I have the 400HC. They are going to install this Saturday morning, so should I tell them to wire it for tri-mode? And will they know what that means? Then I will need a sub, box, sub crossover, and some miselanious wires?
Do you think this will hit harder than a Basslink?
gmoore

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SSS2k
I have the 400HC. They are going to install this Saturday morning, so should I tell them to wire it for tri-mode? And will they know what that means? Then I will need a sub, box, sub crossover, and some miselanious wires?

 

When I had my system installed on Saturday I talked to them about it, they dont reccomend it, they say it usually doesnt sound too great.

Also, Im not too happy with the Visonik amp, it distorts at fairly low levels. This is the amps fault right? Just a guess, but its the crappiest of my components, (Alpine HU, and JL speakers).

So, Im thinking about going for this Alpine amp, it runs mids and a sub. Specs, in bridged mode, are 120 watts by 2, and 200 watts to one, at 4 ohms. I plan to run an Alpine R series 10 or 12. It only costs 280 also.

Do you think this would clean up my mids? And would that be enough power for my sub? Is this even a good idea?
gmoore

 

Heres a link to it.

http://www.ikesound.com/product-product_id/1189

This probably would fit to cleanly with the Lucid box would it? Im probably gonna end up having them make a custom box in the trunk depression, then flushmounting the amp to the left or right. They said this would only cost about 225. What do you think?
gmoore

 

sigh.

of course trimode is a compromise... no, it isn't the best of all worlds, but you're only giving me $400 to buy you an enclosure, amp, and sub and do it in a VERY small space and keep the use of your spare...

and i don't know why your getting distortion, but the reputation of Visonik stuff isn't the greatest... still, it could be poor installation, your speakers might not be as nice as you were led to believe, or it could be improper use. it's impossible to tell based on the info you're giving us.

the Alpine amp might clean things up, or it might not. considering it offers more power and more options, i don't see it as a losing investment. still, it would be impossible for me to say for sure...

also, not to mention -- $290 for the amp, $280 for a sub, and $225 for installation? suddenly, your budget is over $750 and closer to double what you gave me?


look, no offense intended, but it is clear that you are fairly unknowledgable regarding these matters.... since they gave you the good advice regarding tri-mode, if they seem like honest guys, go back to the store and have them set you up.

 

Sorry.... Im not that knowledgable. And yes, my budget did go up, I just sold my nitrous kit, so Ive got about 575 to work with, along with whatever I sell the Visonik amp for. So about 750. The amp costs 290, the subs only like 100 at Ikesound, and 225 was for a completely custom box, amp flush mount, and fake floor.

That said, with the custom install, space really no longer is an issue, we can make any number of options look very clean, we dont have to worry about hiding stuff anymore.

As far as the tri-mode, I half assed the amp, dont like it, so I learned my lesson.

For the distortion, the installation was good, atleast I hope, I had it done at a Sound Advice that does numerous very high end installs, and they had previously done an install for me that turned out very well. Improper use? When it distorts I back it off quite a bit...My bass on the HU is all the way, so Im not blarring them. The speakers are JL Audio XR series mids, the best JL offers on that front. So IDK, just seems that the Visonik is the problem. I asked the installer when he thought about afterwards, and he just kind of shrugged.

As far as having them set me up, I plan on having them do the install, however I feel rude going in there and having them tell me what to buy while I go elsewhere to buy it. So I figured Id get your alls opinions on them.

So, that said, what do you think? Can you make an educated guess on whats causing the distortion? Are the Alpine amp and sub good quality parts?
gmoore

 

well, i didn't mean to offend by saying you're lacking knowledge... to me, that's not an insult... stupid is an insult, ignorant is not... and you are trying to learn more and overcome ignorance, which is a good thing...

i'm not familiar with Sound Advice -- so i can't give you guidance there.

regarding the distortion, if you have the bass maxed out on the head unit, that WILL contribute to distortion and can cause you problems. while this isn't readily clear, it is true. as you increase the bass signal to the amplifier, you're reducing the available dynamic range of the system, and so as you turn up the volume you distort much sooner. try turning the bass down flat and see if you don't get more volume before distortion. if you're not getting enough bass, you need a sub.


i strongly encourage you to check out this site on Basic Car Audio, as it will answer a lot of questions.

now regarding the amplifier? the Visonik doesn't look to be a overly nice amp. chances are it is over rated for the power it delivers. i think the Alpine amp would be an improvement, as the Alpine amps i have heard are typically good sounding amps.

regarding subs -- i think you've probably got better choices out there than an Alpine sub, but i've not used one so i cannot comment. Dave (NYC) might be helpful here, as i think he's got some experience with them.

i have experience with Elemental Designs and absolutely love my sub. their stuff has a rapidly growing good reputation for being excellent sound quality subs.... and they tend to work VERY well in small spaces, which is a benefit for your needs.

also, i have heard many a JL sub as well. they are a bit pricey for what you get, but they are also generally good sounding subs.

if you're just looking for a lot of volume (vs sound quality), the Kicker solobaric subs are probably a good choice as well, as i seem to recall they work well in small sealed boxes.


as with all things -- i usually start saying this earlier, but better late then never -- it's really much more important that you get out there and shop for a 'sound' and stay within your budget, rather than shop for a budget and hope for good sound.
check out my blurb in the S2000 audio faq about demo'ing equipment... and then i'd hit the streets and listen and look and learn.

 

No no, I have the bass all the way down. Which is what I dont get.

I definatly what clarity, I would rather not listen to music if its not clean.

Subs can wait, I cant proceed until I get my mids cleaned up.
gmoore

 

Well, I went out there and fiddled with the settings alittle more, and got it cleaned up. I turned down the gain alittle, that seemed to help. Heres the amp settings-

Bass Boost - 0%
Low Pass - 85
High Pass - 500
X Over - Full
Sub Sonic - Off
Gain - 75%

HU Settings
Treble - +3 17.5
Bass- -4 200

This sounds better, and now Im begining to lean towards the trimode setup with a Elemental Designs sub and Wlaurent's box.

Yes, my mind runs in circles, and its annoying as hell.

But then again, looking at the price tags of each, 370 for sub, box, and sub crossover with the tri-mode setup, vs 770 for the other setup.

Worst case scenario, I dont like the tri-mode, and switch to that Alpine amp, and Im dandy. Sure isnt too bad for a worst case scenario.
gmoore

 

well, if your gains are way up, you'll easily get very high distortion w/ no real volume gains... so, that could explain matters.

setting gains aren't the easiest thing in the world... they generally aren't a volume control, which is what people seem to think they are...

here's a great link to more info on how to set gains... http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/gaincon2.htm

if you want the simple answer that's going to be close -- set your amp gain at 2/3rds and don't anticipate the head unit going louder than 24 or so of 35.

all in all, if you have a little money to spend... probably one of the best things you could do is to get a 4 channel amp and then bridge 2 channels for a sub. the tri-mode on the visonik amp probably won't be strong enough to drive an e8a. but there are other 8" subs out there that would be fine w/ the lower power... like the JL 8w3. the e8a is generally happy with at a minimum of 250Wrms.

and tri-mode does have disadvantages... but for sure it's cheap. you're going to lose power to both the components and the sub b/c you're splitting the power up...

also, i generally run my system at +0 for treble and bass... and honestly -- a high pass of 500 hz is very high. try running it closer to 80hz to get a fuller sound or even off until you get a sub... at 500 hz, you're actually cutting out some major instruments and portions of the human voice.

http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/xovrslop.htm