Sundown dual SD3/Hybrid Audio audio build Q & A

Ok so this is what I am about to build.... If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to key in. Its in a 2013 double cab.

Here is a link to a tuning thread i started in search of some more experience tuning talk...
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lets-talk-tuning.436289/

• Pioneer AVH 2300nex

• Custom enclosure built by yours truly! Its not glamorous but you wonts see it behind the seats either.

• PPI 88r Digital Sound Processor w 10 preset remote setup for a front stage.
  • Skar RP 2000.1D (Wayyyy tooo much.... so that is perfect)
    • x2 Sundown Audio SD3 10s
  • Arc Audio XDi600.4
    • Hybrid Audio Unity u69 6x9 front stage
    • Polk Audio Silk Dome tweeter front stage
    • @Mr Marv 6x9 door speaker adapters (need to be replaced with plastic adaptors. MDF has gotten damp on one corner and has started to swell)

• 0 gauge wire to power distribution block
  • 4 gauge wire to amps (sub amp needs to be upgraded to 0 gauge)
    • 16 gauge wire to speakers

• Stinger speed wire from HU to DSP (time saver!!)

• Sound dampener in front doors and on rear wall
  • Future Buys
    • Silver Flute 6.5" mid bass drivers for rear doors

Hybrid Audio Technologies Unity U69-2v2 6x9 component set (front stage)

Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine I61-2v2 6.5 convertible component set (Rear)

ARC Audio xdi600.4

Sundown Audio SD3-10 DV 2ohm


Why 2 images? Because there are 2 of these in my build...

Skar RP-2000.1D

Posting this here for easy reference....

Precision Power DSP 88r


0 Gauge Wiring kit...

Soundquest SQK0 CCA 1/0 Gauge Wiring Kit

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F5YS1G?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Power distribution block

Carwires PDB300-3-Way Power Distribution Block

http://smile.amazon.com/Carwires-PD...1-8&keywords=power+distribution+block+1+gauge

Some sound dampening material...

Noico 80 mil 18 sqft car Sound deadening mat, Butyl Automotive Sound Deadener, Audio Noise Insulation and dampening

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B012B5EMGO?ie=UTF8&smid=AXJ5VNOZL83G

Here is the box i built for everything... i cannot give out the dimensions of this box because i said that i wouldn't. (@Mr Marv helped me with this box build and he asked that i do not give out any dimensions. If you have any questions about the box build demensions please reach out to Marv.)

Everything installed... (If you mount the sub box.. rattles will go away and your subs will sound awesome!)
​

 

Why not just get one sweet 5 channel amp? And I don't have great high quality stuff but I would at least go

$350 Alpine SPR 60C 6.5" Car Audio Component System (Pair)

Alpine SPR 60C speakers. I had Polk and Infinity sets before the Alpine. To me the highs and mid bass of the Alpines are amazing. And I put the tweeters in the A Pillar mirror covers. Maybe a JL Audio 5 Channel or Alpine 5 channel.

 

I like the tweeter pillar idea! The 5 channel amp was my route for a while but finding a 5 channel that will do what i want is HARD!!!! Also they tend to be HUGE and there is not much space between the subs, AND... with the weathertech rear floor mats, mount space under the seats are also limited.

The SD-3 subs are 500w rms each and my door speakers are 100w rms each. If you can find an amp that pushes 1000w RMS @ 2 ohm and 400w RMS x4 @ 4 ohm that would be great!!

 

My 5 channel Alpine in under my passenger seat without issue. Even with the Husky Xact fits

 

Really? Even with the heater vents under the seats? My 600w amp i have currently is a tight fit under my driver seat. I actually prevents my seat from scooting all the way back. The seat sets at a comfortable position but it will not go all the way back.

 

Mine is fine brother

 

Ok i will have to check to see if i can position it better maybe.

 

Anxious to hear what you think about the Noico CLD. FWIW, there have been some issues with shipping this stuff in the past. Maybe check your seller out first. The description is hilarious though - dat translation - for example it is important that you do not break or damage spoil your car; Audio insulation Noico has a special indicator of the quality of stickiness. I'd skip it for that reason alone, but you ain't me. There are also some dubious claims in there. Seems like the constraining layer is WAY too thin too if you can deform it easily with a roller - if it's supposed to be a constraining layer. It's kinda hard to tell what they think it is. Is it a radiant barrier? Is it a damper? Is it a dampener? Why would I want my stuff wet?



This is a different order



Apparently it's very similar to STP Atlantic which didn't fare well in TS2F's testing due to poor heat resistance. FWIW, that thread, particularly the last page, might help you in your damping/deadening adventure.

And maybe you could just use a single sub amp to save space? One amp surely will be smaller than 2 - especially when considering wiring and the room you need to connect a 2nd amp.

 

I have ZERO experience with sound dampened material. I know I need a roller and gloves. That's about it. I am canceling the order because am on a group buy and it's supposed to ship around the end of the month. I will just wait for quality material, It's Shock INDUSTRIES Sound Dampener so it should should be pretty good stuff.

And I'm not sure there is space to mount a large 1200w rms amp on the box. Most of them I see are to long to mount on the box....

 

Best of luck whichever way you go. Just get your surfaces good & clean before you put down your damper and try to keep the air bubbles out. Not much info out there on that stuff, but you'll probably need more stuff unless I'm missing something. The damper is good for killing vibration, but it isn't going to do too much for outside noise, engine noise, exhaust noise, suspension noise, tire noise, etc - again unless I'm missing something. That appears to be a damper only.

And yeah, I dunno on amp selection. My entire system is powered by less than 1/4 of what you're using on your subs

 

I know you say you are set on most of this stuff, but you really ought to re-think a few things. This is totally just my opinion, but if it were me (and it was, as I just built a system myself) I would ditch the rear stage completely. Rear fill just takes away power and hardware from where you really want it which is upfront. Everything has a cost, so put your money where you will get the best bang for your buck which is in your front stage. Along these same lines I would also ditch the sound deadener. Also a total waste of money that can be better served elsewhere. I know that this stuff is the "in thing" right now, and I am not saying it doesn't have a place, but it is one of those things you do after you have maxed out on your hardware. It always amazes me how many guys will deaden the crap out of the car, and then drop in a $200 set of mid-drivers. Spend the money on speakers and power, then if you have anything left over, spend it on better speakers and better power. Deadening does nothing to make crap speakers with dirty power sound good.

So if you ditch your rear stage, now you have a lot of options in a five channel. There is no real mystery as to why a five channel is a better option. Apples to apples they are cheaper which leaves more money for the star of the show, the speakers. At least for me, I always look at installation cost as money that is spent with diminishing returns. It's necessary, but it does very little to contribute to the end product. So the more I can save here the better.

I don't know what your budget is, but a good set of mid-drivers along with the SD's and a quality 5 channel will get you where you want to be. I would look at a little higher end then the stuff than what you picked if you can. On the drivers something like a mid level Focal, Morel, or Hertz. On the amp there are lots of good choices. I personally like Audison, but again there are lots of options. I would opt for clean first, power second but again it depends on your budget. Rule of thumb: If you can get it at Best Buy don't put it in your car.

IMHO. Good Luck

 

I am going to keep the subs for sure. I would love to have less amps, however my concern is the size of the amps. I dont want people in the back kicking amps on the floor. If the amp is so big that i cannot mount to the box, or if it sticks out of the bottom of the seat, i am not going to be happy. I currently have a box i designed made out of cardboard that im going to test fit today. Need to check the fitting of the box, make sure the massive magnet the SD's have will fit, and measure the mount depth. Then i need to play with the design to see if i can get my 2 kicker sub amps mounted to it. I should be able to get 2 on the box and a 4 channel under the seat.

The door speakers im not really set on. Im really looking for something with some nice mids that will not be over powered by the 2 subs. I have been looking into different brands for component speakers. However in not to motivated to buy mids that cost more than my 2 subs. I think that i may just upgrade the front speakers for now and see how i like them. If they are not up to par then i will buy better ones and move the old ones to the back.

Focals are nice but i feel like there are better speakers out there. I am going to look at the hertz speakers and see what else i can find... Polk has always been pretty good IMO but i know there is better. Ive already got $1k in amps, subs, and box. Not really setting myself a budget on this but im not trying to go overboard either.

 

Well unfortunately if you're going to run that kind of wattage, whether you go 5 channel or separates, your amps are going to take up a lot of real estate. For me, I typically start by picking my power, then match my speaker selection to the amp/amps. Your mid-range drivers are by far the most important of the bunch, so when I pick my amps I typically have a mid-driver in mind. The Sub is probably the last thing I pick, and is the place I am most likely to cheap out on. So when you state that you are not looking to spend more on the mid's than the subs I would say that's backwards. The upfront components should be quite a bit more than the subs. As an example the components I am running are the Hertz Mille at about $1,200. My subs are the SD-2 8's at about $400. My Mid drivers were 3X the cost of the subs. Those 10's you are looking at are good subs, but they will definitely overpower those Polk Components. You are going to need a mid-driver that can handle at least 125W, and a tweeter at 75W. The Polk's are 100W combined.

Well I really am trying to help so I hope you take it that way. There are all kinds of choices out there and experimenting is half the fun. Focal is of course just one of many. I am partial to the Hertz, but only to the point of the High Energy and Mille series. The energy series is too low end and you can really tell. I would say avoid some of the more mass produced brands like Fosgate, Alpine, JL Audio, Infinity, and sorry but Polk Audio. Again just my opinion. Get something that is stamped 125W, but can handle way more. You put a true 100W's to those Polks and they will be toast in about a week. One of them you get what you pay for kind of things. Post up what you end up doing. If you want to see my set-up you can check out the thread https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2016-tacoma-double-cab-audio-install-build.402547/

 

Yeah i have seen your build before. I actually just built a box that was going to have 2 subs side by side like your box but im not sure if it will work. I have to check the magnet on the SD3's. They are pretty big. That design allows space for a large amp. I will have to play with the dimensions a bit but i may have to do 1 sub behind the passenger and one behind the driver side rear seats. Like the typical boxes you see in our trucks...

MDF is only $22 a board and a box of screws is $5. So for about $30 i can build a box, so i figure i can try out a couple designs before i settle on box design. Amps are expensive so i cant play that much with them. I need to go to a few car audio shops that have quality component speakers so i can personally compare the sound and find what i like for mid range...

Thanks for the input! Everyone has their personal taste, but im open to talk about problem/solutions people have come across.

 

You'll wanna use a good wood glue too. I also prefer to caulk each seam. You can use only glue and clamps if your surfaces are all good as the glue will be stronger than the MDF it's holding, but it's easier to screw the box than clamp it. You need to drill appropriately-sized pilot holes for each screw though and make sure you hit the middle. MDF likes to split. You'll need mounting hardware (inserts and bolts) and terminals too. I'll be using post terminals from now on, but regrettably used a cup for the last one. And you don't wan't raw MDF in your truck - it's pretty nasty stuff and it doesn't tolerate water well. At the least give it a coat of durable paint. Also consider interior bracing. With your proposed setup it's probably going to be mandatory.

 

Is this too much for the truck? Having a 6.5" woofer, 4" woofer and a tweeter?

http://www.amazon.com/ESK-163L-5-He...qid=1463150189&sr=1-6&keywords=Hertz+Speakers

 

There are these also... They seem like they are pretty good!

$350 Alpine SPR-60C 6.5" Car Audio Component System (Pair)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VBIEZW..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=04RBA97Z0RR2F88X4XXZ

 

This one would be better in my opinion.

Hertz HSK 165 6.5" 2-way Hi-Energy Component Speaker System HSK165

http://www.amazon.com/Hertz-HSK-165..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=114EDJZ22W0V122KJ7T9

I am not a fan of the Hertz Energy series. They kinda sound like the old AM radio. The alpine R series is good stuff as well. Look at Alpines sight though as they have some warranty stipulations when you buy online. They don't warranty their stuff unless you buy from an authorized dealer. There are a lot of knock offs out there.

 

I finally have a box for the subs. (Thanks go out to @Mrmarv !!!!) Need to mount and build the amp rack.
I need to get DV 4 ohm subs to go with the amps I have. Subs need to run a 2 ohm load.
I also need a sound processor and a line driver so I can keep the stock head unit.... (until I end up buying an after market unit)
Thanks to my bro and buddy for helping me out.

 

Mmats HiFi 6150D or Phoenix Gold Ti2 1600W 5 Channel. High end, small footprint, and high power. I personally have the Mmats and it's a beast. Dimensions - 9.5"x2.5"x10", Power - 4x150@4ohms + 1×1000@2ohms