str8dwn Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 At what point is it a good idea to upgrade to a larger power/ground wire? I have 4ga in the car now, but I am completely rebuilding my whole system with a 300/4, 500/1 and Stealthbox. And I want it done right. With that said, if I don;t need to pay $4-5 a ft for 0ga plus all new 4ga to the amps, plus the distribution blocks, fuse holder and terminals, then all the better. It's a shame JL doesn't make a 800/5. 250w from the sub channel 500/5 for a 10w6v2 just doesn't seem like enough accoridng to their chart. Also, I am looking at using real stainless steel laminate as the top/inner layer of the amp rack I plan to build. I like the look and it matches the trim in the hatch entrance. Are there any concerns I should be aware of? Noise, heat? Or I could take it back to the late 80's with Fleckstone or Splatter Paint!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s car go Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Figure out your total amperage and distance from the battery to the amps and use this table: http://www.rbeelectronics.com/wtable.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokedoutv6 Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 i think you;ll be fine with 4 awg, i wouldnt switch to 0. i'm from the ol' school of car audio, i remember running 2 kicker 15s w/ a 800w precision power amp off of 8awg wire and never had any problems. flexstone & splatter paint, you just described my first cars "custom" setup:lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strife1012 Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 you should be fine with 4ga, 2ga if your not sure. I have a Monster Cable 0ga, the only way to put it around the car is exterior. I strung the 0ga from the Driver fender, under the car doors, and drilled a hole for it from the rear wheel well. I had all the tools to do it cause I work Circuit City Roadshop Installer BTW Kicker ZX2500.1 and Kicker SX900.4 Just picked up my JL cleansweep yesterday, should have it installed in a few months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulderguy Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 +1 on the 4g, you should be good to over 1000w with it. The Stainless steel would be a good look but could also ground your amps & create a ground loop. Unlikely, but possible. If you can isolate things it'll be fine. Your amp choices look like a perfect balance. 800/5, that'd be a huge amp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
str8dwn Posted October 6, 2007 Author Share Posted October 6, 2007 Fantastic! Less cost is always a good thing. Any thoughts on how to best run my 300/4? I only have a front stage at the moment, and I am bi-wiring them. 1+2 go to L+R tweet in on x-overs, and 3+4 go to L+R inputs for mid portion of the x-overs. Should I keep it this way or add some less expensive rear fill and combine the components like the are in most setups? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
str8dwn Posted October 6, 2007 Author Share Posted October 6, 2007 +1 on the 4g, you should be good to over 1000w with it. The Stainless steel would be a good look but could also ground your amps & create a ground loop. Unlikely, but possible. If you can isolate things it'll be fine. Your amp choices look like a perfect balance. 800/5, that'd be a huge amp! Would it be much different than the length of a 300/4 and a 500/1 combined? Yeah, it'd be a monster but she'd be a beauty! Esp in the special edition chrome! Also, maybe some rubber bushings under the amps could isolate them from the stainless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulderguy Posted October 6, 2007 Share Posted October 6, 2007 Usually just putting some rubber grommets in the amp mounting holes is sufficient to isolate them, maybe some small nylon washers between the screws, amp & rack too. The ground will take the path of least resistance, so just make sure the cabling is the easiest route. Probably easiest to test to see if it's even an issue before doing any of that, it may noiseless anyway. About the bi-amping, there's been intense arguing thru the ages as to whether or not it actually improves anything. I personally can't hear a difference, but some swear they can. Regardless, if the benefit exists you'll need a hi-end setup to appreciate it, that's hard to do in a car. The real benefit I believe is the ability to use active X-overs, not the case here it sounds. So without trying to sway you one way or the other, my choice would be 2 ch front, 2 rear & forget the bi-amping. Maybe use some mid-level rear coax's for fill & turn 'em down in volume. I wish more amp companies made staggered 4-ch amps, like 100x2 & 40x2, but alas... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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