So I made the jump and ordered the JL AUDIO TR650-CXI 6-1/2" for the rear and the JBL MS-62C 6.5" for the front. In addition I ordered DYNAMAT XTREME DOOR KIT EXTREME 12 FT² 4ea 12"x36" Sheets for sound deadening and the 5.75 ZEnclosures spacers for the front speakers.

As for the head-unit, I have the Avic X910bt and realize that it will not put out the power needed to get the sound I want from my speakers. Unfortunately, I have no idea about car audio and do not want to order the wrong amp or begin installing everything if I am incapable of finishing it.

Because I plan on installing a sub later this year, I am torn between a 4 channel amp for the speakers and a mono for the subs or a capable 5 channel that can handle both.

Right now I have my eye on either the JL Audio XD400/4 or the JL Audio XD700/5. Therefore, I need help deciding between the two, but am open to other options if they would make better sense for my speaker setup.

Finally, what else do I need in addition to the amp (such as wiring and connectors) and should I take this over to a shop, or gain some hard earned practice installing it myself. It should be noted that the last time I attempted a DIY for steering wheel controls, I over-tightened the wheel and it cost me several hundred dollars .

Thanks in advance for any help I receive.

 

Hi @Jarrettgt, I would get a 4 channel amp to drive the front and rear speakers. Add the mono amp when you select the SubWs.

Of course determine the wiring, brackets and positions in advance so it’s simply a matter of dropping in the new SubW and its amp.

--Spike

 

Okay, so I am just about to pull the trigger on the xd400 and need to know what else is necessary in order for me to install my system once i get back to Illinois.

To clarify, I am only installing the front and rear speakers along with the amp and have no idea what else I might need for the setup. For example, how much and what kind of wire do I need if I install this amp in the passenger glovebox behind the seat?

Besides wire, is there anything else I need? Can i use the stock speaker wires or do I need to route all new wires? You can probably tell I have no idea what I am doing and also have no idea if it would be worth the hassle to try to do this myself.

Please help

 

There is no way I know your requirements, except to offer general advice.

You ask about wires… Why not use the same wires as you use for your 4-channel amp?

--Spike

 

Okay, as for my requirements - I do not require competition sound or an audiophiles dream setup. I want something that is both powerful and clean, without sounding too harsh. I listen rap, rock, and dub and want to be able to hear the full range of the song's audio.

I want to supply adequate power to my speakers without overloading them or leaving them thirsty for more power. I know that my fronts have an RMS rating of 80 each and that the back is only 50 each. Therefore, will the JL XD400 be sufficient seeing it only provides 75 watts a speaker? This will mean the front only receives 93% percent power and the back will be receiving 150% percent the requires RMS. No idea if that math is correct...still trying to piece together fragmented advice.

Also, is a four gauge amp kit all I will need in addition to the amp itself? I just want to have my system up and running within the week of my return and will take it to an audio shop if the install is too far over my head. But, I want all parts purchased before then, so that I do not have to buy their over-priced equipment.

Hope that helps clarify my intended use and expectations. Thanks for helping.

 

You will be fine. The rears will be so overbearing you will want to keep the gains down as low as possible on them anyways.

 

It's my opinion that any amp kit will do that has low gauge power and ground wire. And also I think the original (non-Bose) speaker wires in our cars can handle 100W no problem so to save frustration just tap into the existing speaker wires for the four front channels. Mount that amp in your glovebox and run speaker wire from your amp back up throught the console to the original wiring and your golden. You are going to have plenty of power. Where the balance comes in is fading to the front away from the back speakers and setting your equilizer at what sounds best with those JBL's.

 

Yea tapping into the pre-existing wires will be huge for me, primarily because I am going to have a shop install the amp and mount the tweeters. After having issues with just the components there is no way I am attempting another install right now. I want to be able to listen to the bass in my car, without having to turn it down all the way like I am doing right now.

Any idea on a decent install price for what needs done?

 

No sorry, I've never had anyone else install for me. There have been a couple of times I wish I had though Luckily learned from my mistakes and have picked up a few tricks and gained a small amount of patience.

 

My goodies are finally here!

 

Nice, makes me want to get home to the stuff I ordered.

From what I have been reading an amp should push twice what the rms requiremensts are to the speakers +/- 20% for optimal performance. I don't remember what the reason exactly was for this. I think it was because the amps are always pushing the full power or something like that. I was looking into it because I was worried about over powering the MS-63Cs. Either way I think youll be fine.

In for your opinion on the MS-62Cs.