Yet Another Amp/Speaker/Sub Recommendation Request
What I listen to in the car: Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, hard rock old and new,...
What I have just installed:
Alpine CDA-9857 (head unit, 18Wx4)
Alpine SPX-177R (6-1/2s in the doors)
What I am looking for:
Of course, what I want now is to add some bass.
But most F-bodies (and most cars) with aftermarket stereos I have heard put out bass that sounds terrible to me.
Many years ago, a car stereo salesman/installer who I was riding with told me that I "seemed to prefer more-or-less accurate sound reproduction" after I got him to turn his damned subwoofer down to a level that I thought was best.
But, although I do not want to make the car vibrate, and I hate to hear that "WHOOM-WHOOM-WHOOM" sound that everyone else seems to like, I really do like bass.
I want to hear every single drum lick clearly and I want every single drum lick to carry some real thump behind it!
Can anyone recommend a specific amp/sub/whatever combination that I can add to my system that will help me achieve this in an F-body?
I am not adverse to spending some money and I don't mind cutting some metal although I will not alter that sheetmetal under the driver's side hatch speaker. I can also build things out of wood if that's what is needed.
Thanks!
I would consider going with aftermarket amplification all around, because you'll then be able to work with all your crossover points. Not having good power and crossover control to your front speakers is going to limit you.
Any simple 4 channel should do you well just using the fronts off the front channels and rears bridged for the sub. Working with modest power levels there's no need to worry about a class D sub amp. The stock charging system will support a 4x100 rms amp easily so long as you wire properly to the battery.
You might just be picky about a certain frequency range, so a parametric eq could also be part of the setup. The hatch arrangement in our cars provides a lot of bass reinforcement and peaky response which may be what you don't like.


