I'm kind of new to the whole sound system thing.
I know exactly what I want (sound wise), but I don't know what I'm looking for (product wise).

So what would be the best setup for a price range of under $700?

And please give details on everything from the amp, to the subs, to if the speakers would be component speakers or non component!

I already have a head unit, its a Premier fh-p800bt...if that makes a difference.

I'm looking forward to what you have to say!

 

Well do you want a SQ set up or a SPL set up......clean well presented balanced sound or pounding make your head and chest hurt......both are hard to do on $700 but can be done.

Comps in the front are really a must.......Image Dynamics and Elemental Designs are the two brands I have used so far.

There is no need at all for a rear speaker setup on an amped system.....in fact it actually makes the sound inside car worse.


Try hitting up the forums and reading for a bout 2 weeks before buying any thing on this site www.diymobileaudio.com as it is one of the best places to learn.

Buy good subs and amps as they always end up paying for themselves in the long run.....cheap ones always blow up and leave you wishing you spent a bit more the first time to do it right.......

My system was spendy
AVIC $800
Comps $250
Subs $190 used
Boxes $400
Wires $150
Deadening $150
Other materials and beer for install $100

It gets spendy fast........plan it all out like it sounds like you are and it will save money andtime in long run.

 

I guess what I'm really looking for is a clean sound with some bump. I definitely don't want a hard hitting system, when you can't even hear the fricken words to the music, you know what i mean?

I want it as clean and as little distorted as possible. I already have a JL sub (not in a good box though) connected to a Kicker 200.2 ZX amp. And then i have an off brand 4 channel 450 watt amp (Zapco) connected to my stock speakers. It doesn't sound bad, but I know I can get much better.

I've been doing some research on crutchfield and sonicelectronix, and a bunch of the reviews for the Comp Pold Audio db6501 are really great. And if I don't end up getting these, I heard the Infinity Kappas are crystal clear too.


So you're telling me I shouldn't even get speakers to replace my rear stockies?

Also, what size amp should I get for the speakers? 4 channel 450 watt? If you know of any that are really good, just say it on here! I'd love to here you're reviews on them.

 

The term "best" can be defined many ways (depends on who you ask), so without knowing your definition, it's impossible to answer accurately.

For those that want true SQ in a tC, the first step would be putting a component set in the kick panels, because you can't get a proper soundstage or imaging using the stock (door) speaker locations.

Placement is the most important aspect, much more so than choice of speaker brand/model. An average speaker in a great location will produce a better stereo experience than a great speaker in a poor location. And I have to agree with BZinn1, forget the rear speakers, too many reasons to list.

Do NOT replace that "off brand" Zapco amp! It's probably better than anything you might consider replacing it with, they're one of the BEST brands ever for SQ, never made a bad amp and have been around forever.

Sounds like you're not that far from having a great system. Get a good box (with proper internal volume to meet the sub's requirements) for the sub and use your Kicker amp to power it, with the low-pass filter set around 80Hz. Use the Zapco 4ch. to power a set of components, running the mids bandpassed (80Hz to 2kHz) on 2 ch., with the tweeters hi-passed (>2kHz) on the other 2 channels. If you do this there's no need to buy a "component set" that comes with passive crossovers (unless you simply want to) since they wouldn't be used in such an implementation, you could select separate woofers & tweeters as individual components and either save money or get higher quality, compared to a "component set". Put them in the kick panels, and spend what you want up to your budget limit on the best HU you can get.

To summarize, given you already have some equipment;
1. Good box for your sub
2. mids/midbass and separate tweeters
3. Mount mids/tweets in custom kickpanels
4. Upgrade HU
Those 4 items can be done within your $700 budget if you do the labor, and it could definitely meet the goals you stated for the system.

 

check out some DLS MS6s they sound incrdable

Zapco is good quality amp also.....not junk.

No need for rear speakers......

500-600w sub and amp should light up pretty good and not over power.....you could find 1000w amp and not use full power as well that way you can upgrade sub in future........just need to tune amp properly

Sound deadening is a must......it gets spendy fast but makes a big diffrance

My car puts out 134db inside.......but outside with everything closed you can barely hear it......sound deadening makes big differance.

 

The only thing I hate about this amp is that I'm unable to tune it. I'm pretty positive that I can't tune it whatsoever to make it to the specifications your telling me. :/

And for this...are you talking about something like dynomat?

 

If the model of Zapco amp you have doesn't include a built-in active crossover, that still shouldn't pose any problem. All you need is 4 input channels and ideally, independent gain controls for each pair, although it'd still be fine with a single gain for all 4 ch.

What you'll want to do in regards to tuning, is get a HU that has this capability. There are many now that have built-in 3-way crossovers (LP, BP & HP filters) with 3 sets of outputs, enabling you to set it up like the example I gave. Some also have adequate EQ, so you can do further tuning via RTA or other. I'm sure it has more than enough power for a component set, but which model Zapco amp do you have?

Yes, he's talking about Dynamat or similar material for sound damping, there are many brands & types at all price ranges, and lots of info around the web for a person to research when trying to decide which is best for them and their specific application.

 

I have the iforce 450 watt zapco amp. Not the best one :/ but the guy I bought the tc from had it before me, so I figured I would just keep it.

 

True, that model isn't one of their higher-end ($$$) amps, but it'll push a set of mids & tweets in bi-amped mode very well, with good SQ. No need to spend more, use it for the mid/hi and the kicker amp on the JL sub, and those aspects of the system will be fine. Use your money where you really need it, on a good HU, separate mids/tweets and installation parts.

Edit: I just reread and see you already have a decent HU. Looking at it's specs, between that and the amp's filters, you should be set.

If I had the equipment you've listed (HU, amps & sub) and $700 to spend, I'd get a good box for the sub, a pair of nice mids & tweets and install them in custom kick panels, with the rest going to wiring, damping and whatever else I needed for the install.

 

yep that amp can be tuned,you may need to use the deck for the crossover points but the gain tuning is how you will get proper voltage to the comps to keep them clean and clipping free......at the diy site there is a section on how to tune an amp....it is easier than most think,and makes a big differance.....check it out.

I have posted how to tune an amp on here before,tried to find the thread but no luck,it is here though......

 

Okay...so i'm running like two different posts here, but you both are helping me a GREAT deal! Thank you soooo much.

I've finally decided what I'm going to get...for the most part (can't figure out the amp) :/

I'm getting a new subwoofer (my old one was either a 10" JL W0 series or W3 series) It was before they started putting the "w's" on the face of the sub so the manufacturer doesn't know unless I take it out of the box.
I'm upgrading to: one 12" Alpine SWR -1242D (type R) sub
only $130 at sonic electronix and I will build my own box which will be relatively cheap.

For my speakers:
I just had the stock ones in before and I was running on an iforce-450 zapco amp. I'm uprgading the front speakers to: Polk Audio db6501 component speakers; which are roughly $110 at sonic electronix. I'm going to keep that amp for now, hopefully it will put out enough power! And i'm still convinced that you can't tune this amp!!

And for the amp, I am going to sell my kicker zx200.2 amp, and switch to a mono for my subwoofer. But, I have no clue what to upgrade too. I've heard that you have to match the ohm's with the subwoofer to make it sound the best. I think i'm just going to call sonicelectronix.com and have them help me out.

And the rest of the money will be left over to use on dynamat.

So, i've officially made it possible to get a great system (one that meets my standards at least) under $700. haha please tell me what you think and if you have ANYTHING at all to input about the mono amp that I'm gonna need, it would be appreciated. You two have been an AMAZING deal of help! thanks so much

 

Diamond audio 6.5 components for the front, 6.5 coaxial's in the rear, and two of my fiberglass sub enclosures with 10's.

 

I really like Diamond Audio too.....my buddy has them in his xB and they sound really good.

 

Yep, your standards & definition of "great", I've already told you what I think and we don't really agree, but that's ok, it's yours, I don't have to listen to it.

That Polk component set will be fine if that's what you want, you can either just use 2 ch. of your 4 ch. amp, or bridge the 4 to 2 and have more power for the set. Either way it should be more than enough for your needs. You could even sell the Zapco, keep the Kicker and use it to power the Polks, as they're both decent amps.

I'm curious how & why you decided on the Polks and that Alpine sub, what makes you think those will meet your requirements better than all the other possible choices? Are you just going to put the components in the stock door locations?

As for the mono amp, what to get depends on the load your sub will put on it (post specs or link to sub), your wattage requirements, size (where you gonna mount, how much space you got?) and budget. A mono amp isn't always required or necessarily better than a 2-ch amp for a sub system, it depends on several things, and depending on what you get, it might not be an "upgrade" compared to using the Kicker you plan on selling.

Great that you plan on building the enclosure yourself, it's a good experience, but make sure it has the correct internal airspace required for the sub. For first time builders a simple sealed box is easiest, and it's also usually the best for SQ too, so that's what I'd suggest if Alpine says that sub is appropriate for sealed implementations. If so, and if they give you a size range rather than an exact figure, you'll get the best SQ if you give it the bigger end of their specified range.

 

I only went on the polks because there were so many great reviews for them on crutchfield.com and sonicelectronix.com.

I asked on this thread, but nobody was giving me a clear answer on which ones to go with. Like i know that nobody will ever come to an agreement on which speaker "sounds the best", but some ideas/list would be nice.

And I went with the alpine for the same reason, they got so many good reviews too. If I was going to upgrade, it was either RF P3's or Alpine SWR-1424D's.

And nobody really gave me any good ideas on which ones would be nice. I'm not really gonna spend $300 just on a sub, and then have no money left over, especially since i'm only 17.

Like i said, i'm new to this whole sound system stuff...

Edit: If this makes any difference, I listen to mostly everything, but I mostly listen to rap/hip hop

 

diamond audio d110d4/ d2
50 bucks and sound awesome.
There is no reason to by a 300 dollar sub.
diamond also has other series like the d1, d3, d6
http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu...o_D110D42.aspx

 

Buying equipment based on reviews alone is risky, especially with speakers. You really need to visit some car audio shops, audition different component sets and subs (ideally in a demo car, preferably a small hatchback like a tC, rather than on the sales floor) so you can decide for yourself what sounds best to you. Take any speaker, and you'll find people's opinions of it vary widely, and it'll also sound a lot different in a car compared to mounted on a demo board in a showroom. If people here list several component systems within your budget that they like & recommend, how will you know which one you'd prefer without listening, when they all sound different?

There seems to be a bit of contradiction in your planned actions. You indicated money is an issue (as it is for most people), yet you intend to spend your limited amount where it may not give you the most return on your investment. Why not use the equipment you already have, as needed to find out whether or not "upgrading" any of those parts would be cost effective? Without implementing & optimizing what you already have, you don't have anything to base any possible improvements on, you need a real-world comparison rather than presuming one product is better than another simply based on brand-name, cost or review ratings.

So you're 17, listen mostly to rap/hip-hop, yet you "definitely don't want a hard hitting system". While not necessarily a contradiction, that's certainly uncommon, as most people who prefer that genre do want fairly "hard hitting" systems, and much of the music itself seems to favor that type of system. You have choices, you can go with a genre optimized system, or one that's designed to play well with all types of music. With the former, you'd need to decide exactly how much bass you really want, then a sub system can be designed to meet that goal for the specific type of music.

It really appears that you need to think about this more, do some research about autosound in general (read faqs at various car audio forums, visit shops and audition demo cars, talk with installers and learn as much as you can about it) rather than looking for specific equipment at this point, build a new box for your JL and do a full install using the equipment you already have. All this will help you realize that having a PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM is best before buying anything, so try to be patient, otherwise you're potentially just throwing money, time & effort out the window.

Of course you can also ignore what I've said and take the other route of learning the hard way, as is very common, especially with young people. Nothing wrong with that, you can certainly learn a lot by making many mistakes, using trial & error to determine what's best, but that's often very difficult, time consuming and costly if you don't take advantage of knowledgeable people's experience when it's offered. All these thing are for you to decide, so don't mind me, I'm just trying to help.

 

and you're doing an awesome job. thanks. i'll take all of those things into consideration and i'll postpone on buying anything for now. Just make a new sealed box, listen to some stuff. Maybe go to some car shows and see what other people with tc's have, and then i'll see what happens next.

Thanks so much!