dbphelps

A pair of TC Sounds TC2+ 12" subs.

Over the years I had my hands on a couple of Q475.1s, a single Q120.4, a Q275.2 and a Q175.2... I still have one of each and they are all installed in my Trans-Am... Oh, and the Balanced Line Drivers are real, I own 4 of them. Also used in the above install. Proof: Pictures of the Q475.1 (up top), Q275.2 (on the right) and the Q120.4 (on the left), this was during the build phase: And in this pic you can see the balanced line inputs to the amps: If you haven't noticed, I made sure the amps were given the honor they deserve in the install. They are raised up and displayed properly for the beasts that they are. The last amp just couldn't fit anywhere up top, so it is underneath the sub box: I ended up using the balanced line drivers for everything but the rear-fill amp. I would have prefered to only run standard RCAs for the Q475.1, but with it needing 4 line inputs and with it being the top amp it demanded the balanced line drivers for asthetics. I ended up modifying the cable for the Q475.1 to a y-cable so I could run it with a single balanced line driver at least. Hmm, just had a thought... Does anyone know if the single line-output from the Q475.1 can be used as a single line-input? If that were the case I am sure I could even have a single RCA made to match the asthetics and move the last balanced line driver off to the rear-fill amp. For a layout, the system is broken down as follows: Q120.4 Ch1+Ch2 - Front Tweeters - Active H701 Q275.2 Ch1+Ch2 - Front Midbass - Active H701 Q120.4 Ch3+Ch4 - Front Center Channel - Active H701 + Passive CDT xover Q175.2 Ch1+Ch2 - Rear Fill - Active H701 + Passive CDT xover Q475.1 - Running 2 ohm into subs - Active H701 The rest of the system is: Alpine IVA-D900 headunit Alpine HDA-5460 MP3 HDD unit Alpine RUX-C700 Processor Controller Alpine PXA-H701 Processor Alpine NVE-852A Navigation Alpine SEA-8081 Alarm w/8502 pager Seas Neo Al Tweeters CDT Mids CDT Midbasses I used to own 4 of Zeds last line, including a couple of Miniliths, a Duece and a Draconia (with both the Duece and Draconia being of the Burr-Brown versions)... Unfortunately, I did not have a vehicle install on the horizon to take advantage of them (even tho I did have a CDA-7949 w/PXA-H600 setup that would have been the perfect source for those in a pure SQ capacity), so I let them go to someone who was putting together a nice setup. I also sold off the CDA-7949/PXA-H600 setup so I wouldn't be tempted to buy more amps until I need them...

I am running 4 Zed ESX amps in my setup: Q120.4 for front tweeters (active) and center channel (passive) Q275.2 for front midbass (active) Q175.2 for rear components (passive) Q475.1 for subs Excellent sound quality, loud as all hell, but clean at the same time... Pretty much the nicest LSQ setup going... I modified the power/ground terminals to accept 4-gauge on all the amps... I run 0/1 gauge power to distro blocks as well as a rear battery through the distro blocks as well... 4-gauge to each amp from there, with less than 3 feet per amplifier... All speaker cable is 12-gauge, except for the front tweeters, they got 16-gauge for the run... All the amp signals are supplied via the ESX BLD-1 balanced line drivers... Signal cable from processor to BLDs is less than 2ft... I have a restricted area to run cabling to the amps, so the signal cable needed to be run alongside the power cabling to the amplifiers themselves for the last 3 feet or so... Using the balanced line cables I am not worried at all about noise... Plus the mini-din cables look kickass compared to a bunch of RCA cables at the amps... About my only 'issue' with the ESX amps is that they tend to rattle a bit when mounted and with high SPLs... I need to slide the end panels off the amps and figure a way to secure them better... I was contemplating using Gorilla tape along the bottom of the mounting plate where it meets the heatsink, but I am not certain that is a long-term solution...

Please do not place WTB topics in main section. We have a section made for that.

Well, I actually own 2 of these units, with one mint in the box, including the owners manual, but I don't know how motivated I am to scan the entire thing in, to be quite honest... Is there anything in particular you need to know about the unit? I will say that I love my CDA-7949 headunit along with the PXA-H600 as a combo... Excellent sound quality, and I am taken to how the processor shapes the bass regions to be totally accurate (most people would argue perfection sounds 'thin', but I like knowing it is perfect as a starting point, then I can EQ and shape it to how I want it to sound)...

I agree, it was not my intent to start an argument, it is just that FAR too many people feel 'thier way' is the best or *only* way that is 'best'... This topic was in regards to a 5.1, as can it sound good, is it worthwhile and how can it be done 'properly'... IMHO, I feel I had those same goals, and put the effort and engineering into my own setup, which turned out great, thus I added my point of reference to the mix... I mean the whole 12 15" sub SPL thing doesn't do a darn thing for me, but I don't try to argue that there is too many subs, or that it sounds like sh*t... Thus I wonder why people with 'stereo from the front is all that matters' ideals are so adament about arguing that point with anyone and everyone... Hell, good point of reference here, is that most people that like hip-hop prefer the sound as it is in a night club/rave and think the 'audiophile' sound of that music on a reference system tends to sound thin and like ass... Point here being that if you are going to try to be a 'stereo' elitest, you have to balance that by saying which music you prefer on such a system, again with subjectivity being the key point... Actually, if you have multi-channel source material that was recorded/mastered in say 5.1, it could be argued that to play it on equipment that is only stereo is basically missing out on a large portion of the original material (as is argued that people like stereo and not mono, but if the source was mono, then you using too many channels to listen to it)...

Actually, because *I* think it does... End of subject, since it is a SUBJECTIVE element... Stop being a purist as I built *MY* system for *MY* enjoyment... It is built as a (if I *had* to define it) LSQ setup, in that it is clear, dynamic, great staging, great presence, accurate and then, lastly, it can get loud as hell, all while keeping those previous attributes... And I firmly believe those that say something can't get loud while remaining accurate only say that because they haven't done it yet... You know it is loud when your eardrums hurt but you couldn't even tell it was really 'too loud' while listening to it... Big difference from most 'loud' setups that are just distortion, thus you *think* it is loud because it is distorting, when in reality it is not too loud at all... And I firmly disagree that you need only 2 channels for good sound... In a given space additional channels can greatly add to the experience, IF DONE PROPERLY... And to your comment about home theatre setups, realistically if you put as much effort into a multi-channel setup, especially with multi-channel source material, that you would to make a stereo setup sound phenomenol you will end up with a much richer experience... And yes, it all costs quite a bit more to do a multi-channel setup 'right' than to do a stereo setup, so maybe you just haven't spent enough to do it 'right', thus your disappointment is due to being too frugile??? I fuilly agree with sqguyib, that I ALWAYS prefer rear-fill in any car, without exception... it makes the sound fuller and more spacious, but again, only if it is done 'right'...

Eh, no. Are you saying that you don't like 5.1 setups at all, or that you just have never heard one that is setup properly and sounds good?

Yes, you can turn off any/all outputs at will, as well as choosing various different decoding modes (such as Dolby Digital/Rear-Fill/Prologic II Movie/Music, etc...)

BLACKonBLACK98, don't let all of these nay-sayers disuade you from what you want, as most (if not all) of them OBVIOUSLY have never heard a *GOOD* 5.1 setup in a car... My setup is as follows: (Mind you, the car is fully sounddeadened with not only mat but also a 1/4" closed cell foam top-layer) In dash: IVA-D900 DVD headunit HDA-5460 MP3 headunit (slaves to the D900) RUX-C700 controller SEA-8081 Alarm Brain In back: NVE-N852a DVD Navigation unit IVA-D900 Brain unit PXA-H701 processor TUE-T020XM XM Tuner SEC-8205 Alarm Pager unit 4x ESX-BLD1 balanced line drivers ESX Quantum Q120.4 Amplifier ESX Quantum Q275.2 Amplifier ESX Quantum Q475.1 Amplifier ESX Quantum Q175.2 Amplifier Subs: 2x 12" TC-Sound TC2+ subs in sealed enclosure, 1000 watts for the pair Sub box in the hatch Front Stage: 2x Seas Neo Al Tweeters in A-pillars - Actively crossed over, 150 watts per 2x CDT M6 midbass drivers in front doors - Actively crossed over, 350 watts per Center Channel: 2x Seas Neo Al Tweeters w/2x CDT HD-4 Mids passively crossed over, 150 watts per pair (300 watts total, 4 drivers, 2 crossovers) Mounted inside the cowl under the windshield Rear Fill/Surround: 2x CDT TW-25 Silk Tweeters w/2x CDT HD-6 Midbasses passively crossed over, 225 watts per pair Mounted in the rear sidepanels As I outlined, only the front stage (FL/FR) is active, the remainder (C/RL/RR) is passive (outside of high-pass filters for bass filtering as needed) and the subs obviously are active as well (with both low-pass and subsonic filtering)... I can say that it sound OUTSTANDING with the fronts/rears in stereo and the center channel using the built-in H701 steering to derive the center channel. The key here being that the center channel is a REAL center, not a simple 4" mid and tweeter, but dual 4" mids and dual tweeters run with almost as much power as the front l/r get... Now the center channel uses a bit of a higher cutoff compared to the front midbasses, but it definitly offers solid up-front midbass reinforcement, adds to the presence of the system and definitly helps fcus the soundstage and adds depth to it as well... I think far too many people are stuck on the 'audiophile' idealism without even understanding it at all... There is a reason 5.1, 6.1 and even 7.1 technologies are taking hold and it equates to maximizing sound within a spacial field, which in a car is far from ideal, thus lends itself WELL to multi-channel audio technologies... Hell, most homes sound better with a mutli-channel sound system compared to 'pure stereo' due to the fact taht we all have to live in a compromised space and most 'audiophiles' with deep pockets actually 'build' rooms because they have the means with the ability to maximize stereo audio to the nth degree... I personally feel that most audio systems are probably not built with the proper direction, budget or equipment to pull of a 'good sounding' 5.1 or more audio experience, but if planned out, designed properly and installed well, there is no reason a 5.1 system can't sound as good, and usually can most definitley sound better, than a 'stereo' setup... Now, all sound is subjective, but if you really want a good 5.1 setup, go for it... I believe I know of the amp you are referring to, it has the 'majority' of a H701 built into it and only interfaces to certain headunits the can control all of it's functions and basically all you need to do is slave a sub amp off of it and you have a complete 5.1 setup with everything but the option to add an active front stage compared to the H701... With good sounddeadening and proper setup, crossover point setting and EQ'ing you should be able to make a 'simple' two-amp 5.1 setup sound phenomenol... If you are interested I could post some pictures of the setup during installation and of the finished product... All of this is installed in a 1995 Pontiac Trans-Am with over 1000hp available, which means built motor, supercharged, etc... Basically the entire car was built up to the 'super-car' ideal, with the only 'stock' part left in it is the transmission...

Are you guys serious, a year before Draconias are available??? I am a long-term Zed fan, having 4 ESX Quantums with balanced line drivers in my latest install ('95 Trans-Am, Q475.1, Q275.2, Q120.4 and a Q175.2), and have just started collecting the latest Zed Audio lineup for a new install in a 'yet to be purchased' vehicle and have started with a Minilith and a Burr-Brown edition of 'The Duece' and was looking to buy another Minilith as well as a Burr Brown Draconia and possibly a Burr Brown Gladius for center channel duty... If it is going to be a year for Draconia availability I think there will be a few of us willing to pay above Zed prices for truely 'mint' burr brown units... I must say I always liked my ESX Quantums, and have been a long-term Zed Audio faithful having put together systems with not only ESXs, but also with the Nakamichis and even some US Acoustics setups, but with my latest install I am officially a Zed Audio FANATIC, in that it has sound quality and dynamics I couldn't have imagined possible... So, needless to say, the next install with be with all Zed Audio signature amps...

Hey guys, I already have a 200amp alternator, Exide Orbital Extreme 34XCD battery, big 3 upgrade, and 2-gauge running about 14-15 feet to the hatch, protected by a 200-amp ANL fuse by the battery, with a 3-farad capacitor in the hatch... My old setup that I am upgrading required about 40-50 amps for items other than the stereo (nitrous system, massive fuel pump, etc) as well as about 90 for the old stereo setup, thus about 130-140 amps at most, so the 2-gauge wiring was just fine with the 3-farad cap thrown in for good measure... Now, I am upgrading the amps and speakers in my setup and am looking at about 1500-1700watts RMS, thus about 160-170 amps for the stereo alone, then add on top of that the 40-50 amps needed for other things, so I am around 200-220 amps total... All amplifiers in old/new setups are class A/B, no class D at all... So, I have been planning to upgrade the 2-gauge wire to a 1/0 gauge, replacing the 200 amp fuse with a 250-300 amp fuse, and being done with it... But, I am contemplating another route that would make my install easier as I wouldn't have to rewire anything, just add stuff in back, and that would be to add something like a Kinetic 600/800 series, Oddeysey PC625 or Batcap 800, along with a battery isolation relay, leaving the 2-gauge wiring I have in place along with the 200-amp ANL fuse and just wiring up the new battery in back, and either keeping or getting rid of the 3-farad cap while I am at... Is there any real major drawbacks to adding the battery instead of rewiring to 1/0-gauge? From all my calculations, if my maximum run length from the new battery in back to the amps is 6 feet or less even 2 gauge is perfectly fine there, and for charging of the battery in back the 2-gauge 15 foot run is just fine as well... With this design I can only see positives as there is added battery capacity, quick discharge/recharge, and no need to rewire... If this is the case, should I also get rid of the 3-farad cap as well? The only detractor for rewiring to 1/0 gauge, aside from the obvious cost, is for my setup it would be a real PITA to run something that large...