Recommendations for wiring up a system.

[m1tn]

Hi all, was hoping someone could give me some advice on how to best wire up my system to get the optimum sound.

I have a Z4 that originally had the top hifi sound system. I have replaced the two carver rear seat woofers with a pair of JL Audio 6W3v3-4 6.5" 150W 4-Ohm. The rest of the speakers are stock. Also using thekenwood BT6OU HU.

the amp I currently got in there is the Alpine pmx f640. I got all 4 subs on channel 3 and 4 with all four mids running on channel 1 and 2 currently. Tweets are not being used as they introduce altenator whine. The other problem im having is a slight buzzing noise when i turn on the lights only through the mids.

Would you recommend getting another 4 channel amp to run all the subs, and then use the alpine f640 to run two mids directly from the amp and then a pair of crossovers for the tweets? or is therre a better setup I could use.

Many thanks in advance.

Mit

[un1eash]

I'm abit confused on what your actually running, from the sounds of it you have the standard speakers and have just upgraded the subs behind the seats so you should have 6.5" woofers in the footwell, 4" mids in the door and the tweeters in the wing mirror along with 4" mids behind the seats.

Trying to run all these of a litle 4 channel amp is never going to sound good. I'm not to clued up on how the stock 10 speaker system splits the signal but i'd be looking at running the rear 4" of the headunit. The 2 JL subs of channel 1 and 2 then the 3 way speakers up front of channel 3 and 4 with the appropriate crossovers.

[m1tn]

Thanks for the reply Un1eash. The setup you have described is precisely what I am running. Would you not then reccomend using another amp, Im not sure which one to get.

Thanks again

Mit

[un1eash]

You could get another amp so that you have one running the speakers and one running the subs but i'd first be looking at how to wire up the fronts properly. I'm not sure how the carver system works, as in i dont know if the filters are inline or the amp splits the signal like it does in the bose system on my 350.

Personnaly i'd look at a 3 or even 2 way component setup up front and do away with all the BMW speakers. These can run of your existing amp for now.

[MyNamesNotBob]

Keeping the carver amp and using aftermarket speakers will create problems, first the amp is expecting 12ohm speakers, running standard 8ohm or 4ohm will push the amp quite hard without really trying.

Also if you are using an aftermarket headunit, you can't run the standard amp as it requires an optical input.

So back to your original question...

What are the impedence (ohm rating) of the speaker you have installed? And what can your amp cope with? Once we have those two we can work out if your current amp will drive the subs etc like you have set up.

If you don't have tweeters in it will always sound terrible. If you have whine you have an earthing issue, trace this first otherwise it will sound cack without tweeters. Not plugging them in won't help

Like un1eash said, bin the standard speakers and start again, the standards are really only good when matched with the carver amp.

I would run:
Headunit
2 x Amps
__ 1 x 2 channel running your new subs
__ 1 x 4 channel running the mids in the rear on one channel, and the other channel running the front, woofer, mid and tweeter with inline xover (i.e. a decent 3 way system)
Rewire the lot

This would be my preference

or

Headunit
2 x Amps
__ 1 x 4 channel running the subs, of each channel
__ 1 x 4 channel running the mids in the rear on one channel, and the other channel running the front mid and tweeter with inline xover
Rewire the lot

[Cyscrofer]

Hi there,

Ive been messing for the last few days now with the system, in fairness the basic 10 speaker system sounds pritty good in my 53 plate.
I just wanted more umph at the rear, being tall I have hte seats as far back as they will go, great for me , crap for the speakers as you cant hear them as they are totally muffled by the seats themselves.
If anyone has any ideas I am more than up for it, thought about relocating the speakers or ducting the sound somewhere better, either way have a thought about this.....

I have tried and tried to fit a sub in the boot, yes ok for most subs possibly not a problem but I have just dropped in a pair of 12" Audiobanrs in the boot with a Slick Compre pro amp the size of four house bricks to drive them.
I have used the combination before and wow does it shake the car, my problem was the BMW system doesnt seem to allow my amp to connect to the rear speakers, I tried tapping in to the front sub as a pick up and also directly between the radio and the amp, no matter what I tried the BMW must carry out some kind of self check on all wires and mutes the system if anything changes, typical German over engineering means no fun for me, well for a day or so....
So today tried an new way of connecting in the lines this time with a 5 second timer to a 4 pole relay which drops out the hi level input from the two rear speakers, this give not on the BMW system chance to carry out the system checks without tripping out but als omy Slick pro comp amp which also carries out simialr checks.
5 seconds after the remote is switched on or as you initiate the power say with the ignition switch ( used the spare fuse in the fuse box to give the switched 12volt signal - fused of coarse) this gives enough time for the system to kick in and with the gain wound right down on the second amp gives me one hell of a pair of comp thumpers in the boot.
I have turned the passive up to allow 200hz by pass which does helpl with some of the loss from the rear speakers, turning up the treble on the front makes up for the rest of the sound.
worst case for the officiardos out there who have a compter for a set of ears and a brain that works faster than mine would say it need the mid range and tweeter upping in the boot to make it perfect, my argument to that is as soon as I reach for the roof open switch the rest you could say is history.

Well worth a thought if like me you struggle trying to connect in to the system and working to some tight budget.

Next challenge as a tight yorkshire man how to remote the roof with out spending £80 on a box of tricks.

Have fun

cysty