If you had $2K for a system ???
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,508
Likes: 0
If you had $2K for a system ???
.......actually I guess I should say, if I came to you and said, I have $2K for a system, and it needs to meet the following criteria;
1) This price has to include an alarm.
2) I like a LOT of deep base, but I also like a lot of balanced mids and highs. And I can build pretty much anything but the most complicated boxes.
3) I should have plenty of space for a 15" or a couple of 12"s {or a 15" AND a couple of 10"s... always wanted a super sub for nothing but 30hz and down, and some regular woofers for say 100hz down to 30hz, too) ....
I have a Supercab with the back seats removed.... not just for the stereo, but for space in general, since I will NEVER EVER have a passenger back there anyway.
4) I like LOTS of power. I'd rather have 1000 watts and only use 100, than need 1000, and only have 100. I also LOVE having lots of seperated power channels. At least 6, but a 7th for that super sub would be cool too :-) {my best system from back in the day, had a left and right for mids + highs, a left and right for mid base, and a left and right for sub base. My 3 way electronic X-over worked great for this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyway, I'm an old guy now (43) and in all honesty, I'm pretty darn def, as a result of years of loud car stereo hearing abuse.
But it's been about 15 years since I had a ripping system, and I think I'm having a mid-life crisis or something ;-) LOL And a stereo pretty much has to be jaw dropping to impress me.
So, how far will $2K get you nowadays, if you play your cards right ??? I want the best "value" equipment... good stuff, at a good price. Not garbage for cheap, but not big NAME stuff that cost double.......
Oh, and I don't need a deck with a bunch of bells and whistles. I'll probably just use the MP3 jack on my dash, from an iPod most of the time anyway. That should sound just as nice coming out of the speakers anyway, huh ?
I'll probably start buying the hardware this Winter, but I'd like to start planning a system now....
Thank you,
Fish
PS, My specialty use to be in building ported sub boxes, and planning speaker arrangements, and X over points.... But I'm old and rusty. Need some help from you young guys :-)
Or, am I asking for too much, from too little ?.... would $3K be more reasonable ?
1) This price has to include an alarm.
2) I like a LOT of deep base, but I also like a lot of balanced mids and highs. And I can build pretty much anything but the most complicated boxes.
3) I should have plenty of space for a 15" or a couple of 12"s {or a 15" AND a couple of 10"s... always wanted a super sub for nothing but 30hz and down, and some regular woofers for say 100hz down to 30hz, too) ....
I have a Supercab with the back seats removed.... not just for the stereo, but for space in general, since I will NEVER EVER have a passenger back there anyway.
4) I like LOTS of power. I'd rather have 1000 watts and only use 100, than need 1000, and only have 100. I also LOVE having lots of seperated power channels. At least 6, but a 7th for that super sub would be cool too :-) {my best system from back in the day, had a left and right for mids + highs, a left and right for mid base, and a left and right for sub base. My 3 way electronic X-over worked great for this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyway, I'm an old guy now (43) and in all honesty, I'm pretty darn def, as a result of years of loud car stereo hearing abuse.
But it's been about 15 years since I had a ripping system, and I think I'm having a mid-life crisis or something ;-) LOL And a stereo pretty much has to be jaw dropping to impress me.
So, how far will $2K get you nowadays, if you play your cards right ??? I want the best "value" equipment... good stuff, at a good price. Not garbage for cheap, but not big NAME stuff that cost double.......
Oh, and I don't need a deck with a bunch of bells and whistles. I'll probably just use the MP3 jack on my dash, from an iPod most of the time anyway. That should sound just as nice coming out of the speakers anyway, huh ?
I'll probably start buying the hardware this Winter, but I'd like to start planning a system now....
Thank you,
Fish
PS, My specialty use to be in building ported sub boxes, and planning speaker arrangements, and X over points.... But I'm old and rusty. Need some help from you young guys :-)
Or, am I asking for too much, from too little ?.... would $3K be more reasonable ?
Last edited by Fish Chris; Jul 6, 2008 at 11:31 PM.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,862
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
1) dont mix subwoofer sizes, stay with the same brand/model and the same size.
2) If you want a fancy alarm and a touch screen deck, you're going to need a lot more than 2k to reach all of that criteria.
3) make sure to add sound deadening and install approach to all of that...a system only sounds as good as the install.
4) I hope you plan on doing the installation yourself or with a friend....or else it will get REALLY expensive.
2) If you want a fancy alarm and a touch screen deck, you're going to need a lot more than 2k to reach all of that criteria.
3) make sure to add sound deadening and install approach to all of that...a system only sounds as good as the install.
4) I hope you plan on doing the installation yourself or with a friend....or else it will get REALLY expensive.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,494
Likes: 0
From: Slidell, LA
.......actually I guess I should say, if I came to you and said, I have $2K for a system, and it needs to meet the following criteria;
1) This price has to include an alarm.
2) I like a LOT of deep base, but I also like a lot of balanced mids and highs. And I can build pretty much anything but the most complicated boxes.
3) I should have plenty of space for a 15" or a couple of 12"s {or a 15" AND a couple of 10"s... always wanted a super sub for nothing but 30hz and down, and some regular woofers for say 100hz down to 30hz, too) ....
I have a Supercab with the back seats removed.... not just for the stereo, but for space in general, since I will NEVER EVER have a passenger back there anyway.
4) I like LOTS of power. I'd rather have 1000 watts and only use 100, than need 1000, and only have 100. I also LOVE having lots of seperated power channels. At least 6, but a 7th for that super sub would be cool too :-) {my best system from back in the day, had a left and right for mids + highs, a left and right for mid base, and a left and right for sub base. My 3 way electronic X-over worked great for this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyway, I'm an old guy now (43) and in all honesty, I'm pretty darn def, as a result of years of loud car stereo hearing abuse.
But it's been about 15 years since I had a ripping system, and I think I'm having a mid-life crisis or something ;-) LOL And a stereo pretty much has to be jaw dropping to impress me.
So, how far will $2K get you nowadays, if you play your cards right ??? I want the best "value" equipment... good stuff, at a good price. Not garbage for cheap, but not big NAME stuff that cost double.......
Oh, and I don't need a deck with a bunch of bells and whistles. I'll probably just use the MP3 jack on my dash, from an iPod most of the time anyway. That should sound just as nice coming out of the speakers anyway, huh ?
I'll probably start buying the hardware this Winter, but I'd like to start planning a system now....
Thank you,
Fish
PS, My specialty use to be in building ported sub boxes, and planning speaker arrangements, and X over points.... But I'm old and rusty. Need some help from you young guys :-)
Or, am I asking for too much, from too little ?.... would $3K be more reasonable ?
1) This price has to include an alarm.
2) I like a LOT of deep base, but I also like a lot of balanced mids and highs. And I can build pretty much anything but the most complicated boxes.
3) I should have plenty of space for a 15" or a couple of 12"s {or a 15" AND a couple of 10"s... always wanted a super sub for nothing but 30hz and down, and some regular woofers for say 100hz down to 30hz, too) ....
I have a Supercab with the back seats removed.... not just for the stereo, but for space in general, since I will NEVER EVER have a passenger back there anyway.
4) I like LOTS of power. I'd rather have 1000 watts and only use 100, than need 1000, and only have 100. I also LOVE having lots of seperated power channels. At least 6, but a 7th for that super sub would be cool too :-) {my best system from back in the day, had a left and right for mids + highs, a left and right for mid base, and a left and right for sub base. My 3 way electronic X-over worked great for this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyway, I'm an old guy now (43) and in all honesty, I'm pretty darn def, as a result of years of loud car stereo hearing abuse.
But it's been about 15 years since I had a ripping system, and I think I'm having a mid-life crisis or something ;-) LOL And a stereo pretty much has to be jaw dropping to impress me.
So, how far will $2K get you nowadays, if you play your cards right ??? I want the best "value" equipment... good stuff, at a good price. Not garbage for cheap, but not big NAME stuff that cost double.......
Oh, and I don't need a deck with a bunch of bells and whistles. I'll probably just use the MP3 jack on my dash, from an iPod most of the time anyway. That should sound just as nice coming out of the speakers anyway, huh ?
I'll probably start buying the hardware this Winter, but I'd like to start planning a system now....
Thank you,
Fish
PS, My specialty use to be in building ported sub boxes, and planning speaker arrangements, and X over points.... But I'm old and rusty. Need some help from you young guys :-)
Or, am I asking for too much, from too little ?.... would $3K be more reasonable ?
3) If you can build and design the necessary bandpass setups than the 10 and 15 would be a good idea. If not, DONT THINK ABOUT IT ANY FURTHER!!!
4) Good for you. You are smarter than most.
5) The deck will be one of the best investments in this system.
6) 3K might be a bit better.
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,508
Likes: 0
Hello mSaLL.....
Thank you.
But let me clarify a few things...
1) "IF" I were to mix subwoofer sizes, this would only be because they were putting out a different frequency band.....like I was saying, a couple 10"s to put out 100hz down to 30hz, and a 15" to put out nothing but 30hz and down. You could call the 10"s mid-base speakers if you wanted to, and the 15" a sub woofer.... but I'd call them smaller subs, and a super-sub :-)
No problem staying with the same brand though.
2) I don't want a fancy alarm, and a touch screen deck. Bells and whistles mean almost "zero" to me. I want sound ! LOTS of it, and CLEAN !
3) I'd consider some sound deadening materials...... although the 900wt @ .05% system I had in my little truck had none, and was one of the best sounding systems in my town 20 years ago.
Honestly, the install was fugly.... but most of the equipment was completely hidden anyway. So you didn't see much.... you just HEARD it ;-)
4) I'd consider doing a lot of the install myself....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybe I should have just asked;
What are some of the "best value" speakers and amps out there nowadays ?
Peace,
Fish
But let me clarify a few things...
1) "IF" I were to mix subwoofer sizes, this would only be because they were putting out a different frequency band.....like I was saying, a couple 10"s to put out 100hz down to 30hz, and a 15" to put out nothing but 30hz and down. You could call the 10"s mid-base speakers if you wanted to, and the 15" a sub woofer.... but I'd call them smaller subs, and a super-sub :-)
No problem staying with the same brand though.
2) I don't want a fancy alarm, and a touch screen deck. Bells and whistles mean almost "zero" to me. I want sound ! LOTS of it, and CLEAN !
3) I'd consider some sound deadening materials...... although the 900wt @ .05% system I had in my little truck had none, and was one of the best sounding systems in my town 20 years ago.
Honestly, the install was fugly.... but most of the equipment was completely hidden anyway. So you didn't see much.... you just HEARD it ;-)
4) I'd consider doing a lot of the install myself....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybe I should have just asked;
What are some of the "best value" speakers and amps out there nowadays ?
Peace,
Fish
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,494
Likes: 0
From: Slidell, LA
Thank you.
But let me clarify a few things...
1) "IF" I were to mix subwoofer sizes, this would only be because they were putting out a different frequency band.....like I was saying, a couple 10"s to put out 100hz down to 30hz, and a 15" to put out nothing but 30hz and down. You could call the 10"s mid-base speakers if you wanted to, and the 15" a sub woofer.... but I'd call them smaller subs, and a super-sub :-)
No problem staying with the same brand though.
2) I don't want a fancy alarm, and a touch screen deck. Bells and whistles mean almost "zero" to me. I want sound ! LOTS of it, and CLEAN !
3) I'd consider some sound deadening materials...... although the 900wt @ .05% system I had in my little truck had none, and was one of the best sounding systems in my town 20 years ago.
Honestly, the install was fugly.... but most of the equipment was completely hidden anyway. So you didn't see much.... you just HEARD it ;-)
4) I'd consider doing a lot of the install myself....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybe I should have just asked;
What are some of the "best value" speakers and amps out there nowadays ?
Peace,
Fish
But let me clarify a few things...
1) "IF" I were to mix subwoofer sizes, this would only be because they were putting out a different frequency band.....like I was saying, a couple 10"s to put out 100hz down to 30hz, and a 15" to put out nothing but 30hz and down. You could call the 10"s mid-base speakers if you wanted to, and the 15" a sub woofer.... but I'd call them smaller subs, and a super-sub :-)
No problem staying with the same brand though.
2) I don't want a fancy alarm, and a touch screen deck. Bells and whistles mean almost "zero" to me. I want sound ! LOTS of it, and CLEAN !
3) I'd consider some sound deadening materials...... although the 900wt @ .05% system I had in my little truck had none, and was one of the best sounding systems in my town 20 years ago.
Honestly, the install was fugly.... but most of the equipment was completely hidden anyway. So you didn't see much.... you just HEARD it ;-)
4) I'd consider doing a lot of the install myself....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybe I should have just asked;
What are some of the "best value" speakers and amps out there nowadays ?
Peace,
Fish
My Choice system:
HU: Alpine CDA-9887
Speaker: Polk SR 6500
Midbass: Hertz ML 165
Sub: 12 Fi Q
4 ch Amp: Audison VRx 4.300
Sub Amp: Audison LRx 1.1k
Wires: Kicker
Alarm: DEI Viper 791XV
(Im working on it slowly)
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,760
Likes: 4
From: Nebraska
) The Fi Im talking about Kick *** HU by the way
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,494
Likes: 0
From: Slidell, LA
Im not a major brand *****. I just like certain things. And most people dont know the lesser companies. I didnt for a while. But I made it my business to learn and hear the products.
Trending Topics
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,862
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
My choice system: (keep in mind, im a college student, im on a budget too)
HU: Pioneer Premier 4900
speakers: undecided at the moment, looking into Rainbow SLCs or ID CTXs
subwoofers: 2 Stereo Integrity BMs
2 ch amp: USAmps xt 800.2
mono amp: Arc Audio KS 1000.1
amp wires: kicker
speaker wires/RCAs): knukonceptz
deadener: 2 rolls (130 sq ft) Raamat
Battery: Optima Yellowtop
Currently in progress...
HU: Pioneer Premier 4900
speakers: undecided at the moment, looking into Rainbow SLCs or ID CTXs
subwoofers: 2 Stereo Integrity BMs
2 ch amp: USAmps xt 800.2
mono amp: Arc Audio KS 1000.1
amp wires: kicker
speaker wires/RCAs): knukonceptz
deadener: 2 rolls (130 sq ft) Raamat
Battery: Optima Yellowtop
Currently in progress...
HATE THAT PLACE!
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,760
Likes: 4
From: Nebraska
Geez, and I still dont know what Im going to do about a sub 
I was all ready to buy a new Mag, but I talked myself out of it I think for different reasons. Maybe someday after I actually hear one without just taking a chance and buying.
My cheapo 250w Eclipse off 1k watts is keeping me held over for now. Hell maybe Ill just keep it in and use the extra money on something else
I was all ready to buy a new Mag, but I talked myself out of it I think for different reasons. Maybe someday after I actually hear one without just taking a chance and buying.My cheapo 250w Eclipse off 1k watts is keeping me held over for now. Hell maybe Ill just keep it in and use the extra money on something else
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,862
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Geez, and I still dont know what Im going to do about a sub I was all ready to buy a new Mag, but I talked myself out of it I think for different reasons. Maybe someday after I actually hear one without just taking a chance and buying.
My cheapo 250w Eclipse off 1k watts is keeping me held over for now. Hell maybe Ill just keep it in and use the extra money on something else
I was all ready to buy a new Mag, but I talked myself out of it I think for different reasons. Maybe someday after I actually hear one without just taking a chance and buying.My cheapo 250w Eclipse off 1k watts is keeping me held over for now. Hell maybe Ill just keep it in and use the extra money on something else
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,760
Likes: 4
From: Nebraska
Haha, I know. I started really thinking about it and asked myself why the hell I was getting so excited about getting something that isnt even out yet and I havent even seen with my own eyes, let alone listened to one. Even thought they should kick ***.
One day I tell myself a single 12 sealed is more than enough output, and the next day Im sitting in a vehicle with a pair of ported 15s and 2k watts in it, grinning ear to ear, and thinking that I need something that will knock plates off walls, give old women heart attacks, and send childed running to the house.
I love to have a nice even SQish setup, but Im still not over the "Crank that sumbish up and rattle the mirror off the windshield" phase I used to be so into. It sucks.
Other reasons too, but those are the main ones.
One day I tell myself a single 12 sealed is more than enough output, and the next day Im sitting in a vehicle with a pair of ported 15s and 2k watts in it, grinning ear to ear, and thinking that I need something that will knock plates off walls, give old women heart attacks, and send childed running to the house.
I love to have a nice even SQish setup, but Im still not over the "Crank that sumbish up and rattle the mirror off the windshield" phase I used to be so into. It sucks.
Other reasons too, but those are the main ones.
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,508
Likes: 0
Okay....
when I said, "no bells and whistles" relating to an alarm... sure I want it to provide 95% as much security as an expensive alarm... but nothing really fancy, and no, I don't need remote start.
Sure I can build a band pass box. Of course I'm still not decided between one 15", or two 12"s. But either way, do you think a band-pass would sound that much better (or should I say.... flatter across the frequency range ? ......which is what I really prefer in a sub box)
But now, when I say "no bells and whistles" pertaining to a deck.... I mean NONE !
Low_e, you said
....and why exactly do you say this ? CD sound, is CD sound. Way back in the day, a $1000 cassette player, sounded WAY better than a $50 cassette player. But digital is not like that. A $79 CD player puts out so close to the same distortion levels as an $800 deck, why bother ? {the distortion from either is virtually undetectable to the human ear}
I heard a system last year, where the guys "only digital source" was a little iPod.... and the thing absolutely rocked ! Super loud, and very clean.
So tell me again why the deck is so important ? Honestly, if I left the lame factory deck, right where it's at, their wouldn't be much for anybody to try to rip my dash apart to steal, would their ? Then, if figured out how to get the sound from an iPod, through that jack in the dash, then into some real powerful amps (totaling at least 5 channels), and then into some appropriate speakers, why wouldn't this work ?
If I HAVE to buy an aftermarket CD player, I can't see spending more than $250 on it.... unless somebody can explain to me how a more expensive deck will produce louder and much cleaner sound....
Peace,
Fish
Sure I can build a band pass box. Of course I'm still not decided between one 15", or two 12"s. But either way, do you think a band-pass would sound that much better (or should I say.... flatter across the frequency range ? ......which is what I really prefer in a sub box)
But now, when I say "no bells and whistles" pertaining to a deck.... I mean NONE !
Low_e, you said
5) The deck will be one of the best investments in this system.
I heard a system last year, where the guys "only digital source" was a little iPod.... and the thing absolutely rocked ! Super loud, and very clean.
So tell me again why the deck is so important ? Honestly, if I left the lame factory deck, right where it's at, their wouldn't be much for anybody to try to rip my dash apart to steal, would their ? Then, if figured out how to get the sound from an iPod, through that jack in the dash, then into some real powerful amps (totaling at least 5 channels), and then into some appropriate speakers, why wouldn't this work ?
If I HAVE to buy an aftermarket CD player, I can't see spending more than $250 on it.... unless somebody can explain to me how a more expensive deck will produce louder and much cleaner sound....
Peace,
Fish
