Adding Sub

[PEZZA XR6]

well I am looking to add a sub and upgrade the standard system in my xr6. I have been looking into a few options like the 360, and aftermarket hu, but I like my screen and steering controls, and already have ipod aux so I dont need a new hu.

me and my mate from work were looking at the amps out the back and I noticed that the jvc's had high level input, and a pre out. and apparently quite a few amps have preouts now.

so what I was thinking was getting a 4 channel and running the speakers and using the preout to run a sub off a mono. I will get a pretty decent 4 channel as I am looking at upgrading speakers, so hopefully about 100+rms which would be good for some new splits.

sorry for my noobiness but gotta learn somehow.

advice, opinions and experience would be great. cheers

[smicky]

Mate, firstly you wont be sitting in your car and listening to 100W RMS for very long... 100W RMS is a very high level of volume... (btw, u can run 300W+ of no music just 'white noise' and u would never know the amp is sending 300W down the line if the level being sent into the amp is very low...) hope you follow what im trying to say, considering its 1am!

Depending on the sort of $$$ u want to spend, you can get a 5 ch amp and run the speaker wires from the factory head unit into the 'high level' inputs and get some new speakers, a wiring kit and your away!

if you want to take a further step, the 2 x amp is something I always like... in case u blow your sub amp, u still have speakers running, and if u blow the speaker amp, u dont need to replace the sub amp as well...

U can invest in a good 4ch amp for the speakers, and take the sub amp one or two levels down... as its just powering the sub... Yes clean power from the amp is needed into the sub also, but u wont notice the difference between a good 2ch or monoblock against a high end mono block unless your running some serious gear... (generally speaking)...

for a resonable setup look at a good pioneer, jl, or like branded mid range 4ch amp.... some good splits for the front speakers and unless u have blown the rears just run the stock speakers as fills... (Who gives a sh*t about the people in the back... its your car u drive it spend the extra on the splits and enjoy the sound up the front of the car!)

Now for the sub, look for a mid range 10" and 'tune' the box and ports... just wacking a 12 or 15" into a box drilling some big holes and plugging it in isnt the best idea... If you get a custom box and a 10" sub, someone that can tune the ports u will find a single voice coil 10" like the old JL 10W04 will sound oh so much louder and sweeter then a big arsed 15" slapped into a box...

I have proven this in my old Civic which had the owners of Ryda, Lifestyle and many other places sit in the car and until they look in the boot, never believe it was just 1x 10"... they know how to do it but never believe it until they see it, unless they do the installs themselves...

So 10" sub driver... around $150-$250 - JL are a good choice around this level...

Good Splits Pioneer E Series... around $250-300$ look at MB, Boston, if u want the next level up, then if u are happy to go over 1500$ look at Morel or Focal!

Good to great mid level 4 ch amp - $350-500$+ Pioneer, JL High end series (forget what its called), or for more $$$ look at RF, Audison, Boston, or then even Focal if u want the top end!

Good 2ch - 250-350$+ Pioneer, JL, RF etc...

This is just a few brands that come to mind worth looking at...

Kenwood, Sony, are prob not two I would recommend as good, so look to Pioneer, and JL in the same $$$ range...

Hope this helps as a starter... I could write pages and pages on this crap about audio but try to stay out of this thread as I get carried away!