Too much Power?

craigpsu

I can get a good deal on the Alpine Amps: the PDX4.100 and the PDX1.600 (around 450 for both). My issue is the PDX 4.100 puts out 100W RMS per channel and most speakers in the price range I am looking at are not rated that high for continuous power. Does anyone have any suggestions for good speakers for that amp? I am looking for speakers in the $150-225/pair. I was looking at the alpine speakers SPR-69C or whatever else will work well. I was wondering if I am better off going with a less powerful amp which may open up more speaker choices.

If a speaker is rated up to 75 W will this amp provide too much power?

Thanks,
Craig

bigaudiofanatic

As long as your amp is putting out CLEAN power and not distorting the speakers you should be fine. As long as they are not more than 20 watts over the rated power handeling. But you have a gain knob so just turn that down and you should be alright.

I would recommend looking on amazon or ebay for a used set of speakers that are in the power rating.

craigpsu

I will take a look around for higher rated speakers and see what I can find. I have not bought the amps yet so I just didn't want to purchase them then be limited in my speaker choices because of my car-amp combo.

bigaudiofanatic

You will be fine the gain on the amps will allow you to lower the power going to your speakers so you do not wear them out.

craigpsu

I thought that the gain had no affect on the actual power produced by the amp. It only affects the sensativity or the amount of signal needed from the head unit?

My two concerns with the Alpine PDX 4.100 is: too much power as well as it having some distortion because of it being a Class D amp.

But after doing some looking there are some Alpine and Infinity speakers out there around my price range that can handle it on Crutchfield (that also fit my car).

Does anyone think the PDX series is not clean enough for high and midrange frequencies for component and coaxial speakers?

Thanks

craigpsu

Well, I would have been all over the polk speakers if I knew I was going to upgrade my car stereo. I should have bought them at xmas when I had the friends and family discount. But since these are only slightly more expensive than the discount I might pull the trigger. What would go well in the rear deck? The same pair?
Thanks

Installer4life

Stay away from Infinty if you are looking for quality. The PDX amps are very good quality amps and will work well with any speakers.

craigpsu

I think I am going with the Polks, is there any issue with using the SR 5250 for front and rear? What a sub cover the rest of the frequency range? From everything people have said the PDX4.100 will be a fine amp to pair with them.

Now I need to decide what sub I want. I was thinking of using the PDX 1.600. I just want to add some clean tight and accurate bass. I am not looking to shake people up.

As always the small upgrade ends up doubling in price...

craigpsu

Too late I already pulled the trigger on 2 pairs of the speakers. They are the only SR speakers that will fit in the front and rear. I can always return a set if I don't want them or sell them to someone.

I think I might pick up one of the 10" SR subs, unless someone suggests a different setup or brand. What is the difference between the single and dual voice coils?

I have the amps and speakers now, just the head unit and some other things left.

I was looking at these: CDA -117, CDA-9887 and the iDA-X305? Any thoughts? Does it matter that the iDA only has a 2V pre amp?

TakeTheTime

craigpsu wrote: »

I think I might pick up one of the 10" SR subs, unless someone suggests a different setup or brand. What is the difference between the single and dual voice coils?

I was looking at these: CDA -117, CDA-9887 and the iDA-X305? Any thoughts? Does it matter that the iDA only has a 2V pre amp?

The difference is just how you connect them in ohm's I think.
Isn't the singel to make it 1 or 4 ohm's, and the dual is 2 or 8?

I would go for 9887r - nice HU! :cool:

bigaudiofanatic

craigpsu wrote: »

I thought that the gain had no affect on the actual power produced by the amp. It only affects the sensativity or the amount of signal needed from the head unit?

My two concerns with the Alpine PDX 4.100 is: too much power as well as it having some distortion because of it being a Class D amp.

But after doing some looking there are some Alpine and Infinity speakers out there around my price range that can handle it on Crutchfield (that also fit my car).

Does anyone think the PDX series is not clean enough for high and midrange frequencies for component and coaxial speakers?

Thanks

Gain adjusts the amount of power output by the amp. It does lower the power output.

arun1963

craigpsu wrote: »

Too late I already pulled the trigger on 2 pairs of the speakers. They are the only SR speakers that will fit in the front and rear. I think I might pick up one of the 10" SR subs, unless someone suggests a different setup or brand. What is the difference between the single and dual voice coils?

I was looking at these: CDA -117, CDA-9887 and the iDA-X305? Any thoughts? Does it matter that the iDA only has a 2V pre amp?

I think most folks here, just run fronts and a sub. It's the best setup for sound quality. I would start this way and then if you're not satisfied, you can add the rears. Now that you have an extra pair of sr's, I'd hang on to them. The SR's are discontinued and will be a collectors item 5 years down the line. For a bnib set you may get more 4-5 years down the line, than what you paid.

Running only fronts with say a 9887, would also let you run active i.e. without the passive xovers. This gives you greater flexibility while tuning the sound.

Both the 9887 and the pio 800/880 are excellent units. The pio's are a compulsive tweakers delight. It really lets you fine tune the sound. However if you're going to use your i-pod then go with the alpine. The pio's interface with the ipod sucks. Ideally the higher the preout voltage the better. Lower noise floor. Around 4volts is good.

craigpsu

Thanks everyone for the help, I will take one last look at the Alpine head units and then get one. I really like the display and interface of the 305 but it does have a 2V output, but then again the 305 can't do CDs. I think my main requirement is to have ipod DAC bypass so that the Burr-Brown DAC can do the work and have some ability to tune the speakers.

I am thinking of adding a sound processor down the road if that will make a difference in the setup?

I will probably hold off installing the rears, from what everyone says. It is not like they would be intensive to install if I chose to put them in later. The only downside to all this is the fact that I have a 4 channel amp that only will be using 2 channels.

As far as gain is concerned, I think that Crutchfield and a few other places are very misleading in their guidance on gain changing the power output of the amplifier.

craigpsu

So I got the fronts purchased PDX4.100 powering the SR5250s. Most of the time I listen to rock so, in the Accord should I go with the SR 104 or the SR124 in a sealed box powered by the PDX1.600?

According to most of the research I have done and people's replies on here, I really only need the one pair for the fronts, right? I think I will hold on to the other pair and decide what I want to do with them in the next few weeks (before the return period ends).

I am still deciding between the 9887 standalone and either the iDA-x305 or CDA-117 both adding PXA-H100 IMPRINT box. That decision could take a while, on one hand I have the ability to use cds and it is cheaper (9887 has IMPRINT built in). On the other I have a better ipod control and can use cds with the CDA-117 (does cost more) and the 305 has a superior ipod interface to both systems. I also plan on keeping my XM radio account so I will probably buy a conversion kit and use XM as well as the ipod for 95% of my music. I like cds but I am trying to keep them nice and safe in the house and have the ability to use my whole library using the ipod. I am a little unsure of whether or not they will play lossless wma files, I don’t think they play lossless m4a but I have not confirmed that. The head unit decision is tough, I can get a very high quality one for a good deal but the interface is not near as nice as the others. I am also worried a little about sound quality of the ipod, some of the units have an ipod DAC bypass, and I really don’t know what XM radio is transmitted in.

Greg Peters

craigpsu wrote: »

So I got the fronts purchased PDX4.100 powering the SR5250s. Most of the time I listen to rock so, in the Accord should I go with the SR 104 or the SR124 in a sealed box powered by the PDX1.600?

Go with the largest sub you can accommodate- if you take the time to build a proper enclosure, the SR124 will have transient response just as good as the SR104 version but will play a little louder per watt of input power (due to more cone area) and have a little more low end extension. The enclosure volume for the 12" is modest, and most people should be able to spare the extra room.

craigpsu wrote: »

According to most of the research I have done and people's replies on here, I really only need the one pair for the fronts, right? I think I will hold on to the other pair and decide what I want to do with them in the next few weeks (before the return period ends).

Rear speakers tend to detract from proper imaging and staging, and can hurt sound quality as you have extra phasing and reflections to worry about compared to a single pair of fronts plus subwoofer. Rear fill is overrated- many people have been programmed to think they need it as most modern carmakers provide rear fill speaker locations, but to get your head around the concept try fading to just the fronts for awhile- when done properly, it will better approximate a good 2 channel stereo listening experience without interference going on behind you.

craigpsu wrote: »

I am still deciding between the 9887 standalone and either the iDA-x305 or CDA-117 both adding PXA-H100 IMPRINT box. That decision could take a while, on one hand I have the ability to use cds and it is cheaper (9887 has IMPRINT built in). On the other I have a better ipod control and can use cds with the CDA-117 (does cost more) and the 305 has a superior ipod interface to both systems. I also plan on keeping my XM radio account so I will probably buy a conversion kit and use XM as well as the ipod for 95% of my music. I like cds but I am trying to keep them nice and safe in the house and have the ability to use my whole library using the ipod. I am a little unsure of whether or not they will play lossless wma files, I don’t think they play lossless m4a but I have not confirmed that. The head unit decision is tough, I can get a very high quality one for a good deal but the interface is not near as nice as the others. I am also worried a little about sound quality of the ipod, some of the units have an ipod DAC bypass, and I really don’t know what XM radio is transmitted in.

http://signature.crutchfield.com/S-WQPVd5wSCUj/s_500CDA9887/Alpine-CDA-9887.html

The 9887 doesn't have Imprint "built in," it uses an external Imprint tuning kit and microphone in order to use the auto-EQ Imprint functions.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500KTX100E/Alpine-KTX-100EQ.html?tp=27863

Using the Imprint tuning module turns all of the processing power of the 9887 into basic bass and treble adjustments- you either use the extensive processing (EQ, time alignment, electronic crossover) as it comes out of the box or pay extra for the Imprint module to tune and dumb it down for you.

If you'll be using an iPod as your source most of the time, consider ripping your CD library into iTunes in Apple Lossless format for better quality- most later generation iPods will play it back and it should sound superior to .mp3 and .wma files. As for satellite radio (XM, Sirius), it may sound OK on stock gear, but on a revealing higher performance aftermarket audio system you may find sound quality severely lacking (if that sort of thing is important to you). The audio quality is highly compressed and it tends to sound like highly compressed .mp3 compared to a source capable of CD quality like an iPod or disc playing back quality files.

I would hesitate giving up the processing power of a unit like the 9887 for a head unit that's interface is all about iPod while sacrificing advanced tuning options, but you are the consumer and it's your money .

craigpsu

Greg,
Thanks for the advice....

I kind of always wondered why you would need multiple speakers in a vehicle if you have them placed properly. Home stereos are 2 channel (if you are a purist) I beleive I will go with the SR124, but I just want to doublecheck on how much trunk space it will take up.

As far as the head unit is concerned, when I talked to Alpine and crutchfield briefly about the differences between the units, they made it seem like that once the HXA-100 is purchased they all can do the same things as far as tuning the setup (CDA-117,iDAx305). All three manuals have equalizer calibration, time corrections, crossovers etc... But it is hard to tell how much of that is because of adding the HXA-100 versus how much is built in.
So when I said IMPRINT I meant it more like the whole sound tuning options (that is my fault for not being clear). But at a quick glance they offer the same things, I am just not sure if that is because of the HXA or because it is built in.

Thanks for the advice about XM, I was wondering how well it worked. I will have to make a decision on it (I do listen to the sports and talk radio part sometimes). One thing I never checked into was HD radio, I assume that has a decent quality?

I am going to use a lossless format as long as the head units support it, there are many different version of the wma and one of them should be lossless if I am correct, same with Apple lossless. The problem is I am not sure if the unit technically supports it because it calls out a bunch of versions but never really states what they are. I got tired of looking them up. I have already started converting my CD collection over, which will take some time. Problem is at some point I will have to do FLAC or WAV files for my home stereo and also keep a compressed lossless file.

The other sticking point is crutchfield says the 9887 does not bypass the ipod DAC, Alpine said it did (but that guy was not very good). Maybe I will not hear as much of a difference but it would be nice to use the DAC in the Alpine because it is a pretty good one.

craigpsu

I think I just read a few things incorrectly... All of them should play lossless files that will play on the ipod. The WMA and AAC is for the external sources. I shouldn't be reading manuals after working 16 hours.

Also, it does appear that if I got the PXA-100 it would offer the same tuning abilities on the 9887 if I am correct in reading things correctly.

Greg Peters

craigpsu wrote: »

Greg,
Thanks for the advice....

I kind of always wondered why you would need multiple speakers in a vehicle if you have them placed properly. Home stereos are 2 channel (if you are a purist) I beleive I will go with the SR124, but I just want to doublecheck on how much trunk space it will take up.

http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll85/basicxj/sub/?action=view&current=newsubandenclosure-1.jpg

^^ About that much space .

craigpsu wrote: »

As far as the head unit is concerned, when I talked to Alpine and crutchfield briefly about the differences between the units, they made it seem like that once the HXA-100 is purchased they all can do the same things as far as tuning the setup (CDA-117,iDAx305). All three manuals have equalizer calibration, time corrections, crossovers etc... But it is hard to tell how much of that is because of adding the HXA-100 versus how much is built in.
So when I said IMPRINT I meant it more like the whole sound tuning options (that is my fault for not being clear). But at a quick glance they offer the same things, I am just not sure if that is because of the HXA or because it is built in.

Don't confuse manual tuning features (Alpine calls them BassEngine) with automatic tuning features via the external module (aka Imprint)...with the 9887 you can have it one way or the other but not both- using Imprint deactivates all of the advanced BassEngine tuning features in the head unit and renders them as simple bass and treble controls after running Imprint. Imprint is going to primarily benefit those unable to tune a system themselves.

The 9887 is as close to the old BassEngine Pro advanced feature set you can get in a currently available Alpine head unit- 3 way electronic crossover functions, digital time correction and graphic or parametric EQ...the features that made Alpine famous. The 9887 has all of the abilities mentioned as well as Imprint compatibility, but do understand using Imprint on this unit reduces this head unit's features to those of the less expensive Imprint capable units. A search of DIYMA forums will bring up a number of good threads on Imprint and how well (or not) it works on various Alpine source units.

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/search.php?searchid=2925209

craigpsu wrote: »

Thanks for the advice about XM, I was wondering how well it worked. I will have to make a decision on it (I do listen to the sports and talk radio part sometimes). One thing I never checked into was HD radio, I assume that has a decent quality?

My 9965 came with an HD radio tuner built in. Sound quality is great (much closer to CD quality than FM and Sat radio), but since there are no stations broadcasting HD radio in Canada it's a waste for me. I have had the opportunity to demo HD radio in my car on road trips through the States, but even there not all radio stations broadcast an HD signal. It's a digital packet broadcast piggy-backed on top of the analog signal, and it may or may not be well represented amongst stations where you are...major urban areas should have some HD content to choose from but the wide open spaces probably won't- it has lower range than analog, and when driving out of range the HD signal reverts to analog. I don't listen to much radio, so I certainly wouldn't pay extra for it but you might.

craigpsu wrote: »

I am going to use a lossless format as long as the head units support it, there are many different version of the wma and one of them should be lossless if I am correct, same with Apple lossless. The problem is I am not sure if the unit technically supports it because it calls out a bunch of versions but never really states what they are. I got tired of looking them up. I have already started converting my CD collection over, which will take some time. Problem is at some point I will have to do FLAC or WAV files for my home stereo and also keep a compressed lossless file.
The other sticking point is crutchfield says the 9887 does not bypass the ipod DAC, Alpine said it did (but that guy was not very good). Maybe I will not hear as much of a difference but it would be nice to use the DAC in the Alpine because it is a pretty good one.

Most newer generation iPods support a number of formats including Apple Lossless. There aren't too many head units on the market with an iPod interface that uses the head unit's own DACs (I think those that do mostly control iPod via a USB to dock connection like a few ultra high end $1200 Pioneers), but that's OK- the iPod's own DACs are plenty good enough for decent sound quality when using the right quality files to play back through your system via the iPod.

craigpsu

Greg,
I can always add the HD tuner later if I want to.

Here are the links of the iDA-305 and the CDA-117, as well as the PXA-100. The PXA-100 offers more than IMPRINT it makes the CDA-117 and the IDA-305 do all the sound processing that the 9887 do without the software (it looks like it enables the interface through the head unit like the 9887 once you have the PXA installed), unless I am missing something. Both of these units use USB input ipod DAC bypass and are designed for iphone/itouch/ipod. So I am considering them, but I could also just roll with the 9887. I downloaded the manuals, and I think the PXA is basically built into the 9887 with all the same manual tuning features, crutchfield has some information on it too. If I went that route I will ensure that it is the same capability.

http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/cda-117/
http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/pxa-h100/
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500PXAH100/Alpine-PXA-H100-IMPRINT-Audio-Processor.html?search=Alpine+VENDORID500&ssi=0&searchdisplay=Alpine&tp=116
The hand on research section covers the equalizer and time correction etc…

http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/ida-x305s/
or just the 305 (I don’t need Pandora).

If I go with the SR124, which I probably will. I will do the 1.25 ft3 and keep it sealed. I will probably just build the regular box that polk has on the website. I might build a custom box that fits the car better down the road and some custom stuff for the amps. I was looking at some of the other Accord pictures from users here and they look pretty nice. That way I can use my new collection of Dewalt tools.

It is very possible that I am wrong in some of this…

Thanks,
Craig

Greg Peters

craigpsu wrote: »

Greg,
I can always add the HD tuner later if I want to.

Here are the links of the iDA-305 and the CDA-117, as well as the PXA-100. The PXA-100 offers more than IMPRINT it makes the CDA-117 and the IDA-305 do all the sound processing that the 9887 do without the software (it looks like it enables the interface through the head unit like the 9887 once you have the PXA installed), unless I am missing something. Both of these units use USB input ipod DAC bypass and are designed for iphone/itouch/ipod. So I am considering them, but I could also just roll with the 9887. I downloaded the manuals, and I think the PXA is basically built into the 9887 with all the same manual tuning features, crutchfield has some information on it too. If I went that route I will ensure that it is the same capability.

http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/cda-117/
http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/pxa-h100/
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500PXAH100/Alpine-PXA-H100-IMPRINT-Audio-Processor.html?search=Alpine+VENDORID500&ssi=0&searchdisplay=Alpine&tp=116
The hand on research section covers the equalizer and time correction etc…

http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/ida-x305s/
or just the 305 (I don’t need Pandora).

If I go with the SR124, which I probably will. I will do the 1.25 ft3 and keep it sealed. I will probably just build the regular box that polk has on the website. I might build a custom box that fits the car better down the road and some custom stuff for the amps. I was looking at some of the other Accord pictures from users here and they look pretty nice. That way I can use my new collection of Dewalt tools.

It is very possible that I am wrong in some of this…

Thanks,
Craig

The CDA-117 was intended to be a replacement for the aging 9887, but it isn't a stand alone 3 way active capable unit- neither is the iDA-305.

As you can tell, I'm not a huge Imprint fan. I'd rather have processing power that can be manually tuned than automate that process...I think of it this way-

Imagine inviting a semi-knowledgeable friend over to tune your system for you. Imagine your friend gets things sounding perfect to his ears (but it only sounds "OK" to your ears ), but your friend makes you swear not to twiddle with any of the knobs so you don't undo all of his hard work. You follow his instructions and only have limited control over your system after his tuning session and aren't 100% satisfied, so you call your friend back to re-tune. You get slightly different results in subsequent tuning sessions but are never 100% satisfied.


Imprint doesn't give you 100% user control over all the variables it manipulates- it uses the microphone to auto-tune and set all of those parameters rather than allowing you to tweak individual settings yourself. You can change how Imprint reacts by experimenting with Mic placement and gain settings after the fact. Imprint is great for newbs in that it will set things up for your vehicle better than someone with no knowledge could, but for people who like to tweak things themselves it will probably leave them wanting.

craigpsu

What I thought was the case was, the add on box (PXA-100) gives you access to all those manual tuning capabilities in the 9887. At least that is what I was told and it appears that way according to the information on those websites. It gives you the 5 and 7 band EQs, Crossover control, Timing etc... without the mic and software. But the downside is it is more expensive because you have to buy the PXA to get both teh CDA and the 305 to do it. I do what the manual capability.

I know I can get the SR124 from other places but Crutchfield only has the DVC version and a few people have said I should just stick with single VC.

Greg Peters

craigpsu wrote: »

What I thought was the case was, the add on box (PXA-100) gives you access to all those manual tuning capabilities in the 9887. At least that is what I was told and it appears that way according to the information on those websites. It gives you the 5 and 7 band EQs, Crossover control, Timing etc... without the mic and software. But the downside is it is more expensive because you have to buy the PXA to get both teh CDA and the 305 to do it. I do what the manual capability.

I know I can get the SR124 from other places but Crutchfield only has the DVC version and a few people have said I should just stick with single VC.

The 9887 comes with all the manual tuning features right out of the box. Imprint actually disables it in favour of automatic tuning. Go back and read the manual again, but if that's clear like mud then the posts on DIYMA may spell it out in clearer terms for you .

As for Imprint opening up manual tuning options in the other models like the CDA 117 and iDA 305, it's possible but unlikely- I'd bet it automatically controls those variables based on feedback taken through the mic with no manual tuning options *shrugs*. If you want manual tuning without having to buy Imprint, go with the 9887 as it offers the most control over all the variables in a current unit, unless of course you want to go with an older BassEngine Pro unit coupled with the now discontinued PXA H701 processor for the ultimate in control.

As for the sub (DVC vs. SVC) it depends on what type of amplifier you'll be running and how many subs will be part of the equation. A single DVC sub would be ideal @ 2 ohms with most affordable mono amplifiers, as would a pair of the SVC versions.

arun1963

craigpsu wrote: »

What I thought was the case was, the add on box (PXA-100) gives you access to all those manual tuning capabilities in the 9887. At least that is what I was told and it appears that way according to the information on those websites. It gives you the 5 and 7 band EQs, Crossover control, Timing etc... without the mic and software. But the downside is it is more expensive because you have to buy the PXA to get both teh CDA and the 305 to do it. I do what the manual capability.

I know I can get the SR124 from other places but Crutchfield only has the DVC version and a few people have said I should just stick with single VC.

...with apologies to GP for poaching.....

I'd say get the 9887 and the px100. I haven't used the Imprint, but I'd take manual tuning everyday, over auto anything. Its alpine's strategy to break up a whole into parts and make you buy each separately. So you wind up paying more for the whole. But they make a damn fine product, so can't really complain. Just sell a whole .

For the sub, get a DVC. It offers more flexible. All mono and most 4ch amps are stable at 2ohms. Any amp will put out more power the lower the resistance. A DVC gives you the flexibility to wire the sub at either 4 or 2ohms. 600watts at 2 ohms would cost less than the same power at 4ohms at like to like quality.

craigpsu

The 9887 is supposed to have everything built in, if you want to do the IMPRINT you need the software and mic, but it has everything else built in 9manual tuning) so you don't need the PXA-100 or sfotware. That is why so many people purchased it.

This is off of Alpine's website on the PXA-100:
If you prefer to do sound tuning yourself, the processor provides various manual tuning functions. 6-channel Digital Time Correction lets you compensate for speaker placement so you hear all channels at the same time. You can also customize the sound with a selectable 7-band graphic equalizer or 5-band parametric equalizer, 3-way/2-way crossover and subwoofer phase selection.

And Crutchfield...
The head unit will also save six custom EQ curves you create by adjusting the units built-in EQ. Choose the parametric or graphic EQ:

5- Band Parametric EQ: The built-in Parametric EQ allows you to adjust the following 5 frequency bands in 1/3 octave steps from -6 to +6 dB at a bandwidth Q factor of 1, 1.5, or 3
Band 1: 20 Hz to 80 Hz
Band 2: 50 Hz to 200 Hz
Band 3: 125 Hz to 3.2 kHz
Band 4: 315 Hz to 8 kHz
Band 5: 800 Hz to 20 kHz
7-Band Graphic EQ: The built-in Graphic EQ allows you to adjust the following 7 frequencies from -6 to +6 dB
Band 1: 63 Hz
Band 2: 150 Hz
Band 3: 400 Hz
Band 4: 1 kHz
Band 5: 2.5 kHz
Band 6: 6.3 kHz
Band 7: 17.5 kHz
Crossover: The active crossover can be used as a 2.2 channel (3-way; low-pass subwoofer, band-pass midrange, high-pass tweeter) or a 4.2 channel (2-way; high-pass front and rear, low-pass subwoofer). A crossover limits the frequencies delivered to a given speaker, so you send only the frequencies for which the speaker is well suited. The crossover adjusts the high pass filter or low pass filter of each band along with the slope and output level. You can adjust the following crossover settings:

4.2 Channel:
High Pass Filter: the front and rear outputs are individually adjustable; crossover from 20 to 200 Hz in 1/3 octave steps with a slope of Flat, 6, 12, 18 or 24 dB/oct, additionally you can adjust the output level from -12 to 0 dB
Low Pass Filter: the subwoofer output can be stereo or mono; crossover from 20 to 200 Hz in 1/3 octave steps with a slope of Flat, 6, 12, 18 or 24 dB/oct, additionally you can adjust the output level from -12 to 0 dB
2.2 Channel:
Tweeter/High Pass Filter: crossover from 1 kHz to 20 kHz in 1/3 octave steps with a slope of 6, 12, 18, or 24 dB/oct, additionally you can adjust the output level from -12 to 0 dB
Midrange/Band Pass Filter: a band pass has both high pass and low pass filters; HPF 20 to 200 Hz in 1/3 octave steps with a slope of Flat, 6, 12, 18 or 24 dB/oct; LPF from 20 Hz to 20 kHz in 1/3 octave steps with a slope of Flat, 6, 12, 18 or 24 dB/oct, additionally you can adjust the output level from -12 to 0 dB
Subwoofer/Low Pass Filter: the subwoofer output can be stereo or mono; crossover from 20 to 200 Hz in 1/3 octave steps with a slope of Flat, 6, 12, 18 or 24 dB/oct, additionally you can adjust the output level from -12 to 0 dB
Time Correction: The time correction feature delays the audio signal to the speakers closer to the listener. This effectively creates a perception of increased distance for those speakers. Time Correction allows the listener to be placed at an equal distance from all speakers for optimum staging. You can adjust the distance of each speaker and subwoofer (6-channel) to the listener from 0 to 132.7 inches.

Plus it has that media xpander thing.


I am using the PXA-1.600 Alpine Amp, 600W at 4 or 2 ohms according to the specs.

arun1963

Yeah, its a great hu, but it doesn't have independent L/R eq control over 16 individual frequencies.

If you get all that w/o the pxa 100 then that's just fine. I should have read your post better. I read it as 'you needed the pxa 100 to tune manually'.

Quite sure the pdx would make more power at 2ohms. The good manufacturers normally underquote on specs.

Greg Peters

arun1963 wrote: »

Yeah, its a great hu, but it doesn't have independent L/R eq control over 16 individual frequencies.

If you get all that w/o the pxa 100 then that's just fine. I should have read your post better. I read it as 'you needed the pxa 100 to tune manually'.

Quite sure the pdx would make more power at 2ohms. The good manufacturers normally underquote on specs.

The PDX mono amplifiers have a regulated power supply that make the same power at 2-4 ohms.

arun1963

Greg Peters wrote: »

The PDX mono amplifiers have a regulated power supply that make the same power at 2-4 ohms.

Damn, Alpine won't even let you have extra power for the same buck . Most other amps put out more at lower impedence.

Installer4life

Well it is true that the PDX amplifiers make the some power into 4ohms or 2ohms it is not due to a regulated power supply. These amps still won't make maximum output unless the voltage is 14.4 volts.

jay27

DSkip wrote: »

It depends on how you look at it. Getting 100 watts at 4 ohms through 4 channels is still a powerful amp by most standards. There are many out there that can get close to that at 2 ohms though.

The PDX amps are also underrated. I had a 100.4 PDX that came with a birth sheet which certified 131 watts per channel. The 150.4 seemed to average around 165 watts per channel from those I had heard about.

craigpsu

All,
I apologize for not including the quotes, I will have to go look at how I am supposed to do that.

But, I got the SR 5250s from Frys and they are in the mail. I am tempted to return one pair or hold on to them. That is a lot of money to have sitting around.

I got a good deal on the PDX amps. I got both the PDX 4.100 and the PDX 1.600 for a total of 440 from an authorized store. The new PDX style amps are hitting the market now and yesterday the ones I bought are not listed on Alpine's products anymore. I could have gotten the 1.1000 and the 4.150 for just a little bit more but I had no idea really what I was going to buy speaker/sub wise. The new PDX amps supposedly amplify high frequencies better. Anyway, I got a good deal I think.

So the dual voice coill give you more flexbility, but does it sound better with my setup than the single voice coil?

And of course I am still debating my head unit purchase. One of these days I will pull the trigger.

Thanks for all the help, I am pretty green in the area of car audio. I have learned a lot over the last couple years for home audio so I assume it will come with time.

craigpsu

Well maybe if I would open my eyes all I have to do is hit that multiquote button. Seems pretty simple...