Surround sound in my car

**fomocofan81** · 03-19-2005, 12:44 AM

If any one could help me with this problem, I would greatly appreciate it. I am putting a dell notebook in my 98 Cobra with a wireless mouse and keyboard and 2 7" monitors so I can keep the notebook in the trunk. The question I have is with the audio. My car has the factory Mach 460 sound system in it and I would like to keep it like that. Can I retain the stock radio equipment and have surround sound? I know enough about electronics to take on the project, but I don't know anyone who has done this. Thanx, Jeremy

**nFiniteTuning** · 03-19-2005, 01:21 AM

You can ONLY if your laptop puts out 6 channels (to have true suround sound.)

If it does, you'll just have to wire it into your amp. Left front channel goes to left front input (from where the radio used to send sound to the amp *asuming also that the 460 has an external amp) And so on.

I doubt you'll be able to get full suround sound, but maybe....if it has like the two speakers on the dash or something like that, it should have a channel for that too.

I have DTS in my car, its amazing! Quite an experience.

**fomocofan81** · 03-20-2005, 01:07 AM

Here is the info on the Mach 460 sound system

Mach 460:
Ford Hi/Mid-Pass Amp - 2x60w = 120w Max. 2x30w = 60w Nom.
Ford Mid/Low-Pass Amp - 2x85w = 170w Max. 2x43.5w = 85w Nom.
230w / 13v = 17.7 amps Nom. 4 Ohms at 2% THD
460w / 13v = 35.4 amps Max. 4 Ohms at 2% THD

The car has one amp to power the front and rear 4-2.5" tweeters and two amps in the rear to power the front and rear mid/low woofers, totaling 8 speakers. Also, will my radio still work in the car? I was thinking of just going with a tuner in the computer for a radio with a touch screen monitor, would that work? What would work best for my application? I really appreciate your help with this. I have all the wiring diagrams for the car here also. Jeremy

**nFiniteTuning** · 03-21-2005, 11:02 PM

you wont be able to get full suround sound until you throw a center amp in there...doesn't have to be anything fancy, just somethin to power a center channel
and your set!

**fomocofan81** · 03-22-2005, 12:42 AM

What speakers would I want the center amp to power? I have 2 speakers in each door and two speakers on each rear interior panel, right under the rear window behind the front seats.

**DarquePervert** · 03-22-2005, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by fomocofan81

What speakers would I want the center amp to power? I have 2 speakers in each door and two speakers on each rear interior panel, right under the rear window behind the front seats.

A center channel speaker, of course. It goes in the center.
Probably somewhere in the dash or console.

**RedGTiVR6** · 03-22-2005, 08:46 AM

hrmmm - from what I remember it's not as simple as just throwing an amp into a mach one system

you need to find out what those speakers are rated at as far as ohm loads.....I seem to remember that they are something funky

and if those speakers are hooked up to one of those factory amps and you remove it, you will throw off those amps....seeing as how they are wired up as a specific ohm load....

just something you might want to look into

**fomocofan81** · 03-22-2005, 02:10 PM

I have to make 8 speakers work on 5 channels so I was thinking about just using the two tweeters that are highest on the door panel and the farthest forward on the same channel as the center speaker, the two lower door speakers as the left and right front channels. I could then use the rear upper speakers as the left and right rear channels and use the two lower rear woofers on one channel. I have the software to tune each individual channel as to it's location and distance from the driver, so it is somewhat adjustable. Would this work out? I looked into adding an amp and it's virtually impossible without having to re-wire everything.

**RedGTiVR6** · 03-23-2005, 09:03 AM

mkay - well that's not 5.1 - not really close - unless you have something capable of doing a phantom 5.1 center channel

Honnestly - IMO - what you are going to try and do just doesn't seem like it will work without knowing a few things...

I'd like to know what the ohm rating of yoru speakers are first, then how that will come into play on your factory amplifier. Hw you will connect from those speakers/amplifier to the sound card...and how you will single out all of those different channels from that factory amplifier?

maybe I'm not seeing something here....??