new here, need input

[tacoma02 10+ year member]

hey, i just got a new 4 door tacoma and i want to put a better system in it. i dont want it to be all that loud, just sound better at listenable volumes. right now there are 4 5x7 stock speakers and the 2 up front have tweeters. there is hardly an inch of space anywhere but under the forward seats, so keep that in mind. i was thinkin of puttin a set of infinity perfect components(100w rms, 400w peak) up front and run them on an audiobahn 100wx2 @ 4ohms and 140wx2 @ 2ohms amp. also, should i put sumthin in the 2 back speakers, or will just the front be fine? i dont know sh*t about this stuff (i dont even know wtf ohms means) so please respond if you have any good ideas.

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[kyball 10+ year member]

If your not looking for loud music, then i suggest just buying a new Head Unit(CD player). Alpine have some nice ones, pioneer, etc. If you get a GOOD h.u. it'll make everything sound better at higher levels. but if you want more buy new interior speakers, component sets up in the front stage, and some decent coaxials for the rear stage. Then buy a good SQ amp and your on the way. But if you do amp the interiors, i might suggest investing in a subwoofer. a cheap little ten in custom box(to save space) and cheap amp. I suggest the sub bc when you reach higher levels, the bass won't be as noticable, and adding a little ten will bring the level back up and i'm sure you'll be more than pleased.

 

[natem33 10+ year member]

The perfects are a very good choice. Audiobahn amps don't have a very good reputation on this message board. As Kid suggested, a new CD deck would improve overall sound. What you should do is decide if you wan't to work only on sound improvement or if there are other improvements that you would like to make (i.e. CD player functions). If sound is your main concern then new speakers may be the way to go. If you would rather have a nicer CD player and an improvement in sound, then buy a new deck. Alpine makes awesome decks but other decks will do just fine. Just to name a few: Kenwood, Pioneer, Clarion.

 

[IASCA pro 301-6 10+ year member]

Your plan seems fine...Overall, you will get the best bang-for-your-buck with the addition of the new speakers driven by an amp. One consideration to make is if the amp in choice has the ability to take a HIGH LEVEL INPUT. What this means: Is the amp capable of accepting the speaker-level output of your factory head unit. Most amps are designed to take a low-level, RCA type of input; and there is the need for a high to low adapter to make most amps connect with factory head units. These adapters are always noisy, and lead to crappy sound. Make sure your amp has High level input.

 

[tacoma02 10+ year member]

i talked to a guy at my local dealership and he said he could put in a set of infinity references(since perfects supposedly are meant for higher volumes)components (6 1/2s), a jbl comp series amp, and an 8" subwoofer(forgot brand) in a custom box behind the center console for around my asking price (700). anyway thanks for the help and let me know if he's giving me a bad setup or ripping me off.

 

[kyball 10+ year member]

i think thats a little expensive. you could probaly shave a bill of that price if you looked on ebay

 

[tacoma02 10+ year member]

i dont really trust the stuff on ebay- i have a friend who bought a 1600w amp and 2 10" perfects a while back and the amp is screwed up and he had to send the speakers back to get new ones. i figure its best to buy new instead of taking chances with refurbished on ebay.

 

[tacoma02 10+ year member]

hey, how much do you guys think a custom box for an 8" sub should cost. im talkin a pretty nice one here with like...cupholders or sumthin set in it? lol, seriously though.

as for the brand i was thinkin an audiobahn 8" high excursion- 300 rms cuz i can get one for 100 new on the net. open to suggestions. also, im changin my mind from the perfects to references becuz im not gonna need em' with the level im gonna play them. i figure i might as well save the money towards a new HU (thinkin bout an alpine cda-7875). anyway thx for the help

 

[natem33 10+ year member]

Check out http://www.crutchfield.com . They have a good discription of custom made boxes made by Q-Logic. Some of them have built in cupholders. I believed they run $200 - $250. A custom made 8 inch opening box as you described I wouldn't think would cost more than $150 - $200 (depending on the estimated amount of labor time needed to build your box demensions). Infinity Reference sound decent, I had 4 in my old car and I was happy with them.