What kind of Audio u guys got or plan on getting?

[TroubleMarq]

right now i got
-2 DVC 15'' power acoustiks in a vented box
-2 6.5'' Alpine Sps 610s
-2 6x9 Dual Electronics
-Crappy SSL 400 Watt amp that sadly im running everything off of
Future plans
-Autotek mean machine 2000 watt rms
-Crunch powerzone for the speakers
-6.5" kenwoods
-6x9 kenwoods

Not sure if it's the amp trying 2 run all this and being worth 50 bucks but the alpines just aren't doing it for me i plan on sellin them getting either kenwoods or pioneers i ratha jus blow the power acoustiks just see how much they can handle but of course I want to get my electrical game up this 2g barely handle a bass inferno 800 watt amp

[HiFiMerc]

Are you running the subs and the mains off of the same amp? That might explain a little. Subs need a lot more power to put out good sound. They're not as efficient as the main speakers. Also, if you're running 6 speakers on the same amp, it's a safe bet that the nominal impedance of the load has dropped well below what that amp was designed to run.

I'm running about 500 watts rms off of the stock 2G in the '90. It will dim the lights slightly at idle if you have the volume turned to just before the point of audible distortion.
There are Infinity Reference series 5.25" in the front doors running off a Kenwood head unit, Infinity Reference 6X9's in the back running off a RF Punch 40. Reference series 1" silk domes on the A-pillars driven by a 100 watt Pioneer amp. Then a pair of 10" RF Punch Z woofers in a ported box driven by a 300 watt RF Punch amp. It's a well balanced system that will make your ears bleed with screaming rock n roll or knock the mirror off the windshield with the bass from a rap song.


Also, use crossovers. I have my system crossed at 80Hz. It drops out the low frequencies to the main speakers, and let's the sub-woofers handle the lows. There is a low pass on the subs at 80Hz as well. It helps if your head-unit has active crossovers. After using the one I have, I don't think I would want one without them.

I will be upgrading to a 3G in the near future, if they body shop ever gets done with it.

[pantera77]

Ditch that 2g first thing!

[85crownHPP]

The most important part of a high-er power system is a quality low-noise amplifier. Its been a while since I tried to remember what specs to look for, but if you compare the long lists of specs for amps, you can see that the cheaper ones sacrifice sound quality for their advertised power output.
Also of course, no amp will perform well if it doesn't have fat enough power AND ground cables to move the power it needs.
Newer class 'D' amps are more efficient and can do more with the same power cable than a comparable class A-B amp. Also newer amps have built in crossover so (if you have subs) you can cut off the low bass from your inside speakers. This helps them sound so much better, especially at high volume. Likewise for the amp powering your subs, no need to send them anything but bass.

Another very important thing is matching your amp's gain level to the output voltage of your head unit. Some head units have a 2v line output, some have 4v, 6v... you have to find the specs of both to match them up. Having the gain up too high WILL make it sound like crap at higher volume.

Also, if your subs are not in phase with each other, or are not running in MONO mode... they won't sound good at all. Out of phase they fight each other and cancel each other out. Some mono (for subs) amps even have a phase switch built in. Likewise, two subs in the same box running in stereo (separate left and right) can lead to cancellation too. You want both subs doing the exact same thing!

I have 3 older Alpine class D amps, each 200watts RMS. Two are mono amps, one for each 10" Cerwin Vega, and they are plenty powerful to give you a nice clean back/butt massage in the front seats. The 200w 4ch amp powers a mix-match of medium grade interior speakers, and it gets loud enough (with NO distortion) to run you out of the car.

I would upgrade your amps (and wiring, alternator) first before the speakers. You can have the best speakers in existence, but if they are powered by a cheaper amp or not set up right, they will still sound like crap at high volume.

I recommend a large capacitor too - these act like an amperage cushion when high demand comes for bass notes and helps smooth out any voltage drop. Even with a large alternator, you can still experience voltage drop because no alternator can respond quick enough to deliver more power immediately for every bass note.

The water analogy works great to visualize... think of the alternator as a water pump - the power and ground cables as pipe, and the capacitor as a large storage tank.
Even with a huge water pump that can pump 5 gallons per minute (I pulled that out of my ass), say your bass notes pull 1/8 gallon per second... your system would run dry quick with no tank. And, depending on the size of the tank (capacitor), it can STILL run dry if your system is that powerful.
Another option is to put another battery in the trunk. This is also like a storage tank, to compare, think of it as a huge gravity fed tank, opposed to a Cap which would be more like a smaller, pressurized tank. Capacitors can deliver tons of amps very quickly and can be dangerous. You can lick your fingers and touch the posts of a battery....

Anyway, that's my stereo rant. To sum up, good amps and good power delivery are worlds more important that what speakers/head unit you have. There are head units that have better/cleaner specs than others, but this still isn't as important as good amps.

[sly]

pioneer speakers all around (picked up at wally world -WalMart) in both the 88 and 93 but the 88 also has pioneer 10s (also walmart) with matching (via rms rating) Pioneer amp. Kenwood eXcelon head unit (the low end one with USB up front). 3G alt and even blasting with AC on at night during the summer, the headlights barely blink... my volts gauge dances a bit, but only a half volt giggle.

[TroubleMarq]

Wow im impressed with all your guys systems yea the amp i have is trash it's all i can get my hands on now and i have it pushin 4 speakers and 2 subs, got both fronts wired to the 1st channel both back speakers to the 2nd channel at 2ohms each, channel 3 and 4 is bridged for the 2 subs ran in parellel. It's actually the 1st amp i ever bought it was in my 1st car a 2001 ford windstar (yea it was a lady killa) thats when i 1st started doin my car audio thinking that if an amp said 400 watts i was gettin 400 watts. The poor amp is definetly being over pushed but i plan on gettin a 270 amp alternator 3g and big three just because of future upgrades but im kinda leanin towards a 200 amp 3g 270 jus sounds like audio competition status. then i'll get a more respectable system

[gadget73]

Ford JBL 6x9 in the rear, front dash are Polk something, doors I think are Rockford Fosgate, but I may have changed those and forgotten about it. Driven off an old 4 channel Kenwood 600w class AB amp. Sub is a 10" Alpine driven from a 350w bridged 2 channel Pioneer class D amp. The cap is currently unhooked, but its a Mallory 1F that I've had a while. Head unit is an Eclipse that irritates me with its overly touchy controls and the flashy-dancy bullshit that won't stop. 130 amp alternator, underdrive pullies, no problems with voltage.

[L1011tristar17]

Stock Ford speakers in the front and rear. Two JL 12w3 subs in the trunk in a vented box with a 500W JL Monoblock amp. Head unit is a 3 year old Pioneer unit that works pretty well. Having a 3G alt. really helps with powering the subs.

[Lincolnmania]

eclipse cd3100 head unit
kole audio 2 channel amp
kole audio 4 channel amp
two 12" earthquake subs in a sealed box
5.25" earthquake dash speakers
6.5" earthquake door speakers
6x9 optimus rear speakers (they were free and they work well)
yea make sure you upgrade to a 3ag alternator, i burned up a bunch of 2g's yrs ago running my stereo