What Headunit and speakers should i get?

[chris89]

I've got 5 1/4 Alpine Type S speakers in the front in my supra and they don't sound that great, I'm thinking i need to create an enclosure to get the best out of them? I need to get new rears as well, I think they're 3.5" or 4" but the enclosure works VERY well to get the best out of them. I was thinking about getting some Infiniti speakers for the rear and keeping the Alpine Type S's in the front, OR i might even get some Crutchfield speakers, i heard they were the best.... Can you guy's post your setups? Also what Headunit should i get that's not too flashy but has amazing sound quality and good power so i can Crank it up Loud and not have distortion...? help help help

 

[speed]

first off, crutchfield doesn't make speakers, they only sell them. And, while they do sell some high quality stuff, they also sell a lot of shit.

What it sounds like you need is a nice deck, a proper amp, and then deadened and sealed doors. What everything will come down to - how much money do you want to spend? Several hundred? A grand? less than 250? This is VERY important to know.

Check out either pioneer premier or alpine decks, they sound the best and are built rock solid. Next, I'd deaden your doors, and then I'd amp the speakers, and then I'd worry about making an enclosure for them in the doors. The VAST majority of midrange speakers are made to work as well in IB as in a sealed enclosure.

My personal recomendation? Similar to my setup- CDT components, alpine deck, and a good 2ch amp.

I'm running an older alpine deck, CDT Ef61s, an old ppi amp, eD sub, hifonics amp. Once my car gets up and running and gets painted, the new system is going in- probably keep the CDT, get a newer alpine deck, eclipse 4ch to run the frontstage (which will comprise of the CDT components and then eD 6.5" subs for midbass), my old ppi to run the rear fills, eD 13ov2 sub, and then either a MB quart amp, an eD amp, or some other black amp.... I'd really like to get my hands on a Tru or Zapco amp, but those are shitty expensive.

 

[Jeff Lange]

Thread moved to Audio forum.

 

[chris89]

Well I wanna get the Best Possible bang for my buck, I have some sort of sound deadening material in my door, Forgot what it's called, I heard it's expensive... Are Alpine Type S speakers any good? i'm running 5 1/4s in the front, and OEM factory in the rear... What size are the rear speakers? they look like 3.5" or 4". I'm looking to spend myabe $400 or so... Is it a good idea to run bass blockers? I wanna put some nice speakers in the rear as well, So what do i need to be able to Turn it up loud and not have distortion or crackling?

 

[annoyingrob]

Wow, lots to answer.

Ok, first, your front speakers, they're not THAT bad. There are definitely a few things you can do to make them sound better before you invest in some more expensive ones. First, they need to be crossed over properly. This is what a "Bass Blocker" is, a highpas crossover. When you get a new HU, it will most certainly have an adjustable crossover built-in. Simply cutting off anything below 65-80hz to these speakes wil make them sound a WHOLE lot better.

I would also suggest getting a smalll amp to run the fronts. It'll make them sound 10x better.

As for rears, I would highly suggest just taking them out completely. Don't run any rears.

As for head units, my suggestion would be for a Pipneer Premiere HU. I would look into the DEH-P880 PRS if you want to spend a little money. It's definitely future-proof. Any of their cheaper lines would be just fine too.

I would also suggest that you get a small sub to compliment the audio system.

 

[speed]

x2. Spend your $400 on a HU and an amp for the fronts.

 

[kabanimk3supra]

i think you should get infinity all around and a mild subwoofer setup...maybe a 2 10's and a 500 watt amp. or 12's if you like deep bass. i know everyone talks crap about Qpower subs but i find them to be the best bang for the buck. mine sound kickass. oh and i have had them for almost 4 years hooked up to an 1800 watt amp. (only turned up half way)

 

[chris89]

annoyingrob, Awesome that sounds like a really good idea, As well as a good lesson, I'm starting to get car audio more and more. As for the subwoofer, I'm all for it but i need something small enough that i could still put my Targa top in the back. I think i have a little cross over box dealio i got with the car, it's really old though. So your saying a Decent Headunit has built in cross over features? What size amp should i use for the fronts? brand and wattage. What kind of wire should i run from the speakers to the amp? there are a lot of wires running to my trunk like a big fat Monster power cable and a bunch of other wires... not sure what they all are though, I'll take some pics in a little bit.

 

[chris89]

Ok, here ya go, Looks like a have a bunch of wires ran already... Don't have a clue what all the wires are for, Other than the Gian "Monster" Power cable.

 

[speed]

the blue and silver wires are power wires to an amp. If they're hooked up or not is up to you to find out. As for running wires to the speakers, 14ga would work.

I'd whip up a bunch of suggestions for you, but i just don't have the time. basically hop on crutchfield, or www.woofersetc.com and look through Pioneer Preimer, Alpine, and Kenwood (even though I HATE them, they are pretty good HU's). Clarion also makes a good unit. Basically, stay away from things that look like they're trying to sell you on their flash. Find a headunit with pre-amp outputs. From your HU, you'll need to get a decent set of RCA cables to run back to your 2ch amp. Again, my fav site is www.woofersetc.com. I've bought lots of stuff from them, always been a good deal (though granted ebay is a few bux cheaper.)

When you're looking at amps, you need to match the RMS wattage and resistance (in ohms) to that of your speakers. Max wattage means diddly squat and should never even be considered. So for example, your speakers rms 60w @ 4ohm, you'd need to find an amp that does 2x60w @ 4ohm RMS. Again, dont' be fooled by flash. If the power ratings are really high and the price is really low, the product is shit. In car audio, EVERYTHING is always 'you get what you pay for.'

That being said, you can find some lesser known brands that perform VERY well but aren't that expensive, but they're still considerably higher than something produced by Boss, Legacy, audiobahn, sony, etc.

 

[annoyingrob]

For your fronts, look into an amp around 2x50w to 2x100w, somewhere in that range. You definitely don't need 100w for your fronts, but it's future-proofing, and you can always turn down the gains.

Yes, any decent head unit will have a crossover built-in. For example, any midrange pioneer receiver will have adjustable crossover frequencies for the subwoofer, and midrange speakers, as well as a 3 band parametric eq with adjustable slopes and centre frequencies for them. the 880prs has low/mid/high outputs, it's a step above, as well as I think a 30 band graphic EQ.

All that wiring in your trunk was for a subwoofer at one point. That makes it really easy to install one.

 

[suprarx7nut]

As for head units... I'd buy nothing but Alpine.

My 4 year old CDA-9811 has variable crossovers, both hi and low for the sub, time delay for each channel so it'll sound like you're ALMOST in the center of the sound, 4 pre-outs (of course ) Bass engine, giving you some options for a sub (I've never had a sub ) and a few other gadgets that I have yet to find on another brand's deck.

Oh, and most of all, it looks nice. Not flashy. Looks new, but not space age or "Fast and Furious". I love my Alpine and wont trade it for anything.

Just my .02

*edit, oh and if you're putting it in with a dash thats the original green, the older Alpines green color's almost match the supras dash led green perfectly. Its the same series as Jeff Lange's I believe. His dash looks amazing, due in part to the alpine deck.