Originally Posted by zackde

GUYS,

i have question regarding speaker set-up

1. stereo means we we got diff. sound on the left & right, how about the rears? do they output the same sound like fronts L&R? or are they totally different like home theaters 5.1?

It's a little ambiguous when you say "same sound". What exactly do you mean? You are right in saying that music is recorded in 2 channels left and right. But it's vastly different than home theater. Understand that the reasoning for left, right and center channels in home theater would not apply to car audio because car audio is lacking something rather important - VIDEO. The reason the sound is imaged from right and left and center in home theater is to create an illusion of realism by having action from the left side of the screen cause sounds on the left channel of the theater. Actions on the right, the right side. Dialog and certain central sounds are tied together on the center channel. Staging is crucial in home theater because we are trying to match the audio staging with something we are watching. In car audio, we are trying to stage our sound to resemble something imaginary like an orchestra playing pops on our hoods. Big difference.

2. i dont have a sub before, as what i read to get that "STAGING" thing, more highs on front than the rear, now ill be installing a sub do i need to make adjustments on my fronts & rear?

Seperate issues, as far as fronts and rear tuning and adding a sub to your sound stage. As far as fronts and rears go, with no respect to a subwoofer, you should have the primary sound from the front of your car. Full range and powerful. Like at a concert hall. Also like at a concert hall, your rear speakers should provide the sensation of echoing sounds off the rear of the building, faint, hardly detectible filler sounds that create the impression of a larger front stage and give the sound a slightly 3 dimentional atmosphere. Your rear speakers should ideally be coaxials or raw drivers and should be powered considerably less than your fronts. When rear fill sounds are detectable to you, but barely, you've got it right.

Yes, adding a subwoofer will change your balance and make everything sound different to you - not just bass. Likely, your fronts will sound different. Once you've added your sub. You should set your gains the proper way, then experiment with the entire system tuning to get the sound right.


3. anyone here having a setup of front speakers only & sub on the back? no rears? which is better?

There is a debate over which is better. Plenty of people run their cars both ways. I myself like the effect of rear fill. Some people swear by fronts only. You are going to have to experiment to see what you like best. If you are a home theater guys, I personally think you'd be happier with a little rear fill. The most important thing to remember is, if you choose to add rears. Keep it a nice simple coaxial with just enough power to be barely detected.
thanx