NOTE BEFORE: This Thread has good information regarding Audio Systems, prices and name brands.

I've been looking to get a HU w/ mp3 compat, 2x 6x9's and a 4 channel amp, which will be able to support a subwoffer at a later date. If anyone has any recommendations, or know of kits/bundle's for sale at retail outlets, let me know! my limit is going to be around $300.

Strathfield have a bundle that would get me an CD/MP3/WMA HU + Two 6x9's for $200, worth it?

I've been looking to get a HU w/ mp3 compat, 2x 6x9's and a 4 channel amp, which will be able to support a subwoffer at a later date. If anyone has any recommendations, or know of kits/bundle's for sale at retail outlets, let me know! my limit is going to be around $300.

Strathfield have a bundle that would get me an CD/MP3/WMA HU + Two 6x9's for $200, worth it?

Edit: Also, what kind of wattage amp should I be looking for to support what i'm after?

get one thing at a time, spend 300 on a headunit that will do what u want it to do. Save for a couple more weeks and pick up some 6x9's. otherwise u will spend all your money and the cheap amp that u buy will blow up 2 weeks later and u will have nothing.

$300 on Each thing and Yeah you will be able to achieve your goal but $300 all up is only going to result in tears
in Car Audio, you get what you pay for..
Spend $300 in total and you will get $300 worth of sound...
You will not be able to Get What you Desire for the Money you have allowed..


Preferred Setup:
Headunit: JVC KDG 615 $300
6x9's JBL GTO936 $170
Jaycar 50w rms X4 $250ish
Wiring Kit: $70
May I ask as to why you have no front speakers included in your request for a Budget system ??

the jvc kdg 615 is very rare now not many places have it left :( So you might have some problems finding it

correction
JVC HU- $240
JBL GTO 936 6x9's- $130 (strathfeild)
this is what the norm is now, dont pay more then this for the above components

Ok usually i'm all for budget systems, but a WHOLE system for $300 (with amp) is dreaming!
cheapest amp $100
cheapest cables $50 (includes RCA/speaker wire/amp cables).
cheapest mp3 hu, maybe get a noname brand htat will last a year for $1-150
cheapest 6x9 that WORK $50

This will sound horrible though and is still over your $300 budget.

My advice, if you only wish to spend about $300, forget the amp, make sure you get a nice mp3 player for $200 (will be pretty featureless but will have mp3), spend $100 on some nice pioneer 6x9 and run that for awhile, then when you want to buy a sub get the amp with it, will work out cheaper.

yeah maten u wont get anything worth its weight for 300 as was said above 300 for each component would be much better lol

Ok thanks for everyones help, what about a HU w/ 2 x 6x9's for $300? Sound more reasonable?

The amp and everything else can wait, i'm just dying listening to the friggin radio with those piss ant 4" speakers. In regards to I think it was TR-Envy, I haven't included replacing the 4" speakers as of yet as i'm going to focus more on the HU and 6x9's until I get more funds.

im nto an audio expert but i still suggest that you spend 300 on the HU, then save up buy 6x9's save up etc its better to spend the money and do it properly the first time :D

that's a tight buget, really tight it's not worth getting

Well, Strathfield has a Pioneer pack advertised for $800 and it basically includes everything I wanted for the system.

H/U CD/Mp3
2x 6x9's Speakers
2x 4" Speakers
12" 600W Sub w/Box
4 Channel 600W Amp

All for $800, still I understand it still sounds cheap considering you guys are telling me to spend around $300 a component, but it seems like it's the way to go, wonder if I could finance it lol.

Well, Strathfield has a Pioneer pack advertised for $800 and it basically includes everything I wanted for the system.

H/U CD/Mp3
2x 6x9's Speakers
2x 4" Speakers
12" 600W Sub w/Box
4 Channel 600W Amp

All for $800, still I understand it still sounds cheap considering you guys are telling me to spend around $300 a component, but it seems like it's the way to go, wonder if I could finance it lol.
Mate $300 each isn't neccessary.
For $300 yes you can get a HU and 6x9's, even get some aftermarket 4". I had this for awhile and it sounds bloody awesome compared to the stock cardboard speakers.

that deal sounds pretty good to me mate id buy it if thatd fit my car lol

Well i'm going to go look today, so I'll get back to you if anything happens

ill tell you know, the system thats $800 will be crap brands.
JVC HU - $240 (Magnat, Liverpool_rule_88, and i can vouch its a top notch HU)
JBL GTO 936 6x9's - $130 (100WRMS, excellent for being amped in future)
either;
some $50 kenwood 4"s for the dash, or put some $150 splits in the doors
that leaves $280 - $320 to fiddle around with.
weather you want an amp, or a sub/amp, or some nice wiring.

honestly, join up to the CAA forums (car audio australia) and have a look at there FS section. Man you will be able to save a BUNDLE buying some 2nd hand equipment.

i check out the strathfeild deals all the time, theres never anything good.
$800 for package, they never include wiring:P

Tuffy has just been through the same thing with his system. He asked us well before Christmas what the best "Doof for Dollar" was. We told him. He Listened. He bought, He installed.

I'll tell you he is bloody estatic with the result.

Any package from Strathfield is gunna be crap. Even the 6x9's at clearance sales (before the new models come out) only ever seem to get a nice pair of 6x9's down to about $120.

The reason those Strathfield packages (and sometimes ultra-el-cheapo chinese subs that can barely take 10W PMPO) are only there and advertised to get you in the door. These are called 'Loss Leaders'. They sell them at very tight margin, at cost and even below cost, just to get you in the door.

These items do not count towards the salesperson's commissions for the month, so he will tell you 'nah, they are crap, don't buy them, buy these instead' and point you to a $200 sub instead of the $39 P.O.S. that was advertised and got you into the store.

So anyway, I think your $300 for a system is a pipe dream. It might work, and if you are lucky and does actually work, you can count on it not working in 6 months time.

As for the $800 pioneer package, I have no idea of what is in it, but be warned that these packages are made up of either superceded models - or they are about to be superceded. Amps and Head units especially, speakers less so. If you can give us the contents of the package, I could comment further

As Magnat pointed out, these packages do not include wiring. Allow $200 for wiring costs on a basic install. I recommend the Stinger complete wiring packs. If you only ever want a basic system, just go for a 4 guage kit, if you think the bug will bite (might get a monoblock for a sub later) then just spend the extra $15 and get a 0 guage kit. Stinger Hyper RCAs in a 4 channel config cost about $65 for a set. Don't scrimp on RCA's, most noise problems come from cheap RCA cables and badly shielded connectors.

The number one piece of advice I can give you is to get out into the shops, and when you see say Pioneer /JBL/Clarion 6x9's on sale at $115 from $180, buy them. You have to grab the bargains while you can.

The current basic recipe for Car Audio is as follows:

1) HU: JVC KDG615, between $230 and $260. MP3, 3 sets of pre-outs, fading sub output. Looks nice too. Don't bother with anything less than 3 pre-outs (front, rear, sub). It's not worth your time fitting one to your car as within 12 months, you will be ripping it out for another unit. Fading sub output means you can turn down the signal going to your sub amp, without needing a remote gain control on your amp. Very handy.

2) Front speakers: Look for things on special. Clarion's basic 6.5" component set are popular, Tuffy got his on special for about $85 or $90 from $180 if I remember right. When you get stuff at 50% discount, who cares if it isn't quite as good as JBL / pioneer etc. JBL's splits at about the $200-220 mark are a good option also.

3) Rears (6x9's usually): JBL GTO936's as stated. You should be able to get these for $150. Otherwise, wait for Autobarn or Starthfield or JB's to have a sale, they will usually have something marked drown from $180-200 down to $100-140. Grab them, especially if they aren't the 'basic' model. JBL, JL, Clarion, Pioneer, Cadence.... doesn't really matter. Only really for a bit of sound for passenders in the back.

4) Amps: 4x75W amps are a dime a dozen, especially second hand. Put a 'wanted to buy 4x75 or 4x100 amp' thread in the for sale section and get swamped with PM's. Most will only have had 12-24 months use. I have a Sony XM222 and a Sony XM444 that do the job nicely for people starting out... you could take them off my hands for under $100 plus postage!

5) Deadening: very important.... Cheaper speakers with good deadening at a total cost of say, $400, will outperform a $400 pair of speakers without deadening every day of the week. Spend $200 on deadening, it's worth it.

6) subs: only really two contenders in the cheap end - Pioneers 12" TSW-306C (sealed or ported, needs 35L sealed) at about $135, and JBL's GT1202D (sealed or ported, 29.9L sealed) for about $120. The JBL's also do these subs in a 10" for about $100 each for punchier bass (good for metal / accuracy lovers), and a 15" also (dance, R&B). I Like 12's myself, a nice balance. I have older JBL GT4-12's that sell for about $80 each if you can find them.

Shame you posted this after I bought some equipment :( all good, I know I got bottom line stuff but it works for the time being, I wasn't after anything spectacular just something that does the job.

I purchased:

1 x Pioneer DEH-375OMP CD/MP3/WMA + Radio + Remote for $178
2 x JBL cs396e's 6x9's 210Watts for $80

I guess because both are cheap they won't be that great, but the Head Unit performs fine with the ****ty 4" in the front. As for the JBL's i'm yet to find out, I will be installing them (today/tommorow).

There were Pioneer 6x9's for $90, but I remember someone on AMC recommending JBL, hence why I chose them instead, might have been a wrong move. Like I said I wasn't after anything super doper, just something that would be satisfactory. As for a subwoffer and amp, I will take your advice as both can be expensive regardless, although I doubt i'll be getting them anytime soon (my loan repayments and insurance kick in soon :() lol thanks for the help, it's appreciated.

No worries....

JBL are very underrated speakers, you have to remember that they have incredible amounts of money spent in research and development of speaker systems. JBL is one of the leaders in PA audio, it trickles down into their other ranges (home thatre, Car audio, computer speakers).

JBL is owned by Harmon Kardon, they make great stuff. They also own infinity, amongst others. You can't go wrong with JBL. Some people will hang crap on you for not buying Kenwood or Pioneer, but you will have the last laugh.

Recommending JBL would have been me, Magnat or TuffTR. Tuffy has the same 6x9's, and also the JBL GT1202 Subs. He gets around with a huge smile on his face now he has doof.

Kenwood 4" speakers are useless as paperweights let alone speakers. Steer well clear! Better to spend a bit more on a set of splits and put the in the doors. Plenty of threads on how to do it in a second gen, do a search.

Those HU's are fine..... but in a comparison for features for the price, the JVC unit wins every time, New model should hit soon too.

Anything else you want to know, or want to ask us if something is worth getting, feel free to PM me if you want.

Kenwood are Great, at making Expensive Paperweights..
Sure they are offered at a great price but unless you buy the Top end, it a waste of money..
Your Headunit is OK, Whilst . Your Problem is going to come when connecting up the Amp to run the sub.. it according to the Stats has 2-pre outs.

This Deck will run the JBL 6x9's you have Chosen without the need for an amp..


We now need to look at your fronts...

Yer some new aftermarket 4"s would be great, but do I have to remove the entire dash just to get in there?

Recommend me some decent 4" JBL's and where to find them :P

Yer some new aftermarket 4"s would be great, but do I have to remove the entire dash just to get in there?

Recommend me some decent 4" JBL's and where to find them :P
No dont have to remove the dash, just pop the grilles off with a screw driver, unscrew the existing speakers and use the speaker wire that's already there to hook up to your new speakers (make sure you dont drop the wire down the hole hehe.

Strathfield have 4" coaxials..... you may even be able to fine some on eBay.

I'd forget the 4" speakers and save for decent speakers (splits) in the doors. You can always run extra 'ambient' tweeters in the 4" holes....

I purchased:

1 x Pioneer DEH-375OMP CD/MP3/WMA + Radio + Remote for $178
2 x JBL cs396e's 6x9's 210Watts for $80


Not the best but pretty good for the $$$. You could've done a lot worse for sure.
TuffTR's JBLs really rock amped. I've heard some JBLs (not sure what model) running from HU and they were far from crap, until the HU reached its limit.
I have cheapy Pioneers which dont do anything except rear fill when I have passengers in the back seat.
If you're happy with your system, then just be done with it and stop spending money. Otherwise, check out the places already mentioned for good deals. They will come if you're patient.
If you want to take it to the next level, a good set of splits up front and a sub will do a lot for your music.

I got some 4" JBL coaxials, what's your budget though?

make me an offer, i've spent enough money that last week to really not care anymore, haha.

Make u an offer? What are you selling?

I'll buy it for $5

Don't worry then, save up ur money and get some 6's...

keep an eye out for sales. I got my HU over christmas for around $150. It's a pretty basic Pioneer unit with only one set of pre-outs, but it plays mp3's and works pretty good. If you're not after any of the snazzy features one of these types of units will do you fine.
As for 6x9's, if you're after fairly cheap with bang for your bucks, I'd have to suggest Pioneer again. They have some relatively cheap 6x9's that are very efficient ie; a lot of sound output for less input. They may not be the best quality, but sound like what you need.
If you want to expand later, you can run the 6x9's off an amp with the gain sort of low (for rear fill) and pump some juice into a nice pair of splits up front. Save up and spend a bit more on your front speakers, as these are where you want the quality sound to come from. You can get away with cheaper 6x9's for rear fill no probs.

To summarise;
I think pioneer 6x9's will give you the 'bang for your buck' you're looking for, and will make ok rear fill if you expand. Only spend as much as you have to on the HU to get the features you need/want. Don't be suckered in by the HU power ratings if you are planning on getting amps either. Those ratings are Max not RMS. They actually put out around 13Wrms so your speakers can take heaps more.

I'm no expert, but I hope this helps.:D


EDIT: just looked back and saw you already bought some ****. Me=dumbass.
Anyway sound advice for anyone looking for a basic setup methinks....

Nice work.. Pioneer are a trusty brand when it comes to good price.. good quality..

I find their stuff to be pretty well priced for what you get.. Not a HIGH END system.. But not a bad system none the less!

SuFz :rant:

Carbon - always check car audio stores, if your around the area go in and have a look, if you know what you want keep your eye out for it, one time while browsing through hi-fi supermarket i came across my clarion splits that i had been recommened that were marked down by 50%!!!
so i snapped them up pretty quickly!
yeah pioneer are ok, ive had pioneer for my rear fill for 13 years, gave those speakers absolute hell and they survived through everything, but the new JBL's were a huge improvement, the pioneers didnt do much for me.

so now start looking around for some splits, $100-$150 will be a good starting point.
Mitsi has recommended some good speakers - just follow him:P

lol sorry s_tim_ulate I thought you were offering to sell your JBL 4"s to me haha.

Will do [TUFFTR], and I think I still might just get the 4"s put in, and once I find splits stop using the 4"s or something!

This is a good thread for anyone else wanting info, read!