better bang, quality, and range?
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=93851
Printed Date: July 05, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Topic: better bang, quality, and range?
Posted By: curtis1077
Subject: better bang, quality, and range?
Date Posted: May 12, 2007 at 2:25 PM
im getting a zx3 focus soon and was wondering which sub and amp combo would give me the most bang, and frequency range. https://www.tcsounds.com/tc1000.htm (2 -12" subs) and https://www.crutchfield.com/S-0JRwhEp6DjZ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=500MRPM850 or https://www.crutchfield.com/S-0JRwhEp6DjZ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=510&I=575P2L212 and https://www.crutchfield.com/S-0JRwhEp6DjZ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=575T4002P i would really like to have some tcsound subs but i dont know much about them, if any one could piece together an amp and sub combo for about $900 using tcsounds subs or one 15" let me know.
Replies:
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: May 12, 2007 at 4:36 PM
Huh.
Your amplifier choices here are awful. Here you say,
curtis1077 wrote:
wondering which sub and amp combo would give me the most bang, and frequency range.
Well, those Alpine and Fosgate amps sure do look nice these days but are fairly substandard as far as amplifiers go. They'll give ya some bang, but not much in the way of quality. I wouldn't use Fosgate subs either.
However,
curtis1077 wrote:
https://www.tcsounds.com/tc1000.htm
This is an excellent choice. TC Sounds has an excellent reputation. This gear is much nicer than everything else you've listed.
Try real amplifiers from Eclipse or JL Audio before those Circuit-City display-quality amps you've got lined up above.. stick with that TC sub, it looks like a doozy.
https://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_amps.php?amp_id=252
or, since you like Crutchfield (Good price on this amp, *great* service. Based In Charlottesville, VA. Great town.)
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-hIbSFJanQsJ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=099XA1000&search=Eclipse+VENDORID099&SearchDisplay=Eclipse
$900 is a great budget for a sub/amp combo. Whatever you end up deciding on, leave some for 4-gauge power wire runs and enough 4-gauge to do a ' Big-3' wiring upgrade. A Deep Cycle battery would be very here useful as well. Plenty in there for you to do your car up right! ------------- "I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: curtis1077
Date Posted: May 12, 2007 at 7:23 PM
thanks for the info. helped alot. so i take it the tcsounds subs are the doodie huh?
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: May 12, 2007 at 8:03 PM
curtis1077 wrote:
so i take it the tcsounds subs are the doodie
I mean TC Sounds has a great reputation. That particular woofer also looks really nice. Lotsa excursion, decent power handling. I mean a really pretty woofer too.
I think it looks much better than really anything Alpine or Fosgate make. Certainly much better for the money.
I actually got so curious about it that I modeled it with WinISD a few hours ago... the default response curve is flatter than Kansas. (Which probably doesn't mean anything to you, but I think its a really good sign. The only other woofers that do that off the bat in a realistic enclosure size is the 12w6 and the Perfect10)
Really nice looking sub. Like I said, put a decent amplifier to it. If you can swing it, go with that JL500/1 I linked to above. Between that and the woofers you'd have an incredible SQL system and a good $150 left for wiring and what-not.
------------- "I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: curtis1077
Date Posted: May 12, 2007 at 8:33 PM
im just wondering if this setup will be loud. and im probably going to upgrade the door speakers and head unit. for the head unit im probably getting this. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-JynljS6oMo7/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=130DEHP490 . heard its good. any suggestions on some 5 1/4" or 6x8" for the mids that will be loud as hell just powered by the head unit. maybe a component system for the front and 2 ways for back. kind of want to keep it under $500.
Posted By: aznboi3644
Date Posted: May 13, 2007 at 1:02 AM
Those TC subs are great subs..and even better because of the great price for such a good woofer.
One of those TC subs will stomp all over those RF's all day. ALL Rockford Punch series subs are bottom line crap. The quality of the materials is about as good as a Wal-Mart sub IMO.
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: May 13, 2007 at 1:55 PM
Oooo. Wouldn't use a Pioneer .. uhh... ever.
Pioneer head units are notorious for having vicious alternator/speaker whine.. every week someone else on this board goes through like 200 posts trying to figure out thier line noise issues... its just the inferior design of Pioneer headunits.
Definately a brand to avoid like the bubonic plague. For a better quality headunit, try Eclipse or Alpine.
I'd probably get a 4 or 6 channel instead of running a huge amp to my subs and a headunit to the speakers, but here stick with 6x8's.. you want all the cone area you can to maximize the meager power off that headunit.
Don't bother with componets, off deck power your just wasting money.
Get some low-end, efficent 6x8's from .. really anyone. Some $60 Infinity References would prolly be my pick.
You can't get 'quality' and deck power in the same system. Perhaps something a bit more flexible?
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-a5r13LX3SNB/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=099XA5000&search=Eclipse+VENDORID099&SearchDisplay=Eclipse
I have to say the need to spend so much on subs and so little on the rest of your system is going to leave you seriously unoptimized... i.e., a weak top end with so much bass that you prolly won't be able to hear the vocals and treble very well.
Perhaps a realignment of your budget.. I count a total of $1400 above.
Try spending half on >100hz and half on <100hz.
------------- "I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: curtis1077
Date Posted: May 13, 2007 at 7:03 PM
thanks for the help. if anyone could piece together a complete system, either using the factory head unit or aftermarket. its for a hatcback focus. i want it to be loud, clear, and hit hard. i have a budget of about 1500-1800 installed and everything. itll be alot of help .
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: May 13, 2007 at 7:59 PM
The TC1000s are amazing drivers... You'll love them, as sedate has already determined.
I also second his opinion regarding the avoidance of (especially) the RF amplifier(s). Turds, plain and simple, BUT I don't think the new Alpine is all that bad. For that miney, though, look into Eclipse amps. Crutchfield has the Eclipse XA-5000, with 50X4 for your highs, and 450 for the sub (@ 2 ohms) Consider it carefully, VERY good amps for the money...
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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: curtis1077
Date Posted: May 13, 2007 at 8:14 PM
sounds like some good amps. so what would be the best speakers to match with this amp . im probably going to go with one or two 10 or 12" tc1000's for the sub output. (is that a good choice?) i would really like to know the best mids to put withthat eclipse amp.
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: May 14, 2007 at 12:28 AM
curtis1077 wrote:
im probably going to go with one or two 10 or 12" tc1000's for the sub output. (is that a good choice?)
Yes. curtis1077 wrote:
i would really like to know the best mids to put withthat eclipse amp.
My favorite coaxials are Boston Acoustics S-series. Flat-out best sounding coaxials I've ever heard. Crutchfield carries them as well. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-VcO3VNgdAEb/cgi-bin/prodgroup.asp?l=&o=m&g=400&avf=N&nvpair=FFBrand%7CBoston+Acoustics If you can swing that EclipseXA500 with a pair of TC Subs and Boston coaxials?! Hella fine system. Not even $1000. Do it dude, do it. ------------- "I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: jmelton86
Date Posted: May 14, 2007 at 9:00 AM
Yeah, that sounds good to me!
That $1000 system, if installed correctly, will be better sounding than most of your friends' $2000 systems.
*if installed correctly
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