Car Audio experts needed.

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277
Don't even bother. You will be sorely dissapointed with the bass if you only spend ~500 bucks in a convertible.

$500 DIY is possible, $189-249 MB Quart amps at crutchfield (powers of 500x1, 200x2, 100x4, at 4ohm), a couple $120 subs would be pretty above average...with basic install stuff like $600-650 for kick a$$ music.

under $500 still possible. check out forum.sounddomain.com

1) NO CRUTCHFIELD
2) NO MB QUART AMPS (although mids/tweets by them are second to none)

in short) On your budget, you get what you pay for. Expect to pay a 50/50 split. $250 on the subs and $250 on the amp. Don't go overboard in one direction is all I mean.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277

Originally posted by: thechinesehero

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277

Originally posted by: thechinesehero

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277
Don't even bother. You will be sorely dissapointed with the bass if you only spend ~500 bucks in a convertible.

the bass isnt that big of a deal.. im looking for crisp sound.. i dont like that raspy sounds that my friends enclosure make

Then forget the subs altogether. If you don't care about the low freq's being pronounced, just invest in nice component/coaxial speakers and a 4 channel amp to drive them, along with a nice 4-5 volt HU.

i want the enclosure to fill out the back seats that im going to rip off

I understand that, but take it from someone who has previously owned a convertible - you have to put some EXTREME power into it to get the kind of sound that a quarter of that would suffice in a non-convertible car. The sound just escapes the car too easily. Think of it this way.....2 subs powered by 1 amp to provide sound to the atmosphere.

Tough job huh?

This is VERY TRUE!

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: thechinesehero
also, what brands to look for when buying aftermarket audio products?

Alpine is comon for amps. Rockford. I'd avoid PPI for sub amps (fried 3 of them, although the mid/tweet amp was solid for a long time).

Subs: JL audio is the best.

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277
Don't even bother. You will be sorely dissapointed with the bass if you only spend ~500 bucks in a convertible.

i think you have no clue wtf you're talking about

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: thechinesehero
also, what brands to look for when buying aftermarket audio products?

Alpine is comon for amps. Rockford. I'd avoid PPI for sub amps (fried 3 of them, although the mid/tweet amp was solid for a long time).

Subs: JL audio is the best.

Always take advice about something subjective with a grain of salt.

 

[Howard]

thechinesehero - The raspy sounds are distortion. A well-built sub operating within its limits makes no audible sounds other than what is being sent to it (only bass).

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: thechinesehero
also, what brands to look for when buying aftermarket audio products?

Alpine is comon for amps. Rockford. I'd avoid PPI for sub amps (fried 3 of them, although the mid/tweet amp was solid for a long time).

Subs: JL audio is the best.

Always take advice about something subjective with a grain of salt.

i agree. jl audio the best? hahaha. sounds like a fanboi to me

 

[Black88GTA]

Very visible / high profile subs + amp in a convertible?

Enjoy your slashed top and missing subs after 2 weeks. Convertibles are VERY EASY to break into and steal things from. If you replace the entire rear seat with sound equipment, and bump it everywhere you go...someone's gonna see an easy target.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA
Very visible / high profile subs + amp in a convertible?

Enjoy your slashed top and missing subs after 2 weeks. Convertibles are VERY EASY to break into and steal things from. If you replace the entire rear seat with sound equipment, and bump it everywhere you go...someone's gonna see an easy target.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing...your audio is gonna get ripped off in very short order.

 

[JustinGoodie]

i think you need to rethink the install... maybe even the sub size choice...

first off, what kind of music do you listen to??? this determine the rough frequency range and quickness required...

second, depending on the type of music you listen to most decides the size sub you want, which determines where you can mount your speakers

now if something small like 8" subs would work best, maybe you could mount them in the doors or under the seats.
if you need something larger (10 or 12) you would want to put them in the trunk, in which case maybe going so far as to still remove the back seat, but to make a frame to fill the hole and wrap it with speaker grille cloth (acoustically transparent)

i think your biggest concern should be to keep your sh!t stealth (til you turn it up)

furthermore; the amp can go anywhere, and if it's just gonna be for the subs, you should get a class D amp, which runs very efficiently, hence fairly cool, so you don't have to worry much about ventilation

 

[thechinesehero]

Originally posted by: JustinGoodie
i think you need to rethink the install... maybe even the sub size choice...

first off, what kind of music do you listen to??? this determine the rough frequency range and quickness required...

second, depending on the type of music you listen to most decides the size sub you want, which determines where you can mount your speakers

now if something small like 8" subs would work best, maybe you could mount them in the doors or under the seats.
if you need something larger (10 or 12) you would want to put them in the trunk, in which case maybe going so far as to still remove the back seat, but to make a frame to fill the hole and wrap it with speaker grille cloth (acoustically transparent)

i think your biggest concern should be to keep your sh!t stealth (til you turn it up)

furthermore; the amp can go anywhere, and if it's just gonna be for the subs, you should get a class D amp, which runs very efficiently, hence fairly cool, so you don't have to worry much about ventilation

i listen to everything.. i mostly listen to hiphop, r&b, rap... sometimes i let my friend take control of the music so they'll play rock/pop w/e

i dont know about keepin sh!t stealth but i think it would be hot to have the enclosure on the backseat.. with the subs in the air.. and the amp on the side like my diagram i dunno
but to make it more balanced i might use 2 amps one to power each speaker.. just for visual effects.. i wont mind spending more

 

[jamesbond007]

I think your best bet would be to install some kickpanels in your car. Think low and out of sight. Get a set of Boston Acoustics Pro 6.5.3 series (6.5" bass driver, 5.25" midrange driver, 1" tweeter) that will fill them up nicely. Then get whatever fits in the rear dash (if you have one now) that you can fit in the stock spots. Sometimes I've heard people putting in components in the rear dash (say a 6x9 spot to house a 6.5" subwoofer with a tweeter of a sort) and mount the crossover boxes out of sight.

The next step would be to find a viable spot to house a nice amp (cool and quiet, I like Alpine amps, I run two myself) to power the kick panel components and rear speakers. Maybe you can hide it in your trunk somewhere or below your seats. (I don't know what car you're working with)

I agree that subs in the backseat of a convertible is just asking for trouble unless you have a guy named Tony that stands outside your car doors when you're away.

Yes, I am a Boston Acoustic fanboy. No, you don't have to buy BA components or speakers. I just happen to enjoy the way they sound and I can highly recommend them from a subjective point of view.

Whatever you get or do, enjoy your setup!

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277

Originally posted by: thechinesehero

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277
Don't even bother. You will be sorely dissapointed with the bass if you only spend ~500 bucks in a convertible.

the bass isnt that big of a deal.. im looking for crisp sound.. i dont like that raspy sounds that my friends enclosure make

Then forget the subs altogether. If you don't care about the low freq's being pronounced, just invest in nice component/coaxial speakers and a 4 channel amp to drive them, along with a nice 4-5 volt HU.

no, even with components you need a sub for bass. esp since a car thats probably leaking all sorts of engine/road noise to begin with. noise floor to overcome is too much without sub. unless you want nothing but mid/high sounding stereo..which is sorta a waste of money considering the cost of component speakers.

 

[Raduque]

I agree with the others that it's a very bad idea to have expensive audio equipment in plain sight in a convertable. Definately hide those suckers unless you want them ripped off.

I'm also hesitant to make a reccomendation on speakers/amps, as I only have a single Pioneer 10" in a tiny sealed box that only cost me about $150, and my amp only cost me $120 (Sony Xplod 150w RMS) but for the price I paid for it, it sounds great, and pounds hard enough to turn my rear view mirror into jello. I need to upgrade my doors and rear fill to keep up with the sub now

Good luck with whatever you choose, and seriously consider putting the subs in the trunk even if you do rip out the rear seats.

 

[Slvrtg277]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277

Originally posted by: thechinesehero

Originally posted by: Slvrtg277
Don't even bother. You will be sorely dissapointed with the bass if you only spend ~500 bucks in a convertible.

the bass isnt that big of a deal.. im looking for crisp sound.. i dont like that raspy sounds that my friends enclosure make

Then forget the subs altogether. If you don't care about the low freq's being pronounced, just invest in nice component/coaxial speakers and a 4 channel amp to drive them, along with a nice 4-5 volt HU.

no, even with components you need a sub for bass. esp since a car thats probably leaking all sorts of engine/road noise to begin with. noise floor to overcome is too much without sub. unless you want nothing but mid/high sounding stereo..which is sorta a waste of money considering the cost of component speakers.

That's kinda my point. I actually owned a convertible, and if you check my equipment list in my earlier post, you can see that I do not go skimpy on my audio. A week after I put a bunch of money into my convertible, I took it all back out because even at very loud volume the bass was barely there. I couldn't justify the money that I spent on it with that kind of sound. I had to turn it up so loud to get any bass response that the mids and highs were totally drowning out the bass anyway, so why have the subs?

That's not to say that you just cannot get good sound in a convertible though. I have a buddy with a Jeep Wrangler who recently overhauled it and it actually sounds pretty damn good. BUT, it took 2 of Diamond Audio's best 12's with a 400w rms Zapco amp on each to get it, along with another 4 channel Zapco for the rest.

The point that I'm trying to make is that it's not impossible to have acceptable sound in a convertible, but I wouldn't try to do it with his budget.

 

[nakedfrog]

I think mounting it like that is a horrible idea. But that's just me.

 

[thechinesehero]

you guys dont have to worry about it getting stolen, i will put on the top when i park.. also i wouldnt always put the top down... it'll be my beater car for winter also.. and i'd like to see who is dumb enough to try to steal something infront of my face... (thats unless they steal it while im gone)