cemlsx

Hi guys ,

I`m currently running 6.5 Pioneer components in the front , fed by an amp.
6.5 coaxials in the rear and an active pioneer bass tube in the trunk and it sounds pretty good with the top up but the bass is pretty much axed with the top down ..

I`ve been contemplating a more "efficient" setup and having a more bassy setup incab rather than pounding the bass out the trunk and rattling the trunk lid and licence plate in the meantime..
What I need is opinions of brands and on the setup I`m planning to do.

I have the rear seats deleted so I`m planning on fabbing up an MDF box with a pair of 6X9 speakers ( either Focal or Pioneer but cant decide ) and feeding them all through an amp ( Alpine , Pioneer or Hertz also cant decide )
and adding one of those slimline pioneer active subs on top of all.

With this setup I`m going for more SQ and bass with the top both up and down.. I also have a Pioneer 2DIN HU..
Which speakers and amps would you guys recommend ?
And I live in the UK so please dont suggest mtx , cdt , boston acoustics etc.

Thanks in advance..

cemlsx

no one has any experience with Focal or Hertz in their cars ?

TyCZ28

cant help you much since im VERRY picky on my car

i only use made in USA amps since they are much higher quality

arc
zapco
sundown
etc.

look into the cerwin vega pro audio stuff

id run a 6" pro mid in each front door
an 8" pro mid in each sail and then a pro bullet tweet somewere up front. youll get nice sound out of that and it will be well balanced and clear.

for the rest that cant be covered with that run a 10" stealth box with an audioque 10" in the trunk


also look into the audioque pro audio its very reaasonably priced and quite good quality also

cemlsx

Thanks for the reply , as much as I`d like to run a quality USA made amp , I live in the UK so thats a bit costly for me to import an amp as I have enough trouble importing other parts already.

I`ll be running the sub in the cab since I have a convertible and I`m just looking for a quality , well matched system that wont distort and still sound decent with the top down lol

TyCZ28

id run the cerwin vega stuff i suggested and possibly an image dynamics amp. im not a fan of focal mainly due to the price. its nice stuff but your paying for the name alot.

sonicelectronix ships to the UK

cemlsx

I`ll check out cerwin vega on sonic electronix..
Most places do ship but its atleast $150 for shipping and tax thats why I dont want to import anything that I dont really need to..

The reason I`m interested in Focal is because I know theyre quality and there are some crazy sales in a nearby store so it may just be a good deal and I dont want to miss it

Mista Blazer

iTrader: (4)

I personally run Kicker, have a 12"L7 above the fuel tank, DS65 in the doors factory in the hatch and nothing in the sail panel. there are a million and one possibilities but when it comes down to it, it will be your ears hearing it i prefer kickers components over most. just for the quality i get from them, used kicker in my truck and now in the bird

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

doesn't look to be covered yet, but whatever you do sub wise, do a SEALED box, ported are not a good Idea in a convertible.

Mista Blazer

iTrader: (4)

You know I have heard this but I never understood why? Please explain I'm rather interested, buddy of mine had a vert camaro and he never did a sub because he wanted a ported box

TyCZ28

ported setups are tuned not only to the sub but also the environment they are in. if you put a sub in a ported box in an open room theres no pressure on the port and it will overexert itself. also since the top can be both up or down theres no definate tuning frequency were as in a sealed box your mainly only using raw power to seem lound

hrlyhnx

iTrader: (3)

I put Kickers in my 97 vert with two 12 sub in trunk and went sealed because ported needs more square footage than the little cavity I had to work with. If you have a vert AND want two 12's your only option (for optima sound) will be sealed.
Sonic electronix is very good but NOT the best for pricing. If you campare amazon.com with Sonix you'll see what I saw when I put my purchase together. 4 6.5 KS65 kickers, 2 12 CVR Kicker, Pioneer DEH9400BT, Clarion 756 7 band EQ. These components are tied into two Alpine MRX-M110 mono for the subs and MRP-F300 4chan. for the two fronts/rears. The amps and four speakers I got from Best Buy because they matched Amazon pricing for the business and much cheaper (SAME PRODUCT) than Sonix. My sub box was a custom job here in Chicago and put me out ~$200. Pre-fab boxes fit coups perfect but not the verts because the gas tank is pushed back to give clearence for the fold down top.
No joke.....I have ear plugs in the car because my friends complain about the piercing they feel in thier ear from the power. The key is the EQ because everything is hooked to it. I think I put about $1200?? total just in parts. Focal and others high end speakers are better but how much do you need? I was on a budget of no more than $1500 out the door. I did look at Focal and they are awsome but Kickers are cheaper but still a solid product.
Looking back now the advice I would give my family member is.... save your money and do it right the first time. It is very addicting like HP under the hood. There will be a guy next to you with BETTER sounds but be honest with yourself and buy what you need within your means. Me, personally the set up I have is more than enough.
Good luck and have fun

cemlsx

The thing is like I said im in the UK so I have limited options with brands..

My current setup is great with the top up but I`m just looking for better SQ with the top down thats why I`m definitely putting the sub in cab this time to have a more consistent SQ with the top up or down..

I might get focal components for the front and use my current pioneer components in the stock rear speaker locations with custom pods..

Should I add a set of 6x9 in the back or will 2 sets of 6.5 components do the job ?
I will be running a 4 chan amp and I just want a nice , capable system that doesnt fall on its face with the top down..

hrlyhnx

iTrader: (3)

You know cemlsx, I know what you mean by losing the sub sound with the top down. My system still sounds nice and crisp with the top down but the complete sound will always be lost because of the open cabin. You talk about your limitations being in the UK but no mention on budget. If you spend enough money Im sure you'll find what you're looking for... Look at it like this, ever been to a concert where the venue is outdoors and compare it to one indoors? You'll drop so much money and the sound waves will still escape into the boundless air with your top down.

cemlsx

I know that losing SQ with the top down will be inevitable , but I`m pretty sure I wont regret changing my setup because I`m sure an incab sub will sound better in either occasion and higher quality speakers will contribute to a better sound..

My budget right now is £150 for an amp and another £150-180 for a pair of components which should get me decent stuff , my current setup was cheaper and still sounded good ,I just want something more "efficient".

I know I`ll get good stuff if I spend enough money but mismatched speakers wont help and theres no reason to spend more money than I should .. I`m trying to figure out what speaker sizes I should combine or not.. I know speakers are a "taste" thing and it looks like I`ll be going with Focal for now but like I said , I`m only wondering if I should pair up 6x9 and 6.5 components in the back with 6.5 comp`s in the front , a 4 channel amp and an active sub..

I have a lot of stereo stuff I`ll be selling so I`m not too worried about the budget btw , I have no rush to do everything in one day..

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

that would be a NO, don't run 2 pairs of speakers behind you, they will be ALL you ever hear, rear speakers are for FILL not for the main sound stage (which is what they will be if you do components and 6x9's in the back) honestly components is to much for the back, all you want back there is a 6.5" mid range.

Avaric3

iTrader: (3)

if you want speakers behind you, just make them your midbass (~80-250hz). it will give better stage depth to your sound without pulling the stage too far backwards. ive experimented wit coaxials vs midbass woofers in my sails and the midbass there def gives the best sq imo. i have t-tops and the sq still goes out the window (just about literally) when the roof is off.

currently, i have 6.5" re audio xxx 6.5c components up front. midrange/midbass drivers in doors and tweeters in door triangles (soon to 'glassed into my a-pillars tho), then i have bazooka 6.5" dvc woofers in the sails for midbass and a 10" image dynamics ctx104 stealth box sub. sounds solid but once the roof comes off, the bass goes wit it to some extent. its pretty much unavoidable it seems :/

cemlsx

Thanks guys thats the kind of advice I was looking for , I wanted to find out how to set the speakers up first , choosing brands is more subjective anyway..

I`ll go midbass on the rear speakers and see how it works out , I obviously dont want all the sound in the back like the kids setup their stereo around here but I just need a little more rear fill than usual to atleast minimise the SQ loss with the top down , I know its impossible to avoid it completely but I just want to improve my current setup