Sound Ideas

[Ripper]

Hello Gang,

Got meself a sprinter i know i know not the coolest looking ride nor the fastest but due to financial constraints and the things alike had to settle for it

I want to install a good sound system on it... want it to "look" discreet and hardly noticeable from the outside... Not the AA kinda stuff I want to retain boot space for other stuff

Started scouring the web for a good rig... Subs..maybe a 5.1 surround head unit etc

I'm pretty caught on this 10inch subwoofer, a b*aup*nk* i saw on ebay...decent price, good reviews also...

was wondering if there are any audio experts here who can give me some ideas

I will get the whole thing setup by an audio joint but i want to know what's out there and other info on the topic before committing to a particular system

thanks in advance

[Elvis_Pil]

Whats your budget? Thats the main thing in recommending stuff or else this will be never ending

[Ripper]

that's the hitch... i dunno for sure

i know you can't get a decent setup for a buck and a half but i don't want it to shoot through the roof also

the blpnkt subs i saw on ebay were something like 30k... don't mind that kinda spending but nothing way over would love to get some Kicker subs but those are too pricey

i only want a system to listen while i'm driving... not for performance while it's parked Don't need the ricey stuff

Whats your budget? Thats the main thing in recommending stuff or else this will be never ending

that's the hitch... i dunno for sure

i know you can't get a decent setup for a buck and a half but i don't want it to shoot through the roof also

the blpnkt subs i saw on ebay were something like 30k... don't mind that kinda spending but nothing way over would love to get some Kicker subs but those are too pricey

i only want a system to listen while i'm driving... not for performance while it's parked Don't need the ricey stuff

BTW Pila... Your Cuz Gian is a good friend of mine. I normally check any car stuff with him first but the bugger is not in SL at the moment

[Elvis_Pil]

Just an idea for a budget setup- go for a Blaupunkt 2 channel amp to power the entry level sub from the same Company. (less than 10 inches) You get these at most car stereo joints. Amp will set you back about 9k and the sub about 10 if I'm not mistaken. You can run your speakers off the head units built in amp. Go for 6/9's only for the rear. Try and go in for JBL's 400's which will cost about 15k. You can get a decent head unit for about 14k. Try and go in for the Pioneer DEH3750MP which is good all round set with a remote as well. (One of the AL's Mods will speak more on this set which he recently purchased)

I aint no expert on this subject.. await the replies from the clan who know these things.

BTW Pila... Your Cuz Gian is a good friend of mine. I normally check any car stuff with him first but the bugger is not in SL at the moment

Hey pleased to meet you I guess Gion spilled the beans on me you work with him is it?

[Devinda_Z]

no expert on the subject but a good set of compoenet speakers ( 2x 4" or 6" speakers + 2x Tweeters) for the front

Rounds or as Pilla suggested 6x9 to the back,into the shelf

& possibly an active sub would produce an acceptable degree of sound ,imo

also a headunit with a provision for a USB link would be useful if your into mp3s i guess

dont skimp when it comes to a headunit - there are lots of odd brands floating abt loaded with features but in the long run u'll realize that they arent quite durable n dont perform as well as a lower spec unit of a reputed brand...

[Ripper]

Just an idea for a budget setup- go for a Blaupunkt 2 channel amp to power the entry level sub from the same Company. (less than 10 inches) You get these at most car stereo joints. Amp will set you back about 9k and the sub about 10 if I'm not mistaken. You can run your speakers off the head units built in amp. Go for 6/9's only for the rear. Try and go in for JBL's 400's which will cost about 15k. You can get a decent head unit for about 14k. Try and go in for the Pioneer DEH3750MP which is good all round set with a remote as well. (One of the AL's Mods will speak more on this set which he recently purchased)

I aint no expert on this subject.. await the replies from the clan who know these things.

Hey pleased to meet you I guess Gion spilled the beans on me you work with him is it?

thanks pila for tips... Will check around

Yeah G.boy and i work at the same joint

according to him...you know your cars

Let's see what kinda responses we will get from the rest Searched AL for threads on the topic but couldn't find any... Maybe we should get a sponsor do to articles on these kinda stuff for starters and the pro's alike like in some forums

[neXGen]

Hey Ripper...

me being somewhat in the same situ as ya are buddy.. sprinter ae110 yeah? lol.. same boat for that fact

dude, i suggest that ya get yaself a spanking amplifier (min. 500W with 2-4 channels), a pioneer headunit, pioneer 6x9 speakers (good value for money!) and for the woofer a pioneer would do too.. though Rockford Fosgate n Audiobahn would rock ya backseat companions..

The pioneer 6x9 5 way stuff is bout 6k to 9k depending from where you buy it and it gives really good quality for the price.. limited to about 70-80 odd rms though enough to make ya ears bleed.. If you got the cash, i suggest the Infinity kappa range of 6x9.. really good quality super sounding stuff man...

Let me give you a decent setup for below 50k.

Sony Xplode 4-Chan 500W Amplifier - 14-15k

Pioneer 6x9 5-Way - 8k (approximated)

Audiobahn 12inch with box - 19k (approximately)

Installation - 2-3k

I suggest a bunch of tweeters to give the added hisses.. though if it were the infinity range.. it would not quite be necessary..

drop me a mail [email protected] , knw a place where ya could probably get stuff for cheap...

Zz

[Elvis_Pil]

Hate Sony 4 channel amps. Unbridgeable. Also hate Pioneer subs- not too keen on plastic base

Whats the setup your running Nex??

[Bugatti]

Hello Gang,

Got meself a sprinter i know i know not the coolest looking ride nor the fastest but due to financial constraints and the things alike had to settle for it

I want to install a good sound system on it... want it to "look" discreet and hardly noticeable from the outside... Not the AA kinda stuff I want to retain boot space for other stuff

Started scouring the web for a good rig... Subs..maybe a 5.1 surround head unit etc

I'm pretty caught on this 10inch subwoofer, a b*aup*nk* i saw on ebay...decent price, good reviews also...

was wondering if there are any audio experts here who can give me some ideas

I will get the whole thing setup by an audio joint but i want to know what's out there and other info on the topic before committing to a particular system

thanks in advance

Hey Dude,

Welcome to AL..

In my opinion, I would recommend you go for Rockford Fosgate for both front and rear.. (you may not need tweeters with these) and RF has a better frequency response. Power it with a 4 way JBL, and use an active-sub, or go for the full thing if u could spend a few extra bucks.

I've installed RF with an Infinity sub, powered by JBL 4-way and Blaupunkt radio phone. If u want to check it out let me know, drop me a mail to <[email protected]>

And if you really enjoy music, I don't recommend MP3's.... compressed music, when amplified tend to distort a bit... (I can prove that too)

Good Luck

[Hola]

Why dont you just go for a recon double set up? But make sure the lense is cleaned by the seller

[speeddemon200]

Hey Dude,

Welcome to AL..

In my opinion, I would recommend you go for Rockford Fosgate for both front and rear.. (you may not need tweeters with these) and RF has a better frequency response. Power it with a 4 way JBL, and use an active-sub, or go for the full thing if u could spend a few extra bucks.

I've installed RF with an Infinity sub, powered by JBL 4-way and Blaupunkt radio phone. If u want to check it out let me know, drop me a mail to <[email protected]>

And if you really enjoy music, I don't recommend MP3's.... compressed music, when amplified tend to distort a bit... (I can prove that too)

Good Luck

gud config....id suggest tho that u go 4 a pioneer head unit wit dis....those head units r killer....heard da RF's r gud as well havent tried one.......

@bugatti; as 4 ur claim on MP3's bein poor quality i must dissaggree....just like ne thin else, it all depends on da quality of da music u download, n' how gud da player is......wit a quality mp3 player havin stored CD quality music...u will get nothin less.....i know several ppl who use there ipods wit there car stereo's n' gt gr8 quality........i connect mine 2 ma home stereo....n' da quality is awesome...same wit da sony...n' other gr8 brands....its a gud alternative to installin a cd changer as u can carry ur whole, music collection in ur car, n' change between albums at da press of a button...

[neXGen]

Hate Sony 4 channel amps. Unbridgeable. Also hate Pioneer subs- not too keen on plastic base

Whats the setup your running Nex??

Sony Xplode 500W-4 Chan

Infinity Kappa 693.1 6x9

Pioneer mp3/wma CD headunit (cant rem. model)

Pioneer Component speaker (front)

Pioneer 15' 250 RMS woofer...

The woofer went bust the nutcracker who sold it to me ve screwed it a bit n i thought i could get a PVC based cone attached.. only to find that most only do 12 inch.. got it repaired though.. qualityz gone though..

pila.. define bridgeable dude.. ya mean that 2 chans being bridged into 1? bit confused...

Got me a unsold blaupunkt 2-chan amplifier too and gotta get it installed in the near future.. but outta all these stuff.. infinity is what i love the most gotta love the size and the freakin quality...

Mp3s cannot be considered of low quality dude.. 128kbps encoding is literally the CD-quality version of the audio cd.. either the fault would lie at the level of the encoder to the headunit from which the cd is playing.. pioneer has had the knack of making some top quality mp3 cd players..

encode audio at 160kbps and you are good to go

Zz

[Ripper]

thanks all for the posts. It's becoming a very informative thread

I started scouring ebay for the headunit since once in a while you get great deals there

Keep those ideas pumping can never stop learning something new

[Hola]

thanks all for the posts. It's becoming a very informative thread

I started scouring ebay for the headunit since once in a while you get great deals there

Keep those ideas pumping can never stop learning something new

ebay? the shiping will cost you doube wont it?

[Elvis_Pil]

pila.. define bridgeable dude.. ya mean that 2 chans being bridged into 1? bit confused...

Yeah when you can bridge your amp you can give 100% of its power to just two channels while running on 2ohms - which is superb to power a mega sub for deep base or a set of high end speakers. Its also makes the amp versatile for upgrades when say you need to the power of multiple amps. Thats why I prefer the Blaupunkt GTA475. 800 amp.

I think Ravindra had some amps available as well

[neXGen]

Yeah when you can bridge your amp you can give 100% of its power to just two channels while running on 2ohms - which is superb to power a mega sub for deep base or a set of high end speakers. Its also makes the amp versatile for upgrades when say you need to the power of multiple amps. Thats why I prefer the Blaupunkt GTA475. 800 amp.

I think Ravindra had some amps available as well

Sony Xplodes bridgeable dude.. i ve got 2-chans devoted to the 6x9s and 2-chans bridged into 1 for the woofer.. fine tuning available via small scrolls on the amplifier.. though for the extreme audiophile, it would def be a mono amp for a woofer.. cant afford that type o luxury ..

I got a GTA275 400W 2-chan amp.. just lying around but planning to hook it up n power up the front n send some more power to the woofer.. once again.. those infinty rocks lol.. 110RMS is music to ya ears.. what are ya running pila?

Zz

[Elvis_Pil]

Sony Xplodes bridgeable dude.. i ve got 2-chans devoted to the 6x9s and 2-chans bridged into 1 for the woofer.. fine tuning available via small scrolls on the amplifier.. though for the extreme audiophile, it would def be a mono amp for a woofer.. cant afford that type o luxury ..

I got a GTA275 400W 2-chan amp.. just lying around but planning to hook it up n power up the front n send some more power to the woofer.. once again.. those infinty rocks lol.. 110RMS is music to ya ears.. what are ya running pila?

Zz

Nope that aint what I mean for bridging dude.. you anyway splitting the amp- when you bridge you dedicate it to one device. You should make use of the extra amp- cause that model does wonders on the medium sized subs

I'm not running anything fancy- Pioneer DEH1450 headunit (ancient), Blau front Components, JBL 400 6X9, Boss 600W enclosed sub, Blau GTA475 850w amp & a DLS fuse(makes a big difference)

[Hola]

Are we only going to advice him on Pioneer etc. I instaled a Sony Xplod. Had a Xplode Mp3 player now traded it in and fixed a Xplode Mp3 with VCD.

[neXGen]

@ Pila - Yeah.. had me ideas on getting it done but unfortunately not got the time.. and hunting for a new woofer too.

@ Hola - If it were another brand I ll be recommending it would never be Sony headunit check the reviews Hola... plenty of units usually fail within the year.. loads of faulty units especially the VCD based players..

Zz

[Hola]

@ Pila - Yeah.. had me ideas on getting it done but unfortunately not got the time.. and hunting for a new woofer too.

@ Hola - If it were another brand I ll be recommending it would never be Sony headunit check the reviews Hola... plenty of units usually fail within the year.. loads of faulty units especially the VCD based players..

Zz

i agree with you for some extent. there is a model with a sliding eject cover and that bound to give issues

[Ripper]

ok guys confession time this was one of ma first posts on AL but still didn't get the sound system installed..

something i'll be rectifying over the weekend yippe for me

I've decided to go for a pioneer head unit...hopefully something that can take my ipod and a pen drive also in...

as for front speakers... either infinity/jbl or RF... value/price decision sadly

6x9 hopefully rockford or jbl... won't compromise on this one

i'm hoping i can cover this around 50k give or take a few grand...

sub will have to wait since i wanna get a very good one with a good amp etc...

now the question is... do ya need another amp other than the head unit to power up the 6x9's ?

what would be the best joint to get this done... right now i'm thinking either advance or pet*o... the latter seems to be pricey according to friends...

ideas? thoughts? insults?

[Elvis_Pil]

ok guys confession time this was one of ma first posts on AL but still didn't get the sound system installed..

something i'll be rectifying over the weekend yippe for me

I've decided to go for a pioneer head unit...hopefully something that can take my ipod and a pen drive also in...

as for front speakers... either infinity/jbl or RF... value/price decision sadly

6x9 hopefully rockford or jbl... won't compromise on this one

i'm hoping i can cover this around 50k give or take a few grand...

sub will have to wait since i wanna get a very good one with a good amp etc...

now the question is... do ya need another amp other than the head unit to power up the 6x9's ?

what would be the best joint to get this done... right now i'm thinking either advance or pet*o... the latter seems to be pricey according to friends...

ideas? thoughts? insults?

If you get a 4 channel amp you can run the 6X9's and the front 6's off it. Or you can get a 2 channel amp and run only the 6x9's off it and run the 6's off the remaining outs on the head unit. (you will have 2 sets of outs-one will go for the amp) Running 6's off the head unit is not problem unless they are high end/componant speakers in which case you will need to 'amp em. Also remember you will need another set of 2 amp channels for the sub when you do get one. So you should look for a 4 channel amp now itself. Of course your ideal setup would be one 2 channel/mono amp for the sub only and a 4 channel amp for the speakers Whats the model number of the head unit your looking at?

[gunat]

Going to throw a spanner in the works.

I've avoided getting an Amp etc in my last few cars; and have instead installed good quality speakers. So far, its worked- mainly because i'm not a bass maniac.

Usually my head unit ends up as Pioneer or anything with a MOFSET amp. Speakers are JBL/Infinity/Rodek.

Being as you're on a budget but looking for some really good quality sound, try DLS speakers. (Are you thinking "wtf is DLS?")- look them up. They are specialist manufacturer that have been winning Sound competitions in Europe/US.

http://www.dls.se/en/car/index.html

http://www.gilbertlk.com/html/index.htm

Gilbert & Sons are the local agents- drop by and see what they have; i'm not sure of the prices, but its worth the extra effort. I took a chance and installed their basic component speakers and rear speakers (both round, as i didn't want to cut anything in the car). Sound is excellent- especially at low volume.

No harm in maximizing research before spending your money- they also do subwoofers and amps.

good luck.

Edited February 13, 2008 by gunat

[Ripper]

If you get a 4 channel amp you can run the 6X9's and the front 6's off it. Or you can get a 2 channel amp and run only the 6x9's off it and run the 6's off the remaining outs on the head unit. (you will have 2 sets of outs-one will go for the amp) Running 6's off the head unit is not problem unless they are high end/componant speakers in which case you will need to 'amp em. Also remember you will need another set of 2 amp channels for the sub when you do get one. So you should look for a 4 channel amp now itself. Of course your ideal setup would be one 2 channel/mono amp for the sub only and a 4 channel amp for the speakers Whats the model number of the head unit your looking at?

Gian told me that you got a hot new setup in ya new ride...i'm betting it's a pioneer

how about a recommendation?

as of now don't have a model in mind...thought of deciding one while at the sound joint... might not be the best idea i guess

[Ripper]

Going to throw a spanner in the works.

I've avoided getting an Amp etc in my last few cars; and have instead installed good quality speakers. So far, its worked- mainly because i'm not a bass maniac.

Usually my head unit ends up as Pioneer or anything with a MOFSET amp. Speakers are JBL/Infinity/Rodek.

Being as you're on a budget but looking for some really good quality sound, try DLS speakers. (Are you thinking "wtf is DLS?")- look them up. They are specialist manufacturer that have been winning Sound competitions in Europe/US.

http://www.dls.se/en/car/index.html

http://www.gilbertlk.com/html/index.htm

Gilbert & Sons are the local agents- drop by and see what they have; i'm not sure of the prices, but its worth the extra effort. I took a chance and installed their basic component speakers and rear speakers (both round, as i didn't want to cut anything in the car). Sound is excellent- especially at low volume.

No harm in maximizing research before spending your money- they also do subwoofers and amps.

good luck.

well i love my BASS never been a fan of trebles, need that thump

But thought i'll save the sub for later since getting a very good one with a decent amp will set me back quite a lot that at present i can't afford

my car has the panels cut at the back for 6x9's with pioneer speaker cover no speakers though

so i wanna try do as much as i can within 50k or so minus the sub...

The hitch is that this is my first ride and will be my first car setup...seems to be a pretty steep learning curve and i'm sure i'll screw it up if i don't go by good recommendations