Which amps would you recommend?

[socialstealth 0]

I'm going to go ahead and have my SAE 1200 run a DC lvl 4 12'' sub.

I haven't decided on a front stage yet, I'm looking to run an active 3-way midbass//mid range//tweeters

I think I'm going to go with the SAX 100.4d BUT I need another amp!

Should I use the SAX 100.4 for the mid range and tweets? or the tweets and midbass? or the midbass and midrange ?????

And what other amp should I use? SAX 50.4 bridged? or ... ?

suggestions and explanations why please

[socialstealth 0]

oh, and are the multi channel SAX amps similar to the SAE amps in the respect that they're under rated?

basically, am I going to really get 150w or something per channel out of the SAX 100.4 or is its rating accurate? Any efficiency testing done on the SAX series?

[///M5 2,833]

Budget? What drivers?

[socialstealth 0]

Budget? What drivers?

Well the best price//quality mix is what I'm looking for.

But cheaper is always better

I'm not sure what front stage I'm going to get.

A lot of things I see are 6 ohm and 8 ohm, are sundown amps compatible with 6/8 ohm speakers?

Maybe I'll just go passive and make things easier.... is there THAT big of a difference in sound between active and passive?

[KU40 173]

Yes the amps will run fine at 6 or 8 ohms. You can always go higher in impedance for amps, just not lower. They'll just put out less power, but most of the time those 6/8 ohm speakers are more efficient than the 4 ohm ones, so you don't lose any output.

There is a big difference between active and passive if you know what you're doing or at least have the motivation to play with it.

[socialstealth 0]

I can get these on craigslist for $300

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1600

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8441

Sound like a good deal?

What tweeter would you guys suggest with them?

[socialstealth 0]

Someone is also selling a set of rainbow components for about $120:

Rainbow SLC 265 Kick Components

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=7032

the guy selling them says they're 4ohm

Which would you guys recommend?

Are the rainbow tweets any good?

Maybe I can use the rainbow tweets, the rainbow midbass driver as a 'full range' driver, and get the 8'' seas midbass driver for lower bass? or is that a retarded idea? lol.

The aim is toward pop-rock music btw.

I also found a pair of CDT TW-25 tweeters for about $70, would they work well with the seas midbass and morel mid range?

Edited September 24, 2009 by socialstealth

[socialstealth 0]

Yes the amps will run fine at 6 or 8 ohms. You can always go higher in impedance for amps, just not lower. They'll just put out less power, but most of the time those 6/8 ohm speakers are more efficient than the 4 ohm ones, so you don't lose any output.

There is a big difference between active and passive if you know what you're doing or at least have the motivation to play with it.

Whats the power handling at 6 and 8 ohms?

...I see that the SAZ3000 only puts out 800 watts at 4 ohms, which is pretty shocking!

[KU40 173]

Yes the amps will run fine at 6 or 8 ohms. You can always go higher in impedance for amps, just not lower. They'll just put out less power, but most of the time those 6/8 ohm speakers are more efficient than the 4 ohm ones, so you don't lose any output.

There is a big difference between active and passive if you know what you're doing or at least have the motivation to play with it.

Whats the power handling at 6 and 8 ohms?

...I see that the SAZ3000 only puts out 800 watts at 4 ohms, which is pretty shocking!

It's not shocking when you realize that a halve in impedance should give you twice the power in an amplifier with an unregulated power supply. So therefore a doubling in impedance cuts the power output in half. 1 ohm- 3000 watts, 2 ohm- 1600, 4 ohm- 800, 8 ohm- 400, etc.

So therefore the 100.4 should put out about 50 x 4 at 8 ohms. somewhere between there at 6 ohms.

[///M5 2,833]

I can get these on craigslist for $300

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1600

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8441

Sound like a good deal?

What tweeter would you guys suggest with them?

Those could work well. What mounting locations? What processing?

And IMO a 3 way passive that wasn't designed IN CAR isn't worth doing. If you want 3 way in your car you NEED to do it actively.

[socialstealth 0]

I can get these on craigslist for $300

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1600

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8441

Sound like a good deal?

What tweeter would you guys suggest with them?

Those could work well. What mounting locations? What processing?

And IMO a 3 way passive that wasn't designed IN CAR isn't worth doing. If you want 3 way in your car you NEED to do it actively.

Yeah I was thinking either 2 way passive or 3 way active.

by "processing" do you mean an external EQ or something?

All I had in plan were the SAX amps & my excelon kdc x790 headunit

should I get some type of epicenter or whatever they're called?

And those mid range speakers are rated 150w (idk if thats rms or peak??) and are 8 ohms...how am I going to get 150w @ 8 ohms

and the midbass drivers are rated 85w rms @ 8 ohms :\

What type of setup would you recommend for these? Do I need external processing? would it be better to get something that can adjust all the crossovers, then use that and get amps that don't have functions like the SAX 100.4 does?

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

With the 100.4, I vote 2 way active. It has one of the best crossover net works available.

[jcarter1885 995]

I can get these on craigslist for $300

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1600

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8441

Sound like a good deal?

What tweeter would you guys suggest with them?

Those could work well. What mounting locations? What processing?

And IMO a 3 way passive that wasn't designed IN CAR isn't worth doing. If you want 3 way in your car you NEED to do it actively.

Yeah I was thinking either 2 way passive or 3 way active.

by "processing" do you mean an external EQ or something?

All I had in plan were the SAX amps & my excelon kdc x790 headunit

should I get some type of epicenter or whatever they're called?

And those mid range speakers are rated 150w (idk if thats rms or peak??) and are 8 ohms...how am I going to get 150w @ 8 ohms

and the midbass drivers are rated 85w rms @ 8 ohms :\

What type of setup would you recommend for these? Do I need external processing? would it be better to get something that can adjust all the crossovers, then use that and get amps that don't have functions like the SAX 100.4 does?

You must of not read what was posted earlier, 6 and 8 ohms speakers are very efficient (you dont have to give them their full potential to do what 4 ohm speakers can). I have 2 Eminence Alpha-6A's 100rms/8ohms/93.6 on each channel of my SAX-125.2 and they get supid loud (@ 4 ohms load their only seeing 125 wrms or so/ give or take some). I will be keeping my amp and upping the speakers to B&C 120rms/99db/8ohms and still will be louder than people with 4 ohm speakers and powering them with all the rms they will take. Just like subwoofers, speakers dont need all their rms to sound good or perform at a level that is enjoyable (my 3-12"s only see 700 rms out of the 2100 they could take, all my speakers are underpowered).

[socialstealth 0]

With the 100.4, I vote 2 way active. It has one of the best crossover net works available.

Do you think a 3 way active is "not worth it" ?

A 2 way active will be a lot cheaper (about -400 for mid range and amp compared to a 3 way active)

[crf450r4u2nv 0]

With the 100.4, I vote 2 way active. It has one of the best crossover net works available.

Do you think a 3 way active is "not worth it" ?

A 2 way active will be a lot cheaper (about -400 for mid range and amp compared to a 3 way active)

two 100.4's make a great 3way front setup.

very flexible, and enough power to run any 3way combo of speakers you want.

and in my opinion so worth it.

[jcarter1885 995]

With the 100.4, I vote 2 way active. It has one of the best crossover net works available.

Do you think a 3 way active is "not worth it" ?

A 2 way active will be a lot cheaper (about -400 for mid range and amp compared to a 3 way active)

A 3-way setup is worth it if you want to put the time, money and your patience into it so it will sound awesome ( an active setup just takes alot more tuning and adjustment to get right but worth it in the long run no matter if you do 2/3-way setup). What car do you have, just make sure you have somewhere to mount those puppies (SAX-100.4) since they are some big amplifiers, even the SAX-50.4's will do.

[Kanaworm$ 292]

3 way -

SAE-1200D on Subwoofers

SAX-125.2 on Midbass

SAX-100.4 on Midrange and tweeters.

2 way -

SAE-1200D on Subwoofers

SAX-100.4 on Midrange and tweeters.

[1phatclipse 2]

i have some rainbow kicks and they sound pretty good

[socialstealth 0]

Alright I think I'm going to go with a 3 way active setup.

As for mounting the amps, I'm thinking of making a false floor under the rear seats (idk if there will be enough headroom for rear passengers if I do...)

Or a false floor in the trunk.

I'll make the floor out of fiberglass and have a system of fans to keep the air moving.

Any suggestions on what I mentioned above, or some other good mounting ideas?

[///M5 2,833]

IMO you are going to need something like the H701, P9 or another serious processor. Having 3 drivers not coincident in position or pathlength isn't trivial and will require more horsepower than just the crossover on the amp.

[crf450r4u2nv 0]

i think my 3way sounded good before i tuned it , i only guessed at x-over freqs to get started.

it still rocked over my 2way .it only got better as i tuned it.

yes t/a helps alot.but i think i would still do it again without haveing it.

i'm 6 months into playing with it and am almost there, but it has sounded awsome the whole time.

i use my 2 x 100.4's as

2x 320 ---mid bass

4x 100 --mids and tweets

i don't run any top shelf gear for speakers, i mix and match drivers and still get good results.

i can work around the strengths or weakness of my drivers which is fun for me.

and having head room with my amp power makes it easy to keep the sound clean.

and yes a pair of 100.4's takes up some room.

i raised up a false floor 2.5-3" in the back of my explorer and they run fine under there with a saz-1500

Edited September 26, 2009 by crf450r4u2nv

[socialstealth 0]

IMO you are going to need something like the H701, P9 or another serious processor. Having 3 drivers not coincident in position or pathlength isn't trivial and will require more horsepower than just the crossover on the amp.

Crap really?

I guess 3 way is going to go out the window.

Back to the drawing boards........what comps would you guys suggest for a pop-rock active 2 way?

I bought a 12'' dc lvl 4, Idk what I'm going to tune it to though.

Do you think these SEAS 8'' midbass drivers are still a good choise?

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1600

I'm planning on a 2 way active w/ the SAX100.4

They're 8 ohm drivers, 80w rms.

Anyone think the SAX100.4 can get close to 80wrms@8 ohms?

Do you think an SAX125.2 for the midbass and an SAX50.4 bridged for the tweeters would be better?

or maybe the sax50 bridged for the midbass and the sax125 or an sax100 for the tweets?

because I can get an sax50 for $150 and an sax125 for $135

Edited September 26, 2009 by socialstealth

[crf450r4u2nv 0]

IMO you are going to need something like the H701, P9 or another serious processor. Having 3 drivers not coincident in position or pathlength isn't trivial and will require more horsepower than just the crossover on the amp.

Crap really?

I guess 3 way is going to go out the window.

Back to the drawing boards........what comps would you guys suggest for a pop-rock active 2 way?

I bought a 12'' dc lvl 4, Idk what I'm going to tune it to though.

Do you think these SEAS 8'' midbass drivers are still a good choise?

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1600

I'm planning on a 2 way active w/ the SAX100.4

They're 8 ohm drivers, 80w rms.

Anyone think the SAX100.4 can get close to 80wrms@8 ohms?

Do you think an SAX125.2 for the midbass and an SAX50.4 bridged for the tweeters would be better?

or maybe the sax50 bridged for the midbass and the sax125 or an sax100 for the tweets?

because I can get an sax50 for $150 and an sax125 for $135

how about 1 ---125.2 for midbass

and 1 ---50.4 for mids and tweets

three way isn't that hard.

i just think as your system gets better you get more and more picky.

and its not like you couldn't go back to a 2-way at any time.

but i think that if you went 3-way that you would never go back to a 2-way.

also tweeters don't need much power.

if your going to lay down some power do it for your mid bass .

also for those prices thats what i would reccomend, thats less than i paid for each 100.4d.

and a smaller foot print.

i like that my 2 100.4s and my 1 saz 1500d all look the same and are about the same size.<but i have the room for them>