[camfreem7]

So I finally got my JBL MS-8 working but now my EQ is off because my center channel is being run just off the MS-8 20 watts while my fronts and rears are getting 70 watts.

I bought a PHD 4" Coaxial to replace my factory center speaker and it says it takes 70 watts RMS so I am looking for some way to power just this speaker. I know I could get a two channel amp that does 70x2 and just use one channel right? Or find a 2 channel that does like 30x2 and bridge it?

I need something small, and I keep seeing mini amps like these:

Pyle New PFA300 90W 2 Channel Hi Fi Home Audio Stereo Speakers Amplifier w Aux | eBay

I don't really know what these are but would something like this work?

Please help a Newbie out fellas...

 

[TheDavel]

I've got the perfect solution. Xtant 1.1i! Full range, class D, 100x1 at 2 or 4 ohms.
I've got 3 of them, $85 each + shipping.

 

[camfreem7]

Hmmm very interested, I was hoping to spend closer to like 60 but if its the right fit I guess I could stretch the budget a little. Let me do a little more exploring but I'm glad you have presented me with a solution.

Edit: I just looked these up and you are right, these do look perfect. I get paid next Thursday might have to wait till then you think you will still have one?

 

[MetricMuscle]

So I finally got my JBL MS-8 working but now my EQ is off because my center channel is being run just off the MS-8 20 watts while my fronts and rears are getting 70 watts.

I bought a PHD 4" Coaxial to replace my factory center speaker and it says it takes 70 watts RMS so I am looking for some way to power just this speaker. I know I could get a two channel amp that does 70x2 and just use one channel right? Or find a 2 channel that does like 30x2 and bridge it?

I need something small, and I keep seeing mini amps like these:

Pyle New PFA300 90W 2 Channel Hi Fi Home Audio Stereo Speakers Amplifier w Aux | eBay

I don't really know what these are but would something like this work?

Please help a Newbie out fellas...

What do you have for front speakers and rear speakers?
When using a processor like MS-8 you can and should treat the front, rear and center the same as it will use all 5 to create the sound stage it does. Center and rear are not just "fill".

Are you building this system for a two person, two seat listening positions or for just you, the driver, a one seat listening position?
If just for one, it will sound lots better and you won't need a center channel at all.

 

[camfreem7]

What do you have for front speakers and rear speakers?
When using a processor like MS-8 you can and should treat the front, rear and center the same as it will use all 5 to create the sound stage it does. Center and rear are not just "fill".

Are you building this system for a two person, two seat listening positions or for just you, the driver, a one seat listening position?
If just for one, it will sound lots better and you won't need a center channel at all.

Yeah I am trying to ensure that all my speakers are relatively the same and getting the same wattage, but unfortunately a 4" coaxial is the best I can do for the center and even that is going to take some work to get in there. So I have 70 watts going to fronts and rears and 20 to the center, thus the thread.

I am only worried about how it sounds for me as the wife could really care less but I have not heard that it would sound better without the center I will definitely look into that. I mean, I have already ran into some issues with the auto-eq because right now my fronts are so much louder than my center (stock center only running of the MS8's 20 watts right now) so I'm having to constantly adjust my gain on my 4 channel before and after calibration. Thus, not having a center channel sounds great to me.

If you or anyone could better explain to me the reasoning for tossing the center with the MS-8 I'm all ears.

 

[MetricMuscle]

Yeah I am trying to ensure that all my speakers are relatively the same and getting the same wattage, but unfortunately a 4" coaxial is the best I can do for the center and even that is going to take some work to get in there. So I have 70 watts going to fronts and rears and 20 to the center, thus the thread.

I am only worried about how it sounds for me as the wife could really care less but I have not heard that it would sound better without the center I will definitely look into that. I mean, I have already ran into some issues with the auto-eq because right now my fronts are so much louder than my center (stock center only running of the MS8's 20 watts right now) so I'm having to constantly adjust my gain on my 4 channel before and after calibration. Thus, not having a center channel sounds great to me.

If you or anyone could better explain to me the reasoning for tossing the center with the MS-8 I'm all ears.

The best you will ever be able to get your car to sound is for a one seat, one listening position set up. Two seat is a compromise.

You only need two front speakers for a one seat set up with MS-8.
With a two seat set up the center is what steers the image to the center of the car, not to the center of the listening position.

If your wife doesn't care then don't bother or at least experiment with one seat just for you and then two seat if you are curious to what will change.

 

[jinstall]

with the correct time alignment, a center channel does provide some serious imaging. I'm going through the same thing in my volvo right now. I have a serious setup running off the oem radio through an audiocontrol dq61 and it sounds great. Part of what makes it sound good though is the oem pro logic decoder.

My problem is that I need a time alignment and phase dsp to hit that sweet spot. my dq61 time aligns the front 2 channels, but won't time align the center. I saw somebody had recommended minidsp?

as far as the op's question, $85 is super fair for anything Xtant makes. Not sure why you would even consider a Pyle after that offer. Also the one in question looks like a tiny pa amp, not intended for car audio.

 

[TheDavel]

I'll have the Xtants for sure. I haven't been willing to let them go previously because they are amazing little things and becoming hard to find. I guess I should send them off to people who will actually use them.

 

[Bluenote]

I ran a 5.25 morel Maximo coax and rears off the ms8 power and it did great. Though I can only imagine it would have been better with more power. There was nothing lacking with MS8 power nonetheless.

 

[customtronic]

Awesome deal on the Xtant!

 

[MetricMuscle]

Yeah I am trying to ensure that all my speakers are relatively the same and getting the same wattage, but unfortunately a 4" coaxial is the best I can do for the center and even that is going to take some work to get in there. So I have 70 watts going to fronts and rears and 20 to the center, thus the thread.

I am only worried about how it sounds for me as the wife could really care less but I have not heard that it would sound better without the center I will definitely look into that. I mean, I have already ran into some issues with the auto-eq because right now my fronts are so much louder than my center (stock center only running of the MS8's 20 watts right now) so I'm having to constantly adjust my gain on my 4 channel before and after calibration. Thus, not having a center channel sounds great to me.

If you or anyone could better explain to me the reasoning for tossing the center with the MS-8 I'm all ears.

Somewhere in the 8 million posts on the MS-8 thread there was some discussion. I might be able to find it.

MS-8 is different and much more capable of a DSP when it comes to surround and Logic 7. A left and a right front are all that are needed for one seat set up, no center. If you were to calibrate for just driver's seat, I don't think MS-8 will even send any signal to the center channel.

I didn't realize this either until someone posted and others commented.

Of course, for clarity sake, you need front L/R, Rear(or side) L/R. Most other DSP without Logic 7 only need front but they aren't a real surround processor and can't make use of the rears properly.

 

[t3sn4f2]

Yeah I am trying to ensure that all my speakers are relatively the same and getting the same wattage, but unfortunately a 4" coaxial is the best I can do for the center and even that is going to take some work to get in there. So I have 70 watts going to fronts and rears and 20 to the center, thus the thread.

I am only worried about how it sounds for me as the wife could really care less but I have not heard that it would sound better without the center I will definitely look into that. I mean, I have already ran into some issues with the auto-eq because right now my fronts are so much louder than my center (stock center only running of the MS8's 20 watts right now) so I'm having to constantly adjust my gain on my 4 channel before and after calibration. Thus, not having a center channel sounds great to me.

If you or anyone could better explain to me the reasoning for tossing the center with the MS-8 I'm all ears.

Try using an ipod or something into the ms-8 aux, and see if the center still sounds low. Make sure to recalibrate. It could be that your oe system's multichannel configuration can not be disabled completely and the ms-8 is then not getting enough center information to makes its own center output. Its all going to an unused center output in the oe head unit instead.

Assuming you turned the center channel volume down to "off" on the head unit settings.

 

[camfreem7]

Awesome information everyone, this has been really helpful.

I do definitely want the Xtant and plan on buying it when I get paid (thanks TheDavel) and I wasn't actually considering the Pyle everything I have seen looks like the company sucks I just found the first one of those Mini Amps I saw on ebay to post just to show everyone what I was talking about.

As far as the MS8 having enough power for the center I guess I can believe that, as of right now my overall system is not getting loud enough so I have to tinker with the calibration I guess I am just worried that when I do get it loud enough the center won't be able to keep up with my fronts.

I will try to fix my volume problem and then see if the center is loud enough, but with the gain up on my 4 channel the auto-EQ was making my fronts really really low which I am assuming was because it was balancing them with the quieter center. Turning the gain all the way down on my amp seemed to fix that, thus the thinking that my center needs more power to ensure the Auto-EQ doesn't bring my fronts down to compensate for the center.

I have not tried to turn the center off on the head unit for calibration because during listening turning the center up or down on the OEM HU didn't do anything, I am guessing this is because with my car using all the speaker level outputs from the OEM HU into speaker level inputs of the MS8 didn't work due to low voltage, thus I had to just use the FL and FR into the RCA inputs of the MS8.

Using the Aux in for calibration is a great idea and I will definitely try this tomorrow.

Somewhere in the 8 million posts on the MS-8 thread there was some discussion. I might be able to find it.

MS-8 is different and much more capable of a DSP when it comes to surround and Logic 7. A left and a right front are all that are needed for one seat set up, no center. If you were to calibrate for just driver's seat, I don't think MS-8 will even send any signal to the center channel.

I didn't realize this either until someone posted and others commented.

Of course, for clarity sake, you need front L/R, Rear(or side) L/R. Most other DSP without Logic 7 only need front but they aren't a real surround processor and can't make use of the rears properly.

As of right now when I turn of Logic 7 my center is definitely being uses, almost a little too much for my liking because I still have the factory 3.5 speaker in there. I am hoping replacing it with the PHD 4" coaxial with help with that.

keep the info coming fellas I am learning a lot

 

[trumpet]

Xtant 1.1i is the perfect center channel amplifier. I only sold mine because it doesn't match anything else in the vehicle. $85 is a killer price.