does this setup make sense

Hi, I've always been able to appreciate good quality audio, and have always wanted to have my own quality system. Unfortunately it all seems to have quite a learning curve. However, I've been doing a lot of reading on the internet lately, trying to educate myself on audio and electrical. So far I have a fairly basic idea of what I want to do in my vehicle, and I would appreciate any input somebody might have, as to whether it's feasible, lacking something, unnecessarily complicated, etc. My Wrangler has 2 1" tweeters on the top of the dash, 2 6.5" speakers on the dash by the knees, 2 6.5" speakers in a soundbar above and slightly behind the headrest and an 8" sub in the back. Factory HU. My plan thus far is to replace, in order of necessity, all of the speakers, and the sub. Also, to add some components. To integrate the OEM amp and the factory HU (which I like) without compromising any of the steering wheel controls, I would use an Audiocontrol LCQ-1 which would also give me some EQ control. A 6XS crossover and an Epicenter bass maximizer would also be included. From all this, the signal would then go to a JL XD300/1 for the sub, and a JL XD600/6 for the rest of the speakers. Two of the 6.5"s may also be replaced with 5.25"s. So there you have it, in a nutshell. Any questions, comments or constructive criticism?

first things first, lose the epicenter, all it does is synthesize bass notes and it is not necessary at all here. do you plan on just changing the factory sub and use the same factory enclosure? why do you want a 6 channel amp? is it because you want to run the front mids and tweeters all on their own individual channels? or do you want the possibility of putting extra speakers in at some point? or you can save yourself some money and run everything including the sub from the 6 channel amp.

Thanks for the feedback! I plan to continue using the current enclosure. It blends in nicely and leaves plenty of cargo space free. As for the six channel amp, because the XD600/6 has active crossovers for every two channels, I could filter signals for the tweeters, the 5.25s and the 6.5s. However, if I were to get the 6XS that rationale might be moot. I dont have any interest in adding more speakers, but I wasnt sure about the one ampbeing able to power all the speakers and the sub, but I also dont understand all of the options with wiring. Saving some money is definitely something Id consider!

I'd ditch both the terrible Epicenter and the 6XS, replace the front stage with good 2-way comps (and use the passive Xovers that come with them) and the sound bar speakers with coaxials, replace the factory sub completely (not just the driver, you'll be hard pressed to find an 8" speaker that will sound good in the factory enclosure) and run it all off a 5-channel amp like an Alpine PDX-V9. The LCQ-1 is a decent integration device to keep the factory head. And don't forget to run new speaker wires and to properly power everything.Support the12volt.com

DYohn wrote: I'd ditch both the terrible Epicenter and the 6XS, replace the front stage with good 2-way comps (and use the passive Xovers that come with them) and the sound bar speakers with coaxials, replace the factory sub completely (not just the driver, you'll be hard pressed to find an 8" speaker that will sound good in the factory enclosure) and run it all off a 5-channel amp like an Alpine PDX-V9. The LCQ-1 is a decent integration device to keep the factory head. And don't forget to run new speaker wires and to properly power everything.

Do you think there would still be a point to replacing two of the four 6.5"s with 5.25"s, or would that not be a huge deal with two two-way 6.5"s and two coaxial 6.5"s? Also, why do imply factory enclosures are poor enclosures? Is it because they're usually made of plastic rather than something like MDF?

ninjandrew wrote: Do you think there would still be a point to replacing two of the four 6.5"s with 5.25"s, or would that not be a huge deal with two two-way 6.5"s and two coaxial 6.5"s? Also, why do imply factory enclosures are poor enclosures? Is it because they're usually made of plastic rather than something like MDF?

Why would you change the size of the mid-woofs? Replace 6.5's with 6/5's if that's what's in there. As far as the OEM sub, yes it is plastic but more importantly it is likely a very small enclosure and you're not likely to find a better driver to stick in that than what's there now. Either use the factory sub or disconnect it and use something completely different.Support the12volt.com

DYohn wrote: ninjandrew wrote: Do you think there would still be a point to replacing two of the four 6.5"s with 5.25"s, or would that not be a huge deal with two two-way 6.5"s and two coaxial 6.5"s? Also, why do imply factory enclosures are poor enclosures? Is it because they're usually made of plastic rather than something like MDF? Why would you change the size of the mid-woofs? Replace 6.5's with 6/5's if that's what's in there. As far as the OEM sub, yes it is plastic but more importantly it is likely a very small enclosure and you're not likely to find a better driver to stick in that than what's there now. Either use the factory sub or disconnect it and use something completely different.

My rationale was that 5.25"s and 6.5"s could each produce their own specific range of frequencies more accurately, but to be perfectly honest I dont even know if thats really the case, or if it is, if it would even be worth the trouble.

As for the sub, maybe Ill try measuring the volume of the enclosure with packing peanuts and see if there's a sub out there that would suit it, but yes, it would still be plastic. If I were to get a new enclosure, does front firing tend to be the standard, or is there an audible or tactile difference to a down firing enclosure that I should consider ?

do a search for the TC sounds EPIC 8 at partsexpress.com, i was considering it a while ago to use in a super small enclosure. they say it works best in the smallest box it can possibly fit in or around .25 cubic feet sealed. this should suit your factory box nicely but it will still be made out of plastic. the plastic enclosure is most likely built to handle the factory sub with a given amount of power pushing it, so changing the sub and increasing the power could bust a seal in the box. also there is an acoustic difference because wood is more acoustically dead than plastic. this means that the sound from the back of the sub can escape the box more easily, which causes the sub to not sound as good as it could be. you probably wont be able to hear much difference in a jeep that is far from acoustically insulated from the outside. i wouldnt worry about any difference between a 5 1/4 vs a 6 1/2, the 6.5 might get you a hair more bass but that is what the sub woofer is there for so either way you will not see any benefit from using different sized speakers.

soundnsecurity wrote: do a search for the TC sounds EPIC 8 at partsexpress.com, i was considering it a while ago to use in a super small enclosure. they say it works best in the smallest box it can possibly fit in or around .25 cubic feet sealed. this should suit your factory box nicely but it will still be made out of plastic. the plastic enclosure is most likely built to handle the factory sub with a given amount of power pushing it, so changing the sub and increasing the power could bust a seal in the box. also there is an acoustic difference because wood is more acoustically dead than plastic. this means that the sound from the back of the sub can escape the box more easily, which causes the sub to not sound as good as it could be. you probably wont be able to hear much difference in a jeep that is far from acoustically insulated from the outside. i wouldnt worry about any difference between a 5 1/4 vs a 6 1/2, the 6.5 might get you a hair more bass but that is what the sub woofer is there for so either way you will not see any benefit from using different sized speakers.

This is all good to know. Would a product like dynamat or fat mat help improve my plastic enclosure?

dynamat probably wouldnt make a noticeable difference in sound and definitely wont help with strength. just work with what you have now and if it sounds bad then you know you need a need box.