My new car 2012 chevy Cruze lt. I currently have one Memphis Mojo 12 and a few component sets, infinit kappa perfect component set missing one tweeter and ma audio full set. I have a few questions concerns;
1. Should I spend the money to upgrade after market radio or just use the speaker wires with a converter to get signal to the amps I'm running. The master speaker housing for the factory wires is right below my steering wheel and is very accessible. I have just always been curious of how much signal is lost or how much better a after market deck would be?
2. What amps should I buy to get the best power and sound quality for the money? I had an Orion hcca 5000 running that one sub before. I'm not sure if the dual voice coils on my sub are 2 or 4 ohm, but either way that was a little more power than I plan on using this time. It was very loud while the gain below half, but sometimes didn't sound the best. Crossovers are my weakness. Also any suggestions for an amp for mid and highs would be appreciated. Still not sure if I plan to change the door speakers out or just add an amp to them. I hear that they sound good with a little more power.
3. I had 0 gauge wire for my last install. It was a little much as well. More of a pain to run and connect. What gauge would be power appropriate for my install and will a capacitor help out enough not straining the car battery? I'm getting older now and am more worried about hurting the car or my warranty. So keep that in mind. I'm willing to spend the money on the right fit, but would rather have less power if saves wear and tear on the car.
Summary; I tried to keep it short. I have been without a good system for awhile and I have had a lot of good ones in the past. I plan on having this car for awhile, so I really have more sound quality as my focus. Thanks for any help u have or suggestions. They are much appreciated. I do plan on posting pics and keeping this post updated.
Thanks for reading,
Brian
I'm not familiar with the Cruze so I don't know if you even CAN install an after market head unit without a lot of fab work. But in general, tapping speaker-level signals for a subwoofer will work, as long as the speakers you are tapping receive a full-range signal and you use the subwoofer amp's crossover, etc. Providing more power to OEM speakers is not necessarily a good idea as they are generally the smallest possible to work with the OEM amps to save weight and cost. Upgrading OEM speakers will almost always produce better SQ. And lastly, you can use the Power and Ground chart on this forum for guidance on how large your power and ground wire should be, and consider upgrading the Big 3.
-------------
Support the12volt.com