Component speaker wiring question

[lauk101]

Sorry if this has been asked, I tried searching but couldn't find anything. I'm looking at putting in a 2 speaker component set, with the tweeter in the dash location and the 6.5 in the footwell. I'm currently using the kicker key 200.4, but I'm curious which speaker wires I should use for wiring the crossover? Is the footwell speaker wiring full range or the dash speaker or neither? Just contemplating which wires make the most sense to connect to the crossover

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[Brian_B]

Standard or B&O?

 

[lauk101]

Standard, 2021 4 door

 

[Brian_B]

On the standard, the kicks and dash are wired in parallel. If you want to use a crossover you have to either run your own cable, or split the connection. The factory dash wire comes down to the kick, and the kick speaker harness is where it is connected at, so that's probably the best spot to install your crossover. There are some posts around here from folks who have done that to either run the dash as a separate channel.

If it were me doing it, I would put the crossover down by the kick and bring the kick input into the crossover using a metra adapter, then just run a pigtail from the crossover to the kick, and run a new wire up to the dash since that's a short, easy run to get at. That way you don't have to cut any factory harnesses. Then just ziptie the factory speaker plug at the dash out of the way - it's still there if you want to pull the system out or go back to stock.

The speakers do have a factory EQ setting applied, I don't know how much range is curtailed with the stock setting in the front channel. Forscan can disable that though.

 

[DrewMackin]

Here is my thread on the subject for what I did with my components:
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/component-speakers-are-worth-the-extra-effort.82872/

Use the wire for the kick panel speaker for your crossover and send new wire up to the tweeter.

 

[djn3400]

You can use the Key in Bi-Amp mode, which is what I did. This sends lows/mids to the kick panel speakers and mids/highs to the dash if you wire them according to the bi-amp mode wiring diagram in the instructions. I forget the exact frequencies that go to the dash vs. the kick, but it's also in the instructions. It's somewhere in the 300Hz range and there is an overlap between the two as well.

 

[lauk101]

Thank you all for the input, I greatly appreciate it. I think I'm going to start with wiring it off the kick speaker wires and run a new one from the tweeter, but might ultimately go with the bi-amp mode.

 

[soupcansam]

You can use the Key in Bi-Amp mode, which is what I did. This sends lows/mids to the kick panel speakers and mids/highs to the dash if you wire them according to the bi-amp mode wiring diagram in the instructions. I forget the exact frequencies that go to the dash vs. the kick, but it's also in the instructions. It's somewhere in the 300Hz range and there is an overlap between the two as well.

I replaced my 4" pods with 6.5" pods housing Kicker KS 6.5s. I have the Kicker KS 6.75 components in the front.

Would you still recommend using the Key in Bi-Amp mode in this situation and just power the rear speakesrs off the factory ACM? Or, would there not be enough power going to the 6.5s in the rear in that scenario?

 

[djn3400]

I doubt there would be enough power going to the rears to power 6.5’s. I replaced all of my front speakers but with the stock sized 4” and 6.5”. I fade the EQ to the front only and don’t even use the rears. I’ve found that without amplifying the rears (even just the stock speakers), I can’t hear the rears with the amplified upgraded fronts anyway.

 

[Brian_B]

Stock non-B&O amp I think is 20W per channel, give or take. B&O is 660W total... with that split between the ACM, the B&O DSP, and the subwoofer -- but I have no idea how their math adds up there.

I just split out my front channel - pulled the dash off the same line as the kicks. I'm powering the dash from the ACM now, and left the kicks on my external amp (50W). The dash speakers I have are only 30W (Infinity Reference) but pretty high efficiency. The ACM powers those very well now that the power isn't split down to the kicks any longer.

But trying to do that with a 6.5 - yeah, it would work. I have a set of Inifinity Reference 6.5" that are 60W - it would sound ok. Not optimal, but not horrible - and in the rear that wouldn't get split out either.

So could you power a 6.5 from the ACM? Yeah, but it would need to be high efficiency, and it would be limited. But depending on the speaker, and your personal preferences on sound - I think you'd be ok.

 

[Jorvin]

Stock non-B&O amp I think is 20W per channel, give or take. B&O is 660W total... with that split between the ACM, the B&O DSP, and the subwoofer -- but I have no idea how their math adds up there.

I just split out my front channel - pulled the dash off the same line as the kicks. I'm powering the dash from the ACM now, and left the kicks on my external amp (50W). The dash speakers I have are only 30W (Infinity Reference) but pretty high efficiency. The ACM powers those very well now that the power isn't split down to the kicks any longer.

But trying to do that with a 6.5 - yeah, it would work. I have a set of Inifinity Reference 6.5" that are 60W - it would sound ok. Not optimal, but not horrible - and in the rear that wouldn't get split out either.

So could you power a 6.5 from the ACM? Yeah, but it would need to be high efficiency, and it would be limited. But depending on the speaker, and your personal preferences on sound - I think you'd be ok.

This seems to be a common misconception in car audio, but just because a speaker is larger doesn't mean it NEEDS more power. It's actually quite the opposite. Take your infinity reference 4" vs 6.5" for example. The higher sensitivity of the 6.5" would actually let it play louder off the ACM than the 4". Both sizes would sound just as designed, with the only limits being how loud they can play.

Also keep in mind you only gain about 3db of output each time you double your wattage. So your 93db sensitive 6.5" speakers are getting there from 1 watt. Go to 2 watts and you're at 96db, then at 4 watts 99db... And so on. That's pretty damn loud already.

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