Help a first-time buyer

[CleverWord]

Hi, I am looking to buy my first pair of 12" subwoofers for my car, but I have no clue about anything car audio related. I want something that'll provide some serious thump, and will cost about 300$ - 500$ for the total package, including the setup, installation, and any other parts that I would need to make the subs work in my car, such as a box.

I've heard that if you have a lot of wattage, you can get away with just 1 really nice 12" subwoofer, and that it's better than 2 crappy 12" subwoofers.

What do you guys think would be a good setup?

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[lilboom 10+ year member]

umm i think i need to know what car you working with and who's going o do the install?

i can tell you you have a nice budget for a first system. but it will mean crap if you get setup and it burns down within the hour

 

[CleverWord]

let's say i get best buy or somewhere reputable to do it

the car i'm working with is a 1996 lexus ls400

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

Add me and IM me I have some stuff you could work with!

 

[lilboom 10+ year member]

well you have plenty of space ,idk about stock electrical capabilities on that v8.

now what do you consider so serious thump

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

well you have plenty of space ,idk about stock electrical capabilities on that v8.
now what do you consider so serious thump

Im sure its decent probably like a 90 amp alt...

 

[lilboom 10+ year member]

should be enough for a nice entry setup and some maybe.

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

should be enough for a nice entry setup and some maybe.

O ya!

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

Are you set on having a shop to install it for you, or are you open to learning how to install it yourself? It's actually really easy to install, just basically plugging in a few wires, only part that is a PITA is hiding the wires. It's just that paying a shop to do it will really hurt your budget for your subs.

Are you using a factory deck in your car or do you have aftermarket? Also what do you consider serious thump? $300 to $500 for everything really won't get you very loud, especially if you're planning on paying a shop to do the install. My sub and box alone cost almost $600 (not the cvrs in my sig lulz), and to people on here, it wouldn't be considered "serious thump" lol

You can add some bass with your price range, but I wouldn't expect it to get too loud.

 

[CleverWord]

thank you everyone who responded in this thread. i thought about this all some more, and concluded that im going to wait until i have alot more money before i get a nice system.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

nice is relative. there is a lot of nice gear in the Classifieds section to get you some nice output in your price range. if you're car is currently 100% factory, then you'll have money in interfaces so you can get a signal and turn-on from the factory head unit. figure that the interface and wiring is gonna run at least $100. A good sub amp new is $300-$500, you don't need more than 500-750W RMS for a single driver to get good output.

I think that a nice 12" sub properly installed and powered, is plenty of output for 90% of the population. some people don't like music and want more bass than the sound system can support - they put in lots of subs and sub amps but nothing for speakers and they sound like a dogpile. and some want the entire package - loud music + loud bass.

 

[orphe 10+ year member]

let's say i get best buy or somewhere reputable to do it
the car i'm working with is a 1996 lexus ls400

I wouldn't trust best buy to unclog my toilet.

 

[orphe 10+ year member]

thank you everyone who responded in this thread. i thought about this all some more, and concluded that im going to wait until i have alot more money before i get a nice system.

Save up about $1200 - $2000 you can get an extremely nice sound system why that kind of cash. Always remember, you get what you pay for. A boss 1000 watt amp is NOT the same as a kicker 1000 watt amp.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

you'll need to remove the plate behind the back seat also ,if not you'll need more power could prolly set you up with something nice,i have a distributor in LA i could have it drop shipped to your house. all new