good stereo equipment???'s

[Black_Pstroke]

Ive been out of the car audio game for a very long time, but I am wanting to get back into it. Im not really looking to be getting into any competitions, but I am tired of the stock treble rebel system in my truck. So my main question is what is the best route to go for a cc truck. I was looking through some boxes I had stored and I came across my old crossfire amp from a system I had in a truck from my college years(I'll have to get the specs on it later). Last time I used it I was pushing 4 phoenix gold 10's( not sure on the specs of these.) As far as the deck goes I am planning on getting an Alpine Nav. unit, unless there is something better out there for the $$$. Also I still want to be able to use the Factory SYNC functions as well. As I mentioned Ive been out of the game for a long time. Thanks for any help also if you know of any good websites to search let me know them. I only have one local car audio place and they are a bunch of A$$HATS, they dont want to talk to you unless you plan on spending $10 grand or better.

 

[Black_Pstroke]

bump>>>

 

[Spatel23]

How far do you want to take it? How many subs and what size?
Are you replacing the door speakers? Components or coaxials?

I dont think you can keep SYNC once you remove the factory headunit. Alpine makes great units but for the everyday user Id go with Kenwood/Pioneer but thats personal preference at the end of the day.

I have 2 JL tens and Rockford Fosgate speakers in the doors with a Kenwood nav unit and Im very happy with it.

It all depends on what exactly you want to do.

 

[TrueBlissCustoms]

Everything depends on your budget. Just keep in mind one thing, not every bit of "advice" you get is going to be useable. I loved my Alpine in my 250, but more popular with our customers is the Kenwood double din Navi Units. What sounds nice in crew cabs is a nice 6.5" component set in the front, my personal choice is FOCAL but.. ALPINE/KENWOOD/KICKER all have a great components. And a coaxial 6x9 2 or 3 way in the rear. Yes i know they come with 6x8s from factory, but a tiny bit of trimming will let you fit a 6x9 and you have much better sounding speakers with 6x9s.

Now moving onto your sub, depends on how hard you want it to hit? bigger doesnt always mean better. A lot of trucks we have coming in will have woofers too big that arent even performing to half their potential because they are crammed in boxes that are 1/2 the recommend air space. We've put in anything from "earthquake" shallow mount woofers (cheapy $85) to JL's. Just make sure whatever you choose you take into consideration the air space. I perfer shallow mounts in trucks, some people dont like them but we use them all the time with no issues and they sound bitchin!

Amps are another thing, Kenwood makes awesome amps for really great prices.

If you are thinking of doing the setup yourself a great website you can purchase a lot of the stuff from is www.sonicelectronix.com

hope this helps?

 

[jdc753]

If you want to do some real reading and research I suggest signing up and reading both www/diymobileaudio.com (more SQ oriented community) and also www.caraudio.com (more SPL oriented community) both have HUGE classifieds where if you are patient you can get a good deal on almost anything out there. Now for new stuff, sonicelectronix linked above is a good place, crutchfield.com is great for research but bit pricier. Also as said it is very budget dependent.

Now for an HU, I am an Alpine fan but I hate to say it for 90% of users you will get more for your money going with either Pioneer or Kenwood in the Double Din nav department. Alpine has great expandability if you want some killer tuning options, but you could also use a different processor on the other 2 units if you wanted to get that involved.

For speakers I would put some 6.5" components in the front (just skip on using anything oval). With this the hardest part is finding a space to mount the tweeters. If you stick with passive tuning it is best to keep the tweeters within 6" of the mid so that the path lengths (distance the speaker is from your ear) don't become too far apart causing seperation in the music playback.

Subwoofers are what everyone puts the most emphasis on, and we are very short of space on where to mount them in these trucks, even shorter if you have a power sliding rear window. Again budget will be key here, but basically without going wild you have the option of behind the rear seat, under the rear seat, or center console. Up front bass is amazing from the center console but its not for everyone as it is a little more install intensive and fewer options, but opens up options for amplifier location. Behind the seat and under the seat will both be similar selections of shallow mount subs, with some very few conventional subs being able to fit behind the seat (10's and 8's only)


After you get that all narrowed down you can start amplifier selection to work with what speakers your running. Or go backwards to see what amps you currently have and want to use and tailor your speakers around that. Try and get the power ratings close but they don't have to be perfect.

Focal sure makes great speakers, also check out Hertz (HSK165's are a nice set) the pioneer Premier sets are nice, as well as the Alpine Type X, but this is where it helps to audition them before you buy them as each will have some slightly different sounds, particularly the difference between silk and metal dome tweeters (mellow vs bright.) For amps I personally really love my Sundown Audio amps which are pretty well priced for what you get. Then subwoofers are going to be very dependent on budget and installation location, for prefab behind the seat boxes check out www.spl2k.com

 

[skew12]

Subscribed.

 

[smokinstroker]

suggestions on speakers for sound quality, but still get a decent loudness to them?

have MB Quart Pvl right now but they seem to get distorted on the top end

 

[jdc753]

something you can do to help out on the distortion instead of swapping out speakers would be to deaden/seal the doors, or bring the tuning up a touch and the sub up a touch so they aren't trying to play so low.

Deadening/sealing the doors will give a bit more control to the speakers cone by changing its "enclosure" configuration (I believe from free-air to an Infinite Baffle configuration.) This normally allows a person to play the mids with a lower crossover frequency, or would reduce breakup at an already low crossover point, plus allow for the speaker to play stronger and handle a touch more power (since it would have a bit more control)


Quite honestly I have been out of the game for a bit too long to really be able to give a solid suggestion on a good set at this moment, but Focal, Hertz (HSK165's, I think Gare has a set), Rainbow and Image Dynamics would be good brands to check for more on the SQ range.

Alpine Type R's should get pretty loud and sound decent, Type-X will be more of an SQ related set, but I would skip the Type-X pro since the ring radiator tweeters are a little more picky on how they are installed (need to be directly aimed at the listening or their frequency response drops drastically) Pioneer Premiers 720PRS.

Those MB Quarts actually look pretty decent. I would imagine maybe the silk dome tweeter limiting the loudness feeling since silk is generally a more mellow laid back style where a metal dome is generally brighter (some say harsh). Honestly I would say unless you are looking to blow more than $500+ on a new set then you won't be getting all that ahead on them as you would with some door treatments and some tuning (which I would also suggest if installing a $500+ set of components)

 

[crowz]

If they are like my mb quarts it isnt really distortion in the normal sence, its the tweeters. The titanium tweeters in mine are PAINFUL fed raw. I had to filter them to get a decent sound. Ive got a set of jl audio tweeters I will be installing someday (I bought them 2 years ago and still havent installed them yet) to handle the highs and let the mb quarts tweets work in the mid range.

 

[smokinstroker]

My mb quart tweeters have a rediculous high. And sounds great, I feel as if the mids don't get loud and clear if you will. They are loud but start to be a little distorted, or lose clarity.

 

[PTSUPERD]

I have Hertz HSK165 6.5 components in my crew cab. Best sounding set of speakers Ive ever had. Hertz coax 6x8s on the rear for fill.

Two ID 8'S in a custom ported box

Dropped a channel on my 5 channel Memphis so soon to be ran off a JL 900/5.....

 

[MadDiesel73]

Arc audio! Old school jbl, hertz , focal

 

[Black_Pstroke]

How far do you want to take it? How many subs and what size?
Are you replacing the door speakers? Components or coaxials?

I dont think you can keep SYNC once you remove the factory headunit. Alpine makes great units but for the everyday user Id go with Kenwood/Pioneer but thats personal preference at the end of the day.

I have 2 JL tens and Rockford Fosgate speakers in the doors with a Kenwood nav unit and Im very happy with it.

It all depends on what exactly you want to do.

I'm not really looking for anything that is gonna blow the windows out of the truck or have to take a mortgage out on the house to pay for, but I do want pretty good quality. Ive always been a fan of 2-10's, but I've been told that you cant do that in a newer crew cab truck. As for right know all I'm really looking to do is sub(s) and a nav. unit. I'm sure down the road I will add better door speakers and possibly tweeters. I haven't had a chance to find my amp yet but as best as I can recall It was somewhere in the 5-800watt 2 channel range. what would be a good sub set up for that? If you don't mind would you take some pics of what the 2 sub set up you are running looks like. Did you have to move the seat or do any other alterations to make it work? I really don't want to have to do much along the lines of modifying the interior.

 

[Black_Pstroke]

If you want to do some real reading and research I suggest signing up and reading both www/diymobileaudio.com (more SQ oriented community) and also www.caraudio.com (more SPL oriented community) both have HUGE classifieds where if you are patient you can get a good deal on almost anything out there. Now for new stuff, sonicelectronix linked above is a good place, crutchfield.com is great for research but bit pricier. Also as said it is very budget dependent.

Now for an HU, I am an Alpine fan but I hate to say it for 90% of users you will get more for your money going with either Pioneer or Kenwood in the Double Din nav department. Alpine has great expandability if you want some killer tuning options, but you could also use a different processor on the other 2 units if you wanted to get that involved.

For speakers I would put some 6.5" components in the front (just skip on using anything oval). With this the hardest part is finding a space to mount the tweeters. If you stick with passive tuning it is best to keep the tweeters within 6" of the mid so that the path lengths (distance the speaker is from your ear) don't become too far apart causing seperation in the music playback.

Subwoofers are what everyone puts the most emphasis on, and we are very short of space on where to mount them in these trucks, even shorter if you have a power sliding rear window. Again budget will be key here, but basically without going wild you have the option of behind the rear seat, under the rear seat, or center console. Up front bass is amazing from the center console but its not for everyone as it is a little more install intensive and fewer options, but opens up options for amplifier location. Behind the seat and under the seat will both be similar selections of shallow mount subs, with some very few conventional subs being able to fit behind the seat (10's and 8's only)


After you get that all narrowed down you can start amplifier selection to work with what speakers your running. Or go backwards to see what amps you currently have and want to use and tailor your speakers around that. Try and get the power ratings close but they don't have to be perfect.

Focal sure makes great speakers, also check out Hertz (HSK165's are a nice set) the pioneer Premier sets are nice, as well as the Alpine Type X, but this is where it helps to audition them before you buy them as each will have some slightly different sounds, particularly the difference between silk and metal dome tweeters (mellow vs bright.) For amps I personally really love my Sundown Audio amps which are pretty well priced for what you get. Then subwoofers are going to be very dependent on budget and installation location, for prefab behind the seat boxes check out www.spl2k.com

For the tweeters I had been thinking about getting some of the tweeter pods that some of the 08+ trucks came with that had the better sound system. Would that be close enough to the speaker in the door to work ok. I checked out the website you linked with the boxes those look to be real good quality. I liked the box that was for the double speakers but then I noticed it was for NON power slide rear windows, which mine has the power so thats out of the question. Also the next question is the smallest box I saw was for a 12" speaker. I have never ran a 12 before only 10's do 12's sound good for an all around sub. 90% of the time I listen to rock/metal but do listen to country and rap occasionally. thanks for all the input guys got a lot more thinking to do here than I planned on LOL.
Also another thing I was thinking about was would it be possible to run this stuff on my factory head unit?? Im still not sure about loosing the factory sync also would the satellite radio hookups work with an aftermarket headunit??

 

[Vodomagoo]

In my prior life of showing cars I was an mbquart guy thru and thru, amazing speakers that sound great. Ran mbquart components with a edesign audio sub jl and edesign amps alpine head. It was an awesome combo.

When I got my truck I was shocked what it had, jl stealth box jl amps alpine w205 head and best of all focal 165 a1's in the back an focal 165kr's up front. Wow is all I can say it sounds absolutely amazing. I never would have though top end foals were worthit after hearing mbquarts but if you want the best sound sq wise go focal all the way.

My tweaters are mounted on the sail panel on the door, the single 10 is great but I would love a 12 in there for more depth. Everyone looking for speakers should also look at edesign audio for sub and components great stuff

 

[Black_Pstroke]

Ive been checking out the hertz HSK165 thinking about going this route but will they fit in the doors?? I was talking to a stereo shop and they recommended running a 5x7, and I noticed the hsk165's are 6.5"

 

[Black_Pstroke]

I have Hertz HSK165 6.5 components in my crew cab. Best sounding set of speakers Ive ever had. Hertz coax 6x8s on the rear for fill.

Two ID 8'S in a custom ported box

Dropped a channel on my 5 channel Memphis so soon to be ran off a JL 900/5.....

are these in the front and the back???

 

[PTSUPERD]

The components are upfront..coaxs in rear pillars just for fill..

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[Black_Pstroke]

what do you mean by components. Are they something like the HV 165?? And HCX 165 for the coaxs???
I was looking on the hertz website and the HSX 165's someone mentioned earlier are listed under System??

 

[jdc753]

6.5's and even 6.75's will fit in the door just fine, just takes a very minor bit of tweaking, minimum making new mounting screw holes (self tappers or drilling new holes) and at the most some minor trimming of the speaker opening.

This is my door with 6.75" mids installed with no trimming just 4 new screw holes.

You should be able to add everything you want and still retain the SYNC system and factory HU in the truck but it will take some sort of a line out converter at the least and maybe a processor. I am not 100% up to date on factory integration but I can tell you there is just as much research to do on this topic alone as their is on the entire remainder of the system, ranging from a $20 line out converter up to $800+ processors and many products in the middle. It all depends on your final goals with the system, honestly a decent line out converter (LOC) should be all you need/want. I don't know if the factory system has a built in amplifier though, this would be part where you might want to consult the shop as their might need some bypass work necessary.

A very nice straight forward system with a decent budget (not cheap but not huge) could be something like this...

SPL2k box with a JL 13tw5
JL Audio HD900/5
Hertz HSK165's up front and just a pair of decent 6x8's in the rear
Then whatever it takes to get the audio signal from the factory HU to the amplifier.

Putting the tweeters into the sail panel I think you would run into separation issues, I have mine there and a good bit of time alignment (delay) to those speakers to keep it all in sync, but what you could do is experiment with location, get the tweeters wired up with some extra long wire and some double sided tape on the back side and then mount the tweeters up and see how you like it. You could also grab a tape measure and actually measure out the physical distance from the speakers to your listening position. If you are going to experiment then A-pillars is considered the most ideal location for the tweeters in these trucks followed by sail panels, then near to the mid in the door.

what do you mean by components. Are they something like the HV 165?? And HCX 165 for the coaxs???
I was looking on the hertz website and the HSX 165's someone mentioned earlier are listed under System??

Components or seperates generally consist of a package of 2 speakers (per side) and an external crossover

1 side (mid, tweeter, and crossover)

while coaxials are your normal run of the mill car speaker, (this has a tweeter mounted in the center of the mid)

I believe those HV165's you were looking at are simply the Mid from the HSK165 component set