noob needs help, first small system.

[iamfrontosa 10+ year member]

Ok so this is what I do have.

- eclipse cd3000

- 2 X jl audio 10w0 or 10w1 (I don't know yet as they are not in my possession, 125 watt rms, 4ohms) never used, with box.

What I would like is front after market speakers. Coaxial or Component I don't know, brands I don't know. What I do know is $199 or less.

I also would like 4 channel amp to power all this. I heard a 600-800 amp would do the trick. Do some have cross overs and some don't? Do I want the cross over. Brands would be good to know, someone suggested power precision. I would like to spend at max $250 for the amp.

Are there some reputable sellers over the internet that are known to have good deals on car audio equipment. I don't think I'm missing anything. The subs I'm getting from a coworker for 100 dollars. Thanks in advance for the information. Greatly appreciated.

I'm all over the board with music; Indie, metal, rap, jazz, garage crap. Majority of music indie.

jonFREY

p.s can I get a larger amp then what I need for future sub upgrading?

Click to read more...

 

[tunes 10+ year member]

Can you do the install yourself or will you have to pay a shop? If you can do it yourself you'll have better options and will save money. In any case, I'd recommend looking at Phoenix Gold Xenon and RSD speakers, as well as Diamond.

If you're looking to spend very, very little I'd say the Memphis PR components are pretty good for what they are, which are bottom of the barrel speakers designed to be listenable with radio power or less-than-decent amplification.

As far as amps go, I'd recommend buying something used that won't take a dump on you after the first week of owning it. Maybe a phoenix gold Titanium 500.4 or Tantrum 600.4 - just stay away from their Octane or Xenon stuff. Maybe a JL. Memphis M Class are pretty good. I recall the guts on MB Quart amps looking nice for being made offshore, but I don't know how much they go for and have no experience with them. Do some research and see what amps today are the most bullet proof, since they all sound nearly identical. And yes, you definitely want an amp with built in crossovers.

 

[iamfrontosa 10+ year member]

I will not be installing it myself but I know a guy who can install it for me, so installation will be free. Do you think an amp rated 600.4 sounds about right for what I am going to be working with. Should I get a larger amp to provide more power to the front speakers. Are there sellers on ebay that won't sell me crap. Ebay scares me. I'm looking at http://www.ikesound.com at prices. They don't seem to be that bad. Is ikesound.com a good place to shop at do you know? Thanks for baring with me on my questions. I just don't want to buy things and then have to return them, so I have to make sure I get the exactly what I need. I'll probably go over this with the guy who is installing this for me. My HU isn't even installed yet. I get the wires for it monday. I don't need anything dirt cheap, I want good quality sound. thanks again.

 

[trevor87 5,000+ posts]

dont buy from ikesound

 

[Pyro_By_Nature 5,000+ posts]

Look at ikesound's shipping prices, horrible.Besides, they sell on ebay too lol.

 

[iamfrontosa 10+ year member]

checked ikesound.com off the list.

 

[tunes 10+ year member]

Well, something like the Tantrum 600.4 should provide sufficient power for the setup you're describing. Most component speakers in your price range are easy to power and will sound fine off 50 watts of RMS amplification, so don't worry about them. The thing to consider is your subs, their impedance (ohms), and the type of enclosure that they are in.

W0s or W1s are not difficult to power, but would still benefit from a nice amp. I believe the Tantrum 600.4 can produce 300 watts RMS bridged into 4 ohms, so it'd be a nice choice for your subs provided they are 4 ohms dual voice coil (I used to sell and install PG, but it's a been awhile, and anyway you should always make sure to get exact specs of anything before you buy it). If the subs are DVC (dual voice coil) you can wire them to get a load of 4 ohms mono, which would be good.

Which brings up the point of amplifier specs:

In case you don't know already, pay attention to the amp's RMS rating, as the MAX rating means nothing. Also pay attention to see what impedances the amplifier is capable of running. Alot of 4 channel amps can't handle loads below 4 ohms mono, so if your subs are 4 ohms single voice coil (SVC) make sure you get one that is either stable at 2 ohms mono or can produce 150+ watts stereo at 4 ohms, like the PG Xenon 200.4 for example.

Also, the same driver in a sealed enclosure will usually require more power than one in a ported enclosure for optimal sound, so take that into consideration when selecting your amplifier. And maybe buy from a well known and trusted forum member on the classifieds here if ebay rubs you the wrong way.

 

[iamfrontosa 10+ year member]

So after a bit of investigating I found these components.

- http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=12428

Is it worth spending this little money on components or better off just getting same price coaxial speakers?

Now for the confusing part, the amp.

The diamond audio comps. are rated at 75watts rms.

My jl audio 10w0 subs are both rated at 125watt rms, have a single voice coil thing, and 4 ohms. As for the sealing of the box. I will have to get back to you on that. I should know tomorrow although I don't know what I will be looking for.

This is an amp I found. The person that is installing my stuff strongly suggested power precision.

- http://cgi.ebay.com/PRECISION-POWER-DCX-600-4-CHANNEL-AMPLIFIER-4-CHAN-AMP_W0QQitemZ300067097773QQcmdZViewItem

It looks good to me, from what you said I am looking for. But little details throw me off, so let me know what you think. I must say it's ugly as all hell. Kinda looks like Biffs hover board from back to the future. Thanks again for your help.

 

[iamfrontosa 10+ year member]

did more looking for components and came across...

MB Quart DSD 216

http://www.millionbuy.com/mbqdsd216.html

 

[champaned_out 10+ year member]

dont buy from ikesound

whats wrong with ikesound?

their customer support is very friendly and i got my package ONE day after i ordered it from their site

 

[iamfrontosa 10+ year member]

So I did the unthinkable and went to best buy to ask questions. The guy there said he didn't think it was possible to hook my subs and front speakers to one four channel amp. He almost talked me into just buying a mono amp to power my sub, and possibly just getting good coaxial speakers that sound good even with out an amp. I do believe you can power the sub and front speakers with one 4 channel amp but I'm thinking the subs won't get all they power they should get and I'm better off just getting one small mono amp for my subs. In the future I could get a seperate amp for my front speakers.

And then I went to circuit city, the guy there introduced me to 5 channel amps. WHAT THE FRICK, more decisions. Which sounds actually like a good idea but they seem to be more expensive but a better purchase in the long run. Thoughts?

jonFREY

*edit*

This is the 5 channel amp I saw at circuit city

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Specifications-of-Kicker-5-Channel-Amplifier-06ZX7005/sem/rpsm/oid/145729/rpem/ccd/productDetailSpecification.do#tabs

Someone is selling it on the forums for 275 shipped. Are kickers good amps? Do the specifications look right for my set up.