caraudio for home use

[NineEleven]

my plan:

buy 2 sets of these http://www.pixmania.be/be/nl/993733/...ial-speak.html

and hook them up to a 4 channel car-amplifier. but i dont know what i should buy.

because i'm not satisfied by the sound of my logitech 2.1 (X-230). they just dont play loud enough :P half volume is max,after that it doesnt sound healthy anymore :P bass is good though but at high volume it struggles somethimes. so i think big carspeakers are a good solution. total money i wanna spend is around 250€.

i'm gonna use them for music on my laptop, i dont need/want surround and my room is pretty small.

all help is welcome. i maybe overlook something..

sorry for the bad english

[Glowbug]

Buy an integrated amp to run off AC mains, and don't try to adapt 12VDC stuff for long term home use

If you don't need surround, I'm sure you could find a vintage receiver or integrated amp (only difference is whether or not you want AM/FM reception, integrated amps are missing the receiver section) that'll fit your budget. Speakers could either be DIY or used.

The problem with those "computer" speaker systems is that they really don't have enough dynamic range, and those drivers are in nowhere near optimal enclosures. When I was in the dorms, my neighbors had things like that...needless to say my NAD 3020 and JBL 3-way monitors was a better party setup

[NineEleven]

an old amp won't ruin the quality?
i need something like 4x80W rms, pretty heavy for an old amp i think. don't need AM,FM.

i read on an other forum that i could use a transformer for a electric 12V coolbox so that it runs on 220V. that would be powerfull enough for powering an amp. also a computer power supply would do fine.

next up are the speakers: i found this http://www.pixmania.be/be/nl/1519748...iden-13-c.html

is this better than the pioneer 6x9?

[whiterabbit]

impressive. Usually the folks trying to run 12 volt gear in the house do so because they HAVE the stuff already and don't see the need to buy $10 equipment from garage sales and goodwill when they already own stuff.

My advice: never spend money trying to repurpose 12 volt gear for the home environment. Not when home gear is SO AVAILABLE and SO CHEAP from rummage sales, your uncle, family friends, folks who go to the same church you do, and of course goodwill and other donation shops.

Computer speakers aren't loud enough? Find a home audio system for dirt cheap at the above locations. You can find tower speakers, bookshelf speakers, any size or combination you could want, and just a little old and dusty. Still VERY workable for your needs. You might not need AM or FM, but an old 2 channel receiver can cost you less than 20 euro (can cost me less than twenty dollars here, anyways) that comes with a volume knob, RCA inputs, plenty of power for a couple bookshelf speakers, and yes AM/FM radio. I might not need the radio, but to get the same in a package WITHOUT it might cost me way more.

[tsmith1315]

Originally Posted by NineEleven

an old amp won't ruin the quality?
i need something like 4x80W rms, pretty heavy for an old amp i think.

Why would an old amp ruin the sound quality?

I haven't bought a new preamp, power amp, or source unit in nearly 25 years. Too many deals on good used stuff to be found.

I have to agree with Glowbug and whiterabbit. If you already had the car audio merchandise, I'd say use it. But to buy 12V equipment only to have to make provisions to power it doesn't make sense.

I don't know about your corner of the world, but in the USA it's a great time to buy used equipment.


As for speakers, do be careful. Look at the needed enclosure sizes carefully before choosing. 6x9's are typically designed to work in very large (trunk-sized) enclosures, and may perform poorly in smaller boxes.

You can also do well with available raw DIY drivers, and often save money over ready-made car speakers.

How much enclosure volume are you planning to dedicate to the speakers?

And your English is great.

[NineEleven]

i already got a 2 channel clarion amp from a friend. however i dont know if it works...
it is 2x80W. i got of the 4 speaker idea and found this: http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/PIONEER-TS-A...d=p3286.c0.m14

kinda huge to be sure it will play load enough i'm willing to make pretty big boxes to get the best results. my desk is wide and got enough space

it may not be the best or easyest way, but building it is half the fun for me too.

i'm gonna go see for an old amp anyways

i don't need anything else to get this thing working right?

[tsmith1315]

You'll need a 12V power supply capable of delivering enough current to keep the amp happy, a switch to turn the amp on and off, and an RCA to stereo mini-plug adapter.

I assume you'll use the PC for a volume control.

One pair of the Pioneers 6" would probably make you happy. Estimate around 20-30 liter sealed enclosure per driver.

One last thing, if there is a similar 2-way Pioneer for less money, it will likely sound as just as good. The supertweeter in many of Pioneer's past products was little more than an emblem to cause you to spend more $. Pointless. Likewise, I ignore the power ratings and the MSRP, as they were always outrageously inflated in the past. I usually preferred their entry level two-way products.

[jol50]

Years back I had the same issue. I had a set of nice quality but older little bookshelf speakers a friend had traded to me and picked up a 2x35w home receiver at a garage sale. It worked great, I could play CDs in the PC or radio, and games sounded better. But, it had no bass

One day I am in a Kmart of all places and spot a 10" Kraco sub in a crushed up box. I check the sub it looks good and is a DVC 4+4 ohm. Hmmm. I crank on the lady about a discount due to condition, she lets me have it for $25 IIRC, about half price. I make a bandpass box for it, and tune it somewhat low below 80 Hz I think. I parallel the bookshelf speakers to it and shove it under my desk. This thing works like a million bucks, the bass just hammers and it goes fairly loud while still sounding very nice at the PC. I used it for years until I moved my PC out of that room. It was kind of big. I ran it in a car for a while and it worked nice there too, though limited in output being a single 10. It is hooked to that stereo in my garage now, lol, and still works well. That receiver has A and B channel so I could choose to run it.

I was always going to get some big caps for the bookshelf speakers as they were only 3" woofers, but never did and they didn't seem to bottom out.

I got a cheaper 5 speaker surround set for my PC (4 speakers and sub) on sale someplace. It is ok but not the clearest for music. I got hold of another set of better PC speakers but didn't want to lose my surround for games. Ended up I put a splitter in the front speaker out of the PC card, and ran those. I just turn them up louder it sounds better and sub still plays. If I need a lot of surround for a game I turn them down. But I can't make lots of noise at the PC now like I could back then, so big volume is not an issue.