MattG Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 After some discussion on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=16403 I've made a decision on what I want to do with the audio setup in my 350z. I've decided to go with Rob_Quads' advice and stick with the 6 month old, Kenwood KAC-PS4D 4 channel amp from my previous car ( http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/pioneer ... -6504.html ). I'd like to replace the front speakers with some really nice components and I'm looking to upgrade the sub too. The sub will be going in one of these custom ebay boxes: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nissan-3 ... otohosting What I'm after is some advice on which component speakers and sub to buy. The ebay box has an internal volume of 81 cu. ft which I believe is the important factor in choosing which sub to buy. I've decided to stick with a 10" sub as I'm not after gangster bass, just good sound quality. I've seen these 6.5" components for sale on Talk Audio which seem like a good buy: http://www.talkaudio.co.uk/vbb/showthread.php?t=288513 Can any of the experts comment on these? Should they fit ok and are they worth going for? Budget wise I have about £300 for the speakers and £150 for the sub but obviously the cheaper the better. If I buy the Talk Audio speakers then I'll have more to spend on the sub. All advice much appreciated! Oh, and does anyone think I'd be better disabling the fronts and upgrading the rears instead? I didn't think that would be a good way to go but I thought I'd ask! Cheers, Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 At that budget I'd look at some Hertz / JL Audio / Rainbow components up front. Personally I've always found JL Audio right on the money for subs. I have these up front http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/audio-e ... -7296.html Sub wise this is a great product http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/audio-1 ... -7280.html Have you got cabling / sound proofing covered in the budget too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattG Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Thanks for the response! I'd been looking at the JL Audio 10W3v3 as a possiblity for the sub so it's good to get a recommendation for that. Decision made! Thanks for the recommendation on the components too! One concern I do have is with my amp. I've been doing some reading trying to get a better idea of how all this ICE stuff works and it seems that my amp is a "Class D" and actually intended for driving subwoofers! Do you know anything about this? I don't want to spend a fortune on high end components only for them to sound poor due to using the wrong amp. I'm prepared to buy a another 2 channel amp to drive the speakers if that's what needs to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattG Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Forgot to add, yes I'm looking at Sound Proofing and cabling too. The cabling side will be pretty much covered by my mate who will be fitting the kit for me. There seems to be quite a few options for sound proofing with Dynamat Extreme being the priciest option. This stuff seems quite cheap and has some good reviews: http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/second- ... -4853.html Also there's a guy on talk audio selling some stuff too: http://www.talkaudio.co.uk/vbb/showthread.php?t=274194 Although that stuff, even in 2.5mm form might be a bit on the heavy side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Class D is for driving subs yes, but I'd be surprised if all the channels are class D output? Check the manual and see what it says on the outputs..... The main thing is to install the speakers properly and make sure you have a reasonable amount of adjustment on the head unit for the sound. Spending time on the mounting and then listening to it over and over again and adjusting the settings will pay dividends. I'm happy to recommend CD's and stuff but it depends how far you want to go with this game! Cabling and soundproofing should be at least 10% of the budget. A chain is only as strong as the weakest link..... Dynamat Xtreme is what I use - it's the lightest and offers the best performance as well IMO. With a sportscar like the Zed I didn't want to add weight completely unnecessarily so that's what I went for. The cheaper stuff at 2.5mm leaves one big question - is there enough room to even apply it??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattG Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 I took a look in the manual but couldn't find anything to say that some channels were class D, although admitedly I'm far from an expert! It's here if you want to take a look: http://images.kenwood.eu/files/prod/747/5/KAC-PS4D_(EN).pdf And if you look at the page for it on Kenwood's web site ( http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/pr ... D/details/ ) it says "High Performance 4-channel Power Amplifier for Subwoofer". The main reason for buying that particular amp was that I needed a really small 4 channel amp as space was limited in my MX-5. In that car I ran two channels to the front speakers and then bridged the other two for the sub like I was planning to do in the Z. It sounded pretty good with the Boston Acoustics SL65 Coaxials I had but the MX-5 wasn't the best car for SQ so I didn't bother too much. The 350Z seems like a much better platform for good sounds so I'd like to push things a bit further this time! I used the Dynamat Extreme in the MX-5 and found it made a huge difference. I was hoping there was a cheaper alternative without adding too much weight but it doesn't appear that's the case. Since you have used it in your Z could you tell me how much I'll need? Also I'd appreciate any cabling recommendations you have. I was planning on using the standard cables to the speakers and then running RCAs to the amp. Does that sound OK? Sorry for all the questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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