Car Stereo Thread

[shocksyde]

I've had a JL 12w3v2 in a sealed box w/ an Alpine 300 watt amp for about 2 years now. Also a cheap set of Boston Acoustics component speakers w/ a 60w x 2 Profile Amp. (I run no rear speakers.)

Tomorrow, however, I'm going all Elemental Designs. 13Ov.2 w/ a NINe.2x amp and a set of eDi6000s Components w/ a NINe.2 amp. I'm also adding eDead, which is like dynamat I guess. I've never had sound dampening in my car.

My old system was a 300w sub and 60w components, the new system will be ~650w sub and 100w components. Good thing I was planning for the future when I ran my wires for the first install. I won't have to upgrade any of my wiring for this.

So, by my (not at all scientific) calculations, my system will be at least twice as nice. Ohhhh baby. And let me just say before any haters come in: I'm not a bass douche. I don't thump my shit in neighborhoods, parking lots, or stop lights. I have the equipment because I enjoy good sound, not to impress others.

What are you guys running?

 

[Riverhound777]

Congrats on the new equipment, I really considered going with Elemental for mine. Can I ask what kind of box your putting the sub in?

I decided to go with a signal 10 inch Alpine Type R for my sub after doing much research. I purchased the 10 planning to save space by going with a small sealed box but I ended up building a ported box myself, thereby defeating the whole purpose. Kind of wish I went with a 12 now, but oh well. If you haven't decided on a box yet, I would recommend looking into building your own; I had a lot of fun researching and building my own, and of course I saved a ton of money. Mine is a 1.85cf(if I remember right) box tuned to 32Hz. I went with Phoenix Gold X400.1 amp to power it. In all the sub install cost around $350 including the sub, amp, wiring kit and materials. I had a lot of fun installing and putting everything together and am very happy with the result. I may upgrade my front speakers and amp them in the future, but am happy with the stock ones for now. I hope your's turns out well.

 

[shocksyde]

The sub is going into a sealed box at the recommended 1.0cf. Everything worked out great because my previous sub had the same requirements, so it's plug n' play.

I always go with sealed because I like my bass to be tight and responsive. I had a ported sub the first time and it was way too boomy for me.

 

[Riverhound777]

Most people associate ported subs with poor and boomy sound quality due to the improper tuning and poor design. A well made and proper sized ported box will sound just as good as a sealed while being louder. It is a common misconception. But I can't blame you for reusing your old box, I would do the same.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: Riverhound777
Most people associate ported subs with poor and boomy sound quality due to the improper tuning and poor design. A well made and proper sized ported box will sound just as good as a sealed while being louder. It is a common misconception. But I can't blame you for reusing your old box, I would do the same.

Never knew that...

Goes to show how little I know about it

 

[minendo]

Deck: Clarion VRX775
Front: Memphis Audio 15-MSYNC6
Rear: Memphis Audio MC 15-MC6
AMP: JL 300.4
Sub: JL 12W3
Amp: JL Slash 250.1

The Deck
The Sub <-- Now fires straight back
The Amps

 

[JulesMaximus]

In my Maxima I have a Pioneer DEH9800BT head unit, upgraded speakers and amp/sub in the trunk. It sounds waaaay better than stock. The Lexus has the stock stereo but it sounds pretty good.

 

[shocksyde]

I've got a Pioneer DEH7700MP or something like that. I LOVE the look of their recent HUs. So sexay!

 

[zoiks]

In my Mazda6 I am almost done adding the Kenwood DNX7100 Nav/mp3/divx player. I also added the bluetooth module and the rear view camera. Speakers are Kappa Perfect 6.1's and regular kappa 6x8's. Powered by one 4-way Alpine amp and one Alpine amp to power the sub.
The other car has an Alpine 7995 which I haven't used in a year.

 

[shocksyde]

Well, I just finished the sub/amp swap and MY GOD, it's incredible. Sweet, sweet full body massage. The freq response is even 10x better. The lows are crazy accurate.

I'm gonna do some sound deadening this afternoon and the comps/amp next weekend.

 

[Hyperlite]

nice system shock.

i've got:

Head: Pioneer Premier P690UB w/40gb hdd
Fronts: MB Quart DKE-116 6.5" Coax
Rears: MB Quart DKD-110 4" coax
Sub amp: MTX TC4001 480w rms @ 4ohm (by birthsheet)
sub: TC sounds TC-1000 12" in 1.7^3 sealed.

i love it, but if i've learned anything, SPL sub>SQ sub in a car application, IMO. the environment is so non-conducive to quality sound that its just not worth it.

pics in sig.

 

[Raduque]

I've got an Alpine CDA7995 feeding signal to a generic "20 inches Strong" 4 channel amp that puts 60w RMS into a pair of Kicker 3 ways in front, and the stock Ford two-ways in the rear doors. Bass is handled by a generic 10" powered by a 300w RMS Profile amp in a down-firing box.

Nothing special or overly "expensive", but it definitely gets the job done and sounds good while doing it.

Edit: the Kickers are 6-1/2 with adapter plates (stockers are 5x7). I've also lined the front doors with Dynamat, and plan on doing the rear doors when I get better speakers for back there.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: Raduque
I've got an Alpine CDA7995 feeding signal to a generic "20 inches Strong" 4 channel amp that puts 60w RMS into a pair of Kicker 3 ways in front, and the stock Ford two-ways in the rear doors. Bass is handled by a generic 10" powered by a 300w RMS Profile amp in a down-firing box.

Nothing special or overly "expensive", but it definitely gets the job done and sounds good while doing it.

Edit: the Kickers are 6-1/2 with adapter plates (stockers are 5x7). I've also lined the front doors with Dynamat, and plan on doing the rear doors when I get better speakers for back there.

I haven't done the doors yet (gonna do them when i install the component speakers). Does it really make a big difference?

 

[spidey07]

I've got the ELS in my TL. After many years of being into car stereos and being an installer tuner for years, nothing sound as good as this unless I spent 5K.

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: shocksyde

I haven't done the doors yet (gonna do them when i install the component speakers). Does it really make a big difference?

To be honest, I couldn't tell you. I did the speakers at the same time as I laid the dynomat. The doors certainly do shut with more authority now, a nice solid "THUNK".

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: spidey07
I've got the ELS in my TL. After many years of being into car stereos and being an installer tuner for years, nothing sound as good as this unless I spent 5K.

What is "the ELS"?

 

[spidey07]

http://www.elssurround.com/absolute_sound.asp

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: spidey07
http://www.elssurround.com/absolute_sound.asp

Ah, very cool!

Can't argue with Mark Levinson stuff...

 

[shocksyde]

Here's a question:

I've applied sound deadening to the trunk floor and the rear of the trunk. Should I put any on the front of the trunk/rear of the seats or under the rear deck (but keep the speaker holes open for ventilation)?

And an odd observation:

I get better bass when I have the sub box facing to the left near the right rear of the car. I originally had it up against the seats facing the rear of the car. Weird...

I know it tends to differ in certain situations, but what is the best position for the sub (both direction and placement)?

 

[jagec]

My sound system is a 4AGE engine at 8,000 RPM right behind my head.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: jagec
My sound system is a 4AGE engine at 8,000 RPM right behind my head.

That's great, but this is a car stereo thread. Unless you have 2 engines in stereo, then I don't care.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: jagec
My sound system is a 4AGE engine at 8,000 RPM right behind my head.

That's great, but this is a car stereo thread. Unless you have 2 engines in stereo, then I don't care.

Umm, he's got quadraphonic sound.

 

[No1ustad]

I'm running a Resonant Engineering XXX 15" with a Planet Audio Amp 2500 MAX, 2250 RMS, 4.2 cu ft. ported box. 0 gauge wire, Optima Red Top in the Trunk. Premier DEH-960MP head unit

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: No1ustad
I'm running a Resonant Engineering XXX 15" with a Planet Audio Amp 2500 MAX, 2250 RMS, 4.2 cu ft. ported box. 0 gauge wire, Optima Red Top in the Trunk. Premier DEH-960MP head unit

4.2cf? Yipes!

 

[MovingTarget]

Nothing like pulling out of a parking lot full of ricers in an 87 blaring Def Leppard, exclaiming "Factory installed bia***!" as your system clicks and hisses to its wonderous mono speakers and cassette deck.....

Nah, mine was upgraded a while back, in '99 I think. This was when higher-end car stereos still had cassettes. I'll have to look up the specs, but the sound quality is really good. The parents were listening to symphony music back then and were very particular about what system they got. Quality >>>> Volume/Kick.

Speakers/amp are really good, but I think its time to retire the cassette deck unit...