Thanks for reading this, nobody would answer any questions over on sounddomain. Any of you?

I have a 2000 VW Golf GLS that has 2 sets of 6.5" components, 1 front and 1 rear. I have disconnected the rear tweeters to move the stage forward. It is just running off of my Panasonic cd headunit.

What do you think about the following stages to my install:

1. 2 ch amp, run front stock component set off of it. I like the looks of the new Sony ES XM 2100G amp on Crutchfield on sale for $299, regular $599. It is 2x100W, S/N 105dB, THD 0.03%. Any comments on the amp? I think it's new, so probably nobody knows about this one in particular.
[$299]

2. When the Empeg comes, probably October, I will slip that in the empty spot above the CD player. I will run pre-outs on the CD to ins on the Empeg, then to the amp.
[$1299]

3. Upgrade speakers to a DEI Studio 3 way component system. Tweeter and 6.5" up front, 8" midbass in the rear. What is involved in putting an 8" driver where a 6.5" driver used to be?
[$379]

I have never installed before, but I think that the hardest part would be wiring the speakers. The power and RCA cables should be straight forward, but how do you get the speaker wire out into the doors? I am not interested in subs, which is why I am suggesting the 3way set with the 8" midbass. Thanks for your help and suggestions.


Mike Cousins
#14979 on the waiting list

Just make sure which outputs your head unit has. If it's a stock head unit, it most likely has speaker-level outputs. If it's a good amp it will only have line-level inputs.

I believe it's a tricky thing to work with combining the two.

DiGNAN

What is involved in putting an 8" driver where a 6.5" driver used to be?

Not to overstate the obvious.... but mostly what is involved is ROOM. If the 8" speaker will physically fit into the space where the 6.5" used to be, you are home free. You will most likely have to use a tool like a Roto-Zip or ?? to enlarge the hole where the smaller speaker was. Don't forget to take into account the fact that the 8" speaker will be deeper than the 6.5" original, as well as larger in diameter.

I am not interested in subs, which is why I am suggesting the 3way set with the 8" midbass.

If I can offer a humble opinion here... you would be well served by installing at the very least a single 10" subwoofer. If you put it in a minimal-size box you can play it right through your rear seatback if it is reasonably acoustically transparent, and not eat up too much of your trunk space. The improvement in your sound quality and enjoyability of the system will be far greater than the inconveniences involved in doing this.

Any comments on the amp?

I don't know a lot about amps in general, nor that one in particular, but if it says Sony on it, with a suggested retail of $599, and is only 200 watts -- that pushes all my hot buttons! You tend to get what you pay for in car stereo, and a $600 amp that isn't promising kilowatts of output power is very likely spending all that money on output quality instead -- definitely the way to go.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

If you put it in a minimal-size box you can play it right through your rear seatback if it is reasonably acoustically transparent, and not eat up too much of your trunk space.

Actually, your seatback doesn't need to be very acoustically transparent at all. My Honda has very good insulation between the trunk and the cabin, but I just crank the subwoofer to the point where I can hear it anyway. And you'd be surprised how quiet and non-thumpy the car sounds when you're standing outside of it. In fact, standing outside the car with the Empeg playing at 0db and all the windows up, it sounds evenly EQ'd, not "all thump" like many cars I've heard.

It helps if you're driving the sub with proper amplification- mine gets 300w RMS and the input gain on the amp is near the 50% mark, and I can hear it from the trunk just fine.

There are exceptions to this, of course. For instance, the gentleman who wanted the sound from the subwoofer in the trunk of his limousine to reach the driver's cabin. This is a little much to ask (although I think he was able to come up with something satisfactory anyway).

___________
Tony Fabris

If it's a good amp it will only have line-level inputs. I believe it's a tricky thing to work with combining the two.

I've seen many good amps with speaker-level inputs. And it shouldn't be a big deal to combine the two.

___________
Tony Fabris

It's an aftermarket headunit, Panasonic DF44, so it has line-level outs. I don't think there are any problems there.

Mike Cousins
#14979 on the waiting list

Sorry, I was always under the impression that a stock head unit meant a factory installed head unit.

DiGNAN

Just to add to this (sorry if you are viewing in flat mode), there are several sub boxes that have a flexible tube which can be taken thru to a hole in the rear deck.

NEVER underestimate the power of a sub. After i installed my Mk2, I wondered why the sound was a bit lacking. I had forgotten to turn up the sub but the difference is tremendous.

I have my sub (8" Ultimate ported bandpass box) in the back of my hatch and the sound is great.

Murray 06000047
____________________

There are exceptions to this, of course. For instance, the gentleman who wanted the sound from the subwoofer in the trunk of his limousine to reach the driver's cabin. This is a little much to ask (although I think he was able to come up with Something satisfactory anyway).

As you are saying this - I think you were speaking of me.
Well - I had this problem with a simple bassreflex-tube and a 12". I asked some people how to get a better sound - and finally after a visit in a car-hifi-studio I bought a new 12" (Dragster) and build a new (calculated) box. This time it was a bandbass box. I tried it out and it sounded much better. After thinking about it I redesigned the bandbassbox to a bit higher volume and to a special shape to take as less space from the trunk as it can get and to be as effective as possible.

NOW I don't have that problem that the sub doesn't reach the cabin any more. It's really powerful now. A sub is what you really need to make the sound round.

TeeMcBee