Single channel amp, or five channel?

I did the Kicker CS door speakers mod, and the Subaru tweeters, and the sound is much better. But as we all know, the itch is never done.

I bought the ********* 10inch sub box, with their image Dynamics 4 ohm sub. Before I go to the audio shop to get it wired up though, I was going to buy the amp from Amazon, since Amazon is usually cheaper than anywhere else.

I just can't decide if I should get a single channel amp, or get a five channel to power all the doors AND the sub? For those of you that have upgraded door speakers powered by the headunit, and a sub, are you happy? Does the sub overpower the door speakers? Who here has a five channel, and what are your thoughts?

Thanks, from a long time member who is just back into the fold! (Had a 2010, bought an 18 last year, am always a forum lurker, but want to get more involved in this forum, as it has a wealth of information.)

 

5ch amp is the way to go...That being said, I have a brand new eXcelon 5ch amp that I have no need for....

 

You've got my attention What model is your Kenwood? Price?

 

Go with the 5ch amp. You’ll be happy w the overall sound and having it all done at once.

 

I did kicker cs 6x9 components in the front and the 6.5 coaxials in the rear and have a 10” sub. I run a Soundstream Nano 5 channel and couldn’t be happier. It’s small but packs a punch. I’ve spent tons on stereo stuff with massive amps and this thing is solid.

http://soundstream.com/product/pn5-640d/

 

Well, ended up ordering a Pioneer GM-D9605. Let's see how it goes, the price on Amazon was too good to pass up....thanks for the advice guys, looking forward to a 5 channel.

 

Let us know how it works out. I wanted mine out of sight under PS seat and this one would not have fit.

 

Just got it installed today, with the ********* 10 inch sub. Maybe it needs a little fine tuning, but I honestly was expecting more. I can't get the bass to sound the way I want it to, and I thought that with upgraded door speakers, it would be significantly louder than what the headunit could power, and it doesn't seem like it. Maybe I should temper my expectations, but I'm kind of disappointed. I'll mess with it in the AM, hopefully I can get a little more out of it.

 

Stock Head unit still? Assuming so that is gonne be the weak link. You’ll have a tough time getting a good signal without a processor. In the end you will be better off changing the head unit. I got a Pioneer with the Auto EQ option and its the best thing since sliced bread.

Ive spend tons of money on car audio in the past and my setup now sounds better than all of my prior. The auto EQ adjusts every speaker in the system for the best sound.

I used a 5 channel and and got a reverse harness to power the factory speaker locations (kicker speakers) using the factory wiring at the head unit. This way I could actually pull the sub and amp out and plug the factory headunit right back in and it would to power the door speakers just like stock.

 

I really am not wanting to change out the head unit, for several reasons; but is there a way to get more customizability (idk if that's the correct way to describe it) with the factory head unit? Sorry for what may be simple questions, first time I've ever really decided to start messing with sound. It seems to be a never ending rabbit hole, just like every other mod lol!

 

Look into one of these. Should solve your issues with existing head units limitations.

AudioControl LC7i
6-channel line output converter

 

You DO NOT need to change your head unit. That has nothing to do with your amps performance.

1. How bad is it? That amp with those speakers are an ok system but it should still sound pretty good.

2. Is you sub wired in 2 or 4 ohm.

3. Where is the gain set on the amp

4. Are you sure everything is hooked up
Properly

If you’re not 100% sure on all these you need to ask for more help or get a pro involved.

 

Op. I’m pretty certain an Audio Control is all you need here. The head unit is fine as a controller, but not for the signal.

 

I played with it a bit, I don't really have an issue with the sub now. I'd like the 4 door speakers to be a bit louder though. I didn't do the install, I actually took it to a car audio shop to get it done. I talked to the owner and he told me bring it by and they would mess with the settings on the amp to see if there was anything more to be done. I was the last customer for the day on Saturday, and they were there past closing. I think they just messed with the settings really quickly trying to get out of there. In regards to a previous question, the sub is 4 ohm. I would assume the shop wired it correctly, said they did everything from the back of the headunit, that they didn't take any of the door panels off/tap into any of the door speakers. Is that the best way to do it?

 

Glad it’s better. Tapping into the head unit is fine. Just means they used the existing wire, didn’t run new wire. That’s really only needed if you add a LOT more power. It would be good to learn about your gain controls so you can make adjustments going forward. Don’t
Have to worry about bugging them.