Hi everyone.
Im in the process of designing a new SQ system in my TJII VRX and im looking for some words of wisdom lol. I will be building a carputer and the sound card im looking at using is the Asus Xonar Essence STX. It is a two channel stereo card, with RCA output, with a preout voltage of 2Vrms.

I am planning on running the sound in the car straight from this soundcard to an amp and bypassing a headunit. The components i am looking to use are as follows:

Alpine SPX-17PRO Splits
Alpine SWX-1243D Sub
Alpine PDX M12 amp
Alpine PDX F4 amp

Would the preout voltage of 2vrms be high enough considering im going for an SQ system? Would it be better to use an external processor to increase the preout voltage? If so, please recommend a suitable processor.

Also, if anyone has an opinion on the components used, feel free to give an alternative. The only restraint is that each single component needs to be below $1000 ea.

Cheers

2vrms should be fine provided your gains are set correctly, thats all the high-quality sound cards will put out anyway.

What kind of front-end will you be running?

I've recently set mine up with Centrafuse and it is excellent! Just need to install the carpc now :)

Why are you using Alpine gear if the goal is SQ? Keep the amps...maybe..

well i've heard that the SPX-17PRO splits and the SWX-1243D sub are pretty top notch in the SQ department. The amps are meant to be quite good as well. I was looking at the seas lotus SW250 but its an 8" and i was looking for a 12". the SW300 which is a 12" may be out of my budget.
All the components of the system can still be changed but car audio is not my forte and the myriad of brands and products available is a bit too much for me really. Any recommendations would be much appreciated

Life, i'll most likely be running centrafuse. I've tried it out and it seems pretty good. By the way, what sound card are you running? Are you using a dedicated card or onboard sound? For me this sound card choice is crital. I really haven't decided yet and im thinking the Xonar essence STX is still my best bet.

Alpine speakers aren't really associated with SQ systems. Having said that, they're certainly not bad; there's just better out there. If you're after a proper SQ system you'd be best to audition other brands of speakers, but if you just want something that sounds good, it'll certainly suffice. If you check out Mobile Electronics Australia you'd find recommendations on similarly-priced speakers.

Good choice on soundcard too. I have a Xonar D2X in my desktop PC and it's great. My setup is good but nothing special (bookshelf speakers and amp), but it was incredible to hear the difference it made over onboard sound.

I have never been a fan of Alpine but if you like the way they sound - go for it.

The amps are actually pretty good.

Don't be afraid to mix and match but. Spend money in key area's like Sound deadening / diffusers / staging and tuning.

Life, i'll most likely be running centrafuse. I've tried it out and it seems pretty good. By the way, what sound card are you running? Are you using a dedicated card or onboard sound? For me this sound card choice is crital. I really haven't decided yet and im thinking the Xonar essence STX is still my best bet.

I'm using the onboard with Centrafuse's EQ, even though it could be better it's still miles ahead of most car head units :) According to mp3car most people running SQ setups are using the Xonar.

Yeah thats what i thought life. The xonar seems like a great card for the price. Craps all over the usual creative gear.

Find a place that can audition Morel, MB Quart, JL Audio and Focal. That should give you great insight into the wonderful world of SQ. Don't be afraid to talk to the sales person, either :)

Thanks Munky. Appreciate the tips.