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Budget System

4K views 53 replies 8 participants last post by  Super Kaioken 
#1 ·
Alright i have a Gen 5 and now am looking into buying a system. when i say system i just want some subs in the trunk. which means i'll need a box,subs, and an amp? I'm on a budget and right now i'm looking at this.....seems cheap. I don't know much about which ones are good or not but my goal is a lil thump for under $200

looking at this right now. i'll take any suggestions. But i believe a 10 inch will be enough for what i want. But if you can get something cheaper or better at a decent price, any suggestions appreciated.

Kicker System
 
#3 · (Edited)
you could go with image dynamics subwoofers...

Image Dynamics subwoofers webpage

or elemental designs sub

Elemental Designs subwoofer webpage

both image and eD's subs(along with many other products) had great reputation along with quality etc. but i see with amp, box, wires will cost quite a bit more.

however, if you search around other car audio forums for sale section and purchase them used or even better find a better deal then :thumbup:
and i would start checking out links that cam2xrunner have previously posted on here, and that will give you a head start.
 
#4 ·
If youre just going single 10 or something, you should be able to get a mono block amp for pretty cheap, a good one anyway, on cardomain.com.


I got my MTX421D on there for like 160, and its going to be powering two 12's.

Single sub, well, go with what you like. I hear there are some wicked deals on Infinity speakers at nearly every store right now.

Just build your own box. I know lots of people say its not hard (I haven't built my own yet) but hella cheaper for sure.
 
#5 ·
i decided to change my rear deck speakers instead......i found some Sony Kicker and Audiobaun stuff on ebay.......i'm gonna buy a foam baffle for the speakers? <~~~crutchfield advisor said i needed it to install 6x9s.

well anyway......check these out and tell me your opinions.....i think this will suffice instead of getting a sub

Rockford

Xplode

Sony Amp

Audiobaun
 
#6 ·
Super Kaioken said:
i decided to change my rear deck speakers instead......i found some Sony Kicker and Audiobaun stuff on ebay.......i'm gonna buy a foam baffle for the speakers? <~~~crutchfield advisor said i needed it to install 6x9s.

well anyway......check these out and tell me your opinions.....i think this will suffice instead of getting a sub

Rockford

Xplode

Sony Amp

Audiobaun

in my honest humble opinion like many members have mentioned before... try to listen the products in person if there is any audio speciality shop that carries that item, then you can determine if you like the sound quality of the product etc.

my next honest opinion, why not go with a 6.5" for your rear deck then? instead of an oval 6x9 speaker. the (circular will sound nicer than the oval speakers).
just have a mdf wood cutout to fit in the rear location, and cam2xrunner has posted a few threads awhile back about customize mdf boards.

another suggestion i would add, if you want to have the rear deck speakers replaced why not look into eD's new mid's Elemental Designs Mids here
(if you wait a bit longer/save a bit more money along the way, i would try out the Eu-700
Eu-700
this will be our around late summer, and this will definatley be worth the money in replacing your rear oem speakers.
since they're on pre-production sale, the price will be really good/cheap before they'll raise it up to regular retail price. you can check out more information on www.icixsound.com ; i believe there's a video on realm of excursion with the eu-700 and it looks pretty amazing)

or you could check out CDT's stuff they have so many speakers and if you search around, there's a lot of places on the web that has a lot of discounts and reduce prices on their products...

or if you want to kick it up a notch... you could check out www.madisound.com and go with seas mid's

all in all, i would suggest those over the "rf or xplode" speakers.

as for amp, you could check out zedaudio... cam2xrunner also posted up a thread awhile back about their products and their quality seems to be :thumbup: especially the price they sell them for :eek:
or you could go with eD's amp or arc audio, i've seen a lot of arc's stuff on ebay and their quality seems to be very good. and from what i've read/experience...
(let's say in a few years from now, you want to upgrade your amp to something else, instead you can call arc audio and the owner said they can upgrade your amp for you, which i thought is pretty :cool:
 
#7 ·
alright i'll check those out......really i have to listen to the speakers in the audio places. i don't know what 75 RMS or 150 watt RMS speakers sound like but it sounds enough for what i want. Oval Speakers? do they hit harder? i'm still new at audio.

The eD's seem good for its price. only $20 more for the eU650 for more RMS wattage too. I want Coaxials for the rear though since there aren't any tweeters in the rear section of the car. hmm....i just have to do some more researching. that's why i was looking at the 3way or 4 way speakers. to have bass and highs back there too.

Thanx for the help so far. This is interesting
 
#8 ·
What kind of front speakers do you have?

Rear speakers are not going to give you the subbass you're looking for. How about this idea. Get a 4 or 5/6 channel amp and a sub. Run the front 2/4 channels of the amps to your front components, and run the 5th or 3/4th channels bridged for the sub. Leave the rear speakers out to allow more bass through.
 
#10 ·
Okay, just stay away from Audiobahn and Sony... period.

What exactly are you looking for?

For subs, I'd recommend a single (or pair of) Resonant Engineering (www.reaudio.com) RE 8" sub(s). They don't use a great deal of space and they'll give you more than just a little thump. At $50 a pop, they definitely won't leave a hole in your wallet. As for the box, build it yourself. Go to Home Depot have your dimesions written down and have them cut MDF according to what you need. As for the amp, I'd suggest trying to find a Phoenix Gold Tantrum 500.4 and do what Cam2xRunner suggested. Get a pair of decent components (the Elemental Designs eDi 6000s are $125 a pair now with free shipping) and run those off the first 2 channels and bridge the last two for the sub.

I'm only throwing out the Tantrum as a possible 4 channel solution for you since I, myself, have had personal experience installing one. There are plenty of other 4-channel amps out there that can be had for a bargain price.

Hope this helps...
 
#11 ·
alright i want some sound in the back so i'm going to leave the rear deck speakers on.......what i'm planning now is just to change those to get a more louder sound. or maybe add some tweeters to the rear doors to get the 8 speaker setup. something like that. the rear deck seems too weak though. the front speakers are fine.

i think the front speakers are 6x9 25 watt speakers.....those are fine. for now. i'm planning to get a 500 watt amp 4 channel to power the rear...and then some if i decide later. the sub.....not sure about that anymore.
 
#12 · (Edited)
well...

if you're not going for subwoofers then i would look into the eD's mids like the eu-700 or 650
to replace your 6x9's in the rear.
(i just recently read in icixsound that the new eu-700 is set to be released very soon in july hopefully and they have a drawing, if you win, you'll get one free eu-700)
here's more information about it:
http://www.icixsound.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12181

i've heard JL audio has some others similar to eD's eU series, but i've never dealth with their products so i wouldn't be able to give you more info about it, but from what i've heard from others they're alright just like the diamond audio products...

and if you're going with tweeters, just have the tweeters positioned in the rear pillars.

some suggestion for tweets, there is (aurum sanctus) spelled something like that...
seas, cdt, also eD has some nice tweeters (their edi 6500 component speakers *their tweets built by cdt/vifa and their edi-6000 component set the tweets is built by them*

i've heard someone in another forum mention the "revel" (revelator) i don't know how it is spelled and read that it is suppose to another awesome item.


i'll leave it there for now, as when cam2xrunner arrives online again he can give you more suggestion/inputs etc specifically on what you're looking for

i forgot to mention... if you notice in another thread cam2xrunner posted a link to eD's discount code for their products

http://www.edesignaudio.com/forum_discount.php
 
#13 ·
yeah eD sounds really good. i already registered for more info about it and for the free drawing. sounds good. $100 isn't too bad for those mids...but i'll need a "mdf bracket"? are those sold in autozone or anyplace retail?

Seems like everyone has their opinion on a good system. I just want like....a system that will bump in the car...but not out. i just hate it when people ride around with their system up and trunk rattling. ridiculous :confused: happens here in the South way too often. I just want clean, clear, audio, that will bump some rock/alternative music. Good quality yet affordable.......

Alright names to stay away from......Sony and Audiobaun? alright. I'll try to look for an amp that'll be.....500 watt, speaker level input for using stock wires, and 4 channel? what else should i be looking for in amps? and speaker compatibility. If i get an amp..can i use it to power the front speakers more too? 2 tweeters, 2 6x9 in front....and 2 6x9 in back that's how the JBL stock system is in my car. i thinK?
 
#15 ·
aight, i have a lot of thinking to do on what is what......i'll see.....but if i had my way...i'd install tweeters in the door and get some stronger rear speakers......then install a 200 watt sub......but i'm on budget right now......so i'm getting the rear first and the amp to go with it.....hopefully under $200......install and everything.....but i have friends that will help on the install...500 watt amp+ 80+ watt speakers and some other things later on....200 watt sub? maybe. but my budget is on these speakers and amp first.

by the way.....mids.....come in many "ways" right? like 3 way ect. do those eD 650 have any tweeters or highs to them? it could fill in some void in between the front and rear....that's what i'm trying to do really....Surround sound but first i'm gonna start with the rear.

exhausting stuff
 
#16 ·
I think it's best to save up money and invest the best you can into it when you can afford it. Reason is, a sound system will last you a while, and if you focus too much on budget, you usually end up regretting it later when you have some extra cash that could have been put into your amps or subs and you're listening to some low quality crap, just because you were on a budget back then and no one wants them now.

For the ebay listing, that's actually a pretty good deal, and shipping isn't too bad. If it's still that price in three days, that'd be great. But it's likely to go up a bit. If you can't afford it now, wait a bit. Just adding subwoofers or components with an amp will blow you away, but aim high rather than low.

The order I'd reccommend (cams would probably have a better suggestion) is

Subwoofer
Components
Rears

Good luck my man.
 
#17 ·
haha i'm total opposite......i'm going with Speakers, components, then subs.....i'm going with MCV30's suggestions and

i chose to get the EU 700....4 chan amp for those two speakers and two tweeters for the doors.....sound good? add a sub later too.....with its own mono amp....sound like a plan? or what?
 
#18 ·
If anything, rear speakers should be last. I'd take quality components over rear speakers any day. If you want tweeters, buy components speakers which would be your front speakers + tweeters + crossover. I wouldn't usually buy just tweeters, but people do sell them like that. I'd just reccomend the component set.

You will notice the most quality difference by just adding a subwoofer and an amp. Up to you, but it's a good way to go.
 
#19 ·
NRM said:
If anything, rear speakers should be last. I'd take quality components over rear speakers any day. If you want tweeters, buy components speakers which would be your front speakers + tweeters + crossover. I wouldn't usually buy just tweeters, but people do sell them like that. I'd just reccomend the component set.

You will notice the most quality difference by just adding a subwoofer and an amp. Up to you, but it's a good way to go.

spoken like a true audiophile :clap:
 
#20 ·
NRM pretty much hit the nail on the head about speakers.

I've completely ditched the rear-fill in my car. There's no point in having it if you have a good set of components. Having speaks in the back (especially the deck) just leads to noise cancellation.

I also agree with NRM about saving up money and getting it done all at once. It'll sound a lot better and it's a helluva lot easier to wire. But if you must go in parts, I'd suggest doing this:

1. mono/2-ch Amp + sub(s) -- just to get that little thump you said you craved.
2. Head unit
3. 2-ch amp for component speakers.

If you must have that "surround sound"-esque sound that some people apparently want despite not knowing that it's bad in terms of sound replication, I'd suggest a decent pair of 6x9s or 6.5" coaxials back there and fade towards the front left. Coaxials shouldn't run you more than $80 for a decent pair. But in all honesty, I say just ditch 'em totally.
 
#22 ·
Yup, screw rear speakers. The EU-700's are actually a 7" Sub, not really a dedicated mid-they don't play over 300 hz well. They would work well in a 3 way active set. So if you are going to have them in the rear deck, those would be used as your subs. If you want to get bigger subs too than don't waste your time with the eD EU-700's.

Here's my idea of a budget system.

Seas CA18RNX mids for the front doors, LPG 25NFA tweeters in sail panel/a pillar, or high in the door. ~200.00

NO REAR SPEAKERS 0.00 $ :)

4 channel amp for the Seas/LPG-Diamond D5300.4 ~170 bucks(ebay, www.ubid.com), Or if you are getting a decent headunit with a 3 way crossover, you can use an amp that doesn't need the flexible crossovers the D5 amp has.

One 12" sub, preferably ID12V3 ~150 shipped @ sounddomain

One two channel amp for the sub, maybe a matching D5 amp (check ebay, and www.ubid.com)

Headunit, not neccesary yet, the D5 4 channel amp has a very flexible crossover for wiring speakers active.

But when the time comes to get one, get one with a flexible onboard 3 way crossover. Maybe a DEH-P860MP or CDA-9835, etc.

Knukonceptz for wiring.
 
#23 ·
cam2Xrunner is the king of setting up matching names to systems. I don't know half the stuff out there and stick to what brands I do know, good post, good post.

However, I do hope you seriously consider waiting a while and saving up, or write down a plan of what you'd like to do and just upgrade part now and then upgrade part later and get some stuff to work together. I went through the idea too. "I'd like to do this with the least amount of money and the highest quality I can get for that money." They sell some of the most horrid $30 Jensen stuff at Kragen (the Kragen guys WILL vouch for them, one said "I'd never trust anything but Jensen").

I soon realized that in order to get the quality I want, I actually need to put out money. I saved money through ebay and through friend's dads and stuff like that, spent a lot more than I intended to, but the quality was worth it and when I spread out the life of my system, the pricing isn't so bad and for the most part, worth every penny.

Car audio is a strange thing.
 
#24 ·
cam2Xrunner said:
The EU-700's are actually a 7" Sub, not really a dedicated mid-they don't play over 300 hz well. .
You can use the EU-700 for midbass on a 3 way set up or oem sub replacement based on you application.

Alot of people are throwing complex systems at you which is good for the experienced audiophilie, my suggestion is the K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid) system. Go get yourself a comp set for the front, take a look at what fits your means, $200 to spare, look at JL or MB Quart, 500? look at Rainbow, DLS, ID. Although DIY comps are cheaper, but if you dont know what your doing, (building your crossovers, setting proper crossover settings, correct slopes) its going to sound like shit. Finding your comps is half the battle, proper placement and installation is the other half.
 
#25 ·
Alright here goes.....i had a night of thinking.....

me and mcv30 had a longggg conversation on what i'm going to do...but here goes.......i'm going to keep my rear oem speakers, get a 12" sub

"One 12" sub, preferably ID12V3 ~150 shipped @ sounddomain" ---sounds good and i was looking at the kv.13 too.

One two channel amp for the sub, maybe a matching D5 amp (check ebay, and www.ubid.com)-----get an amp to power it.

Then upgrade front components later......Edi 6500 is a good recommend by mcv30...
everything sounds good and i'm going through the step by step by getting a 12" first, components second, rear last if ever.....

after i get my sub i'm going to save up some more for a good component system but overall my system is going to cost more than $200 like i stated....other than that......did i learn a lot....

i'm not going to get the subs now because i'm going to wait a month to see what deals are out in forums,ebay, ect. and see if i can save money.
 
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