Thoughts....

MTXMAN

Well i'm planning my upgrades for next summer so tell me what you all think....

Current...
HU: Pioneer DEHP2000
Speakers: Polk MM6
Amp: US Amps TU-600

here's what i want to change in order of powertrail from hu to speakers

HU -- Eclipse CD 8454 (www.eclipse-web.com)

X-over -- US Amps US-X3 4ch in 6ch out (www.usamps.com)

Low channel will run to--

Amp -- US Amps TU-600, 150x2@4ohms 300x2@2ohms

Speakers for TU-600 -- Digital Designs DDW6.5LT 6.5" long throw subwoofer in the rear deck (http://www.ddaudio.com/dd/caraudio/woofers.asp?series=W6.5)

Note: I still need to check on the freq response of these to make sure they'll be low enough to suit my needs.

Mid and High channels will run to--

Amp -- US Amps TU-4360 75x4@4ohms

Speakers -- Polk Audio MM6 bi-amped in front door panel and A-frame

add in a re-wound alt from a local shop and i'm lookin at around $2000 to get all this done...

This will have me prepped for the following year when i'll be getting an alt from Ohio Generator, rhino lining my car, and getting 2 10" Adire Bramah's powered by a US Amps US2000

?'s
Total fuse rating for the tube amps is 100A do you think i'll be fine sticking with my 4ga for these? it should be fine right, just run a 4ga lead and split it to the outs i need....

exalted512

looks great to me...
youre going to have to get one big **** alternator for that 2000 though
4awg is fine
why dont you just save up and get a single brahma now?
unless that amp isnt one ohm stable...
but if it does anywhere along the lines of 600x1...thatll give a brahma enough power for now
that way you dont end up "rebuying" subs
focal also makes some 6" subs and you can get focal for pretty cheap from some online stores...where do you order your usamps from?
speedsound?
do they come with warranty?
macleod mentioned that they sell focal as well...but any interenet purchases of focal you wont get the focal warranty...
-Cody

MTXMAN

speedsound is an authorized dealer for US, i either go with them or a local shop that has dirt cheap prices (also authorzed)

the TU-600 is non bridgable... i think it's got something to do with the tubes.... but the amp even has seperate power and ground lines for each channel... it's like two mono amps in one case...

I'll look at the focal a little bit more before i get anything, i'm not going to be doing this till next summer anyway... just planning ahead i'm gonna try to save up the money for the HU asap though cause i don't know how much longer mine's gonna last (bout 6-7 years old now....)

exalted512

ahh...next summer...yeah i like to plan ahead too...ill be getting a new truck around this time next year and ive been planning on what lift and tires and such i should get since april:D
im still contemplating even getting a truck though...
really...the only other thing im considering is a WRX...if i could convince my dad to get me an STi I would probably **** myself....lol
-Cody

MacLeod

I agree that 4 guage is fine for anything up to 120 amps.

I also agree with Cody that you ought to skip the 6's and go straight for a sub. 6's are cool and all, but theyre still just 6's. A 10 inch Brahma is a WHOLE other ballgame!

MTXMAN

i don't want to get subs till i can afford my 12" bramah's and my US 2000, my ohio generator alternator, and getting my car rhinolined.... I still want to do this as an excuese to bi-amp my mm6 and get some rear fill... that and come on, how many people are running 6.5" subs from Digital Designs.... it's got the cool factor....

MacLeod

I hear ya. Everybody seems to have the same setup with the same equipment. Its great to do something original and I applaud ya.

exalted512

Originally posted by MTXMAN
i don't want to get subs till i can afford my 12" bramah's

already change your mind from 10s to 12s?
-Cody

MTXMAN

my bad... i ment the 10's.... that way i can put them in .5ft^3 box's and run 1k watts to each of them.... that and i have a small trunk....

geolemon

Tang Band also makes some 6.5" subwoofers that have really good specs to them, that are sold for around $30 each. High excursion for little 6.5's for sure... and they've got 6x9 subs that are comparable, in spec and price, as well.

I've always been intrigued to do a simple install, perhaps in the wife's car... with these subs, good comp set in front, and a simple 4 channel amp bridged to power it all. :cool:

The price is sure right enough to play.
What's the price on these DD subs?

MTXMAN

the DD's are 130 each.... i'm a little leary of any $30 speakers... they're going to be running off of a $600 amp so i want something that's a good match.... and while simple in nature my setup is nothing if not high-end. MM6 comps (probably upgrading to high end focal depending on when polk gets their high end line up and running) US Amps Tube amps for my interior speakers, DD Audio 6.5" subs for rear fill, and adire Bramah's for the subs with 1kw per sub... so i can't help but feel that to throw a set of $30 speakers in the back would be a disservice to the rest of the gear.... i'll give them a look though, do you have an address for their site?

MTXMAN

found them... and the DD Audio 6.5 is by far the better speaker of the two... one of the differences in price is caus the Tang Band speakers use a paper cone versus the Kevlar/Carbon Fiber/Pulp blend of the DD's....

exalted512

theres a lot of good speakers that use treated paper cones...
but i too am weary of $30 speakers...
never heard of tang band
-Cody

MacLeod

Yeah, me too. I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for and this is especially true in electronics and car audio.

exalted512

cept for JL
-Cody

MacLeod

Originally posted by exalted512
cept for JL
-Cody

:rolleyes:

neomagus00

hey, even you have to admit that he's right there... they are hella expensive...

exalted512

Originally posted by neomagus00
hey, even you have to admit that he's right there... they are hella expensive...

he obviously knows what hes talking about!!!!!!!!!!

-Cody

MacLeod

JL gear is not any higher priced than other equipment in its league. Hell their Slash series amps are the same price as Polk's and their E seiries are from $200-350!

They have subs from $100-700, speakers from $100-800. You guys are making it out like you cant buy anything from JL for under $1000!

Most of JL's gear is cheaper than Xtant, Diamond Audio, Orion, MB Quart, Focal, Precision Power, Arc Audio, US Amp and hell, even Alpine's V12 amps are more expensive than JL's.

I will never understand this hatred for JL.

exalted512

their amps are over priced for what you get...comparable USAmps are cheaper
the 12w7 is like $700!!
jesus christ
SEVEN-HUNDRED-DOLLARS
but nooo...theyre not expensive:rolleyes:
-Cody

neomagus00

on a comparison of dollars versus quality, a lot of people feel that the value isn't very good... that there are better products for the same or less money available, or that the same quality can be achieved with less money. now, jl offers some things that many others do not - for example, as you know, on the slash amps, they're totally regulated through both input voltage and output impedance... for some people, that's a good thing, and they're willing to pay for it, but for many others they're willing to spend less money on an amp and work within its limitations... just an example...

also note that the quality of jl is subjective, and that means its value is as well...

exalted512

JLs quality isnt bad IMO
regulated amps are cool...but i wouldnt pay the extra money for it...keep your voltage up...its pretty simple...and you wont have a problem
some of JLs stuff isnt bad priced...like the XR** comps...ive gone over this before...theres a few other things...but even still...you can get better or equal stuff for cheaper...
-Cody

**edit

MacLeod

Never once said theyre not expensive, but they are competitively priced with other gear in their league.

So the 12W7 sucks because its $700?

Diamond Audio TDX12D4 - $750
Hifonics Goliath 12 - $700
Focals 33KX - $1300
Eclipse SQ9122 - $600
JBL W12GTI - $600
MTX T9512 - $600
Orion H2 12 - $800
Resonant Engineering MT12 - $600
Soundstream SPLX12 - $700
Treo Engineering SSX12 - $700

I consider JL to be as good if not better than all these subs and they are priced right in the middle of them. And if $700 is just too much than you can get the W6 for $350 or the W3 for $200 or the W0 for $100.

Personally I think JL is some of the best stuff on the market. I think the XR components are one of the best speakers on the market and they go for $380. I think the W6 is the best sub on the market and theyre in the $350 range. None of these prices are unreasonable to me.

My point is that hating JL cause theyre expensive aint that good of a reason cause theyre no more so than anybody else in the high end world.

exalted512

im getting my brahmas 320 each
it will smack the crap out of a w6
granted its $380 normally...still...$30 more and you get a sub that will kick the w6 into submission and make it say uncle
ALL of those subs are wayyyy to expensive
but they only have a few things that are overpriced...with JL...almost their entire line is overpriced
for the price of the 12W7 i could almost get a 15" Brahma Extreme that would KILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the w7
the 1000/1 is more expensive than a comparable USAmps amp...theres no comparison there that the USAmps is a better amp...
face it...jl is overpriced!!;)
-Cody

MacLeod

Gawdamighty! How do you figure their whole line is overpriced?

Their speakers start at $100!!!
The subs start at $100!
The E amps start at $200 and max out at $350!
The Slash amps start at $400 and yes the 1000/1 is $1000 but so is the Xtant 1000 watt amp! The Slash amps are some of the best amps on the market and cost the same as the other best amps and in some cases LESS!

And I dont doubt the performance of the Brahma but just because a sub handles more power and puts out more DB doesnt mean its better. JL is not an SPL sub. They cater to the SQ crowd. And even then, I doubt very seriously anything will KIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLL a W7or a W6 for that matter. Im sure there are subs that can outperform it a little and Im sure there are some that are louder but it wont lose out by much. There is a reason W6 and W7 subs are considered the benchmark by most of the car audio community and it has nothing to do with brainwashing.

Good grief. Im over this. :rolleyes:

neomagus00

nah, with cody around, you'll never be over this

exalted512

the brahma has the flattest BL curve of any motor design
what does this mean you might ask?
it reproduces the sound more accurately
its an SQ sub woofer as well
sony has speakers that start under $100, doesnt mean theyre not overpriced
-Cody

Joelsbass

Originally posted by exalted512
sony has speakers that start under $100, doesnt mean theyre not overpriced
-Cody

lol, he has a point


seriously though when you look at the fact that the JL 1000/1 and the US Amps 1000 and 1000x are about the same price with very similar power specs when all the other numbers on the US are superior to the jl, which would you get?

exalted512

Originally posted by Joelsbass
which would you get?

*raises hand*
oo! oo! i know i know!!

MacLeod

Originally posted by exalted512
the brahma has the flattest BL curve of any motor design
what does this mean you might ask?
it reproduces the sound more accurately
its an SQ sub woofer as well
sony has speakers that start under $100, doesnt mean theyre not overpriced
-Cody

The BL curve isnt supposed to be flat, its supposed to be curved, hense the name. It is also supposed to be symetrical between the movement curve and the displacement curve and they should be centered on the 0mm point which is where the cone is in the neutral position. If they are not symetrical or off to one side this means motor strength will decrease more rapidly in one direction than in the other which translates into more distortion. And since you brought it up, Ill quote CA&E in referring to the BL curve of the 12W6.

Looking at the JL Audio 12W6v2-D4 Bl(x) curve, all I can say is that this is about as close to perfection you are going to get this side of Nirvana.

Nah-Nah

Also, I know the Brahma is an excellent sub. There are a lot of excellent subs out there. However, the Brahma (from what I know of it anyway) is geared more toward SPL than SQ. Its hard to do both. Kind of like having a 454 that gets 35 MPG!

And which would I get? Well first off, I dont consider the US to be superior to the JL but Id rather have the Xtant X1001 which is the same price as the others.

Hey, I thought I said I was over this! Damn it Cody!

exalted512

for your reading pleasure
and the brahma IS both SQ and SPL
it has won competitions in both
the RE **** is geared more towards SPL, but its still retains better sound quality than most subs on the market today
I would consider USAmps to be superior over both Xtant and JL
theyre hand made and theyre cheaper than JL!!
come on...
and this is never going to be over;)
it might end on this thread...but itll start over again later...lol
and btw, on a chevy forum im on some guy just IMed me about wanting some help in buying a system...he said he was thinking about JL
hes not anymore:)
-Cody