ok, my 'new' TL is still running on the stock audio and at the moment i get a little depressed every time i hear a good song on the radio and crank up the volume a bit to get the bass pumping and the speakers blaring... only to be met with a slightly louder version of the song

so i am changing it :) replacing the whole thing. atm i will just be doing new fronts and rears, new head unit and amplifying installing either a 2 ch amp for the rears or 2 2ch amps one for the front, one rear. it has been a while since i have played around with any car audio so am a bit fuzzy on whats on the market now. my old TE i had stock fronts, 350watt rears and a 12" sub running at about 600watts from memory.

i want something with good sound quality that can put out a lot of db when i want it too. i've been told that Alpine Type R coax offer around the best bang for buck on the market atm. but i dont really know too much about them. what do you all think?

http://www.alpine.com.au/products/product.asp?modelID=317 - front
http://www.alpine.com.au/products/product.asp?modelID=316 - rear



edit: also what brands can anyone suggest for a decent head unit. around $300 - 450?

also this 4ch amp from alpine has 100watt rms output for 4ch at 4ohms. seems to fit the speakers fairly nicely? would this be a good combo?

http://www.alpine.com.au/products/product.asp?modelID=376#features_specs

Yeah It will work.

If you have been out of the game that long I suggest you hit up some major Audio stores and audition some speakers.

If possible, I would spend less money on the rears and more on the front. If you could budget $300 for a set of front splits that would make a huge difference. :D

I agree ^^, I'd be spending more on the front and less on the back. Maybe a set of Type R Splits for the front and Type S 6x9s for the back? The amp is overkill for the speakers too IMO - I'd run the much-cheaper MRP-F300 instead. 50x4 is ample for your budget, and the birth sheets included with Alpine amps indicate they produce more than what they're rated anyway.

If you're upgrading your whole system with Alpine gear, check out the latest Solutions Catalogue (http://www.alpine.com.au/support/catalogue.asp). There's some really good deals in there when you buy bundles (particularly towards the end of the catalogue).

Have you had a chance to browse my site?

Could someone please tell me the procedure to gain access to the front door speakers on a 2003 tj magna sedan.
Thanks

There's three screws you have to remove before you can remove the door trim.

1) In the black air vent at the front of the door
2) Behind the door handle (remove the door handle afterwards by sliding it off)
3) Where the 'tray' is in the door (or the thing you can open/close the door with.... sorry, tired, can't think of better words :P)... there's a piece of plastic you can remove with a flathead screwdriver/knife. Underneath is the final screw.

Then grab a flathead screw driver and pry the bottom of the door trim out. It'll scratch the paint, but it's covered by the door trim, so it's up to you whether or not you want to cover it. Then it's just a matter of pulling the door trim off (its held in by clips all around). Then your speaker will be staring right at you. Reverse procedure to reinstall.

If you wrap the screw driver in a cloth before lifting the bottom of the door you wont scratch anything :)

Once the first couple of clips come out, you can do the rest with your hand.

The Type R 6x9 is a must if you want some really good bass, especially if you are not going to use a sub. The alpine type R are a few years old now but a great price point for what they can do.

I do agree with spending more on the splits at the front. Anything over $150 through an amp will be better than the stock standards and actually worth spending the money on over doing nothing. The more you can invest in them the better. Dont bother if you are only going to get an entry level speaker as there is not a huge advantage.

With the amp, the more you can invest into this the better. Yes you may not be running them at full power for cheaper speakers but if you are like me after a year or so when you get cashed up you will want to upgrade and you will know that you dont have to spend more money on an amp as well. It may be overkill to many but look at a 4 channel amp that can output 100 RMS per channel at 4 ohms. That way you can run nearly any speaker from them when you upgrade. A 4 channel means only one wiring kit and easier / cheaper to install over 2 x 2 channels.

As for Head Units, you just need to ensure that the alpine unit you buy has all the bells and whistles you need eg ipod, usb, blue tooth etc. You should be able to get one with the features you want for under $350.

I spoke to an Alpine Sales Rep a few weeks ago and they said their new top of the range head unit will be out in March sometime and will be priced under $600. A lot better than the $1100 9855R alpine unit I got a few years ago.

Good luck champ and let us all know what you put in!

DJ

Brand choice is up to the individual shop around... have a listen to a few sets then make your mind up...

Grab your favourite CD, Listen to a song that you know sounds good in your ears, then play that track and get a few sets demo'd...

Don't always go for what the salesmen tells you..sometimes they are just doing the hard sell.. I mean you will go in one week and they will be pushing Boston, go in a month later and they will be push Alpine..

A few years ago, the Best Value for money speakers were the Jaycar Response range...Now I am not too sure if they still are...


Let your ears be the Judge..
We can all recommend brands till the cows come home..and suggest a brand that we think is great but your ears may not like them..