Hybrid Audio Speaker Q's

Hey everyone,

my audio build is almost complete but i need some help. i just picked up some HAT Imagine and Mirus speakers from mr marv and was hoping someone on here would have some input on my setup. the head unit i'll be running says it has a built in amp ( 22W rms/55W peak x 4 channels) , would I still need to amp the speakers or would they work off the head unit ? I also have an old kenwood kac-729s (150wx2 channels) that I can use but have no idea if it'll work, would i run all 4 speakers off of 1 channel? Thanks guys and hope you can help !

p.s.
yes i'm an audio noob

 

I'm also very new to car audio. But I would definitely want to amp the speakers to get the full potential out of them. I'm running some imagines right now and they do get loud running from the head unit but I still want more so will be amping mine soon. Also a 4ch amp is what you would want for the speakers.

 

There is so many car audio builds on here I am surprised you even posted, please use the search button.

 

you definitely want to amp you could run two on each channel

 

Thanks for the informative posts! I think I'll try running 2 speakers on each channel on my old amp, I think 150W for each set should be good enough for me.

C Wayne - how loud do they get off of your head unit? Which head unit is it? I'm pairing these with an idq so I may need these to get loud...

Thanks again for the help!

 

After talking with Mr Marv, he suggested i try the speakers with head unit power and if its not loud enough then get a 4 channel. i'll try this! thanks all!

 

I just installed HAT Imagine series 6x9s. Started with them added to the factory HU and sound deadend the doors, and while it was a good improvement over stock, I could tell they would benefit from more power, and some better tuning options than the factory HU allowed.

I added a Kenwood Excelon KDC-X996, and it totally changed the sound. 22 watts RMS/50 peak isn't a lot, but it made a huge difference in sound quality. Enough so that my plans for an amp have been put on hold.

I think the speakers would sound even better with more power, but I'm really happy as-is. I'll wait to add an amp until I add a sub.

Mr. Marv was super helpful throughout, and I think you're in good hands following his recommendation. Start with the HU and speakers and see how it sounds. I may be good enough for you.

 

Other way to consider is to run the fronts off the amp and the rears off of the HU power. If you want a good sound stage, then rear speakers just muddy that up.

 

those are both great suggestions! i'm not a huge audiophile, just need clarity and some volume, nothing that'll blow my windows out, heh. i may even just amp the fronts, thanks lurkin! i haven't thought about that but it makes sense, i'm not too worried about the rears

 

Im looking to get the HAT 6x9s. just waiting for scosche to come out with a dash kit so I can get a pioneer 80prs single din for my '12 already.

 

Did you keep the tweets in the woofer or did you mount them in the stock location?

 

I mounted them in the factory location. Didn't try them the other way to see how they sounded, and I'm curious what the difference would be - but not enough to rearrange everything to find out.

One thing to add about the 6x9s - they make so much more bass than the factory speakers that even with four sheets of BXT (one sheet on the outer door panel, and three on the inner) and a layer of ensolite over that, I was getting some vibes in the door. I added silicone around and behind the door latch where it attaches to the outer door panel and around the inside of the factory tweeter grills (there's a gap where they attach to the door card) and used 3M weatherstripping around the face of the HAT tweeters, and that solved most of it. But, I'm getting some vibes from the window and window mechanism that I can't fix. Only on really deep bass, but it's there. If I had a sub to handle the low bass instead of everything going to the 6x9, it wouldn't be an issue, and it isn't much of an issue at all, but I wanted to point it out so you can make sure to deaden the shit out of everything you can!

 

Did you deaden according to the write up on raamaudio? Thanks for the input, not really looking forward to the whole install and deadening, that's gonna take a good weekend and a few 6 packs, haha

 

Yeah, I followed Rick's how-to, and looked at all the stuff on here as well.

It wasn't bad. The first door took a couple of hours, but that was way longer than the second because I was really taking my time taking it apart so I didn't break anything, and made some stupid mistakes - like wrapping the power window/door lock harness in with the factory speaker harness you don't use, stuffing it up in the door and sealing it up! I was finished, and couldn't find the damn thing anywhere, had to tear it all apart. The second door probably took 30 minutes start to finish after figuring it all out on the first one.

Separating the tweeters from the woofers was really simple, watch the video Mr. Marv sent you, if you haven't already. It's on Youtube if he didn't send it yet.

Putting the HU in was really easy as well. Between the write-ups on here, and the instructions from Crutchfield, it was no problem. Everything was were it was supposed to be, all the wires matched, bolts/brackets/clips all worked, etc.

 

Does the stock wiring harness for the speakers come as a plug, where you'd have to cut, strip, and crimp on a speaker connector? Or are they already install ready, just plug and play? I javent tore apart my doors yet, as you can see...

 

The factory speakers connect with a harness, the Hybrid's do not come with a harness adapter, you need to splice two wires together on each side. Cut, strip, crimp (or solder). Easy.

 

thanks! can't wait to do it, the raamaudio stuff is coming soon, hopefully i'll be happy with just headunit power!

 

question for matt,

with just head unit power , are you able to turn the speakers up and hear it with the windows down on the freeway? with the stock headunit now i can't turn it up to hear the music with the windows even cracked....

 

Yeah, absolutely. Of course it sounds better/fuller with the windows up, but I can definitely turn it up enough to listen to on the highway with windows down. Was just driving like that last night, had the volume around 20.