Notices
ICE Serious sounds for serious cars.

To Amp or not to Amp??

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 11 February 2006, 09:47 PM
  #1  
WRX300MAN
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
WRX300MAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: North London
Posts: 1,368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Question To Amp or not to Amp??

Greeting and salutations o worthy followers of the Scoobynet!

I have a question that I was too embarassed to ask since the day I joined the forum! . . . When I bought my CAR, first thing I did was install a Boy Racer Stereo (a JVC with cartoons graphics and the rest of it!) . .Few months down the line installed a some boy racer ALPINE spekers 4 x 200w . . .Playing and modifying the ICE system is a really slippery slope - especially as I love my chuwns!

I am now considering installing an AMP and a subwoofer!

Just the following questions please. . . . .

1) Will taking this course of action make me/my car chavy>

2) On a more serious note . .I have no experience in this field so have to ask what is good to get and at a resonable price! (will it make my car go faster???) . .Is this generally a good idea as i hear unconfirmed story's of subwoofers having a bad effect on the structure of the car as its being pounded by low frequency's

Many thanks!

Last edited by WRX300MAN; 11 February 2006 at 11:07 PM.
Old 11 February 2006, 10:25 PM
  #2  
320bhp
Scooby Regular
 
320bhp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Anywhere that will have me!
Posts: 1,094
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Firstly, installing a sub wont damage the car at all. The only affect it will have is weigh the car down.

Now, on what to buy? It all depends on your preferance, personaly id go for a 10" sub with a sutable amp top power it, this would give plenty of bass with out being over the top. Sony do good subs without being expencive. I hope this helps you a little.
Old 11 February 2006, 11:25 PM
  #3  
hades
Scooby Regular
 
hades's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: From Kent to Gloucestershire to Berkshire
Posts: 2,905
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

An amp will make your other speakers work a lot better too. I've never bothered with a sub, but do have a decent 4 channel phoenix gold amp driving the front door speakers (nice Kenwood dual mags) plus some infinity components I installed in the rear shelf. Obviously doesn't get the bass of a good sub, but it's more than enough to sound very nice with plenty enough bass at more than loud enough.

Invest in some dynamat / dynamat Xtreme too, will stop the areas around the speakers / sub flexing and massively improves the sound.
Old 11 February 2006, 11:36 PM
  #4  
WRX300MAN
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
WRX300MAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: North London
Posts: 1,368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Smile

Cheers for that guys!

Also my wrx Uk300 has front tweeters from the factory . .these worth replacing? And when you say the Sub will add a bit of weight, are we obvoiusly talking negligible ammounts . . .

But could someone explain to me the idea of a base tube v b.box please , and which one is better . . . . . .
Old 12 February 2006, 02:12 AM
  #5  
Beastra
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (20)
 
Beastra's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Gloucester
Posts: 1,655
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

1) Will taking this course of action make me/my car chavy> Of course not

2) On a more serious note . .I have no experience in this field so have to ask what is good to get and at a resonable price! (will it make my car go faster???)
Old 12 February 2006, 09:58 AM
  #6  
NXG
Scooby Regular
 
NXG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Northants
Posts: 923
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I have a 10" sub in the back of mine in a box (from bass junkies I think) that's just big enough for it. You'll see some about with a pair of 12" subs in a huge enclosure, but having had 1st hand experience of this in my 'yoof' know it's not necessary to get a good sound. It depends if you're going for sound quality at a more than adequate sound level or are thinking about entering an SPL competition!

I'd recommened moving / reposting this question in the ICE section as you're likely to get more responses.

Good luck.
Old 12 February 2006, 12:01 PM
  #7  
hades
Scooby Regular
 
hades's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: From Kent to Gloucestershire to Berkshire
Posts: 2,905
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Replacing the front door speakers in their entirety with a nice component set is by far the best way to go, if you're using standard tweeters with upgraded bass units (or any other brand of woofer) you'll potentially have a mis-match between the two parts.

If you've got the Alpine bass units in the door, I'd recommend going with some matching alpine tweeters and alpine cross-overs, and that will make a serious difference
Old 12 February 2006, 04:40 PM
  #8  
NorthDownsScooby
Scooby Regular
 
NorthDownsScooby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: ex 2006 Forester STI in Black, Surrey
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by WRX300MAN
Cheers for that guys!

Also my wrx Uk300 has front tweeters from the factory . .these worth replacing? And when you say the Sub will add a bit of weight, are we obvoiusly talking negligible ammounts . . .

But could someone explain to me the idea of a base tube v b.box please , and which one is better . . . . . .
As you joined in Aug05 I presume you have a WRX300 not a UK300.?

Anyway, here's what I did to my WRX300:
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=478600

Rich
Old 12 February 2006, 10:53 PM
  #9  
WRX300MAN
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
WRX300MAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: North London
Posts: 1,368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Cheers

Thanks a lot guys . .Will be looking in to that! . .And lets not be pedantic . .WRX300 UK300 . . Whatever!

Last edited by WRX300MAN; 12 February 2006 at 10:56 PM.
Old 13 February 2006, 08:18 AM
  #10  
NorthDownsScooby
Scooby Regular
 
NorthDownsScooby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: ex 2006 Forester STI in Black, Surrey
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by WRX300MAN
Thanks a lot guys . .Will be looking in to that! . .And lets not be pedantic . .WRX300 UK300 . . Whatever!
me, pedantic.....never

WRX300....UK300 - different cars, different years (05 vs 01), therefore maybe a different recommendation.
e.g. I'm still using the factory fit tweeters from my WRX300 in my new setup, but that will mean nothing to you if you have a UK300.

Just trying to be helpfull.

So what DO you have then...?

Rich
Old 13 February 2006, 09:03 AM
  #11  
pippyrips
Scooby Regular
 
pippyrips's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Bebind the wheel of my red rice rocket
Posts: 5,585
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

guys,

do you need to change the standard speaker cable as well or can you litterately just drop new speakers in?
Old 13 February 2006, 07:21 PM
  #12  
WRX300MAN
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
WRX300MAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: North London
Posts: 1,368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Rich . . .

I mean, I hear what yr saying , but WRX 300 uk300 . . I mean who cares . . . . . Its BLUE, its got gold wheels and its quick . . . To answer the next question - as far as I know they just dropped the new speakers in , and no rewiring done!

Regards
Old 14 February 2006, 10:08 PM
  #13  
hades
Scooby Regular
 
hades's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: From Kent to Gloucestershire to Berkshire
Posts: 2,905
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

You don't need to change the standard speaker cable unless you're running a fancy active cross-overed set-up. However, if you're putting in a nice set-up, you might just find that it is worthwhile fitting better speaker cable to improve the sound.

If you mount an amp, you will need to run speaker cable from the amp to somewhere - be it to join with the "original" speaker cable just behind the head unit, or directly to the speakers (the secon option being prefereable to my mind)

You DO need to run new cable if you're fitting a sub, obviously, as there is no existing sub wiring!
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
alcazar
Non Scooby Related
7
02 October 2015 06:08 PM
Phil3822
ICE
3
26 September 2015 07:12 PM
Mister:E
In Car Entertainment For Sale
0
21 September 2015 06:29 PM
Fur
General Technical
6
18 September 2015 08:37 PM
ALi-B
Computer & Technology Related
0
14 September 2015 07:49 AM



Quick Reply: To Amp or not to Amp??



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:17 AM.