Ideas for potential stereo setup......

All right everyone, so here is the deal. I have a double cab 07. I have two 10" subs(expensive) in the back but I have a bad cheap amp for them. The rest of the speakers in the truck are all stock. I recently just purchased Pioneer AVIC D3 Nav system for the deck. So now I am looking to have the stereo system sound solid, but I don't know where to go from here. I am looking to spend as little as possible, but I am willing to spend up to another grand on the system.

Options I am looking into:
1) Speakers for the front and back
2) New Amp for the subs (possibly an amp that could handle new speakers as well as the subs or should I get a second amp?)
3) Dynamat (don't know how valuable this stuff really is. Is this worth it? what prority? Could I do without it?)

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. One problem I have is I don't know how much I should spend to get quality speakers. Same goes for the amp.

Thanks
Matt

 

the Dynamat helps......but, is VERY expensive!! about $20 for a roll (12in wide, 4 feet long). I had to use about 2 rolls of the stuff just to do the area behind the rear seats(in a double cab).

 

I saw dynamat on ebay that covers 36 square feet. I think that should be enough for the whole truck and it comes out to around $120. Although I don't know if there are any draw backs to buying it off ebay.

 

no drawbacks at all.............. i bought mine off of e-bay........

 

no way 36sq ft. will cover the whole truck. i used a 13 sq ft. box and that just did the front 2 doors.

 

There are much cheaper alternatives to Dynamat. You can get some stuff at your local big box home improvement store that is very very similar (dampening ability as well as stickyness).

Though the name escapes me at the moment. All Dynamat is is an asphault material with a plastic backing, so look for something similar in the roofing section of the store.

 

You did not mention what kind of "expensive subs" you have. That will deterimine how much money you would need to spend. What cheap amp are you talking about. Kinda hard to comment when it is unclear what you currently have besides the Pioneer head unit.
I will assume that you have an amp that underpowers your subs. If it is a four channel amp, I would use it to power your front and rear doors. Most descent coax speakers will handle around 50 watts rms. I would then purchase something like some Rockford Fosgate speakers for the front and rear. You can get all speakers for around $250 on ebay. Then get a descent amp to power your subs. Again, it depends on what subs you have. If they are around 300watts rms each, I would get something like the Rockford Fosgate P600 mono amp on ebay for around $350 or less.
I also have the 07 Double cab and it took two rolls of the 36 square foot just to cover the rear cab, floor, and all four doors. Did not have enough to do the headliner area. Does make a difference but can be expensive. I paid around $250 for both rolls.
So, if you take my advice you will spend around $850. Given the Thousand dollars you had for budget, that will leave you with enough money to buy wires,connectors, and if you shop smart, even a capacitor.

 

Thanks for your help Jesse.

The cheap amp is a pioneer 2 channel 300 watt amp. It is seriously at least ten years old if not older. I don't much about amps so if age doesn't matter that much then I suppose I could keep the amp. I was assuming that the amp was worthless. The Subs are Arc Audio 10" subs. ARC 10D2
Dual voice coil 2 ohm 250 watts rms / 500 peak.

 

I have the same subs. I also have 2 Arc Audio amps , one for the subs and one for my Infinity components upfront. My equipment is still in my car as I haven't had a chance to take it out, so I can't tell you what it sounds like in the truck.

But, that being said, I suggest listening to some Infinity components.

As long as it is putting out power, then there is no reason to get a new one at this point, unless you just want to get a new one.

 

Stillerboy, the amp you have is not a cheap one. Especially if it is that old. Old school amps were built pretty good. What I would do is wire the left speakers together in parallel and the right speakers toghether in parallel. Most speakers are 4ohm so that way you will get a two ohm load on each of the pioneers two channels. Your amp probably puts out close to 150 watts per channel at 2 ohms. Make sure you hook it up to aftermarket speakers. Your factory speakers will blow if you hook up that amp to them. Then I would suggest getting that Rockford amp I suggested before. the JL slash 500 watt amp will work perfect but costs more.

 

First off, I know of MrMarv, been around for several years on a caraudio forum that I was quite active on and still paruse. He builds some awesome boxes.

Rammatt is also a familiar product from my more intense car audio day, and I can attest that it works great.

As for Jesse's comment about the amp overpowering your stock speakers; that isn't exactly true. Having an amp that is capable of putting out more power than the speakers can handle will not nessicarily blow them. What is a much bigger issue is using an under sized amplifier. The over extended amplifier will distort the audio signal and is much more lible to harm the speakers. I can explain this further if anyone is curious.

But I would agree that if you are going to use that amplifier (and older amps tend to have been built better than some newer amps) that it would be a bit of a waste on the less than stellar stock speakers. I think aftermarket speakers sound much better and you don't have to spend a lot to see big improvements over the stock audio setup.

 

Ya I actually used Mr Marv for my sub enclosures. In fact he helped me choose the subs too. I would highly recommend him. He is a little pricy, but he does quality work.

How much should I spend to have quality aftermarket speakers? I just don't want to buy speakers that are a joke. If I am going to do it I would like to do it right.

 

You don't have to spend a ton of money. Usually $50 or so and you can get some decent speakers. If you are somewhat new to this whole deal, I reccomend using crutchfield.com They will provide you with pretty good instructions, adapters you need, and tech support. I have actually called them and had a guy walk me through finding the clip releases on a friends car because I was getting frustrated that a panel wouldn't pop loose.

As for speakers, just post what you find and someone can chime in on them. IMO, I like Infinity Reference for superb sound quality/price point.

 

I just remembered the stuff I have used before. And to clarify, I think Raammat is great stuff and Rick is an awesome guy to buy from. I have used this other stuff, and it is very very similar (and in my opinion superior all things considered) than Dynamat Extereme. I also think that Raammat is superior to Dynamat, so if you are willing to experiment a bit I'd check this stuff out.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=154017-81326-PS625

Raammat is a bit more plyable at room temp if I remember correctly and this stuff benefits greatly from a heat gun during application.

Just a DIY tip incase you are on a budget and want some options.

 

Thanks for all the good unique info Sooner. I really appreciate it.

I am looking into a couple 6x9's:
Kenwood KFC-6972ie
Sony GT6935A
Any thoughts? I keep thinking that since they are under $100 they are not going to be that good

 

In my defense, it is not a good idea to add an amplifier to factory speakers. The whole reason to add amps in the first place is to improve the sound quality at higher volume levels. That is exactly what amps do. Most factory speakers can handle around 15 to 20 watts at best. If you add an amp, you will be tempted to turn it up a bit( If not, then why are you adding an amp?).
Even the smallest amps can usually put out at least 40-50 watts rms. Play those factory speakers at higher volumes for a while and watch them go! I am not saying they will blow instantly, but soon after.

 

$$$!= quality

That is, just becuase they don't cost a lot of money does not mean they won't sound good. Some of the best speakers I have ever owned were no name drivers from mcm electronics. They were production overruns for some high end manufacturer that mcm was selling for cheap. I stand by my suggestion of buying from crutchfield or other reputable online retailers (sounddomain is another that I have used). The customer service and hassle free purchase and warranty is totally worth the extra money for me.

I refuse to buy things off of ebay anymore just because of problems I have had with sellers. To me, the risk of buying defective electronics is not worth the savings. I bought too much stuff to be willing to deal with that anymore. I go to Best Buy or Circuit City or Tweeter, have a listen to what sounds good and then go online to purchase it. But that is my personal preference and your milage may vary.

The peel and seal didn't stink up my car, even when it was hot in the summer. It had a slight odor when we first unwrapped it, but that quickly dissappated. Perhaps pick up a roll and leave it in your car to see for yourself, before investing in a large quantity.

The way the peel and seal was sliced, in a 6" strip, made the install pretty easy for me.


Jesse, I agree that it is a typically a waste as far as sound quality goes, but I do not agree that one will nessicarily blow speakers by adding an amplifier even if the amp is rated at significantly higher power output than the speaker can handle. I can explain this in more detail if anyone cares to read it.

 

Sooner07, you are right that an amp with higher power output will not necessarily blow your speakers. But lets be honest, the only way it will not is to turn the gains way down, and don't play the system too loud. If you do turn it up, the speakers will sound distorted because they cannot handle the power. Play them distorted too long and you will damage them. If you really must have an amp, you would need to get something Like a 100 watt rms amp and you would still need to be carefull. If you do that, why bother gettin an amp. Thats all I am saying.