hello all,

i have searched the forum for a similar post and didn't find 1..... so hope i can get some suggestions. basically i am looking at getting a simple yet efficient setup but i know absolutely NOTHING about ICEs!!! :cry:

i have a HU sitting here... and my original intension was to just upgrade the stock speakers and that was it!! but now i really want an amp and a sub as part of the setup too.

so my questions are:

1. is it better to keep to 1 brand (in my case PIONEER) for front speakers and rear speakers? and subs?
2. are 2 subs better than 1?
3. i would probably just go with 1 sub... so wat size is good? 12" or 10"??
4 what brand subs are good? i have heard about kicker... wat about pioneer? any other cheap yet good brands ?
5. what is the average cost of a 12" sub? kicker/pioneer? i saw at a sale recently that 1 x pioneer 12" sub with enclosure cost around 280-290... worth it?
6. if my system was to consist of 1 sub, hu and front/back speakers... what kind of amp do i need? what is the deal with channels? i really don't know ANYTHING about amps so if some1 could just describe to me ... it would be much appreciated
7. what brand of amp would be suitable for me in this case?

any replies r much appreciated.... sorry for the long post but i m a total nutcase here.... i really need to start spending some of my savings over the last couple of months!!!! :D

1. is it better to keep to 1 brand (in my case PIONEER) for front speakers and rear speakers? and subs?

No diferent brands specialize in different section of car audio. It is a lot better ( and cheaper ) to mix and match to find a system that sounds good to you.

2. are 2 subs better than 1?

No, one fully powered 12inch sub will far out do 2 of the same 12inch subs that are only half powered, in both SQ and SPL.

3. i would probably just go with 1 sub... so wat size is good? 12" or 10"??

Depends on what kind of music you are into.. 10's are more for SQ where the larger cone of the 12 will give you more exension and is often use for both SQ and SPL.

4 what brand subs are good? i have heard about kicker... wat about pioneer? any other cheap yet good brands ?

Yes Kicker are quite good, as with JL, Xtant, Hertz, Crossfire etc. Personally the Asian brands seem to have a high Q and sound fake( pioneer, sony etc) where the american and european sound more real and a lot more asthetic on the ears.

5. what is the average cost of a 12" sub? kicker/pioneer? i saw at a sale recently that 1 x pioneer 12" sub with enclosure cost around 280-290... worth it?

You can pick up entry level subs for under $300 (<=12inch), JL12w0 you can get for $250 now days easy. If you like the sound of the pioneer then get it but for SQ the JL ( even though only rated at 125WRMS ) will far out do the pioneer.

6. if my system was to consist of 1 sub, hu and front/back speakers... what kind of amp do i need? what is the deal with channels? i really don't know ANYTHING about amps so if some1 could just describe to me ... it would be much appreciated

I will only say one thing, on a budget get a Audison SRx3. It is a 3 channel amp that will power your front stage and a sub. This amp also allows you to run the front speakers at 4 ohm and the sub at 2 or 4 ohm. It gives 75WRMSx 2 + 250WRMS ( 4/4ohm ) or 65WRMSx2 + 340WRMS (4/2 ohm). This amp will only set you back around $650-$750 and will power everything. Althernatively you can use a 4 channel amp. If you have a really good front stage you dont need rear fill. If you do want rear fill, their is no need to amp them ( unless your going in a SQ comp ) but for everyday use just run them off the deck.

7. what brand of amp would be suitable for me in this case?
See above :D

Basically people can go on and on about which ones are better, what i said above is just my personally opinion and the same opinion as the guy that runs FHRX studios in sydney. Go to a shop and test as many things as possible before making your choice as what sounds good to me.. might not sound good to you. Good luck ( ha mine was even longer ).
BTW if you live in sydney or NSW FHRX studios will send you out a demo car so you can listen to your CD's for hours. If you have a $1500 budget ( as you already have a headunit) they will send out a car with Boston splits FS-60 ($350), Audison SRx3 and JL12w0.. this car sound amazing ( and loud :D ) and i challenge you to find a better set up for $1700 ( fully installed )

Mr Charisma...good answers, helped me alot :!: (even thou not my question)

Thanks :D

your sub selection should depend on what kinda music u listne to aswell ................... for example dont be crazy like someone i know and get an 18 inch sub for heavy metal :S

I'll give my opinion on this but remember just a opinion,

1. No sticking to one brand is stupid, One brand may make nice HD units but doesn't mean there speakers are any good, in fact there are not to many car audio speaker companies, by this I meant they actually make there speakers, not just source them from somewhere and stick there logo on the speaker, Focal, Phase Linear and RS audio are a couple that actually make there own speakers, also why you pay a lot for them.

2. As said running a underpowered speaker is also not a good idea, You want your sub to be pushing air and to push air it needs power, underpower the sub and you don't get the movement you need in the cone of the speaker, waste of time, might make a sound but wont sound good. Get a good quality sub and power it well. Persoanlly I think anything more than 1 sub is compensating for not having a very big .....

3. This all depends on the music you listen to, I listen to everything from Live to Norah Jones so I use a small sub to keep the bass very tight, I am also a bass player and like my bass amp with 10's in the cabinet not 12's or 15's so my car stuff is the same.

4. There are a few good subs but I'm into high end gear so my choice won't be yours, Phase Linear make wicked subs, but there very expensive as are Focal, but lower down, well I don't know others may have recommendations there.

5. Um can't help here, a Focal Utopia is $1,000+ and Phase Linear more again.

6.Any decent 4 channel, I think Alpine, and I don't like Alpine make good amps for the money, A 4 channel, run the splits off two, bridge the other two for the sub and run the rears off the deck for rear fill

7.Answered that , but cheaper opions ???????????

I am not much in to the technical aspects of car audio with exception of installation.
I recently went to Indo on my yearly trip, picked up front kicker splits for around $100.00. Audio Bose amp approx $95.00, 4 chan, 1200w fan cooled, (is not a big brand in OZ but when avail is very expensive as they more specialise in large audio set ups).
Already had kicker 6x9 in the rear and will use my old amp to drive a single 12" sub when I get one.
One thing I will say though, with the 6x9 I almost do not need a sub as the sound is not only packed with clear base but the splits are giving exceptional trebble as well.

I agree with many of the above statements.

what HU u have? a nice,powerful head unit will power a set of speakers easily. i have my 4x60W HU running ym alpine 6x9's and my Alpine MRV-F505 AMp running my Alpine DDDrive splits and bridged to run my JL W3 12" Sub. All this gear is rather impressive. in my opinion anyway. ill pump it at the next cruise and Dan (Cypher VX) will let you know :) . good luck mate. heres just a few of my recommendations

HU - Alpine
Clarion
Pioneer

Speakers - Alpine
Mb-quart
Pioneer

Amp - Alpine
Crossfire
Earthquake

Sub - JL
Alpine (Type R)
Pioneer (Bullets)

good luck

Trav

This might help you in regards to deciding about quality systems. ;)

Click here (http://www.fastfoursforumscarclub.com/temp/fhrxstudios/faq.asp#0).

Well said Mr Charisma... I have just picked up a pair of Hertz HSK165s today and will be installing them tomorrow; they are a phenomenal set of entry level speakers ($320) and will serve you well for a long time.

I am also considering an Audison SRx3 in the near future also, but I believe dB Fever in Brunswick have a 50%-off RRP sale on PPI powerclass amps. Again, an Audison amp will serve you well and will hold excellent resale value. If you are more on a budget consider Coustic, Phoenix Gold, Cadence.

As a matter of personal taste I steer well away from Kenwood, Sony, Pioneer speakers as they often use metal dome tweeters which are very harsh. Mr Charisma is right in saying that Asian brands have this trait. Conversely, European brands such as Hertz, Polk, Morel sound very natural and warm. American brands are all about brute force bass, e.g. Rockford Fosgate, Kicker, MTX.

Head units simply buy within your budget and features you want; they are all very similar until you crack the $750 mark whereby they start to distinguish themselves amongst their competition.

this is my opinion for your questions as well

1. no definatly buy different brands as yes different brands specialize in very different areas.

2. depends on whether you want sq or just doof doof. for sq one good sub would prolly be best.

3. 10's have sq 12 make more noise.

4 personally i wouldnt go with kicker as they cost too much for what your getting. Dont get me wrong they are a good brand but with the money you spend you could get something better.

5. personally i dont mind the alpine subs although i also like the rockford fosgate subs but there a bit more expensive.

6&7. well your not going to need to amp the speakers really and if your buying speakers dont make the mistake many make and buy 6x9's for the rear. not only are they not necessary but they also reduce sq of your system. some simple 6" or even 4" with subs are all thats required. and as for the amp it really depends on the power that your sub is going to be draining. for a cheap powerful amp you can get a response 2x150wrms for around $300 but there are many brands available just check with someone on the brand b4 u buy. the best setup is 6.5" components in front and 4" in rear with subs in boot. focal or boston are best speakers of course but are a little pricey. Orion make some good speakers and have some decent amps for speakers hertz are also very good for the price.

Hey Marty wassup
never though you would ever post here!!!
good !!!

see you fff!!!

We're everywhere! :D:D

[quote:34886b79d1]Hey Marty wassup
never though you would ever post here!!!
good !!! [/quote:34886b79d1]

He he my bad, thought we should have a pro on here who knows his stuff, its time to have sweet as ICE in magna's. :lol:

BTW welcome marty.

I think theres nothing wrong with mixing brands.
each company have there top and bottom range stuff.
My own opionion is to go 12's. they have a good mix of sq and hard bass.
but thats my 2 cents worth

My Opinions:

1. It is probably a good idea to stick with one brand/one series of full range speakers inside the car. Not all speakers will sound the same so this allows the front and rears to blend together. I would not however get the same brand for the entire system (head unit, amps etc.)

2. Not necessarily. You may get a little more output with multiples, but for a simple install not worth the space or money.

3. I've found a single 12" is a good starting point. In a properly designed box the will hit the lows and still be punchy enough.

4. I've used Kicker, JL Audio and Infinity subs. For value for money the JL's rock. Remember for a simple system the bottom of the range name brand subs are probably best. Reason for this is they are usually rated at a lower wattage, this typically means you needs less amp power to drive them.

5. JL 12W0 in a prefab box should be around the $250-300 mark.

6. Two ways to go here, either amp the front speakers and sub and run the rears off the deck, or amp it all. Remember that you really want the front speakers to do all the work. My best sounding install didn't even have rear speakers. Channels on the amp are just how many speakers you can connect, typically you will bridge two channels together for the sub. And one last thing with amps - SPEND AS MUCH MONEY ON THEM AS YOU CAN AFFORD.

7. I would look at brands like Kicker, Precision Power, Soundstream etc etc. And make sure you never pay attention to the power outputs on cheap amps (they are full of crap). A 40wrms of the above or similar amps will crap all over a 200watt no name.

I've just committed the ultimate sin, replying to my own post!

I'm about to do the install in the Verada, this is what it will have:

Alpine CD HU (Had Pioneer, Kenwood, Clarion, Alpine etc and my favourite was by far the no fuss Alpine)

Kicker 5ch Amp 40x4 + 150x1(Love this amp, no mucking around)

Orion, 6" two ways front and rear(Tweeter same as split but mounted in one, reason is I hate the sound of tweeters up high and there is no easy way to put the tweeters down low, plus these are cheap!)

JL Audio 12w0 in a prefab box (cheapish sub, sounds awesome and moves nicely with the 150w from the amp, need to put a block of wood in the sealed box to take up some space as it is a little big for the sub.)

i agree with mixing brands as some manufacturers are better than others in their chosen feilds, but in my car i have:

kenwood 4 ch amp $1200
kenwood 6" hq splits $500
kenwood 12" hq sub $500 (voted sub of the decade by fast fours)
kenwood full mask head unit $1200
rockford fosgate 45.2 2 ch amp $600
rockwood 2ch active crossover $50 (second hand)

sounds wicked , crystal clear and around 125db spl un-tuned