New guy to the forums

[BigDs2013TT]

Hey everyone! I’m from Oklahoma City and have a little knowledge of mobile audio. I was on another forum about 5 years ago and was about to pull the trigger and have some kicker equipment installed in my truck. I forgot the gentleman’s name that was helping me to get it all put together and was going to help me install but things changed (kids, job loss, life) and had to put it on the back burner which dragged out to 5 years or so. He was an installer here in OKC and pretty active on the forums. Anyways, im a father of 2 younger boys that enjoy listening to music like myself. When they are with me it can’t be to loud clearly but when I’m alone I’d like to crank it up some. I used to have Focal and JL so I’d like to stick with that since that’s what I know and can probably stay in my budget. If there is something new that’s better around same price or cheaper please share.

This is what I’m thinking.

Front Components: C2-650

Rear coaxial: C2-650X

SUB: JL Audio CS110LG-TW3

HU: Kenwood DDX9703S

not sure what amp. 900/5, 700/5? Or run the rear coax off the HU and get some other amp. I want to be able to turn down the sub when family is with me.

Please give me ideas..

thank you all in advance

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[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

dude if jl is in your budget we could show u some good amps and subs that cost less.. but just argued over jl being to high in another thread not doing it again.. if u want a nice sub look at fi alpha customizable about $200 and it's a beast compared to that tiny thing.. many other options but if u must have a very small box that will limit u..

 

[fithwheel]

I recently got back into car audio also. I have a KW xr900.5 I purchased refurbished. It sounds good for a full class d amplifier but would've been disappointed had

I paid full price because of build quality. The pods for the gain and frequency adjustments feel cheap. The sunken Allen screws for the speaker terminals

****. Seems like they would be very easy to strip if you are not very careful. Thin sheet metal used for the bottom of the chassis. For the price of a new

one I would expect better. Ended up putting it in the work truck and going with a Rockford fosgate t1000 5 channel. Much happier with it so far. Sounds better then the Kenwood also IMO.

 

[dudeogo]

Hey everyone! I’m from Oklahoma City and have a little knowledge of mobile audio. I was on another forum about 5 years ago and was about to pull the trigger and have some kicker equipment installed in my truck. I forgot the gentleman’s name that was helping me to get it all put together and was going to help me install but things changed (kids, job loss, life) and had to put it on the back burner which dragged out to 5 years or so. He was an installer here in OKC and pretty active on the forums. Anyways, im a father of 2 younger boys that enjoy listening to music like myself. When they are with me it can’t be to loud clearly but when I’m alone I’d like to crank it up some. I used to have Focal and JL so I’d like to stick with that since that’s what I know and can probably stay in my budget. If there is something new that’s better around same price or cheaper please share.
This is what I’m thinking.

Front Components: C2-650

Rear coaxial: C2-650X

SUB: JL Audio CS110LG-TW3

HU: Kenwood DDX9703S

not sure what amp. 900/5, 700/5? Or run the rear coax off the HU and get some other amp. I want to be able to turn down the sub when family is with me.

Please give me ideas..

thank you all in advance

Welcome to the forums! The first thing we'll teach you is that JL is a huge no no. You can do SOOOOO much better. In sound quality and SPL for less.

 

[BigDs2013TT]

No need to argue! I'm here to learn and get the best bang for my buck. I have about a $1000-$1500 budget, that's at least what I want my wife to know. I was just sticking with JL because that is all i really know and from my unprofessional ear that sounded good at the time. So please lay it on me with your opinion and ideas. I'm all ears. I believe my wife is getting me the Kenwood for our anniversary next month so I will not have the stock Entune Nav HU in my truck. It is also a non JBL system. thank you all so much!

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Welcome to the forums! The first thing we'll teach you is that JL is a huge no no. You can do SOOOOO much better. In sound quality and SPL for less.

Here we go again.

No need to argue! I'm here to learn and get the best bang for my buck. I have about a $1000-$1500 budget, that's at least what I want my wife to know. I was just sticking with JL because that is all i really know and from my unprofessional ear that sounded good at the time. So please lay it on me with your opinion and ideas. I'm all ears. I believe my wife is getting me the Kenwood for our anniversary next month so I will not have the stock Entune Nav HU in my truck. It is also a non JBL system. thank you all so much!

JL equipment is and has always been very nice, it's just premium priced. Do you need it/will you hear the difference? Do you value companies that still manufacture in the USA?

These kids don't really understand what premium costs. The stuff where you're actually getting R&D or who manufacture in the first world is going to start at JL pricing and go up. Browse component woofers, mids, and tweeters over at Madisound. SEAS, Morrel, Focal, etc get spendy very fast. Some folks pay 400$+ a pop for a single tweeter. Personally I like the Zed Audio amps for the money and if you have deeper pockets the stuff he is designing for Focal right now is the absolute state of the art technology.

Let us know your goals, the vehicle, and your level of comfort with DIY. If you're going to a shop to do the install you may need to work around what they sell in order to get them to offer you install, service, and warranty.... which may well be worth paying the markup.

 

[dudeogo]

Here we go again.



JL equipment is and has always been very nice, it's just premium priced. Do you need it/will you hear the difference? Do you value companies that still manufacture in the USA?

These kids don't really understand what premium costs. The stuff where you're actually getting R&D or who manufacture in the first world is going to start at JL pricing and go up. Browse component woofers, mids, and tweeters over at Madisound. SEAS, Morrel, Focal, etc get spendy very fast. Some folks pay 400$+ a pop for a single tweeter. Personally I like the Zed Audio amps for the money and if you have deeper pockets the stuff he is designing for Focal right now is the absolute state of the art technology.

Let us know your goals, the vehicle, and your level of comfort with DIY. If you're going to a shop to do the install you may need to work around what they sell in order to get them to offer you install, service, and warranty.... which may well be worth paying the markup.

Okay, okay. I definitely didn't mean to spark that argument and I worded myself wrong. For the average guy, who may not yet have the ear for that level of sound quality equipment, the premium price may not be the best option for the buck.

 

[fithwheel]

i'm using a kenwood 9903s,similar to the 9907s. Very happy with it. No complaints other than screen wash out in the sun. I'm also running rear coaxials but if I had it to do over would not of bothered with rear speakers. The sound stage sounds better without. I have the rears running -8 db definitely sounds

better tuned down. Not a big fan of running speakers off the head unit since the hu amp clips before the RCA's. Since im not the only one in control of the volume knob I feel better about everything running off the RCA's. The 9903s doesn't clip at all on the RCA's with everything flat. Would imagine the 9907 is the same. Anyway you could save some money by not using rears if that's on option.

I was in the same boat as you with the wife,budget etc. Ran sealed box and single 10 not to over whelm her. I ran a ported box in there the other day I was working on and she wasn't a big fan of that. I'll be sneaking another 10 in though when I get what's in there paid off. Car audio is a little different when there's a wife involved that isn't into it as much or looks at you sideways when she sees the bill.

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

No need to argue! I'm here to learn and get the best bang for my buck. I have about a $1000-$1500 budget, that's at least what I want my wife to know. I was just sticking with JL because that is all i really know and from my unprofessional ear that sounded good at the time. So please lay it on me with your opinion and ideas. I'm all ears. I believe my wife is getting me the Kenwood for our anniversary next month so I will not have the stock Entune Nav HU in my truck. It is also a non JBL system. thank you all so much!

so do u need thin box? if not many other subs are out there $200 or even less that are good options? do u wanta stay small sealed box or can u do larger ported? do u just want good sound or real loud..

 

[BigDs2013TT]

My goals are good sound and a little bass when the kids are with me. When its just me i'd like to crank it up a bit. Anything is better than stock obviously. And like said above from dudeogo I don't have an ear for that sound quality yet but will get there in time. I have a 2013 Tundra CrewMax with Entune Nav and non-JBL system. Comfort level of installing is a 5 out of 10. Mostly because I have to drive my truck daily and don't want it torn apart because I do have to haul young ones around. So if I could find a local great installer that I could help that would be awesome. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty at all.

 

[BigDs2013TT]

Yes i was thinking a nice slim thin single 10 box to fit either under the back seat or behind them.

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

Yes i was thinking a nice slim thin single 10 box to fit either under the back seat or behind them.

well if u can fit a standard deep 10" wedge and add 3/4" front baffle or make a box like 2" deeper than a wedge truck box lots more options for u, 1 12 be better if u can do the depth think and get wider box..

 

[youdoofus]

since youre not that far away, hit up Bill at Car Toys in Tulsa, he can take care of ya.

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

check these 12's out for $100 https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_105459_NVX-VSW124v2-VSW124-v2.html this one maybe better $149 https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_46485_NVX-XQW122-Newest-Version.html

 

[BigDs2013TT]

Those NVX subs look great and I have been reading about them a few days ago and just hesitant on them because I have never heard of them before. Not that that means anything at all! Plus I think 2 12s for my truck and what I am looking for would be overkill possibly. I know dumb thing to say about bass and mobile audio. But attempting to fit 2 12s behind my back seat would be a task, at least for me. Plus I’d have to build a box and that’s way out of my realm.