What are the top 5 companies for quality in head units, subs and amps?

 

is this a test?

 

It totally depends on your criteria for what's good. There are dozens of brands out there making quality equipment that will provide identical results. There are less companies making head units, but for amps your possibilities are almost endless. Whether you use a Kicker, PPI, Rockford, Orion or similar amp really doesn't matter. All will provide similar results, although everybody has a different favorite.

When it comes to head units, there are many less to choose from, but still at least a half dozen quality brands. When you compete, brands other than Alpine and Eclipse and a couple esoterics (like Nak) tend to be shunned, but for daily use, Pioneer, Alpine, Sony, Kenwood and finally JVC make some good decks at reasonable prices.

Speakers are a different story. Every speaker on the market sounds different, so it's very important to listen to them and judge for yourself.

------------------
The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

yeah, I have people telling me ALPINE sucks and then they say some name i have never even heard of and tell me that it is the best you can get and it is cheaper then my ALPINE. WTF?!

 

well as is listed in my sig I have alot of different parts/components and compaines... sony head and EQ and jensen & Kroiiler amp, bostons, alipine and Rock subs. Though I am soon to replace the alpines with bostons(I like how they sound a little better), but overall the system sounds damn good.

------------------
Current 3rds...92 3.1 coupe and a 91 T top 305 Past camaro's 74Z28, 2 75 camaro's bretilina and a z28. Past rides HA HA too many to count, at least 20..LOL Kills to date a 3.1 firebird 2 stop lights in a row.
95 Grand Am
Serveral Honda's
a friends 91 Rustang LX(I know its a 4 but he keeps trin')

Planned mods:
Soon coming 3 inch exhaust, 1.6 rockers, High flow 'Verter, and Ignition system. Along with a complete turbo 4.3 swap planned later this year(hoping to get into the 10's..)
Current mods:
Set of Iroc sway bars front and rear..amazing differance, Air box bottom completely removed allowing my K&N to act like an open element filter.
Lower profile tires, 195/55/15 front 205/55/15 rear handles better.
And a 160 deg thermo for a V8(and yes it works just fine)

Sterio Sony CD head unit and 9 band EQ, Boston acutics 4x6 dash, Alpine 3 way 6x9 sail, California sounds active crossover, Kroiiler 600 watt amp powering the 'pines and Bostons, 600 watt Jensen powering 2 Rockord Fosgate RFZ1812 subs. And all this cost less then $575...

 

My opinion...

sub=rockford fosgate, MTX, Kicker, Xtant

Head= Alpine, sony, Pioneer, Ecplipse

Full range, mid, highs= Alpine, Clarion,

AMPS= Rockford, MTX, Alpine, Xtant, PPi's, Bostwick

------------------
92 Camaro 305 TBI Automatic. 2.5 high flow cat and 2.5 pipes into3.5in tip, shift kit. Tinted windows(legal)...

Future mods. Spark plug wires and plugs, Headers, O.E., any other advise on getting to 300+ HP would be appreciated. Thanks
---------
System = Sony explode CD/MD receiver, Rockford 6x9 Fanatics, 4x6 Clarion in the front, 2 12" Hx2's(Rockford) in custom box(black carpet) 1 farad cap, 800x2= 932 total watts Rockford Amp 4gauge wire kit.

 

Check these out...


http://www.caraudioclub.com/atomicth...s/products.htm

 

the best companies are usually ones youve never heard of. it sucks but there are so many good companies who spend all of thier money on thier goods instead of advertising. Alumapro is supposed to be a bada$$ co. but ive never heard thier stuff. i saw one of thier caps in action and it was great. Focal speakers are supposed to be amazing. my favorite co. right now is Eclipse, but ive seen thiers subs break a bolted spoiler off of the rear of a caviler. that was damn cool. i like thier amps but theyre a little pricey. i have a alpine V12 amp thats powering my sisters 2 12" kickers, and i was very impressed with how well it worked. it beat the crap out of her old premiere amp and the pioneer rated at more RMS power. Alpine V12s are great. MTX amps are supposed to be very good too. kicker does great subs if you dont have alot of space, but ive never used one of thier amps so i cant give an opinion on them. all the rockford stuff ive heard suck for how much it cost. i knew a guy who decked out his system in rockford stuff (2 12s HE2s componets, amps, and a pioneer deck near $2000 total) and my cheap a$$ sony deck with a busted amp, and cerwin vega 10 goes louder and sounds better (near $500 total cuz i have $280 in eclipse 4x6s and 6x9s) but that my experience with RF. plus at the best buy display they dont sound good to me unless they are in a bandpass. pioneer is decent but over priced when it come to thier high end stuff. like the deh-9200 (??) you pay mostly for the little dolphins that swim arround. not for better sound quality than the lower model. well theres my opinions. feel free to disagree as i dont care.

------------------
1979 L-82 Beefed up Corvette. Bright-orange with orange pearl.
end of summer: NOS!! im thinkin 250 shot. (already have a full race engine.)
god i love this car.

1985 WS6 Trans AM T-tops
bone stock sloth of an engine on its last leg(LG4 w/ 175,000mi)
T-5 tranny. thank god, i couldnt stand an LG4 auto.
Plans for an LT1,
dual exaust,
& a pounding stereo.

[This message has been edited by 85ws6TA (edited June 22, 2001).]

 

as most will agree, and many will disagree..

go with Kicker Amps and Subs, for christ sake.

me and my brothers compete against each other, and each of them love borrowing my kicker subs...

kev

ps- dont forget PPI, Alpine, Kenwood, Cadence