The Qxxx4 needs more BOOM-diggity BAAAAyyyyAAAM!

[Qxxx4]

beginning to shop around...trying to stay with used setup as i am on a budget.

my aim? I want some more bass, nothing ear shattering just a nice oomph that i can show off a little and make my gf wet with vibration. (can i say that here?) I love sony products, no idea why. I especially love the latest 10" subwoofers they have and im starting to see some used but look almost new ones on kijiji and places like that. I wouldnt mind matching the amp either.

Id like 1 10 or 12" but if i can get a decent deal....ill want 2 10" subs more for aesthetics than anything. Im thinking of making my own box...dads real crafty with the woodwork and stuff and weve got all the tools.

If you guys can help me with any of these itd be greatly appreciated

-to get this running i need: sub, amp, headunit, a fuse block, 4 gauge? wire, what else? do i need a switch to turn my amp on/off?

-the sony subs are rated at 1300w each...wow. How much Wattage do i need to sound decent..nothing crazy. And mono/2-channel amp...whats the diff...cant i just run subs in series in a mono amp?

-heres pics of an EXAMPLE of a setup im interested in...a pic of the sub i want (but id want two) its a 10" and in box for $130.;..used but looks brand new but i think i can do btr. the other pic is a 800w sony mono amp....$130...it doesnt have a scratch on it. good deals?

my other brand choice is infinity but they are priceyyy and not as flashy as the sony sub im obsessed with. Its black and shiny and would look great with my q.

i cnt think of anything else but if i do ill write it down

thanks!

the sub

the amp

the girl (haha figured id showoff a little as i dont have a nice system yet like alot of you guys.)

[Qxxx4]

btw i listen to mostly electronic music. but everyonce in a while i throw in some serious reggae or rap or the odd rush or rammstein album

[slickroger]

my 2 cents.

ive had experience with a lot of sony products and personally all i like from them is the decks they make.

i have a sony amp but its maxed out right now.

if your going to be making a custom box i want in on that because its basically the same shape for my truck.

anyway keep putting things you find up.

going to work you have to call me like after 4pm because i work nights now and i sleep during the day.

[fueler]

I agree wit slickrog, you wanna stay away from sony amps and subs. They are laughed at on the caraudio forums. Back in the day, Sony used to make some bad *** decks, mainly the "ES series". Ever since they came out with xplod, the quality went to ****.

The same goes for that phoenix gold amp in the background. Before 99, phoenix gold made some of the baddest electronics to hit the car audio scene.... all their new stuff is pretty crappy now too....

And be careful building the box. The box is one of the most important things in a system. You NEED to make sure the cuft specs on the box match up with the sub. Install is everything. A crappy sub in a nice box will outperform a nice sub in a crappy box.

I suggest you stay with JL Audio, Alpine, Memphis power reference is a nice sub that can be bought for $90 brand new and is comparable to the JL W3, RE audio, image dynamics, etc. Kenwood still makes some decent products for cheap....

[fueler]

as far as mono vs 2 channel, wiring in parallel vs wiring in series, single voice coil vs dual voice coil, this is the ultimate link for you - very helpful: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-h....html

[fueler]

and if you ever wanna read about car audio on a forum, check out http://www.caraudio.com/forum/index.php my screen name there is stophatin

they can answer any technical questions you might have... thats all they do all day is car audio

[fueler]

i feel like if i can get you to stay away from the sony, i have done my job im serious, you wont even know what garbage you just avoided buying.

i had that same sony amp except the "1000w" version. that junk could barely even push a JL W0, that means it was really putting out about 100w you see sony overrates their ****, they will put an inflated peak # and not mention RMS which is the more important #

[benny8]

[QUOTE=fueler]I agree wit slickrog, you wanna stay away from sony amps and subs. They are laughed at on the caraudio forums. Back in the day, Sony used to make some bad *** decks, mainly the "ES series". Ever since they came out with xplod, the quality went to ****.

I'll third that seems like the most fun you can have with a sub like that is plugging it into a wall socket lol. Just thought id mention that adding the bass can be very addictive i just took my dual 12" box out and put in a single 12 and lets just say i am counting down to next weekend so i can change it back . I guess im trying to say be careful not to buy then end up upgrading again right after it gets expensive lol

[Qxxx4]

thanks so much for the links! i will definately stay away from sony now, your advice is appreciated. How about infinity, lighting audio, and rockford fosgate? I really like the new alpine subs the type r ones look slick.

that crutchfield site is awesome itll help me install everything!

Im finding really good deals on craigslist, emailed a few people. Realized im glad im doing my homework as its so easy to get hosed with this stuff.

i found a good site a friend reccomended http://www.sonicelectronix.com....html

good prices and cheap shipping to canada

Roger we gotta meet up again on the weekend or something. Im glad u got a new job! I plan on attempting to tint my headlights and fogs and redo signals this weekend. ATTEMPTING. with 35% tint. and if i get a good deal......figuring out how to install subs and an amp and maybe borrow one of your decks for a bit

that sonic site has a 6.5 inch touchscreen nav setup..$400 +30 shipping made by eclipse....wow thats an amazing deal.....im tempted guys....

i think im going to hunt down two 10" subs either rockford fosgate or infinity or alpine, what wattage amp is good for 2 subs that size? a mono amp too btw

talked to dad about the box....were not gunna do it. the price of good wood is too expensive id rather just get a well designed one

roger if ur bored this weekend just give me a call ill be free and actually in town for once lol

[Empty V]

I totally agree with the majority here. I'm a JL Audio fan 100%. I've got 2 10" JL W3's in my ride and they sound amazing. I also build a perfectly tuned box and Fueler is right on with that. The box makes all the difference. Whatever speakers you buy should have the proper dimensions for 1 and 2 speaker setups, ported and closed. I say go with a closed setup for more punch/definition and JL Audio for a very musical sub.

I had an over sized 2x12" box that I had custom upholstered with 1/4" foam under black vinyl to match my black leather interior. It looked pretty sweet but took up too much room and I was ready for a new setup. I bought those in October of 98 and they still sounded amazing. Plus I was able to sell the box with speakers for $400. That's how good JL Audio's gear is.

I listen to everything with the exception of country. In my car everything, and I mean everything sounds good because I've got a perfect box, amazing speakers and really solid amps and it booms too.

You don't need a fuse box you'll have an inline fuse going to your battery on your main power wire that will run into a power distribution block for both of your amps (if you want to run new speakers to the doors which I highly suggest). There should be a relay going to the amps from the deck that will trigger them to turn on, at least that's how I set it up. I used 4awg from the battery to the block and 8awg from the block to the amps. BTW for 2 10's you don't need a cap.

I'm also a big fan of pioneer head units. I made the switch from Aline to Pioneer about 8 years ago and have never looked back. If you need help let me know.

Billy

[Empty V]

Your materials will be cheap for the box. The best material to use is 3/4" MDF(like particle board), drywall screws and some wood glue. You can probably get black carpet for cheap from your local car audio shop, that's what I did. Just make sure you put a structural support in the center of the box and calculate that into your allotted airspace. It's much easier than you think and it's a fun project.

Billy

[Qxxx4]

nice i agree. wow that box you had before sounds sick if it even matched your upholstery..hmmm lol for now i just want a starter system and from there i will learn and upgrade later if i feel the need.

I just got an email from a guy with two clarion 10's in a dual ported box...$70. thats damn cheap even if the box is ****...is clarion any good?

im glad i dont need a cap for 10's!

is there any cheap alternatives to dynamat? next summer ill most likely be bored and might look into making a custom box and maybe some minor sound proofing

[fueler]

I agree with empty v, if you like electronic music like techno or trance, youll probably want a sealed box for the definition that empty v is talking about. A ported box like mine is way too "boomy" for techno and it ends up making the bass sound like its delayed... like its hitting a second too late compared to the rest of the song... does not sound good with techno

you want a nice, hard, solid and accurate punch for techno

I used 4awg from the battery to the block and 8awg from the block to the amps. BTW for 2 10's you don't need a cap.

I got the same wiring setup and it works great for 2 amps, one of which is pushing 2 10's and the other is 4 channel. the shops all told me it was too small of cable but i figured they were just trying to be salesmen...

and caps are BS... if you are having power delivery problems then theres a ton of stuff you need to do before a cap... like upgrading your big 3 - its way more effective than a cap and a fraction of the price. I played with a cap myself and wanna know what the result was? It did stop the lights from dimming but it also quieted down the bass.

Quote »I'm also a big fan of pioneer head units. I made the switch from Aline to Pioneer about 8 years ago and have never looked back. If you need help let me know.

Billy[/quote]I love my pioneer 6900ub (8 gb usb thumb drive in the glove box) and ive had mine about 1.5 yrs now, but just yesterday i realized the rear speakers are not working!!! I switched the RCA's at the amp and the rears fired right up and the fronts didnt work, so i know the amp is OK. my problem is either in the RCA cable or in my deck, hopefully not the deck, ill find out soon as i take everything apart....

also my pioneer did have the infamous "alternator whine" but i solved that with a ground loop isolater (ghetto repair)

[Adnan]

this is the area i specialize in the most

i don't really suggest the sony subs sure its rated 1300w maxbut rms continuous power rating is 380

i would look around craigslist/kijjji there are great deals everyonce in a while

i got my rockford subs from there $200 in mint condition

i personally i think 1 12" alpine type r or a rockford P3would accomodate you just fine

amp wise there is a rockford t3002 (should do anything from 300-600 rms watts) for a great price on kijjiji

[BoostTed]

Give me a budget to work with and what you are trying to accomplish and I'll try to recommend you something.

I used to be and am about to get back into car audio. I used to be a huge audiophile, I'll list some of the setup Ive had and some of the installs Ive had if you want.

[slickroger]

personally i love Clarion i had two clarion 12's before these kenwoods and i loved them they were in a sealed box.

If your going for a quick setup right now buy your subs in a box. ive seen subs thrown into boxes just to have the blown becuase the box simply did not have the airspace.

For the techno boom i agree with everyone sealed is the way but i also found that on my deck theres a setting to reverse the sub and it seems to cancel out that delayed boom fueler had mentioned.

Only reason i have a Cap is because it stopped my lights from dimming so if you get that problem than you might want to look into that.

I work till thursday morning. so ive got thursday friday and saturday off, holla at me i got decks you can borrow. maybe even an amp i believe its a kicker.

[Qxxx4]

man ill buy that amp off of you! how many watts is it? two channel? id get brand new kicker subs too man!

to late on the subs already in box idea....i bought one today used...$30 off a guy on kijiji...he wanted $40 but i saw a nice tear on the top corners and said nope..$30.

its a bassworx sealed, and is ready for 2 10inchers. So the hunt for two subs is on. I dont want nothing too powerful guys nor do i want to run something at its peak. so any ideas? it all started with a box. heres the pic...not much now but it will be soon!

it aint nothing special but its a start. $75 new i got it for $30. notice the rip at top left and small nick at top right. Thinking of making a flashy metal rail design around the edges as i notice alot of people have these rips on the corners. Or I might change out the carpeting to match my carpet. Im just glad i GOT SOMETHING to start my system.

so plz help me out guys, with this box whats a decent wattage on an amp and what speakers do you know work good with the bassworx box.

[Qxxx4]

and roger....im thinking of wiring up the wires for the amp some time even if i dont have the amp/subs yet, so when i do i just throw them in. Im considering that $400 eclipse head unit/nav system. It all depends how much i spend on the rest of the system. When i do buy a headunit its gotta be a good one.

I think im going to get new subs, im scared of used ones i want that new sub sound and i want to break them in myself. the amp....not big deal to me as long as it doesnt blow up on me and provides decent power!

[fueler]

congratulations, nice purchase! its always fun to build the system yourself - and then you know its done right. Very rewarding.

Since you have the box empty right now, you can take a squeeze bottle of regular bathroom silicon and go around all the inside edges just to seal it up 100%. It doesnt look like you have any in there. You can see the white silicon in the edges of my box.
Modified by fueler at 5:04 PM 10/22/2008

[Qxxx4]

Thats a great idea!!! Ill definately do that, whip out the cocking gun its been a while lmao yeah there is no silicone there. The box is in good shape minus that top edge, ill find a way to fix it though i always do. My buddy just emailed me hes installing his system in his saturn this weekend. he also advised to stay away from sony. were gunna get together most likely and help eachother out...roger you can get in on it if you want u probly know more than both of us combined lol hell be at my house ill let you know when, probably saturday.

thats a nice box fueler...last i saw you had that single sub box tied down like a mother****er lol it looked ghetto

[fueler]

cocking gun is going to be hard to fit in there, i bought a toothpaste size tube of silicon from home depot for like $5 and then get it in the cracks, and go over it with your finger to push it down and make it smooth

i have 2 10" OZ audio vectors now, i sold the single JL audio 10W3 in ported box for $130

the straps, while ugly, help out a lot. Without the straps, the box will fly all over. I would hit a hard dip, look in the rear view only to see the box actually fly in the air, hit the ceiling, and come back down. I broke all the plastic panels in the rear, broke the third tail light, im surprised i didnt break the rear window already. look on the drivers side wheel well and youll see a 2 foot long crack. and theres duct tape holding together the plastic interior panel by the drivers side tail light. hard to see in the pic.

plus, you dont notice the straps when sitting in the drivers seat, bass booming so loud that its hard to breathe and your vision gets blurry with each bass note.

the nissan cargo cover hides the box nicely.

[WINNIPEGS_MOST_WANTED]

I totally agree with the majority here. I'm a JL Audio fan 100%. I've got 2 10" JL W3's in my ride and they sound amazing. I also build a perfectly tuned box and Fueler is right on with that. The box makes all the difference. Whatever speakers you buy should have the proper dimensions for 1 and 2 speaker setups, ported and closed. I say go with a closed setup for more punch/definition and JL Audio for a very musical sub.

Definately with Empty on this. I have 2 JLs in my pathy which were originally in my Mustang. They've been bumpin for 7 or 8 years now and they still sound clean and crisp. Loud enough that they can turn heads but not hard enough to shake the vehicle to pieces and make it sound like a high school driven civic...

[Qxxx4]

so i found an ad for 2 rockford fosgates in ported box for $120 i asked the guy for pics and i got like 5..heres oneim not feeling all the scratches things always look btr in pic i think ill hate em when i see em up close. i told the guy no thanks lol so the hunt continues

[Empty V]

Smart move. The rust on the screws looks pretty nasty, clashing metals is never a good idea on anything. I won't bug you any more but you'll get a much better deal and most likely have a 100x better sounding system if you make it yourself, Fueler's right again about the silicone, air leaks = pressure lost and lack of response/definition.

Billy

[fueler]

those are the new punch and i think those pictured are the cheap ones (like P1 or P2) I heard that the P3 is the only one worth trying (although i have no first hand experience myself) But i did have some old school rockford fosgate subs several years ago and they banged HARD

[Adnan]

i'm personally not a fan of the P series rockford substhey mid sound decent a low volumes but quickly lose it at mid point

i would look for the old school HX2,kicker cvr or alpine type Swhich i highly recommend due to their pleasant sound quality

[Qxxx4]

i agree. i want to do everything myself. sure i need someone to help me wire the amp to the battery but other than that i wanna do it all myself and have the pride and knowledge. Im no fool when it comes to electronics....ive been fixing computers and cell phones since high school, took computer engineering and auto shop for 3 years in high school, am done 2 years of electronics engineering at college 1 year left, have worked at alarmforce for coop, and now im working at berlet electronics..i repair wireless systems that control trains and cranes and heavy machinery like that. yeah. im a geek. so god dammit why havent i moved my knowledge into my car? cuz of the $$ and the total NOOBness of what i know about running the wires from my BATTERY to my AMP. thats it. LOL aaanyways guys thanksss so much, this thread will keep going until i got stuff installed! my friend is doing up his saturn before. he used to have a whole setup but he smashed his old car. two years later hes got a saturn and hes gunna show me how its done. (hes even installing tweeters adn stuff)

roger ill still need ur help! im going to his house and im not sure if ill do anything on my q, but ill def use your help at some point lmao cuz u have a pathy and know the best way to do it!

should i buy a new battery? doesnt it run off the alternator, i wont use the system when the cars off...yet....

[Qxxx4]

im hearing alot about kicker and alpine.....

[fueler]

im hearing alot about kicker and alpine.....

thats cause they some of the best companies (in the mainstream).

Kicker L7's are some crazy subs Kicker L5's get the job done Alpine has always been known for quality and they haven't fallen off yet. I have beat up so many alpine amps and they never break. One of my old alpine amps (which i sold to a girl 8 years ago) just got stolen from her car a few weeks ago... and that one was probably about 10 years old. And i abused it. so chances are, youll get alpine stuff stolen before it breaks.

[Adnan]

i think your stock battery should handle it fairly well...just avoid playing it on ACC for long during winter...no doubts upgrading the electrical(big 3,cap,deep cycle battery) will help

ps: just added you on msn