System suggestions
 

I plan on redoing my whole system sometime in the future, Im looking for suggestions. Here is what I have planned so far, just a tentative outline.

Deck - Probably Pioneer, not sure what model though.

Speakers - Infinity, 6x9s in the rear deck, 6.5s in the doors, and a set of Q-Form kick panel enclosures to put a 5.25 component set in.

Amplifiers - Probably either Kicker or Rockford Fosgate. I will be needing to run speakers and subs, what is the best way to power everything without buying like 18 amps?

Subwoofers - I really like Kicker, but I dont know what size to go with. Im thinking I should run two subs, either 10s or 12s, and I also cant decide what kind of box to use. I listen to both rap and rock/alternative.

I think I should also run a capacitor, but I dont know what size to get. Any comments and suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks guys.

RE: System suggestions
 

for subs i use to have a JL w6 12in. that thing knock hard. i have it for sale if you want it?? let me know.. trust me with just one it has a big bang. ohh and it comes in a custom box.. ill post pictures up if interested.

RE: System suggestions
 

You can see my system in my sig and in my gallery (feel free to rate/leave a comment;)) and I like my set-up but sometimes I think its to much. Anyways, I have a Mobile Authority 1.0 farad cap, and when my bass is on +3 (out of +10) with a song that has a smidge more bass then normal, well it makes the engine rev up to give the power that it needs, which is something I really dont like doing. Its awful w/ the AC on so I either have to choose bass or AC. So usually, if I have my subs way up I turn as much off electrically as possible.

RE: System suggestions
 

Currently I have a Pioneer deck, stock front speakers, Pioneer 6x9s in the rear, and 360 watt Rockford Fosgate amp driving a single 10" Kicker Comp VR. I also have a .5 farad cap, and its not even enough. I think I need to get a higher amp alternator before i do much more with my system. Right now my system sounds good, but I want it to sound great.

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Same here, but I would rather spend the money on other things and sacrifice the AC and what not! I figure, I will wait until it needs a new one anyways, or have some extra $ laying around.

RE: System suggestions
 

I cant go without AC in the Tennessee summers. Too humid. But you definitely dont want to wait until your alternator craps out, it sucks being stranded lol.

RE: System suggestions
 

Tell me about it! Illinois' summers are awful to. I just jam, and let the sweat drench me. Thats why windows roll down! lmao Im assuming your alternator crapped out. About how many miles did this happen?

RE: System suggestions
 

how much bass you want? Go with components in the front and 6.5 or 6x9 in the rears. Put a good amp on them or you wont hear them. For subs I run 2 jl 10w0 in a custom box. it has a decent amount of bass but not over kill. I am pushing them with a jl 250/1.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2...rn/work044.jpghere is a pic of what I did in mine.

RE: System suggestions
 

The alternator on my car is still going, but it happened to me in my dad's 85 F-150 when I was 17. It sucked being stranded on the highway and having to wait for my dad to come get me lol.

I hate being drenched in sweat, especially since when I go to work, Im in uniform lol. Its not like I can wear a t-shirt and shorts to work, unfortunately. Well, except for PT.

I currently have all four speakers running off the deck, and I can hear the rears just fine, but the fronts? Not hardly at all. My bass now is pretty good, but I would like it to be louder. I want to be able to turn it down if I need, but I figure I can adjust the bass boost on the amp for that, and also through the deck's EQ. I guess what I want is good solid bass, and the ability to MAKE it overkill if I want lol.

RE: System suggestions
 

What does PT stand for? lol Probably something really easy and i'll feel like an idiot! haha Oh well.
You should seriously consider checking out my system. All I use for bass control is my Aiwa deck and it can be normal, but when its on +10 for bass you better watch out. I mean, my Volfenhag subs shake the mirrors like crazy and even give you a mini massage! haha Plus, one of them has a bad voice coil! Let me know if you need more specifics. Oh yeah, the Volfenhags aren;t that pricey either.

RE: System suggestions
 

Forgot to mention, that on my deck, you can turn the subs all the way down to -10 or even one more which actually stops all bass to the subs. So if I have a huge headache I usually do that and just turn the H-bass on for the speakers.

RE: System suggestions
 

PT is Physical Training. Its what the Army calls exercise. Push ups, sit ups, running.

The reason I want to get all high end stuff is because when I put this system in, thats it for a few years. I want something thats going to last, something Im not going to want to upgrade anymore lol.

When I first had my sub put in, I had a ten inch Sony Xplode, which exploded in about 30 minutes. I dont want that to happen again, and Im a big fan of Kicker.

RE: System suggestions
 

Ah, now I see!

Well that sucks about the Sony Xplod! I actually bought my system from a guy at work and the sub already had a bad voice coil. But I can't really seem to hurt my subs, even with my 1,000 watt max amp! I am not afraid of hurting the subs, just the speakers and stressing out the car itself. My subs are the Volfenhag competition kind, but they make even better ones. I think you could get one like mine from 70-100 bucks.

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I do like the look of your subs, they look cool. The red even kinda goes with your car lol. And they sure sound durable. Im surprised you havent totally ruined the one with the bad voice coil already.

RE: System suggestions
 

Thanks! I got lucky w/ the color matching! I am surprised to as I have had them for well over a year, and they have been sitting in a storage shed before that. I had planned on buying a new one, but really...what I have is enough! I do wonder though, what the difference would be if the one didnt have a bad voice coil.

Heres a link for them, and they are only $55!! http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_1586.html#

But I would do some research first, I mean I cant break them but I would feel really bad if you got them and they didnt hold up to your system.

Here is a forum/argument! http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/4/4455.html

But I think I remember, as people are saying that their amps aren't the best. Not to sure.

Hope that helps.

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Yeah, I still have a lot of research to do. But this project is still a ways in the future, I want to get my header and exhaust first, then lower it, then the stereo.

RE: System suggestions
 

Well good luck when you start that project! What headers are you lookin @ again?

RE: System suggestions
 

The same on you have on your car, the OBX from eBay. Cant argue with $162 shipped, when other people vouch for the quality. Im all about saving money lol. Thats another reason I was thinking of getting the Tsudo Evo II exhaust, its supposed to be the exact same spec as Greddy's Evo II, which sounds pretty good. And a WSII is pretty pricey for me, or I would be getting one.

RE: System suggestions
 

Sounds like a really good plan to me! GL! When you get that exhaust, I would be VERY curious to hear it.

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For the subs go for two Kicker Competition VRs. If you want subs that are gonna last you a long time don't get anything else. My 15"s sound good at low levels and kill you when you crank it. For a amp for bass, I have been pushing this 1800 watt Pyle amp. I got it for $120 thinking I was just going to have it for a while and burn it out. Well THIS amp is actually great. It sounds great with bass, has plenty of power, and stays ice cold. I have pushing both subs and this amp at high levels 90% of the time I am driving, for the past year and a half.

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I do love my Kicker CVR. What size do you think I should use, 10" or 12"? And should I put them in a vented or sealed box? I listen to rap and alternative/rock.

I will definitely check out that amp. Thanks for the heads up.

RE: System suggestions
 

I would go for the 12" if you listen to rap and rock. I've heard a 12" CVR in a sealed box playing metal, sounded pretty good. Depending on what kind of bass you want, will depict if you want a sealed or vented. Sealed will require more power, but will give you a louder high bass. High bass is drums, bass guitar, ect. You will lose some low end bass with a sealed, but with a vented you will still have good highs and great lows. Lows are basically tones, I don't think there is an instrument which produces low deep tones. Rap is mostly low bass tones, and rock is mostly high bass instrumentals. If you listen to more rock then go for more power and a sealed box, if you listen to rap go with either the same power, or even lower in a vented box. Hope this helps.

RE: System suggestions
 

That does help actually. Im thinking of going with two 12" in a vented box. It should still hit pretty good on my rock, and my speakers should hopefully give me some bass too, so I ought to be alright.

What is your opinion on how much wattage you should give a sub in relation to its RMS rating? I know giving it too much will kill it, but I think that giving it too little will kill it as well, wont it? My sub now is rated for 400 watts, and Im using a 360 watt amp. Do you think its okay to run, say, a 450 watt amp with a sub rated for 400 RMS? I know that just because its rated at 450 doesnt mean it actually puts 450 to the sub, there are losses down the line.

RE: System suggestions
 

You need to see the actual RMS rating of each, depending on the ohms and how you set it up. You wont lose to much power from the wiring itself. Running under the RMS is fine. If you run an amp w/ 450 watt peak power to a sub that is 400 watts rms you should be fine. If you are still worried, then turn the bass level down on the amp about an 1/8. Whats the peak power of it anyways? If its peak power is quite a bit higher it will be fine. It can take the wattage to w/e the peak is for very short times every once n awhile.
My subs are 500 watt rms, and im giving them 300ish watts each.

But also, don't forget your wiring and box can make a world of a difference. I have a no name sealed box and AudioPipe wiring. The wiring cost me 30some bucks off eBay and with the combination I am perfectly fine with it. Another thing is Dynomat. I dont have any experience w/ it but it will make your bass louder, reduce road noise, and help reduce the rattling of your trunk. Plus w/ that stuff you can put layers and layers on top of each other which will help like crazy. It is surprisingly expensive but Scosche has their own version of it for quite a bit cheaper.

RE: System suggestions
 

Yeah, guess I should have clarified. The amp I have now is 360 watts RMS. I dont recall what the peak power is. Im wondering if its alright to have a 450 watt RMS amp running a sub that is max rated at 400 RMS.

When I get this done, Im going to have it rewired with a bigger gauge wire. And Im definitely getting Dynamat, my trunk rattles enough already. Its ridiculous. It did help a lot though when I taped the license plate down with 3M double side tape lol.

RE: System suggestions
 

Well that sounds like a plan! Are you sure the amp will put out that much power? Double check to make sure the ohms and everything match up. If they are different then the rms power the amp puts out can be less.
If its what you said, then you will be fine as long as it had a bass control dial. Does it? If so, you will need to turn the bass down or insert some sort of high handling resistor.
Now this is just my thinking, but if I were you I would be wondering if running the amp at its max capacity would shorten its life? Because on my amp I have the bass boost on, but my actual bass dial isnt all the way up. And I wouldnt buy an amp that does not have a fan built into it. Ecspecially on super hot summer days, itll help. But thats just me. Maybe I am just to precautionary.

Biger gauge wire and dynomat sounds good. What size? I think mine is a zero gauge. And dynomat wise, check around. I am sure you could save TONS of money if you check out eBay. At an audio shop ive been to they were charging $80 for the dynomat trunk kit. yikes.

RE: System suggestions
 

If your amp is going to be putting out 50 watts more then rated for RMS, and your getting a dual coil sub you can do this. You can wire the coils in series increasing the resistance, and lowering the output from the amp. If you get a dual coil 4ohm sub when you wire it in parallel it will be 8ohms, if you wire it in series you would get 2ohms. At what resistance is the amp rated at 350watts? My guess would be 4ohms as thats the most common. Or if your going to get a single coil 4 ohm or a dual coil 2ohm(wired in series making it 4ohms), the 50 extra watts won't hurt it right away, but if your going to be playing it at constant high levels for an hour at a time, like me lol, you will prolly burn out the coil with time.