Mr.Skytech

iTrader: (13)

I am in the process of building my system. I have a TL-S 2007. The plan was to just pop in some speakers and maybe an amp. But i have been reading about sound processors.

So from all of them i have seen i have a few in mind.

1.) Rockford Fosgate 360.2
2.) JBL MS8
3.) Alpine Imprint

I want to keep my 5.1 sound and i use the HFL a lot.

Also, should i connect it to the stock amp or should i take out the stock amp and connect it directly to the head unit?

Thanks!

DiamondJoeQuimby

iTrader: (2)

Of those, the 360 probably makes the most sense. Although personally I have never been a big Rockford fan.

The MS-8 probably has the most stuff and is the most capable but it is quite a bit more expensive and are they even actually shipping yet? I'd like to see a few real world installs before I plunked down that kind of money.

I have done probably 30 Imprint systems and of those I'd ~50% sounded good and the others sounded REALLY processed. Plus once set you get virtually no tone adjustment.

FWIW, the signal straight out of the deck is pretty flat (slight bump right around 1k). All the 5.1, NAV voice, and HFL processing is done in the deck, not the amp. So you can easily take the preamp signal of all 6 channels and just eliminate the factory amp.

I am going to be using a Zapco DSP-6 to do exactly that. There is no auto setting on that though, so unless you have some experience tuning that piece may be a bit much.

Gary Mac

MS8 - IMO, greatly exceeds 360 and DSP-6. Just installed one, sounds awesome.

Positives over Dsp-6/360: Lets you do front active with center, rears and sides if you want and with sub - using Logic 7 processing to calebrate everything

MS8 actually serves as an amp for the center and rears, does auto calebration and eq tune, also gives parametric eq's with a 31 band graphic eq.

Its very simple to use and set up. I paid 800$ on the first pre-order from JBL, which I think is close to the DSP6 in price. I am using zapco ref amps.

Mr.Skytech

iTrader: (13)

Ok cool, thank you Gary Mac & DiamondJoeQuimby for your imput.

I am getting the MS8. Yes it is avaliable via crutchfield.

So the MS8 has to be connected to the HU and what about the stock amp?

I am planning on getting 2 amps. One four chanel amp and the other a two chanel amp. The four chanel amp will be for all four corners and the two chanel amp will be for the sub and the center chanel.

What do you think about that setup?

I plan on putting the stock amp on the black market if i dont need it.

Nick337

iTrader: (2)

Whichever one you are a customed to using. I mean they all work great, but if your not using each of those to their fullest capabilities then you will not know. I personally owned a 360.2 and Bitone.1.

Mr.Skytech

iTrader: (13)

MS8 all the way for me now.

So do I or dont i completely remove the stock amp?

i plan on putting the MS8 in its place and then adding the other 2 amps to all of the other speakers.

eggyhustles

don't forget about the audison bit 1 either.

ms8 ftw tho

Gary Mac

You can do it either way, (keep stock amp, or by-pass it), it takes high and low level inputs.

The MS8 also serves as an amplifier for rears and center. (15 or 20 W a channel)

Gary Mac

You know, I thought by installing the MS8 I was not going to have to tune anymore beacuse of the auto tune, well...., I was wrong. The auto tune does sound good, but adds a little too much sub for me, but since it still has the parametric EQ, 31 band graphic eq and level controls, I am still playing with it and spending the same amount of time... maybe once the novelty wears off I will not bother with it.

Cooper19

Does the MS-8 allow you to save multiple preset eq settings and switch between them? For example, if you normally listen to Rock but your wife likes to listen to Country every now and then, can you switch to another preset without re-tuning?

Cooper19

Nevermind. From the JBL Web site:


"The MS-8 provides five Favorites positions that let you store the system’s currently active audio settings. The system stores all audio and input selection settings in a Favorites setting (except the Aux volume setting). This feature lets you tailor the sound for a certain type of music or a certain driver, and save and recall the settings at any time."

xxx_busa

I've heard and listened to the MS-8 in a few set-up's and its great.

I've listened to the Bitone.1 and have liked out of off all the processor's, for me the tuning is awesome.

I have a ZAPCO DC set-up so for me the Processing in the DC & DSP is my cup of tea, I'm adding the DSP next week to my system.

I've already been down the 360 road.