Wiring, Stereo & Electronics Audio Components | Radars | Alarms - and things that spark when they shouldn't

Help building my system

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 7, 2006 | 11:04 AM
  #1  
DrewSG's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
15 Year Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Default Help building my system

I'm building a new sound system to replace the craptastic monsoon system in my (Pontiac Firebird). Please keep in mind, I'm not looking for a competition system, or bass that'll rattle peoples houses 10 blocks from me. Just looking for something nice, loud, and clear that'll play good when the music is turned up.

Also, I'd say a very important factor is that 90% of the music I listen to is rap, hiphop, & r&b.


JL Audio VR 650 CSi Component Speaker Set = $140
INFINITY REFERENCE 7541A 4CH AMPLIFIER 656W = $170
Sub Stealth enclosure = $90
JBL GTO1004D 10" DUAL 4 OHM 1000W SUBWOOFER NEW CAR SUB = $100
MTX AUDIO THUNDER 900 WATT MONO CLASS D AMPLIFIER NEW = $120

I was also thinking about buying a pair of speakers to go in my sail panels. I've heard you would want to put some mid bass speakers there. Any recommendations?
Reply
Old Nov 7, 2006 | 03:20 PM
  #2  
KEE AUDIO's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (65)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,851
Likes: 2
From: Marietta, GA
Default

You listen to hiphop, rap and r&b but don't want alot of bass??!! Isn't that a contradiction?? Just kiddin around a bit!! The items you have listed there should work just fine for most types of music and be very versatile. I used CDT speakers in both the doors and the sails. You might be able to find some JL midbass type speakers online somewhere but until you do what you have listed will do the job. Just top it off with a quality HU with 4 or more volt RCA outputs for the front, rear and sub. Go ahead and run the wires and RCA's for your sails while your installing everything so that all your have to do is hook up the speakers. Better than taking everything apart again. You should like those JL components..I used to have some and they sounded pretty good. Good luck!!
Reply
Old Nov 7, 2006 | 04:38 PM
  #3  
DrewSG's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
15 Year Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Default

Well, I'd love to go 12 inches, but from what I see is that I'll lose t-top tracks and all my cargo space?

Is that the case?

BTW.. this is all going to be powered through my carputer
Reply
Old Nov 7, 2006 | 09:05 PM
  #4  
MikeFbody's Avatar
Restricted User
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
From: south central PA
Default

Originally Posted by DrewSG
Well, I'd love to go 12 inches, but from what I see is that I'll lose t-top tracks and all my cargo space?

Is that the case?

BTW.. this is all going to be powered through my carputer

not true.. but... not cheap either.
Reply
Old Nov 7, 2006 | 09:35 PM
  #5  
Sk8runeg's Avatar
12 Second Club
15 Year Member
iTrader: (11)
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 306
Likes: 0
From: Chelmsford, MA
Default

you are wayyyy too mixed up with the stuff you are buying. You shouldnt really have that many brands in one car, it is just going to conflict and sound like crap. You should get a Head unit, Alpine is the best, then Eclipse is very good. As for speakers, I wont by anything but Boston Acoustics, but whatever you choose make sure they are components in the front, qand it doenst matter in the rear. Also make sure you get the same brand amp for the speakers because they will compliment each other nicely. As for the subs, JL is awesome, btu amkesure you get a JL amp to power it, or get a 4 channel amp and use 2 channels for the front speakers and 2 channels bridged to the subs.

Good luck
-Scott
Reply
Old Nov 8, 2006 | 07:22 AM
  #6  
MikeFbody's Avatar
Restricted User
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
From: south central PA
Default

Originally Posted by Sk8runeg
you are wayyyy too mixed up with the stuff you are buying. You shouldnt really have that many brands in one car, it is just going to conflict and sound like crap. You should get a Head unit, Alpine is the best, then Eclipse is very good. As for speakers, I wont by anything but Boston Acoustics, but whatever you choose make sure they are components in the front, qand it doenst matter in the rear. Also make sure you get the same brand amp for the speakers because they will compliment each other nicely. As for the subs, JL is awesome, btu amkesure you get a JL amp to power it, or get a 4 channel amp and use 2 channels for the front speakers and 2 channels bridged to the subs.

Good luck
-Scott
you are contradicting yourself here. You say your speakers and amp brands must match. You recommend Boston speakers (does Boston even make amps ? I honestly have not looked at anything from Boston for years), but then suggest that running a 4 channel JL amp on the speakers and subs is good too.


mixing and matching of brands makes no difference. I would recommend you stick with one manufacturer for all speakers, excluding your sub. No need to match manufacturers with amps and speakers.. it's not like the amps are designed to work better with one brand of speakers over another..

and it really gets me when people claim a paticular brand as the "best". If there was a "best", you'd see everyone who builds a big expensive system using the best. But that's not the case. There are lots of very good products, each with their good and bad points. Each person will have a different idea of what "best" is, and choose the products that fit their needs accordingly.

you ask 10 different people for help designing a system, you will get just as many different answers.


also, the JBL sub sounds best in .75 cu ft, you are not going to get that out of an mdf stealth box... if you want a bigger fiberglass stealth, pm me.
Reply
Old Nov 8, 2006 | 07:53 AM
  #7  
TA guy's Avatar
On The Tree
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
From: St. Louis
Default

You absolutely DO NOT have to match the brand of amplifier to the sub, or any other component for that matter. The only time it would matter is if your head unit could directly control your amp through some type of propriatary interface. Otherwise just be sure the amps have adequate power for your speakers and you are good to go.
Reply
Old Nov 8, 2006 | 08:01 AM
  #8  
Rowdy94's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (13)
 
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Default

And another thing...take whatever money you wanted to spend on sail panel speakers and put it into making your front stage better. No rear fill is needed if you do things correctly. Invest in some serious sound deadener, at least in your front doors and to combat any random rattles around the car.

And feel free to run whatever brands you want, wherever you want. The comment not to mix and match was wrong. So was his placing Alpine over Eclipse. Any true audio guru will tell you that the SQ of an Eclipse deck is second to none.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:30 PM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE