help a stress'd law student & newbie design a simple system

[frankiebones 10+ year member]

i appreciate everyone's help so far, and i would be very appreciative if some of the pros on these boards would tell me exactly what i need or even suggest a specific design (why not, im sure some people have time to kill in class, work, church, and there's only so much party poker to be played).

i have learned a sh*tload in the past 2 weeks since i decided to upgrade my system, but now i am making it much more complex, and thats cool, except i have to memorize the federal rules of evidence (word for word essentially) before my inal on april 28th.

anyways, i decided to get rid of the top of the line mono amp my brother gave me barely used and do better job. im going with:

1. an amp (or 2 depending on what works, whats within my price range, and what would make it easier to control the levels);

2. a deck/CD player;

3. a pair of speakers to replace the stock speakers in the front of the car (although i have no idea what kind, i thought i was making progress until i read something about component sets and coxials for rear fill and got so frustrated, i started slapping my 5 lb. chihuahua around);

4. one amp. either a 10 or a 12, whatever is best for heavy metal double-bass lines.

the one thing i am certain on is the deck, the Alpine CDA-9856. i like it, everyone else seems to like it, great for the ipod, and within my price range. here are the specs:

Details:

» CD player with built-in amplifier (18 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)

» flip-down, detachable face

» Bass Engine (bass center frequency, width, and level, plus treble center frequency and level adjustments)

» BBE processing

» three sets of preamp outputs

» Source Tone Memory

» CEA-2006 compliant amplifier

» CD frequency response: 5-20,000 Hz

» CD signal-to-noise ratio: 105 dB

» FM sensitivity: 9.3 dBf

i have a very very basic understanding of wiring options and amp channels. i would very much prefer to go with a rockford fosgate amp for 2 reasongs: first. the included bass control knob is clutch when listening to certain early pink floyd albums or the Ny Mets games; second, i have compared many amp brands at best buy while blasting Metallica's "...And Justice for All" and i found that the rockfords handle the hard sh*t very well.

in terms of speakers, no idea whatsoever. chances are, some of the responses i will get to this post (if anyone is still reading at this pt!) will make no sense to me.

in terms of subs, i had a really good idea of what i wanted, but now that i am going multi channel amp and adding a lot of complications for a newbie, i am at a loss. i do know that i want power but crispness from the sub. i dont listen to house that much anymore and i am baffled by rap music (that is, that people listen to it, bc i just dont get it), so heavy sh*t in the realm of Slayer, Metallica, Sepultura is what i wanna buy subs and speakers for.

list of other things i dont understand:

channels (i think i need a 4 channel, or 2 amps, or something like that, i think)

crossovers/equalizers

i think i understand ohm's law, but i dont understand anything about voicecoils and i especially dont understand "DUAL" 4 ohms or 2 ohms.

preamp filters, preamps that the amp manufacturer intended to use for bass versus speakers (does that mean the wattage is diff?)

i know i could go into a car stereo store, slap down my credit card, and have them take care of all these questions. however, i would much rather understand (at least to a certain extent) what i am spending so much money on, and i would trust any member of these boards over anyone trying to sell me something.

hope this isnt too lengthy, and thanks for the help guys (and girls)

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[swc204 10+ year member]

whats your price limit for everything excluding the alpine 9856? What kind of car?

 

[Savstyle 10+ year member]

you forgot the most important thing here buddy, budget.

 

[frankiebones 10+ year member]

whats your price limit for everything excluding the alpine 9856? What kind of car?

sorry, i guess i proved my pt about being an audio idiot (although i did install a turbocharger upgrade and exhaust on my own, under the hood at least).

its a 2003 audi a4, sedan, no navigation, no bose upgrade.

in terms of budget, i dont wanna skimp out, because music is pretty much the only thing that i am truly and creepily passionated about. the reason why i didnt upgrade my system when i first got a car in '99 is because my hearing is shot to sh*t from playing drums in a band since i was 11 and now pseudo-professionally for a few years. however, i read an article about hearing aids that they implant in your ear (making them invisible) and now im ready to get nuts.

put it like this, i dont wanna spend 2 grand on an amp, a sub, and a pair of speakers. but if i could do it right for lets say $700 - $1100 (i obviously am leaving a wide range bc of my lack of any expertise in whaT I need and how much it will cost).

i would rather spend a grand and have a sick system than spend $600 or $700 and have an "alright" system.

im really sorry i gave such a complex answer. i dont wanna go all out, but i really dont wanna spend less than i should to do it right. i especially dont wanna be cheap when it comes to buying an amp....