Considering new HU

chopin_guy88 · 09-24-2015, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madwi

I actually saw your post of DIY and went looking for your thread here

I'm bummed that the suggestion is -- even with using the 4100NEX headunit -- that if I'm not using an external amp, that using aftermarket component sets will yield lower volume and less bass than the factory speakers.

Does anyone have any direct feedback from usage in our Z's on this??

Suggestion is to keep stock speakers and run them with the 4100NEX...

Hotrodz · 09-24-2015, 07:12 PM

Save up your get the components you need or just stick with oem everything. If you are buying a quality head unit why would you run it at less than optimal. That would be like getting a twin turbo set up and running without any boost...

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chopin_guy88 · 09-24-2015, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotrodz

Save up your get the components you need or just stick with oem everything. If you are buying a quality head unit why would you run it at less than optimal. That would be like getting a twin turbo set up and running without any boost...

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

Sorry Hotrodz, but I don't understand your response. It's not a money issue. It's an ease and practicality issue of not wanting to install an amp.

That being said, were you agreeing that aftermarket components aren't a wise choice if not using an amp -- even with an aftermarket head unit like the 4100??

Hotrodz · 09-24-2015, 07:52 PM

Yup, you got to push power through speakers to make them work optimally, just as a turbo pushes air through the intake system to make power.

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Hotrodz · 09-24-2015, 08:14 PM

Madwi and I have Lanzer door speakers, they cheap and sound awesome. You may want checkout this thread anyone interested in replacing door speakers but.....

Also, we both have Alpine MVR-F300 4 channel amp. It is small and can be placed under the seat if you want to conceal it. Also, it is digital so heat build up is not an issue. I hope this helps.

chopin_guy88 · 09-24-2015, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotrodz

Madwi and I have Lanzer door speakers, they cheap and sound awesome. You may want checkout this thread anyone interested in replacing door speakers but.....

Also, we both have Alpine MVR-F300 4 channel amp. It is small and can be placed under the seat if you want to conceal it. Also, it is digital so heat build up is not an issue. I hope this helps.

Thanks so much -- had seen that thread and looked at those drivers. I will start with just the HU as it has much more complex EQ and time alignment. Perhaps I will be happy with just that. Just don't want to go down the amp road and having to run power line, rcas, trigger, etc...

Hotrodz · 09-24-2015, 10:07 PM

Good deal and good luck with your upgrade.

chopin_guy88 · 09-27-2015, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotrodz

Good deal and good luck with your upgrade.

Thanks -- appreciate the feedback. The more time I spend reading and everything, if I'm going to have the dash open in everything -- maybe it makes sense to at least add an amp to the system when doing all this work??

If I do ultimately decide to add an amp, it will still be *without* a sub. Just not going to give up what little cargo space our cars have.

That being said -- if I get a decent 2 channel or 4 channel amp (to run bridged) -- I will be able to get a lot more out of an after market set of components correct??

BoneZ · 09-27-2015, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chopin_guy88

Thanks -- appreciate the feedback. The more time I spend reading and everything, if I'm going to have the dash open in everything -- maybe it makes sense to at least add an amp to the system when doing all this work??

If I do ultimately decide to add an amp, it will still be *without* a sub. Just not going to give up what little cargo space our cars have.

That being said -- if I get a decent 2 channel or 4 channel amp (to run bridged) -- I will be able to get a lot more out of an after market set of components correct??

I didn't loose any cargo room with my sub.

chopin_guy88 · 09-27-2015, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoneZ

I didn't loose any cargo room with my sub.

Haha...I was just looking at your build (awesome job BTW). But that's just a bit more involved than I want to get. As much as a would love to run a sub...

TarheelGolfer · 09-28-2015, 06:40 AM

I don't have the tools or the skills of BoneZ either. So for a sub I'm considering a kicker hideaway, or Kenwood ksc-sw11 behind the seat. I'm not expecting the performance of something like what BoneZ did, but it looks to be a fairly easy and inexpensive way to add a little more lows.

Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk

Nillaz · 09-28-2015, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chopin_guy88

Thanks -- appreciate the feedback. The more time I spend reading and everything, if I'm going to have the dash open in everything -- maybe it makes sense to at least add an amp to the system when doing all this work??

If I do ultimately decide to add an amp, it will still be *without* a sub. Just not going to give up what little cargo space our cars have.

That being said -- if I get a decent 2 channel or 4 channel amp (to run bridged) -- I will be able to get a lot more out of an after market set of components correct??

Chopin, if I may give a piece of advice....even if you are still undecided on whether or not to install an amp, while you have the dash apart for the HU install be proactive and run the RCA's/remote lead anyway. It's a tiny bit of extra work now to avoid a whole lot of hassle later. Plus, it will limit potential damage to your interior plastics. Our dash pieces were not meant to me ripped apart repeatedly and are prone to scratching/marring. Overall the fewer times you have to disassemble them the better off you will be.

At the end of the day it's your car and by all means you should do whatever you want with it, but you will never regret running those wires even if you ultimately don't use them. On the other hand, if you decide to run an amp at some point in the future you will be kicking yourself for not doing this the first time around.

TarheelGolfer · 09-29-2015, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nillaz

Chopin, if I may give a piece of advice....even if you are still undecided on whether or not to install an amp, while you have the dash apart for the HU install be proactive and run the RCA's/remote lead anyway. It's a tiny bit of extra work now to avoid a whole lot of hassle later. Plus, it will limit potential damage to your interior plastics. Our dash pieces were not meant to me ripped apart repeatedly and are prone to scratching/marring. Overall the fewer times you have to disassemble them the better off you will be.

At the end of the day it's your car and by all means you should do whatever you want with it, but you will never regret running those wires even if you ultimately don't use them. On the other hand, if you decide to run an amp at some point in the future you will be kicking yourself for not doing this the first time around.

Nillaz,

Which channel(s) did you run the RCAs off the head unit?

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Hotrodz · 09-29-2015, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chopin_guy88

Thanks -- appreciate the feedback. The more time I spend reading and everything, if I'm going to have the dash open in everything -- maybe it makes sense to at least add an amp to the system when doing all this work??

If I do ultimately decide to add an amp, it will still be *without* a sub. Just not going to give up what little cargo space our cars have.

That being said -- if I get a decent 2 channel or 4 channel amp (to run bridged) -- I will be able to get a lot more out of an after market set of components correct??

You are welcome, yep power is need to make most components perform optimally. You don't need a 4 channel if you aren't going to do tweets, but you can get decent tweeters for cheap as well. I also agree with Nillaz, why not do as much of the work in advance so when do decide to add an amp you don't have to do much more.

Nillaz · 09-29-2015, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarheelGolfer

Nillaz,

Which channel(s) did you run the RCAs off the head unit?

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I always run RCA's for all available outputs, so on my 8000NEX we're talking about 6 channels. In the Z I only use 4 of them...the front l/r and sub l/r. The rear channels are not currently in use, and while I don't anticipate that this will change it doesn't hurt to have options down the road. I put caps on unused connectors and tape them off to prevent shorts.

For this build I was installing my amp from the get go and thus ran my lines to my chosen location (the narrow space in the hatch directly behind the parcel shelf is excellent for amps with a smaller footprint). For those who are unsure if they even want to add an amp or undecided on where to ultimately locate the amp you can leave the connections under the parcel shelf to avoid unsightly wires. It's snug but I found in my first Z that you can tuck a surprising amount of cabling into this space. You can also gain access to this area by prying up the floors of the parcel shelf with a small flat head screwdriver. The floors are held in place with a couple clips that pop right out.

From there you can run the wires to either the hatch or under/behind the seat down the road. Getting the wires to this location from the HU is straightforward when you already have the dash apart the first time...there is ample room to run wires through the center console tunnel. If/when you decide to install an amp at a later date you don't need to rip your dash apart again...all you have to do is run your power cabling, and this can be accomplished without touching the dash.

09-24-2015, 07:12 PM	#32 (permalink)
Hotrodz Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: NW, AZ Posts: 9,330 Drives: 10 Nissan 370z Nismo Rep Power: 2684384	Save up your get the components you need or just stick with oem everything. If you are buying a quality head unit why would you run it at less than optimal. That would be like getting a twin turbo set up and running without any boost... Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk __________________ *Fast Intentions TT Installed and Tuned by Seb at SpecialtyZ 610whp 560tq:\|Fast Intentions 3" TT-TDX*\|SpecialtyZ/Fast Intentions 72 Row Oil Cooler\|SZ 6 Puck Clutch & Flywheel\|3GsCustoms\|Z1\|Wavetrac\|Hotchkis\|Whiteline \|Blitz\|Fortune Auto 500\|Fujimura\|SPL\|H&R\|TK\|TWM\|RPM Rollbar\|Sparco\|Next Level Performance\|TrackSpec\|AeroFlow Dynamics\|Pioneer\|

09-24-2015, 07:52 PM	#34 (permalink)
Hotrodz Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: NW, AZ Posts: 9,330 Drives: 10 Nissan 370z Nismo Rep Power: 2684384	Yup, you got to push power through speakers to make them work optimally, just as a turbo pushes air through the intake system to make power. Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk __________________ *Fast Intentions TT Installed and Tuned by Seb at SpecialtyZ 610whp 560tq:\|Fast Intentions 3" TT-TDX*\|SpecialtyZ/Fast Intentions 72 Row Oil Cooler\|SZ 6 Puck Clutch & Flywheel\|3GsCustoms\|Z1\|Wavetrac\|Hotchkis\|Whiteline \|Blitz\|Fortune Auto 500\|Fujimura\|SPL\|H&R\|TK\|TWM\|RPM Rollbar\|Sparco\|Next Level Performance\|TrackSpec\|AeroFlow Dynamics\|Pioneer\|

09-24-2015, 08:14 PM	#35 (permalink)
Hotrodz Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: NW, AZ Posts: 9,330 Drives: 10 Nissan 370z Nismo Rep Power: 2684384	Madwi and I have Lanzer door speakers, they cheap and sound awesome. You may want checkout this thread anyone interested in replacing door speakers but..... Also, we both have Alpine MVR-F300 4 channel amp. It is small and can be placed under the seat if you want to conceal it. Also, it is digital so heat build up is not an issue. I hope this helps. madwi likes this. __________________ *Fast Intentions TT Installed and Tuned by Seb at SpecialtyZ 610whp 560tq:\|Fast Intentions 3" TT-TDX*\|SpecialtyZ/Fast Intentions 72 Row Oil Cooler\|SZ 6 Puck Clutch & Flywheel\|3GsCustoms\|Z1\|Wavetrac\|Hotchkis\|Whiteline \|Blitz\|Fortune Auto 500\|Fujimura\|SPL\|H&R\|TK\|TWM\|RPM Rollbar\|Sparco\|Next Level Performance\|TrackSpec\|AeroFlow Dynamics\|Pioneer\|

09-24-2015, 10:07 PM	#37 (permalink)
Hotrodz Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: NW, AZ Posts: 9,330 Drives: 10 Nissan 370z Nismo Rep Power: 2684384	Good deal and good luck with your upgrade. __________________ *Fast Intentions TT Installed and Tuned by Seb at SpecialtyZ 610whp 560tq:\|Fast Intentions 3" TT-TDX*\|SpecialtyZ/Fast Intentions 72 Row Oil Cooler\|SZ 6 Puck Clutch & Flywheel\|3GsCustoms\|Z1\|Wavetrac\|Hotchkis\|Whiteline \|Blitz\|Fortune Auto 500\|Fujimura\|SPL\|H&R\|TK\|TWM\|RPM Rollbar\|Sparco\|Next Level Performance\|TrackSpec\|AeroFlow Dynamics\|Pioneer\|

09-28-2015, 06:40 AM	#41 (permalink)
TarheelGolfer Base Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 18 Drives: 12 Nissan 370z GR M7 Rep Power: 9	I don't have the tools or the skills of BoneZ either. So for a sub I'm considering a kicker hideaway, or Kenwood ksc-sw11 behind the seat. I'm not expecting the performance of something like what BoneZ did, but it looks to be a fairly easy and inexpensive way to add a little more lows. Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk