I am looking into getting a whole new system.
I had a friens 2 10" sub and a jensen 300 amp.
But I gave them back, since I want something better.
I am looking for the best "all around" stereo system.
I have a sony cd player that i am going to keep. I want to hit the lowest lows and the highest highs. and of course everything in betweeen. I am looking for QUALITY.
Hopefully it want be to expensive as I will do it in stages.
Please post a reply on any sugestion or e-mail me if you have a strong opinion on anything.
I will be awaiting your replys.
THanks
Joey

 

Crows,

Sounds like you're taking the perfect approach I always recommend to people...take your time and build a QUALITY system, rather than throwing a bunch of crap together and thinking its the sh*t.

Here's my opinion:

Head unit: You said you wanna keep the Sony, so that's a good place to start. I've had an Alpine and have an Eclipse now, and both are great.

Speakers: Boston Acoustics RX and RM series, Infinity Kappas, Polk dBs, and MB Quart I like. I've owned 6x9s from Pioneer, Infinity and Boston, and I liked the Bostons. Same as the fronts: I've had Alpine plates, Infinity plates, Eclipses, Polks and Boston Plates, and I liked the Bostons best. Totally personal opinion though

Amps: Kenwood Excelon, Eclipse, PPI, and Alpine V12s all come recommended in the shops in my area...some like Rockfords higher-end amps too.

Subs: Boston Pros and Eclipse Aluminum 12s are my 2 personal favorites...my best friend is an installer, and I swing by where he works a lot to listen in on his installs, and both absolutely hit HARD. I'm sure there are other great subs too, so I hope no one gets pissed if I didn't mention theirs

Wire: Most people skimp on wire, and thats the last place you should. I've seen so many people wonder why their subs didn't hit hard, or they had noise. I look under the hood, and they got some crappy, no-name 12 gague power wire and cheap RCAs. Buy Monster Cable!!

In all truthfulness, many of you guys would look at my system and laugh at the $$ I've spent for the bass it makes. I've got $1,300 into it, and it isn't close to being done yet. Its taken me 2 1/2 years to this point, adding little by little. I'm such a detail freak, I even have gold-plated battery terminals!! But its so loud, and so clear, and so clean, when people get inside and listen, they're always shocked

Then I tell 'em, just wait 'til I get that Boston Pro 12 incher in the trunk

If I missed an awesome setup someone's got on here (and I'm sure theres a lot of them!!) no offense is meant to anyone. Like I said, just my opinions on how to build a sweet system

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Jason E
'89 Camaro RS 2.8
Grey/AT/T-tops/all power
Hypertech chip/2 K&N filters/Accel 8.8 wires/RapidFires
Eclipse CD and 100x4 amp/Boston 746 4x6 plates and RX 6x9 3 ways/ALL Monster's goodies
Alpine Alarm w/ Keyless entry
IROC tailights/t-windows

[This message has been edited by Jason E (edited October 15, 2000).]

 

The guy at Sound Center, a local music installer, said the Eclipse aluminums are a waste of money. He called them the "tin can subs" He said the only reason to do this is if you are an idiot. He said their is no reason for it. I said it has impressive maxes and he says are you gonna have an amp punch that much.
He says any speaker will handle any watt with NO distortion. What do yall think???

The boston's Sound good?
Thank's alot Jason .
Everyone kept the ides comming.
Joey

P.S.
First i will replace the fronts and 6x9's then amps and 2 12"
???Tweeters??
???horns??

[This message has been edited by crows_camaro (edited October 15, 2000).]

 

Tell your installer he is the biggest goddam*ed moron I have ever heard of in my life. That guy has no right to install anything.

Any speaker will handle any watt with no distortion?? Crow, the guy is a mental midget If a speaker has too low power, it will distort. If it has too much, and has heavy bass notes going through it, it will bottom out and distort. It is possible to overdrive speakers that are not crossed-over very easily.

Ask the retard you talked to if he's ever heard an Aluminum. If he says yes, and still thinks they suck, then my advice to you is to walk out of that place and find a shop that KNOWS something.

For your purposes though, an Aluminum would probably be overkill. Boston Pro 12s are about $250 each, and are awesome subs. One will be perfect for my car, and I plan on getting it and another Eclipse amp ASAP. Eclipse Aluminums are about $400 each, so they are pricey. My friend's '00 T/A has one 10 Aluminum, and lets just say, we sorta broke some glass I brought up the Aluminums just to mention some options to ya.

 

I am selling three amps-2 Sony Mobile ES XES-M1 amps (great for mids and highs) and 1 Sony Mobile ES XES-M3 amp (great for subs). All three are class D amp with NO x-overs, they are slaves amps stable to one ohms, very strong. I also have 2 10" Cerwin Vega subs. All equipment is new in boxes. I am asking $900 for all but can neg. Sony amps are worth more-ask around.

 

this mesasage is in response to jason e.

hey jason, the installer was about 90% right when he said that "any speaker will handle any amount of wattage and no distortion". this is true for about all but 4*6 and 4 inch speakers. as for seperate components (5 inchers and above) 6*9's and any sub, they will handle any amount of power u provide. to test this theory i wired up my rf 100.2 amp (202 watts each channel said spec sheet) to each of my poineer 6*9s that came with the car. you know, the 80 dollar walmart speakers. i cranked up the volume and was astounded and the quality these $80 speakers made. it is true that any speaker made wants as much power as it can get. i got this info from a former ICSA pro series champion that was once a employee for ROCKFORD FOSAGTE in arizona and had the sweetest dam system ive ever seen. now the little speakers will blow ina half-a-second. i know this cuz i had some 4 incher co-axels hooked up to the same amp and blew the cones right off. trust your installer, most of the time he will be looking out for your interst. its the salespeople that you have to watch out for.

now i think i should answer the question at hand;

i think the rockford makes some great equipment. they were the founding member of the ICSA and have some fantastic amps and subs. the seperates are second to none, the only thing the rockford cant make is source units(decks and cd changers) otherwise they are tops. they are quite expensive but the capablitites are endless. look for deals at closeouts and on ebay. i use rf in my camaro and it sounds awesome, check my sig for what i got.

hope this helps!

daniel

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86 camaro cpe(dont laugh)has 92z28 body kit with GTS covers, new red paint and a killer stereo. 2 amps, 8 speakers, disc changer, custom install with subs coming by the end of the summer. sawpped (or in the process of) 305lg4 for brand new 350. TES headers, flowmaster cat back, performer manifold, TCI converter, jet chip, kn with dual snorkel cleaner. and she still passed the sniffer!

"Cal Poly SLO is the shi#"

 

Right now I've got a sony head unit and cd changer, and it's awesome stuff. The only thing I've seen that I've liked better is Nakamichi, but thats real expensive stuff. Anyways, your wise to stay with the sony head unit. For speakers I have infinity kappas, and those are awesome as well, but after hearing ADS, I'm buying those! ADS makes the best sounding speakers I've ever heard in my life! If you looking to go quality go with ADS. It's kinda expensive though, so save up fof them. For subs, go with orion, alumapro, and also the infinity kappa perfects are pretty awesome too. And like one of the guys above said, don't slack on getting good wires. You can have the best components in the world, but if you've got crappy wiring it will still sound like crap.

 

Daniel,

I do agree with what you're saying...I was kinda tired when I read his post and responded

What I meant to say was what you said...the smaller speakers can't handle power. Thats what I meant by "bottoming out"....my 4x6 plates will do that now and then when REALLY cranking them hard. I totally understand what you're saying...my best friend, an installer at Tweeter, threw a MacIntosh amp in his old Eldorado through FACTORY speakers (before the Boston Pros), and pushing 400 watts through cheap speakers sounded great!! I agree speakers like a lotta power...just sometimes small ones don't appreciate it

I can't say I agree with EVERYTHING an installer says, especially when he says Eclipse Aluminums suck. Sorry, he's the first person I ever heard say that.

Sorry about the confusion Daniel.

 

Got a chance to get a 15" orion for $100.
It is a great sounding speaker.
I will have to get a different box though.
What do you think for temporarily?

 

I THINK Orions made good subs...I know their amps are great. I've never heard of Orion making cheap stuff, so even if you just wanted it just temporarily, it should be a good choice.

 

thanks for your thoughts.
I think I am going to buy it.
Do you think it will be hard to build a box?

 

Well, my preferences on some things are a bit high, but very good. Right now I have Boston Acoustic 4x6's and BA Rally Pro 6x9's. They are both pretty good, and neither was too drastically expensive. I have a Sony Mobile ES head unit (about $400), which is really nice. Right now I have an Audio Art amp (very nice), and a Precision Power amp (that I am not using). I also have two 10" Atomic subs. These are great speakers. They were rated number 1 10" a couple of years ago by one of the car audio mags.

I am currently in the market for a Memphis amp, which are very good, but somewhat expensive. I to agree that wiring is crucial. I use Street Wires RCA cable and Monster Cable for the rest. Good Luck

Matt

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irocet@hotmail.com

drive.to/Stang_Kilr

88 IROC-Z -- 350 L-98, 700R4, Flowmaster, K&N, MAF Sceens Gone, Airfoil, March Pullies, Comp Cams Magnum 1.6 Roller Rockers, Accel U-Groove Plugs, Accel 8.8 mm Wires, Hypertech Cap & Coil, Hypertech Chip, Hotchkis Strut Tower Brace, One Loud Stereo!

 

IROCET,

Glad to see another F-body owner enjoying the Bostons! I have the same 2 pairs you do, along with:

Eclipse 5341R CD player
Eclipse 33230 amp (being run 100x4 at 2 ohm)
Monster 401 XLN interconnects
Monster 16 gague XLN speaker wire
Monster 4 gague Powerflex power wire
All Monster gold-plated terminals

My taste runs on the high end too. Like I said, with $1300 invested so far, I haven't even gotten to the sub yet!!

[This message has been edited by Jason E (edited October 19, 2000).]

 

Jason E-

Yeah, I really love my stereo right now, but once you build it up the way you want it, you have to do something else. At least that is the way I am. I am getting ready to change my sub setup for the third time.

I am deffinitely into top quality equipment. I want my stuff to last forever (or as near to it as possible). Besides, I am all about sound quality and depending on the situation, bass. I would love to hear how you are planning on setting up your subs.

Matt

------------------
irocet@hotmail.com

drive.to/Stang_Kilr

88 IROC-Z -- 350 L-98, 700R4, Flowmaster, K&N, MAF Sceens Gone, Airfoil, March Pullies, Comp Cams Magnum 1.6 Roller Rockers, Accel U-Groove Plugs, Accel 8.8 mm Wires, Hypertech Cap & Coil, Hypertech Chip, Hotchkis Strut Tower Brace, One Loud Stereo!

 

Here's my idea:

Sub: 1 Eclipse 12 inch Aluminum DVC, mounted in a custom-fit, fiberglass enclosure that will go where the small compartment in the trunk is now. I think one of these should be sufficient for what I want to do. Firing into the luggage well will give it better air movement, so I've been told anyways....

Amp: My current Eclipse amp is rated for 400x1 at 4 ohm mono, so I think that's sufficient for powering an Aluminum. Then I plan to add Eclipse's 75x4 amp, along with my next purchase, an Audio Control 4 channel crossover. I already have 4 gague running to the trunk with a distribution block, so the 2nd amp will be an easy install.

I hear ya in terms of upgrading...this is the first time I feel like I've got the right stuff!!! In the last 2 1/2 years, I've had 2 head units, 3 sets of rear speakers and 6 (yes, six!!) sets of fronts. I didn't blow any of them, just wanted something better All this is gonna take awhile though....$400 for the sub, $450 for the amp, $200 for the crossover, who-knows-how-much for the box....but I want it done right. By the time I'm done, I'll have at least double the $$ in the system I have now!! But hey, thats why I'm 2.5 years in and I'm only 1/2 done...I want it perfect.

I got a crazy audio streak in me when I was in high school...my home system is huge (Carver 400 watt amp, Onkyo Integra components, Infinity towers). Now if I can get the car to sound like home....

[This message has been edited by Jason E (edited October 19, 2000).]

 

Well, I'm personally very partial to Kicker. I love their subs, and their amps are great, also (after getting over a small problem). The past 3 systems I've had in my cars have been all Kicker speakers, and the last 2, have all Kicker amps. Right now I have a Solo-Baric 12 (The square one) with a DX700 driving it, a pair of Impulse i690 6x9's, and am RS4 and R25 tweeters in the dash. The front and rears each have a ZR120 running them. Coming soon is a pair of F8c's for midbass in the 6x9 holes.
My wiring is all Stinger, 4 gauge from the battery to the back, 8 gauge to the 120's, 2-8 gauge to the 700, fuse block, ground distribution block, and 1 farad capacitor. My RCA cables are the stinger twisted pair cables. It all sounds great, I just need to get the image back to the front, damn it!

Now, what I reccomend for anyone else, is to listen to several brands and decide what sounds good to you. Try to find someone else with a thirdgen that has the stuff in it that you're interested in.
Another thing to keep in mind, is that with some brands it is better to keep all the same brand (except sub). I heard of this being a big deal with MB Quart.

Hope this novel helps!

------------------
Working on:
'84 Z28 LG4 305
Added dual elec fans.
145 MPH IROC Speedo
Building 430 HP 350
using primarily GMPP parts.
Block is in shop!

Starting to look like the Kicker poster child!

 

well i will probably buy the 15" XTR redline tomorrow.
How should I place it, where, and tell me about the box in my other post.
Thanks
Joey