I figured I'd bounce this off all the audio nuts here.

The first bunch of serious stuff I'm going to do to my Box is upgrade the audio. I'm looking at an Alpine head unit (CDA-9847 so I can get my ipod going on), and then getting a 6.5" component system (I haven't settled at all yet).

Question is, if I was going to put 4" midranges in the dash spots and put tweeters elsewhere and then put the woofers in the doors...

How do I hook the 4" up? Wouldn't I want a three-way crossover? But the components already have a crossover... just roll my own instead of buying a set? And I eventually want to get a sub... I'd have to have the components on a high-pass/sub on a lowpass... is this all right? I've never actually done *this* kind of stuff and I want to rock my box

Just toss ideas at me, I don't have any friends into this stuff, but I care a lot about my sound.

 

dude you're killing me here. ok somebody back me up on this:

It's never good to use "Three Way" as a topic and have the words "nuts" in your first sentence. It really can be taken the wrong way if you have a dirty mind. lol

 

whats up with the menage?

 

Thanks! :D

 

Run your 4" speakers off the head unit and adjust the crossover on the deck.

 

Okay, so let me get this straight (I installed a new HU/front coax speakers in my previa, that's the extent of my car stereo wiring :

- Headunit amp out --> Component Crossovers --> Component Speakers
- Headunit amp out --> 4" midranges

Is that something easy to do, like use the rear channel amp speaker hookup? You can't just put the speakers in parallel since that messes with the impedence (I assume in series is not good either but I forget what that does to your impedance)....

 

most 3 way component setups come with a passive crossover that has three outputs, high, mid and midbass...

you can also get a really really nice radio... which often run over a grand... that can crossover high, mid (band pass) and lows and sub... and just amp them seperately utilizing the built in crossovers...

running 3 ways can be tricky to setup up properly, but can sound really good if done right...

good luck

 

Thanks for the input guys...

I kind of want to DIY it. I don't have that much money. I want to make it count. That's why I was asking about how to go about getting a regular two-way component setup to do three-way. It seemed obvious how to get that to play with a sub, but I couldn't figure out how to drive the midrange with just a HU, or a HU + amp. I guess I see how to do it with a HU + amp... hook up the midrange to the HU's amp out.

Got any good names of 3-way component systems? I haven't found much and I don't know what I'm looking for.

 

I use active crossovers in order to have the full adjustability of the front stage. You can do so much tuning with an active crossover, its crazy. I use TRU Technology because I need the highend for competing. You can check out Audiocontrol since thay are good and cheaper products.

 

3 way components are generally expensive but I would go that route with an amp and good HU but the components should have a crossover that has one input and three outputs for each of the speakers......there are a few from CDT which are very badass... http://www.woofersetc.com/subcatmfgp...240&2=1085&6=2

and focal has some badass ones http://www.woofersetc.com/product.as...0&1=292&3=2356
there are more out there....just gotta look......

 

I would recommend that you run amps to your component set as they require more power then normal speakers...

HU ---> amp --- > crossover ---> speakers

do the radio first... and see how it sounds... if it's not enough get an amp and switch out your components, if that's still not enough, then add the 4 inches...

note your sound stage might get all skewed when you put the 4 inches there... unless you use the doors only for midbass and don't install the supplied tweeters...

but if if you only want it to be loud... then it should work fine...

 

Hmm, after looking at the stuff linked from Woofers Etc, I think I'm going to back-burner this idea and just get a new HU + components + amp (in stages)... Man, a grand just for speakers! 0.0.

 

check out DLS iridium 6.5 3 way set up, good set up hit me up if you need some more info.

 

check out DLS iridium 6.5 3 way set up, good set up hit me up if you need some more info.

 

i didnt read up on what everyone one said, but i've got a couple sets of Sound Stream 3 way crossovers for sale i used a set in my previous car and they sounded great

~tesh