Noob Questions, Kicker L7 15" Subwoofer + Amp and more

[nmerci]

Hello all,

I'm a noob when it comes to all things car audio and would just like some help. I've tried reading a lot of different guides and can't seem to make heads or tails of much of it.

I have two Kenwood 12" subwoofers and an 1800W Kenwood amp in the back of my car, and love them to death.

My sister, after listening to mine, went out and bought a single Kicker L7 15" subwoofer in a box, hooked up to a Hifonics HFI1000.1D amplifier. She paid $400 the entire setup off Craigslist. She threw it in her 1999 Blazer, and we got everything hooked up after a few hours.

However, after driving it around for a couple months, she's decided that she wants something both louder, and better sounding. She's willing to spend another $1000 on whatever upgrades are necessary (yeah putting $1000 into a sound system for a car worth $2500...)

We asked for opinions at a few local audio shops and got answers ranging from:

1) You need a better amp. 1000W isn't enough

2) You need to replace all the stock speakers in the car for better sound

3) You need to replace the head unit in the car

4) You should just add a 2nd L7 Subwoofer to the current setup

etc

and I just wanted some opinions from people who aren't trying to sell us their services.

Any and all information is greatly appreciated.

Click to read more...

 

[big scott]

it depends on what she really wants...

a better sounding system ??

better sounding or louder bass ??

or both ??

does she like here speakers ?

there so many ways this can go.

 

[Maky]

Hello all,
I'm a noob when it comes to all things car audio and would just like some help. I've tried reading a lot of different guides and can't seem to make heads or tails of much of it.

I have two Kenwood 12" subwoofers and an 1800W Kenwood amp in the back of my car, and love them to death.

My sister, after listening to mine, went out and bought a single Kicker L7 15" subwoofer in a box, hooked up to a Hifonics HFI1000.1D amplifier. She paid $400 the entire setup off Craigslist. She threw it in her 1999 Blazer, and we got everything hooked up after a few hours.

However, after driving it around for a couple months, she's decided that she wants something both louder, and better sounding. She's willing to spend another $1000 on whatever upgrades are necessary (yeah putting $1000 into a sound system for a car worth $2500...)

We asked for opinions at a few local audio shops and got answers ranging from:

1) You need a better amp. 1000W isn't enough

2) You need to replace all the stock speakers in the car for better sound

3) You need to replace the head unit in the car

4) You should just add a 2nd L7 Subwoofer to the current setup

etc

and I just wanted some opinions from people who aren't trying to sell us their services.

Any and all information is greatly appreciated.

Can you list the rest of your sisters equipment. All of it.

 

[nmerci]

it depends on what she really wants...
a better sounding system ??

better sounding or louder bass ??

or both ??

does she like here speakers ?

there so many ways this can go.

I don't think even she knows what she wants. She just has a lot of money and nothing to spend it on. She probably wants it to be louder and sound better. Right now my subs sound crisp, but hers is a lot of distortion

Can you list the rest of your sisters equipment. All of it.

As far as I know, that's all her equipment.

Everything else is just stock 1999 blazer stuff.

 

[big scott]

well you need to sit here down and find out what exactly she wants.

also does she want 1 sub.. or 2 subs ?

also what size speakers are in the blazer?

i have a 1st gen. blazer but im not sure what size speakers are in the newer ones.

i think there a 6.5 in the door. is there any on the dash ?

also mine had a 6x9 right behind the seats by the side window.

but i deleted mine.

 

[nmerci]

well you need to sit here down and find out what exactly she wants.
also does she want 1 sub.. or 2 subs ?

also what size speakers are in the blazer?

i have a 1st gen. blazer but im not sure what size speakers are in the newer ones.

i think there a 6.5 in the door. is there any on the dash ?

also mine had a 6x9 right behind the seats by the side window.

but i deleted mine.

She doesn't care if it's 1 sub, or 2, or even 6. She just wants it to be loud and sound crisp. They're 6.5" pioneer speakers of some sort but I don't know much more than that

 

[LongThrow]

She doesn't care if it's 1 sub, or 2, or even 6. She just wants it to be loud and sound crisp. They're 6.5" pioneer speakers of some sort but I don't know much more than that

Do what scott said.

If you have a stock headunit, youre going to want to get a head unit with 2 preouts, one for front and sub, and if your running rear fille speakers (speakers in your rear doors) you need a 3 preout. front rear AND sub.

Find out what door speaker sizes the front and back and any where else, such as tweeters (highly doubt older model blazers have them) or rear deck.

Sound deaden the doors

Do you want LOUD, bass, that rattles your chest, chokes you up, makes your vision blurry, you want LOUD, called an spl (sound pressure level) set up. If you want your subs to still be loud, but clean, tight, accurate, and solid you want a sq setup. if you like crisp, clean, clear, bright, even sound, you want a SQ set up. If you want both, you want a SQL (sound quality with a mix of spl)

If you want spl, get 2 subs, get a custom ported box tuned to the specifications of the subs you want to put in. Make sure yo uhave proper size gauge wires for the amplifier installs, as well as fused properly. If you want good sound, sq subs, you might want to go for a large sealed box. Even a ported box can sound good with a good bit of loudness, as long as it's tuned low enough.

Someone here can reccomend the audio equipment, you just have to tell us what your wanting. If you say, she wants "whatever, just loud." that doesnt help in the least bit.

POST ALL equipment, wires, head unit, amp, etc. sizes of speakers, etc.

L7s are for spl, and aren't great for SQ.

 

[nmerci]

Do what scott said.
If you have a stock headunit, youre going to want to get a head unit with 2 preouts, one for front and sub, and if your running rear fille speakers (speakers in your rear doors) you need a 3 preout. front rear AND sub.

Find out what door speaker sizes the front and back and any where else, such as tweeters (highly doubt older model blazers have them) or rear deck.

Sound deaden the doors

Do you want LOUD, bass, that rattles your chest, chokes you up, makes your vision blurry, you want LOUD, called an spl (sound pressure level) set up. If you want your subs to still be loud, but clean, tight, accurate, and solid you want a sq setup. if you like crisp, clean, clear, bright, even sound, you want a SQ set up. If you want both, you want a SQL (sound quality with a mix of spl)

If you want spl, get 2 subs, get a custom ported box tuned to the specifications of the subs you want to put in. Make sure yo uhave proper size gauge wires for the amplifier installs, as well as fused properly.

Someone here can reccomend the audio equipment, you just have to tell us what your wanting. If you say, she wants "whatever, just loud." that doesnt help in the least bit.

POST ALL equipment, wires, head unit, amp, etc. sizes of speakers, etc.

L7s are for spl, and aren't great for SQ.

Thank you for all the info. I never knew there was so much information to learn about car audio haha. I just bought my subwoofer setup and thought I had pretty much what everyone else had.

I now understand how useless the info I've been able to provide is. I'll have to talk to her some more a see what she wants.

I appreciate all of you taking the time to post responses, it really has helped a lot

 

[LongThrow]

Thank you for all the info. I never knew there was so much information to learn about car audio haha. I just bought my subwoofer setup and thought I had pretty much what everyone else had.
I now understand how useless the info I've been able to provide is. I'll have to talk to her some more a see what she wants.

I appreciate all of you taking the time to post responses, it really has helped a lot

All good, man. We all start somewhere. This isn't home audio, can't just plug and play, my friend.

Get all the info about her car, including what she wants, does she want loud bass booming kidney rumbling bass? Or clean, tight, smooth, accurate PUNCHY bass?

Get back to us.

 

[CSCStang]

Thank you for all the info. I never knew there was so much information to learn about car audio haha. I just bought my subwoofer setup and thought I had pretty much what everyone else had.
I now understand how useless the info I've been able to provide is. I'll have to talk to her some more a see what she wants.

I appreciate all of you taking the time to post responses, it really has helped a lot

I can get her very loud and clean bass running one 8" in a tline. Guaranteed. Not trying to sell my services perse, but the box is everything when it comes to bass.

 

[MrFoca]

I can get her very loud and clean bass running one 8" in a tline. Guaranteed. Not trying to sell my services perse, but the box is everything when it comes to bass.

Believe him when he says this. Dude should patent that box lol. Get the dual 8 box and be amazed

 

[sounds_explicit]

most kickers are junk except for the cvrs and the L7's.

the kicker l7's get really loud. i dont think she truly understands or knows how loud those subs get.

even 1 is enough to slam hard and loud and its a 15.

like mentioned above by cscstang the box is absolutely one of the most important pieces of your setup.

you can spend $1000 on a sub and throw it n a prefab and it will sound muffled so to speak and just not the right kind of bass you'll want from a 15.

first off. get her specs on her ride.

rated alt amperage

stock battery?

head unit if non factory. youll want a minimum of at least a sub pre out and a speaker pre out from aftermarket head unit.

you can use a stock head unit but you'll have more control over your system with a new one.

is that L7 a dual 2 ohm?

and it depends on how loud you want the setup. 1000 watts isnt enough ? says whO the guy at the car audio place that is obviously trying to sell you stuff.

you can get loud low clean bass with low power.

you dont need to replace the door speakers unless your absolutely wanting new ones. or unless your bass is so overpowering that you dont understand the music and just hear bass.

you get what you pay for in car audio,

id stick to getting information from here rather than dealing with a local car audio shop for 1 reason. we aren't hear to dig into your pockets, convince you you need things that is not necessary, and there is A LOT more people on this website that have more experience im willing to bet than a few guys at a car audio store.

i would suggest having her give you a ballpark dollar amount range she would like to stay in and relay back here, im 100% positive that youll end up getting better gear for your money than dealing with a car audio store that has limited brands.

and there are a handful of vendors on this forumn that can get you subs amps etc that your local car audio isnt able to.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Hello all,
I'm a noob when it comes to all things car audio and would just like some help. I've tried reading a lot of different guides and can't seem to make heads or tails of much of it.

I have two Kenwood 12" subwoofers and an 1800W Kenwood amp in the back of my car, and love them to death.

My sister, after listening to mine, went out and bought a single Kicker L7 15" subwoofer in a box, hooked up to a Hifonics HFI1000.1D amplifier. She paid $400 the entire setup off Craigslist. She threw it in her 1999 Blazer, and we got everything hooked up after a few hours.

However, after driving it around for a couple months, she's decided that she wants something both louder, and better sounding. She's willing to spend another $1000 on whatever upgrades are necessary (yeah putting $1000 into a sound system for a car worth $2500...)

We asked for opinions at a few local audio shops and got answers ranging from:

1) You need a better amp. 1000W isn't enough

2) You need to replace all the stock speakers in the car for better sound

3) You need to replace the head unit in the car

4) You should just add a 2nd L7 Subwoofer to the current setup

etc

and I just wanted some opinions from people who aren't trying to sell us their services.

Any and all information is greatly appreciated.

Amp is junk. HFI line is borderline boss audio crap, you'll be lucky to get 300 actual watts after impedance rise and voltage drops. Head unit is the main source of all the clean signal so thats needed. To get it louder she needs a custom box. I'm betting she has it in a pre-made made box which is basically junk for performance.

Not selling you a service, just showing you what it actually takes to get loud

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cscstang-customs/544782418996602?sk=photos_stream

A good enclosure can make a flea market sub sound amazing while an expensive sub in a Chinese built prefab or factory prefab box will get stomped hard.

You really need to know what she does not like about it or whats missing. Vocals? actual lung crushing bass? shaking deep bass? Or punchy tight upper bass?

 

[LongThrow]

[quote name='sounds_explicit']most kickers are junk except for the cvrs and the L7's.

like mentioned above by cscstang the box is absolutely one of the most important pieces of your setup.
you can spend $1000 on a sub and throw it n a prefab and it will sound muffled so to speak and just not the right kind of bass you'll want from a 15.




and it depends on how loud you want the setup. 1000 watts isnt enough ? says whO the guy at the car audio place that is obviously trying to sell you stuff.
you can get loud low clean bass with low power.


you get what you pay for in car audio,
id stick to getting information from here rather than dealing with a local car audio shop for 1 reason. we aren't hear to dig into your pockets, convince you you need things that is not necessary, and there is A LOT more people on this website that have more experience im willing to bet than a few guys at a car audio store.

i would suggest having her give you a ballpark dollar amount range she would like to stay in and relay back here, im 100% positive that youll end up getting better gear for your money than dealing with a car audio store that has limited brands.

and there are a handful of vendors on this forumn that can get you subs amps etc that your local car audio isnt able to.[/QUOTE]

Don't forget the cvx's are pretty good, too. Just expensive when compared to what you can get for cheaper.

Listen to cscstang, the box is the most vital part of the way your subs sound, followed by what head unit your using.
[quote name='Jeffdachef']Amp is junk. HFI line is borderline boss audio crap, you'll be lucky to get 300 actual watts after impedance rise and voltage drops. Head unit is the main source of all the clean signal so thats needed. To get it louder she needs a custom box. I'm betting she has it in a pre-made made box which is basically junk for performance.

Not selling you a service, just showing you what it actually takes to get loud

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cscstang-customs/544782418996602?sk=photos_stream

A good enclosure can make a flea market sub sound amazing while an expensive sub in a Chinese built prefab or factory prefab box will get stomped hard.

You really need to know what she does not like about it or whats missing. Vocals? actual lung crushing bass? shaking deep bass? Or punchy tight upper bass?[/QUOTE]
This, OP. Jeff is very active on this forum and has helped me out over the past year of being on this forum, the most.

And @Jeffdachef, about what you said about Hifonics, look here
Hifonics are now CEA 2006 Compliant.

 

[sounds_explicit]

[quote name='LongThrow']Don't forget the cvx's are pretty good, too. Just expensive when compared to what you can get for cheaper.

Listen to cscstang, the box is the most vital part of the way your subs sound, followed by what head unit your using.

This, OP. Jeff is very active on this forum and has helped me out over the past year of being on this forum, the most.

And @Jeffdachef, about what you said about Hifonics, look here
Hifonics are now CEA 2006 Compliant.[/QUOTE]

yes.

i would stick with that l7 for now. youll be amazed as to what 1 sub can do especially in a blazer.
a buddy of mine has 1 18 american bass hd on a ab 3500hd amp i think. custom box takes up whole back cargo area and rear seats. hits so harf and low. makes my body feel like jello.

puts my 2 12's ab xr's to shame lol.