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Message: <blockquote data-quote="1991Brougham" data-source="post: 4087140" data-attributes="member: 584655">My usual starting point is Pioneer.  They have good gear and it usually comes at quite a discount from retail, especially when bought on eBay.  When you do the eBay trip, do pay attention as to whether the equipment is used, refurbished or new.  Each step up costs more but even new stuff goes for a good price.  When I find something is better for a system than Pioneer and it doesn't break the bank to go to a less-discounted or higher-priced brand, that is when I begin to check out my alternatives.Seeing as you live in a metro area in Florida, you will have HD Radio broadcasts to listen to and Pioneer is behind the other manufacturers in having this feature on their HU's.  Going to Alipine's lineup brings one a HU that handles HD Radio, satellite radio, I-Pod compatibility and Bluetooth for your cellphone situation.  This particular HU is $450 on the Alpine website:<a href="http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=iDA-X001" target="_blank">http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=iDA-X001</a>If you go on eBay you can get it new for around $250 shipped.Pioneer has 6.75's that handle 60W RMS, with the model number being TS-D702P.  The pair I found on eBay was $88.85 shipped and the seller has a 99.4% feedback rating.For the 6.5's, Pioneer has the TS-D602P and they also are rated at 60W RMS.  The pair I found on eBay was $83.90 shipped and came from a seller with a 99.5% feedback rating.The total for 4 good speakers is $172.75.  If you wish to step up in SQ, then that means going component, which will bring the price up somewhat to quite a bit depending on the speakers selected.  You will also be looking at a bigger amp for those speakers that handle more power and perhaps an upgrade to the car's electrical system, so the speakers I have lined up are for a medium-grade (by SQ standards) performance system.  It's still better than anything the factory put out though!The amp that would go with these speakers is the Pioneer GM-6300F, which is rated at 60W RMS per channel when in the 4-channel mode.  The eBay seller I found had 3 for sale at $128.95 shipped and a 100% feedback rating with over 24,000 different people rating them.  You can get the amp for a bit less if you like.  I use this amp and find the loudness and clarity to be just fine with the speakers (BA's and Pioneers) I have.Now for the Bump-n-Thump! *grin*  JL Audio is among the creme de la creme here.  Going with the model 500/1 will get you a monochannel amp rated at 500W RMS and it can be had for $339.99 shipped from a seller with a 99.5% feedback rating.  Other sellers on eBay are in this price range if you wish to look.At this point we're around $550 for a headunit, amp and 4 speakers plus $340 for the amp for the subwoofer.  Figure on another $300 for the install, which includes parts and labor to get the price up close to $1200.The JL Audio subwoofer that would handle the power and have plenty in reserve is model 12W7.  Rated at 750W, unless your amp clips, you should not have to worry about blowing out this speaker.  At $479.98 shipped, from an eBay power seller at 99.3% positive that I've been happy with, your subwoofer needs will be met.Spend the remainder of the budget on an enclosure and any needed upgrades to your electrical system to see you wind up around the $2000 mark.Overall, you wind up with a system that has a high grade head unit, a high grade sub/amp setup and a medium grade amp/speaker mix if you go this way.  If the subwoofer is not as important to you, then you can rebudget the money toward a better amp and complementing component speakers but if you want it all in terms of head unit performance, strong bump-n-thump and a decent sound for the rest of the system, this setup should get the job done at your stated budget.Rick</blockquote>

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