I've sifted through multiple threads on audio, and it's all been pretty much about placement or selling. So i am just wondering if someone could give me an idea of a basic setup, nothing too big or top end, just a basic setup and what RMS / Watt is a good average, and not going to sound crap or in excess of other components. I won't be going larger in the future, so this would only need to sufice the setup im buying, one amp or two needed? splits needed? I am just really unsure of this. My dad pretty much helps me with the rest of the stuff on car, just he isn't that great with electrical/audio, mechanically excellent as he has had many cars in the past. I was thinking of just getting a sub and replacing a few of the stock components. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks again for any help.
A good head unit, 2 or 3 way speakers all round with a 10" sub and amp. simple basic setup that sounds good. :thumbup: Splits are better but can be pricey. Alpine Pioneer Sony Kenwood Just a few well known brands who have affordable gear that performs well.
alpine 9833 or higher boston sl60 or hertz hsk165 splits for front jl audio 300/4 to run them sound deaden and sound proof your front doors. if the install is done sweet and doors sound deadened etc this should be all you need in a zed... but if you want to go a bit further go the 10inch jlaudio w3 sub and to run it a jl audio 500/1 installed and tuned correctly would sound very nice
Thanks for your prompt responses. I am on the right track with a setup then. Is there an average or good amount of watt/rms needed on each component? And with the headdeck, what would a "good one" consist of. Is it the Watt's? Pre outs?
i am running alpine head unit, 6 1/2" splits, 10" JL Audio sub and a 4 channel 100watt amp. This gets pretty loud when needed but above all it sounds good. Power is not as important as sensitivity. The higher the db rating/watt for your speakers, the less power you will need to drive the system at a good level.
I am thinking maybe $1k? I currently have this Head Unit in the car. http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_2459_Alpine+CDA-9826.html
decent set of splits $300 decent set of rears $120 2 chan amp (fronts)$250 sub (decent) $200 good sub amp $300 amping the fronts isnt needed but i dont see a point in amping the rear speakers...
Just looking on JBHiFi, what do you guys think of this pack. http://www.jbhifi.com.au/images/2009/07/JB-AU-20090707-514_06.png It has every piece i need and + some. So if anyone could tell me if the amps would be adequate for the sub, speakers and splits, or if it's underpowered. Going to hospital now to get chest aspirated but should be back in a fw days when i get home. Thanks again for all your help. : )
sticky is spot on here. i'm not really into audio, as long as i got some music i'm happy. i run a basic setup like the above. - 2nd hand kenwood 25th anniv headunit. good value, good screen and decent sound. - 3 way 6.5" fronts and 2 way 6x4" rears. coaxials of course. - amp and sub (10") is middle of the range from jaycar and pumps much harder than i'll ever need. the bass controller is on minimum all the time. highly recommend jaycar stuff, you cant beat it for bang for your buck.
ebay head units IMHO, I go for a set of very good speakers, amplifier, and sub-woofer but only a $500ish Chinese ebay head unit. Don't laugh, I only expect to have the head unit for a maximum of 2 years, after which it is replaced with another one. For example, a little while back I purchased off econon on ebay a double din touch screen head unit with built in GPS hardware ( software i hacked from a GPS unit), dual zone audio-video (i.e. front & back), reversing camera, DVD, TV, MP3, SD Card, USB, Bluetooth phone for about $500-$600 delivered. The equivalent brand name unit and optioned up accordingly was $2,200 - $2,500. This "cheap" head unit can easily drive the speakers, amp, and sub-woofer. Here is my "bang for buck" logic ... technology moves so fast ( just look at computers, mobile phones, and GPS ) within 18-24 months the expense top of the line equipment is priced in the entry-middle range or re-badged / camouflaged as a cheaper level unit. That is within 18-24 months all of the features of kool expensive unit is in the cheaper level unit. Now I am not talking about the super-cheap $250 dollar head units but the $500-$600 units. A car stereo has a market live of 2 years from release to complete obsolescence (not referring to the model number but the circuit board and technology inside), it is all to do with return on the manufacturer's development investment. Hence I roll through all my technology within 18 to 24 months, thereby obtaining relatively new features at a significantly reduced price. Same goes for GPS ($300-$350) and laptops. But with foundation equipment such as the monitor, speakers, TV then I try to purchase the best that I can afford.
Amp - Goto Jaycar and get a response 4 x 100wrms amp. Awesome amps for the price. They have won multiple awards for their car audio. Bridge the 2 rear channels for the sub. Single 12" sub should do. Two front channels on the amp will run splits just fine. Wattage on the splits doesnt really matter too much. 100w-300w. I'd probably go new for the Deck, Amp and splits. Second hand for the sub. Deck: $200 - Pioneer, Clarion, Maybe even Sony (Dont buy Sony speakers tho) Amp: $350 - Response 4 x 100wrms Sub: $100 - Pioneer, Alpine, Image Dynamics etc (Cash converters) Splits: $250-$350 Alpine Type S maybe? Pioneer, Clarion, MB quartz... (MB quartz pref) Amp install kit: $50 - Jaycar electronics Total roughly $1k Your amp and splits are the most vital components in an audio setup... Dont go cheap on these. Also, brands like Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, JL audio in the cheaper amps with big RMS ratings are not what they used to be... Hence go the Jaycar amps IMO...
The setup i had in my last Z i will be changing slightly. Ive got front and rear splits, a 10" sub and one amp that runs the lot. I got a 5.1 $550 amp that did the trick. Thats about $1k-$1500 depends on the quality of the speakers.
And Kicker! US brand, if you want LOUD/SPL (important in our cars I reckon, unless you're running gear engine off!) yet still clear these are pretty decent! Running Kicker gear all round in mine DD Audio is another top US brand.
Question for everybody, it's on topic: Is anyone running their front component splits (if you have them) actively via a 4 channel amplifier, ditching the included crossover and setting all the crossover points/gains/slopes/etc. via an expensive headunit? This means running with no rears though I think, any thoughts from the Audio guru's here?
if you havnt setup a fully active front stage before i suggest you go with a semi active setup first. your correct that an active system runs each component of the split system to each channel seperatly. as mentioned i would suggest you go with a semi active system which means the mid drivers are each going to a seperate amp chan on their own. and each tweet still runs through its own x-over before going to its own amp channel. you will still be able to tune the tweets but running them through the supplied x-overs protects you from blowing them if the gains are set too high on them. you dont need an expensive headunit to run it. but you do need a good quality headunit that has inbuilt xover settings. personally i have an alpine 9833, but any of the newer alpine units in this range and eclipse and other brands have xover settings. just look for them in the features of the headunit when looking to purchase. p.s this has nothing to do with the rears speakers. you can get another amp to run the rears..... i didnt really want to post again in this thread as no one knows what they are talking about here when it comes to audio but i just had to quickly reply to your question before someone gives you totally the wrong answer....
i guess every1's opinion in what car audio is, is different to one another. you have the doof doof goers, you have the sound quality guys, you have the spl guys, and the people who just want some music in the car type of people.... i am in the sound quality type hence why i didnt think posting in this thread would be valid since anything i post would be on another level to what "user__" wants, and the money he wants to spend.... for example i suggested concentrating on his front stage and making that the best he can. a reasonable good pair of front splits in the doors, with the doors sound deadened and sound proofed, amped well, and controlled well by a reasonably good headunit would be all he needs. but obviously with other suggestions such as the one you described which attracts the doof doof/just want music in the car type of guys, is going to sound good to user__ being a newbie to car audio. i guess guys in the spl field have the perception that say for example the guys in the sound quality field dont know what they are talking about when they are giving advice on each others fields... hence why i made that comment. sorry i didnt mean to offend you but no replies where made with sound quality as the theme... i noticed that every post was just the doof doof/just want some music in the car type hence i didnt really want to reply as any advice i would give would not be of that type... and if i did would start another argument between both fields...
