[MattESSC]

Few quick questions,

Currently running some old passive components (no rear fill) and an MB Quart RWE-354 sub off a U.S. Acoustics USB-4085. Decided it was time for an upgrade so I pulled the trigger on a set of HAT Imagine 6.5" components and an Audiopipe APSM-1300 as a dedicated sub amp, sadly I don't have the funds to buy an active x-over or a new deck.

I know the HAT Imagines are intended to be used as coaxials so the tweeters are a few DB's too loud when you use them in component mode. My goal is to use these in component mode (tweeters in sail panels) but if I could use my 4-channel amp to its full potential while also giving me a little taste of active I'd be stoked . I've read that it is possible to run HAT 3-way speakers directly off a 4 ch amp with capacitors inline with the tweeters. I'm wondering if I can do this with the Imagine components - one amp channel per speaker since I'll have freed up the channels I was using for the sub, do I still need to run the capacitors inline with the tweeters?

One more question I'm running the U.S. Acoustics 4085 off a knukonceptz 8gauge wiring kit, what would be the preferred method to add the APSM-1300? Would this 4 gauge wiring kit w/ dist. block work for both amps? Saw on here this is pretty much the best budget 4 gauge kit you can get.


Thanks

 

[ZAKOH]

Few quick questions,

I know the HAT Imagines are intended to be used as coaxials so the tweeters are a few DB's too loud when you use them in component mode. My goal is to use these in component mode (tweeters in sail panels) but if I could use my 4-channel amp to its full potential while also giving me a little taste of active I'd be stoked . I've read that it is possible to run HAT 3-way speakers directly off a 4 ch amp with capacitors inline with the tweeters. I'm wondering if I can do this with the Imagine components - one amp channel per speaker since I'll have freed up the channels I was using for the sub, do I still need to run the capacitors inline with the tweeters?

That's what I am doing with a 4x60watt amplifier. The woofer connects directly to the amplifier and the tweeter connects to another channel using a high precision 2.2uF Dayton capacitor from parts express. After spending some time playing with tweeter gains it does sound better to my ear when tweeter gains are a little lower than the woofer gains. One nice side effect of doing this is that the amplifier runs a lot cooler compared to the time when it was bridged to run passive components.

The reason I am doing this is so that, besides adjusting tweeter gains, I could time align tweeters with each other separately from the woofers. If I did not have the time align ability, I would probably bridge channels to run these in component mode, with a tweeter L-pad, and with one side possibly using changed polarity.

 

[ZAKOH]

One more question I'm running the U.S. Acoustics 4085 off a knukonceptz 8gauge wiring kit, what would be the preferred method to add the APSM-1300? Would this 4 gauge wiring kit w/ dist. block work for both amps? Saw on here this is pretty much the best budget 4 gauge kit you can get.

Thanks

I believe I own that kit. PSK04BM seems like a decent kit, but comes with "only" 100amp fuse, which I assume implies that the vendor does not believe that the power wire is good for higher current. A better kit I believe is StreetWires ZN1K-04 or ZN3K-04. These kits come with a true to gauge power wire that's made from slightly better materials and a 150amp fuse. I assume again that the vendor believes that the later kit is good for this kind of current flow so they include a higher rated fuse. Those kits are also pretty cheap. I would run one of these kits, and then use fused 3-way power/ground distribution blocks from knukonceptz. That's what I am installing right now..

 

[MattESSC]

Thanks for the help guys...

Is this the dist. block you are referring to KonFUSED 3 Way Distribution System? The 4085 has two 30a fuses and the APSM-1300 has one 80a fuse should I select a 60a fuse and an 80a fuse?

Edit: Okay I have a plan of action! Considering I don't have the ability to do Time Align adjustments or the money to go active - run them in COAX mode right off the bat and see how I like them. Depending on the results I might install the tweeters in the sail panels and swap the polarity to see if that calms them down a bit, figure I'll order some L-pads just in case.

 

[ZAKOH]

Thanks for the help guys...

Is this the dist. block you are referring to KonFUSED 3 Way Distribution System? The 4085 has two 30a fuses and the APSM-1300 has one 80a fuse should I select a 60a fuse and an 80a fuse?

Edit: Okay I have a plan of action! Considering I don't have the ability to do Time Align adjustments or the money to go active - run them in COAX mode right off the bat and see how I like them. Depending on the results I might install the tweeters in the sail panels and swap the polarity to see if that calms them down a bit, figure I'll order some L-pads just in case.

Yes.. that's the box I got. Pretty awesome device.


I prefer to err on the side of installing a smaller rated fuse. The stock amplifier fuses are usually meant not to blow when the amplifier putting out maximum wattage on all channels. I prefer to put a fuse that's rated for the wattage I intend to use. If I intend to run every channel with the lowest rated impedance speakers, then I will use the fuse with the same rating as the one on the amplifier. If I intend to use all channels with 4ohm speakers, even though they're rated for 2ohm load, then I will use the "system power design assistant" from WIRE

to calculate the value of current draw based on amps 4ohm rating, and then get the fuse with that rating or perhaps a bit higher or lower depending on application. Clearly, my MB Quart amp will not be drawing 70amps of current if two channels are driving a set of 4 ohm woofers, and two other channels are powering tweeters.


I think these HAT Imagine speakers will sound great in coax mode, since they were designed to work best that way. Tweeters seem to have nice frequency response off axis. The only draw back is that the stage height might drop a little.

 

[MattESSC]

I'm kind of strapped for cash right now..would the PSK04BM kit be safe to use for both amps? Or am I better off buying the other 4gauge single amp kit and doing another run?

 

[trojan fan]

I'm kind of strapped for cash right now..would the PSK04BM kit be safe to use for both amps? Or am I better off buying the other 4gauge single amp kit and doing another run?

If you are strapped for cash ...this kit might be the one for you

StreetWires ZN1K-04 (ZN1K04) 4 Gauge Amplifier Installation Kit

 

[MattESSC]

If you are strapped for cash ...this kit might be the one for you

StreetWires ZN1K-04 (ZN1K04) 4 Gauge Amplifier Installation Kit

Sweet that one I was looking at, thanks!

edit: Does this this kit look like the same one? It's labeled MTX ZN1K04 StreetWires 4 AWG Single Amplifier Installation Kit

 

[trojan fan]

Sweet that one I was looking at, thanks!

edit: Does this this kit look like the same one? It's labeled MTX ZN1K04 StreetWires 4 AWG Single Amplifier Installation Kit

I couldn't tell you without first seeing them in person