I hate knowing sweet FA about ICE

[MikeC]

Basically, I've got this top of the range alpine HU, £700 job, but it has no internal amp, and no speaker terminals, so it needs to be connected to an amp just to work. I currently have an eclipse 2 channel amp, a JVC 2 channel amp, a Kenwood 10" sub in a ported box, 2 magnat components with tweeters in the front, and some pioneer (I think!) 6x9's on an MDF shelf.

I think my JVC amp is no good to me now, as I need a 4 channel amp, instead of 2, and I believe the eclipse amp to be better than the JVC one?

I have to have one 4 channel amp and one 2 channel amp, to power the HU, 2 pairs of speakers, and a sub!

Took it to an ICE installer yesterday, they connected the sub to one amp, but havent installed the HU or speakers, as I need this 4 channel amp, even though the wiring has all been done and ready to go. they said if I get a 4 channel amp, which is all I need, they'll charge £100 labour, wtf!

It seems I've now sourced a JBL 6 channel amp, but I don't even know where to start, as I've never attempted anything like this..... It's probably a piece of piss, if you know what your doing!

 

[kpowell911]

I've gota better cheaper idea.....

Get rid of your 6x9s, run the least powerful 2 channel amp for your door speakers.

Then bridge the second and for the sub.

 

[leekirlew]

ok in depth you need to connect both the 2 channel and the four channel amps to A 2 way fuse block. the fuse block is then connected to the battery positive terminal (red). This will save you running two wires throught the car.

Then both amps need connecting to a good earth point, I used to use the boot latch.

Then the remote terminal from both amps needs wiring into a single wire via a terminal block, then run one wire from the terminal block to the blue remote wire on the Alpine stereo.

Thats the power sorted.

Now you need to run a set of rcas from the front channel pre out to the 2 channel amp, this will power the comps in the front.

Then (depending on if you have rear pre-outs and sub-outs on the alpine) you will need to:

1. if you only have rear pre-outs you need to get a set of y-rca splitters which will plug into the end of the rcas and then into the 4 rcas on the amp.

OR

2. If you have sub pre-outs and rear pre-outs then you need to connect them both to the four channel amp.The subs to one left and right, and the rears to the other left and right.

Ok, now you need to connect the 6 x 9s to the rear pre-outs channels of the amp in the normal way. The sub will need to be connected to the sub pre-outs channels of the amp "bridged". ie to the positive of the left channel and to the negative of the right channel (although this may vary from amp to amp, check the instructions.

Hope that helps!

 

[leekirlew]

If you choose the 6 channel amp, the same procedure but with out using the fuse block, or the junctioned remote wire

 

[MikeC]

Clear as mud!

 

[muz]

what mode lno of alpine is it? At that price I say it is a screen?

 

[Dink]

or a dva-9965

 

[MikeC]

Alpine CDA-7998R

 

[muz]

err that has a 4x60 inbuilt amp ???

However no bother! It has 3 pre outs front, back and sub. How much cash do you have? It is a cracking unit - one of alpines's recent best and the core of a fantastic system. What do you want from your ICE ? Loud? Quality? Looks? a little of all 3? How much money do you have to spend?

 

[MikeC]

My aim is pure quality, zero distortion, want to hear every little noise from the tweeters, lovely crisp noise is what i'm after! Don't want to spend silly money, but happy to fork out for the right thing.

 

[muz]

give me a budget? £1000 ? £500? £Loads?

 

[muz]

ps bass, lots? or SQ?

 

[MikeC]

Healthy amount of bass, but not to the point where the whole car stupidly vibrates lol! I'm not gonna replace the HU, so i'd be looking at around £500 ideally. I've got magnat components + tweeters in the car, that were they when I bought it, never heard the quality of them though as nothings been connected up as yet.

Just using a ported boxed 10" kenwood sub and an eclipse 2 channel amp, unsure of power though. Also got a £160 2 channel JVC amp, 1 year old, sitting around doing nothing.

 

[muz]

right I personally would flog what you have on ebay you should raise another £300 or so, you now have £800 which can buy you this

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=4625

(However ask if they will swap for the 5 1/2 inch comps as the 6s will need work) plus get it fitted and scoped Will sound amazing and do your H/U proud

 

[muz]

actually looking at that pack the amp is quite underpowered for the sub, strange I will have another look around.

Names to buy are DLS, Genesis, Rainbow

To avoid Mutant, Fli, Xplod, SPLx etc

 

[MikeC]

Never heard of Rainbow! Thanks though, look forward to seeing what amp you come up with!

 

[Maz]

I bought a JBL Sub and amp from motorworld was less than £200 once I had bought all the wires etc and it sounds mint ... guess it depend if you have that kinda cash to splash on something that is going to be hidden in your boot

Have a word with Brun on here he works there and might be able to sort you a good deal if you ask him nicely lol

 

[BRUN]

as Maz has mentioned above, the JBL packages we do are silly money for what you get

for a £500 budget though you should be able to get better, just be careful what you pick

 

[Spammy]

I have a Genesis Profile 4 (amp) and the SQ with my genesis comps is amazing

 

[kiza1986]

Right find out the RMS of your sub and speakers and try to find a amp that'll match that RMS wise....as said above its easy to wire up but you might need a bigger wiring kit (possibly an 2/0 AWG)....

Kiza

 

[wozzaa]

If you can afford it higher rating RMS wise on amps is better but generally means more cash.

Better to run an amp at 2/3 power than have it cranked working hard 100% of the time and the sound is better as a result.

With £800 to spend id go for something like this though.

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=3679

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=2962

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=3851

Can deffinately recommend the sub though i have one they really do sound good considering there one of the lower RE subs.

 

[kiza1986]

Really he needs to put up the power figures for his sub and speakers before people can choose him an amp...unless he's changin all of it??

Kiza

 

[wozzaa]

That was a price based on if he went with muzz's recommendation and sold his current kit and upgraded it to something better.

 

[kiza1986]

Oh yeah i get ya now...Not really very good at recommending I.C.E as i dont get the SQ malarky lol...

Kiza