recommend amp / fixing position help

[ais]

This started out with me replacing the HU with a JVC KW-AVX840 and the door speakers with Focal 165s. Not happy with the lack of bass (have sound deaden the doors), now have yet to fit UD sub.
The penny has finally dropped that I'm not going to get the sound I want without putting in an Amp.  s:scared: :scared: s:scared:  
Before I spend any more – best if I take advice from people who have already done this   s:bowdown: :bowdown: s:bowdown:  
Questions:
1/ My HU can drive front/rear (if decide to fit)/sub but fitting instructions imply if adding external amp then have 3 separate amps rather than single 3/5 channel  – which route is best/recommend?
2/ Which make of amp would you recommend (not silly money)
3/is the rear bins the best (only) fitting option given size of amp
Thanks in advance – as I said what started out quite simple seems to have got out of hand   s:flame: :flame: s:flame:

[AndyM]

Hi mate.

From a sound quality perspective you're never going to get a rich sound from the HU on-board amp. If you want it to sounds crisp, rich and loud you need to amp everything.

My plan for my '2 is to go with a multi-channel amp (in my case my plan is a Genesis Profile 4) with the component speaker running passive (1 channel each split by a crossover) and the UD sub running off a bridged (2-channel). This is a similar setup to what I ran in my old Mini (another small cabin car).

Placement wise I've yet to try things out (get my 2 next week) but I'm going to experiment with mounting it behind the seats, under the bins. No idea if it'll work yet. Many other people mount then in the rear bins, but I think someone mounted one behind the centre console too.

Brand wise, I think DJ Vinxy just did an install with a Vibe, may be able to get some pointers from him. I'll be honest I've yet to shop around for mine yet but intend to go with Genesis.

Hope some of that is useful. Best of luck mate.

Andy

[AndyM]

Oh, and on the multiple amps issue...

If you  were going for a full competition SQ install you would probably run multiple amps for different speaker sets (comps/sub) but in my opinion with such a small cabin space, no rear fill and a small UD sub (which won't draw loads of power) a multi-channel powering everything will be fine.

[stargazer30]

Op you need a 4ch amp.  Bridge the rear channel for your UD sub and use the front for the Focals.  Run 2x RCAs from the pre outs of the HU to the Amp for the front and rear channels that way you'll have better control over the crossover between the focals and the UD sub.  80hz is a good starting point.

Even without the UD in your focals will bass up once the amp is in.  Bass requires higher current and power and your HU can't provide that. The amp will also take some of the harshness off those aluminum tweets.   Infact most of the mid/hitty bass you'll hear will be from the focals the UD sub produces the lower end bass.

Amp location.  Most folks go the easy root and put it in the rear bin.  Its a short easy run to the battery from there.  Just make sure you keep your drains clear as water can collect there if they block up.

[ais]

Thanks for the advice
I will pm djvinxy.
Andy

[Anonymous]

Guys, below is a message i have replied to AIS,

incase any of you were wondering about the vibe amp:

Anytime!!

Yes! upgrade is complete, awaiting gear knob - i believe its in the post.

I bought some heavy duty velcro from halfords and stuck the prickly side on the amp, stuck it to the wall behind the passenger chair. and it fits brilliantly.

I'm not sure how to give feedback on the amp really, it does what it says on the tin! I only bought it because i wanted some power to my focal speakers which it does no problem!

the sound in the car is out of this world! and there was more than enough power coming out of the amp and speakers to prevent any clipping.

just to confirm, it would not fit behind the Head unit, however you could be really clever and fit it where the under dash sub would go!

The amp is great because its digitalised - therefore it runs more efficiently AND it keeps really cool which is good too!

Other feedback:

Once i installed the amp and speakers and everything was in... I started thinking that maybe i needed a sub, HOWEVER this was the 2 channel version of the amp - so i started to panic, because i wanted an under dash sub. But, my speakers are still breaking in, and the bass is at a very nice level now... not too much so you look like a chav, but enough so you can identify it. Also, under dash sub boxes are near impossible to get hold of, but i remembered the other option - if i do decide to get a sub i will simply get one of these:  m http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product m  ... -24084.htm

because;

it has its own amp
its focal - so will go nicely with my speakers
very easy to fit
velcro it under my seat
all i would need to do is run a power cable from bat/piggy back off amp and plug in the phono behind the HU! easy.

to summarise:

I installed it, and started thinking it wasnt enough. but then the speakers started to break in, and it sounds AMAZING!!! the bass is at a good level, not too much or too little.

I have other options when it comes to a sub, so i dont technically need the 4 channel.

if you do want the under dash sub then you have to buy the 4 channel option, for 30 quid more - its probably worth it.

p.s. it would probably fit in your glove box no problem - this was an option i was considering, because then i could lock it in too.



Powering:

Battery -> Fuse -> Amp ------ Amp -> Battery - i luckily had a friend to show me how to disconnect the battery - because it was my first time - wouldnt reccomend jumping in without asking myself or someone else for advice.



Oh, by the way. i bought a very good head unit, amp, speakers and wiring kit for less than £460... when i asked a car audio specialist how much it would cost - he quoted me £1000 for equipment that was slightly worse... so i am really happy!



I hope this helps

Rich

[AndyM]

Nice write up Rich. Apologies for 'dropping you in it' with my reply to Ais but I knew you'd just been doing it.  s:) s:)

[fretlessfender]

Fitted a Genesis Profile 2 amp under the passenger seat, powering Focal a165s. Sounds great! The only mod to fit the amp was to make an L shaped cut in the carpet in the front ns corner of the amp position and remove the wadding from the back of the carpet. Plenty of bass and good sound quality.

[AndyM]

Fitted a Genesis Profile 2 amp under the passenger seat, powering Focal a165s. Sounds great! The only mod to fit the amp was to make an L shaped cut in the carpet in the front ns corner of the amp position and remove the wadding from the back of the carpet. Plenty of bass and good sound quality.

Very interesting, any chance of some pics? In an ideal world I'd like to put a Profile 2 under each seat (one for the comps, one bridged for the sub) but had abandoned the idea based on the general consensus that there wasn't enough room.

[fretlessfender]

I'll try to get some this weekend. Not a lot to see with the seat in though! Ran power through the existing grommet behind the passenger luggage bin and speaker cables through the door grommets. A bit of a fiddle, but everything went in nicely. Amnoyingly the hu locked onto radio after abt 2 hrs, so now waiting for a replacement. If you're looking for the levels of bass you need for drum n bass etc with huge amounts of sub bass in the mix, you won't get it without a sub, but the bass extn on the focals is fine for most music. Listening to well recorded piano and vocals is my usual test as these are the most difficult sounds for speakers to reproduce, there is just no comparison between this set up and the stock system.

[fretlessfender]

From the front, seat fully back. The corner nearest the camera is the one where I removed the wadding under the carpet.

From the back, seat fully forward.

[AndyM]

Very nice mate. Definitely not a lot of room to spare there! Is the seat touching at any point along the upper side?

[fretlessfender]

Hi Andy,
No, it's sat flat on the carpet with about 5cm clearance above it so cooling shouldn't be an issue. Put one of the angled fitting brackets on the side of the amp nearest the transmission tunnel to make sure there was no chance of the seat mechanism snagging the amp and just positioned the amp in there.
The best tip on here was how to get the speaker wires through the door - push the grommet in the inner wing out into the gap between the door and the door post and the door grommet into the door, then feed a coathanger wire through from the door with the speaker cable taped to the end and a squirt of WD40 on the cable to help it on its way.