Rockford System Questions

Russell · 05-20-2004, 06:13 AM

Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if the Rockford System had a subwoofer to it and what size where the speakers and where the box was located and help would be appreciated. I was thinking about putting 2 x 8" subs behind the rear seats I dont really want to use the space under the rear seat. Thanks again and if anyone else has any Ideals on speaker placement I would like to hear them.

Sammy Sandbag · 05-20-2004, 06:59 AM

The RF system's sub is under the driver's seat. From what I understand, it is a 6" sub. As far as speaker go, 6x9 in front doors and 6.5 (I believe in the rear doors.)

Russell · 05-20-2004, 07:10 AM

Only a 6"

Kinda small. So my next question is, what is the sound quality of sound and is it worth it to have it. Im not looking to rattle the car next to me but i would like to feel and hear some bass. Thanks for the reply

bestatchess · 05-20-2004, 07:36 AM

If you haven't bought the truck yet, you should seriously consider just getting the cheapest radio possible and going after market for the stereo.

bestatchess · 05-20-2004, 07:41 AM

There is one speaker on each front door, 2 on each back door, 3 on the dash and the sub under the driver's seat. The amp is under the driver side dash, up against the firewall. The amp & sub are apparently Clarion (according to the stickers on them) the head unit is Panasonic, and (maybe) the speakers are RF.

Texas_Titan · 05-20-2004, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell

Only a 6"

Kinda small. So my next question is, what is the sound quality of sound and is it worth it to have it. Im not looking to rattle the car next to me but i would like to feel and hear some bass. Thanks for the reply

I am very much satisfied with the sound quality and bass performance... of the cd player.

The radio is screwed up, though. If you haven't found this thread already, here ya go: Radio Problem

Russell · 05-20-2004, 10:15 AM

Hey guys, I think Im going to go with 1 8" Rockford behind the back seat on the drivers side. There is just enought room there to put one. I will try and keep you all posted on how it goes I think its going to be a custom fiberglass box molded in. If there are alot of people interested I will make a "how to".

smoketitan · 05-20-2004, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell

Hey guys, I think Im going to go with 1 8" Rockford behind the back seat on the drivers side. There is just enought room there to put one. I will try and keep you all posted on how it goes I think its going to be a custom fiberglass box molded in. If there are alot of people interested I will make a "how to".

I would like to know the specs on the box--as I plan on doing the same thing

with a Resonance Enigineering 8"

bestatchess · 05-20-2004, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell

Hey guys, I think Im going to go with 1 8" Rockford behind the back seat on the drivers side. There is just enought room there to put one. I will try and keep you all posted on how it goes I think its going to be a custom fiberglass box molded in. If there are alot of people interested I will make a "how to".

I would be interested to see a pic of the finished install if you can post one, also a description of the necessary wiring. Thanks

Chilicat · 05-20-2004, 08:05 PM

Does anyone have some good websites to learn how to wire car audio stuff? I'd like to possibly do some upgrades on my RF system but I'm not sure how to go about it. How do I wire up multiple amps, seperate signals (cross overs yeah, but how do I wire 'em), and is our faux-RF amp a.k.a. clarion useful or would it have to go?

Geoff · 05-20-2004, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bestatchess

(maybe) the speakers are RF.

Speakers pulled from an SE with the popular package (6 disc changer but not RF) are Panasonic (20W power handling).

VShortt · 05-20-2004, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chilicat

Does anyone have some good websites to learn how to wire car audio stuff? I'd like to possibly do some upgrades on my RF system but I'm not sure how to go about it. How do I wire up multiple amps, seperate signals (cross overs yeah, but how do I wire 'em), and is our faux-RF amp a.k.a. clarion useful or would it have to go?

First of all, I would like to respond to the initial post by saying that your choice for speaker locations is fine, however a high end subwoofer manufacturer known as JL Audio produces a line of subwoofer boxes for all sorts of applications. The boxes are called "stealth boxes" and for a somewhat hefty fee, these boxes are manufactured to fit in areas inside vehicles that you would never imagine that a sub would fit. That are usually totally hidden from view (hence the word "stealth") and although the box shapes are strange to match contours in the vehicle, they sound great!! I don't know if they have one for the Titan or not but if they don't, then just keep checking back. They will and you won't be dissappointed. They're web site address is "www.jlaudio.com".

As for your questions, the fact is that there is truly not point in adding any aftermarket componentry to your ailing RF head unit. Let me just say, have you ever seen a set of 22' Foose spinner wheels on an "84 buick with a vinyl top that is half ripped off. The point is, your foundation for building the system must first be worthy. The RF is not, and I say this because I own one as well. In my opinion, if you are intested in building a system, but budget is a factor, I would build in this order
1) Head Unit: you have to start with an intelligent and worthy brain
2) Single Channel amplifier and subwoofer: Give your sub a dedicated amp so that the sub can consume the power without sharing with any other speakers.
3) New Speakers: I would recommend to pairs of speaker "separates" for the front and rear doors. Separates simply means that the speaker has a dedicated midrange speaker and a dedicated tweeter that can be mounted independently (in this case the factory locations).
4) Speaker Separates amp: This amp should probably be around 40 watts to 50 watts RMS (continuous power) x 4 channels. This allows for you to still enjoy balance and fader controls. In my opinion, you should just lose the center speaker unless you intend to do some sort of theater surround stuff. If not don't worry about it.
Now, all of the components that you purchase come with installation instructions that are actually pretty user friendly. They talk all about how to wire up multiple amps, speakers, etc. These days, you don't need external crossovers. Any good amp will have them already built in. I don't know of an internet site, but I know that there are plenty of books at a book store. Hope this helps...I'm winded.

VShortt · 05-20-2004, 08:50 PM

that is supposed to say 22" BTW. Not 22'. That would be an excetionally tall car and you would not be able to see that the vinyl top was ripped.

peanutbutter · 05-20-2004, 09:03 PM

Alright, finally something I know quite a bit about. As far as behind the seats go, it will be tight. You will need a wedge box obviously, with some small dimensions. You have about 8" on the bottom, 5" on the top. Therefore you are looking for something with a 4" mounting depth (RE8 is a great choice but one might not feed your hunger). Now, RE8's only need about .25cuft of space sealed, so your width and height can be small, but make sure you max out your bottom and top depth. You also have to factor in wood, so go with 5/8" MDF. Go here for some great box designs: http://www.bcae1.com/ and go to #111 on the right side menu. You can design any box you want there. This guy's site is off the charts. Great reads on anything you would ever want to know. I began reading it about 6 months ago, and still have not finished. I would really recommend that you build a downfiring box under the seats, something similar to this: http://www.subbox.net/titan.html However, build it yourself and save yourself about $150. It doesnt have to be that pretty. Just make 2 seperate sealed boxes and connect them with two pieces of MDF. Make sure you get the lifts like they did. It is a 2" lift if that helps. Once carpeted, it will look just as good.

As far as anything else, let me know. I am pretty knowledgable about car audio (I am probably not the smartest on the site) and I willing to share anything I know. I know a ton of great sites to purchase from and to gain knowledge. Example: I have a Rockford Fosgate 801S (Retail: $549 Average: $350 I Paid: $269 with factory warranty). I am selling it if anyone is interested, just PM me.

VShortt has some great point as well. Let me know guys if you need anything at all, just PM or email me at jsills@hot.rr.com. Thanks.

Real quick, but here is a list of my list of top manufacturers of Subs:
1. Adire Audio www.adireaudio.com
2. JL Audio www.jlaudio.com
3. RE www.respl.com
4. Image Dynamics http://www.imagedynamicsusa.com/website/home.html
5. Elemental Designs http://www.edesignaudio.com/
6. Rockford Fosgate (I put this here but it will be one of two that people recognize, there are more but I am sure this is good enough).

Chilicat · 05-20-2004, 09:42 PM

Guys,

Thanks for the excellent replies. I agree that the RF system probably isn't worthy of sinking alot of money into but I like the steering wheel controls would probably cause some domestic discord if I gutted the RF system AND got my OEM rims chromed (which I'm doing).

My idea was to replace the two rear speakers (they seem to be really weak) with some like these and then figure out if there was some way I could isolate the bass output and drop in a $100 buck monoblock with a bigger sub. You guys seem to know quite abit, am I better off just leaving things alone and waiting another two years until I trade in and do a total aftermarket on that truck?