Car Audio Blog

I’m ridiculously low on money and buying high end wires is not what i can partake in so here are my options:

since around 50 dollars is all i can afford, here are my options for my Two Alpine Type-R 15" 2ohm subs and my PCX2000D soundstream amp in my 1998 GMC Jimmy:

Lanzar Contaq 5000 Watt 0 Gauge Power Amp Kit

DB Research L.L.P.PK0Z 0 Gauge Power Series Amplifier Installation Kit

DB Link 0 Gauge Complete Car Audio Amp Power Kit

or if you can suggest anything else for around 50 bucks that’d be fantastic.

Please help this poor bassaholic! :]
Will the chords be long enough to hook up to everything in my jimmy?

Head to a hardware store with the lengths and sizes you need. To measure, use some kite string to ‘install’ and see how long that is. Always allow for errors, you can always cut more wire off, much harder to add wire.

Okay, well yesterday my Amp and Deck finally got in so i went and got an amp wiring kit. Got the deck installed, wired in, working, then all wires to the amp correctly (as i know it). Didn’t hear the fuses break but i checked them and they were both blown. Not sure why, i tried putting in two more to replace them, even when my vehicle wasn’t turned on they snapped as soon as i put them in… they are continuously snapping and i am totally brain dead on what could be wrong, i did a little reading and it said that there might be a short in the circuit but i thought that i would come on here and ask all of you what you think. I would really like to get it to work. Was a bummer when the amp wouldn’t even get power, but please tell me what you think, I am kinda new to the car audio Installation thing still. Thank you all. Peace +REP oh btw my gear is a Crunch 1000 Watt 2Ch Amp, and i got the amp wiring kit from Walmart. Any information that i left out on this that you would like to know please email me or something and i will let you know. thanks again

Double and triple check to see if you hooked the power wires up backwards ( Power in the – terminal, and ground in the + terminal of the amp). If that’s hooked up correctly and your amp is still blowing fuses, than your amp is probably blown. Because (assuming you installed the fuse that they gave you in the wiring kit) the only fuse that’s blowing is the one on the amp, so its something to do with the amp, not the wiring in the car. If it was the wires in the car than the fuse up front under the hood (that’s where you normally place it) would be blowing and there would be no power to the amp.

I am getting my first real car in a month or so and I want a awesome sound System with about 2 subwoofers and I want my Ipod to be able to be played through the radio. I wanted to know if this setup would work, what more I would have to buy, or what you would recommend. The Links are:
http://www.amazon.com/Atrend-E12D-12-Inch-Sealed-Boxes/dp/B0013MV7CY/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_b
http://www.amazon.com/Boss-KIT-2-Complete-Amplifier-Installation/dp/B000FKP7TY/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_c
http://www.amazon.com/KENWOOD-KFC-W3012-Subwoofers-KAC-7204-Amplifier/dp/B001VELRKQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1270510911&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KFC-6982IE-6-Inch-500-Watt-Speaker/dp/B000VAWW96/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=car&qid=1271613643&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KFC-1682IE-6-5-Inch-240-Watt-Three-Way/dp/B000VB21XW/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b
http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KDC-MP342U-Receiver-Satellite-Bluetooth/dp/B001P7TYTK/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_c
http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KCA-iP200-connector-mini-phone-stereo/dp/B000N6YMSM/ref=pd_sim_e_1

Thank You
Well i thought the amp was only for the subwoofers man… Is this a better sub hookup
http://www.amazon.com/KENWOOD-KFC-W3012-Subwoofers-KAC-9104D-Amplifier/dp/B001VESZWO/ref=pd_cp_e_2
and what amp would i get for the normal speakers, or do they even need one

NEW**

The sub amp is good, I think the actual radio itself (The receiver) has too low of output wattage to keep up with the subs. You could probably save money by getting the around 200w speakers, and then go with a Radio that has a stronger output wattage. 50watts per channel max wattage won’t stand a chance to keep up with the subs, they’ll cause the stereo to distort.
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The speakers you are listing have a way higher wattage handling than the Kenwood receiver you’re listing. Unless you intend to use a separate amp for the mid and highs, you’re way overkilling the speakers.

If you are amping the mains, then I’m concerned that the 6" speakers you list handle more than twice the power of the others. This can result in an easy blow if you’re not conscientious about the difference in their handling power, or, better yet, you have use an auxillary crossover to control the volumes for each channel individually.

I didn’t look at the sub assembly, because if you don’t get the mains dialed in right, what does it matter if the sub sounds good, right?

OKAY: So after going back to look at the sub system you have listed, you DEFINITELY want to have more than 50 watts max power to you Mains, other wise your car is going to be a big bass box.

I would suggest getting some speakers with about 200 watts or a little more max power, or about 130 watts RMS. Then get an Amp/Receiver with about 120 watts RMS per channel.

Alternatively, I’ve heard of people using an external amp to power their mains, but I do not suggest running a powered receiver into a powered amp, as it will probably cause damage.

GEORGE:

Obviously you know that there’s a relationship between the peak wattage and the RMS wattage, and since they’re relative I can of course use that info to know the RMS.

Don’t be so quick to dismiss me and then say the exact same thing I said in different words ;-]