new everything....

[bamas_grl 10+ year member]

So I need to get a header, subs, amp and capacitor. I have quite a few questions, but I'll just start with this. I need to know how I choose all of these that will compliment eachother and bring me the the best quality in sound and power. I just don't want my car to die on me. I need to know what kind of watts will hold up for everything without draining my car.

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[skadude016 5,000+ posts]

header?

 

[skadude016 5,000+ posts]

oh how much money do you want to spend? and do you wanna be really loud or quite loud and sound good?

 

[bamas_grl 10+ year member]

Sorry, CD player...I guess I've seen them called headers somewhere else.

 

[bamas_grl 10+ year member]

Kinda on a budget, but willing to spend about $800 maybe more, and I want to be lound and thump hard.

 

[skadude016 5,000+ posts]

The cdplayer(or headunit is really all prefrences) I would get one that has 3 pre outs so you can upgrade later if you want.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

header?

I reckon this is supposed to be head unit considering the other items in the list of "Need To Get." //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

bamas_grl ~ As far as getting what compliments each other there is no magic formula. Different gear gives different impressions to different people. It's all about what sounds best to you seeing as you're the one going to be paying for it, using it, etc.

As far as charging system concerns there is no magic formula there either. Different amps draw differing amounts of current even those that produce almost identical power levels. Class A/B amps (typically used for interior speakers though there certainly are exceptions) generally are considerably less efficient than a Class D amplifier. Class D units are more often than not used for substage applications as along with higher efficiency these units also have higher distortion levels (not nearly such a crucial factor when we're talking 80Hz and below)

For a start - what kind of vehicle do you drive and what is the amperage output rating on its alternator if you happen to know?

 

[skadude016 5,000+ posts]

250 for the head unit including shipping

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=15599

 

[bamas_grl 10+ year member]

Basically I think what I'm confused about is knowing what kind of power each of these things have to compliment eachother. I'm not sure, but I might sound confusing. I know I just can't go and pick out something that just looks fancy and expect it to all work together.

 

[skadude016 5,000+ posts]

For a start - what kind of vehicle do you drive and what is the amperage output rating on its alternator if you happen to know?

x2

 

[bamas_grl 10+ year member]

I drive a 98 nissan sentra, but I don't know anything about the alternator. My last system drained it though. I was pushing 2 / 10's on a 1,000 watt amp

 

[skadude016 5,000+ posts]

I drive a 98 nissan sentra, but I don't know anything about the alternator. My last system drained it though. I was pushing 2 / 10's on a 1,000 watt amp

what amp?

 

[bamas_grl 10+ year member]

It was called a Saga....hadn't heard of it before, but we got all this stuff at one of those traveling discount sales...rip off

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Basically I think what I'm confused about is knowing what kind of power each of these things have to compliment each other. I'm not sure, but I might sound confusing. I know I just can't go and pick out something that just looks fancy and expect it to all work together.

As you consider speakers, subwoofers, whatever you might think about buying, if at all possible prior to dedicating your $$$ to a purchase give whatever item a listen somewhere first. Bear in mind that most car audio will sound different in-car than it does in a store's display room but it can certainly give you a a better idea than someone's verbal desciption of what something sounds like.

Powerwise look at the item in question's RMS ratings and ignore the peak ratings as peak wattage figures are nothing more than a marketing department idea. RMS ratings will give you an idea of real-world, actual usefulness whether it be output ratings on on amplifier or input capability ratings on speakers or subs. Buy gear that the RMS output on the amp(s) compliment the RMS input abilities of the drivers you want to power with said amp(s).

Ergo - if you get a set of speakers that are rated for 70w RMS each then you might want to look for an amp that will output in the neighborhood of 50~75 watts per channel to make the most out of those speakers' abilities. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Ignatowski 5,000+ posts]

I can save you money,dont buy a CAP they dont do anything