three way or two way active front stage

[abmoore 8]

I am rebuilding my system and am going to start with my front stage. I have a 2004 Chevy Tahoe and listen mostly to rock, rap, and trance. It will be a daily driver and I am focused on SQ for the time being. I will be purchasing a pxa-h701 so I can run a 3 way active front stage and sub if I have the need to. I am also taking into consideration a 2 way front if that will work better. I have decided on kicks for the highs and mids, and the door for the midbass, but they will be crossed low. If I do a two way, I will just do the kicks. I need some recommendations for speakers, but I have been looking at HAT, Morel, Dayton, and Scanspeak. I am especially interested in the HAT L4 so far, because of the extended bandwidth.

For amps I am considering the Zapco DC650.6, the ZED Audio Leviathan, Zuki Eleets, and the Sundown 50.4 and 125.2. Just would like to know what some of you think about the decisions I have already made and then some suggestions for what I should do. Thanks.

[Impious 1,476]

I don't see the point in going with the DC amplifier if you are using an H701. I would choose the Zed out of those options.

Dayton & Scanspeak are good options for speakers, although there are dozens more that could be recommended aswell. What type of budget are you working with?

If this is your first attempt at active, I would recommend you stick to a 2-way front stage.

[abmoore 8]

I don't see the point in going with the DC amplifier if you are using an H701. I would choose the Zed out of those options.

Dayton & Scanspeak are good options for speakers, although there are dozens more that could be recommended aswell. What type of budget are you working with?

If this is your first attempt at active, I would recommend you stick to a 2-way front stage.

I was leaning towards the ZED actually, I like when my first choice is backed up haha. I would like my budget for speakers to stay below 800-900. I wouldn't mind doing the three way though since I would give the midbass a small, limited range. Would that still be difficult to do? I do have an RTA on hand and the pxa-h100 is compatible with the h701 so I could still use the imprint microphone to flatten my response in case the RTA is too hard to manage. Any specific choices for speakers too?

[ABXX49 20]

800-900 for JUST the drivers? If so, you have some sick options.

[abmoore 8]

800-900 for JUST the drivers? If so, you have some sick options.

Yeah wait. Let me go 700-800, still more than I want to spend, but it always ending up happening anyway.

[ABXX49 20]

800-900 for JUST the drivers? If so, you have some sick options.

Yeah wait. Let me go 700-800, still more than I want to spend, but it always ending up happening anyway.

Are you allotting any money for some sort of noise barriers? If you're goal is to achieve better sound quality, this is a must.

I'd say your next step is to decide on the 3 or 2-way. This is really up to you, and what you think your install and audio experience will allow you to do.

After deciding that, I say we pick out the amplifiers. After we do that we can discuss mounting options that we have for this, and finally we can pick drivers.

[ABXX49 20]

Have you thought about going with a CD player that has an equalizer built into it? So you can do everything from up front?

[abmoore 8]

Have you thought about going with a CD player that has an equalizer built into it? So you can do everything from up front?

I already have a W505, that controls the h701 from up front, so I will have a lot of equalization options, time alignment, and other goodies with that. I already have deadened all my doors, panels, and am about to do my roof. I also am planning on the firewall and floor soon, and there is also foam throughout the car stopping most of my annoying rattles and things.

[Impious 1,476]

Would that still be difficult to do?

I think you underestimate the difficulty in properly tuning an active setup It's no cake walk to get right. I would rather have a well executed 2-way front stage than a mediocre 3-way. Bridge 4 channels of the Lev down to two for your mids, since they will likely be 8ohm that'll give you 300w to each mid for great headroom and use the last 2 channels for the tweeters. And you'll still have all the pieces in place so that in the future it'd be a fairly simple switch to go 3-way. An RTA while possibly useful won't be extremely helpful. There are a lot of issues an RTA can't help you with.

Your budget allows a pretty wide range of driver choice. You could really spend a lot less than your budget on a quality 2-way and if tuned and installed properly have really great results.

EDIT: Deja Vu.....haven't we had this conversation before? LOL

[abmoore 8]

Would that still be difficult to do?

I think you underestimate the difficulty in properly tuning an active setup It's no cake walk to get right. I would rather have a well executed 2-way front stage than a mediocre 3-way. Bridge 4 channels of the Lev down to two for your mids, since they will likely be 8ohm that'll give you 300w to each mid for great headroom and use the last 2 channels for the tweeters. And you'll still have all the pieces in place so that in the future it'd be a fairly simple switch to go 3-way. An RTA while possibly useful won't be extremely helpful. There are a lot of issues an RTA can't help you with.

EDIT: Deja Vu.....haven't we had this conversation before? LOL

Haha, we have actually, but it got so off topic, it was locked so I never finished it. I will go with a two way then. I guess do that in the kicks then? How do you like the HAT L1 pro for the tweets, then there were some Daytons although I cannot remember which ones. That kinda throws me off on the mids though, any suggestions?

[///M5 2,833]

2 way first time out and EXPECT to change shortly.

Spending money on the HAT options isn't worthwhile, in particular since if you are truly gung ho about a 3 way you will be changing things up after you figure it all out (ie 6mo after you do the first install).

Spend more time planning your install, focusing on deadening, aiming, and tuning and less time on drivers. In the end you will be rewarded.

As for 2 way recommendations, I would still be a proponent of picking "easy" drivers instead of ones with anomalies. ie paper cones and not magnesium or other ones with nasty breakup modes. Get your ears used to what changes with what settings and then decide. I'd also recommend used drivers first and the expectation that you will change them up after listening to them for a while. If not, I guarantee you will toss money away as a change will be in order no matter what. Take your $700 budget and spend $150-200 on used stuff, tell us what you like and don't like about it and THEN go shopping for your $700 (-50 for depreciation) and really get your monies worth.

Just my .02

[abmoore 8]

2 way first time out and EXPECT to change shortly.

Spending money on the HAT options isn't worthwhile, in particular since if you are truly gung ho about a 3 way you will be changing things up after you figure it all out (ie 6mo after you do the first install).

Spend more time planning your install, focusing on deadening, aiming, and tuning and less time on drivers. In the end you will be rewarded.

As for 2 way recommendations, I would still be a proponent of picking "easy" drivers instead of ones with anomalies. ie paper cones and not magnesium or other ones with nasty breakup modes. Get your ears used to what changes with what settings and then decide. I'd also recommend used drivers first and the expectation that you will change them up after listening to them for a while. If not, I guarantee you will toss money away as a change will be in order no matter what. Take your $700 budget and spend $150-200 on used stuff, tell us what you like and don't like about it and THEN go shopping for your $700 (-50 for depreciation) and really get your monies worth.

Just my .02

700 was just my max, anything less would be great. I listen to a lot of the newer rock and really like authoritative midbass and more natural highs, they are way to bright for me now. My ears also seem to be real sensitive around the 3.2-4khz range, don't know if that's normal.

This is also the first time I will be using kicks for myself, so I was thinking of maybe just getting some prefabricated ones from q logic and then try to angle them the way I want, so basically as close to on-axis as possible. So what would be some specific drivers you would recommend for this set up. Oh, and I am going to deaden everything I can and I probably will start another thread about the questions I have about that later. Thanks.

[///M5 2,833]

Large format tweet fit with a 7" in your kicks?

[abmoore 8]

Large format tweet fit with a 7" in your kicks?

Wait is that a suggestion or a question, because I read up on them and I think that would fit.

[///M5 2,833]

Question, what do you mean by you think?

7" and a 4" tweeter takes a foot of space, it really isn't easy.

[abmoore 8]

Question, what do you mean by you think?

7" and a 4" tweeter takes a foot of space, it really isn't easy.

Sorry, thought you meant 2" tweeter. Where do you suggest for the mounting location then, maybe mid in the door and tweeter in the kick, but still try and keep them close as possible? I do have a good amount of space on the floor I can utitlize and I guess between the a-pillars and the dash. Wouldn't I want to keep them as far away from me as I can and close to the mids or will the seperate crossovers and time correction compensate for that?