Well guys I've been reading for a while all the posts here in this website.And after careful thought I think I need to upgrade my sound system.I was just in the Alpine website and they have nice products.Well let me give you some info on what I'm getting.For my HU its a CDA-7864.For Front and Back Speakers I want to get 6 1/2 R-Series Component Speakers.What is the difference between coaxials and components which are better.I'm new at this for the most part.Oh yeah I'm also thinking about getting 1 maybe 2 amps 2/1 channel V12's.How many channels should they have?Can you tell I'm new at this?And I'm still thinking about the Sub's.I'm not sure I want to use the floor under the back seat to put them there.Like I have much choice.There is not really a lot of space.But if I do get Subs there going to be 2 10" Type-R.Oh yeah and a 12 disc cd changer.Well it is a lot of stuff and a lot of cash.That is why I am open to any ideas.Like where can I get the parts cheaper (online) and where would be good places to mount the amps,and the cd changer.Oh yeah before I forget how hard is the installation on the speakers, HU,Cd changer, and the amps.Is it something I could do or is it just better to get it professionally done?Thanks a lot guys.Any help would really be appreciated.I'm am very new at this and don't want to get ripped when buying and I want to do it right the first time.Sorry for the long post.

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2000 F-150 4x4 XLT
Current Mods:
Ford Window Deflectors
Ford Bug Deflectors

 

Hi Steel
While I love and have Alpine products in my truck, I do not think there speakers are the greatest. I have a Alpine head unit and 6 disk Cd changer. There Amps are pritty good, and in most cases do a good job, but there are a lot of better amps out there.

As far as coaxials, vs Component speakers components are better but requirer more power. You could run a set of coaxial speakers off your Alpine head unit, if you went with components you would have to run a amp to power them.

As far as amps you would want a 4 channel to run 4 speakers. If you ran a sub I would go for a 6 channel amp or a 4 channel for the speakes and a two to run the subs.

It depends on how hany you are at mechanical stuff, putting a sterio system in is not to tough, but sometimes it is best to leave some of it to a pro. Do some research, check out the speaker , amp, subwoofer and this forem see what other f150 owners are putting in there trucks.

Good luck
Don




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SILVER 2001 LIGHTNING
Built 02/14/01
Picked up 03/03/01
Sportmasters tonneau
Bedrug
Alpine head unit and six disk changer.
JL Audio speakers
Magnaflow muffler
JDM BigMouth Filter.
http://donf150.tripod.com/Welcome/id6.html

http://www.zing.com/album/?id=4294607313

 

Alpine makes nice decks(but I prefer Eclipse). Is there any reason why you want to have everything the same brand? I mean, you could buy an Alpine deck while getting some different brand speakers. As for speakers, I have the JL Audio XR 5x7coaxials in the doors, and they sound amazing. I think it would be a waste of $$ to buy reare speakers if this is a regular cab. Your subs are gonna be behind the seat, and I just don't think you will need the rear speakers. IF you choose to get rear speakers anyway, I definitely wouldn't spend the extra on components. You will use them for rear fill at most. Now, the subs, you might be able to save some $$ by getting 1 12" sub instead of 2 10" subs. I have 1 12" sub and it is plenty. It sounds great. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Well thanks for the replys guys.Keep them coming.As for getting everything Alpine, well not really.I've been doing my research and about the only thing I would get would be the HU and CD changer and the amps.As for the speakers I'm thinking Polk,Boston, or Infinity, and JL.I'm thinking components in the front and coaxials in the back.I have a SuperCab.Of the brands mentioned which is the better one and which is the less pricey as compared to the most expensive.Oh yeah and where could I find them cheap on the web.What I'm trying to do is get my info and then go to the local audio dealer and see if they can match the prices if not beat them.See what happens.

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2000 F-150 4x4 XLT
Current Mods:
Ford Window Deflectors
Ford Bug Deflectors

 

i agree with what has been said about alpine decks. while they are not my favorite, they do quality decks. their speakers though leave a little bit to be desired. the best way to pick a speaker is to go out to shops and listen to as many different brands as you are able to. then decide which you like best. same thing with deck too for that point. might start a little war here, but i have found that kenwood makes similar decks to alpine for a little less. i have always been a big fan of kenwood and have only had one deck that was made by someone else. but it is all about what you like best and what sounds best to you. good luck and remember in car audio you get what you pay for.

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black 97 f-150 sc
4x4 4.6l
offroad and towing package

current mods
k&n fipk
true dual cat back angled out at the corners
clear corners
altezza taillights
20% tint all around

future mods
superchip
asp pulleys
will be a sponsered car audio show truck this spring/summer
picture to come soon

 

I forgot to ask.What is the deal with tweeters.Where do you mount them and how many are necessary?I have a super cab.What is the better brand.Thanks guys.

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2000 F-150 4x4 XLT
Current Mods:
Ford Window Deflectors
Ford Bug Deflectors

 

Nice advice so far, Steel Breez. But let your ears be your final decider....Not your friends....Not even US. Alpine is an excellent choice. So is Kenwood. Neither have a lot of silly little buttons or fussy displays (Stay home if you want to watch a TV, right?). Both are comparably priced. I was going to go with the same Alpine unit, but chose Blaupunkt Munchen instead. (excellent unit, hindered by a downright crappy display in daytime). In hindsight, I shoulda got the Alpine.
Components are the best choice if you want clean sound. Period. Yes, you'll have to amp them. No big deal. You'll spend $$ on an amp for your woofs, but you'll only need a comparatively small amp for your front stage. If you put rear speakers in, they can be coax, and your HU can drive them. I have the same setup.
I put my tweets in my front door panels, just forward of the door latch where the "soft" panel meets the "hard" panel. (I have a SCrew). You might be able to locate yours, depending on their size, in the pillars just at the bottom corner of your front window. They're very directional, remember, which is why listening to a coax w/tweets around your knees is a waste of time.
I bought DiamondAudio M551 components. That's a 5.25-in round that were mounted on plates in the stock location. I put in Kicker Impulse coax 6.5's in the rear on plates. The D/A's absolutely BLOW the Kicker's away. True, I have the D/A's amp'd (55w Kicker amp) but the clarity is night and day. I may as well have cotton stuffed in the coax's.
I have a JLAudio "stealthbox" in my center console (10") powered by a RockyFoz 250a. That's plenty for me. I'm not out to win competitions, and I don't want to be heard from six blocks away. But I've got plenty of thump if I choose to crank it.
Both my amps are mounted behind the plastic panel behind my rear seat. I use the access panel to get to them. I can also access my EFX distribution block and fuses there as well. All that clutter is out of my cab and not under my seats.
Most important to me is clean, crisp, precise sound with a well-defined bottom end. I've got all that in spades, and it didn't cost me an arm and leg. Just look around. TAKE YOUR TIME! Do your homework. Listen a lot. Make up your OWN mind and, above all, have fun doin' it!!!
Check these out:
http://www.audioreview.com/
http://usacaraudio.com/home.htm
http://clubknowledge.com/forums/Car_...eractive_Help/
http://www.partsexpress.com/index.cfm

[This message has been edited by sundog7 (edited 04-24-2001).]

 

Thought I'd chime in with my $.02. The two Alpine decks I've had in my last two vehicles had a tendency to skip once in a while, especially in cold weather. Other than that, I liked them alot. Decided to go with Pioneer this time as I hate the new Alpine designs.

Bob

 

Ok! I have had a couple Alpine HU and all in all they were good. I like my new Sony pretty much. Mostly because it will play mp3s My advice is to not use Alpine Amps or speakers. I would go with a Fosgate or JBL or even MTX amp. I have some Pioneer Components in my Supercrew running off of the HU (45watts Peak) and they sound terrific. I also have Infinity 2 ways in the rear doors but they need to have an amp on them.

HU installation is pretty simple in a F150 because the panel around the HU pops right off by just holding the insides of the air vent holes, squeazing in, and pulling. Then it is just a matter of buying a harness and making some connections. Amps are a little more difficult especialy if you want a clean install. Always run power fused from your battery and use the remote turn on wire from your HU when putting in amps. You also have to make sure you use the appropriate gauge wire for the power rating of your amp (8ga ypically, sometimes 6ga for a large amp).

Sundog said it. You have to get the speakers that sound good to you since you will be listening to them everyday.

Crutchfield has great prices online. Also, Bestbuy tends to have extremely low prices too.

Good Luck

 

Well guys I've pretty much made my mind up that the Hu is going to be Alpine.As for the amps I'm still open to ideas.I haven't had a chance to go check out the speakers as I haven't had time too but as soon as I can I will.Sundog 7 would you be a little more specific as to the set up of your amps do you have any pictures I could see.I also dont' want to have all that clutter in truck and I would like for it to be out of sight.As for the installation the only thing I would try to install would be the HU and maybe the speakers.I'm definitely going with components in the front and coaxials in the back.Thanks guys for the info.

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2000 F-150 4x4 XLT
Current Mods:
Ford Window Deflectors
Ford Bug Deflectors
Continental Accesories Tool Box
Drop-in BedLiner

 

I forgot to ask one thing.Where would be a good place to put a CD changer.I'm planning to put a 12 disc changer from Alpine.And about the tweeters.What is the deal with them.How many will I need?And what brand is the better brand?Thanks again guys for the info.I don't know what I would do without you all.Thanks.



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2000 F-150 4x4 XLT
Current Mods:
Ford Window Deflectors
Ford Bug Deflectors
Continental Accesories Tool Box
Drop-in BedLiner

 

Steel Breez: I think the location of Don's changer is pretty good!. Not a whole lotta choices, y'know?

Also, send an email to me at sundog7@comporium.net and I'll explain my setup in detail. I don't want to take up a lot of bandwidth here.

 

Steel Breez
What seats do you have?
I have the 6 disk changer, I do not know if the 12 disk changer will fit where I put mine, just some food for thought.Also with 6 disks in the changer and one in head unit I can go for a long cruise and have plenty of tunes.

 

IMHO.... after much changing and headache... I ended up using only tweets as rear fill. Just a waste trying to get something to sound good in those rear speaker locations. Now that being said, I run Diamond Audio Hex up front, pushed by a Class A Soundstream 100x2; sub: JL 12 W3-D2 pushed by a RF Power 500. Like one of the post above, SQ is all I am after and this setup is the best I have had in 25 years of fooling with this stuff.
There's some nice decks out there and Alpine is one of them... my next one will be an Eclipse even though I've owned Clarion for 20 years. I still have an older 9375 with the 9300 Eq and have more control than ever. Also have a 12 disc changer mounted in my console. It fit just like the console was built for it.

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1997 XLT Supercab, 2wd flareside.
Very bright RED.
Exterior mods:
4x4 bumper and fogs.
Stull Billet, bladerunner, Hyper lites, pro-beam covers.
Bugshield, window tints, vent visors.
Pirelli S/T Scorpions, gas shocks, 2 inch drop, slash duals.

Interior mods: Audio System
Clarion 9375, 9300 EQ, 12 disc changer.
Amps: Rockford Fosgate Power 500, Soundstream Picasso.
Sub: Single 12" JL W3D2 under rear seat that was raised 4 inches.
Sats: Front; Diamond Audio Hex s500.
Rear Fill:MA Audio silk tweets.

 

Sundog7, I was reading your post and was wondering how you managed to get your amps behind your back seat.Do you have a reg cab or s/c?I went to a local dealer and asked them if I could put the amps behind the back seat and they said no that they would only go under the seat.As for the cd changer I am still open to where I could put it.I was wondering if it would fit in the center console.Somewhere where it would be at armslength if possible.Thanks for the replys.Oh yeah hear in my are the only components that I could hear were the JL, Polk, MB Quartz and thats it.I was wondering if these were any good and what do they run?Thanks.

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2000 F-150 4x4 XLT
Current Mods:
Ford Window Deflectors
Ford Bug Deflectors
Continental Accesories Tool Box
Drop-in BedLiner