Powering Speakers

[Brad]

I want to power my 5x7s and 6x9s. Do I have to get a 4 channel amp?

[jnorion]

left front + right front + left rear + right rear = 4 channels

You can run them off two channels but you lose the fader control.

[blue LEDz]

I want to power my 5x7s and 6x9s. Do I have to get a 4 channel amp?

2 channel, just for the front speakers course you don't HAVE to get anything

[hihoslva]

Agreed - I'd only amp the fronts.

Less wiring, possibly less money, and less soundstage pulled to the rear where you don't want it to be

~HH

[Brad]

why dont you want sound coming from the back?

[jnorion]

http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1921

http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5592

Both of these threads have a lot of good information about the front sound stage...(and there are quite a few more if you want to sort through the entire audio forum for the past year) but to summarize, your mind processes sound coming from in front of you better than sound coming from behind. With a good front stage the music will sound like you're at a concert, with the band sitting somewhere on the hood. You will hear sound from behind also, but only reflections of the sound from in front. It's a much more realistic reproduction than having speakers on in the back as well. Ask Blue for a technical explanation.

[Brad]

when i put the fader (i guess it is) all the way to the front, i dont like the sound to it at all, it sounds flat to me....is this why i need the amp?

[jnorion]

Could be a number of things... what kind of speakers do you have? Components will sound a lot clearer than coaxial speakers (generally speaking). The brand/model of speaker may make a difference. Yes, an amp could help. The EQ settings on your stereo might make a difference. Also, do you have a subwoofer? The front speakers usually don't have as much bass as the rears, which would cause it to sound flatter if there isn't a sub to round out the low frequencies.

[Brad]

my fronts are coaxial, i also have 2 10s for subs

[jnorion]

The main thing I would suggest then (aside from the amp) is just playing with the equalizer settings in the head unit until it sounds good. Unless you want to buy new speakers.

[Brad]

right now i have it set like this

F-----|-----------R

edit: and I am thinking about replacing my back kenwoods with some polk 6x9s, do you think that would be a smart decision or no?

[Rider69]

no. Buy a small amp and if you can afford, some components up front. For about $200 you can get some decent components and an amp from thezeb.com (CDT CL-61a and US Acoustics USP-200) the sound from the front will be that much cleaner.

[Brad]

no, i dont need a 4-channel amp or no that wouldnt be a smart decision to replace the kenwoods with the polks

[hihoslva]

no, i dont need a 4-channel amp or no that wouldnt be a smart decision to replace the kenwoods with the polks

I think it would be no to both.

Rider69 summarized it well for you; the object is to feel like you're listening to live music. And live music is almost always in front of you. Thus, you try to duplicate that in a car system.

The top sound quality competitors are able to have the music "separate" from the speakers - they tweak and tune to set up a soundstage that hopefully makes the sound seem to come from outside the car; from out on the hood. They also work on getting a very wide soundstage, often wider than the car itself. So the music doesn't sound like it's coming from the speakers, it sounds like a concert in front of you.

While that kind of setup can take lots of money and time to create, the same basic theory holds true for even modest systems; you want the sound up front with you.

I was just like you - all my previous systems in all my previous cars seemed to sound better from the back. And I thought that was the way to go. But after reading and researching, I decided to set up a front-stage system, and was immediately convinced. Although I don't have that expansive soundstage like the pros, having the sound up sounds SO much better.

My advice will be similar to Rider69's: Forget the rears (leave them hooked up, but don't worry about amping them or buying new speakers), and concentrate on the front. Pick up a decent set of components and an amp to power them. Hook it up, and play with the tweeter placement to see what sounds best to you. Then mount the tweeters, and enjoy.

~HH

[Brad]

im not trying to disagree with whats going on here, but that will give me the full bodied sound i am looking for, i would would think just a surround sound would be the best way to go, but i guess not.