Car (Truck) Stereo System Info Help

[BHBrave08]

Hey everyone,
I am fixing to get a new system for my truck (01 Ford F150 4-door) and was needing some help on a few things.
I am pretty sure I am going to get either 10'' or 12'' Kicker Solo Baric Subs. But, I am overly confused on what speakers I should get with them. I am big on my music sounding as clear as possible, so that is important.
If you know anything about any of this (because I certantly don't), help is appreciated.:D

[DU_stud04]

solo beric ehh? i like you already.

go with some components, pretty much anything with a tweeter on it, i like pioneer, not so much a sony fan when it comes to speakers, just go with kickers to make it complete. also, get some tweeters installed. they really pull up the highs and make everything extra crisp.... i found some tweeters on ebay that were 10$ for a pack of 6 sets....and they were really good. installation is very easy..if you were close to the metroplex id do it free for you.

also, be careful with your solo baric and make sure you wear your speakers in before you decide to show off the power of the sub.

....also, the solo baric will blow out the back window. hahahaha

what size amp are you using for your sub?

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by DU_stud04
solo beric ehh? i like you already.

go with some components, pretty much anything with a tweeter on it, i like pioneer, not so much a sony fan when it comes to speakers, just go with kickers to make it complete. also, get some tweeters installed. they really pull up the highs and make everything extra crisp.... i found some tweeters on ebay that were 10$ for a pack of 6 sets....and they were really good. installation is very easy..if you were close to the metroplex id do it free for you.

also, be careful with your solo baric and make sure you wear your speakers in before you decide to show off the power of the sub.

....also, the solo baric will blow out the back window. hahahaha

what size amp are you using for your sub?

You'd break everything with your Juggernaut grip.

[kaorder1999]

save your money and spend it on something useful!

[HM33]

Memphis make good highs/components and if not them, then Apline are very good. And you should go with the JL w7 :) for the subs

[RMAC]

Originally posted by HM33
Memphis make good highs/components and if not them, then Apline are very good. And you should go with the JL w7 :) for the subs

Shoot, have they gone down since their release? I haven't checked E-Bay in a while. I have just some plain-jane Pioneer 6x9 4-ways in the doors and Pioneer 6's in the back. I'm always happy with the sound I get and you can get them for like $60 a pair or so in a store, but probably cheaper on E-Bay. My friend has a Kicker 12 Solo in his single cab Ford with the Pioneer components like mine and it sounds great. He actually also added 2 tweeters to it as well.

[big daddy russ]

A.) How much you looking to spend on speakers? What's your overall budget for this project?

B.) Do you want to go with components, coaxials, or do you not know?

C.) What kind of music do you listen to the most? Do you lean towards rap and rock? Do you like country? Anything else? Just list everything you listen to.

D.) You looking more for sound quality, bump, or a combo of both with your sub?

E.) What components do you have for the rest of your system... what kind of amp are you running and what kind of headunit/CD player do you have? Or are you still in the market for all that stuff.


For the price, it's hard to beat Elemental Designs on any of their equipment.

If you want some extremely high-end stuff but don't want to pay high-end prices, check out used stuff off message boards. I'm a member of a few different audio boards with used stuff that's always coming up for sale, and most of these guys really take care of their stuff. Bought both my system and my fiancee's from a few of these guys. I can help you out if you need it, just let me know.

[DU_stud04]

tweeters make everything better :D

[BHBrave08]

A.) How much you looking to spend on speakers? What's your overall budget for this project?
--- I am not wanting to spend a ton but im not trying to be cheap either. I would like to keep it under $900 or $1000 (or less:rolleyes: ).
B..) Do you want to go with components, coaxials, or do you not know?
i really don't know. Most that I talk too say to go with components because of the tweeters.
C.) What kind of music do you listen to the most? Do you lean towards rap and rock? Do you like country? Anything else? Just list everything you listen to.
I listen to everything. Probably Rock/Alt. mostly, then Country and Rap when im in the mood. Thats why I want everything to be so clear because I listen to a lot of Rock/Alt.
D.) You looking more for sound quality, bump, or a combo of both with your sub?
I certainly want it to hit but with a solo baric I know it will but I really want quality also.
E.) What components do you have for the rest of your system... what kind of amp are you running and what kind of headunit/CD player do you have? Or are you still in the market for all that stuff.
LOL. Im still in the market...This whole project is starting from nothing pretty much so I still need an amp and everything.

[Dogman_1969]

Hey guys I'm doing the same project with my son. I just bought him a 1999 F-150. Saturday we were at Fry's and I bought him a new sterio for it. He picked out a Pioneer 3900 that has the Aux jack on the front for his Ipod to plug into.

We also bought a 400 watt amp they had on sale for $29.99. I can't remember who it is made by but the salesman told us that it would do just fine as long as we didn't get too crazy with it.

We don't plan to put in kickers yet, just replace all 4 factory speakers for now.

Now the hard part, installation. We started yesterday and plan to work on it in the afternoons this week until we are finished.

May the force be with us..................

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by Dogman_1969
Hey guys I'm doing the same project with my son. I just bought him a 1999 F-150. Saturday we were at Fry's and I bought him a new sterio for it. He picked out a Pioneer 3900 that has the Aux jack on the front for his Ipod to plug into.

We also bought a 400 watt amp they had on sale for $29.99. I can't remember who it is made by but the salesman told us that it would do just fine as long as we didn't get too crazy with it.

We don't plan to put in kickers yet, just replace all 4 factory speakers for now.

Now the hard part, installation. We started yesterday and plan to work on it in the afternoons this week until we are finished.

May the force be with us..................

I don't see the point in having all those loud speakers and stuff, the roar of my diesel engine does me just fine. ;)

[sweetwater07]

if your wanting clear door speakers..go with Infinity Kappas....those are the most clear door speakers that you can get...and if your getting kicker subs...and have plenty of cash..get the L7's or L5's

[TMer25]

JL Audio Evolution Vr series are pretty good bang for the buck component systems. I use the ZR series in one of my vehicles and absolutely love them.

[DU_stud04]

i can get a decent discount on some bose speakers....if your looking to spend some good money :D

[kaorder1999]

http://www.zalma.com/MONEY_BURNING.jpg

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by kaorder1999
http://www.zalma.com/MONEY_BURNING.jpg

Exactly. I'm saving my money so I can put a cold air intake, straight pipe, and put a five inch chrome tip on my truck. I bet after I do that mine will be louder than your system, improve the performance, and look better than any system you guys put in your vehicles. :D

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by BHBrave08
A.) How much you looking to spend on speakers? What's your overall budget for this project?
--- I am not wanting to spend a ton but im not trying to be cheap either. I would like to keep it under $900 or $1000 (or less:rolleyes: ).
B..) Do you want to go with components, coaxials, or do you not know?
i really don't know. Most that I talk too say to go with components because of the tweeters.
C.) What kind of music do you listen to the most? Do you lean towards rap and rock? Do you like country? Anything else? Just list everything you listen to.
I listen to everything. Probably Rock/Alt. mostly, then Country and Rap when im in the mood. Thats why I want everything to be so clear because I listen to a lot of Rock/Alt.
D.) You looking more for sound quality, bump, or a combo of both with your sub?
I certainly want it to hit but with a solo baric I know it will but I really want quality also.
E.) What components do you have for the rest of your system... what kind of amp are you running and what kind of headunit/CD player do you have? Or are you still in the market for all that stuff.
LOL. Im still in the market...This whole project is starting from nothing pretty much so I still need an amp and everything.
You can do a lot in that price range.

If you're looking for new:

Check out Elemental Designs (http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/index.php). They have a four-channel amp that's only $245 and some great component speakers that use Vifa drivers. They only sell component speakers and they all sound great, their amps sound better and "hit harder" than amps twice their price, and all their stuff comes with a 5-year warranty. To beat ED, you'd have to go up into the $600 price range. No middle man means no jacked-up costs. That's why ED could blow away anything from Best Buy or Circuit City at half the price.

Their nine.4 amplifier pushes 65 watts to four channels at 4 ohms, 100 wpc at 2 ohms. You could run everything in your truck with that amp and not have to shell out a bunch of money.

Also, check out the tab on the left that says "Package Deals." You buy more than one thing from them, they'll take 15% off the total price. That nine.4 amp plus their basic set of component speakers (the basic set runs $135, their top-of-the-line set runs $250) runs $323 for the whole shebang.

FYI, Vifa speakers are primarily a home audio speaker that tend to be used in home audio speakers in the $1,000-$5,000 range.

If you want to go with new speakers from a more established manufacturer, look into Rainbow Audio's components (their bottom of the line stuff will run you anywhere from $150-$300), JL Audio's bottom of the line stuff (run you about $200) or Image Dynamics' bottom-end speakers (set you back $250). Those would be the best bet for your price range, and every single one uses top-of-the-line technology "dumbed down" to get to an affordable price.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now if you don't mind cruising with something used or "almost new," check out these audio forums. There's always good stuff for sale by individuals. Especially amps.

http://www.icixsound.com/vb/portal.php
http://www.audiogroupforum.com/csforum/
http://forum.elitecaraudio.com/

Some background info so you kind of know where to look and what to avoid: In the early-2000's, a lot of high-end amp companies started having financial problems. There's just not a large market for that kind of stuff, so quite a few were either bought out by larger companies or just started doing anything they could to cut back prices. This meant lower-quality components, production plants moving overseas (China, Taiwan, etc.), etc., etc.

The three most well-known cases were Rockford-Fosgate, Precision Power and Soundstream. Their stuff before the sell-offs was second-to-none, especially SS and PPI (short for Precision Power, Inc). Most Soundstream amps looked like crap (a dull, mangy blue), but were some of the best-sounding amps ever made. Same thing with PPI. BTW, the last good SS amps were known as the "Rubicon" (Rubicon II also applies) line of amps and the last good PPI's were known as the "Powerclass" line of amps. Rockford's last hurrah were their Trans-Ana amps, made until right around 2002 or so.

Oh, and one more thing. All were underrated. They all had "birth sheets," pieces of paper showing their rated power vs. the actual power that they were tested at. A buddy of mine had a Soundstream 302 (rated at 75x2 @ 4 ohms, 300x1 @ 4 ohms bridged) that was "birthed" at 94 watts by 2 @ 4 ohms stereo, 356 watts total power.

Now today's PPI and Rockford stuff has kept some level of credibility just because they can hit, but Soundstream has completely fallen off the map. Still, they all sound like butt, especially for the price, so I'd stay away from the new stuff.

Another company to check into is A/D/S. Instead of going the way of SS and PPI and becoming crap, they were bought out and just stopped making amps. They used to be $1000 amps back in the day. Top of the line stuff, but couldn't afford to keep making it.

The first guy you'd probably want to talk to if you decide to go with an older amp would be a guy named Dave Damage on the ICIX forum. I think he used to be a Soundstream dealer, but he has tons of old SS stuff still in its original box. No warranty or anything, but that stuff was bulletproof. I've never, in my life, heard of an old-school SS amp going back for repairs during the first three years of use.

Last I heard, he has a Rubicon 604 (goes 75x4 @ 4 ohms, 150x4 @ 2 ohms, or 300x2 bridged @ 4 ohms) that was only used for two weeks. Originally, that was a $700-$800 amp about six years ago and sounds better than most high-end amps today. Personally, I'd invest my money in that before I'd sink it into one of the new JL Audio amplifiers. It's about as nice as nice can get.

One last thing before I go, remember that you don't have to have the best-sounding stuff in the world, just the stuff that sounds best to you. If those ED speakers and amps sound just as good as some super high-end Focal speakers and Brax amps to your ears, then save the money. I know you're going a lot on recommendation here, but there's no reason to sink all your money in a system unless that's your passion. I used to have that same passion, but it was an expensive one.

Anyways, I know that's a lot of information to digest, but I hope I helped out a little. If anything I said confuses you in any way, you need some more help, or you just want to know a little more about these guys, let me know. I'd be happy to give you a hand.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
You can do a lot in that price range.

If you're looking for new:

Check out Elemental Designs (http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/index.php). They have a four-channel amp that's only $245 and some great component speakers that use Vifa drivers. They only sell component speakers and they all sound great, their amps sound better and "hit harder" than amps twice their price, and all their stuff comes with a 5-year warranty. To beat ED, you'd have to go up into the $600 price range. No middle man means no jacked-up costs. That's why ED could blow away anything from Best Buy or Circuit City at half the price.

Their nine.4 amplifier pushes 65 watts to four channels at 4 ohms, 100 wpc at 2 ohms. You could run everything in your truck with that amp and not have to shell out a bunch of money.

Also, check out the tab on the left that says "Package Deals." You buy more than one thing from them, they'll take 15% off the total price. That nine.4 amp plus their basic set of component speakers (the basic set runs $135, their top-of-the-line set runs $250) runs $323 for the whole shebang.

FYI, Vifa speakers are primarily a home audio speaker that tend to be used in home audio speakers in the $1,000-$5,000 range.

If you want to go with new speakers from a more established manufacturer, look into Rainbow Audio's components (their bottom of the line stuff will run you anywhere from $150-$300), JL Audio's bottom of the line stuff (run you about $200) or Image Dynamics' bottom-end speakers (set you back $250). Those would be the best bet for your price range, and every single one uses top-of-the-line technology "dumbed down" to get to an affordable price.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now if you don't mind cruising with something used or "almost new," check out these audio forums. There's always good stuff for sale by individuals. Especially amps.

http://www.icixsound.com/vb/portal.php
http://www.audiogroupforum.com/csforum/
http://forum.elitecaraudio.com/

Some background info so you kind of know where to look and what to avoid: In the early-2000's, a lot of high-end amp companies started having financial problems. There's just not a large market for that kind of stuff, so quite a few were either bought out by larger companies or just started doing anything they could to cut back prices. This meant lower-quality components, production plants moving overseas (China, Taiwan, etc.), etc., etc.

The three most well-known cases were Rockford-Fosgate, Precision Power and Soundstream. Their stuff before the sell-offs was second-to-none, especially SS and PPI (short for Precision Power, Inc). Most Soundstream amps looked like crap (a dull, mangy blue), but were some of the best-sounding amps ever made. Same thing with PPI. BTW, the last good SS amps were known as the "Rubicon" (Rubicon II also applies) line of amps and the last good PPI's were known as the "Powerclass" line of amps. Rockford's last hurrah were their Trans-Ana amps, made until right around 2002 or so.

Now today's PPI and Rockford stuff has kept some level of credibility just because they can hit, but Soundstream has completely fallen off the map. Still, they all sound like butt, especially for the price, so I'd stay away from the new stuff.

Another company to check into is A/D/S. Instead of going the way of SS and PPI and becoming crap, they were bought out and just stopped making amps. They used to be $1000 amps back in the day. Top of the line stuff, but couldn't afford to keep making it.

The first guy you'd probably want to talk to if you decide to go with an older amp would be a guy named Dave Damage on the ICIX forum. I think he used to be a Soundstream dealer, but he has tons of old SS stuff still in its original box. No warranty or anything, but that stuff was bulletproof. I've never, in my life, heard of an old-school SS amp going back for repairs during the first three years of use.

Last I heard, he has a Rubicon 604 (goes 75x4 @ 4 ohms, 150x4 @ 2 ohms, or 300x2 bridged @ 4 ohms) that was only used for two weeks. Originally, that was a $700-$800 amp about six years ago and sounds better than most high-end amps today. Personally, I'd invest my money in that before I'd sink it into one of the new JL Audio amplifiers. It's about as nice as nice can get.

One last thing before I go, remember that you don't have to have the best-sounding stuff in the world, just the stuff that sounds best to you. If those ED speakers and amps sound just as good as some super high-end Focal speakers and Brax amps to your ears, then save the money. I know you're going a lot on recommendation here, but there's no reason to sink all your money in a system unless that's your passion. I used to have that same passion, but it was an expensive one.

Anyways, I know that's a lot of information to digest, but I hope I helped out a little. If anything I said confuses you in any way, you need some more help, or you just want to know a little more about these guys, let me know. I'd be happy to give you a hand.

Don't you ever get tired of knowing everything about everything?

[RMAC]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Exactly. I'm saving my money so I can put a cold air intake, straight pipe, and put a five inch chrome tip on my truck. I bet after I do that mine will be louder than your system, improve the performance, and look better than any system you guys put in your vehicles. :D

Will it hit 150+ decibles? :D I think that's what that Kicker will do with the right amp. If you get a few JL 13W7's together, were talking 165+.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by RMAC
Will it hit 150+ decibles? :D I think that's what that Kicker will do with the right amp. If you get a few JL 13W7's together, were talking 165+.

You can hear me coming a lot sooner than you can a truck with a little thump going on. I don't know how loud it will get in decibles, but if I wrap it up it can sound pretty dang mean, and pull all of those other cars around. :D

[Cameron Crazy]

Sounds mean Gary...Get pics!

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by BHBrave08
B..) Do you want to go with components, coaxials, or do you not know?
i really don't know. Most that I talk too say to go with components because of the tweeters....

D.) You looking more for sound quality, bump, or a combo of both with your sub?
I certainly want it to hit but with a solo baric I know it will but I really want quality also...
Sorry man, I forgot to address these issues. The positive about separates is that they provide much better sound over coaxials. The negative is that you may have to find a place to put the tweeters if they won't fit in your door panel. A lot of people use custom-built kick panels, but that sets you back time and money. It all depends on how far you want to go, but going that far may be going overboard depending on your circumstances.

Personally, I drive an '03 single cab GMC and I didn't even give components a second thought. I didn't want to invest the time and money into my system, so I just found a set of Image Dynamics coaxials and a single 10" ID sub and used those to go with my A/D/S amps. It sounds great to me.

The reason this popped into mind was that this was originally why I recommended the Elemtal Designs' $135 separates. While typing, I just forgot to mention it. I know with those speakers, you can actually mount the tweeter on top of the mid-bass driver, giving you a little flexibility in what you want to do.

If you decide that separates would be too much, just mount the tweeter and you have a coaxial speaker. If you think you've got the room or want to take on the challenge of doing components, then you have that option, too.


Also, I forgot to ask you which Solo Baric you're going with. They make several different lines, and you may be surprised at what you can buy instead with the money you'd spend on one of the top-of-the line Solo Barics. Don't get me wrong, they're nice subs. They just lean more towards "boom" than SQ, but are especially suited for rock/alternative, though country may suffer a little. Still, like I said, decide on your own what you want out of your sub and go with that. If you can't tell by now, I'm a pure SQ guy. Don't let my opinions sway you.

This scale should give you an idea of what to look at as far as subs go. I ranked each of these subs from 1 to 10, based exclusively on whether they tend to lean more towards SQ (closer to a one) or hard-hitting (closer to a 10). I used only the more prominent speaker/subwoofer companies that I know about, so if you have any questions about others, let me know. I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability

1- Alumapro Alchemy RX Line, Focal Utopia, Dynaudio, McIntosh, Morel, Velodyne (All extremely expensive, but all are accurate to a fault... The type of sub that only hits when they're asked to, but can hit as hard as just about anyone)
2- Image Dynamics IDQ's, Elemental Designs SQ10
3- MB Quart Reference, Elemental Designs Ov.2 line
4- JL Audio W3
5- JL Audio W7, Cerwin Vega, Oz Audio Matrix Elites , Infinity Kappa Perfect
6- CDT, Image Dynamics IDMAX, JL Audio W6
7- Diamond Audio, Rockford-Fosgate (all lines), Elemental Designs Kv.2 line
8- Kicker, Orion (still have good SQ, but have traditionally been a favorite of SPL guys)
9- MTX
10- MMATS

A quick thing about this chart... just because a sub is a one doesn't mean it doesn't hit. Just means it was designed more with accuracy in mind. And just because a sub is an eight doesn't mean it's not accurate. It's just the type of environment this sub was designed for. For example, the ED Ov.2 (a "three") has better SQ than the ED SQ10 (a "two"), but has more jump (can hit harder). Same thing with the JL Audio W6 and W7.

Most of the subs on the line from four to eight (along with the ones) will work well with rock, hip-hop, and rap. Typically, a five is almost overdoing it for country, classical, jazz, etc. Country, R&B, and pop tend to lean more towards a two or three, while instrumental, jass, and acoustic tend to lean strongly towards a two or a one.

Also, there are a few subs that are close to a one, but didn't start out with pure SQ in mind. The JL Audio W7, ED Ov.2, and Oz Audio Matrix Elites are the most prominent of these.


Oh, and take whatever this guy...

Originally posted by TMer25
JL Audio Evolution Vr series are pretty good bang for the buck component systems. I use the ZR series in one of my vehicles and absolutely love them.
...says as gospel. He knows more about this stuff than anyone else on the board.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by Dogman_1969
Hey guys I'm doing the same project with my son. I just bought him a 1999 F-150. Saturday we were at Fry's and I bought him a new sterio for it. He picked out a Pioneer 3900 that has the Aux jack on the front for his Ipod to plug into.

We also bought a 400 watt amp they had on sale for $29.99. I can't remember who it is made by but the salesman told us that it would do just fine as long as we didn't get too crazy with it.

We don't plan to put in kickers yet, just replace all 4 factory speakers for now.

Now the hard part, installation. We started yesterday and plan to work on it in the afternoons this week until we are finished.

May the force be with us..................
Good luck, Dogman. Let us know how it turns out. If you can, take some pics of your work and post it.

[DU_stud04]

tweeters? all they need is some double sided tape, or buy a harness and screw it in the panel. run the wire through the panel. tweeters are probably the easiest to do.


some cheap components i found that had decent sound were lightning audio from walmart. had a friend hook me up with some and they werent half bad.

best system i build someone took me a whole day, installed pioneer head unit, 5 mounted components, 2 10 in subs(build the box), installed 2 1000 amps, then 2 8" super components with super tweeters in the front, 8 tweeters 4 on the dash, 2 up top, 2 in the back......loudest system i ever put together....everything was pioneer except the tweeters, which i bought off of ebay. most people can only hear the bump till you get close enough....this one you could hear every crisp word from blocks away when turned up.

[DU_stud04]

also installed some pulsating led lights....every time the bass would bump, the lights would flicker....pretty sweet :D

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by DU_stud04
tweeters? all they need is some double sided tape, or buy a harness and screw it in the panel. run the wire through the panel. tweeters are probably the easiest to do...
Not if you want to do it right and not booger up your car. It all depends on how big the grilles are on his pickup. If they're big enough (say, 6x8), then it's worth cutting that little pad and throwing a tweeter in there. If not, it becomes a whole different ball game.

And that's a whole lotta of speakers and a whole lotta power, DU. Ever get mad at someone and just park outside their house in the middle of the night and turn it up, haha?

I can't even imagine that much power.

[DU_stud04]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
Not if you want to do it right and not booger up your car. It all depends on how big the grilles are on his pickup. If they're big enough (say, 6x8), then it's worth cutting that little pad and throwing a tweeter in there. If not, it becomes a whole different ball game.

And that's a whole lotta of speakers and a whole lotta power, DU. Ever get mad at someone and just park outside their house in the middle of the night and turn it up, haha?

I can't even imagine that much power. i get crazy with whatever im doing....i was very proud of my work. and yes.....we would ride slow though oak cliff with it turned up....just watchin the lights flicker on and blinds crack open.

best is when parked at open parking lot with friends and just turn it up.... our "mini club" hahaha, we all broke.