astevens26

this project is actually for my 01 dodge ram van.im a plumber and its my work vehicle obviously but i like to mod every vehicle i drive so that said im starting the process with a nice system..i dont need an elaborate and expensive set up like the one in my 8 so im trying to do this on a budget.i had some extra alpine type s 6.5 inch components that i installed in the doors and drilled some holes for the tweeters in the sail pods on the van and it looks pretty cool.the factory cut out is for a 6x9 which i mounted the alpines there temporarly until i get factory sized replacements then im going to cut new holes in the door panel for the 6.5s.imaging for the 6.5s isnt very good as they are mounted very low.moving them up on the door panel should make a drastic improvement.now, on to the subject of my subs..my buddy gave me an old school punch 250.2 amp that im going to use for them.on the benchmark sheet it cranked out 330 rms.ive been looking around for some decent reasonably priced subs and was thinking about going with the sony xplod 10s from walmart of all places.they have an online bundle package that comes with the Sony CDX-GT25MPW head unit and a sony 10 inch sub for $74.00! an additional sub can be added to the package for an additional $25.seems like a pretty sweet deal considering i bought a sony cdx-gt260mp head unit last night at best buy for $60 by itself and reading the specs they seem like the same head unit.if anyone knows the differance between these two please let me know as well cause im not seeing any. after thinking about it and seeing the deal at wal mart for the bundle while looking for subs im considering returning the head unit to best buy and going with wally world.does anyone have the sony xplod subs? how do they sound? one issue i have with the head units is that they both only have a rear/sub preamp out.if i choose to add an amp to mids and highs later down the road will i be screwed on doing so with these units? if i had to use speaker level inputs i wouldnt do it. i dont like things half assed if you know what i mean. if i cant get optimal sound out of it ill leave it like it is..only one issue i see with wally and there subs is that it doesnt seem they offer any 8 ohm models.only 4 ohm offered online.obviously i want to extract all the power possible from the amp and it wont do a 2 ohm mono. if i choose to go the walmart route with the cheap sony subs maybe ill do 4 and run a 2 ohm stereo.im going to build the box custom and i have ample room.im still up in the air about using 4 but 2 for sure.also was looking at kicker comp 10s at best buys as they are only $44 each. but with only being able to handle 150 rms i think the quality must be low.im thinking they arent the same kicker comps of old..any thoughts on these 2 types of subs and head units would be great..or even any other suggestions of other manufacturers would be cool. i know its not going in my 8 but im not sure if there is a ram van forum..if there was its probably a bunch of 50 year old over weight goof ***** giving each other tips how to pick up little kids or something haha im sure they wouldnt be nearly as cool as us eighters thanks as always for your help guys

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

There's really no difference between the two headunits from what I can see. From my experience selling Sony headunits, I think the GT260 is just a year newer. The first number ("2") usually designates the model tier level. So the GT460 would be a higher end headunit than a GT260, for example. But the second digit in the model number denotes a year/generation. It doesn't necessarily line up with the actual calender year. But when the next year roles around, that digit just increases by one. So the GT260 would be one model year newer than the GT250. MANY headunit manufacturers number their headunits in this manner. As for the GT25MPW missing a zero, my guess is that it's a special model made exclusively for Wal-Mart. Sounds ridiculous, I know. But coming from someone who worked retail for a number of years, I'm telling ya, they do it. It could be because it's made using cheaper components than the GT250MP so they can offer it at a cheaper price. Or it could be done simply so all Sony's other distributors don't have to price match whatever Wal-Mart decides to sell that headunit for. I've seen both tactics used a number of times. But the answer to your question, they're essentially exactly the same headunit.

Sorry, but Sony's headunits are the only thing they make that are at least worth a damn in the entire car audio industry. Their cabin speakers suck, their amps suck and their subwoofers suck. I've been into car audio for roughly 15 years and used to sell all of Sony's products a few years ago. I've installed more of their junk than I care to admit. I wouldn't recommend their speakers/amp to anyone.

Admittingly, that IS a pretty cheap deal. A headunit and two subs for $100 is hard to pass up. But I also noted you were looking at the Kicker Comps. They are a much better quality product. I wouldn't get too hung up on power specifications, as there are far too many variables and sometimes all-out lies in the audio industry. A company can slap any number they want on a product. I'm sure you've seen the 1000W Pyramid amplifiers for $29 before. Additionally, most any speaker can handle much more than rated power provided the power is clean. Hook up a couple of those Kicker Comps to a true 1000WRMS amp and I guarantee they take far more than their rated power. Trying to make up for using a small amp by cranking the gain is what gets you in trouble. Lastly, it's impossible to talk power handling without figuring in the enclosure they'll be used in. They'll take much more power in a small sealed box versus a large one for example. As enclosure size increases, subwoofer efficiency increases. Takes less power to reach full excursion.

If I were you, I'd buy two 2 ohm Kicker Comps, bridge the amp, and let em eat. Also, Newegg is running some 12" Rockfords on sale today. $40 each. 2 ohm single voice coil. Right up your alley. You've got the room. Run the 12"s. It's a daily sale though. So the deal may be gone tomorrow.

astevens26

thanks for all the great input and keeping me from buying a half rate sony head unit and crappy subs..lol.i know what you mean by it being the same but purpose built for walmart.as i mentioned im a plumber and obviously not related but companies like moen,delta,etc all make lower grade fixtures for home depot and lowes.internally the parts are of lower quality than that which you would find in a supply house.although those companies even use the same model numbers so they really screw the do it yourselfer.i think i may get those rockford subs.i just checked that web site and the deal still applies.im assuming that they are a reputable company if you suggested them to me.i was wondering how you knew of that sweet deal? it doesnt say the price until you go to checkout it seems.also,i mentioned above is it possible to later add an amp for my mids and highs to that head unit even though it only has one set of preamps? it says on the specs that it can be used for rear/sub so im thinking it will send a full signal as it also has lp and hp filters.if i were to leave it unfiltered and just add wye fittings to the outs could i run two sets of rca cables to each amp just as long as my amps obviously have crossovers? sorry if that question is kinda dumb cause i think i know that i could do that. you mentioned the importance of box size..i just got a pair of solobaric l7 10s for the 8 and im using a boston acoustics gt2300 amp.im replacing three way over powered boston 8s that didnt survive very long.i listen to metal and rock mostly so i want my bass to be tight and sound quality is a premium.i wouldnt want to sacrifice either of those very much for dbs but id still like it to be loud.at least much louder than the out going 8s.thanks for all your help buddy.i appreciate it greatly

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Newegg has been an extremely reputable computer supply website for many years. In the past ~4 years they've started selling all kinds of things in addition. Jewelry, power tools, car audio, car exhaust, housewares, etc. I've been placing orders with them since ~2002. Just received an order Tuesday for some RAM actually. They are every bit as reputable as Amazon. I check their website nearly every day to look at their daily deals/shell shocker deals. They also send out email blasts of their sales. That's how I saw the deal on the Rockfords.

In order to add another amp for your cabin speakers, you would need TWO additional sets of RCAs for a 4-channel amp. Making 3 pairs total. I really don't recommend running every speaker in the car off one pair of RCA preouts. I'd get something with at least front and rear outputs, then Y-off the rear output for the subwoofers. Tons of suitable brand names out there. Sony's headunits are average. Pioneer, Clarion, JVC, Alpine, Kenwood are all fair choices too. Brands to avoid would be Boss, Rockwood, Pyramid, Dual, Eclipse, Jensen, Pyle, XO vision and any other unit without a name at all.

The two L7 10"s should have no problem out-doing the three 8"s. What box are they going in? You plan on making it yourself? You really don't have the room to do a proper vented enclosure for those subs, so you're probably best just going with the largest sealed one off eBay. They all do square holes upon request.

astevens26

im going to build a custom enclosure for them..so you are saying the bigger the better? kicker says that the max recommended sealed box should be 1 cub.you think i should go larger?

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Well first, I don't think you could fit a box larger than 1cuft each in the trunk of an RX8 and still have it look half decent without using fiberglass.

Next, sealed boxes all work the same. When the subwoofer moves inward, it puts a slight positive pressure on the air inside the box. When the subwoofer moves outward, it puts a slight negative pressure (vacuum) on the air in the box. This pressure fights the subwoofer's movement (the sub is pushing outward, but the negative pressure it creates is pulling it back again). When you increase enclosure size, this pressure difference (positive or negative) decreases. With less of a pressure difference fighting against the subwoofer's movement, the subwoofer becomes more efficient. Its efficiency increase is directly correlated with a power handling decrease. It now takes less power to move the cone to it's mechanical maximum.

What is the power rating for your particular sub? How does this match up to the power rating the manufacturer has posted on their product? Why do they recommend a certain box size? Well, all those specs work together. For example, Kicker is saying with a maximum 1cuft of sealed space per sub, the Kicker L7 can handle XXX watts RMS of clean power. If you go larger than 1cuft, the power handling will begin to decrease. But let's remember these are just educated ballparks and that every install is different. Maybe your box isn't perfectly sealed. Maybe you're sending a slightly clipped signal to the subwoofers. Maybe those figures were derived in a lab @ 60 degree temps versus your 95 degree trunk. Or maybe they're just playing it safe with their recommendations (versus a no-name brand who over-rates their equipment). There's SO MANY variable that come into play. It's, literally, deep physics.

In short, take their recommendations with a grain of salt. It's just a ballpark for people who haven't a clue what they're doing. I'd just buy one of the boxes off eBay I linked to above and call it a day....versus spending $50+ on supplies and a day of my time building something I hope fits as well.