help with building a simple system

[underground57]

Hey guys, I don't really know anything about audio stuff so I apologize ahead of time. Anyways, I have a 93 240sx fastback. I have an Alpine9813 head unit, Alpine SPS460A's in the rear and a pair of 4"x6" polks in the front. I'm looking to get some bass for this system and don't really know where to start. I'm going for sound quality and clarity and not so much the the thump n bump. I'm thinking one 10" would be enough, but like I said, I don't know much about audio. I'm assuming I would also need an amp. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also for guys with the fastback, what would be a good way to go about mounting the amp and sub(s). I value my trunk space, so any big displays are out of the question. Is there maybe a way to mount them into the back seat somehow, but so they're not visible? Any help would be great. Thanks guys.

Steve
Modified by underground57 at 6:10 PM 10/1/2004

[AustinSilvia]

what would you like to spend, and what is the most you will spend? (for everything included)

[underground57]

Not a whole lot, but I don't wanna cheap out if it means sacrificing quality/reliability. Maybe a couple hundred? I don't really know whats out there and what it costs. I don't have a certain amount set aside if thats what you're asking. If I don't have enough, I'll just save until I do. Sorry the answer's not more specific.

[AustinSilvia]

my suggestion is that you look on ebay. you can probably come across a good package deal or something... since you dont have really high quality mids/highs i would reccommend pairing them up with comparable subs. some you might consider include, but definitely not limited to: mtx, alpine, kenwood, jbl, lower end jl audio, etc. you can usually get mainstream stuff on ebay for pretty cheap, and those brands produce decent sounding, cost effective (when bought on ebay) stuff. you can match them up with an amp of the same brand or mix and match or whatever, but i think you'll be fine with either. i suggest you go to circuit city and listen to what they have to offer. once you look at things and price stuff come back and tell me what exactly you want to spend and what not and aybe i can help out more, but for now just look around. anything you see in circuit city can easily be had on ebay for half the price. any other questions just ask... for now this is all i can think to tell you... i mean really the best speakers for you are the ones that sound good to you... but dont just get sold right away... try a bunch out and see if you hear differences or whatever. there is no substitute for experience. come back and post up and ask about some speakers you listened to and see what everyone has to say about them... then people can compare similar priced/ performing woofers and amps, and tell you if the reccommend anything else. hope this helps.

[underground57]

I'm still in the planning stage so I'm not worrying about price just yet. I spend enough time in my car that I consider this an investment. I guess what I'm asking is what should I be looking for? I mean should I be looking for a single sub or two? What size or range of sizes would be ideal? I can tell what sounds good in the stores, but I'm thinking it'll sound a little different when its actually in the car. I also asked about mounting ideas because although I'm not at that point yet, if I can figure out where everything is going, that might help to determine a specific size. I think I understand basic speaker specs, but amps are another story. I'm not entirely sure how the numbers correlate to what I need (ei: what ohms, # of channels, wattage I should be looking for). Are there certain features I should look for?

Also, you said that I don't really have high quality mids or highs. What could I get to remedy that. I got the speakers for free from a friend when he totalled his car, so I wouldn't mind spending more on components.

Thanks for the help so far. Sorry if I'm being a total n00b about this.

[Rex]

Here's a link to a thread discussing a couple "basic" S13 systems .

[underground57]

Thanks Rex. Exactly what I was looking for.

[Rex]

Thanks Rex. Exactly what I was looking for.

No problem, glad to help, mot of the links in there are for CBRStereo, IIRC. They have pretty good prices and a few of the regulars in the Car Audio forum have pruchased from them, but as with any purchase do your own research adn go with a seller/retailer you're comfortable with.

There should be a few more of those types of threads further down.

[underground57]

Ok, after doing some research, here's what I got so far. I'm thinking about the Kenwood eXcelon KFC-Xr61P 6-1/2" component system for the front, because they've got crazy highs. I'll make the adaptor plates cuz I don't think Chris is making them anymore. For a sub, I'm looking at the Infinity Kappa 100.3dvc 10" dual 4ohm sub. First of all, how does that sound to you guys? Secondly, what sort of amp specs should I be looking for? I figure I'll run the rear 4x6's off the HU and use the amp to run the fronts and sub, so I'm assuming I'll need a 4channel amp. I've got some prices figured out I think. I'm thinking ~$150 for the front component system and ~$100 for the sub. I don't know about the amp yet but maybe ~$200-300?

Oh and some links to make it easier:http://www.crutchfield.com/S-f...CXR61

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-f...cc=01

And no, I don't plan on buying it there. Thanks guys

[Rex]

Here's a thread discussing the best component speakers. Not to say the one's you posted aren't good, but for the money, I think you can get much better overall sound. Highs aren't generally something that speakers have a hard time (re)producing.

The sub you listed is a nice piece, but do yourself a favor and figure out what size/type (sealed, ported, isobaric, 4th order, etc) of box you can fit, amp you can afford (most $$ you can afford) and then see what sub will fit those things.

For amps I usually recommend the Autotek as a good affordable amplifier. They have some nice 4 (& even a 5) channel amps in the SX & MX series. They should fit in your budget.

[underground57]

I decided to spend a little extra on the Infinity Kappa Perfect 10.1d over the Kappa 100.3dvc. I also decided to go with a sealed box because from what I've read, the sound quality is a little better and the bass is more crisp. Also, box sizes tend to be smaller.

For an amp I'm going with the Audiobahn A6004T (75x4, 300x2), decent bang for the buck. I looked into the Autotek amps and they didn't quite compare (price vs performance). I also read some reviews that said the Autotek amps had overheating issues. I don't know if thats the case or not, but I didn't want to chance it. I really liked the look of the mx series though.

I'm going to hold off on getting components for now, because I want to get a quality set and prices are kinda up there. Besides, I haven't found a place where I can listen to the higher end stuff yet.

Thanks again Rex, for your help.

[Rex]

Looks like you made sound (pun intended) decisions after doing some research, good move. And you're dead on, a small sealed box will give a tighter, almost snappy, bass. Which should be perfect unless you're going db racing.

Make sure you run your wires carefully and fuse the main power at both the battery and the amp.

Enjoy.

[Florida240sx]

I had a nice setup in mine with 2 12's. Now i got a big box in the back with them go straight at the glass. First thing I had for bass was a 100watt no-name amp and a 15"crunch. Sounded sweet built the box to the same angle of my hatch. Didn't take up much space at all.In fact one day when I had 9 people in my car 3 front 4 in back seat and 2 in the trunk. People in back had more room than everyone else.And don't accuse me of sliding hard into turns to make sure they hit their heads. Yea my friend said he knew how to hookup my system result was a fried pioneer head unit and all factory amps. Whenever messing with your amp if you touch it with any tool make sure the fuse is out.