Stereo-Amp-6 Speaker Install Question

[musicitymafia]

Hello All,
I am in the process of installing a new stereo system in an 85 Silverado.  I am going with the RetroSound stereo head unit (22 watts x 4 RMS per channel - 2 pair of RCA outputs), Polk Audio 3.5's in the dash, 6.5's in the kick panels and 6x9's in the rear cab, and a Bazooka 4-channel amp (60 watts x 4 RMS per channel).  The 6 speaker thing has me puzzled as far as the wiring goes.  My plan is to run the 6.5's and the 6x9's through the amp, the 3.5's through the head unit.  Is this normally how its done?  The 6 speaker thing has me puzzled as far as hook up as well as balance and fade through the head unit.  I know its done in newer model cars and trucks just not sure about the install procedure.  Any help, ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[ont_guy_38]

That will work fine

[werewolfx13]

If you're running decent speakers in the kicks, just do away with the 3.5" dash speakers entirely. Simpler to wire, better sound stage, just plain better.

[78 Chevyrado]

That's how mine is wired, 2 6x9s and 2 6.5s on the amp and two 3.5's off the head unit.

If you're running decent speakers in the kicks, just do away with the 3.5" dash speakers entirely. Simpler to wire, better sound stage, just plain better.

Without my 3.5's in the dash, the other 4 speakers don't stage worth crap.  Less speakers aren't just plain better, they're just plain easier

[werewolfx13]

If you're running decent components, you should be able to aim the tweets to improve your imaging. If you're running coaxial speakers, or just having trouble getting your sound stage up, buy a set of independent tweets, limit their frequencies to the upper middle band of their advertised frequency response (keep it in a range of something like 10khz-16khz, just keep the top of the range under 20khz to avoid the "screechy" sound you'll get mounting them up high), and mount them on the ends of the dashpad, and aim them toward the opposite side of the truck. Its also helpful if you can reduce the "volume" to those speakers, tuning them in a similar fashion as rear fill in a car or SUV. The reason I don't like in dash speakers for imaging, is it produces a false image. The highs reflect in such horribly spastic, unpredictable patterns off the glass...Proper imaging could be looked at like a person throwing a handful of BBs at your head from 3 feet away..they'll hit your face, neck, and chest for the most part..some of course will miss you altogether. Upward firing dash speakers are throwing those BBs up against a plate (angled like your windshield) from directly below it..they'll hit your chest, neck, maybe a little in the face, a bunch in your lap, and some on the floor. Very little makes it past you to be diffused off the back glass.

[GoatBeard]

While I don't know as much as these other guys about staging and such, I am in the process of doing the same thing as you MCM. 

I'm running that exact same speaker set-up and went with a Kenwood 8404 amp for my K5...  And as far as how it's done -- I don't know much about it either.  What I'm doing is wiring the 3.5" and 6.5" speakers on the same two front channels of the amp, while allowing the two 6x9 speakers to be connected to the rear two channels. You can run the 6x9 speakers at full range, and you can set crossovers points on the front channels for the other four channels.  You could also do what you said and run your 3.5"s directly off your head unit.  I say that's how I'm GOING to do, since I haven't done it, yet -- I can't be of much more help than that as far as the set-up or function.

You may consider putting bass blockers on your 3.5"s and 6.5"s.   http://www.google.com/products?rlz=1C1CHMF_enUS302US303&sourceid=chrome&q=bass+blocker&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=NRfSSfTBH9TJtge597XqBg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title

You can either go with anywhere from a 300hz - 800hz blocker for you 3.5"s.  I went with 300 hz blockers because these little Clarion speakers I got are "supposed" to be a little better with the bass than other 3.5"s.  I am skeptical, but we will see.

I have some 150hz blockers for my 6.5"s.  I'm not sure that I'll need the bass blockers, but I have them just in case.

If you're adding an amp to all the speakers, including the 3.5" speakers, you wouldn't necessarily need Bass Blockers. Amplifiers come with their crossovers you can use in place of Bass Blockers. And, if the 6x9 speakers are the largest speakers you have in the system and you're not running any subwoofer, you'll probably run them at full-range. You want some bass, and you'll have to rely on the 6x9 speakers for it.

[ccz145a]

I have learned a lot from this thread. Keep it up!

Got to make Hank, Willie, and George sound the best they can

[GoatBeard]

Got to make Hank, Willie, and George sound the best they can

Diggin' Barefoot Jerry and'a CDB.  Personally, I don't care anything for bassy-type "music", so I was reluctant to put an amp -- but every now and again I want to crank it up and it just wouldn't crank like I thought it orta.  Figured since I had to do the dash swap, it was a perfect excuse to blow a bunch'a extra money (all I really NEEDED was the 3.5" speakers and not the $200 amp!).  I hope it works well!  If not, I'll cut some more holes in my custom-made rear panel in the K5 and add more 6x9s!! 

[musicitymafia]

Wow, thanks for all the advice and info guys.  Although the truck is not mine, it's my 20 year old sons, his music taste ranges from rock to Bach and everything in between as the saying goes.  I do like a little thump though, after all even George Strait has a bass player in the band!  Hopefully with the amp and the 6x9's it will be enough, although I have a feeling he will eventually add a sub.  My goal is a nice full, rich sound without a ton of volume.  Thanks again.

[GoatBeard]

Let me make a suggestion.  Plan ahead for an upgrade! 

Go ahead and wire it for an amp and/or extra s

For example, I've been working on my interior for a while and I just got all my new carpet and seats and stuff in -- but now I'm having to take all that stuff back out to get to the wires.  It's a lot of needless work!  If I would have planned ahead (for expansion) I could have done all this the first time so I wouldn't need to rewire everything now.  I would have also ran my speaker wires differently so they wouldn't be under the very center of the carpet -- rather on the outsides where all you have to do is remove the plate to raise the carpet and revel the wires.  I'm also gonna run a couple sets of extra speaker wires on mine (not hooked to anything) just in case I want to expand again in the future.

Good luck!