22 replies to this topic

[KaizenJay]

Hey guys

I am coming to the point where i am wanting to go get my car audio system upgraded from the stock as a rock setup. So i was wanting to chase up your opinions on what i oughta get brand and product wise. My budget is $2K-$3K

My Car is a Gen 4 Liberty (2009 model)

My thoughts were to get

Double DIN head unit (Alpine or similiar top line brand)
Amp (4 channel and a mono for sub or a 5 channel)
Splits for front doors
Coaxials for the rear doors
Sub (nothing that is gonna be doof doof rattle, just a nice bit of punch to the bass and to take pressure off the door speakers)

2 Brands i refuse to consider are JVC and Eclipse, when i got Autobarn to install the system in my Hilux they put a combination of that gear in and in all honesty it sounded like absolute CRAP. 2 grand down the drain. So i will go to a legitimate installer this time too

Thanks in advance for your help guys!

Jay

[Alex]

Why do you say JVC and Eclipse are crap?

I highly rate them over most of the garbage on the market today.

[Shiv]

My budget is $2K-$3K

My Car is a Gen 4 Liberty (2009 model)


2 Brands i refuse to consider are JVC and Eclipse, when i got Autobarn to install the system in my Hilux they put a combination of that gear in and in all honesty it sounded like absolute CRAP. 2 grand down the drain.
Jay

Put it this way - If I had the money, I'd of gotten an Eclipse. I'm not sure what Eclipse you got, but the latest generation which has been out for about 2-yrs now is great. You mention it SOUNDED crap? I'm not overly fussed about sound (more functionality) so I can't rate it from that standpoint as I'm not an audio buff. But yeh the new Eclipse units are highly regarded.

Also check out Clarion's latest 7" inch touch screen. Again, I'm not sure of sound quality because my standards are pretty low on that front. But the interface is really nice and if you want integrated GPS, that's the best system out there.

Me personally? I have a Kenwood 7" inch touchscreen hooked up to two underseat subs and stock speakers. Does the job

[Jovi]

Hey guys

I am coming to the point where i am wanting to go get my car audio system upgraded from the stock as a rock setup. So i was wanting to chase up your opinions on what i oughta get brand and product wise. My budget is $2K-$3K

My Car is a Gen 4 Liberty (2009 model)

My thoughts were to get

Double DIN head unit (Alpine or similiar top line brand)
Amp (4 channel and a mono for sub or a 5 channel)
Splits for front doors
Coaxials for the rear doors
Sub (nothing that is gonna be doof doof rattle, just a nice bit of punch to the bass and to take pressure off the door speakers)

2 Brands i refuse to consider are JVC and Eclipse, when i got Autobarn to install the system in my Hilux they put a combination of that gear in and in all honesty it sounded like absolute CRAP. 2 grand down the drain. So i will go to a legitimate installer this time too

Thanks in advance for your help guys!

Jay

Jvc is a low budget brand, thats why you weren't happy with the hilux install.

if you do go to autobarn or audio car excellence or places like that they will do a bad install (which is usually quick in and out to take your money)

Jb hi-fi sell great gear and will negotiate for pricing or even when you get them on a sale at 30% off you are doing great...

if you want sound and quality for good money
then these brands are good

Jl audio
Kicker for speakers and subs and amps

Alpine and pioneer for decks here and there a kenwood but it has to be top notch.

There are heaps of other brands there too (just used them at the top of my head and what i have in my car)

Sony
Clarion
and JVC are low end stuff which you can almost buy at repco.

but at the end of the day with 2 to 3k you want to spend you can get really good stuff if you know what you are after...
if your in sydney give me a shout if you want advice..

[DukeNik'em]

Sony
Clarion
and JVC are low end stuff which you can almost buy at repco.

Sony X-plod is pretty poor.
JVC is also pretty standard.

Low end Clarion though?...I actually like Clarion and think they do a good job.

I agree Kicker are a good economical source for speakers, I'd go Pioneer/Alpine HU though.

For that sort of money I wouldn't skimp on brands. Sub wise I'd go small under the passenger seat mount like some of the McIntosh systems were mounted. Than Amp under driver's seat.

Really I wouldn't rush it, research a lot and get out to see and HEAR other people's systems.

Touch screen Double Din will keep the car looking the neatest, as a double din with knobs and buttons etc will never match the interior, no matter how hard you try.

[TSG]

My preference is Clarion and Alpine, if I was to choose a budget one it'd be Kenwood or Pioneer.

Agree with a touch screen for double din, they look nice and remove clutter from the dash.

Don't know much about subwoofers and amps but I am not a fan of loud droney bass, just needs enough. One 10" is usually plenty.

[AussieTemplar]

I've just bought a Cadence 6x9 woofer for my parcel shelf. It sounds 100x better than my old 12" Kenwood sub I had in my boot, and gives me even more bass. (less distortion, a lot cleaner)

Brands can matter, but when it comes to car audio, like seriously, how good do you want it to sound? Most people just want it for the doof doof. Car audio is never going to sound as good as you want it to.

[Shaz]

Have a look at the Jaycar Response splits and coaxials. I've heard nothing but good things about them.

Me personally, I have a kenwood deck, some speakers, a fusion monoblock amp and a 10" sub. And a 3" exhaust.

Cheers,
Shazza

[Steveee]

I got a full clarion system, 12" sub, mono and four channel amp all door speakers and the tweeters, and im pretty happy with it, you should probably get it tuned if you do it yourself, but yeah i think clarion is great.

[Jovi]

I've just bought a Cadence 6x9 woofer for my parcel shelf. It sounds 100x better than my old 12" Kenwood sub I had in my boot, and gives me even more bass. (less distortion, a lot cleaner)

Brands can matter, but when it comes to car audio, like seriously, how good do you want it to sound? Most people just want it for the doof doof. Car audio is never going to sound as good as you want it to.

that last claim i dont agree with Sorry... it comes down to money brand and what you get and yes it can sound the way you want it...

[Joe]

Hey Jay

Looks like youve got alot of 'advice' here so far, so ill put my 5 cents in also...
Ive been doing car audio since 97 so ive seen alot and heard alot

By the sounds of what you are wanting to do to your car is a nice upgrade without going overboard
Youve set a budget, now you just need to stick with it.

Lets start with head unit. Double DIN is nice but you still need to ask what you want your HU to do...DVD, Navigation, Reverse Cam...all those affect the price you pay anywhere from $500 to $2000
my suggestion is stick with the current leading brands...Alpine, Kenwood & Pioneer...all the others ive seen are of lesser quality

Front Splits...buy decent ones and spend good money on them! Remember you sit in the front so most of the quality sound should be there.
Another thing to think about is where your mounting the tweeter and crossover. Some manufacturers make them small enough to fit in your factory locations, some allow them to mount on your mid range speaker...others dont...

Coaxials...in the rear is a good idea, to act as rear fill or just background music...you dont need to spend as much here

Amplifier/s...in my honest opinion you only need a 4 Channel amp...2 channels for your front splits and bridge the other 2 channels for your sub...the coaxials run off your head unit and dont need much power to run
if you like to run a 4 channel and a mono block or a 5 channel thats fine too, just not necessary
here is where you can save money and invest it into better quality components

Sub Woofer...id say you can get away with a good quality 10" sub, 12" if you want a bit deeper bass running through your car


you should be able to do all that within your budget and have some change...

Im in the middle of building my own car stereo but ive invested a bit more money than you to achieve the sound i want...everyone has there own preference when it comes to music

Good luck with it

[bobbyjimmy]

Where do you live?
If it's Sydney, take your $3k to Marty at FHRX and get him to work his magic.
Tell him you either want it to sound clear (SQ), loud (SPL) or abit of both (SQL).

FWIW, brands I'd buy;
Headunit - Alpine* or Pioneer.
Front's - Boston, Diamond Audio*, Morel, Focal or DLS.
Rear's - NOTHING, as in, don't bother with rear fill.
Sub - DD Audio**, Diamond Audio or Image Dynamics.
Amp/s - Audison, ARC, DD Audio** or RE Audio*.
Don't forget to allow money for the install, cables, deadening, maybe a bigger battery etc - plus you'll need a centre console to get rid of the integrated set-up.

* What is in my car now.
** What is in the garage for when I get time/motivated/could be bothered to put a sub back in.

Jb hi-fi sell great gear

I laughed at this.

[Jovi]

Where do you live?
If it's Sydney, take your $3k to Marty at FHRX and get him to work his magic.
Tell him you either want it to sound clear (SQ), loud (SPL) or abit of both (SQL).

FWIW, brands I'd buy;
Headunit - Alpine* or Pioneer.
Front's - Boston, Diamond Audio*, Morel, Focal or DLS.
Rear's - NOTHING, as in, don't bother with rear fill.
Sub - DD Audio**, Diamond Audio or Image Dynamics.
Amp/s - Audison, ARC, DD Audio** or RE Audio*.
Don't forget to allow money for the install, cables, deadening, maybe a bigger battery etc - plus you'll need a centre console to get rid of the integrated set-up.

* What is in my car now.
** What is in the garage for when I get time/motivated/could be bothered to put a sub back in.



I laughed at this.

contradict your self much huh? coz jb hi fi sell some of the brands you mentioned...

[KaizenJay]

Wow everyone i really enjoyed reading the advice thanks EVERYONE!

I have always loved Alpine head decks which reaffirms my belief from you guys.

I was always unsure on the speakers, amp and sub though so that is where i really wanted the advice.

Yeah just a note on my Hilux install I had an Eclipse head deck (was top of the range single DIN for its time), eclipse 6 inch splits in the front, JVC coaxs in the back and a JVC amp. The amp was tuned really badly I had to retune it myself but long story short i took it back to them unhappy with it and they pretty much gave me the *deal with it* response. Besides that the Eclipse head deck interface wasnt that impressive or user friendly and their speakers werent that flash in my car. That is why i avoid them like the plague, just something that i find hard to trust in the brand now.

Yeah I am a sound quality type person, very much an audiophile, i mean i use a pair of 500 dollar valued earphones when walking/running/working out (hell no i paid that price for them though, Ebay is amazing for getting peoples unwanted gifts )

Gold Coast Car Sound in Slacks Creek up here are one of the best rated installer companies in Bris that sell quality products at a top price so i will be getting them to do the install at least. I COULD do it myself being an electrician and all but i do not wanna risk stuffing something up and breaking something. At least i have a fully warranted workmanship then if something goes wrong.

Thanks guys really appreciate the advice, will add more later and once i get the work done i will let you all know in a build thread =)

[aekOne]

keep it on topic guys. name calling will not be tolerated. only warning

[Scuba-Roo]

Back when I was a teenager I used to have a clarion headunit 4 ch clarion amp onto alpine DD linear split speakers in the front and sound stream 6.5" rears

Then I ended up with a clarion 12" sub in a ported sub box and a cheapish amp that had remote bass controller that I mounted just under the headunit. Made it really easy to get the right bass for each song, I probably only had the amps Half tuned properly but I I had the best sound system in the school carpark


But the first sign of maturity is the realization that the volume knob also turns to the left.

[bobbyjimmy]

contradict your self much huh? coz jb hi fi sell some of the brands you mentioned...

You must be talking about Alpine and Pioneer - I'm not talking about the "SUPER DEAL $99 with 47yrs warranty WOW" P.O.S they sell there.

[Jovi]

You must be talking about Alpine and Pioneer - I'm not talking about the "SUPER DEAL $99 with 47yrs warranty WOW" P.O.S they sell there.

i wasnt talking about the $99 dollar stuff either i wouldnt waste my time or give advice to someone else to waste theirs to buy that stuff unless they are a P plater and have sweet **** all $$$ to spend... maybe not even then...

[Joe]

Jay if your getting Gold Coast car sound to do your install why not ask them what they would recommend for your car?
They should have knowledge about your car if they are a decent installer and be able to give you a fair quote considering they are installing it.
Failing that, tell us what brands they stock and maybe we can help you from there....

[Sam]

Also check out a small shop in Bundall In the street of the ice skating rink and sportys warehouse. They sell a heap of Soundstream gear. I got them to dynomat my boot and doors and did a top job. Quite cheap too!