$500 is more than enough for a budget stereo from a place like Crutchfield.com or whatnot. In fact it could probably be done for $250 not including a sub/amp.

So with $500 or thereabouts (+- 50 lets say) what components would you choose and what would be the most important parts to you? IE, expensive CD/CDR/MP3 unit and cheep speakers, or avg unit and real nice 6x9's?
If you could price off Crutchfield it be great, since they got a few deals going on etc. Like $50 off a reciever with purchase of 2 pairs of speakers.

Would you include a sub and amp or not? CD/MP3? Lets see some nice inexpensive systems here!

 

front speakers 70 bucks
rear speakers 130 bucks
head unit 250 bucks cd player/ radio

450 total.. thats basically what i have..

i got average speakers with an average head unit, nothing to fancy but doesnt sound like crap..

 

you can find some even better deals online, crutchfield is good to look at and all, but i am cheap and i shop around a lot, on places like...thezeb.com... savinglots.com...ikesound.com... and i personally dont think a head unit doesnt matter that much, i would rather spend the big bucks on somthing else...component speakers are also rather expensive, i have some infinity kappas that are awsome, and they are similar to components cause they have crossovers, they rock...but sub and amp and box would be more that 500, i'm in that process right now

6x9's-130
6.5's-free
head unit-150
10 inch sub-115
box-50
amp-180

total: $625-675

 

get a nice headunit (alpine, kenwood) for around 200-250, some kick panels and a set of 6.5 components (infinity makes great ones) for 300. theres your budget, and your system sounds great. later, when you can afford it, add a sub/amp and then an amp for your components--at each stage your system sounds great, each upgrade only makes it better, and you dont waste a single piece of stereo equipment. this of course assumes you're looking to invest more later..

 

Just like matching engine components I'd match the stereo components I'm buying.

I picked up an Eclipse CD3422 head unit on ebay for $219, and I'll probably spend about $100 to 110 on 6x9's for the rear and about $50 on the fronts at most. No box, sub, or amp yet as I will get a decent setup later. For now its just the basics.

 

$150 cd player. All the major brands offer a good deck at that price now. You just don't get any bells and whistles.

The rest I'd put into component speakers. Speakers make the biggest difference, and at this budget I'd forget about subs & amps and just buy a decent deck and good speakers.

 

buy stuff off ur friends...i got a 3yr old kenwood deck, 2 4" pioneer for the front and 2 pioneer 6X9's for the rear for 100$ i then bought 2 jbl 6x9's for 100$ with boxes, and then i bought my pioneer 15" sub for 160$. so its nothing specail or anything but its a good system to start out with, all i need is an amp to power my sub.

 

MoJoeVanilla, great sites man! theZeb.com has prices that are at worst equal to crutchfield but most of the time a whole lot lower. I found a head unit going for $80 cheeper at thezeb!

I think I'm gonna go with the Clarion DB625MP, Infinity Kappa 692.5i's and some pioneer or kenwood 4x6's. Crutchfields total is $410 and I get all that mounting and wiring harness things. Thezeb comes up to $370, but I dont know if any of that other stuff Id need is included..

 

Use ebay or friends...I got two Rockford Punch XLC 12s 1400 watt legacy amp 2 alpine 6x9s 2 pioneer front speakers and a nice deck for $525...The subs, amp, and 6x9s were all from friends and the rest from ebay...Good stuff!

 

Head Unit $150
Kick Panels $150
Component speakers $200
6 x 9 's $30



And thats all brand new .

 

$500 will get you a nice system, but no subs and amp

get a good head unit, alpine is the best. i have the 7893 in my bird you can get that for like $279 then go with 3 way speakers in the rear like 129 for a pair and 2 way speakers up front like 79 a pair. plan on about an additional $50 for little odds and ends like speaker wire antenna and harness adapters etc.

 

Go to http://www.caraudioexpert.com/ and I'd recommend a Blaupunkt Austin cd headunit. And if you can find them somewhere, Memphis speakers are a great quality speaker, and usually don't cost anymore than what you pay for from Crutchfield.

 

i have a nice sounding set up that was very cheap.

head unit- 200
front spk- stock (probly getting new ones this summer)
2 10" subs- 140
box (sheat of particle board)- 15

i have a box with 2 6.5's that i will probly take out and make a better fitting box for. ill put that in once i can afford an amp, still all together ur looking at not much over 500

 

a headunit with the features you want, because in performance there is not that much difference inbetween the units in your price range.

spend most on a pair of components and kickpanels and forget about the rears, or if you really want something there get a cheap pair for 50 bux.