set up suggestion?

[T-MaKK]

okies.. so im lookin to chuck a system in my vx (when i eventually get it)
and i really have no idea what i want/need.

theres no way ill spend over 1k.. but realistically 800 is probably my max.

the only specifications are...
-this head unit (its like the only 1 i like the look/controlls. JB Hi-Fi - Car Mp3 CD Tuners (the pioneer down the bottom, $298)
-a sub with some decent kick. dosent have to be loud.. i just wanna be able to annoy ppl with some hip hop when i want to.

.. thats it really... HELP!
please..

oh.. im also probly gonna be on LPG.. so yeah, keep that in mind :P

i can also make a ported box to save some coin if i need (i think i know how to)

[HCVP]

Are you upgrading your stock speakers within that budget? assuming your not, then why not just stick with the stock head unit, save yourself $300, buy a better sub, and just tap into the rear speaker lines....

[2LOUD2OLD]

ok well with $800 you dont have a lot to play with. if you are prepared to install the gear yourself that will save a bit of money, but you also need to factor in wiring into your budget. if you get that HU that leaves you with $500. now take off $100 for wiring we still have $400. If all you "want" is a sub then easy, just get a 2channel amp and maybe a Pioneer 307 dual 2ohm sub.
in my opinion what you "need" is more money and then to upgrade the front stage with a nice set of 6.5" splits run off maybe a 4channel amp bridging channels 3 and 4 to run a sub. this will cost a little bit more but the results will be so much more worth it.

also with LPG bear in mind that it will greatly affect the amount of bass that reaches the cabin

[T-MaKK]

i probly wont be upgradin the stock speakers, they dont cost shitloads so that can happen a few weeks down the track.
ill be installing myself.

with the lpg.. since theres gonna be shit all room in the boot anywayz .. i got thinking..
is there such thing as mounting the tank right up againts the boot (as far to the rear of the car as possible) and accsessing the little bootspace left from the drop down rear seats?

if thats possible it also gives me the option of bolting the sub to one of the seats and having it "fold" out with the seat..
just somethin id like to do.. :P

thoughts?

[Deutscher]

i probly wont be upgradin the stock speakers, they dont cost shitloads so that can happen a few weeks down the track.
ill be installing myself.

with the lpg.. since theres gonna be shit all room in the boot anywayz .. i got thinking..
is there such thing as mounting the tank right up againts the boot (as far to the rear of the car as possible) and accsessing the little bootspace left from the drop down rear seats?

if thats possible it also gives me the option of bolting the sub to one of the seats and having it "fold" out with the seat..
just somethin id like to do.. :P

thoughts?

Mate, I don't think thats an option, I think that they want to get the tank as far into the middle of the car as possible, I think for safety reasons. If you have the tank at the back and somebody rams you, good chance of hitting the tank... the tank is like a tank ive been told (strong), but I think for safety and legal sake they won't allow it.

Also with 2LOUD2OLD - I own a Hifonic 2412 (2400rms) and I think that I lose a lot of bass due to the gas tank. Unfortunately I don't think I have any other option but to have it in the boot. The gas tank is sitting on the hump of the boot (VS sedan), so when I pull down my centre fold... I see this big round shiny thing (gas tank). I really should of got a wagon like holdenboy.

[StoneX]

Just put the sub at the rear of the boot facing upwards or forwards... You'll have more bass than if you had it behind the seats anyway.

[HamaTime™]

$800 will get you nothing my friend...trust me, if you don't replace the stock speakers, its not worth getting a sub, aftermarket headunit or amps or anything...

Look around for a cheap aftermarket headunit, like the Pioneer one you mentioned...

Buy new speakers***** 6" or 6.5", preferably splits...get some speakers at the back as well, or get 6X9's if you don't want to get a sub, (don't get 6X9's and a sub, its gay)

If you have a budget of $800, bare in mind that installation (if your not installing it yourself) is going to be a bitch...upwards of $300, then about $100+ of wiring...thats already half your budget blown. I would suggest that you don't try and put a shit system in all at one time, chances are that the stock system will probably be better. Save up and at least allow yourself $1500, leaving room for headunit, speakers, sub, amp, wiring...

stereos aren't cheap, and trust me, the ones that are cheap aren't worth having...

[stocky]

jaycar audio range is awesome for those on a budget

[HamaTime™]

jaycar audio range is awesome for those on a budget

amen to that...some good stuff in their response stuff!

[T-MaKK]

errrm..

my m8 got her system from jb hifi for 600 when it was all on special..

she has the HU i want, 6x9s.. not sure what brand, a 12" sony sub of some sort.. and a sony amp of some sort.

she installed it herself and picked up a 10" box from a m8..

it can be done.. i think ive just gotta find ma shizz when its on special...

[StoneX]

It can be done with cheap shitty gear... It's best not to though.

Don't buy 6x9's and a sub like your friend.

[holdenboy]

Yep listen to StoneX, you'll be wasting money by purchasing 6x9s and a sub. If you cant spend any more dough then just buy the head-unit, 4ch. amp and a sub/box. Run the sub off the rear channels of the amp and when you can afford it buy a set of splits for the front doors and run them off the front channels of the amp.

[T-MaKK]

okies. cool. that sounds alright...

how much/what am i gonna need as far as wiring goes?
ill be puttin it in myself, but i havent done any car audio befor

also am i gonna save much cash makin my own sub box?
and with the box, is the volume needed befor or after the sub is in?... i mean when the subs in the box the volume is considerably smaller...
does that make sense...?

[HamaTime™]

ill be puttin it in myself, but i havent done any car audio befor

Ok, firstly if your going to be putting it in yourself, get someone who knows what they are doing. I emphasise the fact that they KNOW what they are doing, not think what they are doing, because if you f**k something up, chances are you can risk a fire or stuff some of your gear or something like that...make sure you know exactly what your doing, especially when you fiddle and sh*t...

also am i gonna save much cash makin my own sub box?

yes you will save money by making a sub box, but I would reccomend just buying a good second hand sub, something that works and is worth more money than what you could buy brand new from the stores...

how much/what am i gonna need as far as wiring goes?

Wiring will be upwards of $100, DO NOT BUY CHEAP WIRES...I LEARNT THE HARD WAY! buy a wiring pack, either for 2 or 4 chan amplifier....get a good one like Cadence, they go for like $120 in JB...try getting it in a sale. Listen to Holdenboy and StoneX....don't waste your money on cheap shit...you'll wish you never spent the money, because believe me, it isn't worth having...I know you only want to spend $800 and thats your budget, i can understand that...but trust me when I say that you have to be careful what you spend your money on when you are buying stuff under such a tight budget, particularly when its a complete system.

Check this Thread by Holdenboy. could give you some help

just to give you some idea of what is going on and what you can do...my system all up is worth over $3500, and its half finished... and I have spent about $700 all up

1. Alpine headunit, sells in JB for $550, I bought it for $200 brand new off ebay..
2. JL Audio 6" splits in front, usually sell for $350 each (don't know what type they are, they came with my car)
3. Rockford Fosgate 6" speakers in parcel shelf, usually sell for $350 each (don't know what type they are, they came with my car)
4. Sony Xplod sub (800wrms), usually sells for $200 in JB
5. Cadence Z8000 2 chan amp, sells for $590 from JB 2 years back... (Got Sony sub and amp worth $800 together for $200, barely used off ebay)

shop around man, know exactly what you looking for, try going for some second hand stuff

12" Sub

4 Chan Cadence Amp

Get one of those cheaper headunits from the JB catalog or try your luck at getting a more expensive one cheaper or second hand one ...or something like this

Alpine iDA-X300

[T-MaKK]

i havent really had time to sus out ebay, but ive done some more looking at jb hifi.

the pioneer HU - 298
cadence 500 watt. 500watt x1 300watt x1 @4ohm 288
sony 12" 1300 watt sub + box (in the picture its in a box so im assuming.... ) 148

that leaves me at 714.. i rekn i could stretch to buy some cadence cables.

im thinkin if i buy from JB i can haggle a little?
ill search through ebay for a bit aswell


EDIT - i think thats the amp my friend is using with the same HU, 1000 wat sony amp and a set of 6x9s...
will the amp be suitable for my set up (keeping in mind ill be gettin some 6"s down the track. )

[HamaTime™]

i havent really had time to sus out ebay, but ive done some more looking at jb hifi.

the pioneer HU - 298
cadence 500 watt. 500watt x1 300watt x1 @4ohm 288
sony 12" 1300 watt sub + box (in the picture its in a box so im assuming.... ) 148

that leaves me at 714.. i rekn i could stretch to buy some cadence cables.

im thinkin if i buy from JB i can haggle a little?
ill search through ebay for a bit aswell


EDIT - i think thats the amp my friend is using with the same HU, 1000 wat sony amp and a set of 6x9s...
will the amp be suitable for my set up (keeping in mind ill be gettin some 6"s down the track. )

JB can haggle...although they won't go down too much, if at all if they sense that you don't know what your talking about or know much about what your buying...if you come across with a confident and well versed attitude then they might be prepared to come down a little more, particularly if your buying $500+ worth of gear in one shot

[T-MaKK]

yeah. ill try n educate myself more before now and when i purchase...

does the hardware itself look ok? will the amp feed the sub what it needs? n all that shizzle?

also im thinkin about getin a late 90s early 2000 vectra for arround 7k. with my current financial situation a 4cyl car will suit me alot better... thatll leave me with 1.5k to get the car on road and anything left over ill add to the stereo fund.

also.. is there an easy way to understand "4ohm" ?

thanks for the help!

[HamaTime™]

yeah. ill try n educate myself more before now and when i purchase...

does the hardware itself look ok? will the amp feed the sub what it needs? n all that shizzle?

also im thinkin about getin a late 90s early 2000 vectra for arround 7k. with my current financial situation a 4cyl car will suit me alot better... thatll leave me with 1.5k to get the car on road and anything left over ill add to the stereo fund.

also.. is there an easy way to understand "4ohm" ?

thanks for the help!

hardware is ok. if thats all your going to spend then thats all your going to get. In my experience, I have sat in cars with $6 or $7000 stereos in them, people have got all excited and spent $1000 on brand new gear and it sounds nothing like the higher priced and quality set ups...But it's all down to preference if thats what you want or all you can afford then it should be fine! as long as you get good brands with good reputations.

In terms of power, be careful with the sub and the amps power...completely ignore a sub or an amps max power rating thats all bullshit...what you need to focus on is Watts RMS (wrms)...be careful if your amp's power rating RMS is below the subs, because you can feed the sub the max power of the amp and still want to crank it and then kaboom, there goes your amp...try and match it all up...but also be careful if you go the other extreme with a more powerful amp cos then you can blow your subby...

4ohm is the electrical pressure. Ohms and volts and watts are all very different

OHM: The ohm is defined as the resistance between two points of a conductor when a constant potential difference of 1 volt, applied to these points, produces in the conductor a current of 1 ampere, the conductor not being the seat of any electromotive force.

WATT: The watt (symbol: W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one joule of energy per second. It measures a rate of energy conversion.

[T-MaKK]

okies.

amp:
300watt - 4 ohm
500watt - 2 ohm

sub:
1300watt - 4ohm

so, going by what you said it should run fine off 300 watt channel?

to me.. 300watts doesn't logically seem enough to power at 1300wat amp... but im not very well educated on the subject..
also, is this a dual channel amp or quad?
i mean id assume its dual but it think i recal my m8 saying it was quad..

will it be cool for an upgrade later on?
i mean ill run a 6"s off which ever the sub ISNT on.. but can i split that line n put another set of 6"s or 6x9"s?

[T-MaKK]

... i just realised that last post of mine is completely bung.. sorry.

btw im sorry if im gettin annoying, but ive gotta learn some how..