First off...car audio is the last priority for me, when it comes to modifying / improving my cars. So that in mind, I don't want to spend a ton of $$$, but I FULLY understand, like most other things, you get what you pay for.


That being said...

My IROC had a "system" installed when I got it. Just like all the other previous owner FLUBS I've had to fix, I'm sure this will need plenty of attention too.

I did replace the ancient Kenwood cassette deck with a nice JVC CD player, I burn my own Cd's and this plays them just fine. So no cracks on JVC, it's got a remote ( my 6 year old likes it, so that's all that matters :P and it sounds good. I've had very good luck with JVC decks, so it stays. It had FR and RR RCA outs as well.


Anyway, currently I have a pair of stock looking Pioneer 4x6 in the dash...they were FREE ( in a car I'm parting out ), they look almost brand new, and they WORK, which makes them a great upgrade to previous factory crap. I'm running these straight off the head unit...I realize I REALLY need to install some bass blockers to 'em, but I'll wait until I replace 'em...

The 6x9's in the sail panels are of unknown origin, haven't even pulled the covers yet ( lazy...for this stuff...I already did ALOT of engine work and swapped in a 5 speed :P

My IROC came with the hard privacy cover that folds down over the rear storage well in the hatch. The previous idiots...err...I mean owners, installed (2) 10" subs DIRECTLY into this panel. They are OLD, and the cones are about dry-rotted, but they do have HUGE MAGNETS :P

There are two amps, one runs the 6x9's , one the subs, and a crossover is installed because the original deck only had one pair of RCA outs.

I want to redo the system as time / $$$ allows...

Here's the criteria...


I like "some" bass, listen to a HUGE mix of music. I don't care about DB output or competition etc..just good / clear sound that I can crank up and still sound good when I feel like it.


I'd rather NOT have subs in the rear area, as I need the storage. BUT if I can get decent sound out of using subs mounted where they are now, I'd keep that arrangement. A stealth box is out, as I'm not spending that much...


So hit me...

I would ideally like to be able to use one amp to power the 6x9's and sub(s) but if I need two that's fine, and I would REALLY Like them to be "smallish" in size so I can mount them on the vertical surface in the trunk / hatch well so I can free up the space in there.

That being said... I'm partial to JL ( or is it JBL ? ) speakers...or Alpine...


Rather vague I know, but show me what ya got



Thanks

 

you should look into JL subs and JBL amps to do what you wanna do maybe some alpine 6x9's for the back

and of all the inexpensive CD players you can buy after having most of them i can attest to JVC being the best of the bunch especially for the price they are very reliable and sound great but they are the hardest to set the clock on

good luck
Andy

 

you wouldnt possibly be thinking of getting rid of the locking cover setup, would you???????

 

following my previous post, you could always get a single sub, like a 10" or a 12", and put it in the bottom half of the well like i did. still plenty of storage, doesnt get in the way of t-tops, and very good bass. you could also get a singe 4-ch amp, use 2 channels of it for the 6x9s and bridge the other two and use them on the sub(s)

 

ok heres the low down
gm latemodel cd player $60-120 ebay
decent 6x9's $45-120 ebay
decent 4x6's $40-100 ebay
infinity basslink $185-220 ebay

i got mine at the lower part of all these prices and it sounds better than alot of peoples cars

also i have an extra gm cd player from a 98 grand prix u may need to unlock it but a dealer can for very small fee if you want get it from me cheap.

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A friend of mine, who just got his "master" certification a few weeks ago, works on all kinds of cars. (Most of my experience doing cars with systems are from f-bodies, heheh) Anyway, he's done some Amazing things with one single 10" sub in a sealed box, and one amp, in both hatchback cars and cars with trunks!

So here's my suggestion.

Use a 5-channel amplifier. They're meant to power up your interior speakers (front and rear), and a single sub. Add a 10" sub in a sealed box. All will fit neatly in the hatch well, especially since you have just one amp. Like I've asked recently, there's really no other spot to put a subwoofer in our cars...

There's two downsides to this. One is price; these amps are usually more expensive. For the same price, you might be able to get two amps that either equals the power of the "combo" amp, or has greater power!

Second downside is if you ever want more power to your sub, you can't just replace the subwoofer amp. You'd have to buy another amp. Then if you want more power for your inside speakers, you'd have to buy a second amp. That's the only problem with a single amp powering the whole system; it hinders the expansion a bit. BUT, like you said, you're not out to win any sound-off competitions. I think the one amp deal would work great for you.

Don't expect much bass out of the 6x9's. I've heard some bass is possible if the 6x9's are replaced with 6" ROUND speakers (requiring you to make an adapter), but if you don't expect bass from them, you won't ever be disappointed.

RedCamaro 83 has a great idea for the sub mounting. You might be able to cram the sub somewhere else. His looks like the Infinity Basslink to me, look specs up on it <a href="http://www.crutchfield.com/S-3zN4c4JUBVY/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?i=108BASSLIN" target=_blank>by clicking here.</a>

You said you're partial to Alpine? If you're also partial to eBay, here's a hell of a deal I just found for you: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=4950

[edit] Hm, here's Crutchfield's price on that amp: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-3zN4c4J...p?i=500MRVF450 If you haven't figured it out yet, Crutchfield is overpriced, you can probably do better locally, but they do have that nice "spend +$200 and no payments for 180 days" plan!

No matter what you do, don't go cheap on the patch cords or power cables!! Cheap wires = system sounds like crap. Yeah wires get expensive fast- but usually, if you buy quality patch cables, you never have to buy the wires again. You can reuse them for all your installations. Quality is driven by price... spend no less than $40 for a 2-channel patch cable set! Pulling "cheap" patch cables out and replacing them with "quality" ones is not something you'll find fun.

 

yep its a basslink $212 shipped with factory waarenty and remote gain control

 

Wow, nice price. If he could dig that up for that price, and find a decent 4-channel amp on "closeout last years special", it might come close to the 5-channel amp/subwoofer/box combination's price. And he gets to move the sub outta the damn hatch well!

 

got u beat already i got a 200watt kenwood 4way for 30 from a buddy barely used for a week then shelved for more power.
beat that oh and remember the only thing that people see lookin in my car is stock lookin stuff and i'm doing it for less than most people spend between an amp sub and hu

 

radio is 30 dollars
6x9's 20 bucks with employee discount
bass blockers 2.99 i have an equation so i can pick correct blockers from parts drawer.
factory 4x6 free

oh yeah i work at radio shack and no we don't sell car audio anymore

 

why dont you share your equation since you seem so smug?

adam

 

I agree with Tom on the 5 channel amp. They don't ever provide enough power to the subs, but since you're not a basshead, that isn't a big issue.

As for the front/rear speakers... let your ears decide. Go to a local shop and listen to everything they have and make your own decisions. Personally I find that Boston Acoustics and Infinity have 4x6s that I like the sound of. You may find different brands that suit your tastes.

As for bass... a single 10" sub will probably be plenty for you. I would suggest that you find a DVC (dual voice coil) sub with dual 4 ohm coils. That way you can parallel-wire them to get a 2 ohm load. This will help the mono amp in the 5 channel amp produce more power for the sub. As for a specific brand, that once again comes down to personal preference, but you can never go wrong with JL subs, and all of their subs are available with dual 4 ohm coils. The big drawback to JLs is that they require a somewhat large box. With something like an Infinity Perfect 10, Alpine Type R or an Elemental Designs 10" sub, you can get away with an enclosure small enough to work in the spare tire area. A good installer can build you a fiberglass box to fit into that area, and you'll wind up not sacrificing any of your storage area.

 

I would have to recommend a Bazooka and a little JBL amp to power the 6x9's. Most people will rag on the Bazooka Bass Tube, but if you just want some lowend and to waste just a little space they work great. The JBL make some good amps and very cost efficient to power some 6x9's.

 

hey bud didn't mean to be smug just being a lil playful let me find my book and i'll post the info. iwas going to but i been out of town partner.

 

Back to this...thanks for all the input.

The wiring is definitely a concern. It was obviously done haphazardly. The up side of this is my current parts car in the driveway had a nice system. Obviously installed by someone experienced. So I'll be able to scavenge most, if not all, of the wiring etc I need to do my IROC....YES...I'm a cheap bastad.


As for my current "setup"...

I took the car to a local stereo shop that comes highly recommended. I told him what I want, and for him to tell me what he recommended.

He said either (1) 10" sub in a small enclosed box down inside the hatch well, underneath the locking cover and out of sight, or a 10" sub in a custom box in the spare tire well...hmmm sounds famililar.

I mentioned the Basslink...and he commented that was an option, since a good custom box would cost almost as much as the entire basslink...his only concern was making sure of enough room to isolate the basslink to avoid vibrations / rattles etc.

He looked at my deck, and said it was actually a pretty good choice. He looked at the subs I currently have ( they were in the car when I bought it ) and he commented on how old they look...as they have been abused, had things thrown on 'em etc ( told ya I needed the storage space )...when he pulled the locking cover up, he commented on how friggin' heavy these are for 10" subs...then he noticed the magnets.

The subs are Hifonics Zeus Proffessional Subs? That's greek to me...I'm sure they are old. Anyway, so he takes 'em out to look at 'em...he then takes them into his shop, hooks 'em to a amp / setup he had on display..he just sat them down in a box he had there...MY ***!!!! You should have seen the look on his and his buddy's face when those old ratty subs started POUNDING!!


Of course, I know they sound crappy in my car because they are just screwed into the locking panel, and there's no box....


HE couldn't get over these subs, until the guy who OWNS the shop walks in...he checks 'em out and starts smiling??? He says he remembers when these were THE subs to have...whatever.

So I asked about what other stuff he recommended...

He said since I'm not a basshead, to look at a good 10" without getting crazy. His "top 3" he called 'em ( in my price range...I'm not dropping major coin on a sub ) were

1. JL ( surprise )
2. Alpine
3. Cerwin Vega


He said if cost was a major consideration ( and it is...if I drop $500 on my car it better go FASTER not slower )

He would buy some good 4x6's for the front and install bass blockers...he threw out Boston Acoustics, Inifity and Kicker? as examples.

He said the Pioneer 6x9's I have now are fairly decent, and could be last to get replaced to save some coin in the beginning.

He said he'd look at putting a single sub in the hatch well, although he said that I might be satisfied with a GOOD 8" sub and amp setup since I'm not huge in bass...

He actuall recommended one amp to the sub ( he mentioned a Punch amp...) bridged.....

Then another amp to run the 4x6's and the 6x9's......


Hmmmmm.....


No I got to start looking for stuff... and of course I have to find a new locking cover to replace mine that will have big empty holes in it...


If it ain't one thing, it's 2 others...



Thanks

 

Why don't you have them build a you a box for one (or both) of those Hi-Fonics subs since you already have them? I have a single Boston Acoustics subs in my car and I can't really imagine wanting more for a good sound. I am a SQ guy and a box in the rear of a hatchback sounds a lot better than most subs in a trunk. See if he can rig you up something with maybe a premade box in the back and one of those subs just to get a taste of what you would get. Good luck.