THE BEST AUDIO SPEAKER

[phenoyz77]

Originally Posted by severous01

polk audio for speakers.

kenwood head units (extreme reliability, decent looks, plenty of power, and awesome options for the price)

pioneer or kenwood amps (again with the power/price issue.) higher quality amps only for higher end only. you dont need a class a amp for subs...and a class d amp for highs would suck bad. memphis class d amps are good for subs, and they're really tiny.

subs...this is left to question...a lot of people think that hi power handling is best, or poly material is best...or the most expensive is the best...whatever. i know people who have matched the sound records with a perfectly built box, a $30 amp, and buy one get one $20 subs. 4 amps, 8 subs, and a box matched perfectly to the subs.

thanks...

[bzinn 1]

Ok well we got a budget of $1000.....you can do a lot with that.

There are several things needed to make a good sounding system

1.good deck
2.good wires
3.sound deadening
4.good comps
5.good subs and box
6. good amps

You did not mention about a deck,jsut subs,comps and amp so I assume you got a decent aftermarket deck.

As for subs.....there are alot of directions,you said sounds good so I assume SQ over SPL(loud).

there are subs you can get the best of both worlds in your budget.

Some brands I use are Elemental Designs and Image Dynamics,both make SQ subs,and both make subs that go freaking loud.

Amps.......that is a direction that is hard to work with......Elemental Designs makes some of the best amps I have used,they are rated lower on output than what they bench test for,for instance the NINe.1 says 1000w at 1 ohm.....it benches at around 1300+ and is hard to clip.

they also have amps that run 4 or 2 chanels,the 2 channel puts out 600w which is loud and it will actually push about 700+ without clipping.

Comps......first thing.......focus on front speakers,forget even needing rear speakers,they are not needed and actually can cause the sounds in the car to sound worse.

Focal is a great brand,I have used them and the sond is great,cost is spendy for them though,Seas makes great tweeters,and Image Dynamics makes great comps that are not budget breaking,Elemental Designs also makes great comps,they are loud,clean, and take the power,tweeters are a bit harsh though,and most times need ran with the + and - swapped to tone them down a bit.

Sound deadening is a big part of a stereo,keeping the sound in the car is important,keeping noise out of car is important.and changes the sound of a system dramatically........

Sub boxes areanother big issue to think about,sealed or ported,ported tend to go lower and louder,but take up a lot of room,we have small car,so sealed seems a better choice......

Also how many watts you want to push is important,subs and comps need to match up output wise as best you can.

For instance my comps get 120w each and my subs get 300w each in my tC......the bass is clean,loud,and you can feel it.the comps kinda over power the subs though depending on what type of music i am playing.

The setup I was thinking of doing in my Yaris is going to be fairly simple since I have parts laying around from my last build.

I am gonna power up a set of Elemental Designs comps with 120w each,a set of seas tweeters replacing the ED tweeters
An image dynamics 10"sub in a sealed box,most likely powered with about 400w.Then several hundred of feet of deadening,and an Alpine deck,amps are gonna be ED amps as i have them laying around from another build.

Another thing to consider is do you want your system to grow in time,dont waste money on a 200w amp when for $40 more you can get a 600w amp.....that way as your needs change and they will you can upgrade subs and comps and not have to blow more money than needed.

Also learning how to tune an amp is number one,if it is clipping signal your output will not be good no matter how hard youtry,there are lots of sites to learn how to tune and I even can give basic instructions on how to do it......very easy

When tuned you can push the amps and subs and comps to their limits and they will not break and will last forever......

Also for wires.......Knukonceptz has great wires.....some of the best.

[talnlnky]

here's the breakdown I'd give you... you said $1,000 total

1 pair of 6.5 Components = $200-300
1 10" sub = $50-150
1 deck = $200
1 4 channel amp (aim for 75x4 to 100x4 rms rating) = $300
4awg or 1/0 power cable plus speaker wire, fuses, RCA's = $125
1 box for your sub... $75, you can build your own, or buy one... or might be able to get a shop to build one for you... tho it'd be a simple sealed box if they made it for you ... and for only $75... shops like to charge an arm & a leg for box building.

thats your $1000

www.ikesound.com often has some good deals, but be careful of the poorly built brands like pyramid, boss, crunch, and so on. Just for refrence, a 4 channel amp like you'd look for should have at least 50amps worth in fuses. If it doesn't, then you know it won't be putting out as much power as it claims.

If you buy locally, then you'll have a hard time fitting what you want into a $1,000 budget.... $2,000 would be more reasonable, especially if you don't plan to do your own install work.

Basically... you want an amp that does say 75x4 @4ohm or 300x2 @ 4ohm. You would hook the components up to two channels of 75w, and then hook up the sub to the last two channels, but bridge them so the sub would get 300w. You pretty much turn a 4 channel amp into a 3 channel amp. 1 amp helps reduce the amount of wire you need, and is more efficient on the electrical system.

As for components.... any speaker in the $100-200 range will be decent. For deck... pick whatever feels natural to you.

For sub, high powered subs are less efficient (usually) which means unless you have a big amp it won't actually get louder. However, they (usually) work in smaller boxes. Often times people buy high power capable subs, and don't have a big enough amplifier (or electrical system) to justify the sub... and for hundreds of dollars less could be louder with a smaller amp, cheaper sub, and a bigger box.

I'm a fan of going with a single 10" sub with say 300watts in a sealed box... if that doesn't cut it for you.... learn about designing ported boxes and build one.... that'll give you much more low end bass. The bigger the sub, the bigger the box gets... and its basically exponential. I always ran 12's or 8's.... 15's are cool, but just require too big of boxes. Anything a 15 can do an set of three or four 8's can do in half the space if installed properly.

[sqcomp]

Yeah...I think I'll second Taln's idea about budget.

I did the system in my wife's Tacoma over my leave. I put a two way component set in, a ReQ, a five channel amp, and a single woofer in a custom enclosure.

It cost me around $750. With the HIDs I installed on the truck that was around $1000.

The only labor I was charged was for the HIDs.

Akk! There's more to say but chow time calls...

[phenoyz77]

i'm using the factory head unit, it already has aux for mp3 player...

my upgrade would be the speaker/ AMP/ rear-sub/and descent quality
wirings...will look for a shop w/reasonable price for the install...

[talnlnky]

Originally Posted by phenoyz77

i'm using the factory head unit, it already has aux for mp3 player...

my upgrade would be the speaker/ AMP/ rear-sub/and descent quality
wirings...will look for a shop w/reasonable price for the install...

in that case... expect to spend $300 on install & random material costs (wires, cables, connectors).
so your budget is actually close to $700 for your speakers, sub & amp. If I were you, i'd put $500 of that into the speakers & amp... and only $200 into the sub and box. Amps in stores are usually spendy. Don't forget that you'll have to spend some money to get a decent quality LOC since you are using the stock deck. Don't let them sell you on a $200-300 unit like the Fosgate 360 or the JL cleansweep.. tho they are awesome units... they would basically eat up your budget to the point that you would be able to afford a sub, or would end up with crappy speakers.

[phenoyz77]

Originally Posted by talnlnky

in that case... expect to spend $300 on install & random material costs (wires, cables, connectors).
so your budget is actually close to $700 for your speakers, sub & amp. If I were you, i'd put $500 of that into the speakers & amp... and only $200 into the sub and box. Amps in stores are usually spendy. Don't forget that you'll have to spend some money to get a decent quality LOC since you are using the stock deck. Don't let them sell you on a $200-300 unit like the Fosgate 360 or the JL cleansweep.. tho they are awesome units... they would basically eat up your budget to the point that you would be able to afford a sub, or would end up with crappy speakers.

thanks...whats LOC? i have a bsetbuy/frys card no interst for 1 yr
another question is if i have the new speakers/AMP/Sub installed
would it affect, maybe damage my mp3 player if i use it constantly thru the mp3 aux?
thanks

[The Architect]

it would have no effect at all on your mp3 player.

LOC is a Line Out Converter, it allows you to use your stock headunit for an amplifier/sub combo.

These....

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/searc...oduct_type=152

[sqcomp]

...AHEM...

That's whre the ReQ comes in. It's right in between the expensive fluff units and the basic crap boxes.

I have hands on experience with the ReQ and it works very well.

[o2cavyss]

When you guys talk about the rear speakers being insignificant, does that apply to the sedans too or just the hatchbacks?

[sqcomp]

There are some of us that particularly enjoy a stereo signal. There are some here that like to feel like they'e IN the music.

Personally, I watch and listen to concerts from the audience. The only sound coming from behind me is the ambiance of the venue.

besides, two IDQ 12s off an ID Q 1200.1 have the need to come through the rear 6 x 9 slots.

[talnlnky]

Originally Posted by o2cavyss

When you guys talk about the rear speakers being insignificant, does that apply to the sedans too or just the hatchbacks?

it applies to any audio setup, car, home, wherever in which you are listening to music that was recorded in stereo (2.1) and not a multichannel format like 4.1/5.1/6.1/7.1.

by adding more speakers than the music was recorded with in mind, you change the way the music will sound. The idea is to hear EXACTLY what the musician was playing.

[Alien Mantis]

I like my music to fill the room / car all around me, coming at me from different angles, even if it is not a "true surround" source signal.

If I can close my eyes, and tell the music is coming from a single direction, then it's a FAIL.

I do however, like everything to be somewhat balanced. If the rear deck speakers overpower the fronts, then that is a FAIL.

The bass should definitely be non-directional, and all around you.

The problem with car audio is: you never sit in the MIDDLE of the car.
You are either up-front on one side driving, or the other side riding.
Or you are a passenger in the back on one side or the other.
So you are never really "center-axis" in a car.
The good news is, you crank it up loud enough, the car is small enough that no matter where you are in the car, the music will be all around you regardless.

Just my opinion, YMMV.

[goku87]

I used to like the sound all around, but I think my taste is slowly changing, probably due to the set-up I have in my apartment lol.

@ talnlnky:
What do you think about the Focal K2 speakers? You always preach about spending more money on speakers rather than the sub, and I was just curious as to your thoughts of some of those speaker sets costing > $2000 retail.

[Alien Mantis]

Originally Posted by goku87

What do you think about the Focal K2 speakers? You always preach about spending more money on speakers rather than the sub, and I was just curious as to your thoughts of some of those speaker sets costing > $2000 retail.

I know this wasn't directed at me.... but I can't pass this one up.

FOCAL IS SO OVERPRICED I WANNA THROW ROTTEN FRUIT AT THEM !!!

How they think they can charge what they charge for that crap is beyond me.
It's like me charging $100 for a PENCIL.
Maybe it is an oak pencil, with really smooth graphite, and a nice eraser.
But it will never be worth $100.

FOCAL is a JOKE.

Kinda like KLIPSCH. So overpriced for what you get. BOSE is another one.
POLK used to be overpriced, but you can get their stuff WAY cheaper now, so if you catch it on sale with free shipping, it's okay.

[Mobius1]

Alien mantis, you need to sit in a true SQ car and i promise your opinions will change. There is nothing cooler than being able to close your eyes(in such a car) and hearing the music in all its rich and vibrant detail. With eyes still closed you could swear that the music is being played out in front of you, not being able to pinpoint where the speakers are in the car, sounding as if it was coming out of the windshield. If its a truly awesome system you can even hear a difference between where the instruments are being played on stage(with the proper music anyway).

Back to the original question asked: If you are not doing the install yourself just shop around to local shops and do a lot of listening and get what u can afford and like. It will save you a lot of hassle if you ever have any problems with anything if u just buy the equipment and have it installed at the same place.

[xen555]

http://onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/...e_SPR-17S.aspx

that will be my choice if you are looking for fidelity i have those in my last car and i love how they sound and those guy in onlinecarstereo have everything u need and they have really good prices!!

[Alien Mantis]

Originally Posted by Mobius1

Alien mantis, you need to sit in a true SQ car and i promise your opinions will change. If its a truly awesome system you can even hear a difference between where the instruments are being played on stage(with the proper music anyway).

I know what you mean.
I have experienced this several years ago.
This guy I knew was a manager at our local stereo shop. He used his car as an audio demonstrator for some of the products they sold. At the time, they were heavy into Clarion, Planet Audio, and Earthquake stuff. So he had all the top-of-the-line Clarion, Planet Audio, and Earthquake stuff in this car. Lots of Dynamat everywhere too. I remember he had four 10" subs in this thing, and they had such a tight hard hit, I couldn't believe the windows weren't breaking in this car. I have never heard anything like it before, or since.
The music was crystal clear across the whole spectrum, and the farther you cranked the volume, the louder it got while staying perfectly clean. I estimated he had around $7,000 worth of gear in this car, which was a fortune at the time. ( Early 1990's ). He didn't get to keep all the stuff, the shop was loaning most of it to him. Kinda sad though, he would play this thing for customers, then they were ruined for life. Once you have heard that, you know what can be done, and it's hard to be satisfied with a "mediocre" system.
They built custom speaker kickpanels for this car, loaded with top-end component stuff. I think it had two Earthquake amps, and maybe one or two Planet Audio amps in it, but I don't remember. I was shocked because it sounded like it had 20 amps in it. The thing that impressed me the most was, in spite of it being louder than humans can survive, it was crystal clean. I never heard that in ANY system before. The louder you get, the dirtier you are supposed to get. Not this system.
Technology has come a long way since then, but I still haven't heard a system that sounds better than that system did. I'm sure they exist, but I ask myself, what is the point?

I have a good home audio system, and a really nice surround sound system for my home theater setup, but I never could justify spending thousands of dollars on CAR AUDIO. It bakes in the sun out here where I live, and thieves steal that stuff. So I never saw the point in wasting my money. I will spend a few hundred bucks to make it sound acceptable, but beyond that, it's good enough for me. I love a SQ comp car system, but I will never do one for myself. I prefer to relax at home with a cold beer and listen to my good audio system in my house.