old DB10 8ohm sub -- deciding on amp/speaker/HU combos

bryson

Well, I picked up an old (I'm assuming it's old b/c it's an 8ohm sub) DB10 from a buddy of mine. It is in a small sealed box already, and sounded excellent in his car. I'm trying to put together a nice stereo setup for my 1988 BMW M5 right now. It uses 4x6 speakers in the kick panels, with small tweeters in the mirror triangles, and 5.25 speakers in the rear deck.


I wouldn't call myself an audiophile by any means, but I want nice, clear sound without breaking the bank. I don't need huge bump, which is why I'm very happy with my DB10 in a small, sealed box. Also, I really don't like the look of a lot of new stereo components, which is why I really like the Nakamichi CD deck.

Head unit: Nakamichi CD-300 -- I can not find another unit that is styled the way I want. The big issues are: (1) I think it is only a 2 channel output, though I'm not 100% sure, and (2) I think that the head unit only puts out 30x4 watts.

Speakers: So far, the Infinity reference speakers seem to fit best with my situation. The 4x6's need 40w RMS, while the 5.25's need 45w -- those are both the multi-element versions. The component 5.25's and the plate component 4x6's have slightly different requirements as well. I haven't decided yet how to handle the small tweeters that will go in the mirror triangles. I may buy a component set so that I can get the crossovers at the same time.

Amp: I have no idea what amp to even begin to look for. If the head unit is a 2 channel, then I don't know if I can still keep a front/rear fade as well as my left/right balance, while still running the subwoofer.

I don't think that the head unit will be enough to drive my speakers, but I could be wrong. I have tried to run through a few different amp/speaker/sub combos, and running 2 amps seems like it may be the best deal. The DB10 needs 300 watts RMS, while the speakers will probably need about 80 watts for the front (depending on how I handle the tweeter setup) and 90 for the rear.

This is my first time putting together a halfway complicated stereo system, and I want to be sure I choose the right components. Any advice would be great, thanks!

1996blackmax

You are on the right track to not use the HU's power if you want nice clear sound. The HU will probably only give you about 15 clean watts at most. If you want simple go with a five or six channel amp. Even if you have two outputs you can tweak the amp to sound just as good. This would be done by giving more power to the front speakers than the rears. You would do this by turning the gains down on the rear channels. For the sub, the good thing is that many of these amps come equipped with a remote gain controller/knob that allows you to control the level of the subwoofer. Some amps will allow you to use just the two sets of inputs, while others you could just use y-splitters to connect your 2 outputs to all of its inputs.

I would also see if I could accomodate something else in the 4x6 hole. Going with components up front would be very good. You could then put the tweeters where they will sound best with your system.

Here are some examples:

JBL Grand Touring Series GTO755.6 II

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-TNN8jCT0OAK/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=109GTO7556


Kicker KX700.5, it's a little older but can be found for a good price on Ebay.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-TNN8jCT0OAK/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?I=2064kx7005&search=kicker+kx700%2E5



Eclipse XA5000

http://www.cardomain.com/item/ECLXA5000

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db 10 - 8 ohm... eek... good luck finding an amp dude... 300 watts into 8 ohms = 600 into 4 ohms... so you've gotta dick up a 600 x 1 @ 4 ohm amp on the cheap - not so easy to do.

Far as the other stuff - I'm no big fan of the new db juniors - I'm not "anti-" them in any way, but I would really prefer the baby momo line. Amp them up, and don't worry about it -- i think they make a momo 4x6... I'm not sure, but I think that they encompassed most standard sizes (6x9, 6, 5) and the goofy ones too (5x7, 4x6).

45 wpc is plenty I'd say - a C400.4 would be ideal. Actually a C300.2 would do quite nicely on your 8 ohm sub as well (its 500 x 1 at 4 ohms / 2 = about 250 x 1 at 8 ohms).

As far as the Nak goes, just y-connector it all off. You can DEFINATELY "y" it off once... probably can get away with doing it twice, but you never know... it's certainly worth a shot.

into non-polk amps? - look at old Mtx 302's / 8302's / 150x2's, etc... and the 6304 / 304 / 75x4 ....

Xtant 400.4 would be peachy too on the highs - the one I've got will respond to just about anything, including dog ****, at the inputs (meaning it's very good at producing low voltage inputs).

bryson

Could I bridge a 2-channel amp that puts out 600watts at 4 ohms? It's much easier to find those.

bryson

*Sorry, double post.

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bryson wrote:

Could I bridge a 2-channel amp that puts out 600watts at 4 ohms? It's much easier to find those.

absolutely... might as well find another db10-8 while you're at it, and run em both off that 600 x 1 @ 4 amp.