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hey guys,

haven'tforgotten about the thread...been busy with work.

Heard back from the manufacturer and they stated they run their sq 4070 on their MP5 5 band equalizer which puts out up to 10v, so thats good news!

 
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Sounds like a 4V preamp output should be no problem then. Still, it's only 4V at maximum output, you'll not want to set the HU past 3/4 volume when setting the gain to keep the outgoing signal clean. And at that point, it may be a 2.5-3V output.

 
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Commencing installation now!

 
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I need a recommendation on where to mount the crossover, asap!

I have the wire ran and the q logic kick panels cut to fit and ready to go, just need to mount the crossover.

Where is the best spot? obviously not in the door since the speakers will be in the kick panel.

thoughts?

 
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Maybe if you have long enough wires, or are good at soldering you could place it under the dash?

 
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If it's not able to fit behind the kick panels, the I second under the dash. might be able to attach it to the bottom cover that is first removed. I'd just use some double sided tape or Velcro tape (it would sit on top of this panel before being screwed in place so as not to be seen). Where ever you choose, be sure you are able to access it without too much trouble to make adjustments. Well, you should be able to find pretty quick if you need to change the +dB/ 0dB / -dB or whatever adjustment for the tweeter and/or woofer.

Actually, I don't recall just how large/small the crossover is, so I'm not too sure where to mount it, not being familiar with your car and all.

 
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They usually are not big. Some are kinda fat which makes placing them in the door a pain.

 
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I've seen some pretty large ones years back, but I've seen some pretty tiny ones fairly recent. I know he posted a photo of the crossovers a while back and I could easily look up the model and find exact dimensions, but I do know they were fairly large by today's standard.

What the heck, looked em up, they measure L=5.029", W=3.072", H=1.075" according to Crutchfield. That's about mid size for a crossover anymore. Smallest are those cheap crossovers that plug into the woofer and HPF the signal for the tweeter, messed with some of those from Rockford Fosgate recently.

Anyways, at just over 1" thick, they shouldn't be too hard to squeeze into a tight area, such as up under the dash.

Keep us informed.

 
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Good hunting

 
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Finishing up the power wiring now. Can you enlighten me on the frequencies i need to set on the amps? For the four channel amp, I should set it to the high pass filter right not the low pass. Then use what freq as the setting?

What freq for the low pass on the sub amp?

 
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You'll definitely want to HPF the full-range Polk speakers. The frequency you use is really personal preference, but it is quite common for it to be set at 80Hz or higher. Play some bass heavy music with just the Polks playing and adjust the filter so the output is clear, if they are asked to play anything lower than they are truly designed for, it'll be a little muddy or completely distorted. It's quite possible they'll be ale to play down to 60Hz without any issues, but that's playing into a range best left for a subwoofer. The components my not like playing as low as the 6x9's, so don't expect the HPF to work perfect for both at the same settings.

As for the sub, it is recommended to have the sub LPF'd lower than the HPF of the full-range speakers. The reason, if they are set at the same frequency or overlap, you'll either get a large spike in output or a drastic drop in output due to cancellation between drivers. I don't suggest having the LPF set any higher than 80Hz as you can begin to get vocals from the subs, which IMO sounds bad. Not to mention, higher frequencies are directional, so if the sub is allowed to play higher frequencies, you be able to detect where the sound is coming from much more easily.

Some people like their subs LPF'd low (like 50-60Hz), so only the deepest bass is produced by the sub.

If you use the variable filters on the amps, you can use test tones and a DMM to help you set them, if you are wanting them set at an exact frequency of your choice. For instance, 100Hz for the components, 80Hz for the 6x9's, and 70Hz for the sub.

Also, if the amp has a subsonic filter, don't remember, I'd activate it around 27-30Hz as the sub really won't like playing much lower if asked, but in truth, there's there's not a lot of music that has bass much lower than 30Hz anyways.

In the end, your ears will be the best tool for setting the HPF/LPF as you're the one who will be listening to the system. Everyone's hearing is different as are thier preferences, just set it for what pleases your ears.

 
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All installed and operational! I still need to secure the amps and sub so they dont move around but hey we got it done.

Sounds great, although I need some help adjusting the sound. The subwoofer isn't noticeable unless i pump the volume to deafening levels, adjust the subwoofer level in the h/u settings and/or the bass boost settings. If i bump either or both of those it becomes audible and over powering if i set them toward the higher end. Adjust the preset eq settings help some but not where i think it should be.

While I wait for replies, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the thread to help me get this accomplished with a BIG shout out to Weigel!

 
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You're very welcome, I enjoyed offering up advice.

For the issue on the sub, are you sure you adjusted the gain on the amp properly? Set the HU to the loudest level you will typically listen to it at or 3/4 volume, whichever is lower. This will be the loudest you should ever crank the system from this point on. Go intothe setting and set your EQ to flat and the sub volume on the HU to max, which is +6 on Pioneer HU's last I knew. Unhook the RCA's going to the 4-channel amp to ensure you don't damage the Polk speakers and unwire the Infinity sub from the sub amp speaker terminals. Then play a 50Hz test tone, I recommend a 0db or -3dB, but it's up to you, and use the DMM set to measure AC voltage to read the output of the amp.Turn the gain up on the amp until it reads 34.64VAC to limitthe ampto 300RMS@4 ohms. I do believe that the sub was SVC 4 ohm and rated at 300RMS, right?

After it is set for that, stop playing the test tone, wire the sub back up to the amp, plug in the RCA's to the 4-channel and tell us if that improved anything.

Now that sub is brand new and not yet broken in, so if it does play a little louder, remember, it will play louder yet once fully broken in as well as deeper. That sub will likely take two to three weeks to fully break in with regular playing, however,during this period,try notto play the sub to loudly, I'd avoid turning it past +/-0 on the sub volume during break-in to avoid damaging the sub. Low to moderate volume levels are recommended during the break in period. Some people like to push the sub hard rightoff the bat,someneverhave an issue and thesub getsbrokenin quicker, but some luck out and damage the sub. Remember, good things come to those who wait.

 
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I followed the procedure for setting the gains outlined in the thread we discussed. Set the volume to 3/4 (in this case, 45 out of 62) and set the voltage to 25.5 as the sub is wired at 2 ohms.

That being said, the sub volume as at 0 in the h/u setting as I was unaware I needed to set the gain with that at 6. Also, 45 is way too loud. Anything over 25 starts to really hurt the ears.

So i should reset the gain on the sub amp? Should I also do the same for the four channel? In reality, it'll rarely go over 25 as its too loud.

 
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Which model sub did you get? The DVC 4 ohm or SVC 4 ohm. Sounds like it was DVC 4 ohm.

The reason to have the sub volume set to +6 is so you have more volume control. for example, if you had it set at -10 when setting the gain, anything above that level would either be more than 300RMS or even a clipped signal (well, with the Master volume at 3/4 as it were when you set the gain). Also, lets say that at volume level -10 was too much bass, turning it down to -11 my be just a little less bass than you were wanting as well as one increment on the dial has more effect on the volume.

Now you say you had the volume set for 3/4, but at that level it's ear piercing sound from the full-range speakers. #/4 volume was a good level for setting the full-range speakers, but not the sub. If level 25 is plenty loud for you from the Polks, then have the HU set to that when setting the sub gain. This way you can get the most from the sub with the master volume at 25 and the sub volume at +6. If that's too much bass, you have plenty of adjustment to lower it.

In my case, my Sony HU goes up to, well, I honestly don't know (maybe 60), volume level 20 is plenty loud, so that's where I had it when setting the gain for my sub. Well, that and the sub volume at +10. On bass heavy music, it's more than enough bass at those levels. Heck, I tend to listen to the stereo at volume levels 15-18 and the sub at 0 to +8. Pretty much only when younger guys ask me how loud it'll go do I throw on some Tech N9ne or 3 6 Mafia and crank it to 20 and +10. Sadly, at that point my car rattles like complete crap and it's embarrassing, but the high school aged guys who just like to make noise seem to think it sounds good.

So yea, go back and set the sub amp gain with the HU master volume at 25 or whatever you feel will be the loudest you'll crank it (keeping only the Polks in mind at this time) and have the sub volume set for +6.

Going by your numbers, you set your gain for 325RMS (which is perfectly fine, should even be good having the amp set for 350RMS@2 ohms if it's capable, which I', sure it is), did you use a 0dB test tone, -3dB test tone, or what? And what frequency?

Once you get it reset, tell us how it sounds. Please remember not to push the sub too hard for the first couple weeks, after that, playing it at 25/+6 shouldn't cause any harm as the voice coils should have gotten broken in and the surround loosened up. And again, the sub will become louder and play deeper after breaking in fully. That Infinity is a reasonably decent quality sub, the higher quality the sub, the longer break in tends to take. Some of the "best" subs can take a good month of regular use to become fully broken in.

 
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I got the DVC 4ohm sub but wired it as 2 ohm and I used a 0 db 50hz test tone for the it. Also, in the subwoofer setting it has a frequency of 80hz listed. I assume this is the h/u frequency filter and its set for 80hz yes? If so, should I turn that off?

Im also in need of suggestions for securing the amps. I have them mounted to a wood panel i cut to fit but I need somehow to secure it, same for the sub.

 
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It is recommended not to double filter, so use the LPF on the amp or HU, not both. I'm not so sure the HU LPF is defeatable, I'd have to look, but if it isn't, you can set it for the highest seting if you're wanting to use the LPF on the amp. With the amp, I do believe it can be set to full-range, but if not, it too could be set to the highest level if you wished to use the HU's LPF instead.

As for securing the amp and subs, if you're opposed to putting more holes in the floor of the trunck securing the board(s) the amps are mount to in place, you could attach Velcro to the bottom of the board. It won't hold the amp in place firmly, but it should help keep if from sliding about the trunk. As for the subs, angle brackets are good to use, but again, if you wish not to add more holes, Velcro (along with the sheer weight of the enclosure) can help to limit it's movement. You can also buy rubber feet that do a pretty decent job holding the enclosure in place on the carpet, but then you may have the carpet wanting to move. To remedy this, you could sew some hook/loop Velcro to the underside of the carpet and the other Hook/loop piece could be attached to the metal floor of the car.

Or, you could do something like what I did with my last car, it wasn't the most professional looking install, but it was functional.













After a while and changed things up, but never took any updated photos before I retired the car.

 
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Update:

The system has been performing beautifully; however the MMATS failed and we had to replace it. I opted for a JL JX360/4 which we installed yesterday.

The 360 puts out 70 watts rms. When following the formula for setting the gain comes out to approx. 16.73.

When I tried to set the gain using the test tone, even at max gain the reading would only hit about 14. This concerned me so I dialed it back to about 11.5 so my brother could have a workable solution while I figured this out with you guys.

So whats the deal? What wasn't I able to get the gain set where it needed to be for the 70 watts?

 
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What test tone are you using?
Speaker amps require a different tone and formula for setting gain.

 
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the high pitch one, i believe the 1000khz?

what formula should i follow?

 
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Formula is the same, SQRT of impedance x RMS.

Sounds like you are looking to set the gain for 70RMS to 4 ohm speakers, correct? I never went back through the thread to check.

If so, that's the SQRT of 4 x 70, which comes out to 16.73VAC as you listed.

You are using the proper the proper formulaand the correct test tone from the sound of it. My guess, might be poor grounding, either in the form of a loose connection or perhaps an improperly prepped mounting location on the car's trunk floor (or wherever you chose to mount the ground).

It's possible you have the EQ cutting the frequencies around 1kHz to some degree.

Oh, and is the test toe a 0dB test tone or is it attenuated, such as a -3dB, -5dB, -10dB etc. etc.

Test tones can be downloaded from a link on this page.

P.S., sorry for the late response, don't come on here but once in a blue moon anymore since I opted out of buying a Civic.