Subwoofer & Amplifier Install...

[lordsii]

I have a Kenwood DNX9140 which I am going to install and I'm planning to get a subwoofer and amp for this DVD/Nav player for my Nismo 370z. Which brands should be OK and how to configure them? I'm new to car audio system so any suggestions would be appreciated.

[bigaudiofanat]

In order to better understand what you are looking for, I am going to ask you a few questions. What kind of music do you listen to? What is your budget for everything total? How loud do you want it to be? As for adjusting them and all that is basically the same for any amp and sub. If you go to car audio 101 thread there is some helpful info there that will help you understand a lot about tuning and such.

[lordsii]

I usually listen to Rap and Hip Hop. I wouldnt mind the spending limit but reasonable price. And I'm not into top of the line models. Thanks.

[shabarivas]

Get a JL10/12'' shallow mount W5 sub... get a phoenix gold 600watt amp

[bigaudiofanat]

I am going to disagree with the JL sub. Over priced and not the best for the kind of music he listens to. I am going to recommend a alpine type r 12 inch sub for your setup or a Rockford Fosgate Punch stage 3. For amps I do agree with your phoenix gold amp or you can go with a kicker amp to save money. When you order your sub make sure to get the DVC 4 ohms which means there is 2 voice coils that are 4 ohms. This way you can hook it up to most amps.

www.woofersetc.com

or

www.amazon.com

are good places to get your sub and amp. Also do not forget your power wire and rca cables as well. I recommend kicker hyperflex 4 gauge for power wire and rcas stinger is pretty good.

[lordsii]

bigaudiofanat,

It sounds a bit stupid but can you point out the model #'s for the amp and sub (and maybe enclosure for my nismo 370z?) and accessories like wires/cables ? And where to buy them? Honestly, I know nothing about car audio but am trying to learn it since I've got my Nismo 370z...

[bigaudiofanat]

Sure thing I will make up a list and either post it or send it to you.

[bigaudiofanat]

For a mid to higher quality sub and amp here is the setup I would recommend.

Sub
P3D412 - Rockford Fosgate Punch Stage 3 4-Ohm 12" Subwoofer

Amp

ZX750.1 - Kicker 1 Ch 750 Watt ZX Series Amplifier

Power Wires the reason I choose kicker is because they have a very good quality wire and very easy to work with.

Amazon.com: Kicker 05PK4 4-Gauge Single Amplifier Power Kit: Electronics


RCA's
Stinger makes some pretty good rcas and you need a quality set so that way you do not get much noise interference from other electronics in the car.

Amazon.com: SHI2312 - Stinger 12 foot - 2 Channel HPM3 RCA Cables: Electronics



Now if you want to get a little better quality here is your other choices.

Amp

X600.1 - Phoenix Gold Xenon 600 Watt Mono Amplifier

OR

PDX-1.600 - Alpine 1 Ch 600 Watt Digital Power Amplifier

Sub

KAPPA PERFECT12VQ - Infinity Kappa Perfect Series 12" VQ Series subwoofers

IDQ12V3.D4 - Image Dynamics 12" IDQ Version 3 Dual 4 Ohm Subwoofer

Now the reason I choose the subs I did was because not only your taste in music but how much power you are going to probably be running and also your budget. Any combination of sub and amp would sound good from this group. If you wanted me to choose I would choose the PG amp and the ID Q sub, I think that would sound pretty darn good. Also JL DOSE make some nice subs and yes they sound good but there are better ones out there for the money and will also sound better.

[bigaudiofanat]

For a box that will fit I would look at z enclosures for there boxes will fit perfectly.

[2fast4thelaw]

Alpine offers a big bang for the buck. The Type-R subs are really decent and thier amps are pretty solid. If price isnt too much of an issue I would go with the PDX line but the others will definitly do the job for a lot less.

The component speakers arent bad either. I had a set of the Type-R's before and they sounded pretty good for the money.

[carfr3ak]

About pricing, call up your audio shops who are authorized dealers and ask them about their pricing, and if they can match the prices you are finding on the internet, in most cases, they will and even do better.

I got my JL Stealthbox for my SUV for much cheaper than I could online, not only that, but they installed it for free. Most important thing is that I bought it from, and had it installed from an authorized dealer, which means I still get to keep the warranty that comes with it. Got my PDX 1.600 sub amp from them too, also at a fantastic price.

Cliff notes: Try not to buy online to save your warranty and to potentially get a better price.

Note: Watch out for shady audio shops who can get you a better price, but charge you for installation. Stay away from those.

[bigaudiofanat]

I always buy online. Most shops do not carry the higher quality names that you can find online. Nor are they willing to get the product or honor the warranty it comes with. Yes some shops carry JL but there is so much better out there than JL. Like audison, Rainbow, Focal just to name a few.

[carfr3ak]

I don't know what kind of audio shops you have in your area, but I never ran into such a problem. You just have to do some work and call around. If they are an authorized dealer in the first place, I don't see why they can't special order an item they don't carry, while still giving you a great price that includes installation, which is exactly what my audio shop did.

When they didn't have my JL Stealthbox(of course they wouldn't, it's vehicle specific), they ordered it for me. I'm not saying he goes with JL, I only went with it because they are one of the very few companies that make vehicle-specific sub boxes that take up very little space and are designed to be incognito.

Tip: Go straight to the manufacturers website, and use "Find a Dealer".

[lordsii]

I agree with bigaudiofanat. Most of the shops try to rip you off especially when you buy high end products and when you bring your sport car in... Not only that, I'd prefer installing it myself so I can get familiar with my car and learning car audio systems is the most important thing to me. Speaking of this, I'm sure there will be tons of questions from me when installation comes like how to bypass Kenwood DNX9140, how to wire subwoofer/amp, etc? I'm going to receive stuff next week so I'm kinda excited now.

Bigaudiofanat, so IDQ12V3.D4 - Image Dynamics 12" IDQ Version 3 Dual 4 Ohm Subwoofer and PDX-1.600 - Alpine 1 Ch 600 Watt Digital Power Amplifier are a good match?

Thanks again.

[carfr3ak]

It's another thing if you want to do everything yourself. I still don't see how they will try to rip you off if you call them and ask them for price of a specific sub or amp you are looking at. What you're basically telling me is that once they see you roll up in your 370Z, they will "forget" about the quote they gave you over the phone. IMHO, doesn't make any sense. But since you are going to do the install yourself, you don't have to worry about such things.

GL with the installation! Let us know how it goes and post pics