New system...comments welcome
 

Hi guys...been a lurker for a while, recently registered. Wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions for the system i`m setting up.

Old sys. was:
Eclipse CD8455
Infinity Kappa Perfect 5.1
Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1
Inkinity Kappa Perfect 12DVQ
Phoenix Gold Xenon X1200.1
Phoenix Gold Xenon X200.4

Sounded good...looking for better. I`d like a little more sq, but i want to able to get loud if a good tune comes on. So the proposed system is as follows:

Alpine IVA-W505 with the PXA-H100
Focal 130KP
Focal 165KP
JBL W12GTI MKII
Alpine PDX1.1000
Alpine PDX4.150 (2 times to bi-amp the sys.)

Considering adding another PDX1.1000 and GTI to the mix...not sure if it`ll be necessary...

Any pointers?

yupp sounds good to me
just don't overlook the box for that GTI

Well you would be "downgrading" of sorts in amps by going that route. Less power.
Focal speakers are always a good move it seems though.

Ya, the amps are my main concern...the phoenix 4ch was a class AB as well as having more power. The Alpine is a full range class D with about 50 watts less per channel. The amp is still over the recommended power requirements of the speakers, but more headroom is always nice.

The AB vs D is my main concern though. The big draw to the alpine amps is the footprint though...they`re nice and small, which should help to create a stealthy install.

As for the box...I`m undecided. Was running the infinity in a ported box tuned to around 22hz. I`m not sure if I want to go to a sealed box or stay ported...it`s the bass head in me vs the desire for a more sq oriented system. Maybe I`ll just build 2 boxes and switch back and forth :-P

Well if you care about footprint then PDX is a no brainer. I doubt you would tell the diff between them anyways. I would go PDX for sure:it's always nice to get new equipement.

If you can build a good ported box stay ported --more efficiency and can sound just as good-- unless again you want the extra room:then seal is the way to go.

If you want small sealed and great quality then I suggest trying to get your hands on the new stereo integrety MAG's. ! cubit foot, shallow enough mounting depth and XBL2, built with SQ as the goal.

Short list Morel as well for your speakers and sub. The Ultimo sub is a absolutely amazing creation for the SQ based system. It was the most heavily reviewed sub ever tested in one of the magazines and received the highest ratings ever. It is not a cheap sub however, be prepared to shell out some loot for it.

I am a dealer of Focal as well and the one thing that I do not like about the line is the top end, I find it is a little too shrill for me. The balance of the sound though, stellar. If you are interested in Focal, you should also look to Morel.

The small footprint amps are definitely nice, depending on $ of course as well. There are a couple of other amps that I would short list if you want some options to consider. The nice thing about being a specialty retailer is being able to choose amongst many to find the one that is right for the application.

The reason I'm going with Focal is I've had the chance to hear them. Morel's are harder to come by, here.

The Morel seems to be a little outside my price range. I did and would still consider the SI Mag or the ID MAX. Not sure how the GTI compares as all I've had the chance to listen to in a sub is the Infinity's that I had and I'm looking for a little more output.

The new v4 Mag and IDMAX/GTI are different beasts. Mag is now super SQ, and the other two are SQL. I am going to say, you're not looking for a single MAG v4 output, but something that sounds louder to your ears like the other two.

Out of curiosity...I have 2 premier 8" shallow mount subs kickin around and was toying with the idea of going 3 way in the front with the shallow mounts in the back doors.

What benefits if any would I get by going with 4" and 6.5" focals in the front doors (3 way) with the 8's in back as opposed to just going 2 way with 5.25's in the front and 6.5s in the back?

Or is that just a plain ol' bad idea....

Those 8's will supply you with much better lows then going with a component only setup.