So here's the deal, I am going to have around 2000 (maybe 2500) dollars to spend on a sound system. I THINK this is more than enough for a really nice sound system (at least I hope so), unfortunately I don't know the first damned thing about stereos or electronics. That said, I would appreciate it if some of you friendly folks here could give me some advice on what to buy for my system and how much installation will cost.

Things to keep in mind:
I need to keep the price in the 2000-2500 range.

I have no clue what the technical aspects of sound systems are or what makes one better than another.

I do NOT mind giving up my entire trunk to a well enclosure for a system.

I'd like a clean sound (as little distortion as possible) with a good deal of bass. (Dual 12's?)

I like my music LOUD.

Thanks in advance for those of you who are willing to help me out.\

Edit: If possible I'd like the head unit to be compatible with this:
http://maptechenterprises.netfirms.c...S--blue-on.jpg because I think it would look absolutely gorgeous.

 

Im doing two 12 dual voice coil mtx with a 1500 watt mtx amp and two sets of 6.5 components with 400 watt amp with the stock head unit for now until I can afford a dvd player. I having a box built to fit right behind my backseat. It should turn out to be great. So u could do something like this and be set up pretty good. IMO

 

i have friend that has an awesome custom sub box for sale, made just for f-bodys, the box is ported and has 1 15" rockford Stage 2 sub, hit 156.8 db when tested. LOUD AS HELL. pm if interested

 

It all adds up quick.
theres a nice new Kenwood out with blue illumination KDC-X889 check it out is about $260 on ebay and all the extras it does, even a G meter. so new it's not even on Kenwoods site yet. Would look great with that kit from humount.

Box for subs- I recommend a subthump millhouse box-easy to remove, bass is excellent, holds 2 10's and pounds and doesn't waste any space and t tops can be stored. If your after a removable box and no lost space. Plus can get custom SS or chevy in vinyl on it. Around $220

2 good subs- I have 2 JL audio 10w0's-around $400 for a pair, these are starting model Jl audios but they can make some huge bass.

Amp- need to get a good amp, will be in probably around $400 to drive subs nice.

To keep your steering wheel controls-PAC swi-x is a must and around $60

I'd also get a capacitor-they are cheap and helped my volts from dropping. around $100

Wiring-around $100, go with 2 guage to the map and get a easy to get into fuse.


All this adds up to around $1,700 then install price If you don't do it yourself.

I like a nice sound system, but I also don't want to pay a fortune. I did a Kenwood mp922, adjusted all the settings so the monsoon plays mids and highs, the monsoon speakers get louder and clearer and actually sound great. Add the MTX 2150x amp bridged in mono runnin the JL audio 10w0's in a Subthump Millhouse box and the system sounds great. I did replace my far back speakers with Pioneers, but sound difference was little to none. If your doing the other speakers also, expect to spend another $1000, on amp and ok speakers.

 

I have a hardtop so losing t-top space/trunk space is absolutely no worry for me

From what you're telling me ( or at least from what I understand ) I'm looking at dropping around 2700 - 3000 dollars then if I want to have a really nice system huh? (Not including install)

Any recommendations on speakers?

Why 2 10's instead of 12's?

Thanks!

 

I just said 2 10's due to the Millhouse box, our cars are great for bass and can hit hard even with a single 10. With my 2 10's, at full volume my ears can barely handle it for more than a few minutes. I couldn't fill my rear space up with a box, I like the space for storage.

 

10's sound a tad bit cleaner then 12's. Of course that's just a general rule. 10's kinda give you a crisp bass note with good response while 12's or 15's will sound more "boomy" but not as accurate. If you listen to rap music big subs are great, but for stuff like trance music and hard rock 10's will usually sound a little better. Of course what sounds better is a matter of opinion but I've noticed that most people dealing with middle of the line audio equipment usually prefer a 10 to a 12 unless they're into music that has deep, long bass notes.

If you want a good solid system for $2,000 - $2,500 this is what I would suggest. This is what I'm doing and everything is going to be about $1,500 in equipment. These are just my suggestions though, take it for what it's worth...

Head unit - I went with the Alpine CDA-9825 because I got a great deal on it, but there are better head units out there. I would highly recommend the Pioneer 6000 series. The DEH-6700 retails for $250 but you can get it for $160 + shipping on the net...

http://www.ikesound.com/product-product_id/3001

That's the "premier" version of the same radio. Same deal but it has 3 outputs and a 2 year warranty. Other then that the Alpines are great HU's and of course the higher end Pioneers are wonderful.

Front speakers - you'll need a set of good quality seperates up front. You need a 6 1/2" with a 1" tweeter and the mounting depth on the 6 1/2" can't be more then 2 1/2." I went with these...

http://www.ikesound.com/product-product_id/1997

With shipping they came out to be $111. Other brands that rock are MB Quart and personally I love Boston Acoustics but they don't sell Bostons on the discount websites.

Rear speakers - If you want you can just run a coaxial back there. I am going with this...

http://www.ikesound.com/product-product_id/2830

As for an amp, I highly suggest Alpine amps. They aren't the cheapest amps but in my opinion they are the cleanest and best quality for the price. I'd rather have a lower powered Alpine amp then a higher powered other name. I've had nothing but good luck with them. Usually people will buy a 4 channel amp for the speakers and then get a mono amp for the subs, but for cost and weight reasons I'm going with this...

http://www.ikesound.com/product-product_id/1189

It's an Alpine amp that makes 50x4 @ 4 ohms and also has an additional 200 watt channel for the subs. It's a 5 channel amp. The 200 watts is on the low side for subwoofers, but it's cheaper to run one amp as opposed to two, and it's easier to deal with. I don't know what I am going to do about subs yet. I am either going to run 3 MTX 10's that I have or I am going to get the subthump stealth boxes that fit on either side of the T-top compartments. I'd have to get two 8 ohm subs and wire them in parallel to achieve a 4 ohm load. If you don't mind spending the money for two amps it will turn out much better with actual power going to the subs. I'd suggest an Alpine amp for the speakers though. They make a 40x4, 55x4, 75x4 and a 125x4 if you want to get crazy. Any of these should fit your needs. Remember these power ratings are RMS. Head units are rated at full power, so if you see "50x4" on a head unit that's not the same as a 50x4 amp. You really need an aftermarket amp to get it LOUD. As for subwoofer amps you'll have to research that because they differ depending on how much power you want to run.

On top of this you'll need an instalation kit, wiring, etc. Stuff to install everything will run another $250. As far as getting it installed, you could either find someone in your area that can do it and pay them or try to find a shop that will install equpiment you bought elsewhere. If you pay full retail for everything at a shop it will add up quick. I'd suggest getting it on the net and getting it installed.

 

Any pics of this box & what is the price? Is it built with MDF? Thanks

 

This is just wrong.

What determines the 'control' is much more complex then this.
Simply put the resistance of the motor assembly (cone density/weight, spider resistance, surround resistance, etc) determines how a speaker will sound in terms of control or 'boomy' as you state. This is measured by a thesile-small parameter called a Q which has many sub parameters. There are two sides a mechanical side called a Qms and an electrical called a Qes. They are both averaged to form a parameter called a Qts. Your box can also alter how a sub will perform (response curve, power handling etc) which is measured in terms of what is called a Qtc.

It is impossible to say that a 15 wont sound like a 10 just based on its cone area.

 

Are you suggesting that cone surface area has no bearing on sound reproduction and that cone construction and box dimensions are the only parameters that effect the way a sub sounds? I must disagree. If that were the case we'd all be running 4" subwoofers to save space. Obviously not all 15" subs will sound like a 15" but if you take the same exact brand and model subwoofer running off the same power supply and one is a 10 and the other is a 12 the 10" will usually hit cleaner and have a more accurate response. The larger the surface area of the cone the less stiff it becomes and the more it destorts. A ridgid cone is more accurate. That's why the higher end 15" subs have concave shaped cones or they are reinforced with kevlar. With the smaller 8" and 10" subs the cones are usually polypropylene because it's lighter and the sub doesn't need the extra ridgidity to produce clean bass. They're designed for flexability. It's very common knowledge that a smaller sub makes more accurate bass while a larger sub is louder and more boomy and distorts easier. That's why they don't usually run 10's in SPL competition and you probably wont find four 15's in the trunk of a car built for SQ. Not all 8's will be clean and not all 15's will boom but surface area of the cone is very much a part of the way subs sound. If it wasn't a factor why would they even make subs in different sizes? There's a reason why your tweeters are small, your midbass speakers are 6 1/2", and your subwoofers are the size of a dinner plate. Size of the cone is just as much a part of the construction as the surround, spiders, dust cap, voice coil(s), etc. I understand what you're saying, not ALL 10" subs will sound crisper then a 12" sub, but it's generally a better platform for sound quality before you add in the many other factors.

Any good head unit, like the Pioneer 6000 series (DEH-6400, 6700, etc), has adjustable Q factor. At 40, 80, 100, and 160 Hz you can boost or cut the Q from -6dB to +6db, then you can adjust the slope of the boost or cut. I learned this the hard way when my buddy threw my HU out of whack and I didn't know why my system sounded like crap for weeks.

 

I said nothing about cone area because we are not talking about requency response/curves here. We are talking about control (or boominess as you call it) which is determined by the motor assembly and has nothing to do with the size of the sub. How ever frequency response is determined by the cone displacement and that is one of the reasons why you do not see small speakers as subs. To propose that a 10 has more control then a 12 based on the size of the cone is rediculous, it is much more complex then the scope of this thread.

 

I agree, but many will argue that 12's can work. I personally have (2) 10's and can hit 145db, so how loud do you really want to get?

They are a perfect setup for sound quality, despite a ported-tuned box for sound pressure. I even went down from dual 4ohms to a 4ohm cone b/c TOO MUCH boom boom for sound quality. PLUS, you'll save money in the process. ONLY you won't get this setup for the price range you are seeking, so I would definitely either recommend (1) 12" or (2) 10's.
Before I swapped out my 12" M-class sub (sealed), I hit 140.0db! Just make sure (depending on sub/amp selection) you try to supply at least 300-500 watts/sub @ 4ohm. Anything less, and you may be dissappointed if you want hard hitting numbers.

 

Okay, I've read over what you guys have said and you have some really good points. What I'm looking to do now then is this:
I'd like 1 12' in a stealth box (I think if I get a higher end sub this will provide all the thump I need and still be able to sound clean correct?) and one amp devoted solely to this 12 (I'd like the amp to be able to hook up to another 12 as well though if I should ever decide that one 12 just isn't cutting it for me).
Alpine has apparently come highly recommended by you guys so which alpine sub/amp combo should I get? I'd like one of the higher end ones so that I know I'm getting what I need.

Speakers I plan on replacing as well. If I'm gonna do something to this car I'm gonna do it properly the first time around. Those speakers that were linked to earlier look pretty good but I'd like something a little higher end. Any recommendations? Also, how powerful of an amp should I be getting both for the sub and for the speakers? I'd like to replace all the stock speakers in the car with new, fairly high end/top of the line ones so that I never have to worry about messing with the system again. I like my music REALLY loud so I don't want some speakers that are gonna blow out on me the second I crank up the volume, and I would still like them to sound crisp.

As for the HU...anything that's quality really. I'd like it to be aesthetically pleasing as well as acoustically pleasing and it definitely needs to be able to handle everything and still be reliable. How are the Kenwoods these days?

 

Listen I will set you right And am on the same page as "2muchricemakesmesick" .
I say for the money go with premium 6.5 sets Cost on those are $240 a set.
Alpine head unit Cost is about $230 for a high end
and amp are up to you but i like JL, say 450/4 $360
then JL 500/1 $320
and JL W7 $???
I have a dozen friends in the car audio world a also JL wires are stupid cheap!
So about $1390 without box and wires. I would invest the rest of the money in Dynamat, to get the money and performance out of the audio!

This is all very high end product.

 

Alright, that sounds like a good idea from you 2fast. JL Audio was recommended by some folks I know in real life as well and I know Alpine is solid. Any other recommendations from folks?