My install Wow - almost ready for new audio upgrade!!

[psykik]

right, this is going to be a very exciting high end build and I'm almost ready to getting a good installer to start this job - just want the component speakers, Hertz Mille 165's or MLK 2's (looking for deals on used)

So far got

Audison LRX 5.1K
Alpine PXE-H650 Sound processor (provides pre-outs for factory head unit and equalisation with imprint software)
10" Rainbow Vanadium Sub

Will be:
1) Sound Proofing Doors, and Boot with Dynamat
2) Running Components Active.
3) Using JL Audio Wiring throughout.
4) Will be split charged with standard battery and Stinger SPV44

Estimated Completion time - 2-3 days
Installer - as nominated by fourcars.co.uk, (the fourcars master installers are about the best you can get from what ive heard)
Estimated cost of install and MLK 165's (NEW) 1200 quid.

Concerns - can the standard altenator on the type s gt handle the (AMPS) load with all systems running concurrently? Whats the worst case if it doesnt handle it?

[nik nunez]

where about in the country are you located? for the best installers. never heard of hertz mille speakers but i have not really looked at car audio for a few years, when i use to spent to much time playing with speakers and competing etc i had a pair of focal k2p and they where awsome,

[psykik]

Nik, im in essex. The focals are excellent speakers, the Hertz Mille range are competition standard, especially the MLK 2's but they go for 1000 quid a set. I got a great deal on the MLK 165's. I'm very excited. Monday is the day! 2 day job with soundproofing boot, doors, and lots of fine tuning all done by experts (Fourcars). Fingers crossed!

[Dayz]

Hi psykik, You got some kit there brov ! Good idea using the Alpine PXE-H650.
Should sound great when finished you'll have to post up some pic's...

[nik nunez]

i have read some info on the Alpine PXE-H650 but can you clarify something if you know, its not clear if it AUTO tunes the car in terms of sound EQ to form the soundstage? as it seems to come with a microphone for doing this, or does it have to be done manually?

it also seems to auto tune the amps in terms of gain settings? again cant really tell from the literature if this is the case?

if so this is a nice but of kit and one i will also be buying when it comes to my install, its listed at £399 but not sure if thats an intended price or a rrp

thanks

[psykik]

Nik, my install is today. Im not installing the kit, im getting it professionally done. Its a 3 day job! As for the tuning on the pxe h650, it DOES autotune. The box comes with a microphone and cd which you attach to your laptop, position the mike at several points in the car, let the software do its thing, and it tunes the best. However, you can change the reccomended settings manually once this is done. In theory, it should save hours of tuning youre paying a professional for and do it by "autotuning" to a very high standard in a fraction of the time.

I will report the actual results here when its all done. Watch this space!

[coolice]

Hey,

I'm watching this thread with great interest and am looking forward to seeing some pictures of your install when it's done. I do have one question that you may be able to answer as so far I have not seen it while searching the net.

The Alpine PXE-H650 Sound processor, obviously I understand this provides pre-outs which are handy but does it also mean that you will require external amplification for the other speakers now?
By this I mean instead of the head unit now powering the cars full range speakers, high level signals go to the Alpine Processor and from there you connect amplifiers via the pre-outs to then power the speakers &/or subb.
It would be great if the Alpine PXE-H650 Sound processor had an inbuilt amp which could then power the speakers at say 4x30w RMS or greater, that would make it appealing to me a bit more.

In reading it does appear that with using one of the new generation Alpine head units sound from it can be outputted into the Alpine PXE-H650 Sound processor, then returned back into the head unit for amplification out to the speakers.
This is a simialr principle to what I have seen/experienced in the past as a previous car had a Pioneer DEQ-9200 DSP/Active crossover unit which I fitted but required amps to then power the system. In those days I was heavily into my ICE and so running 3 amps was not an issue.

Thanks.

Ian

[psykik]

coolice wow, that question flew over my head. I will print it out and take it with me to the installers when i collect the car on thursday. Hopefully some pics will be up by the weekend too! Watch this space!

Ps im just using the factory head unit and alpine pxe h650 for the pre-outs as i have factory sat nav i didnt want touched. I am using the Audison lrx 5.1k to power the component speakers NOT and i am having the crossovers run active.

[NH Dan]

Can anyone translate this post into English??

[Kremmen]

Originally Posted by NH Dan

Can anyone translate this post into English??

Wants to listen to Terry Wogan at 4,000 Db

[NH Dan]

Originally Posted by Kremmen

Wants to listen to Terry Wogan at 4,000 Db

I said English, not shakespeare

[coolice]

Hey All,

LOL, sorry guys looks like I've asked the right question then

I am seriously curious of how this unit works and it will be interesting to hear and see the picture when you get the car back, I would imagine your getting quite excited now?

Basically, from the looks of it this unit just takes the existing radios speaker-out connections from it's built in amplifier and converts them to pre-out level. At the same time smoothing, clean and purifying if you like the signal coming out of the radio.
With the fancy inbuilt Imprint software the processor can then listen to the cars acoustics (via the microphone) and tailor the EQ sound curve to better suit the cars frequency responses, in turn making the music sound much better.

Now this is great, but from the sounds of it will then require the use of seperate amplifiers after the Alpine unit to power the other car speakers from. You will need to do this anyway for adding the sub woofer, but if you can get away without adding extra amps on top of the one to power the sub that will save space and cost building in another amp.

It's been age's since I have had to really think about ICE systems, but in the past I have been heavily involved in it having shown & entered SPL (sound pressure level) sound offs with a car install which was hitting 146Db.

I wont go into too much detail here but the system I used work in a similar way to the Alpine Imprint unit I think, in that a head unit (in this case a Pioneer one) was used to send signals to a Pioneer DEQ9200DSP active crossover/graphic display, which then sorted out which signals went to which amplifier.

Pioneer USA - Equalizers

Similar idea to the Alpine Imprint almost in that there is one dedicated graphic equaliser/sound processor from which you then run multiple amplifers to power each of the cars individual speakers.
In my car I ran 3 amps, 1 for the mid bass speakers in the front doors, 1 for the tweeters and another bigger amp for the 2 15" JL subs.
I installed it all myself and have done a few other cars as a job in the past to.

With the Apline unit, as it was with my Pioneer setup there was a way in which the sound signals from the head unit would go into the Processor (the Imprint for instance) then back out the Imprint to the head unit for amplification/sending out to all the speakers around the car.
The latter meaning extra, external amplifiers were not needed. But from what I gather as a minimum another amplifer, perhaps a 4 channel unit will be required to power the cars speakers after the Imprint.
Or one bigger 6 channel unit to power speakers and subs, your setup will clarify this for us I am sure.

I'll be very interested to know what the tech guys tell you.

Ian

P.S. I cant comment on listening to Terry Wogan at X decibels but leaning against your doors (to stop them moving in & out as the bass hits!) to get a better sound pressure reading I can relate to
And I was entering classes where I still had my back seats in the car!

[nik nunez]

i think you would need to amp the speakers for the imprint to work as if you just added a sub then the imprint is not connected directly to the speakers, well it is via the headunit but as you said no sure if it goes both ways

but then tbh if you are spending 400 on a sound processor you must be crazy not to just spend the bit more and get some comps up front, seems pointless spending that for just a sub

my plan as i am also watching this is to get the alpine a 4 ch amp (genesis, sinfoni or maybe DLS) a 12" sub and some components.

I competed for about a year in the iasca SQ section, learnt quite alot and if this kit tunes the car it will save so much time. Reading up on the alpine from the talkaudio forums the main critism is the alpine cant be manually adjusted alot so the setting it gives you is what you get whilst the RF 360.2 is meant to be more flexable but i dont think it does the imprint part.

i will wait and see what happens here, and if all the controls on the steering wheel still work would be interesting.

then i will take a trip to turners in sunderland and see if he can suggest any other options

[coolice]

Originally Posted by nik nunez

i think you would need to amp the speakers for the imprint to work as if you just added a sub then the imprint is not connected directly to the speakers, well it is via the headunit but as you said no sure if it goes both ways

but then tbh if you are spending 400 on a sound processor you must be crazy not to just spend the bit more and get some comps up front, seems pointless spending that for just a sub

my plan as i am also watching this is to get the alpine a 4 ch amp (genesis, sinfoni or maybe DLS) a 12" sub and some components.

I competed for about a year in the iasca SQ section, learnt quite alot and if this kit tunes the car it will save so much time. Reading up on the alpine from the talkaudio forums the main critism is the alpine cant be manually adjusted alot so the setting it gives you is what you get whilst the RF 360.2 is meant to be more flexable but i dont think it does the imprint part.

i will wait and see what happens here, and if all the controls on the steering wheel still work would be interesting.

then i will take a trip to turners in sunderland and see if he can suggest any other options

Hey Mate,

Yes, I to have been trawling through the TalkAudio forums as well for some more hints as to how this Alpine unit works best but as yet not seen any indepth reports or pictures of installs using one.

I'm sure you are correct, this unit will require additional amps to power the cars existing speakers which isn't a bad thing as they will be amp'd up to a more useable power rating.

We haven't got long now till psykik gets his car back, going to be a long night for him tonight if it's tomorrow the pick up

Ian

[psykik]

Nik and Coolice, i'm picking up the car tomorrow. The proof is in the pudding, so im very excited here to test out the new install and see the difference at first hand that an excellent install job done by a four cars master makes on the type s gt!

Questions will be answered, photos will be put up here...watch this space!

[nik nunez]

ive never heard of these four car masters, i went to the site but got annoyed by a aweful tag with some guy drumming - is it just a approval that installers can apply for if and have to meet certain criteria?

[nik nunez]

did they lose you car ? waiting for pics

[coolice]

Originally Posted by nik nunez

did they lose you car ? waiting for pics

LOL, he's too busy cruising around in it to show it off to us

Bet he's enjoying it with the sun being out today.

Ian

[nik nunez]

had a brief look in the back of the car and noticed there is nothing below the rear seats, going to try measure it up tomorrow but i recon you can make some custom boxes and maybe fit a 2 x 10" subs back there,

[tissot]

psy..cant wait to see your new project...post the photos when it done... good luck...