whole car audio setup
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=105937
Printed Date: May 18, 2024 at 12:18 AM
Topic: whole car audio setup
Posted By: husn8r
Subject: whole car audio setup
Date Posted: July 06, 2008 at 1:42 AM
hey all, i was wondering what your views are on polk audio? also in future im planning to build a project 180sx (i live in aus i think you call them 240sx) and i am lookin at spending $8000 on the audio. i wanted to keep it to one brand name so if i could get some ideas of the most dominant car audio brand in the US i should be right i hope. i listen to bass songs so the subs gotta haul ass. cheers id appreciate the opinion.
Replies:
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: July 06, 2008 at 2:22 AM
Jolk Audio? Why don't you just ask us all what we think of Blose Audio... Or Audiobohm...
Over-rated, underperforming, drastically overpriced and definitely NOT audiophile, IMHO. It sounds OK, but so far beyond the point of diminishing returns...
Alpine, or Eclipse. Not necessarily in that order. If you can get Nakamichi or Denon down under, THAT'S the stuff. The Clarion high-end stuff is good, as well.
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It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: husn8r
Date Posted: July 06, 2008 at 6:30 AM
no not jolk P... Polk audio other than the smart ass comment thanx for your opinion. anyone else?
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: July 06, 2008 at 10:33 AM
PLEASE put on your sarcasm hat! It's thick in this one.
husn8r wrote:
no not jolk
OOOoohhh... I thought you were asking for ALL of our opinions... Maybe I shouldn't have answered like that, as that isn't necessarily ALL of our opinions around here... Just MOST of us.
husn8r wrote:
P... Polk audio
Dude... The answer is in the question. Polk audio IS a joke. Like I said, you might as well have come here and asked us all if we like Audiobahn. Polk Audio is NOT all it's cracked up to be. I have met the man, and next to Dr. Bose, Señor Polk is the biggest snake-oil salesman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I walked away shaking my head in dismay, amazed that people believe the garbage that he and his company spew. While Polk Audio ISN'T as bad as Bose in their TOTAL LACK of R&D, they are simply nowhere CLOSE to the Polk products of yesteryear, and even MORE overpriced now, than they were at that time.
husn8r wrote:
other than the smart ass comment thanx for your opinion.
It's what I do... [:P]
husn8r wrote:
anyone else?
I think I made a friend... KIDDING. But seriously, if you ask a loaded question like this one, you are going to get MANY responses around here, and not all of them are going to be what you want to hear. If you like the stuff, then USE the stuff. It shouldn't matter one iota what we think, but for an 8K system, there's FAR better product out there. FAR better... ------------- It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: July 06, 2008 at 11:02 AM
My opinion of Polk: in 1990 they were one of the better brands available. Today they are simply middle of the pack and nothing special, and overpriced. Same for Boston Acoustics. $8K can be spent in far better ways. So I assume by your question you need to build an entire system including head unit, amps, main speakers and subwoofer? If you want it all to be one brand then your only really good choices are Eclipse, Clarion or Alpine. Ten years ago I might have added Pioneer and Blaupunkt. If I was putting together an all-one-brand system today I'd start with Eclipse, and then if I couldn't get it to sound exactly the way I wanted I'd look at Alpine, then Clarion. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: July 06, 2008 at 4:10 PM
You know if you can live with using a certain brand of head unit then matching up EVERYTHING else in the system you are taking alot of chains off your choices. As said Eclipse is probally your best bet for a complete one name system, but if you use all one name except for deck then you open your choices up to include JL, Kicker (not the best for sq), Hertz/Audison, Focal and a couple others that I am sure I am forgetting. Expand your limits slightly and the world is your oyster (sp, you know that thing with the pearl in it)
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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
Posted By: husn8r
Date Posted: July 07, 2008 at 3:02 AM
haha ok im sorry to haemphyst i was really wized off at the time i wrote that reply. so stay away from polk then. by whole audio system i meant sound producers not the head unit (sorry shouldve elaborated). i was looking for the highest RMS system available in the price range. its a newbie Question i know but with time ill learn all this doodie.
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: July 07, 2008 at 9:49 AM
No harm done... 
So, my understanding is that you are looking for speakers - an entire system's worth of speakers. Is that correct? Are you looking for separates? If so, do you want two-way or three-way? Are you looking for subs to match? How much power are you planning on for the entire install? Subwoofers sealed or vented? How much trunk space are you wanting or willing to sacrifice? You've already mentioned that you want the woofers to "haul ass", are you in the market for any particular brand name? 10's, 12's, or 15's? One or multiple woofers?
Flesh it out with a little bit more info, and then we'll be able to help you with some more (and better) suggestions. ------------- It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: husn8r
Date Posted: July 09, 2008 at 2:07 AM
alright ill give this a shot. i want to sacrifice all the trunk. i was thinking two 12" subs. 6x9s. and 6 1/2 splits in the front. as for power subs 1000W+. 6x9s and splits to suit. i was thinking about a setup something like these: (EDIT by mod)
again im sorry but im new to all this. -------------
Posted By: dragon51
Date Posted: July 09, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Your pictures did not work for me but then again it might be this new fire fox 3 crap. So I'm not sure what your planning.
Ya really want to keep the main speakers the same size so go with 6 1/2 all the way around it will help with the timber matching. You really need to get out and start to demo those speakers your wanting because what I like you may not like type of thing.
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: July 09, 2008 at 7:05 PM
Some of the best systems in the world are mixed and matched. The trick is to know what models and brands to mix and match. You sell me on why it should all be one name brand and I can sell you on why it should not. I think that those of us with the experience that you seek will side with why you should not. ------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: husn8r
Date Posted: July 10, 2008 at 3:06 AM
yeah? ok. can you help me out?
Posted By: husn8r
Date Posted: July 10, 2008 at 3:25 AM
the pictures arent working for me either. i copied and pasted from google
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: July 10, 2008 at 8:15 AM
husn8r wrote:
the pictures arent working for me either. i copied and pasted from google
That will not work on our forum. You have to upload the image to our server or create a hot link. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: July 10, 2008 at 12:54 PM
husn8r wrote:
yeah? ok. can you help me out?
Here's what I suggest. For your $8K I'd begin with a complete removal of all interior components of the vehicle (seats, carpets, etc.) and a full sound-deadening treatment. Then I'd upgrade the Big 3 and install the largest alternator available for the vehicle. Next, choose equipment such as the Eclipse CD7200 head unit, Alpine PDX 2.150 or Genesis Stereo 100 or Dual Mono or Xtant 250X2 mains amplifier, front stereo speakers such as the Seas Lotus Reference or Morel Supremo, 12" JBL GTO or Diamond D9 or JL Audio W7 subwoofer in an appropriate enclosure for your vehicle driven by a decent sub amp like the JL Audio 1000/1, Then get it all professionally installed and scoped to determine if you need EQ, and if so look at adding something like the Orion DEQ30 or one of the better Alpine EQs. It's too bad Alto Mobile is no longer in business but maybe you can find one of their UCS processors still on someone's shelf. So there's one opinion.  ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: audiocableguy
Date Posted: July 10, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Bose, Polk, Audiobahn:
"Over-rated, underperforming, drastically overpriced and definitely NOT audiophile, IMHO"
Now if we would just shrink this down and make a bumper sticker. The BosePro crap is just as bad as the consumer BS.
Hertz/Audison is a hot ticket these days.
Posted By: jmelton86
Date Posted: July 10, 2008 at 7:04 PM
I know you've all hear this before, but it bears repetition: "BOSE; Better Sound Through Marketing". Otherwise, DYohn's suggestion sounds good. You really don't need $8K to get a great sounding system, IMO. *My $400 (invested) system sounds better than anything to everyone that's ever heard it. -Now, I don't really have much competition where I am (in the boonies), but it's true. ------------- 2013 Kia Rio -90a alternator
DDX470HD GTO14001 GTO1014D (x3)
Big3 in 1/0G
1/0G to GTO14001
Posted By: 08gti
Date Posted: July 12, 2008 at 3:44 PM
For headunit, I would go with Eclipse. There decks are awesome and have a 3 year warrantee (through a dealer). Interior components I would also say to go with Focal (for sound quality). For subs and amplifiers I went with ARC Audio. I bought all my stuff from a dealer called Soundsational audio & video in Indianapolis. They helped design the system and install it. I am very happy with the performance.
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: July 13, 2008 at 12:10 AM
08gti] wrote:
For headunit, I would go with Eclipse. There decks are awesome and have a 3 year warrantee (through a dealer). Interior components I would also say to go with Focal (for sound quality). For subs and amplifiers I went with ARC Audio. I bought all my stuff from a dealer called Soundsational audio & video in Indianapolis. They helped design the system and install it. I am very happy with the performance.
1: Eclipse, Yes... ( alpine also rates...)
2: Focal? VERY wrong answer. Bright, hashy metal domes. If you LIKE that, be my guest. JL spanks 'em... Silk domes are WAY nicer.
3: Arc? Good stuff! ------------- It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: husn8r
Date Posted: July 13, 2008 at 12:30 AM
ive been looking at those fi Qs they look alright
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: July 13, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Fi subwoofers are quite good. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: dragon51
Date Posted: July 13, 2008 at 3:43 PM
Arc audio there amps are good I really like there signature amps. There subs I would not recommend them at all we have smoked 3 of there ARC series 12" subs. In the box the shop recommended with there KS 900.6 amp. Just my epxerience with them.
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