OK, I'm new to car audio. I'd like to give my 01 Screw a little more zing. Right now the stereo is 100% stock. I have a few questions...

I'd like to get a 10" sub for under the rear seat and a sub box from subbox.net. Are the subs he sells good?

Do I need an amp to power the sub?

Does the amp only power the sub or does it power speakers as well?

What is a good brand for a sub?

What is a good brand/model for new door speakers?

Is it OK to use standard door speakers and a sub or do I need to add tweeters, mids and then a sub?

Is the stock HU OK? I'd like everything to look stock, so will that HU work?

Thanks in advance.

 

Wingnut,

Looks like you got a badass truck there!!

Ok 1st question. SubBox.net makes what looks like a quality product. But its very limited in the subs you can put in there. Does your Truck have the 40/60 split bench in the front or does it have the Buckets? If you have the bucket seats JL Audio makes a stealth box that would allow you to install 1 10 between the seats in your center console follow this link --http://www.jlaudio.com/stealthbox/f150_CTR4.html

Question 2. Yes you will need an amp to power the subs, and eventually all the speakers you do decide to install.

Question 3. The amp could do both. If you get a 5 Channel amp, you can run all the speakers in your truck off that amp, you can also run a 4 channel amp and run the subs off one channel and run your fwd speakers off a channel and your back speakers off a channel. But if you do decide just to get a 1 channel mono amp, and let your factory head unit power your speakers.. it will probably sound really "boomy" So your gonna want to if you can afford to get all new speakers, and subs.. and your definately going to need an amp. Good brands to look into are JL audio... Rockford Fosgate, Pioneer, and Alpine.

Question 4. Good brands for subs. Well you get what you pay for. JL Audio has always been the leader in the industry I don;t think anyone will dispute that. Pioneer makes a decent sub, Rockford Fosgate, MTX, Punch. The list can go on. The best thing to do for your case is to find a box that you want.. and try to find a sub that will fit with room to spare, which is important because the sub will need to breathe... Just pay close attention to the dimensions that the box manufacturer gives you for the mounting requirements for the box.

Question #5 Good door speakers.... I chose Infinity Reference cf5725's for my speakers. They sound really clear and do not distort. But i must say I did settle a bit. I went into a Good Guys while i was in the states, and the Kenwood Excelon X688C sounded GREAT. Again you get what you pay for. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1370070760 that is a link for a kenwood X688C
If you got the big money go with JL Audio's XR570's


Question #6 Its ok to use standard door speakers, You get a little better quality sound from component speakers, but you'll also pay more, and there is a little more involved during the installation process. Again its all about what you want to do with your truck. You can get by with regular 2 way door speakers and sound excellent, crisp and clear with defined bass.

Question #7 Personally anything stock is bad. The stock motor is bad. the stock intake is bad, the stock rims suck, the stock blah! Anyways lemme get back on track. Aftermarket head units offer alot more control. With you stock head unit, you have very limited control of your speakers/sub. Your gonna have to do most of the adjustment from your amp, which is tricky all in its own right. If you get a CD Player with 3 RCA preouts, your pretty much set. Once again I prefer Alpine. www.alpine.com They have always been one of the leaders of the industry thoughout the years. Pioneer Premier makes a good HU. If you want a stock looking head unit you can go with Nakamichi.. Not all that fancy LED crap but a darn good HU... and virtually thieft proof. But they are a little pricey.

Well I hope this helps you out a bit..

Scott

 

Scott,

Thanks for the post, finally something helpful! I was beginning to wonder if anyone would reply! Thanks for the help and the compliments on my truck.

I'll let you know what I do.

 

If your looking to build your system one piece at a time I would highly recommend starting with a Pioneer 7400MP HU. It has built in crossovers (HPF & LPF) which allows you to filter the bass to the speakers. Thats how I started, and with the HU and the stock speakers I could crank it up really loud. Next, buy your sub or subs, amp & box. Then replace your factory speakers. When you upgrade your stereo you want to improve the sound with each step, in my opinion this is the best way to do that.

John

 

Wingnut,

Glad I could help. That other gentelman did offer some good advice. Your gonna want to start out with the head unit. I wish I could follow my own advice! But Its my next purchase. Still working on the Intake. Anyways... I'd say The head unit 1st, then get the amp, your most likely going to want a 5 channel amp, easier to install and adjust.. than going through a 4 channel or getting 2 seperate amps. Fosgate makes a good multichannel amp as well as JL Audio, but be prepaired to spend about a buck an amp.. so like a 500 watt amp will usually run around 500 bucks. Then I'd decide on the speakers.. and lastly the subs and the box you plan on using.

I see your from Ohio! I was born and raised there! Canton.

Take Care

Scott

 

Stock head unit is fine unless you need something it doesn't offer. The sound quality is a non-issue. That is affected more by the quality of your install. I am using the stock head with Navone Engineering adapters; the N774V and the N902. ( www.davidnavone.com ) I have a Kicker KX 700.5 5 channel amp with 400 watts to the 10" Sub and the rest to the door speakers. I can blow away some aftermarket installs. I can't watch videos or play MP3s but I do not need those features. Do not fall for the aftermarket is better belief. Delco Electronics (General Motors) makes the Rockford Fosgate Head units. The installation is more important than the brand name. Richard Clark and David Navone of AutoSound 2000 tested the Visteon Head units and found them to be excellent as far as sound and ergonomics go.