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  • Monsoon for just the subs?

    Ok, so I am making the plunge and am building a new stereo.

    I have selected a Pionier Premier 6800 head unit (just under $200 – EBay), two Focal 160s for my front drivers (just under $200 – EBay), and two JL 6W0’s for my sail subs (about $190 from CarToys [4 ohm version]).

    I would LIKE to wire it like this:
    Two fronts running directly from the head unit (as the Focals are 4 ohm and have their own custom cross-over).
    Two rear speakers (not sail subs) running directly from the rear channels on the head unit.
    And the two subs running from the monsoon amp.

    Sooo, the question is this, does the monsoon drive the subs from a sub/pre-amp output from the HU or does it play some magic and produce the suba signal from the amped outputs? Or does it even use the amped outputs?

    I looked but didn’t find anything on the forum about this.

    Worse case I also get an amp (and I am pre-wiring for that), but I am already WAY over what I said I would spend. [img]graemlins/banana.gif[/img]
    1997 Camaro RS<br />Home Brew CAI

  • #2
    Ok, sorry I am reading the diagram now.
    http://www.houston-f-body.org/tech/m.../AmpCamaro.htm
    But I am confused as there are 8 leads for the subs... Confused.

    1997 Camaro RS<br />Home Brew CAI

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    • #3
      I can't remember there actually being sperate "SUBWOOFERS" in a monsoon system, just plain jane 6 1/2" front and back, some years you have the extra set in the hatch. But no real sub, I think this diagram might be calling the actual 6 1/2" speaker the subwoofer, and the speaker is what its calling the tweeter. I don't know for sure, never looked into adding new speakers to the factory amp, either just a headunit or the whole thing gets ripped out.

      But one thing you might find helpful here, is the power off that headunit is really not going to power a set of components very well at all. Although Focal is a great company, and I love them to death, they don't make the most efficent speakers, and being they are components to start with they arn't known for being efficent. I think you may find yourself disapointed in the output level of those speakers directly off your headunit very quickly.
      1995 Camaro 3.4 A4<br /><br />CAI,IAT Relocate

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      • #4
        I cheated a bit. [img]smile.gif[/img] CarToys had this HU and speakers setup in their shop. Now I don’t know how much of an effect that "switch" box has, but they sounded damn good with no amp turned on down there. Buuut, that is not in a car, and I am not into the whole car shacking thing. [img]smile.gif[/img]

        As for the sail speakers, ya, I’m certain they are subs (I already have the car apart). One look at the voice coil (not to mention the sound they produce), and ya. Now whether or not it isn’t just a standard line out with a filter....

        Because the rear two channels seem to effect all four of my read speakers, I think you are right about the amp though. :( I may end up driving the rear from the amp and the front from the HU until I can get an amp in there. I REALLY hope I don’t need to do the front from an amp, cause they do sound like crap on the monsoon (cross-over point it all wrong for these)...

        Sigh....
        1997 Camaro RS<br />Home Brew CAI

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        • #5
          Ya they are calling the 6 1/2" a sub, in which case they do get pretty low and hit fairly hard for a little speaker, but thats all your "better" option systems such as monsoon, bose, infinity ect...

          Ya I'm not so sure about those speakers, hopefully but in either case, good luck, its going to be a little mess for a bit.
          1995 Camaro 3.4 A4<br /><br />CAI,IAT Relocate

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          • #6
            Yep yep yep.
            Well, if I do need to go that rout, I would rather have a small, low-heat amp up front rather than playing the cabling game. Know of anything taht would be safe to mount inside the dash?
            1997 Camaro RS<br />Home Brew CAI

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

              Originally posted by BloodBlight
              Yep yep yep.
              Well, if I do need to go that rout, I would rather have a small, low-heat amp up front rather than playing the cabling game. Know of anything taht would be safe to mount inside the dash?
              Well that would be kinda a mess, but I would find an amp that is overpowered so you don't have to really crank on it... And then try to find one that is fan cooled for sure! I'll take a look at bit and see what I find.
              1995 Camaro 3.4 A4<br /><br />CAI,IAT Relocate

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

                The sail panel speakers for the 93+ firebird/trans am monsoon (they didn't call it "monsoon" untill 97, I think. But there the same thing) systems are dual voice coil subs, and the ones in the 97+ camaros are single voice coil subs.
                They are driven by a seperate amp and so are the door mid range speakers. Front tweeters and the rear hatch mids and tweeters are running off an amp built in the H/U.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

                  The tweeters in the front doors have extra stuff in between the connector and the head unit (tweeters in monsoon systems are all driven by the HU). I'm not sure exactly what it does, but when I replaced mine with Infinitys I left it there and just didn't use the Infinity crossovers, didn't really see any need to and it sounds great!

                  The regular door speakers and the ones in the hatch (if you have em) are midrange and the sail panel ones aren't anything special, but the amp seems to only send a deep bass signal through them. I'd call em lowrange, but not really true subs since nobody makes 6 1/2" subs.

                  I don't think it matters what kinda speaker you put back there, but I'm planning on just using another set of 6 1/2" Infinities w/o the tweeters.
                  2002 Black Firebird:<br />A4, Y87, W68, T-tops<br />Best NA ET: 15.16 @ 90<br /> <a href=\"http://members.cardomain.com/darksde02\" target=\"_blank\">http://members.cardomain.com/darksde02</a>

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

                    Originally posted by DARK SDE '02
                    nobody makes 6 1/2" subs.
                    That is the funniest part of it all, really in all truth very few companies even make a true 12" Subwoofer.....

                    Subwoofer by true definition is a woofer capable of creating sound in the subsonic range *below 20hz*

                    Becuase of car audio this name has been far taken away from its meaning.

                    Most your cheap subs say they will do 18hz-250hz or what ever but yet that is really what the voice coil is capable of, and can be tested with a mic and a spec analyzer, not what it can really do.....

                    But ya 6 1/2" best you can get is a Midbass from Focal or Kicker, few others but those are some more commonly seen ones.
                    1995 Camaro 3.4 A4<br /><br />CAI,IAT Relocate

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                    • #11
                      Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

                      Ok, so, I am almost done (I work very slowly). Notes so far:

                      Wiring:
                      (Half day + driving time to find parts)
                      Ok, so a $100 of monster cable later and a half days work, I have run cables from one end of the car to the other. I have placed RCA fittings on EVERYTHING (including the stock and HU harness adapters). So that I can easily swap connections should I want to swap amps around. My original plan was 8 sets of wire (two subs, four pre-amps (left, right, front and back), and two returns for the front). However I ended up only running four (subs and read pre). A lot easier than expected, but the rain was being persistent!

                      Subs:
                      (About a day and a half with matting)
                      I have the two 6w0 in, though I had to do a bit of Dremaling. Though these are a LOT bigger that the stock speakers, they actually have a slightly smaller drill-down footprint (or what ever you would call it).
                      I initially placed a single layer of matting down (from Home Depot, rain gutter crap), but I was still getting a vibration from the speaker. So I laid a second layer down (this time not leaving the gap at the bottom of the speaker open, I would like any feedback on your experience here), and that seems to work well.

                      I still got some vibration at high output, but at that level, you can’t hear it. ^__^

                      Front:
                      (!DAYS!)
                      ARRRRG!!! Ok, the door panel are bloody sadistic!! So a lot of people have talked about how these are hard to get back on, weeell, if you take the little (manual) driver side mirror control off, “HEY! It fits!”. Oooof course, I still haven’t been able to get that panel back on!

                      The biggest issue for me though is the speaker covers. The stock unit didn’t drive NEARLY as hard as these Focals (or I would assume and high quality driver), but even with the stock these would vibrate at high levels. With the Focals, yaaa.. I have had to use a binary epoxy to stabilize them. I found the 6 min blend has the least about of smell, and one of the highest bond strengths.

                      The tweeters where easy, I don’t have the panels that have a separate place for them (firebird I think), so I placed them on dash. Easy easy. Though I have not come of with a good solution (other than drilling) of keeping them in place. Velcro leaves a huge gap, and doesn’t stick well. And I tried that almost gum lick sticky stuff… Ya, didn’t work.

                      General:
                      I am driving the fronts from the head unit (working great, more than enough volume for me [?WHAAAT?]), and the subs, though not super clean, are doing their jobs juuust fine (off of the Monsoon). I rattle every piece of glass in the car. ^_^

                      I haven’t re-installed the rear speakers yet though. I am still considering what else I can do to firm up the subs (not that it really needs it), and am worried I am going to want to go and spend more money to replace them (and then buy an amp).

                      Open to comments!
                      1997 Camaro RS<br />Home Brew CAI

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

                        Ok, just as a goof, I plugged in the rear speakers. Hey, sounds great! WOOHOO! One problem... Because the are amped (VS the front not being), they are WAY loader than the fronts. Anybody an electrician? Is there a good way to reduce power to the speaker with like a resistor or something? With out degrading the single?

                        Thanks!!
                        1997 Camaro RS<br />Home Brew CAI

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

                          Put in a couple of these and it get it close. :)

                          http://www.radioshack.com/sm-8-ohm-n...i-2062288.html
                          1997 Camaro RS<br />Home Brew CAI

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                          • #14
                            Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

                            i think you could probably live without them until you get an amp imo, thats probably your best option, a resistor will get REALLY HOT and probably melt something or catch on fire, out of personal experience with resistors and speakers.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Monsoon for just the subs?

                              Indeed, the fonts are more than capable of doing the job by them selves. I am watching that VERY closely. I will probably disconnect them though.

                              But I am faced with a bigger problem though.

                              These stupid side panels. I have epoxied them in such a way, that they are basically a single peace. No way for there to be vibration. Yet they STILL riddle.

                              HEEEELP!!!


                              P.S. What do you folks thing about putting a single 10 or 12 in the rear (stealth box), getting a two channel sub (I have two sub outs on my HU), and running the sails on one channel and the 12 on another? I am not looking for HUGE base, but a cleaner low end with out having to drive these 6’s so hard…
                              1997 Camaro RS<br />Home Brew CAI

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