PhilipMidd

Hello, after some advice from you stereo experts out there (if you dont mind, I'm somewhat confused and not sure which way to go).

My 89 Celsior had an incomplete and disconnected stereo system in it when I purchased it. The original Nakamichi deck was gone and in its place was an after market pioneer deck. The install was incomplete and they had butchered the old stereo wiring harness. The Pioneer deck was not actually connected at all.
I have purchased a new system in what may have been a little too much haste. I purchased a 2DIN Android deck with 4x40W internal amp. It was a cheap system so I expect its not going to handle the 4ohm speakers very well, and it does not have enough channels (I should have got one with at least 4 ch + sub).
So, what I would like to do it get an external amp (or 2) to drive all the speakers and I'll just use the 4 ch pre-amp outputs on the deck.
Speakers in the car when I purchased it (all stock I think):
2 X 4 ohm speakers in the front doors (plus 2 tweeters, dont appear to be connected)
2 X 4 ohm speakers in the rear doors
2 X 4 ohm speakers in the rear parcel shelf
1 X 5 ohm sub in the rear parcel shelf (apparently with its own original amp that I've been told I cant use cos I dont have the original deck???) I really cant see why not.
My deck only has 4 Amplified outputs and its expecting 8ohms per speaker, so I'm trying to figure out how the best way to make this work might be. I need to do this cheaply as I have already really burnt my budget on this car.
I am not too picky with sound quality, but how I have hooked it up atm, well, the sound sucks. I'm hoping its not just my cheap deck.
I currently have it so that the 4 amplified channels coming out the deck go directly to the 4 door speakers. The sound sucks and its sucks harder the louder I turn it up. I suspect that little 4X40W amp in the deck cant handle the 4ohm speakers. So I'm thinking I should get an external amp thats happy with the 4ohm speakers and drive that from the 4 pre-amp outputs on the deck.
That would talk care to the 4 door speakers, but not the 2 parcel shelf speakers or the sub. This is where I need help.
I understand that if I just split the output for say the rear door speakers to also drive the rear parcel shelf speakers then I will effectively be halving the ohms (so 2 ohms impedance per channel, not 4 ohms) and that will probably sound **** and overheat the amp, eventually killing it, unless I can find a cheap amp that will be happy with only 2 ohms.
Can someone recommend an amp configuration that will work with only 2 front and 2 rear channels as inputs, and output 2 front, 4 rear and a SUB, using reasonably priced or cheap amp(s)?

Thanks.
Addendum: I understand I can use a resister in series with the 4ohm speakers to bring them effectively up to 8ohms, with a drop in sound quality. How much of a drop in quality I dont know.
If I have anything wrong here, please let me know. I've only just started looking into all this and its a bit of a learning curve. I hope I have things right.

Extra Addendum: Just thought of something that might make things easier. Can you use the pre-amp outputs on a deck AND the main amplified outputs at the same time? That would effectively give me 8ch output. That would do me with 1 channel spare. Pre-amplified front and rear to external amp for doors, amplified rear for parcel shelf (with an external amp that could except higher level inputs) and say the left front (mono) amplified output for the sub (again, going to an external amp that could except higher level inputs). Is this feasible or would the sound quality drop too much (and do I risk burning out the deck doing this)?

spuds

I have an Alpine going to OEM speakers in doors.Thats it and I agree,its downright painful to listen to.

My nephew J bench tested some systems to show me what can be done in the couple/few hundred dollars range,1 configuration was using the cheapest ebay stereo out there as the head unit.And he got some sound with low priced amps and equalizers? and low priced speakers that knocked my socks off.

So what you want sure can be done,hope the stereo guys can help you out.

PhilipMidd

Thanks spuds. Yeah, I figure its possible even if I do have to replace the speakers. I'm just hoping I dont need to.
However, if thats the best and cheapest option to get good results, then I'll do it.
I dont need perfection, just better than the *** that it sounds like atm.

PhilipMidd

Are there such a thing as speaker splitters that deal with the ohm problem?
ie. 4 inputs splitting them to say 8 outputs, with each of the 4 inputs cloned to the 8 outputs, but with extra circuitry to correct the ohms instead of them halving?
If they only do them in 2 channels to 4, then thats OK, i'll simply use 2 of them. I just cant find anything quite like that.
If they do do something like that, what are they called?
I've been searching for Stereo or radio channel splitter and all sorts of variations of that, but I keep getting switch boxes or simple leads that are 1 ch in > 2 ch out (or 2 ch in > 4 Ch Out).

Thanks.

PhilipMidd

I've decided to do my stereo in stages.
I've got a cheap as chips Android Deck that's 40Wx4 Max output hooked up directly to the door speakers. Like yours, it sounds terrible.
Stage 1:
I just purchased via eBay a 40Wx4 RMS @ 4 ohms Pioneer Amp (total 480W Max). Cost $80 AUD, so about $58 USD. Its End Of Line and hence on clearance (about 1/2 normal new price). Pioneer GA-A4604
Reason I went with this is first and formost, the price, then the 4ohm compatibility. Add to that the ability to take preamp inputs or speaker level input. Should make it very flexible.
For now, I'll just hook it up using the preamp inputs and see how it sounds.
I'll take a week or more to get here but when It does, I'll let you know if it really fixes the "Painful" sound problem we are both having.
Stage 2:
Get another amp, configure as 3 channel, probably duplicating the rear door speakers and get the 2 speakers in the parcel shelf and the sub working.
Still gotta find out if I can just split the pre-amp outputs from the deck or I need to run it through some sort of splitter circuit.
If the Pioneer Amp works well and is still available at the time, I'll probably get another one. Will see.

Features and Specs

PerformanceRMS Power Output (Watts x Channels)40 x 4Peak Power Output (Watts x Channels)120 x 4Power at 2 Ohms (Watts x Channels)60 x 4Bridged Power (Watts x Channels)120 x 2Minimum Impedance Bridged4Minimum Impedance Unbridged2Best Frequency Response10-70K HzTHD at Rated RMS Power1%Signal to Noise Ratio78 dBInput Voltage14.4vFeaturesAmplifier ClassABLow-Pass Crossover Frequency40-500 HzLow-Pass Slope (dB/octave)12 dB/octaveHigh-Pass Crossover Frequency40-500 HzHigh-Pass Slope (dB/octave)12 dB/octaveBass BoostNoBass Boost FrequencyN/AFan CooledNoFuse Rating30Speaker Level InputsHarnessPreamp OutputsNoWidth (inches)13Height (inches)2-3/8Depth (inches)8-1/2Parts Warranty1 YearLabor Warranty1 Year

kelbel82

Have you bypassed the original factory amp? This has to be done when installing an after market stereo of any type or else it will constantly wine... I had to have this done to mine not long ago so I had best buy do it for me.

PhilipMidd

Original amp bypassed (removed by previous owner). Didn't make a lot of difference, but it is better sounding. I never did get around to installing anything to run the parcel shelf rear speakers and sub.
I would have posted results earlier, but my results were not really definitive, but I do think it sounds slightly better.
I only got to stage 1 (see my last post).
One day I will get around to Stage 2 (installing a rear amp), but for now unfortunately I have other things to spend my time and "spare" cash on.