To amp or not to amp? (front)

[manchestermatt1986]

I have just purchased a jvc xw xr811 and i ordered the iso adaptor for it. But there is a connector just left hanging about. Can some please tell me what it is, i dont think it was connected on the last stereo, iv not had a stereo in it for over 6 months.

My car is a jap spec

heres some pics







the wires on it are pink - white/black

But also i would like to know if it is worth amping the front speakers i jave just bought? They are hertz 165 and max output of 250watts?

[StuC]

Is it the cigarette lighter connection?

[trevsmr2]

As above ,that plug is for the ciggy lighter ,not the stereo

[manchestermatt1986]

Thankyou, feela abit of an idiot now, but iv had nothing wired in for 6 months why the cars been off the road,thought id left something out.

While on the topicof JVC XR811. I have got some Hertz front speakers and tweeters to fit, do you know if i will get a 'much' better sound with amplifing them or will it not be worth the hassle and just run them off the head unit with original wiring?

[BranM]

The need of an amp comes down to how loud/clear/crisp you want your system and how much of an audiophile you are.

If you don't listen to the stereo at its full volume, then you can probably get away with no amp. There are a number of reasons to include an amplifier and you definitely need one if you want louder sound without distortion,to power subwoofers and to get the most out of premium speakers.

If you don't mind a little distortion, and you have no desire to crank your head unit to max, then you can probably skip the amp and focus on your head unit and speakers.

[manchestermatt1986]

Thanks for the response

Well i kinda of like to plasy quiet loud,not stupidly but louder than most.But the biggest thing i do want is clarity.

At the moment i have two small active subs that give me some decent 'punchy' bass, toyota speakers in the rear bin lids and then standard front speakers.

I just want to know if i want clarity from the front should i a) change the wiring and b) amp it. If so what amp because i am not that well up on audio

[BranM]

If you do want clarity and like your music quite loud then your head unit is not going to cut it, you'll need an amp.

As for wiring if you do buy an amp then just get something like 4 or 8 gauge amp wiring kit which comes complete with speaker wire, rca connectors and power cables for the amp. Plenty available on ebay for around the £20 mark.

Amp wise it depends on your budget and if you want 2/4 or even 5 channel. If you are just going to run your hertz components then a 2 channel will be enough. If want something very good then something like a genesis profile 2 or 4. Pick these up fairly cheaply on Ebay and these can also be mounted under the seat.

 m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/genesis-ampli ... 2a32a42061 m
 m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genesis-Profi ... 1c37b65955 m

[manchestermatt1986]

Thanks so much for the reply. Can you just explain to me, because i like to know, but why does the wiring effect it, is it because of the amp it can carry along it? or not carry in the standard wiring?

[BranM]

The amp has to be run from the power of your battery. Thus it needs a power, ground and a remote cable which all comes with the kits.

[BranM]

The cable wire size be it 4 or 8 gauge doesn't play any sort of role in the quality of sound. The advantage to running a thicker power cable 4 gauge is that if you decide to add extra amps later, then you can do so safely

[no1trancefan]

i had 4 gauge in but switched it back to 8, as above if adding extra amps in is worth it, but would be overkill otherwise,i m putting 150wrms in each door and think 8 gauge is good for up to 500wrms - think your be popping your ears if going passed that in the doors

[stargazer30]

Op - dont forget to sound deaden your doors.  For £20 and 3 hours of your life you gain as much sound quality as your new shiney amp will provide all over again.  Without the deadening the MR2 doors just cant do mid bass well and the tweets will get harsh at high volumes.

[no1trancefan]

cheap for the job
can get it bigger 15 and 25
 m http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/243010/?source=123_75 m

[manchestermatt1986]

Iv heard about this sound deading the doors with flash tape, where exactly do you put the tape. Do you reach throu the door and layer the inside of door that meets the outside, or do you cover all the holes that you can see when the door cards are removed? Or both?

[stargazer30]

Iv heard about this sound deading the doors with flash tape, where exactly do you put the tape. Do you reach throu the door and layer the inside of door that meets the outside, or do you cover all the holes that you can see when the door cards are removed? Or both?

The flashing tape serves two purposes.  It stops rattles caused by the more powerful speakers.  It creates an enclosure for the speaker to keep the bad frequencies from behind the speaker in and help the speaker create good mid bass.

You can't use too much of this stuff.  Some folks do the inner door skin, the outer door skin and the inside of the door card plastics too! On my MR2s I only did the inner skin right behind the speaker.  I did the outer skin fully to block off all the holes to create the enclosure.  That made a heck of a difference to the bass.  Then I did the plastic door card which did stop it rattling with all the new found bass.   s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:

Oh and as a added bonus your doors will shut with a more heafty meaty clunk sound, road noise will be reduced slightly (the roof still lets it in)