Newbie DIY setup for Van - please help!!

Hey all

I have so many questions... well I guess I wouldn`t be here otherwise! Please bear with me, it`s not simply that I like the sound of my own voice here... I have just bought a Movano van (hi-top, LWB - huge) and as a carpenter who spends a lot of time driving it around, and since I value my music over things like tv or sex, I want to set up my sound just right. I have one of the most eclectic music collections on the planet, but would like to set up my system for hip hop and drum n bass specifically, so would like clearly defined lows (NOT the thud-thud bass - rather clarity of rolling basslines etc). Being 32, I want to hear all the bass notes at normal volume, not deafen myself or rattle my teeth out.

Being a complete novice at this sort of thing, I`ve done quite a lot of research on the net. Currently I have a pair of Kenwood KFC-w3002 subs (500w peak, 12” @ 150w RMS, 4 ohms) kicking about, and I just bought the following to power them up: Kenwood KAC-7204, 1000w, 2 ch amp (RMS: 170W x 2 at 4ohms / 250W x 2 at 2ohms / 500W x 1 at Bridged 4ohms) .

So I figure that the subs/amp are fairly well matched (?). If I run the amp at 170W x 2 at 4ohms (dunno how yet but I`ll figure that out later.. don`t even know what bridged means lol) this should do it. Now since those subs aren`t in production anymore, it took me a whole day (yes a whole day) to find the ported box size for them (off someone else`s forum post), which is apparently 1.6 cubic feet with a 3” diameter port by 6” long. Ported is, as I understand it, is the best for bass definition as opposed to thud-thud bass.

So... With the layout of the van (it has a 18mm ply bulkhead right behind the seats, sealing off the front cab completely) I need as much space in the back as possible, especially floor space (for tools and materials). I can mount the amp in the rear of the van, above the cab, on the shelf that sits directly over the driver and passenger`s heads... the subs need to go facing forward, each mounted in a 12” hole in the bulkhead, encased in a ported box located in the rear of the van. I can`t mount them above seat-height (since this will be nothing less than an invitation to break into the van for its audio gear) and I need to stay away from 1.6 cu ft boxes on the floor of the van at the front (right where the side loading door is, and where my tools get shoved in and out all day long). So I was thinking of putting both subs vertically above each other in a double ported box, directly behind the driver`s seat (taking up the least floor space, being furthest from the side loading door, and possibly able to be hidden in the racking that I`m going to build all along that side of the van anyway). Will this work, considering that both subs will be facing the back of my seat, the top one only about 4” away from it...

Ok so with a bit of tweaking that could be the bass sorted. Ish. Now the rest of the sound. I could put 6x9s or whatever, free-air mounted in the same ply bulkhead somewhere, but I`d rather not have the “main” sound coming from behind me while driving. Now this is where my already nearly insignificant knowledge pales into complete insignificance.....

As far as I understand, 6x9s are really for a full-ish spectrum of sound – a bit of bass, some mid and a bit of high. So... With the subs set up right, 6x9`s are not necessary are they? Can I replace the 5.25” factory fitted speakers in the door panels with a pair of good 5.25” speakers, running off a separate 2 ch amp? Would this work, and would it be sufficient for the full range of sound, within reason that is? And what sort of amp/5” speaker combo would be good to supplement the subs/amp on this system?

Sorry for the essay, like I said I just want to do this right the first time and any help at all would be greatly appreciated!!

 

well, as i`m sure everyone says: "not alot, really"! I`m in the UK so we`re talking £200 max. that`s about $250 or $300.

Will a pair of 5.25" speakers suffice or would that only cover mid-range and therefore make it sensible to get some sort of tweeter too?

 

150w total RMS per pair of speakers, and a 320w total RMS amp in 2 ohm mode?? Or am I missing something here :huh:

good price though

 

Cool, thanx... I`ll see if I can get it or something similar here in the UK. I`ll be back real soon when I have the gear and need to know how to set it up - the peeps in the UK forums are useless (preferring to talk about themselves and their own systems than help in any way lol)

Oh just one quickie - how do you wire 2 amps off the same head unit? Do you just get a cable diverter or something? Or do you use the front speaker wires to one amp and rear to the subs (?) Nooooo idea how this works, I`m sure you guessed that ^_^

 

yep, sure did! Tell me... Are there any websites that are good at explaining how to set up crossovers for subs on one amp, and for mids/tweeters on the other? Or how to set up an amp in general? I have no idea how to do that - never tried, never been shown! In fact I don`t even know anyone into this sort of thing...