Stereo Advice Needed.

[frankenberrie]

I'm electronic savvy but when it comes to car audio I feel like a noob to the world.. I am gonna be picking up a 2010 Altima Sedan 2.5 S with Convience package.. Regular stock radio. Below is a list of components I was thinking about getting. My budget it $900ish:

Do I need to put the door or deck speaks on a amp? Could the stereo run them alone?

Thanks so much for your help and suggestions....

Replacement speakers:http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1...avf=Nh ... _1...avf=N

Sub:http://www.crutchfield.com/p_5...p=112

AMP:http://signature.crutchfield.c...p=115orhttp://www.crutchfield.com/p_5...p=115

Head:http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1...=5684

NOTE:I chose that head unit cause it is said to work well with iphones.I also read every post on this site.. I feel lost.i'm not looking to rock the block but nice sound in bass in my vehicle
Modified by frankenberrie at 8:26 PM 3/4/2010

[AppleBonker]

I've been buried at work lately, but I will try to respond to this post sometime this weekend with more in-depth advice, if you can hang on that long.

[frankenberrie]

No problem apple.. I spent a lot of time reading your posts, very informational..

What scares me is spending $25,000 of a new vehicle then ripping it apart to install all the aftermarket components.. I have nightmares about cups of screws that I cannot remember where they go.. hahah

Thanks again apple.

[AppleBonker]

Personally, I don't know that replacing the rear 6x9s is much worth it. Rear speakers somewhat kill the sound stage as it is. I think it would be wiser to focus on the fronts, and leave the rears stock. As far as the fronts go, you'd get much better results if you stepped up to the ~$100 range on crutchfield. Any of the Alpine/Infinity/Polk speakers should sound better. Most of those are fairly common at big box stores, so you can probably head to a best buy and audition them if you want.

As far as the head unit goes, I just got my sister the Alpine iDA-X305. I'm not sure where it went on Crutchfield's site (just looked and didn't see it), but I bought it from there. It's a bit more than the Sony your linked, (I think I paid about 300), but the quality is fantastic. I'm not sure about the Sony (or other offerings in that price range), but I think the Alpines don't use the iPod DACs, so you should get better sound quality out of them.

Just my two cents on all of this though...

[AppleBonker]

And don't be too worried about taking apart the car. There is a limited amount of damage you can do on the interior. The worst is probably cracking trim panels, so work when the car is warmer and check out the FSM to find where screws/snaps are located.

I also use different cups/bags for each set of screws (IE, if 3 hold on one trim piece, the three get their own container). This helps make sure there aren't leftovers. The only way to really end up with extras is to completely not screw an entire piece in (which will be plainly noticeable).

[frankenberrie]

Apple, Thanks for the information.. I looked up that alpine model on crutch and it said it was discontinued. Maybe a new model coming out?

What do you think about the sub and amp? Good combo? Would I be able to run 2 of those subs on that amp? Thanks again..

[AppleBonker]

Completely forgot to comment on the sub/amp. For that price, you probably wont find much better. Obviously, that is pretty cheap, so don't be expecting anything crazy from the sub. It will provide a nice low-end boost, but it is not going to rattle the entire car. Don't try to get too much out of it, or it might blow.

On the amp, I would probably grab the Alpine. It's got better power production, and I've had great experiences with Alpine amps in the past (I'm on my fourth and fifth right now). Doc may be able to provide some better input about RF. You probably couldn't run two of those subs off the RF amp, but the Alpine should be able to do it.

As far as the HU goes, I completely forgot about this thread. I would highly recommend contacting Broadfield. He's an advertiser on these forums and completely legit. Might be able to get you a decent price on some gear (it looks like he has the Alpine iDA-X305 for under 270). I think he also sells some speakers and amps and might be able to find something good in your price-range. He's been helpful to people in the past, so you might be able to benefit as well.

[frankenberrie]

Apple... once again thank you for your input.

[AppleBonker]

NP. Remember, this is all my personal opinion. Yours might differ. See if you can listen to some of this stuff before buying. That is always your best bet.

[frankenberrie]

Sorry for so many questions but I am trying to get a understanding of watts, ohms, rms, and other terms...

With the proper wiring would the following amp power 2 of the following subs?

(1) AMP:http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-M...img_b

(2) SUB:http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-S...r=8-1

[AppleBonker]

It could, but those subs can handle 500 watts rms each for a total of 1000 watts rms. That amp can only put out roughly 500 watts. So the subs would be getting half the power they can handle. So, it's doable, but the subs will be hungry for more. With those two subs, you'd be better getting a 1000 watt amp at the correct impedance (those two subs can be wired to 0.5, 2.0 or 8.0 ohms). You'll be hard pressed finding an amp stable at 0.5 ohms, and a 1000 watt amp at 2.0 ohms will run you more than the MRP-M500 amp you found. Or, you could look for a dual 4 ohm sub and run only one with that amp.

[frankenberrie]

Ok so I think I got it Apple...

1 Alpine 4ohm 10" Type R sub (500w)1 Alpine 500w amp

Now will that setup in a ported enclosure do the job? The reason I am going with 10" cause I read that it's hard to get 12's in even a sedan neatly.

[AppleBonker]

Yup, the alpine amp you posted previously mated with a dual 4-ohm 10" sub would work nicely (I think the sub is model 1042D - there is probably a 1022D as well, but you don't want this one). That would push 500 watts to a sub that can handle 500 watts and would certainly be a nice addition to give you some thump.

A ported box will be a bit sloppier. The Type-R isn't well known as a sound quality sub, but it can hit hard. It will work quite well in a ported box, and would give you more volume. I don't use the word sloppy as a huge negative, so don't take it that way. A sound quality sub in a sealed box hits much more crisply. However, it takes a lot more power and a decent priced sub to get the same volume (this adds to the price quite a bit). As long as you're not planning on winning any sound quality competitions, those items on the budget you are working with will give you a stereo 100x better than stock.

For what it's worth, Doc is still running a ported enclosure I believe. Ported doesn't sound bad, just not as clean as sealed. Most people can't tell the difference (and they are lucky - trying to obtain the highest quality sound becomes a VERY expensive addiction).

And, as far as the 10 vs 12 goes, a 10 will hit cleaner than the 12, but it wont reach as deep. It also takes less space in the trunk, so a lot of people go that route. The sedan is significantly deeper in the trunk, so you would be able to fit a 12 far more easily than a coupe. But, I think you are probably making the right decision by looking at the 10.

[frankenberrie]

Apple=TheMan! Thanks for your assistance - Now im off to the rims and tires section to ask a few questions.

[frankenberrie]

I am thinking about going with the 12" instead of the 10"

My questions is will this box fix it the 2010 sedan trunk? Would it have room to push all the way back?

I ask because I do not have the vehicle yet. Thanks again

LINK TO ITEM:http://www.bestbuy.com/site/At...26868
Modified by frankenberrie at 1:24 PM 3/22/2010

[AppleBonker]

I don't know the actual dimensions on the trunk of the sedan, but it is much larger than the coupe. My guess would be that box would fit. But don't trust me on that, I don't want you to buy something and end up having it be useless. When you go check the car out sometime, take a tape measure with and double check. My guess is you'd be ok though.

[frankenberrie]

Do you think 25 feet is too long for the headunit to amp rca wires?

Would 15ft be too short to reach to trunk?

[AppleBonker]

Do you think 25 feet is too long for the headunit to amp rca wires?

Would 15ft be too short to reach to trunk?

In my '96 accord I think I ran 16' and had enough. 15 should cover it depending on where you run the wires and where the amp is placed.

[frankenberrie]

I ask because I am looking into grabbing some decent shielded RCA cables like in the link below but they only come in 15 or 25ft

Don't wanna go to long if its gonna degrade the signal. I figure you have a heck of a lot more experience in the matter than I do.

http://www.monoprice.com/produ...image

[AppleBonker]

The longer length shouldn't noticeably degrade the signal. What will degrade the signal is interference, so it is important to try to keep the RCAs away from electrical stuff as much as possible.

My '96 accord was a sedan, but every other car I've installed in has been a coupe. The easiest route for running signal cables is generally from the back of the head unit behind the glove box or under the steering column then down to the floor and along the inside of the door trim. Then around the back seat somehow and into the trunk. As long as the amp is placed reasonably close to where the signal cables enter the trunk, I have a hard time believing 15' will be too short.

[SuBXeRo]

I always err on th side of caution and use longer wires than necessary. I had 22ft of monster wpoer cable and depending oin where i put it in my trunk of my old i30, iw ould have used all 22 ft of it. 18ft was almost just short of what i needed for my subwoofer signal wires so i actually moved my amp to make things work. Just makes ure that with longer runs you purchase maybe a little better quality wire with thicker copper in it if possible.

[gearhead05]

So I'm gonna revive this old thread for two reasons. First is to thank AppleBonker for all the great info. The setup Frankenberrie was talking about is EXACTLY what I was looking at today and I found this thread which really helped me out. Second, I was looking at picking up these front speakers:

http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-Type-R-SPR ... 253&sr=8-1

Would the power from my HU (50Wx4) provide enough to run those speakers and still sound good?