Hey guys I'm shopping around for a nice set of speakers to replace my factory, non bose speakers. I have a panasonic CQ-DFX983U H/U and don't plan on replacing it quite yet. I also have a Jl audio 12W3V2 powered by a kenwood amp pushing 250 watts bridged and I'm very pleased with it. My stock speakers keep cutting out and I don't like the mid-bass or tweeters. I had mb quarts in my previous car (prelude) and I really loved the tweeters in them but the mid bass could have been better. I know that it's a no-no but I was only using the H/U to power them the highs sounded real nice. I would like an amp that has around 100 watts rms x 4 @ 12.5V. As far as speakers go I just want something that has clear highs and good mid bass up front, for the rears just something to sound better than stock. I'm trying to spend $500-$700 don't mind going for slightly used stuff. Any helpful links or info would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Try caraudio.com used car audio classifieds. They usually have decent gear..

http://forums.caraudio.com

 

Check both circuitcity.com and crutchfield.com periodically for good deals. It is definately worth the time to wait for the right ones to come up.

 

With that budget, you have many options available to you. Check with Don to see what he might recommend for your current application.



CircuitCity.com

 

hey man you're a gator so you are not alone in here. I have some components amped in my 2k2 if you want you can check them out to get ideas. to get real good midbass deadening is a must. i did a hack job on half assing my deadening but the midbass is decent i'd say. but my 15 more than makes up for what i could not hear from the mid bass anyway.

 

I have a used (like new) us amps tu4360 (hybrid vacuum tube amp) for sale for $400 (retail is $599). It does 75x4@4ohm (rms, actually underrated) and it's class A. IMHO, this is the cleanest best sounding amp. If anyone else has experience with these amps, can you please vouch for me.

For speakers you could get some rainbow sound line coaxial speakers from Don (Pearl96Max). Not sure how much they cost but it shouldn't be too much.

 

I've heard great things about the rainbows and I think the SLC's are in my price range IIRC. I'm going to PM Don and see what I can get. I've also heard alot of good things about Focal, sound advice replaced mb quarts with them after fosgate bought the company. I have a subwoofer so I really would like a clean sounding highs, I really think that completes a car audio system.
Any brands or models come to mind when I mention the specs I'm looking for?
Is there an online forum where I can see opinions of people that have purchased car audio parts?

Thanks

 

I forgot to mention what is the difference in the amp ratings? i.e. Class A vs. whatever. There are so many quality manufacturers out there I don't know where to begin on making a decision.

 

[kpr10is on makdaddys screen name]
Elitecaraudio.com
caraudio.com
Caraudioforum.com
icixsound.com
soundillusions.net

Keep in mind each of those individual forums tend to prefer their own brands. Elitecaraudio is probably going to give you the most similar responses to what you'd see here (In large part thanks to Don), in terms of high end brand preferences.

-Kevin
[/kpr10is on makdaddys screen name]

 

The U.S. Amps tube amps are not class A's. Nice amps, but not class A.

A true class A amp will suck so much current for such a little bit of power, it's worthless to most of us. OK I guess for a hard core competitior with a beefy electrical system, not for us mortal folks that want to give what we have avaliable mostly to subs/midbass.

Just wanted to correct an error....

 

Elitecaraudio is the bomb. Thats my "home" forum. Been on there since 99 and learned sooo much from there as well as gotten some great deals and met some fine folks. Great place if you really love car audio (not just want loud bass or wanna talk about a bunch of speakers you've never heard).

I highly recommend it as an additional website to the 'mature' Maxima guys here who mostly frequent the Audio and Electronics forum here but sometimes find good info here few and far between (coming from the same 6 members..Don, Kprs, manny....you know the few I'm talking about)

 

yep, many good informative threads over at elitecaraudio. been lurking over there for awhile now...maybe i should sign up...

 

cross out icixsound because they suck at life. i like soundillusions.net.

 

Yea Ive been on there for a couple years, but with almost no posts. LoL, although my sig says..."I read more than I post"

 

 

Sorry man, I have been busy as hell. What are you doing tomorrow around 12? I will be in town to study and need to let you hear these! I am sorry I have been putting this off.

Chris

 

Technically, they aren't a TRUE class A but US AMPS calls them class A because they sound SOOO good. On the endplate of the amp, it says "Class A Operation."

A TRUE class A draws alot of current even when they aren't playing any music.

Have you listen to any of these amps? If so, which model(s) did you listen to?

 

Yes I have extensive listening time on the TU 4360 (midrange and horns) and the TU600 (150 x 2 ) (midbass) tubers in a competition system. They've been replaced since then. The system sounded incredable and all, but I didn't attribute it to the amps The owner has since switch from them to Helix, and now to Genesis, and likes them both more than the US Amps tubers....

Like I said, good amps and all, though when someone says an amp sounds sooo good, I have to question if it's the amp (likely not), the system, or the person likeing their amp because everyone has a bias towards the equiptment they like/use/used.

When you said they were class A amps, I thought you were advertising them as an actual class A, not a "top class amp or in other words for that class a". I think it's crappy that a manufacturer would leave confusion to this by calling their amp "class A". Pretty misleading since it's not a class A IMO.....(loses a little respect for US amps, but not the old US Amps beasts like the VLX 400)

Anyway, not trying to rip on you or stop you from making your sale. Definately a nice amp....though for that much money I'd get more power personally Nice amps though....

 

I probably am bias toward us amps. I've been frustrated because I haven't heard anything better (sound wise) than my setup. I recently heard a car with a clarion drz, id horns, idq 8" midbass, idmax subs (sealed), 2 id eq's, and all zapco amps. It's owned and installed by the owner of a local high-end audio shop and the install is awsome. I thought this car would blow mine out of the water but I was very disappointed. The only thing I liked was the imaging. One of my friends also heard this car and he had the same opinion.

I've talked to a few people about us amps tube amps. One guy I talked to used to use the ppi art series amps. He told me, he never thought there was better sounding amps than the ppi art series until he heard the us amps. Another guy I talked to said he has tested these amps side by side with butler amps and planet audio tube amps. He thought they all sounded very similar but he liked the us amps the best. I also talked to another guy who said the same thing.

I've heard other nice amps and they seem to sound a little harsher in the higher frequencies than the us amps. As always, with audio, it's all about personal preference.

For competition they aren't the best because tube amps slightly distort the sound to give it a unique, more real sound. Some like the distortion some don't. (IMHO)

BTW, the vlx400 is a bad **** amp. I almost got one instead of my usa3000. US AMPS has definitely gone down hill recently. They were bought out and rumors are that the amps are being made in korea now. All of the amps I have were made before they were bought out.

Why does the owner of the vehicle (you heard) like the other amps better? Why do you? (just curious)

Sorry for somewhat jacking this thread....

 

More power,, no warming time, and as I said ..nice amps...I didn't attribute the greatness of his system to the amps.They put out their rated power. I heard nothing distinctive to tell me these are tube amps or super sounding amps above and beyond his other systems/amps I've heard.

Teh system he has now blows away the old, though likely for various other reasons more important than the amps....

Sorry I didn't agree with your contention/opinion that these are the best sounding amps. You're not likely to find me agreeing with anyone that says that about their amps...Maybe their speakers, but not their amps....