first system - done a little research, need someone to check me over here =)

[prophetik]

g'day, folks =)

i'm looking to replace the stock audio in my 2003 jeep liberty sport (4WD, 3.7L V6). i don't have a ton to spend, but i'm looking for a system with good fidelity as opposed to having monster sound. so, tell me what you think. remember that i don't need a monster-volume system. what's in there already is more than loud enough, honestly. i just want better quality.

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X395 - 140$, 22w RMS x4, 6-channel

2x Polk Audio db651s - 150$ total

total at roughly 290$. i've already got the wiring harness and bezel, so i just need the antenna adapter that comes with the stereo. i'll put it in myself, since it seems to be pretty simple. I'd prefer to not spend much more money, since i'm a few dollars over budget already =)

would this be a good start? i'm worried that the system will feel a bit empty on the low end, so i've looked a bit into getting a mono amp and a single 10" sub in the trunk. i admit i don't know enough to be able to pick out a good option for that. suggestions there would be ideal.

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[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

A powered subwoofer is always a good option to have. But getting that is a separate issue from the inadequacies you are concerned with in your front stage. What Im getting at is, you will want to get an amplifier to power your front speakers. The quality you are seeking depends on properly powering your front stage. h/u amps are noisy and underpowered. The front speakers' low end response will not be there, and audible distortion will likely be present long before the speakers themselves are even breaking a sweat.

My recommendation is get the front stage right first, including an amp, and then move on to the subwoofer.

 

[prophetik]

what amp would you recommend? would it be worth it to go lower on the HU - say, down to the 75$ range - to be able to afford a 4-way or 5-way amp now?

the crutchfield rep i got an email from said that he'd suggest the Alpine SPS-600 coaxial speakers instead of the Polk speakers i listed in the OP, and they're 20$ less. they're 80W RMS, so adding an amp would make for a lot of possible volume if i wanted it.

along those lines, would it be worth it to spend on a 5-way amp now to be able to just drop the sub in when i've got the cash? or should they be separate units, a 4-way and a mono? i know little about the setup of a subwoofer in this situation, honestly =)

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

what amp would you recommend? would it be worth it to go lower on the HU - say, down to the 75$ range - to be able to afford a 4-way or 5-way amp now?
the crutchfield rep i got an email from said that he'd suggest the Alpine SPS-600 coaxial speakers instead of the Polk speakers i listed in the OP, and they're 20$ less. they're 80W RMS, so adding an amp would make for a lot of possible volume if i wanted it.

along those lines, would it be worth it to spend on a 5-way amp now to be able to just drop the sub in when i've got the cash? or should they be separate units, a 4-way and a mono? i know little about the setup of a subwoofer in this situation, honestly =)

Im not familiar with the speakers in question, so I'll leave that answer to someone who has heard them.

As for the h/u, depends on the deal you can get. You'll want a deck with at minimum, imo, a built in crossover network so you can highpass the signal to the fronts and have subwoofer control. A nice built-in EQ would be handy as well. I dont know if that's all possible within your budget however.

Personally, id rather have a separate amp for my sub. If I ever decide to change subs and have a different ohm load of power requirement, I dont have to switch the amplification that powers my front speakers too. More flexibility. But some people dont switch equipment, like ever, and like the convenience of a single amp to power everything. *shrug* Personal judgement call on that one.

 

[UMWDawg92 10+ year member]

You could get something like these for your front stage CADENCE CWM6KIT 6.5 and amp them with this WoofersEtc.com - FD 2100 - ARC Audio 2 Channel 190 Watt Amplifier

Those speakers are supposed to be a great low budget set, there are lots of reviews of them if you search it.