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power front-vs-rear


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druidpagen 
Member - Posts: 13
Member spacespace
Joined: November 09, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: November 10, 2006 at 12:46 AM / IP Logged  

im an installer so i know what im doing but im a little gray in this area. im currentl;y building my system. i try to scrap most of my old components when i get a different vehicle so i can tune it specifically to my car and it's just fun when it's your own :D. this is one thing i've heard before but never actually tried. i've heard front speakers should actually be run more power than the rear. i sent mr kephart a private msg but haven't gotten a response yet. im looking for actual  installer response here as i've been installing 12 years now for a hoby. opinions are welcome and definately facts but i want to avoid opinions cough cough (gueses). anyone heard of this?

i ordered my front speakers  and already have my rear speakers and amp. im running a power acoustic plasma sphere ts960-4 running a pair of infinity referance 6x9's at 100 watts rms and a new JBL something or another 12" 4ohm sub(lol) bridged @ 250 watts. im actualy pushing in reality 125 watts rms to the 6x9's and 270 to my sub. not to bad for a cheapo *grin*. my fronts i ordered are swiss audio 4" components (wich i picked for the high power capability, rave reviews, and cheap price of 80$ new for a component set-uP, and mainly -they come w/ silk tweeters that match the sound of my infinity 6x9 silk tweets-i love silk compared to titanium). running it all is a clarion drx7575z (wich im waiting on parts cause i ripped the interface off he he). i'm gonna pick up another plasma sphere cause it's afordable and i love the display! but your posts will directly efect what model i order.

if  the replies are "yes run more power to the front" i left myself with options.i can get a new power acoustic 150x2 for my front and keep my cuurent set up for 6x9 and sub.

if no the reply is "no or run equal" i can run 100x4 front and rear and get a new amp (same amp as above but bridged at 360w rms) to run my sub.

sorry so long but im new to this sight and wanted some suport to my new project and just got out of an installer institute. BTW i build my own box tuned to my cars tuning freq and need to pick up some glue for my rear view mirror at only  250 w lol.

boulderguy 
Silver - Posts: 510
Silver spacespace
Joined: April 17, 2005
Location: United States
Posted: November 10, 2006 at 8:44 AM / IP Logged  
The simple answer is whatever sounds right to you.
Seriously, some ppl are adamant that the soundstage should only be up front & they don't even run rear speakers. In theory they're correct, the rear speakers will only muddy the soundstage.
But others, me included, really like having some rear fill. How much fill depends on the listener. Some go for equal power to the rear, some for 1/2 power, etc. Most advocates of rear fill will have lower RMS in rear, like 2/3's or 1/2 power.
This gives you the sensation of being bathed in music w/o coloring the front speakers too much. A number of 4-ch amps have staggered output for this reason.
So again, it boils down to what you like. If you're investing heavily in the front speakers you'll probably be best to weight them more heavily than the rears. Otherwise there's no harm done in powering them equally & just playing with the fader to find what you like.
I personally have equal power fr & rr and adjust the fader depending on the music. Usually it's about 1/2 power to the rear, full up front, good for vocals & SQ recordings. For those techno or obscene volume moods I'll turn up the rear & feel the midbass punchiness.
kicker guy 
Copper - Posts: 86
Copper spacespace
Joined: August 25, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: November 10, 2006 at 8:54 AM / IP Logged  
boulderguy is right, it is what sounds the best to you. And yes most people that I know and have talked to about it do run less power to the back and I am one of them I run 2/3 to the back and full up front in my opinion it does create a better soundstage
druidpagen 
Member - Posts: 13
Member spacespace
Joined: November 09, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: November 10, 2006 at 1:16 PM / IP Logged  

ok thanks guys

"The simple answer is whatever sounds right to you."

lol this is my thought as well lol. just wanted some general thought on the issue, again thanks. i personaly  prefer more in the rear and start with an all rear signal and adjust the front fade untill it sounds good to me. usually i end up slightly more in the rear. but i've never had the option running equal power with the front locations (having 3.5 tiny front speakers). i'll run 100x4. usaully having the only 4 door car i end up playing taxi and  blasting my passengers  and drowning them out(sometimes this is a good thing lol). maybe now that i have a small coup i won't have to anymore :D

im also thinking about putting an 8" sub in the front later on to get a full front sound spectrum.

DYohn 
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Moderator spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Electrical Theory. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Mobile Audio and Video. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: April 22, 2003
Location: Arizona, United States
Posted: November 10, 2006 at 1:39 PM / IP Logged  

In general, setting a system up with the same speakers in front and rear and the same power running them (like using a 4-channel amp) allows each user to customize the sound using the head unit fade control.

IMO, the front stage should be the main speakers you hear in any system.  I prefer to not hear the rear speakers in my car.  In fact, my current vehicle has no rear full-range speakers at all.

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sin0cide 
Copper - Posts: 49
Copper spacespace
Joined: August 03, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: November 10, 2006 at 9:38 PM / IP Logged  
I agree with DYohn... I plan on upgrade my speakers in my del sol and I plan on placing some midrange or woofer style speakers in the rear and some good componets in the front with equal power all around with a good quality 4 channel. I must add that the del sol has rears right behind your head so it is the worst possible sound stage for equal full range speakers like it came stock.
boulderguy 
Silver - Posts: 510
Silver spacespace
Joined: April 17, 2005
Location: United States
Posted: November 11, 2006 at 10:57 AM / IP Logged  
One other thing - rear fill can lift up the front soundstage sometimes, depending on the car.
normalicy 
Member - Posts: 48
Member spacespace
Joined: March 14, 2002
Location: United States
Posted: November 16, 2006 at 11:52 AM / IP Logged  
Ditto DYohn.
If you put equal power or even medium power to the rear speakers in a competition system, then you'll lose points. That's because it isn't natural for a large ammount of sound to come from behind you. Usually the only sound that you hear from behind in a concert setting is reflected sound, so not only will it be at a lower volume, but also it will be delayed & certain frequencies will be muted (depending on the enviroment). So, to get proper sound, then you'll have to get a processor to delay the sound. Otherwise, it won't sound natural, but confined. I personally would rather devote all my attention to the front speakers & just leave the rear speakers out. That way, not only do you have a less complex system, but you will have saved more money that you can invest to more power or better speakers up front. On top of that, if you don't have a hatchback, you will have that much more of an opening from the trunk to the cabin for bass from the subs to flow through.
Though as said above, if it makes you happy to have all around sound, then go ahead. Just don't compete. Or, if you are going for a 5.1 surround system, that'll be a completely different subject.
As for lifting the soundstage, that would be very dependant upon multiple factors. However, nothing will make up for properly setting up the front speakers in the first place. It would only be a band-aid.
What is normal anyway???

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