car audio thread 2, starting to pick out some stuff

**IronReload04** · 12-31-2006, 07:30 PM

hey, guys,

um.

as some know, i am putting a system in my truck. Now i am totally clueless, but i have had some help. I mean i am so clueless, it would be like me asking you guys what muscles do barbell curls work and will high reps cut me.

I have a f150, and right now, I am thinking an amp and 1 shallow mount sub woofer with a custom box. thats pretty much it for now. I will go with that, and in a years time, if i want to add to it, i will add to it

here is the sub i am thinking of

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu...roductID=16658

its a premier pioneer 12 inch

I have heard that it doesnt hit that hard, but still sounds really nice. from the reviews, sounds like it works well with f150's which i have

So what do you system guys think. Like i said, i am just going to go with somthing like this, and possible add to it in the future if i am not totally satisfied, but i think it would be great just to start with

**IronReload04** · 12-31-2006, 10:16 PM

k actually, change of plans

audiobahn alum 12 Q sub

with a kenwood amp

**IronReload04** · 12-31-2006, 10:24 PM

all together, it is a value of 630 bucks

**bbplaya21** · 01-01-2007, 12:04 AM

audiobahn=garbage

**IronReload04** · 01-01-2007, 09:48 AM

according to 2 people, the pioneer is comlete shit, and highly dissappointing

out of many subs, the autobahn seems to be one of the few with raving reviews and lots of them. THe people that helped me highly reccommended autobahn

**NightTrain** · 01-01-2007, 11:16 AM

i have an 01 ram quad cab, i just put in a behind the seat dual 12 box with 2 kickers in it and an amp in it and it hits pretty damn hard. have kenwood 6x9s in the front doors and 5.5s in the rear doors. is your truck a single cab or a extended cab?

**IronReload04** · 01-01-2007, 11:56 AM

extended

**IronReload04** · 01-01-2007, 11:59 AM

what i have is going to be fine for now. if donw the road, i wish to go more extreme, i will, but for now, it will be just fine.

either way, its going to give my truck a kick in the ass and blow away what was in the truck when it was originally purchased

**IronReload04** · 01-01-2007, 01:06 PM

it sounds to me that audiobahn is alot like muscletech. its not that its crap, its just overpriced and works just as well as less flashy less expensive stuff

the only thing is i i payed way less than half price for my alum12q

**big L 17** · 01-01-2007, 05:16 PM

explodes are gooing i have two 12's for over 3 yrs never blow or anything.i have 2 12"s of jl and they suck i have already blowen one bazko amps and kenwood are kickass

**Foskamink** · 01-01-2007, 06:25 PM

yeh big L sony xplodes apparently are tight

**cfiler** · 01-01-2007, 06:44 PM

Pioneer sucks.

Alpine's Type R subs are my favorite. Love the sound. Alpines are the smoothest and cleanest sounding subs I've installed.

**IronReload04** · 01-01-2007, 06:47 PM

http://www.mx6.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-4480.html

here is a good system thread from a audio forum about audiobahn

after reading through some forums, i gather this

1. people that have never heard or never owned an audiobahn rave on about what shit they are
2. people that have them love them
3. they are loud as all get out
4. they are descent as far as sq, spl is there but not real big, mostly sq but a descent combination, most people that buy them have sq in mind

**IronReload04** · 01-01-2007, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by cfiler

Pioneer sucks.

Alpine's Type R subs are my favorite. Love the sound. Alpines are the smoothest and cleanest sounding subs I've installed.

thats what i heard about the pioneers. i almost bought a premier, ts-sw1241d, made a last second phone call, and he told me that he just listened to a set that just got installed and said it was complete crap. He himself likes audiobahn

**iidea** · 01-01-2007, 08:32 PM

Systems in trucks are kinda wack. i have a dodge ram 2002 (the new body style) and i used to have 2 fosgates built in under the seat. My friend had the same kind in his car and his hit harder than mine and he had a smaller amp than mine. What kinda money are you looking to spend. if you have the cash, the MTX thunder 9500 are hella loud. they were made to out perform the Jl audio w7. It is also going to suck if you get a bigger sub you most likely need a bigger box. Do you know how much air space you are working with? I would find out how big of a box you can use and then pick your sub from that. and remember that a sealed box will give you a tighter hit and a ported box will give you more of a rumble. If you have any questions hit me up as i have been installing for a couple years now.

**IronReload04** · 01-01-2007, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by iidea

Systems in trucks are kinda wack. i have a dodge ram 2002 (the new body style) and i used to have 2 fosgates built in under the seat. My friend had the same kind in his car and his hit harder than mine and he had a smaller amp than mine. What kinda money are you looking to spend. if you have the cash, the MTX thunder 9500 are hella loud. they were made to out perform the Jl audio w7. It is also going to suck if you get a bigger sub you most likely need a bigger box. Do you know how much air space you are working with? I would find out how big of a box you can use and then pick your sub from that. and remember that a sealed box will give you a tighter hit and a ported box will give you more of a rumble. If you have any questions hit me up as i have been installing for a couple years now.

basically i have already made my purchase. I got the alum12q and the kenwood mono amp. and i am just going to go with that for now. down the road, if i want to add, i ll add.

I wont be getting it installed for a few months. IF i need a capacitor, i will need to get that too and anything else i need.

ya i still need to do the box, I will probably have it done at the shop because i have read how important it is

i would probably like to have good sound quality, so i guess that means i should get it sealed right? and if i do get it sealed, will it still bump to some degree?

**iidea** · 01-01-2007, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by IronReload04

basically i have already made my purchase. I got the alum12q and the kenwood mono amp. and i am just going to go with that for now. down the road, if i want to add, i ll add.

I wont be getting it installed for a few months. IF i need a capacitor, i will need to get that too and anything else i need.

ya i still need to do the box, I will probably have it done at the shop because i have read how important it is

i would probably like to have good sound quality, so i guess that means i should get it sealed right? and if i do get it sealed, will it still bump to some degree?

Audiobahns are hella nasty for the price. they hit hard and look good. Definately get a box built from a shop to the exact cubic foot of air space needed for the subs. You'll pay more than getting some pre-fabricated box but the SQ will definately be way better. And if you do get a sealed box it will hit hard, just differently than a ported. Sealed boxes give off a tighter hit than a ported. So you wont get the rumble but you will still be heard. Check what the recommended enclosure is for the alums. With every sub they will recommend an enclosure type but will also give you the specs for other types of enclosures.
Are you going to go as far as getting an EQ or just tweak it with your stereo?

**cfiler** · 01-01-2007, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by IronReload04

basically i have already made my purchase. I got the alum12q and the kenwood mono amp. and i am just going to go with that for now. down the road, if i want to add, i ll add.

I wont be getting it installed for a few months. IF i need a capacitor, i will need to get that too and anything else i need.

ya i still need to do the box, I will probably have it done at the shop because i have read how important it is

i would probably like to have good sound quality, so i guess that means i should get it sealed right? and if i do get it sealed, will it still bump to some degree?

Ported > sealed, but you will not be able to fit a ported box in your truck's cab.

Sealed can still bump pretty good, just make sure the shop measures out the airflow for that sub, and tunes your amp properly. Have the box custom built, and measured out. It will sound good.

**cfiler** · 01-01-2007, 10:13 PM

Don't worry about a cap. All it does it does is fill in the valleys of electrical current. If you are just looking for something that pounds, you don't need it.

If you are looking for sound quality, then its good to add, but I'd upgrade your electical aswell. A cap will do nothing with a bad/underpowered batter and alternator.

**Haro3** · 01-01-2007, 10:14 PM

wehn i used to build competition stereos we used alot of jbl, jl, and rockford. dude i hated!! rockford until we used them the last system we built and by far the best. it was amazing 2 12 rockford xe? i think was the model i cant remember pushed it with a power acoustic 2400 watt amp wired to a 1/2 ohm. yea it was sick shit so im a rockford fan now

**bbplaya21** · 01-02-2007, 12:26 AM

Xplodes,kicker,audiobahn all suck. ive had em all. i had rockford and they were the shit and now i have memphis and i love em too. But again this is in a chevy z71 and you cant ever get as good a sound in a truck and i dont even have a back seat either cuz the box takes up the entire seat. Just get a huge amp to make up for it hehe.

**iidea** · 01-02-2007, 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by cfiler

Don't worry about a cap. All it does it does is fill in the valleys of electrical current. If you are just looking for something that pounds, you don't need it.

If you are looking for sound quality, then its good to add, but I'd upgrade your electical aswell. A cap will do nothing with a bad/underpowered batter and alternator.

I agree!!! If you get a cap i would either upgrade the battery or add a battery. Optima yellow tops are nasty for additional power.

**iidea** · 01-02-2007, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by bbplaya21

Xplodes,kicker,audiobahn all suck. ive had em all. i had rockford and they were the shit and now i have memphis and i love em too. But again this is in a chevy z71 and you cant ever get as good a sound in a truck and i dont even have a back seat either cuz the box takes up the entire seat. Just get a huge amp to make up for it hehe.

Yo if i could fit 2 memphis LVS in the back of my dodge i'd wreck havoc. It sucks tho and i feel his pain when you have a truck and want a good system. I dont wanna do too many mods to my truck or else i'd have something better than i have now. I'm trying to see if i can fit my 12" TREO sub somewhere under the seat without too many mods. Sometimes i wanna trade in my truck for a car just for a better system

**bbplaya21** · 01-02-2007, 12:57 AM

i got an optima yellow top and still got a lil bit of dimming of the lights so sometimes a cap is necessary

**bbplaya21** · 01-02-2007, 01:02 AM

Originally Posted by iidea

Yo if i could fit 2 memphis LVS in the back of my dodge i'd wreck havoc. It sucks tho and i feel his pain when you have a truck and want a good system. I dont wanna do too many mods to my truck or else i'd have something better than i have now. I'm trying to see if i can fit my 12" TREO sub somewhere under the seat without too many mods. Sometimes i wanna trade in my truck for a car just for a better system

o i know bro ive had subs under the seaqt and its just not enuf air for the subs. if you have one 10 and build a box that spans all the way across under the seat then u MIGHT have enuf air. but i just said **** it and went all out for this one so i could make sure my neighborhood could here me coming and goin cuz they have always hated me when i rode my 4wheeler. For me i would never own a car just cuz im 6'5'' and i rather step down then step up trieng to get in and out. werd

**iidea** · 01-02-2007, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by bbplaya21

o i know bro ive had subs under the seaqt and its just not enuf air for the subs. if you have one 10 and build a box that spans all the way across under the seat then u MIGHT have enuf air. but i just said **** it and went all out for this one so i could make sure my neighborhood could here me coming and goin cuz they have always hated me when i rode my 4wheeler. For me i would never own a car just cuz im 6'5'' and i rather step down then step up trieng to get in and out. werd

Bro i'm 6'7 so i know how you feel. I'm actually in the process of cutting my back bench seat to make 2 seats and build a fiberglass box that spans under both seats and up the middle. I'm hoping to get 3.5 cubes ported. The TREO i have is a csx that was customized with 2 voild coils at .7 ohms and can handle 5000 rms. Already got me 2 extra optimas and waiting to get an alternator that can handle it. I just need to find an amp that can provide that nasty power with out breaking my bank account. at one point i had the whole back seat removed and had 3 orion hcca 15" in the back. The box was a total of almost 9.75 cubes and my lady used to hate it cuz she could hear me 3 blocks down the street. i loved it.

**bbplaya21** · 01-02-2007, 01:34 AM

haha damn i know that must have been loud. That memphis 4000 watt amp aint too bad on the bank and will maybe put out 3000 to 3300 watts. my friend bak home had that amp and 4 jl 12'' w6v2 on it and they were thumping in his tahoe. in the future i wanna split the back seat and have a custom fiberglass center console run from the back to the front with subs mounted on it and use the space under the seats for more air for the subs. but i still have a long ass time till i cant get that done trying to do some drawings

**iidea** · 01-02-2007, 01:42 AM

Originally Posted by bbplaya21

haha damn i know that must have been loud. That memphis 4000 watt amp aint too bad on the bank and will maybe put out 3000 to 3300 watts. my friend bak home had that amp and 4 jl 12'' w6v2 on it and they were thumping in his tahoe. in the future i wanna split the back seat and have a custom fiberglass center console run from the back to the front with subs mounted on it and use the space under the seats for more air for the subs. but i still have a long ass time till i cant get that done trying to do some drawings

It was insane and people tripped out b/c i had it running off of an old skool Soundstream d200 dual mono amp. I was ablt to drop it down to 1/2 an ohm but it was just too big. Was fun for awhile and the alarms it set off was cool. But i need somethin to haul my friends around and still have the bumps. I need to draw somethin up buti suck at drawing so i do it in my head and wing it as i go along. Maybe when i get the basics done i'll send you some pics to show you what it looks like. Doing my own installations takes time considering i have to work on it whenever i am not at work. I save the money but it takes so much longer to build.

**bbplaya21** · 01-02-2007, 01:56 AM

I love setting the alarms of. We use to ride up and down the rows of cars at walmart and see how many cars we could set off. My friend was the champ and like 14 one night and i hit 10 the next. but im the worst at drawing but if i plan on doin that center console thing i better come up with something. Im the same way about id rather do my own installations and my own work. def send me some pics when ever u get around to building it.

**iidea** · 01-02-2007, 02:57 AM

Originally Posted by bbplaya21

I love setting the alarms of. We use to ride up and down the rows of cars at walmart and see how many cars we could set off. My friend was the champ and like 14 one night and i hit 10 the next. but im the worst at drawing but if i plan on doin that center console thing i better come up with something. Im the same way about id rather do my own installations and my own work. def send me some pics when ever u get around to building it.

LMFAO i wanna enter that contest!!! ha ha. If you are not good at drawing like i am just take the measurements and wing it. Thats what i do. i just take basic measurements and elaborate on them and go from there. as long as the picture stays in your head i dont think you need to draw it out. lemme know how it goes with your install

**IronReload04** · 01-02-2007, 02:19 PM

ok so, with my alum12q and my kenwood monoamp, its good that i dont need a cap.

by the way, alum12q is 50 dollars more retail price than the alum12n, but the 12q was on sale and costed the same at the time and i went with that one also knowing its kind of shallow. what is the difference between the q and the n?

ok so, somone said ported>than sealed

I have been hearing the ported takes away some sq though? If i had to give up a slight edge on bass so i could have a little better sq, i might rather do that

**abstrack** · 01-02-2007, 02:34 PM

Just set up a business license for an audio company and buy stuff at cost. Its cheeper and the business license is relatively cheep. You would just have to pay taxes, but you are going to have to do that anyways.

**iidea** · 01-02-2007, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by IronReload04

ok so, with my alum12q and my kenwood monoamp, its good that i dont need a cap.

by the way, alum12q is 50 dollars more retail price than the alum12n, but the 12q was on sale and costed the same at the time and i went with that one also knowing its kind of shallow. what is the difference between the q and the n?

ok so, somone said ported>than sealed

I have been hearing the ported takes away some sq though? If i had to give up a slight edge on bass so i could have a little better sq, i might rather do that

You maily use sealed for SQ and ported for SPL. It also really depends on what kind of music you listen too. I listen to hip hop and love the lows that i get from a ported box. I would never use a sealed with the music i listen to. Just cuz i like the bass. I let my tweets take care of the the qound quality

**IronReload04** · 01-02-2007, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by iidea

You maily use sealed for SQ and ported for SPL. It also really depends on what kind of music you listen too. I listen to hip hop and love the lows that i get from a ported box. I would never use a sealed with the music i listen to. Just cuz i like the bass. I let my tweets take care of the the qound quality

i guess metal is number 1 for me. thats like'

metallica, iron maiden, megadeth, wasp, testament, dio, black sabbath, love the 80's guitar solos mainly

I also like rap too- regulaters warren g and nobody does it better, aint nothin but a g thang, bone thugs, old school new jack beats and other hip hop

I will occasionally put on phill collins or genesis or stuff like that. just good music. so what would you reccomend, sealed or ported

edit* - i know you said the speakers themselves usually give a guidline. But just look at my question generally speaking

**iidea** · 01-03-2007, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by IronReload04

i guess metal is number 1 for me. thats like'

metallica, iron maiden, megadeth, wasp, testament, dio, black sabbath, love the 80's guitar solos mainly

I also like rap too- regulaters warren g and nobody does it better, aint nothin but a g thang, bone thugs, old school new jack beats and other hip hop

I will occasionally put on phill collins or genesis or stuff like that. just good music. so what would you reccomend, sealed or ported

edit* - i know you said the speakers themselves usually give a guidline. But just look at my question generally speaking

If i were you then i'd get it sealed. you listen to an array of music and you definately need the SQ

**IronReload04** · 01-03-2007, 10:54 PM

k...sealed seams like the way to go for me

but just curious. will the base hit and bump good, but just to a lesser degree if sealed. how much will bass be effected by getting it sealed?

**iidea** · 01-03-2007, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by IronReload04

k...sealed seams like the way to go for me

but just curious. will the base hit and bump good, but just to a lesser degree if sealed. how much will bass be effected by getting it sealed?

I dunno how else to describe it. it would definately be better if you went to a local shop and heard the difference, or maybe know a couple people with the 2 different set ups.

**IronReload04** · 01-03-2007, 11:00 PM

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/4/8374.html

so what i think i gather from the second post in that thread. If i have a good amp, and get it sealed, i could have sq as well as spl

it just seems like sealed is the way for me to go. i would still like to bump a little though lol

**iidea** · 01-03-2007, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by IronReload04

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/4/8374.html

so what i think i gather from the second post in that thread. If i have a good amp, and get it sealed, i could have sq as well as spl

it just seems like sealed is the way for me to go. i would still like to bump a little though lol

Thats definately correct and i'm glad you are doing your research. For instance when i had my 3 15's in a 9 cubic foot ported box, I used to set off so many alarms. People thought i had a couple thousand watts running them, when actually i had a small amp that i had bridged down to half and ohm and it was running 600 watts mono. That was 200 watts per sub when the recommended RMS was 1000 per. So yes if you have a bigger amp with a sealed box then you can get as close as you can get to the ported boxes, without losing SQ. IMO you should stick with sealed, and in the future if you decide fvck the quality i wanna rumble then switched to a ported.

**305GUY** · 01-03-2007, 11:25 PM

anyone talking shit about pioneer is nutz!!!

i have a ford 2005 f150 lariat super crew.
just put in:
1 pioneer indash avh-p680dvd (6 disc)
1 pioneer ts-w256dvc 10" sub (thats right 10" and its lovely"
1 pioneer cb1b1001 ipod adapter
1 pioneer 6m 7200m amp

i couldnt be any happier! just spend the extra bucks its worth it..