• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Can you guys help me build a stero system for my car?

G

Gulzakar

Diamond Member
I'm not an Audio guy, so any help is appreciated. I have about 1600.00 to spend (including Labor and parts).

I want a:

cd/MP3 headunit
4x 6.5 inch speakers
2x 1inch tweets (crossivers too)
AMP + 10 or 12 inch sub with enclosure.

I know it's not hard to find these products, I know I can actually CHOOSE them, it's just hard determining what products are actually GOOD (for me at least)...I'm not an audiophile. If my budget is laughable, let me know 🙂 I'll just save a little more. I don't need anything extreme, just nice.
 
That kinda money can score you an excellent system, EXCEPT for 1 little thing. Install costs. These things will rip you apart if you let them. Any way you can do your own install?

Oh yeah, and what are you looking for? Just insane loudness? Crystal clear sound? A mix of both? How much room can you give up? Very little? The whole back of a van? Does brand name recognition mean anything or you just want something that works good?
 
locally, the audio shops are all struggling for business, so it shouldn't be too bad for installs...

As far as me doing it... I'm not going to try and mess with something I don't understand very well... I suppose I could try, but it might not be such a good idea.

Anyways, as far as quality are concerned, I'm more interested in quality then name brand. I want loud and crystal clear...but it doesn't need to be THAT loud and it doesn't need to have overdone highs (if that is the def. of clear)... I have an RSX (so I'll need a dash kit and complete rewire I guess), I can spare room in the hatch area... theres room under the seats for the AMP I guess... I'm not too sure. 😀

I don't need insane bass, but I need a woofer... I had one 10 inch pioneer and 300 watt amp in my old CRX and it sounded GREAT!

anyways, I hope that helps.

 
Pioneer DEh7400 MP head unit. plays MP3s
Infinity speaks and tweeters
JBL, Polk, Kicker, ... for Sub. and any decent 300w+ amp for teh sub
 
Sorry to thread hijack, but is Panasonic head units any good? I really like their designs, it looks really nice. Any comments?
 
I'd do an Eclipse HU. The new years models are looking stellar. Excellent prices and feature packed out the wazoo.
Anyways...

Eclipse HU - around 400 (havent researched the low-mid lines enough to know what you need. i can if you want)

Do you HAVE to have 6.5's? And 4?? I'd do 1 good component set and the subs. I dont like rear fill though (I HATE rear fill)

So, components.....
CDT Audio
Koda Components from Adire

Those are actually the two brands I'm deciding between. CDT's are a bit more, but every review I've heard of the Kodas has put them right on par with components costing MUCH more. And, I already run some Adire subs and absolutely love them (It actually).
Crystal, Focal and Seas Lotus are also options. MB Quart as well, but for some reason i dont care for the sound of them as much. Infinity is (IMO) a good, run of the mill brand. Its what you get to sound good but it seems pretty neutral to me (Which is good in soem cases)

Subs....
Heres where it becomes a bit more difficult due to space required. Some subs LOVE space. 5 cubic feet a woofer isnt unheard of. I assume you dont have that much to give, so lets stay on the smaller side.
Brahma by Adire
Shiva by Adire
Elemental Designs Audio
Resonant Engineering

I use a Brahma 12 in 1.5 cubic feet selaed with 1500 watts. Its amazing. Excellent sound quality and Christ it gets loud for 1 sub. They require a fair amount of power to really stand up and shine, but take very small boxes as well. Shiva is just a budget sub for Adire, but alot of people run them with very good success. I believe they like bigger boxes though, which may be a problem.
Elemental Audio, I'd LOVE to get some of their subs. ALOT of happy users. I'd also recommend them in a heart beat.
Resonant Engineering I believe uses the same motor as the Brahma with a few minor tweaks. I've heard the RE's are a bit louder, the Brahma's a bit better sounding. No firts hand experience with the Re's though.
All would be good, giving you great SQ with good amounts of boom. 🙂

Most of that isnt your common JL Audio Orion kinda stuff. Its very good, not well known. Especially the Shiva. No cone markings, it looks like swpa meet crap. Till ya play it 😀 As I said, I'm not a fan of rear fill, so I just recommended some components. Perhaps go with a 3 way set instead of 2 way and throw the midbass in the rear deck, but I just hate mid/highs on the rear deck.

Anyways, Eclipse HU, Koda components and 1 12" Brahma sub is what I would do. Add amps as needed.
Eclipse - 400-ish
Kodas - 370
12" Brahma - 400

1170. No amps or install. You could get by the components on the HU, or get some JBl amps. JBL is the bang for the buck amp to buy IMO.
 
the pioneer 7400mp is cool, im getting the premier series 740MP 😀

1600$ is a very decent budget. i think youre better off asking a car audio forum for they probably have better sgugestions
 
I would second the recommendation to check a car audio forum. That being said, I'll let you in on my experiences... I've been very happy with the Pioneer head unit I have. I would recommend looking into the CD/MP3 player unit DEHP6500. I've heard great things about Panasonic units, too.

I would recommend going with Infinity component speakers in the front, and Infinity KAPPA's or Reference series for the rear. I've got Infinities installed both front and back in my Jeep, and I think they sound excellent. Other brands sounded hollow or tinny.

As far as a sub/amp goes, I can't help you as much here. If you want to go with a separate unit, I would recommend going with an Infinity sub and an Alpine or Kenwood amp. I have an Infinity BassLink in the back of my Jeep that I think is great. It doesn't produce huge bass, but it also doesn't take up very much room.

You could probably get the whole system (head unit, components, BassLink) plus installation gear for around $1100 installed at Circuity City. Possibly less if you watch sales. Local shops will probably cut you a deal on the install, but will kill you on the markup on the gear.

Best of luck.

Ryan
 
Well, if you want forums, I recommend these...

Car Sound
Sound Illusions

Theres also Term Pro

But the first two are IMO the best ones out there. Sounddomain is filled with asshats if you ask me.

Go to those forums and search for what your interested in. Search for HU, Eclipse, Brahma, JL, Amp....Whatever it is you want info on. Your a ATOT'er, I think you can figure it out 😉
 
Originally posted by: TheEvil1
Pioneer DEh7400 MP head unit. plays MP3s
Infinity speaks and tweeters
JBL, Polk, Kicker, ... for Sub. and any decent 300w+ amp for teh sub
Click to expand...

Pioneers HeadUnits plays MP3's very slowly. It takes forever to seek and finnaly get playing. My JVC plays MP3s fast, seeks almost as fast as my computer.
 
Actually, if you want a sub amp i may sell ya mine if you'd want. 1500 watts @ 1 ohm. I'd even see if Kirk (owner / seller) would transer warrenty for it. i dont think he'd have a problem with doing that.
Course, thats provided my wife would let me upgrade amps to a differtent one. 😀
1500 watts just aint enough for me. But it surely pushes the lil 12" nicely. 🙂 Hell, I'd throw that in too.....
 
Originally posted by: optimistic
Originally posted by: TheEvil1
Pioneer DEh7400 MP head unit. plays MP3s
Infinity speaks and tweeters
JBL, Polk, Kicker, ... for Sub. and any decent 300w+ amp for teh sub
Click to expand...

Pioneers HeadUnits plays MP3's very slowly. It takes forever to seek and finnaly get playing. My JVC plays MP3s fast, seeks almost as fast as my computer.
Click to expand...

I haven't heard the sound quality out of a JVC, but I do know it's hard to beat the quality of a Pioneer.
 
Originally posted by: optimistic
Originally posted by: TheEvil1
Pioneer DEh7400 MP head unit. plays MP3s
Infinity speaks and tweeters
JBL, Polk, Kicker, ... for Sub. and any decent 300w+ amp for teh sub
Click to expand...

Pioneers HeadUnits plays MP3's very slowly. It takes forever to seek and finnaly get playing. My JVC plays MP3s fast, seeks almost as fast as my computer.
Click to expand...

Wife has the 740 and the delay is not nearly as bad as people make it sound. I guess it comes down to how much it takes to bother you. Has JVC improved over the last 10 years? When I was heavy into car audio we used to call JVC "Just very crappy" Anyone remember that headunit they had with the foldout speaker? *shudder*
 
thats why youg et the p740 premier

i hear it has a slightly faster loading time, tho i can attest to it because i have had neither [still waiting for that tax refund 😀]

if you have the dough, go with an alpine. unfortunately i dont
 
Nobody recommend Alpine ?
I did a sound test yesterday at Ultimate Electronic with Alpine CDA-9813 and Infinity Component Series WITHOUT amp and sub.
It blew me away, I thought I was hearing a full amp and sub system setup. It was that good. After I turn on all the amp and sub, the room is just ready to explode, with clear and precise sound and bass, no breaking whatsoever.
The CDA-9813 cost about $380 installed (+$40 wires), the Infinity Component front cost about $250/pair and rear about $350/pair not including installation. Infinity sub will run you about $250 and upward. As for amp, I have no idea.
Go for a live test, where they have a soundproof room to test it at (not open space like Best Buy or Circuit City)
Bring your own MP3 cd or regular cd.
As for mp3 decoding, Alpine is fast and the search is equally fast too. Try it out yourself.
Go to Ultimate Electronics and see if they have store at your city.
 
If i were you I would check out www.caraudio.com and go to their forums.
IMO I would go with
Alpine head unit
2 sets of component speakers (I like jl and infinity)
jbl 1200.1 amp for your sub(s)
2 x shiva 12 inch subs
and a decent 4 channel amp (check caraudio forums for this one)
Good luck
 
Quote

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by: TheEvil1
Pioneer DEh7400 MP head unit. plays MP3s
Infinity speaks and tweeters
JBL, Polk, Kicker, ... for Sub. and any decent 300w+ amp for teh sub
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Pioneers HeadUnits plays MP3's very slowly. It takes forever to seek and finnaly get playing. My JVC plays MP3s fast, seeks almost as fast as my computer.
Click to expand...

I had the Pioneer Premier P740mp.. It would take nearly 15 seconds to switch between songs and even to display them. I had a JVC unit before that - but it didn't have a front pass crossover.

After the Pioneer got stolen out of my totalled Tbird, my new car had a Sony CDX-MP80. I normally wouldn't recommend a Sony, but this one is pretty damn nice because it has a front pass crossover. It also displays mp3s and plays them very quickly. It is very fast moving between directories. The controls take a while to get used to, though.

If I had $1600 to spend, I'd spend $800 on getting a head unit, amp, sub, box, 4 speakers (pioneer speakers are pretty inexpensive and sound good). Then, find one of your friends that can install a car stereo and work on your car with him. Give him $50 or something. I did this and now I do all my own work on my car stereo because I know how now.

Take the other $800 and buy something like XM radio, remote starter, alarm, radar detector, etc.
 
Aw come on man! You have an RSX and you haven't visited Electronics section at ClubRSX.com?! I did the Head Unit install on my car and it was super easy with the guide they put it in. They also have a nice install guide for an amp and sub.

Some things to note:
- The front speakers are not really 6.5" unless you are willing to make the hole for them larger. Just go with 5.25" mids.
- If you want your head unit to look really cool, go with the JVC KD SH909. That is the unit I installed, as well as as many RSX'ers at ClubRSX. It sounds great and looks even better. It really did bring the stock speakers to life.
- No need to replace the back speakers. If you have lots of passengers in the rear seat, which I can't imagine you do, you don't need to put new speakers back there because you will not really hear them. You can leave them running off of the headunit and buy some better component speakers for up front.

Now, if I were you, I would look at getting a pair of Crystal Components systems up front and amping them. Then get the JVC head unit. As for the sub, there isn't much trunk room to begin with, so I would say go with 1 12". Shockwave listed excellent brands, you should take a look at all of them. I would also reccomend Image Dynamics, their IDQ and IDmax are amazing subs for the buck and are on par with the Shiva and Brahma respectfully.

As for amps... there are so many good ones out there to choose from. The JBL 1200.1 will do well with with the Brahma or IDmax and make you go deaf🙂 Another solution is the Elemental Designs NinE.1 which offers the best bang for the buck overall because of it has a 3yr warranty, factory direct, down to .5 ohm stable, can be used with ported boxes, and Elemental Designs is a great company.

Good luck, and I hope you are booming soon🙂

PM me if you want more information.

Spac3d
 
Oh what the hell...

Pioneer Premier TD-4002 Compression Driver $1400
DYN Audio Horn - $200 or so
Alpine F1 HU & Processing - Around $7000
Lambda Acoutstics 12" sub - No clue, no longer made
Sinfoni amp - Around $1400

Midbass isup to you.

For around 11,000 you'll be the envy of most of the mobile audio community. Although, I think you may be able to find a better sub then the Lambda.......
 
i have the 7400mp and the seektime on MP3s isnt bad at all. longer then a Computer but it works fine. Nakamichi makes great amps and subs. thats what i have.

also Audiobahn makes some of the best most powerfull subs out there. look into them if you want some serious thump in your ride
 
On a side note, my headunit is a kenwood mp919 with fast mp3 seek times and it kicks a$$, nuff said bout that 😀.
 
Originally posted by: TheEvil1
i have the 7400mp and the seektime on MP3s isnt bad at all. longer then a Computer but it works fine. Nakamichi makes great amps and subs. thats what i have.

also Audiobahn makes some of the best most powerfull subs out there. look into them if you want some serious thump in your ride
Click to expand...

You are absolutely on crack. And lots of it.

 
I have the CDT Eurosports 6.5 Components... nothing but 😀 😀 😀 😀 from them.

If you want mp3 with all the useful features with fast seek times, I would get the JVC SH-909. I also have this unit and it is clean.

My system consists so far of:

JVC SH-909
Precision Power 4-ch amp
JL 10W6v2 sub + enclosure
CDT 6.5 Eurosport components
No rear speakers

Next item on my list is a big mono amp for my JL sub and it'll probably be either the phoenix gold, audiobahn class d, or mtx class d.

Total so far: $300 for HU, $250 for amp, $250 for sub + enclosure, $450 for speakers = $1250 total, but labor was done by myself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top