Hey everyone,

im lookin to upgrade my system. as of now, its pretty weak, so dont laugh :-P
i have:
an alpine head unit
10" sony Xplod sub
300x1 hifonics amp

now, i was thinking about buying the Alpine type R: http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_g..._type=masterid

i want to sell my sub & amp, so i also need recommendations for the amp.
if the type-r hits as hard as people say it does, then i definately wont need a second one, so the bare minimum for the amp would be fine.


for my speakers, i wanted to hold off until i get some more cash, but what brands/models do you recommend?
my budget for the speakers would probably be around $150.


thanks in advance,
[align=left] Jon
[/align]

 

If wired like option one in This link, you will get a 2 ohm load to your amp, thats what you want.

Get you a JL 500/1 and never look back, It will push 500 RMS at that 2 ohm wire-up all day long, and give that sub all it can handle, not to mention it will be able to handle another one if you ever add it.

You can get that amp even last years model for about 300-350 online, if you look around. They got all you want.

That's my amp of choice, I can't really suggest anything else, but If you want variety, I would do one of these:

Orion - Good company, been around for ages, good Customer Service - HCCA-D1200
Percision Power - Had several of their amps, were always under-rated, built strong - D 500/1

Thats about the only companies I deal with.

As for in cabin speakers, I am a big Alpine fan, but if your on a budget, a mid-range priced set of Sony's, or Pioneers will get you some improved sound over factory, without the need of another amp. A decent set of 6.5's will run you about 80 bucks, 6x9's are usualy 20-30 more. Try to get in on a group set if your on a website, sometimes they sell all 4 speakers at a discount.

 

That JL is a great amp. Definately worth it. Make sure you get that one that you linked to and not the 1222D, that's the dual 2 ohm, and you aren't gonna really ever wire 1 ohm (you'll spend a lot for a dependable 1ohm stable amp...and i think it sounds like *** anyway)
I would reccomend the MRD-605 from Alpine..It's there v12 mono block that does 400x1 at 4ohm and 600 x 1 at 2 ohm...you can put 600 rms into that sub, they are rated low and built for it, no worries. Plus, that would make your whole systme Alpine, which is always cool to have a themed system.

 

Stumasters-

ive heard a lot about that JL 500/1 amp...i think ill start saving up for it ASAP.
what im probably gonna do is wait to sell my current amp+sub and just buy the speakers for the front/rear.
with the amp & sub running about $480, ill have to wait till summer when im working more hours.

as for the speakers, i did some searching and found:
Pioneer TS-A1671R found here
and
Pioneer TS-A6961R found here
if i remember right, my Alpine head unit pumps out 55 wats max per channel...so would the above speakers be a good match to it?


i was reading the comments on the pricegrabber page for the type-r, and someone said:
"...If you don't have a heavy duty alternator, then you might want to invest in a 1 Farad Capacitor."
whats that all about? would that apply to me?

 

Ok, as for the pioneers, they look pretty decent, and I am sure they will sound ok on the head-unit. Most of them supply 17-20watts RMS power, with a 50-60 watt peak. Peak power is reached when you get big lows, or super loud highs. The power rating you want to keep in mind is the RMS power. Those speakers are wanting 30 and 40 RMS watts to sound "near perfect" for their specs, so a small 4 channel amp wouldn't be a bad investment. Used you could pick up something that offers say 75Watts per channel x 4 and you would end up comming out pretty good. You really won't be able to tell until you get them installed.

As for the 1 Farad cap, they are talking about a capacitor, and to be perfectly honest, they are worthless, unless you have 6-12 of them linked together, and are running a super extreme system.

The only thing a capacitor is going to do is put strain on your battery, and look pretty strapped to the rest of your system. Don't get me wrong, they do perform a vital task, but not until you get a competition level set-up.

If your lights aren't dimming much, and you have no power issues associated with the stereo, then You won't have to worry about getting a cap. They get expensive anyway, a single one will run you $75.00+, and you will see no noticeable difference.

I would suggest, once you get the Type R and the JL amp, run out and hit an auto store, or get online and get you one of the Optima Yellow Top batteries for up front. They offer more cranking amps then most standard batteries, almost double, and they will store some extra power for that amp, not to mention be a more reliable and powerful overall battery. They are about $170.00 at most stores, maybe cheaper online, it's not an immediate need, just if you notice a power issue once you get the new set-up.


As for the internal speakers, just make sure that they will fit in your factory holes. Some 3'ways won't fit the little tiny openings we have on our honda's. Try crutchfield's "fit my car" thing, and see what mounting depth and measurments they suggest before you order something.

 

i sure will do that before i run out and spend all my cash on them :-)

one last question...
im pretty eager to get my system up and running...would that Alpine MRD-605 be a good amp to use? or should i resist all my urges and hold off until i can buy the JL?

 

If I was after a similar set-up right now, I would save every penny until I had enough for a JL amp.

Not to say I don't love Alpine, but trust me, you won't be sorry you upgraded.

Just look around online, maybe find an online store that will cut you a good deal on one with shipping and all, and be sure to go for a warranty if applicable and its not much more. I am pretty sure all JL products come wiht a 1 - 2 year anyway, and like i posted previously, you can send just about anything they make back and have it referbed for a fraction of the cost of new.

My subs are technicaly 8 years old, lol.. They have been rebuilt once, and sound every bit as loud as the day I purchased them.

 

okay...
i guess my system wont be bumping till the end of summer

thanks a lot for all your help!

 

oh! i almost forgot!

i heard that installing rear speakers in my car is a hell of a task, requiring seat removal.
is that true for a 96 civic EX?

if so, can i purchase all the speakers and have them installed in a shop?
or should i just go to my local audio store to buy them & have them installed?

 

i drive a 96 ex as well. and yes. installing the rear speakers.. god damn. thats a pain. its definitely do'able. but if you dont really know you're way around installing speakers. you should definitely have someone do it. not all shops will install speakers that you bring in. some will make you buy their speakers if they are gunna install it, but if you search around a little bit, you'll find someone who will do it for you. and you'd probably be better off finding someone you know or like a friend of a friend who knows how to do that stuff cuz shops overcharge for stuff like that.