suggestions for my 96 camry

[tk393 10+ year member]

hey... im getting a 96 toyota camry from my grandpa since hes old and can afford a lexus now, so i want to make it more enjoyable for the 17 year-old that i am. im looking to get a head unit, "tweeters" i guess they're called, sub, and an amp. the problem is, i have no idea what im doing. my price range is around $500, give or take another 100. i've been tooling around on the best buy site and i came across some things i like...

- pioneer head unit

- insignia 360w amp with 2 12" subs

- power acoustik 200w tweeters

the amp/sub deal in the middle there is going for $150, so to me it looks like a good deal. but im sure the product is ****. as for the tweeter thing, i have no clue, it's the only thing that returned a result when i searched for things that might fit the camry.

im just looking for input on the best buy items and where to get better things if these arent that good.

thanks,

ricky

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[Raven 10+ year member]

I've heard decent things about Insignia, actually. Well, their durability at least. SQ / SPL wise, I've yet to give them a listen myself. The (most) local BB doesn't have their demo system hooked up. Bastards. =p

Avoid Best Buy, anyway. Those same $50 tweeter I found at a local dealer for $15. If you want to spend $50 on tweeters, get this tweeter and this bass blocker and use that instead. It will walk all over the Power Acoustik ones. I know, I own a pair.

As for the HU, search around online. Try google. See if you can find a better price. The only reason I'd go with Best Buy is if you're buying the 4 year extended warranty.

 

[tk393 10+ year member]

how much assembly is required for that audax tweeter? tying in the bass stopper doesnt seem very hard but what about installation-wise?

for the head unit, im only looking at best buy because i got a $50 gift card for christmas. if the difference is more than 50 bucks, google wins.

and does anyone else have any experience with insignia subs/amps? im sure that (especially at best buy) you pretty much get what you pay for and 150 for an amp and 2 subs sets off a couple of flags, even for a 'n00b' to this stuff. maybe its a good deal, i just dont know. but thanks for the reply and the suggestions raven.

 

[tk393 10+ year member]

i guess no one else has any more knowledge on this? im pretty sure im at the right forum haha

(bump) yeah so if anyone can help me out with this, that'll be a help.

im just looking to see what a reliable, cheap, and quality system would be for the car since i figure you guys actually know what you're talking about instead of my friends who dont even know where to plug all the **** into.

 

[MBrock4u 10+ year member]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Hang around here a while. There are alot of people in here that can really help //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif First of all, I have learned in here to try to let people know exatcly what you are trying to acomplish. Thats a big help. Looks like you have a good start with your head unit. That should be a good one for you. Next, I would look for a good FRONT stage. For your budget, some infinity reference coaxials should be good. Need to find out what size you have there. 100 bucks, or cheaper on line. So I would drop those tweets. I don't know about the amp and sub package sound like you are looking at, but that doesn't look bad for what your wanting to spend. Best of luck to you and try to be patient and shop around, online if you can. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[fosgate140 10+ year member]

well it depends on if you want warranty and if you know the basics of car audio installation. ebay is a way to go for a lot less you can get some decent equipment. so if you want a good warranty steer clear of ebay unless you have experience. then again you can get a lot of help on here from some very reliable enthusiasts. and depending on where you live some poeple can help in person and best of luck to you.

 

[tk393 10+ year member]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Hang around here a while. There are alot of people in here that can really help //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif First of all, I have learned in here to try to let people know exatcly what you are trying to acomplish. Thats a big help. Looks like you have a good start with your head unit. That should be a good one for you. Next, I would look for a good FRONT stage. For your budget, some infinity reference coaxials should be good. Need to find out what size you have there. 100 bucks, or cheaper on line. So I would drop those tweets. I don't know about the amp and sub package sound like you are looking at, but that doesn't look bad for what your wanting to spend. Best of luck to you and try to be patient and shop around, online if you can. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

ok i'll start by describing what im looking to accomplish.... i'm looking to be able to play loud, good-sounding music in the car with a multifunctional head unit (radio, cd, aux in, sub out), new tweeters, a middle-of-the-line subwoofer and amp for added bass in the car, but nothing insanely huge. i want the "back massage" function of a subwoofer (im sure you all know what im talking about) and i want people outside of the car to hear it, but it doesnt have to be huge - a 12" would be the most im looking for.

i agree that the front should also be renovated. we've got a sony xplod head unit and rear speakers (i cant call them subwoofers, but they've got some good bass to them), but the front speakers are stock. so when i blast music, i need to fade the power to the rear and it sounds like crap. i'm starting to hear good things about infinity products, so i'll look into that brand. i'll look up the specs on some camry website to get the fitting sizes. thanks for the help.

 

[tk393 10+ year member]

well it depends on if you want warranty and if you know the basics of car audio installation. ebay is a way to go for a lot less you can get some decent equipment. so if you want a good warranty steer clear of ebay unless you have experience. then again you can get a lot of help on here from some very reliable enthusiasts. and depending on where you live some poeple can help in person and best of luck to you.

i dont think i'll need a warranty, i'll be in college this fall and i wont be able to use the car until next year after that. as for installation knowledge... it's definitely limited. my friends have installed head units and subs on their own so i can get by, but "professionally done" wouldnt be the right phrasing.

as for ebay, i've done a lot of miscellaneous shopping on there and i've learned that you get what you pay for.. a good find is hard to come by these days now that there are "powersellers" everywhere who just have a bunch of factory refurbished merch and get rid of them cheaply by advertising them as like new. so i have my skepticism towards ebay, but i will look around.

i live in westchester county, new york, just north of NYC. if anyone is local, personal help would be awesome. thanks a lot.

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

and i want people outside of the car to hear it

you'll run into alot of people here who will look at you funny for saying this.... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif in any case what is your budget... I'm sure we could help you put together something decent for your money. Also do you have the woodworking skills/tools to build your sub box? It's not hard but you have to be able to cut straight lines, use glue, cut round hold and use a screwdriver (MUST be electric)

 

[tk393 10+ year member]

you'll run into alot of people here who will look at you funny for saying this.... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif in any case what is your budget... I'm sure we could help you put together something decent for your money. Also do you have the woodworking skills/tools to build your sub box? It's not hard but you have to be able to cut straight lines, use glue, cut round hold and use a screwdriver (MUST be electric)

haha, well i meant it more in jest than seriously. my budget is somewhere around $600, not too much more. to build the sub box, it's possible for me to do, assuming it's not much more than a wooden box with some holes. anything more complicated and i think i'll have to let someone else build it for me. the tools and skills wouldnt be hard because i know a bunch of people who would be willing to help. about how much money would building the sub box save me as opposed to buying one?

 

[goose5741 10+ year member]

You could save yourself quite a bit of money building your own box, i paid 100 for one i could have built for 50... Some good advice if you put subs in your camry buy lots of sound deadner because the trunk vibrates like craaaazy ( i also have a 96 camry).

 

[tk393 10+ year member]

You could save yourself quite a bit of money building your own box, i paid 100 for one i could have built for 50... Some good advice if you put subs in your camry buy lots of sound deadner because the trunk vibrates like craaaazy ( i also have a 96 camry).

what kind of sound deadener? foam? what sort of system do you have in your camry? i want to make sure that the stuff im interested in will fit in the car so finding out from someone with the same car makes it easier haha

 

[tk393 10+ year member]

how beautiful is this....

on ebay this thing is going for about $120 with $15 shipping. im SO tempted.. MSRP is somewhere around $200. i checked sizings and it fits in the camry.... mmm i want to bid so bad haha

 

[New At This 10+ year member]

For a low cost good quality headunit, Pioneer is a good choice in my opinion. As for front coaxial speakers, I personally would recommend Polk or American Bass. The Infinitys are good for clarity but dont have as much bass response as the Polks, which have the same amount of clarity. American Bass makes really nice coaxials as well. As for subs, one 12" would definitely be enough shake your whole car if installed correctly. I know a girl with one 12" in her VW bug and that beats like crazy. Good luck with your decision.

 

[tk393 10+ year member]

do you know of any good 12" sub brands? like the theme with the pioneer head unit, im looking for good quality and low cost with the sub.

and in terms of amps, what should i be looking for? the only thing i know about an amp is that it powers the sub, but what separates a good amp from a bad one? can you really go wrong with just powering a sub?