Hi guys,
I been reading through the forums but still need some q's answered.
I have a budget of about 1500$ and looking for a nice quality sounding system (not big on pumping it just want quality sound).
If any1 has the time to lay out a system for me or have any recommendations, it would be appreciated.
I was also thinking of having no sub? Is this a bad idea?
I was just thinking a good amp with splits and 6x9's with kenwood HU.
But again i am unsure what to go for with brands etc... and what size fits in the front doors of 03 TJ exec (series2).
Regards John.

i would go down to your local audio shop and have a look at a few systems there
what type of music you listen to
cause a sub would deliver more bass than 6x9's
i would get a alpine deck with 3 pre-outs for your amps
a 4ch amp for the speakers (splits and coaxails)
decent 6 1/2" splits for the front and some cheap 6 1/2" coaxials for the rear as infill
decent monoblock and decent 12" sub
4ga wire kit should be alright but you can always get a 0ga kit
also some sound deadening would be good also

$1500 before or after install?

if before:
$500 headunit (eclipse would be best choice imo...better sound quality (SQ) )
$500 splits (morel, dyn, hertz, focal, boston...etc etc do a search)
$240 (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46573&highlight) Response 4ch amp
$200 - Eclipse point source 6x9's

total $1440 guestimate, add on some extra for wiring.

oh and u would be better off with a single 10" or 12" sub, but if ur willing to spend more later, maybe start off with the above (as a good starting block, this is pretty good gear) and add a boot install or something later?

Gee it gets to the point where I get tired of writing this :(
There are HEAPS of threads on this sort of thing. Best bet would be to contact FHRX Studios (he is a member here). He runs a professional car audio workshop.

But as a rough guide:
Fronts: 6.5" or 6" splits running off an amp. $300-$400. Hertz, Morel, Focal, Boston all make some nice splits around this price.

Rear: 6" or 5.25" coaxials running off the headunit. Allow $150ish. Focal make some nice 5.25" ones for this price.

Sub: 10" or 12" (I prefer a quality 12" but its personal taste) running off an amp. For a budget, Response subs arent too bad. Allow $200-$300

Box for Sub: Depends on what music you listen to. I like a sealed box as I believe it helps produce more accurate note, rather than a boom. Allow $150ish

Amp: Depends on your budget. Spend most of your money on speakers (especially the front splits) Get a 2 Channel for the front and a monoblock for your sub. Not everyone can afford this. So the other option is to get a 4 channel, power the front splits of 2 channels and the sub off the other 2. On a budget, the Response Amps are fantastic value for money. Alpine also make some nice amps, but a bit more expensive. I would guess around $500ish

Here is a rough guide on other costs which a lot of people forget about:
2-4 AWG from Battery to Distro $70
4 AWG from Distro to Amps $8/m $30
4AWG from Amps to Chassis $16
Good quality RCA cables set of 3 (front, rear, sub) $100
Distro block $20
Speaker cable $60-$70
Connectors $10
Deadening and Focal Plain Chant Tiles $250

All that takes you to around $2000. so its up to you to play with the figures. But DONT skimp on front speakers and door preparation. I believe they have made the most difference to my system.
If it means waiting a couple months to get your rear speakers or your sub, then wait, you wont regret it.

Hope all that helps.
Cheers
Pete

I have a set of Rockford Fosgate P162S 6.5" in the doors which fit perfectly.. well kinda. u know how the door is slightly curved?? well i had to put like a piece of wood behind the door where i was screwing the spekaer in to bring the speaker to the door so it would sit flush.. just be carefull that u dont get speakers that are to deep because then you wont be able to wind your window down. but the rockford speakers sound really good, and they have really good quality sound.. but yer, definanlty get a sub of some sort. i noticed a big difference in the sound when i installed one.. goodluck with it anyways mate..

keep an eye out for 2nd hand gear also, the forum, ebay etc. it can keep your costs down and possibly enable you to score better quality stuff and stay within your price range.

also when checking out ebay, dont just look at whats on the main pages, check out the bigger sellers stores, i've found stuff in there that isnt displayed like normal items.

Another option is to hold off until places like WOW sight and sound and JB hifi have there big sales and see whats been marked down and go from there.

good luck dude.

Best way to improve you budget is to not use rears. Trust me, once you get a decent set of front splits, you will never need to listen to your rears again.

Dont forget the install costs, wiring, Dynamat (best investment you can get) etc etc. Now depending on whos going to install everything, this may come out to a total cost of $500.

For the best list of what you can get for your money have a look on the fhrx website.

For deck i would say an Eclipse, Alpine, Clarion unit would be the best (I dislike Pioneer, i think they are overpriced, and have lower quality SQ comparred to the above makes). Also, both these companies are in the process of bringing in new units, so last years models should be a bargin :).

Splits, the usual brands such as Focal, Morel, Boston, Hertz etc. You need to listen to these to determine what you like. In a nutshell, the Boston, Hertz and Focal sound a little "brighter" whereas the Morel is a little "warmer".

Other brands on consider are Phass, Oz audio and Infinity

Imo speakers need to be amped, they sound so much better when running of a cheap amp, than running of the deck. It may serve you better to purchase a 4channel amp, use the front 2 chans for the splits, and bridge the rear two for the sub.

As for subs, it is also a good idea to listen to them, to see what suits your type of music.

My breakdown on costs would be as follows (assuming you are installing yourself)
Hu $500
Front splits $500
Amp (4chn) $300
Wiring $50ish (depending what thickness you go)
RCAs $60
Speaker wiring $2 per meter
Dynamat bulk pack $250

Total cost a bit over 1500

Then, save up for a bit, and get a sub which will bring total cost to about $2000

If your able to pick up some second hand stuff (try to avoid ebay), then you could do this for almost half the cost :)

Forgot to add, you can fit very large speakers in the front of a magna. Largest ive heard about with stock trim is a Moral elate 9inch.

So size shouldnt be much of an issue:cool:

Sound is funny thing when you look at the basics of it. :P

There is one very good rule to remeber when looking at car audio.

quality low end frequency' are possible when high frequency' are herd. :D

For the budget you have i would recomend purchasing a good quality sub like the JL audio 12w range and then upgrading from there.

If yo do go down the sub way, make sure yo udo your home work and lookinto the suppliers recomended box design.

just get the rest of ur system before worrying about the boot, and u'll b happy, rather than starting with a sub, and working from there... thats just weird

I agree. Most people upgrade deck and front speakers first. Then they either amp their fronts, or add a sub. Depends on what fronts they run.


Infact, now i think about it, its almost impossible to start with a sub. Youll need to by a deck first.

Hi guys,
Wow thanks heaps for all the quick and insightful responses!
I think i am ready to go get this install done.
Just another quick question though, i live in melbourne so where would be the best place to get a nice setup with dynamat and all the works done(including cabling etc etc...)?? I see Fhrx was mentioned but i dont live in NSW :cry: I know all the standard places (jb, strathfield, autobarn etc...) But i would prefer a quality place with the higher end products mentioned(could still be places mentioned above if they are fine), and i can go and speak to someone who knows as much as you guys!
I am an electrician by trade, but i dont want to compromise anything by doing it myself.
Regards John.

cant help by saying where to go, but i know it wont be jb's/autobahn/strathies! have a look on caraudioaustralia.com for some more info too, as well as a great 2nd hand for sale section where u just may get a bargain! but be warned, search first before posting on there ;)