, etc... plus, I don't really want sub bass-I just like to have as much bass down to ~50Hz as possible- this is a guestimate, but, most 6.5's give me plenty of the depth that I need, as long as I can get enough to power it out.... the Sub bass is such lower range that I just don't listen to stuff that I would hear it in. PLUS, my amp does not have any type of adjustment on it- hence the question about the HU tuning.... It just seems weird to me that when running RCA's from the HU to power a 4-ch amp, that each channel of the HU would STILL work simultaneously... what are the RCA's for then? I mean, the HU controls the amp through the RCA's, but, doesn't it use it's channels to do that?

thanks

 

Oval speakers are "better for bass" because of larger surface area. You'll get the best sound out of round speakers.

After not being angry over your kid barfing inside your car, I'm surprised you're this angry over a stereo.

 

welll.... that makes sense..... thanks..... "kid barfing in my car....?" Dude.... I think you have me confused w/someone else.... definately not me on that one..... I'm just frustrated w/it b/c it's been going on for so long- I've spent a decent amount of $ too- wondering if the $ would have been better spent on an Alpine- if the Moffset units really would be stronger than my ADS amp....(?) Also, the speaker fitment is a COMPLETE PITFA! Not to mention, fuse #39 (stereo) drains my battery when I leave it in- I HATE having to pull it out everytime I drive w/the stereo on.... I have the main power supply of the amp running to the battery- the remote lead is wired to the HU, as are the RCA's & then the ground is elsewhere.... I remove my faceplate from the Kenwood HU & the HU is OFF!!!! There is no power wire on my amp, so, I cannot tell if it's still on, but, should NOT be since I have it's remote lead hooked to the HU, right.....? COULD the amp be staying on & running the power THROUGH the HU causing the drain? I mean, it seems backwards, but, is it possible? ?How do I test it to find out....?

 

I will give you the write up next week on my 6.5 and 5.25 amped component setup. I am very condifent with the frequency control on the amp it can be "tuned" very well.

 

Oops, you're right. I just saw turbo S in the sig...sorry about that.

 

 

Holy cow man. You've got some DANG messed up wiring if your stereo causes a drain.

The wiring is dead simple. You have a main ground, a switched positive and a permanent positive going to the head unit ONLY. If you connect 'em up wrong, you'll get the drain. (Don't ask me on colour codes, I can't remember)

After that, on the kenwood unit I have, there is a blue ( i think) wiring, which you use as signal to the arial amplifier AND signal to the amplifier. It's basically a positive switched on by the head unit when it is on.

Now, you can definately run an 8-channel system, but whether the fader/balance will work is another question. I'll come to that in a minute.

you can now run the main speaker wires from the head unit to the speakers you wish to be unamplified (from the extra amp anyway. the built in HU amp will of course do its thing). I would suggest the 4 smallest speakers NOT INCLUDING the tweeters. the two front HU speaker wires should drive the crossover which then goes to the front smalls, and the front tweeters. The crossover does the frequency balancing to ensure the right sound goes to the right speaker.

Then you can wire the AMP. BIG positive (usually straight from the battery) to the AMP, and a really really good ground. Remember that signal from the HU? That need connecting up too.

Then pure and simple, run the wires from the amp to the remaining speakers. Bingo. Almost.....

The reason I question your ability to run 8-channels is down to the head unit. Assuming you have 4xpre-outs, then you run all 4 cables to the amp, which then should allow you to run fade/balance (assuming the pre-outs are labelled front/rear, they usually are). If you only have 2xpre outs, you'll get no option on fade, but you will have balance control. You'll also have to bridge the amp, to effectively lie to it. two inputs plus bridging equals 4 outputs. two inputs MINUS the bridging will only leave you 2 outputs.

I hasten to add that this is most of the time, and it depends on the AMP and the HU model you run. Model numbers would help, so we could check the spec charts to see what you have.

Hope that helps....