NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

I am not exactly sure as to how powerful amps, speakers or subs should be and how should they should compliment each other to sound best, or exactly what to look for in a piece of equipment...
I listen to all sorts of music, mostly Hip Hop, trance, techno and some rock as well.. I am more concerned about clean sound at any volume, some fair bass that hits clean and hard without static and I don't want it to be too hard but just enough to feel and know something is back there...

So I am asking for some opinions from the guru's here

I have a Pioneer DEH-P9200 deck and some ordinary Kicker K65 coaxes for the rear fill.

I need to pack the following in under 900$:

1) - 2 10's or a single 12" (which would be best for me?)
all i want is quality stuff, with more emphasis on sound clarity and clean, yet hard hitting bass, not something that would shake the hell out of my car and be heard 5 blocks away.

2) - a nice amp for the subs. Be it for a single 12 or 2 10s..

3) nice 4 channel amp for the interior speakers..

3) - a set of good, clean sounding 6.5-6.75" coaxials or components.


Can this be done for under 900$?

I don't know much myself and I don't want to get jipped by an audio shop to reccomend me some **** that will be overpriced and not as good as the $ can buy. Besides, I rather install everything myself... Please reccomend me a nice combination of the sub, amp, front speakers that will fit in the budget and be exactly or as close to as what i am looking for, because I am afraid I'll mess something up myself... Thanks.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

maybe this will help you help me...

From reading and watching the posts here and other audio forums.. I hear that Adire and Image Dynamics both make subs that might fit my needs, maybe a single 12?

for components or coaxials... I was told that DEI makes best sounding comps for the price range, although it's a little bit out of mine, at like 200-230$. Also, Diamond audio M3s maybe..

As far as AMPs go, I don't have a clue

help me decide whats good and whats not, reccomend something!

KCTYPHOON

well.. i can tell ya this much.. your much better off buying 2 of whatever woofer u decide on than one. aside from giving yourself more versatiliy in your listen, your better off having two woofers playin at half volume than beatin the hell outta one tryin to make more bass..
im not tryin to be a salesman, but i do have stuff 4 sale.. check out the thread if and just email me if your intrested

mikemusica

I suggest JL Audio subs and amps. The JL Audio W6 subs (300 watts continuous) offer a good, clean, natural sounding bass at all volumes. 2 10" subs should suit you perfect. JL Audio amps are OK also. I would get he 300/4 for the comps and the 1000/1 for the sub.

A setup like that would get you a real smooth, precise sound.

mike

FJC

Send me an email...

jmax

If you are looking for SQ and on a budget a single 12 inch sub costs about 55% as much as two comparable 10's. Adire and ID are both great subs. But the Adire Shiva does require a fairly large box, at least the first version did. I think they are now on version 3 so the box specs may have changed. The components are what you will be listening to 98.5% of the time so don't skimp. And to keep under your budget I would look for a high quality used 4 channel for the components and sub.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

I thought a nice sub setup would run me at least 300$, ossuming it was going to be 2 10s. Even a single 12, I thought subs that cost under 150$ are just average..

I found the Adire Shiva 12" for 125$ shipped, would that be a fair price? And what are some good amp brands to look out for?
If I spend 125$ on the sub, i will make the box myself and have like 700$ to play with for amps and nice components. Say I spend 250$ on the comps, leaving me with 450$ for amps.. could I even buy someting nice and NEW at that price?

also, is a 12" what I need? Other mentioned that 2 10s would fit me more.. in that case, are Phoenix Gold X-max 10s good for SQ?

max'n out

Search down the audio forum and look at the stuff I have for sale, it's a great start for your system super cheap...For another say 400-500 bucks you can get speakers and a head unit and have one of the best systems out there.

FJC

I think Adire makes African Textiles...
No seriously.... Adire makes great HOME audio subs for use in custom cabinets and they're car subs are cheaply priced but you are getting a sub from a company specializing in Home audio. Would I buy a GE microwave, sure... but they're TV's are one of the worst made.

It's all up to you. Would I buy Adire, not for my car.

If Rockford Fosgate made home speakers would I buy them? Absolutely not (Unless they were unbelievable).

Would I buy an Alpine Home component if they made them? Not unless they were groundbreaking.

I'm not knocking Adire, it's a pretty good sub but there are much better choices...

I swear by Fosgate, they have good speakers for all budgets...

Go to uscaraudio.com, they will have their 2002 up soon...

Gates

iTrader: (2)

Here's my setup:

Polk MOMO 6.5 components
Alpine 307 Amp (4 ch. but I bridged it to the MOMOs)
IDMAX Sub
JBL 1200.1
Infinity 6.5 coax (off HU)

If you want your system to sound better I'd say you're better off putting more money into a good set of components and then getting a good two channel amp to those instead of 4 speakers and a 4 channel amp. Thats what I did. A Friend of mine went to 4 MB Quart coaxs and a 4 channel amp. While his is louder, mine definately sounds a lot better and the price of the speakers was about the same as I went with cheaper rear speakers. If you want great SQ than you should look into 2 IDQ 10s. They sound great and don't need a lot of power.

eaglclon

iTrader: (1)

I have a suggestion. Do you have Bose speakers? If you do get a good four channel amp. And hook it up to the bose speakers. Forget the stock bose amp their POS. Trust me I recently sold my mb quart and and bought boston acoustic components both over 400 a set. I sold them both. I hooked up my bose speakers to the amp and they sounded just as good. There are no distortions. It has lots of mid bass. My friends were impressed when I told them I had my stock bose in. Even the guys at the car audio place I buy my stuff from were impressed. I have a alpine headunit, alpine 4 channel amp the mrv-f407(has a adjustable crossover), xtant 600x1, and a JL 10w7. I know some people will think I'm BS. You should at least try it to see if you like it.

KCTYPHOON

ok.. enough of this.. best bang 4 the buck.. buy components, 2 subs, (12's) and at least a 4 channel amp. keep the rear stock bose for rear fill, you'll hardly even notice the difference. run the rears off the radio, and the front components and subs off the amp.. if you can afford to get a bigger 6 channel run 2 channels to the fronts, and bridge the other 4 into 2 for the subs and keep the rears off the radio. this is assuming your radio has a seperate output for subs. im tellin ya do this and youll be more than happy man. all your gonna get from asking questiosn in here is people tellin ya to go out and buy the same stuff they have. if you want a really good install from a professional goto lambros at sound sation on the corner of forest and south ave. ive been doin systems since i was 16 and a can tell you that he is the best around.. but please trust me on the system stuff.. you dont need to go crazy if you dont wanna go all out.. and remeber.. e-bay is ur friend..

FJC

You're a pro??? You've been "doin" systems since you were 16??? Do you install??? Have you been to IASCA comps??? Do you think I'm recommending Rockford because I have them and they suck???

Lambros hooks you up with a kickback? Well, you're doing the same thing we are... Recommending 1 shop that will sell him what they sell.... Nice contradiction. I can send him To Custom Auto Radio and they will sell him Rockford. I can send him to Autosound and they will sell him Alpine... etc...

Let the kid ask whatever he wants...I'm sure he'll be happy with whatever he gets, this is how he learns.

So far he got good reviews on top end s**t so I think hes making out pretty good.

The reason I recommend Rockford is because that's what my acquaintance Jamie wins IASCA comps with and that's what I use.

And what's with the 4-6 channel amp? Do you think that's effecient? You want him to run the rears off the radio while powering the front components off the same amp the 2 12"s are running from???????????????????? Common no, no...

The subs should be run from a single, dedeicated amp.

jmax

First of all, RF is made by Hafler home audio. And I wouldn't mind haveing a Hafler amp. Alpine does have a home audio version, Lexman or something. I don't think they sell it in the US. Kinda like Kenwood not selling minidisc in the US. To make a long story short you are knocking a good speaker company that you have probably never seen or heard. Most shops on the east coast have never heard of ARC audio yet either. But that's not stopping me from getting one of their amps. If you want the best quality that Best Buy has available, get RF. If you want better speakers for your money, get the Adire. And don't worry about beating the hell out of a single twelve. It has a three year warranty.

You're like the people in the 80's who said they wouldn't buy a honda because they only made motorcycles.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

You have M5 Diamond audio comps right? You're not selling those by any chance are you?
I was looking around and there is only like 3 places in SI that sell DA, I was thinking of getting maybe the M3, which is the lowest model stuff and I found a guy in SI who's selling his **** used, 2 10" M3s and M3 coaxes, he got them from Soundstation too. My pioneer DEH9200 does have a HU output. I'm going to install this stuff myself with the help of a friend who has done systems before that way I'll have more $ to spend for the equipment.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

also, i broke up the budget for each piece of equipment, let me know if this would be fair or whether I should pay more for subs over amps or components over subs etc..


230$ for components
400$ for amps
200$ for sub(s)
~70$ for sound deadening, dynamat etc..

would this be fair? I'm going to build the box myself... is there anything else I need? I got the HU and rear fill speakers, I don't have BOSE in my GXE, i got the stock **** which sounds 10 times worse.

max'n out

I'm telling ya dog I think you buying my amps and subs off me would be the way to go...650 for the 3 amps, and 130 for the subs..thats only a total of $780 for 2 grand worth of retail stuff..that still leaves you another 120 left out of your budget..extend it slightly to 1 g and you can put some great things together. Or find some nice componets off ebay...Heres the link http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....+amps+for+sale

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

thanks, but i don't think i need all of that, unless you are willing to split the equipment up.. I think I'm going to go with a single 12" or 2 tens if i can find them at a reasonable price.. My budget is pretty much set at 900$ and even that is already pushing it... I am holding off because things keep coming up which I need money for before the stereo, we'll see...

93 SE

just my 2 cents, when i was gonna do my next system,i wanted to conserve space and use a good pounding single 12" set up and i would have gone with a hollywood excursion x2 dvc http://www.audio-n-more.com/Hollywood/hollywood.htm

http://shop4sound.com//catalog/produ...a5059567774081

the shop4sound sub is the new one but there both still very good and pretty much same

KCTYPHOON

ok first of all, if your gonna try and dis on me, take the time to actually read and understand what i wrote and dont put words in my mouth. never did i claim to be a pro. i merely said that ive been into the car stereo thing since i was 16, and i know who does the best work in our area. i know Nyce lives by me. as far as your rockford comment, if you take a look in some of the other forums, you would notice that im selling 2 rockford amps. i own 2 1100a2's and a 600a4. plain and simple, rockford doesnt deliver the high standard of performace it once did. for mids and highs the amps are a little on the dirty side. there are many other companies out there that can give you a better sound quality than rockford. now, mabye if i didnt HAVE them in my car, and i HAVENT heard other stuff, mabye you could jump down my throat. but the reality is I HAVE. dont get me wrong, rockford stuff is still a very good brand, but if hes going to look to buy something used, theres other brands he could look at. btw, i am keeping one of my rockford 1100a2's just for my subs. my highs will be powered by a diamond audio amp because it offers a cleaner sound. thats a fact, and there are dozens of other people here that will confirm that.
now let me reply to this one.. i never said to goto lambros at soundsation to buy anything. no he does not give me a kickback. i simply said " he does quailty installs". and the man stands behind his work and will be the first to correct something if there was a mistake made on his part. the two leading brands he sells is diamond audio and eclipse. he can tell you the complete history of every company. the man knows what hes doing more than anyone ive delt with, and thats why i reccomend him. i will also tell you that the only words that come out of his mouth are "buy eclipse", but thats because he has a higher level of standards, and thinks that everyone else will only be happy with the best.
now lets deal with this.. do i think a 4-6 channel amp is suffecient? in his case, absolutely. hes trying to work within a budget, only buying one amp keeps cost down. the fact is 95%of what the driver hears is front speakers. i can also tell you that first hand cause rite now im only driving around with front componets, and i can barely notice my rear set is not hooked up. having his rear bose run off the radio is just so "something" is playing back there. lastly, Nyce, if you remember my friend paco/ridnonchrome96, this is his system set-up now. kenwood 910dvd head unit, studio driver front componets, stock rear bose for rear fill (run off the radio), 2 12" diamond audio m5's, and a 6 channel diamond audio amp. 2 channels used for the fronts, the last 4 brideged for the box. lemme tell you, its crazy.. words cant descride how good it sounds, and ah-hem, he only has one amp.

KCTYPHOON

lol. sorry man im not selling the m5's. actually i keep tellin the guy "just tell me if i need somethin better cause if i change everything else and i dont hear a world of differene im gonna be mad". all hes says is " change your hu, and get rid if that fosgate, its too dirty for your taste" so friday i have an appiontment. i got the new kenwood 911dvd, keeping the 2 sets of m5 componets, gettin a new 4 channel da amp for them, and keeping one 1100a2 for whatever box i wind up with. guy told me hes gonna let me hear a few different boxes with my amp so i can hear how they sound. he keeps tellin me i dont gotta spend all the money for a vented compression box to get what i want.. so we shall see...

FJC

You're like the kid that'l get my tec down your throat so cool it ponchie. Don't be a hard-core dude, we're all friends...

Nice internet search.... How long did it take you to figure out that Alpine & RF manufactured both... I hope it was time consuming... Just testing you

The kid will buy what he wants. He's actually learning from us acting like little girls...

I hope you don't take me seriously...

FJC

ok

93 SE

i think you are in same boat as i was back while ago,i wanted to get a good loud system but not so much like the serious pros, pretty much like good entry level,NOT a system to compete,but good for driving

-Autotek ss400.4 75x4 or the ss600.4 100x4 both under $200
-Autotek sx2200 400x1 for the sub perfect match for sub also $200
-Hollywood 12" excursion sub dvc 400 watts rms required
-or maybe even the Autotek sx5750 5ch to run everything,even sub,the amp puts out 75x4 and about 400 for sub if wired for 2ohm,so get the 4ohm dvc model to get right setup,amp new is around $400,or less on ebay,but i fear on ebay they are refurbs( though i would get the other autotek amps on ebay ,just not the 5ch one)
as for speakers i think you found some already so it up to you

any comments from other people are welcome let me know if i would of had a good setup or not

AndyXXL

Steve, JL Audio Stealthbox is what you need.

jmax

GetSome681

Had done a little searching through the forum, but most of the talk is a little above my head, with you guys doing most of this work yourselves. Basically I've been into modding the max, but more engine/exhaust wise. Always been into audio, just never really had the money to do it. I'm hoping that you guys can help me out as well. Here are my concerns/thoughts. 1) I have the BOSE system...of course not great, but do I really need to upgrade all the speaks, and run an amp to them, or can I just go ahead and add in a sub to the system? I know the latter isn't as great as the first, but I plan on upgrading as time goes by, and as the money accumulates. I want to spring for the sub first, because I really can't stand not having the bass I want. I was looking at a 12" jl W3...any opinions on this speaker? What amp could I use to drive it? I really don't know too much, esp when it comes to running at different ohms and all that garbage, so whatever I get..I'll definitely be getting someone else to put it in. 2) How much rattle am I going to get in my 5th gen? I really hate those cars that sound like they're falling apart, and I don't want to hear any rattles, nor have all the bolts on my car fall apart. How well does Dynamat work? and...can it be taken out after it's installed, or is it a more permanent solution? 3) What kind of custom work have you guys seen? (5th gen? or whatever). I like the idea of having just a box in the trunk, b/c I'm assuming I could take it out if need be very easily..but then again, I think it's sorta lame and boring. I've heard people putting a setup in their spare tire-well, but I don't really want to lose carrying around that tire.

Anyways, if you guys could help me out with these things, and even help point me in the direction to where I could learn more, that would be great. As I said, I'm definitly looking to continuously upgrade it, and in doing so I'd love to pick only the best components, topping everything off one day with a nice Kenwood DVD-901 or whatever...(mobile video/dvd) headunit. Thanks everyone!!

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I've been looking/searching around this forum and other audio forums.. I got a little list of things to consider in my price range;

Components =
-DEI 3065 = 229$
-JL Audio XR650-CS = was told they can be had for 230$ off Ebay..
-Diamond Audio M3 = was told a little over 200$?
-Focal polyglass 165v = was told a lot of people online have them for 230$

Amps = don't know what exactly i need in terms of power or # of channels yet.. but brands to look out for =
-Phoenix Gold
-Cadence
-Zapco
-Eclipse
-PPI
-US Accoustiks

Subs = (single 12 or 2 tens..)
-Adire Shiva = 125$ shipped (single 12")
-Image Dynamics IDQ 10s.. = (a little pricey, 160$ or so for a single 10" but i haven't shopped around for the best deal yet)
-Kicker Comp VR4 10" - 120$ each
-Kicker L7 Solobaric 10" - 165$ each

A lot of other people have talked about brands which they almost swear by.. I am guessing everything sounds great and probably will to me, since I'm just getting that car audio itch now and have had stock systems in all my cars, one was the BOSE which wasn't that bad to me.. but since i'm spending the $, I want the best for the price

KCTYPHOON

i will tell you this much, and im sure EVERYONE in here will agree with me on this. if you want to build yourself a really good sound system, it costs ALOT less to buy the good stuff a little at a time than it does to settle for "something just for now". what happens when you do that is buy a whole bunch of stuff that you wont like anymore in few months when you start hearing yours and comparing it to other people than have spent the money the first time around. figure your gonna spend at least $2,500- $3,000 for a basic higher end stereo. start adding multimedia to that and tack on at least another $1,500. this is buying everything new of course, but do it rite the first time around and youll save yourself money in the long run.

GetSome681

Yeah, that's exactly what I want to do. I've heard a lot of people really talk up the W3, so I figured that would be a great start. Unfortunately, I don't know much about amps though, and that obviously needs to be a part of my initial setup. I'd hate to go to some place to get my stuff installed, and them just suck me into some crappy amp.

max'n out

well said

Gates

iTrader: (2)

I've heard a lot of good thigns about those components and those amps. For your subs I like to recommend JBL amps, that is what I went with. The amount of power you get for the money is great. I got my JBL 1200.1 for $275. You'd probably want to look into the 600.1 with the subs you listed;not sure of the price on that. I'd definately get a 2 channel amp for your components and a mono or 2 channel for your subs. Again, the subs you're looking at are all great. I know that carmedia1.com has the IDQ for around $100. Can't remember if they carry kicker. Everyone has a fav brand, but in the end if you go with any combo of the stuff you listed, you should be satisfied. Most people on here speak from personal experience and haven't tried too many different brands (like me), so they can only recommend what they've heard. I've heard two IDQ 10's in a max and they sounded great. Not the loudest, but you mentioned you were looking for good SQ. The Kicker L7 is not really geared for SQ, I've heard the 10" and it sound good but not great to me. For the components try and see if you can find somewhere where you can demo them before you buy them.

KCTYPHOON

from my own experience, diamond audio amps are some of the best out there ive heard. zapco is also very good. they are both a very "clean" sounding amp. as far as subs and componets, diamond audio also make very high end stuff. a 6 channel amp from da will run you about a grand. the 4 channel about 700. i dont recall what i paid for my componets but figure about 300 for a good set for your front. best head units around are eclipse. if you look around thats what most people that compete use. you can get the basic high end single din cd player, model 5441 i belive, for about 500. its in the same family as the others without all the bells and whistles. only problem i have with eclipse head units is i personally dont like the way they look. a good choice to go with if you'd like muliti media later on is the eclpise 55090. its a sigle din cd/dvd player with 8v pre-outs. that'll run you about $1,400 and looks pretty good. later on you could always add a 7" screen as opposed to the flip out kind. it'll be a lil cheaper and you can mount the screen a few difeerent places. a box with 2 macdaddy 12" da subs will run about $700, the m5 12's a lil cheaper, mabye $500. if you wanted a cheap, higher end stereo with good sound, this is what reccomend to start with. im gonna do this without going the multi-media way.

eclipse 5441 head unit : @$500
diamond audio 6-channel amp : @$1,000
diamond audio 6.5" componet set : @$300
2 diamond audio macdaddy 12's in a box : @$700

rite now your about $2,500. this is very good sounding set-up. that you can still build upon if you want more. if i were you, id buy a lil at a time, either keep it on a payment plan if the dealer would let you, or keep it in the house. get it all installed at one time, and buy everything from the same dealer. as time goes on, and you keep going back to him, you'll see hes giving you prices that are better than he would first time buyers. also make sure if you get it installed, get it done by the same person. this way the guy already knows whats done and doesnt have any guess work. what id do for this set up is run your stock rear bose off the radio, the front componets of 2 channels of the amp, and the 12's off the remaining 4 that will be bridged. later on if you want more, buy another set of componets for the rear, and just have them run off the radio for now, and then go out and buy another diamond audio 4 channel amp. then use the 4 channel to run the interiors, and the 6 channel to push the box. your total cost for the enitre system is now $3,500, and belive me it will sound ALOT better than almost all that you will hear. a system aint just bass. when you hear someone drive by and all you hear is the boom with his windows down i can guarantee it sounds like *** in the car. if this set - up aint enough for you than seek theropy.
one last thing id like to add. i dont care what people tell you. when you see an amp rated at 1000 watts for $1,200 and another saying 1000 watts for $350, dont be fooled. you get what you pay for. do it rite the first time. i cant stress that enough. i wish i would have listened when people told me that.

FJC

Good point Andy... Nice prewire on the Max... Who did it? Saved me a lot of work...

I installed all of the components today. Looks nice.... Sounds incredible...

W7 to come..

AndyXXL

Guys at Tweeter did all the work. I would like to hear it after you're done.

FJC

No problem.. Should be dont this week sometime...

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

I think I'm going to go with the Focal Polyglass components afterall... 240$ (but i heard they give a more "aggressive" sound then DEI with smoother tweeters..) but I'm expecting them to be worth the $. Now.. next question is, what kind of amp, and how much power do I need to run to them to get the best out of them..

max'n out

Your right, and a good amount of wattage would be around 40-90 watts per channel.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

thanks,

Sorry for the downpour of questions.. I'm picking things up, slowly but surely.. lol.

I'm thinking of going with a 2 channel amp for the components and a second, just more powerful 2 channel for the subs.. or bridge a 4-channel amp for the 2 10s.. Kind of leaning towards the IDQ Image Dynamics 10s.

Another questin, How do you know what is the best match, power wise.. amp to speaker.. Say a sub is rated at 250W / 500W peak... What would be the best power to run to it? What kind of specs should the AMP have in power?

thanks

max'n out

Your idea is good..the two channel on the componets would go like this, one channel to the left passive x over one channel too the right side passive x over then that would split it to the mid and tweet...each would then only get half of the power per channel though...personally I like 4 channels one per speaker for the mids/tweets...also a 2 channel amp brigded on the subs is usally the way to go...You want the wattage of the rms rating for the sub, that wattage rating from the amp depends on the load your gonna run it at though...You sure you don't want my amps they would truley work great with the setup your planning thus far...