New Build tips

[oldskool79]

I am installing a new stereo in my daughter's car, and I have some ideas in mind. I have a budget of around $1500.

My head unit will be a Pioneer DEH-80PRS. I haven't picked out the amps or speakers yet. Here's what I've looked at so far, but don't know if it'll work. Just a little note: I live in a very hot climate, and there's not enough room inside the car for amps so they'll likely have to go in the small trunk.

So far:

Infinity Primus PR6500CS 6-1/2" component speakers for the front doors (3 ohm)

JBL GTO638 6-1/2" 3-way speakers for the rear deck (2 ohm)

As you can see the impedance rating is different for these speakers. Should I go with a single 4-channel amp, separate 2-channel amps for these, or do you think the head unit would put out enough wattage to drive them?

I will also be adding a sub, maybe two, with about 400 watts total. She loves to hear the full range of sound with good thump, but not overpowering (although "feeling" it is good, lol).

I should be able to get a high quality sound in her car on a $1500 budget..., right? I'm open to any and all suggestions, and I don't want the amps to overheat.

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[hispls 5,000+ posts]

I am installing a new stereo in my daughter's car, and I have some ideas in mind. I have a budget of around $1500.
My head unit will be a Pioneer DEH-80PRS. I haven't picked out the amps or speakers yet. Here's what I've looked at so far, but don't know if it'll work. Just a little note: I live in a very hot climate, and there's not enough room inside the car for amps so they'll likely have to go in the small trunk.

So far:

Infinity Primus PR6500CS 6-1/2" component speakers for the front doors (3 ohm)

JBL GTO638 6-1/2" 3-way speakers for the rear deck (2 ohm)

As you can see the impedance rating is different for these speakers. Should I go with a single 4-channel amp, separate 2-channel amps for these, or do you think the head unit would put out enough wattage to drive them?

I will also be adding a sub, maybe two, with about 400 watts total. She loves to hear the full range of sound with good thump, but not overpowering (although "feeling" it is good, lol).

I should be able to get a high quality sound in her car on a $1500 budget..., right? I'm open to any and all suggestions, and I don't want the amps to overheat.

Can't say anything bad about the PRS-80. It's a very popular head unit and IMO packs a lot of quality and features into it's price point. You have to triple or quadruple your HU budget to do much better.

Staying away from 2 ohm loads on the amp will go a long way to battle heat. Otherwise, full range class D amps run cool in general but the good ones will be rough on the budget!

Infinity/JBL/Harmon Kardon is the same company and I've had good luck with their products. They have some nice 5 channel amps (check their authorized store on eBay for refurbs) which would be an all-in-one solution for your amplification needs. 50Wx4 + 400X1 is a really nice full sound while still remaining sane. Actually with a competition level subwoofer and custom made box you can get 140dB from a 500W sub stage... so you could go pretty loud if you cared to.

Personally I do NOT like speakers behind me. Apart from 5.1 surround sound it's unnatural and causes acoustic problems without intensive care to location and processing. For my money I'd take the money from "upgrading" the rears and invest that into some sound deadener for your front doors and a better pair of components for the front (not saying your choice is bad, but take away the rears and add that $$ to your fronts budget and it'll open up the next tier of quality).

While you're budgeting, don't forget to consider the cost of wiring, fuses, dash kit, etc. If you own some basic woodworking tools you can build your own subwoofer box saving money and ensuring optimum performance. If you like the JBL/Infinity lineup the JBL W-GTi Mk II is one of the more highly regarded sounding woofers on the market and capable of taking all the power you'll be able to give it without upgrading electrical system. You can find them new-old-stock here and there online.

OR if you're not opposed to buying used, there's some bad @ss gear on this forum for sale at good prices. I've bought a lot of stuff used here and if you deal with established members it's almost always hassle free.

 

[C1500martin 10+ year member]

What kind of car? Im pulling my whole system out of my car right now might be able to work something out with you. Its the stuff in my signature. All have a build log. Mazda 6 mini build log its called

 

[oldskool79]

Can't say anything bad about the PRS-80. It's a very popular head unit and IMO packs a lot of quality and features into it's price point. You have to triple or quadruple your HU budget to do much better.
Staying away from 2 ohm loads on the amp will go a long way to battle heat. Otherwise, full range class D amps run cool in general but the good ones will be rough on the budget!

Infinity/JBL/Harmon Kardon is the same company and I've had good luck with their products. They have some nice 5 channel amps (check their authorized store on eBay for refurbs) which would be an all-in-one solution for your amplification needs. 50Wx4 + 400X1 is a really nice full sound while still remaining sane. Actually with a competition level subwoofer and custom made box you can get 140dB from a 500W sub stage... so you could go pretty loud if you cared to.

Personally I do NOT like speakers behind me. Apart from 5.1 surround sound it's unnatural and causes acoustic problems without intensive care to location and processing. For my money I'd take the money from "upgrading" the rears and invest that into some sound deadener for your front doors and a better pair of components for the front (not saying your choice is bad, but take away the rears and add that $$ to your fronts budget and it'll open up the next tier of quality).

While you're budgeting, don't forget to consider the cost of wiring, fuses, dash kit, etc. If you own some basic woodworking tools you can build your own subwoofer box saving money and ensuring optimum performance. If you like the JBL/Infinity lineup the JBL W-GTi Mk II is one of the more highly regarded sounding woofers on the market and capable of taking all the power you'll be able to give it without upgrading electrical system. You can find them new-old-stock here and there online.

OR if you're not opposed to buying used, there's some bad @ss gear on this forum for sale at good prices. I've bought a lot of stuff used here and if you deal with established members it's almost always hassle free.

This is a lot to take in at once so let's break it down into steps. Head unit is about $300. Although I definitely not settled on the cab speakers, and I have to have front and back (my daughter's preference). Those two sets of speakers would cost about $190, but the impedance on them would create heat, and 4-ohm would be easier on a AB/D 5-channel amp. That leaves about $1010 on the amp(s), the sub(s), wires, and the box. You weren't specific on the amp, but are you talking about maybe a JBL GTO5EZ? Or would it be better to go with the Kenwood KAC-7005PS that has a built-in fan? I have always preferred the sound of A/B amps on the mid-bass and up range, but I am afraid of them overheating. You're right about a good quality D amp being a budget buster, though. If I spend $410 on that sub, that would leave only $600 on the amp(s), the box, and wiring. I really don't have time to build a sub box myself, so somebody else would have to do that. OH, how I would LOVE to have a bigger budget! I would love that MK II!

I haven't looked at the classifieds. I haven't had to do a build in a couple of decades, so it's hard to tell what's a quality product and what's not nowadays.

 

[oldskool79]

What kind of car? Im pulling my whole system out of my car right now might be able to work something out with you. Its the stuff in my signature. All have a build log. Mazda 6 mini build log its called

It's a 2008 Kia Spectra that I inherited from my brother. She's going off to college in 3 weeks, and I want to get her fixed up. I really don't want to have to do much in the way of modifications for speakers to fit. I want it to look factory.

 

[C1500martin 10+ year member]

Well i have an sub amp, sub, box, jbl p660 components and a like new ppi 600.2 only ran it for 3 songs loterally and put it back in the box to send back but didnt send it back in time. If you can fit the sub box in your trunk well work something out.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

This is a lot to take in at once so let's break it down into steps. Head unit is about $300. Although I definitely not settled on the cab speakers, and I have to have front and back (my daughter's preference). Those two sets of speakers would cost about $190, but the impedance on them would create heat, and 4-ohm would be easier on a AB/D 5-channel amp. That leaves about $1010 on the amp(s), the sub(s), wires, and the box. You weren't specific on the amp, but are you talking about maybe a JBL GTO5EZ? Or would it be better to go with the Kenwood KAC-7005PS that has a built-in fan? I have always preferred the sound of A/B amps on the mid-bass and up range, but I am afraid of them overheating. You're right about a good quality D amp being a budget buster, though. If I spend $410 on that sub, that would leave only $600 on the amp(s), the box, and wiring. I really don't have time to build a sub box myself, so somebody else would have to do that. OH, how I would LOVE to have a bigger budget! I would love that MK II!
I haven't looked at the classifieds. I haven't had to do a build in a couple of decades, so it's hard to tell what's a quality product and what's not nowadays.

I do like the JBL GTO5ez. Infinity "Kappa 5" seems similar specs, again they're the same company so may be the same guts even. Either is a good power range for what you're after and a simple solution. Like I said, I'd try to find one as a refurb from the JBL/Harmon store. I've had good luck buying from them. I trust Kenwood for a good source unit (what I run now) not so much for amps and subs. 50-75X4 on the A/B side in a big heatsink shouldn't run into too much trouble with going into thermal protect unless you put a blanket over it or something.

The JBL amp runs 225$ from plenty of legit online retailers and a good amp wiring kit (a GOOD one) wouldn't cost you more than 150$. I order most of my wiring from Darvex.com. They're fast and have very competitive prices. 410$ can buy you a close to premium tier sub, even 250$ and paying a local carpenter/shop/cabinet maker/forum member 150$ for a box would give you a lot of good options. Figure out how much space (gross) you want to invest in a subwoofer and we can chime in with some suggestions.

 

[oldskool79]

Just wanted to update what I ended up doing...

I had a budget of about $1500, so I went with a Pioneer DEH-80PRS, a JBL GTO5EZ amp, a pair of Memphis 15-PR620V2 for the front doors, a pair of Kicker 40CS654 I already had laying around for the rear deck, and one Digital Designs Redline 600 Series 12" subwoofer in a 1.1 cu. ft. sealed enclosure, all running at 4-ohms. I even had sound dampening installed, and came in well under budget.

The result...

Awesome low-budget SQ system, with a "little" SPL as well. My daughter is not a bass head like me, but she absolutely loves how clear and musical this system is, with quite a bit of added bump on the low end. I must say I am impressed with this JBL amp. It does what it says it will do, and is clean, loud, and clear. Of course, it starts with the HU. I must say, for the money I am impressed.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Just wanted to update what I ended up doing...
I had a budget of about $1500, so I went with a Pioneer DEH-80PRS, a JBL GTO5EZ amp, a pair of Memphis 15-PR620V2 for the front doors, a pair of Kicker 40CS654 I already had laying around for the rear deck, and one Digital Designs Redline 600 Series 12" subwoofer in a 1.1 cu. ft. sealed enclosure, all running at 4-ohms. I even had sound dampening installed, and came in well under budget.

The result...

Awesome low-budget SQ system, with a "little" SPL as well. My daughter is not a bass head like me, but she absolutely loves how clear and musical this system is, with quite a bit of added bump on the low end. I must say I am impressed with this JBL amp. It does what it says it will do, and is clean, loud, and clear. Of course, it starts with the HU. I must say, for the money I am impressed.

Glad that all worked out for you. That 80 PRS is definitely an exceptional value for the money.

 

[oldskool79]

Glad that all worked out for you. That 80 PRS is definitely an exceptional value for the money.

It worked much better than expected, I must say! My daughter is happy, happy, happy!

Thanks for the tips, everybody! That Pioneer HU is the bomb, and I didn't know about until I joined this forum. Before buying my first DEH-80PRS, I had had bad experiences with Pioneer years ago. I can't say enough about this head unit, especially at the price. For a $230 5-channel amp, the JBL GTO-5EZ is the bomb, too, on a low budget. I was pleasantly surprised. This system absolutely fit the needs of what I was looking for, and a little below budget to boot.

Now..., if I can talk my wife into another amp just like it, along with another subwoofer...