I really have no idea when it comes to in car entertainment, I've been to a few car audio places but I'm worried that the sound thats comming out of the displays they have set up isnt what I'm gonna get when it's installed.. so I was thinkin maybe you guys can help me out a bit :)

I'm willing to spend about $2000 on a system. I want a nice quality system with with a fair bit of bass but I want the treble to match. Theres nothing I hate more than sitting in a car and hearing only bass.. sure it's loud and feels cool on ur hair, but it sounds like **** :nuts:

I listen to heaps of different music so I want something that will sound good across all genres not just techno.

I'm also considering a DVD screen but that might break the budget a bit.. I've seen heaps of stand alone lcd monitors on ebay for around for around $300. What kind of quality are these?

thanks guys.. just wanna make sure I'm not gonna regret spending the money..

I'm no expert but i thought i'd put in my 2 cents cause at the moment im looking around for stereo, albeit a budget twice to what yours is but from what ive done with my car now, i know that for 2G for ICE (in-car-entertainment) your gonna not really get top qual stuff, i dont think those $300 lcd's are gonna be decent either you gotta remember why lcd's are sp expensive to produce and its not cause people simply over-charge for them and plus to run dvd's you'd need a mp3/dvd deck which i think will take up a nice fat chunk out of your budget if you wanna go with some reputable brands (i'm thinking an easy $700 or so) although some dudes have built stereos out of purely boss gear etc, now ive heard the top end boss stuff is really good but ive only ever seen the bottom end, and unfortunately i bought a boss amp (BA4800) and its not worth the aluminium its put in, however i did score some MB Quarts speakers for a good price (500 for 6 1/2 spits and 6x9's) they would go good with a decent amp but at the moment its really depressing to try and hear over the interfereance, i guess you will have to look around for a long time and not jump at everything you think is a good price until you know it is.. man we need someone on here who owns a good car stereo store and they could give us mad discounts and get heaps of business at the same time. im sure some stereo gurus will give you a list of what lowkey stuff is a good bang for buck soon enough.

hey robwa, im guessing the WA in your name means perth???

if so, pop into an alberts store around the way, my bro works at the one in morley but all their stores are very helpful and knowledgable. the kind of stuff that they stock is more towards the middle to top end of the scale (no sony, kenwood, pioneer, etc) so your budget might be a bit short but if you let them know kind-of wot sytem u want then at least they can tell u what u can get to start your system or how much u WILL need for what u want.

These guys know wot they r talkin about and are excellent at wot they do.

For 2K, u are definately not going to get a hardcore, show standard fibreglass install with LCD screens, motorised comparments and stuff.

For 2K, i guess u could probably get a pretty decent sound system up :) I wouldn't even bother with LCD screen with that budget, esp one from ebay, considering the ppl there are all shifty and the quality...well, u get what u pay for :)

It pays to do ur research, u could probably go for some 2nd hand stuff if u don't mind it.

mmmmmm.... to get treble n bass virtually count out sony.... the freq ranger isnt to good. pioneer has a wider range for this so you get the wider range of high notes and lows...
and for the dollar worth is good to... i have pioneer 6's infront 6b9's rear and 10 inch poineer sub all up prob cost around about 1500... thats counting sales on sub amp....

if u can afford alpine be worth it... depends if you want to mix match
keep an eye out for sales ebay trading post, on speakers... for headunit etc get a pro least then doesnt void warranty....

alpine be good wit techno/rap quality notes
pioneer still nice, good price too

u could try some of the bottom end products good brand products, from Phoenix Gold, hertz, boston etc.....low end splits from these reputable guys come at around 300 bucks.

subs....well, cadence, pioneer, MTX, fusion and JL pop to mind when on a budget....i know there are many more (its late now) etc.

Obviously, amps are very important also, best if u go for a seperate amp for subs and speakers. I guess u could pick up one of those alpine monoblocks lying around, or smallish xtant ones, again, cadence amps, fusion amps. If u felt adventurous, tru tech, audison, orion etc etc etc, its late at night, i can't think, the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on ....etc

if you want ear piercing treble, then look for a $300 splits that has tweeters with titanium dome...
or you could buy my diamond splits for quite cheap :)

500 for head unit 300 for splits, 350 for sub, 500-600 for amp to power sub and 300-400 for amp to power splits, wiring kit around 100 (i think dont quote me on that one) and because u dunno much about installing i guess paying for installing too would come to around 2000 (without paying for install) would be a really nice system that sounds good

and if u got any mates who knows stuff or have tools to install theres nothing more fun then installing audio equipment :D

u could also knock some of those prices down a little if u get good deals or go with cheaper brands but that aroudn the prices u looking at low level good quality stuff

Hey Robwa,where are you from?
Might be able to help you out on a Good system if ur in W.A. :cool:

think about it, the sound in the display probly wont sound as good as it will in your car cos the shop is a wide open space, so u wont get the feel of the base as much and other such things, so u can only compare the two to a certain degree really

IMO Put the most thought into your front speakers before anything else. There isn't that much audible difference in good decks and great decks. Especially if you don't have a trained ear. And also subs, amps etc aren't as critical as what is right in front of your ears.
And never forget installation costs. Sound deadening, mdf baffles etc are essential, and can make the cheapest speakers sound much better. Sound DD will bring your bass closer to you so it doesnt just sound like a sub and four stock speakers, as you can really crank your midbass without your doors resonating and rattling.
Sounds like you want to focus on midbass and treble so some quality 6.5" splits will be essential. You really have to get out there and listen. Mb Quartz, DynAudio, Hertz etc etc. Brand names are just that, most have their cheap end and their good quality gear, so don't read too much into it. But IMHO I'd steer clear of Sony, Boss, Kenwood, etc etc. For speakers anyway.
Check out www.caraudioaustralia.com see what people have to say.
With subs, go a 10" or 12". in a sealed box. This will give you good sq, which it sounds like your after and wont take up too much room. A good four channel amp (~4x50 w rms minimum) will run you fronts and sub nicely. Audison, Alpine, JL, Zapco, etc etc once again just names, get out there and have a listen.

Peace

Tim

I'm mainly concerned with gettin a good stereo system, just thought if those lcd screens wern't to bad I could strap my spare ps2 into it for not much extra :)

I've been told it's gonna cost like $400-$500 for installation. Does that sound about right? Is there much involved in installing a system? Is something I wouldn't mind attempting.. but if theres a possibility of screwing the equipment then I'd prefer to spend the money to get it done professionally..

Thanks for the help.

MagnaArt: I'm in vic mate. the names a bit misleading. :redface: How come wa have all the ppl with contacts :cry:

PM Manual see if he will give u a hand installing


installing isnt exactly hard main issue would be with head unit after that most stuff just slots in nicely (cept triyng to get wires thru doors, sh*tty job)

i got my mb quart splits and very happy with them, will even be happier one day when they are amped and my doors sound deadened the splits were 290 from alberts and me and mate insalled them, my headunit which im very happy with (worht the little extra then i wanted to spend) was 500 and me and mate installed it too, cant imagine sub being harder then those 2 maybes just more time consuming

i certainly wouldnt pay 400-500 for installing! but hey im a poverty stricken 18 year old who doesnt mind pulling his car apart and is alright using powertools and a soldering iron (thankyou highschool :D only thing worth learning)

oh ur in vic, dont worry bout manual then lol, post in the victoria cruise forum see if some vic ppl will help u out

I'm coming into this thread late, but I may as well share my experiences :)

About 6 months ago I picked up an Audison SRx.3 amp which gives me 2 x 75W for the front channels and 1 x 250W for the sub, both with a 4ohm load. A very nice piece of kit and saves having to buy two amps unless you want to amp your rear stage too. I also grabbed a 12" Diamond M312 sub and a pair of Boston Accoustic FS60 splits, a wiring kit and 5 sheets of Serenity Max all from Fhrx and the whole lot just broke the $1500 mark. I installed it myself, made a few newbie errors, but it's mostly fool proof if you've got some patience. It's not high end gear, but it sounds damn sweet, crisp and clear, and I can't get it to distort without going waaay over my comfortable listening levels (read: have to get out of the damn car).

Have a go at installing. Its heaps of fun. And you feel so much more satisfaction afterwards. No joke it sounds better. Headunit is easy, just unscrewing this and that. Even wires through doors are easy, unplug the grommet from the door side, jam it in and jiggle the rubber... Eventually if you keep jamming and put a lot of pressure on it, it will find it's way up there then scoop it out from the inside with a coathanger... Easy as pie (with thick stereo wire anyway). 10 minutes :)
Sound deadening is a bit trickier and takes a bit more handyman work with mdf and a jigsaw but once again not brain surgery.
Building boxes etc you dont have to do. just get pre fab ones. And theres heaps of info on the net.

Peace

Tim

robwa if your in vic i can give you a hand with the install. go to jb hi fi and bargin them down i got jl splits there where mark up at $420 got them for $320 so bargin on every thing if you need help just pm

Hey Pomejo, where in vic are you? I'm in geelong..

I've made my purchase.. I've gone with a pioneer setup. amp, 12" sub, 6x9's and 6" splits for $1500, Sounds nice on the display hopefull will be good in car.. I was looking at a similar alpine setup but I couldnt get 12 months interest free on that :D


I've got it home now and am attemptin the install and am stuck already :)

I need to get the battery wire through the engine compartment into the interior and I have no idea how to do it :rant:

Do i need to drill a new hole or is there a way of getting into the existing one? :confused:

Don't spose there is a detailed guide lying around anywhere? :)

u'll need to get thru ur firewall, if u look there will be rubber grommets and whatnot in te firewall, either cut/drill/pull one of them to get wire thru

this is one way

http://members.iinet.net.au/~allenc/TechTips/firewall.html

thanks mate. thats exactly what I needed :)

If I can throw my 0.02 in I'll just quickly mention that the following is my pick of the better systems for the 2 kilobuck mark:

Source Unit(s): Alpine CDA-9827 / Pioneer DEH-P5650MP / Clarion DXZ746MP
Front Speaker(s): Boston SL60 / Diamond M361 / Hertz HSK 165 / Rainbow CMX 265 Kick / Morel Pulse 6 / Phoenix Gold ZR6.5 Comp / Vibe ST-60 / Eton Pro-160X
Sub(s): JL Audio 12W0-4 / Image Dynamics ID12V.3 / Boston G2-12 / Diamond M312 / Hertx HX 300 / Boston GS1204 / Phoenix Gold R12D / Digital Designs 2012 / Vibe BlackAir-12
Amplifier(s): Audison SRx3 / Phoenix Gold R8.0:4
Cable: Stinger / Phoenix Gold / Audison
Deadening: G-Spot Serenity Max / Stinger Roadkill / Dynamat Pro