Personally my favorite is JL audio, I think they have the best sound quality, design, customer service, etc, they're a tad pricey but well worth the money, I'm trying to save up now to get the evolution zr series in my iroc, with a w7 10 or 12 in the rear hatch provided I have enough air space

All depends on the end goals and what kind of speaker.......coaxial, componant, subwoofer?


Also what kind of music and are we talking new now or overall?

Just too much to pick for this guy.


J

audiopipe is defiantly the way to go, high power at a low price, eye candy subs are a great bang for ur buck, as far as actual speakers go i always used powerbass speakers there really clear and cheap jl is too over priced for the avg person and not even in the top 20 in my mind

Fan of Audiobahn and American Bass myself. JL is not bad at all, but yeah they are just to pricey for me.

Anybody have any experience with Boston Acoustics or Memphis?

Pioneers,nice and clear with the perfect bass and tone for classic rock .They have been in the car for over 7 years along with a 15 year old Kenwood CD player(detachable face) I pulled from my old car (Runs as well today as the day I bought it).

Id rather have pioneer or rockford fosgate

i have had my best luck and sound to my ears with polk audio momo speakers. for a cheap alternative i have used clarion speakers. for subs i love jl audio or kicker.

memphis u really have to watch what u get most of there stuff is real low quality but some is extremly good. just whatever you do, researh a little first mak sure its not a company entry level item get there middle or performance level class stuff

Yup all the usuals listed here. How about some of the little guys.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/car-...udio-than.html

a great brand in my opinion is interfire, its a new company they make great stuff, better then planet audio i stick it up there with american bass and audiopipe, go to youtube and look at interfire pro v 15s

For subs the JL w6 line is a great sub although a little pricy. Personally I like the JBL GTi.

Speakers are entirely subjective. As I'm getting older I prefer the laid back sound of Hertz or Morel. Might even give Dynaudio a try.

Right now I'm running the Clarion Pro SSS 5.25" comps. They take a lot of power and sound very neutral. Great bargain for $40.00 used.

Wow, I thought I was one of the few who knew about Interfire/Crossfire brand. Their amps are really good.

ya i had a interfire 1500d which was actually 1600watts max at 1 ohm, i really wish i cud get an old 3000d but they dont make them any more, and they stopped makin the pro v series cuz people wud push ungodly amounts over the 2700watts and expect the waranty to cover it so theres rumor of a interfire pro x coming out which is supposed to comparable to a dc level 3 or 4 im pumped cuz im gonna go buy 1 soon as they hit the market

Alpine

Components = Rainbow Audio (Geraniums)

Subs = Image Dynamics or Digital Designs. Rockford Fosgate, but only the Punch 3 series. The T1's are for the big boys with 2,000 watts of power, or more. That ain't me.

For anyone that wants a great bang-for-the-buck sub, the Cadence ZRS series are fantastic subs. This one, specifically. I bought one, then pitched the enclosure. It's tuned too high (They say 45Hz, but it's closer to 55Hz) and is way too small. I put it in a 2 cu. ft. ported tuned to 36Hz and OMG!!! No more constipation problems for me!

http://www.audiosavings.com/products...Sub/ZB121.aspx

polk audio

You can argue this til you are deaf. No two people hear alike. It's a matter of personal preference.

For me, my favorites are jl, diamond audio, and Polk.

My biggest dislikes are pioneer (their new stuff went downhill over the past 3 years) and kenwood.

I like the sound of Boston and Pioneer.. Matter of fact the OEM in the third gen were boston, and some pioneer. One of my boston speakers blew and i had a pioneer from a 91, so i had both and they sound good..lol just changed them out and not real happy with the cheap speakers i bought.

I like Alpine, to me they sound great with the metal and post hardcore

I don't know why people automatically gravitate toward Pioneer or Kenwood - they are electronic companies, not speaker specialists; other than price and availability.

Rockford used to be a top brand for amps and subs, now they make second rate stuff unfortunately.

There are quite a few speaker car audio companies that focus on speakers and subs, some on their way up, others in a decline: MB Quart, JL audio, DLS, Infinity, etc...

Problem is the fact that cars are not ideal locations for sound reproduction and the space issues of using big subs in a hatchback with a small well in the back.

Personally I have a JL amp and 10" dual subs in my LaCross; DLS amps, subs, and components in my TL; and an old PG amp, Kicker tube, and ADS components in my Camaro. Hands down the DLS stuff sounds better than the others.

I've been running boston acoustics for 10 years in my monte ss and they still rock! did upgrade the sub from the old pro series 12, to the g5 12 a few years ago. I did find out today from my local stereo shop that boston is phasing out its car audio stuff. Guess I'll be looking for a different brand now for the Iroc.

I like kickers for subs infinity for highs and kenwood for mids

Infinity kappa in my cars and my home. Kenwood deck KDC-X994 and amps KAC-X501F. I have the infinity speakers installed in the factory bose enclosures and it works out perfectly. I have also added dash (plates) and sail panel (6x9) speakers.

As was said earlier in this thread, what I like vs what you like is going to be different!! You should go to a local car audio dealer and LISTEN to the speakers. I would recommend taking one of your CDs. People tend to gravitate to the "name brands", but there is ALOT of speaker companies out there. Don't be afraid of a speaker just because you haven't heard of them before (ie: Arc Audio or Hertz).

With out getting into the "brand" debate, I would recommend:
voice matched component front and rear speakers
Why components in the rear? Well, you system will only sound as good as your WORST speaker. Also, voice matching your speakers will go a long way to bring out a sq system. Another option would be for a midbass speaker in the rear (you can achieve this using a set of components using the crossover without the tweeter).

power with external amp and active crossover (like Audio Control 6XS).

Subs powered to taste. If you are into Rock/Metal, then I would go with a sealed box. Yes, ported boxes will be louder, but they will never "hit" like a sealed box will (boom vs punch).

I would also recommend looking into Transducers. They vibrate vs making noise. They make a huge difference in the "feel" of a system and at the same time wont annoy everyone around you.

Remember, anyone can make SPL (Sound Pressure Level or how loud the speakers is). SQ (Sound Quality), well, for me, is what matters. I want to listen to something I can understand and sounds good at the same time.

If all your interested in is "to make your trunk rattle" and to be heard a mile away, then invest in some Crunch (or other swap market brand) amps and speakers. They are cheap and loud. They will also sound like crap (no one will be able to understand anything, but everyone will be able to hear it) and you may be replacing them every couple months!

If money is no object and you want the best SQ system you can get, look at McIntosh (not the fruit company). They are VERY expensive, but basically wrote the book on SQ.

bose

Focal for components but I'm starting to like the high end Polk's also, as for subs to be honest most good quality ones sound good but for a long time I've stuck with JL.

The thing with the Polk's is that I never really liked them but that was because they need time to break in, once they do they come to life.

I personally have Crossfire's low end Distinct TD-702 amp. Not bad, but not as bad as the Jensen I have that will ONLY be for my mid/highs. Not sure about their speakers as I only had a pair of their 6x9s for a couple of months in my 93 Grand Prix before I got rid of it.

I think, when it comes time to actually install speakers (long way off yet), I'm going to stick with Eclipse, to match my HU. Not easy to find as they're out of business, but there's always eBay.

Polk Audio is great for components! I have them in my car. They're a little pricey but the quality is great.
MTX audio for subs and amps. All I run is MTX 9500's I swear buy these subs. I have a 10" 9500 in my Camaro with a Sony 1200w amp until I get an MTX 1501d.
I prefer Pioneer for head unit's great quality and you can get them for pretty cheap.

memphis audio for highs
Kicker or Alpine for bass

What series Memphis are you referring to?

Im going to be running Boston Acoustics in my 86 Z28

Bass - kicker

Even tho I have 2 12" Polk audios rattling my camaro apart

Jensen, or boston acoustic, alpine has always had quality products.

JL Audio for subs. Kicker for components. I spent $1200+ to replace the 9 speaker Monsoon system that came in my Grand Prix GXP i had last year. I was not disappointed. Kicker's DS component system is nothing short of kick@ss. JL Audio IS expensive but in car audio as with anything, you get what you pay for. I've owned Memphis, MTX, Pioneer, and Sony subwoofers and absolutely NOTHING compared to the clarity and power handling I got out of that 12W3. It was the crispest and clearest subwoofer I have ever owned.

Alpine and Infinity are also excellent for component speakers.

One good thing about getting old: Until you get down to Sonic Electronix bargain brands, they all sound pretty much the same to me now!