FN2R Alpine System setup

[TJHoolio]

hey All,

Decided to put in the system ive had planned for a while, be getting an alpine setup. PDX-5 amp with Type-R splits at the front and Type-R 6*9's in the rear. Ill be hooking it up with a 12" Type-S Sub.

I decided to go Type-S sub coz i dont want to get a monoblock amp seperately and max output of the 5th channel of the PDX-5 is 300w and so is the Type-S Sub.

Type-R sub's are 500W or there abouts but do you all think that one 12" Type-S will be more than enough for the car? It will pack enough punch running at max output of 300W wont it? Im looking at a clean sound, no sub fluttering and very clean and punchy bass and im pretty sure ive picked a winner. im thinking of putting the sub under the rear seats coz there's heaps of room down there or otherwise up against the rear seats in the boot.

My main issue is connectivity. im unsure whether or not the FN2R has RCA's coming out of the back. If it doesn't how will i get this job done. Do i need an RCA splitter of some sort?

Also, where is a good place in melbourne to get the gear from, any hookups you guys know about round the place that have good deals?

Any other advice you guys can give out would be much appreciated!

[FastFwd]

Speaking from Experience TJHoolio 1 x 12inch sub in the correct box setup is more than enough.

I used to be sound mad, that was the originaly reason i bought my civic cos it was good for stereo's. I used to run 3 x 12 type X's in my car with 3 1000Watt Mono blocks and that was just for the subs.

As soon as i started doing performance mods to my car i removed my stereo and never looked back. then about a year ago i figured just having speakers and no sub just wast nice so i made a fully fiberglass sub box out of the wheel well. I used no wood cos i wanted to keep the weight down and with one 1500watt Peak power Kenwood sub i purchased for 50 bucks from Cashies "which was brand new and looked stolen lol" it pushes enough bass for me to turn it down to half to comfortably listen to music...

1 x 12 will go along way but i just depends on how you house it. If its just gonna be in a box floating around in your boot then you will need two. But if you make a nice box thats attached to the car trust me i sounds twice as loud.

[shoppingsecure]

If you have RCAs on the back of the head unit its just a matter of plugging in the cables and running the amps output back into itself to get the 5th channel for the sub.

BUT!

It is more than likely that your head unit does not have RCA outputs on the back.

In this case there are 3 possible solutions:

1. Use line level converters to change the output on the deck into low level RCA signals.

2. Using high level inputs straight into the amplifier. However, I dont think that amplifier has high level inputs and it would leave the problem of the 5th channel not existing.

3. This is the most comprehensive and expensive method, but it will give the best results. Use something from here:
http://www.amgaudio.com.au/ca.html
Those units will allow you to integrate the factory head unit into an aftermarket system. It will sound best and be the most reliable.

With respect to the Type S subwoofer, it should be enough for your vehicle. It would also be receiving enough power from that amplifier. If you want clearer and punchier bass you would need to upgrade the quality of the subwoofer. When it comes to sound quality its more important to have good quality speakers than it is to have massive power. For most people that subwoofer is MORE than adequate, it really depends on how good you want.

I hope that helps. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.

[gach2]

before i state my opinion on your system
forget the 6x9
there useless and in some cases will cancel out bass from sub
if you have a sub stay away from 6x9
get some matching type r coaxials or leave it stock
or if your like me and like surround sound
get another set of splits

[FastFwd]

I second that. Pair of slits in the front and a pair of splits in the back. Putting 6x9's on the parcel shelf with a sub in the boot can cancel out alot of bass in a certain range.

[p.terribilis]

I third the idea of two sets of splits. However, I am an Alpine HU and JL Audio speakers kinda guy. I'm used to the following setups:

Alpine HU
JL Audio 300/4 Slash Amp
JL Audio 500/1 or 1000/1 Slash Amp
2X JL Audio XR650 Csi
or most recently a JL Audio C5 6.5" Splits

They sound great and to be honest, if you are going for a nice thump with good response. I used to love my bass...I had a 12w7 in my 94 Honda Accord with the above setup...and yes it sounded beautiful....but I reckon all you need is a 10w6 or 10w3v3.

[TJHoolio]

Guys i ended up going for the type r splits and the type r rears but opted for a rockford fosgate 10" punch sub. Its a slimline sub which means i can play with the box abit to maximize floor space in the boot. Hooking it up with 4 gauge wire.

initially i wanted to get the Type S sub in a 12" variant but i think the rockford will give me a better bass response.

i also wanted to get the sub and amp in a box under the seat but it would have cost abit with all the fiberglass work required. Also having it in the boot means i can remove the box if i change cars later down the track. if it was under the seat it would have been non-removable.

ill let you guys know how it all pans out once installed!

[FastFwd]

Sounds like a good seteup TJHoolio. The 10inch might not be as loud as the 12 inch but you will get punchier bass out of it and if you listen to punk, heavy metal or just dont like alot of bass and would rather a nice bass beat the 10 is perfect for it.

[TJHoolio]

Nah im not into that much. More house/electro and some RnB. The response from the 10" should be better, i agree. Im not overly obsessive with the sound but i just did not like what was coming out of the stock speakers.

One of my friends has a Jazz that about 4 years old now and i swear her stock speakers are far better sounding than mine.

I would have loved to put the sub under the seats but it was just not cost effective at all. It also would have been non removable too and i don't think i could have dropped down the backrests for extra storage if i needed to either.

Can't wait to get it in and see what's what.

[shoppingsecure]

Did you solve the problem with connecting the amplifiers to the headunit?

[TJHoolio]

Yeh i did. Apparently almost all new cars do not have RCA's at the back of th head units so i think the installers are using the line converter method to feed signals to my speakers.

Now my install has been put back at least a week coz i smashed up the car yesterday in an accident, nothing too major but its just gone into repair with the insurance.

[rob1000]

Yeh i did. Apparently almost all new cars do not have RCA's at the back of th head units so i think the installers are using the line converter method to feed signals to my speakers.

Now my install has been put back at least a week coz i smashed up the car yesterday in an accident, nothing too major but its just gone into repair with the insurance.


old'ish thread i know but just came across in search. Was just wondering how you went with this setup? I've just ordered some Alpine Type r splits for front. Gunna leave the rears stock (probably turned off) and I'm thinking of a similar sub to that rockford or a 10" type r sub. How does your setup sound now?

I'm well past the stage of wanting something to blow nearby people/cars away with sub bass... just want some quality sound.

Cheers

[TJHoolio]

Hey Rob,

The setup went well. The speakers sound great and the 10" Rockford sub in the boot compliments it well. As i said previously in the thread, all i wanted was a good clear sound up high or even at moderate sound levels and i think ive acheived this. The response of the sub is very good.

Ive got the sub, front splits and the 2 mids in the back (all Alpine type-r) and connected to the Alpine PDX-5. Very happy that i didn't need a second amp to run the sub.

The PDX-5 is concealed in a recess near the spare wheel, below the boots floor and a single runs out through to the boot for the sub. Steering controls all work as desired, as if it was all stock and the bass and treble adjustments for the speakers are done through the stock head unit, using the fader function.

Word of warning, there is not much room with the doors for dampening within the Civic Type-R. There are crossbeams in the doors apparently to help with the UK safety rating system and to strengthen the doors so dynomating is limited. I wanted 2 rolls for he whole car but could only have 1 roll used.

Cheers.

[rob1000]

Cheers for the reply

Sounds good.

I just have a 1997 VTI sedan so hopefully it will fit into the doors ok. So you recommend atleast 1 layer of Dynomat in the back of the front doors?

Lookin forward to the speakers arriving :)

[cyc10n]

Hey TJ I also have an alpine set up ive got alpine type E splits in front and type s 6 ad a half inch in the back but i was runnina sony amp that doesnt work prop so on friday its gettin a alpine amp put and the im gunna either get 2 12inch type s sub's or just 1 dont know yet

[Frost_FD]

I use to have my amp/sub running of the stock head unit via a RCA filter/convertor.
Although it was a nice change, the sound quality wasnt quite there.
Then i thought ill invest in a head unit and oh my was i surprised, the SQ went up many folds :)

Every one who jumps in my car says the clarity is so good.

Still running stock pioneers off head unit :)