Installing Audio Components (please help)

[Clanche]

Ok I got a set of 2way component speakers (sorta-used so no manual).. anyways i've never dealt with component speakers before so please help me out :)


QUESTION #1: Tweater was already hooked up to the far-right inputs.. where does the big speaker plug into and where does the input speaker line go???
http://www.spheregraphics.com/pics/audio_component.jpg

QUESTION #2: Kinda deals with question one.. how do I know which is positive and which is negative???
http://www.spheregraphics.com/pics/audio_backofspeaker.jpg

thank you! :)

[retro-steve]

i've only installed one set of components and had the manual so i don't remember exactly what hooks up to the woofers... for + - look in the plastic beside the contacts, i can see the + and - in that pic, + is on the right, - is on the left

[Clanche]

Originally posted by retro-steve
i've only installed one set of components and had the manual so i don't remember exactly what hooks up to the woofers... for + - look in the plastic beside the contacts, i can see the + and - in that pic, + is on the right, - is on the left

doesnt the wire on the right have a black strip on it making it negative.. or is it the other way around?

[retro-steve]

ya man, think about wiring a regular system. black=negative

[spike98]

on the midbass the big lead is the pos and the little lead is neg

both the midbass and tweet get hooked up to the crossover (box looking thing) then your signal in (be it from an amp or a deck) gets fed into it and gets distributed to the proper speaker

install the tweets and the midbass as close as you can with each other

[retro-steve]

Originally posted by spike98
on the midbass the big lead is the pos and the little lead is neg

both the midbass and tweet get hooked up to the crossover (box looking thing) then your signal in (be it from an amp or a deck) gets fed into it and gets distributed to the proper speaker

install the tweets and the midbass as close as you can with each other

well just use the exact same length of wire to the tweeters and midbass woofers

[spike98]

Originally posted by retro-steve


well just use the exact same length of wire to the tweeters and midbass woofers

Nope that wont do anything. The simplest way to make a two way system work without extensive tuning and proccessing would be to mount them beside each other. Your wire lenths can be anything and there will be no tonal difference. (with in reason of course, i am sure if we are talking about 10,000 ft of wire then the difference in resistance will start being a factor)

[Clanche]

Originally posted by spike98
on the midbass the big lead is the pos and the little lead is neg

both the midbass and tweet get hooked up to the crossover (box looking thing) then your signal in (be it from an amp or a deck) gets fed into it and gets distributed to the proper speaker

install the tweets and the midbass as close as you can with each other

ok that answer the order of + and -.. but what about the order in the crossover? i know that the out of the 6 holes.. the two to the right are for the tweater.. so that leaves 4 holes.. i'm guessing that the mid goes in the middle and the input on the left but i have no idea.. alpine doesnt have a manual online

[retro-steve]

when doing a proper system wire length is essential, especially when working with higher power than what the deck puts out (amplifiers) you may not be able to hear the difference all the time but it's there. also almost all components are done with the tweeter being closer to your head with the woofer being at your feet, when setting up components in the rear they're almost right ontop of eachother

[Clanche]

Originally posted by spike98


Nope that wont do anything. The simplest way to make a two way system work without extensive tuning and proccessing would be to mount them beside each other. Your wire lenths can be anything and there will be no tonal difference. (with in reason of course, i am sure if we are talking about 10,000 ft of wire then the difference in resistance will start being a factor)

is there any way i can somehow run these in my house before i rip the interior apart to make sure the work well? i would need a way to power the amp front a wall plug...?

[spike98]

Originally posted by Clanche


ok that answer the order of + and -.. but what about the order in the crossover? i know that the out of the 6 holes.. the two to the right are for the tweater.. so that leaves 4 holes.. i'm guessing that the mid goes in the middle and the input on the left but i have no idea.. alpine doesnt have a manual online

correct

it should be:

input low high
+ - + - + -

Then when you pop the cover of the crossover you can attenuate the sound of the tweet if its a little to harsh

there should be 0db, -1db, -2db, and -3db or something like that, the lower you go the more it will tone down the tweeter

[retro-steve]

Originally posted by Clanche


ok that answer the order of + and -.. but what about the order in the crossover? i know that the out of the 6 holes.. the two to the right are for the tweater.. so that leaves 4 holes.. i'm guessing that the mid goes in the middle and the input on the left but i have no idea.. alpine doesnt have a manual online

from left to right: input - woofer - tweeter and +/-/+/-/+/-

[Clanche]

Originally posted by retro-steve


from left to right: input - woofer - tweeter and +/-/+/-/+/-

perfect thank you!

[spike98]

Originally posted by retro-steve
when doing a proper system wire length is essential, especially when working with higher power than what the deck puts out (amplifiers) you may not be able to hear the difference all the time but it's there. also almost all components are done with the tweeter being closer to your head with the woofer being at your feet, when setting up components in the rear they're almost right ontop of eachother


wrong, wrong, and wrong

and i am too tired to explain so i will be back tomorrow


I dont want to sound like a know it all prick but the information you have provided is incorrect in every aspect.

The only time wire becomes a factor is when higher current is being ran through long lengths. Then and only then does it matter, and it only matters as far as thickness. So we are talking power wire to an amp and nothing else.

Stay tuned for a more in depth explination tomorrow

[retro-steve]

alright i'll run 2 12's with *edit*not 500W 200...damn missing keystrokes *edit* to each from the same amp. use 1ft of wire to one sub and 5ft of wire to the other, let's see what happens

[Clanche]

Originally posted by retro-steve
alright i'll run 2 12's with *edit*not 500W 200...damn missing keystrokes *edit* to each from the same amp. use 1ft of wire to one sub and 5ft of wire to the other, let's see what happens

dammit i have to run my front speakers all the way to the trunk... now i'm gonna be measuring the whole time :nut:

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by spike98



wrong, wrong, and wrong

and i am too tired to explain so i will be back tomorrow


I dont want to sound like a know it all prick but the information you have provided is incorrect in every aspect.

The only time wire becomes a factor is when higher current is being ran through long lengths. Then and only then does it matter, and it only matters as far as thickness. So we are talking power wire to an amp and nothing else.

Stay tuned for a more in depth explination tomorrow I assume it has something to do with the fact that an electrical signal travels almost infinitely faster than sound?

[TimG]

if you try to run too much current through a wire that's too small, you're going to heat up the wire and increase it's resistance.

[spike98]

correct jeff, i knew you would chime in on that lol i just wanted to be absoulty correct before i started tossing around info

but yea it doesn't matter about wire lenth

and as timG said it DOES matter about thickness but not tonaly (sp?)