Help a newb!

[laxplayer0515]

Hey guys im new to both caraudio forums and car audio period. I was wondering what do you think I should put in a 2004 two door coupe mustang? I want 2 10" subs and an amp. I also want a nice head unit. If you could give me some examples that would add up to no more than 300-350 that would be great.

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[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

If you're looking for a head unit, a pair of 10s,and an amp to drive the 10s with on a budget of $350 you might find it a bit tough going. Yes, I reckon with some research it could be accomplished, but it won't be easy and likely you'll have to buy most, if not all, of it used. Also included in that budget will have to be wiring for the amplifier - an often overlooked (but rather imperative) detail by novices first becoming interested in aftermarket mobile audio.

Have a look through the Classifieds both here as well as other car audio forums. There are almost always people trying to get rid of head units that they have retired after an upgrade though in your stated budget I'd have to say likely you're going to be looking at something fairly basic. Let's see what I can find around the 'Net looking quickly ~

For subs that are decent for entry-level stuff and available at a decent price have a look >>here

So now we've spent $140 of your $350 budget - leaving $210 at this point and we've covered subs and a box (sortof!)

You'll need an amp for those subs and for inexpensive entry-level gear in that department my goto suggestion is usually something from Profile. Have a look >>here

$210 - $75 = $135 for a HU and some wiring.

There's where I run out of suggestions. You can get a new deck for around $100-$110 but I believe you'd be better off buying a used one for that price which would likely have considerably more features than would a BNIB $110 stereo. Have a look around to see what's available.

That leaves $25 for wiring and that should be sufficient if you shop wisely. www.darvex.com or eBay user bag-boy (same person - darvex is just his website) has pretty outstanding deals on wiring. The user Frito here on this forum often has wiring and related accessories for a bargain as well. Shop carefully and you should be able to find what you need within your budget.

Remember to wire your amp you'll need power wire, you'll need ground wire, and a remote turn-on lead for the head unit to tell the amp to power up. You'll also need a set of RCA interconnects to carry the source signal from the stereo to the amp. If the head unit is an upgrade from a factory stereo my suggestion is always to use a factory-harness to aftermarket stereo adapter. This will allow you to connect the new radio to the wiring that your vehicle's manufacturer already saw fit to supply behind the dash for you. These are available anywhere that sells car audio gear - Best Buy, Circuit City, any specialty car audio shops, and even Wal-Mart ~ have a look in automotive where the audio gear and wiring is. These adapters usually run $10~$15 or so and in my opinion are worth their weight in gold.

Certainly you do not have to go with my suggestions - those are just ideas that I feel are decent for the money you have to work with. Hope I've been able to help in some small way.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wave.gif.002382ce7d7c19757ab945cc69819de1.gif Welcome to our little corner of the car audio world, welcome to one of the most addictive (though completely LEGAL) hobbies / obsessions / whatever in the free world, and good luck with your setup. Have fun with it but please bump responsibly.

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