I've got $400 to spend on my stereo setup which will be the basic headunit, 2 in the dash, 2 in the sail panels. I was wondering what you guys thought I should spend my money on to get the best sound possible for the money. Someone told me to get the best in the dash which seem to be Kappas but then that doesnt leave me much money for the rear if I buy something like a $200 headunit because the 6x9 Kappas are pricey. Can I afford a good headunit and still get front and rear Kappas? Thanks

 

Get the kappas off ebay. the 6x9's cost me 80 (60+shipping), and the 4x6's cost me 85 (65+shipping). that leaves you 235 to spend on a headunit. I have a pioneer p4600 headunit that cost 230 a year ago. I'm so happy with the speakers they sound amazing. the headunit is very as well, but doesnt have sweet *** graphics that others have, but thats not the most important thing.

 

headunit pioneer deh-p6600 $180 offa etronics
that leaves $320 for some kick panels and component speaks

 

For those keeping score, 400-180=220

I agree with starting with a good head unit and adding kick panels and components with an amp. Dont worry about rear speakers unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket. Replacing the dash speakers aren't worth it (I have already gone that route). You're better off with one great set of speakers and putting them in a good location than two mediocre ones in bad locations.
Don't expect good bass out of anything that isn't a sub.

 

and i still wonder how i've managed to pass alegebra 2.......

 

Well my dad told me that kick panel speakers arent worth it because for a decent pair its going to cost you a little money, there shouldnt be much of a difference since there at your feet even if the sound does bounce off the glass, there not enough room especially since I got big feet and Im tall (manual also). Then you got a lack of dash speakers which we have already wwired up or we can spend more money on a 6 speaker setup.

How would something like this be? Sony CDX-f5510 which is a Sony Xplod (23.2 x 4 RMS, equalizer, etc) all for $180. Then 42.5i 4" Kappas at $95 and then a pair of 6x9 Infinity Referance for $96. This would give me the Sony Explod, Kappas in the dash and Referance in the rear all for $371 I think. I can still be convinced to use kick panels.

 

dads? hmmm... well kickpanels are worth it..... and sony isnt even worth buring in my fire pit.

 

Sorry mistype on that but the sony explod seems to be the best deal for the money actually. I got a comparison chart right here and there nothing I can see to complain about. Maybe its crappy quality? Ah well I want a headunit that can perform first and looks as good as possible second for $170-230.

 

like i said.. my pioneer is 180 @ www.etronics.com

 

Cardomain.com is having a huge sale on the Infinitys because they just came out with the 2005 models, so they're trying to get rid of the old ones as fast as possible. You can get better prices than what you quoted if Infinity is what you want. I can understand avoiding kick panels because of the clutch pedal and because it's a lot of work, but I still think it's worth it. I wouldn't pay for an overpriced set of custom kicks, but if you make them yourself it's worth the trouble..... Maybe I wasn't clear the first time: the best speaker in a crappy location gives you crappy sound.... I bought the reference 6x9's for $63 and I'm wishing I would have put that money into a better set of components up front (even though they look cool back there). They sound good above 200 hz, but that's about it...
As far as the Sony headunit goes, I wouldn't buy that one. My friend bought the 7700 and it sounds pretty good, but it looks and feels cheap as do most Sonys. You can probably get a nice Pioneer for a good price, too.

 

yeah dont bye any sony decks they are crap and will quit working. pioneer will last

 

I'd buy jensen/dual over sony.... unless its a high-end sony...

then again I'd never recommend a headunit that costs less than $400...(retail.) because you'd be shooting yourself in the foot down the road.

Just buy one part at a time... you've got $400.... why not buy the headunit and wait on the speakers...

a $200 headunit is not very good in my opinion... and also reality.

 

I disagree with the $400 head unit suggestion. A receiver is a receiver, assuming its not cheap Sony/Dual/etc. All you are paying for in most cases would be all the extras: MP3 capability, text encoding, remote, special lighting and so on. I'd recommend checking out some of the JVC and Kenwood decks. They are right around your price range and you can't really go wrong with anything they make.

 

exactly i just bought my new head unit which was 4x as expensive as my current one. Right now i have a $120 Carion DB245 it gets the job done very well but my new unit just has more features and power not much but w/e. I'm now getting the newClarion DXZ655MP one of their newest units. And for speakers go with the Clarions you will not be dissapointed. My setup right now is very cheap but it's got kick w/o the subs. I have SRC4615 Clarion 4x6's 2 way up front and my CHROME Clarion SRR6935's 6x9's in the back. The 4x6's handle 120watts and the 6x9s handle 250 watts and it's all compatible so it sounds great. Plus my 4x6's fit under the dash perfect with no obstruction so you will not have to mod.

 

120max/250max would sound reasonable

halve those to find the RMS

 

JVC makes a good product, but IMO the Pioneer typically sounds better for a little more money. MP3 doesn't cost too much extra anymore. Just don't get suckered into a unit that costs extra because it's "stylish" (lights, pictures, etc.). You won't be disappointed if you get one with a high-quality EQ, some internal high pass crossovers (great for saving your 4x6's if that's what you go with), and some 4 or 5V preamp outputs, especially if you plan to upgrade other components later. There really isn't much difference between 17W RMS and 23W RMS on the headunit amp, so don't factor that into your decision.
If you think "a receiver is a receiver," you haven't spent enough time listening...
Also, don't look at peak power output. If you think the peak output matters, you haven't done enough reading.

 

the new high-end pioneers have very detailed cross-overs...

although I must say I had to use the crossover on the amp to keep the plates from distorting at high volumes...

I wish pioneer cut off could go all the way up to 220hz... some reason they stop at 200... the higher the better for the plates...

 

my current $120 head unit has 50x4 rms and my new one that is in delivery has 53x4 for $400+. Go with Clarion that are an all around good car audio company and are well worth. And once heated up they r the closest things to subs possible.

 

you make me laugh.

check the numbers then edit your post.

you're looking at no more than 20 watts RMS ...

sorry to ruin your parade.

 

Head units dont put out 50 watts RMS....more like 20ish...But Ill agree with everyone. If you dont have much money. Buy the head unit at least first. A good head unit is usually 300.00. Clarion makes good head units. Just please get one with tri pre outs or youll regret it unless you plan on getting a EQ.

Kick panels are nice. But as said. You're tall. And leg room is always an issue with panels. Your doors are an option if youve got manual doors. Power doors might be a problem.

 

I doubt I will be spending over $300 on a headunit, looking at all the details and comparisons I can barely tell a difference between the $200 and $300 ones.

 

oops sorry i was in a rush i meant peak power was 50x4 on my old one and my new is 53x4. And clarion does make one hell of a product go for it. Really u can get a cheap head unit if ur just planin on 4 speakers and a cd player. If u want subs then u want to spend more money on ur unit for the outputs,

 

ya. pretty much ...subwoofer preout/tuning features/mp3 is a must for me anyways.

if you get a EQ you might be able to get away with a crappy head unit but its not worth it in the long run.

 

Well clearly its $100.
Seriously though, the difference is usally in the quality of the DAC, a better EQ, other sound-shaping features, more pre-amp outputs or higher voltage, or even DSP (usually in units closer to $400 or higher), and in this price category usually worth the extra cash. The difference b/w a $500 and $1,000 head unit (exluding ones with DVD playback and video screens) is typically extra bells and whistles that may or may not be worth the money.

 

Ah **** well you got to remember I'm 16 and I dont have much need for that nice of a system right now but I would like to add on in the future. Alright whats the best head unit I can get for around $300 in your guys opinions? See the problem is I just got the car to drive and I dont think I want subs, etc yet but I prob will in the future. Right now the cars being painted so when it gets back I have to install the interior and I would like to save any money possible for other areas of the car. I have most of the interior I need bought but I only have like $500 to blow right now so.........?

 

Buy sound deadener while you have the car's interior torn apart. You won't want to do this later, and even if you don't want to install a killer sound system, it will cut road noise significantly. You're on your own for brands since there are lots of opinions floating around (just to name a few: Fatmat, Second Skin, Dynamat, and even Peel N Seal). You may want to run a 4 guage or better power wire for an amp now, too. The more you can do all at once, the more time you will save in the long run (although finances and consecutive hours on the weekends may not work in your favor to do it all at once).
Check some other threads for head unit suggestions.
1. A good $300 head unit should be worth it. Do this first. My personal favorites are Pioneer, JVC (good quality for the price), and Alpine (ugly as they may be). Look for 3 sets of 4V preouts, a good EQ, MP3 (if you need it) and a good DAC. Other stuff like radio sensitivity can come in handy, too, if you listen to the radio a lot (or satellite radio, possibly). Just go to crutchfield.com and you can compare them side by side. Then you can look for cheaper prices on the same units on other websites (there is a separate post for cheap car audio websites - just be careful who you're buying from).
2. After that you should look into component speakers with an amp; or subs with an amp. If you value bass at all, do the sub before the components. If you're using a pair of those Alumapro's, all you need is an amp, a box, and a wiring kit. Otherwise, get the comps and an amp before the sub - you will be happier with the overall sound quality (but there will be absolutely nothing on the low end).

 

I agree... get some sound deadening spray and do the entire surface of your body interior.... it will help immensly in the future..

some even say spray the backsides of all the plastic interior pieces as well.

a $300-$500 will treat you good.

I can personally vouch for the DEH-P8600MP, but the new 8/80MP looks VERY enticing to me...

DEH-7700MP
DEH-P80MP
DEH-P8600MP
DEH-P8MP