SorcererXIII

Basically looking for people's opinions on an entry level sub and amp. I would be pairing it with the stock head unit and speakers. If it makes a difference my favorite types of music are electronic and synth pop.


If possible smaller is better since I'd like to keep it for use on my next car - and who knows what that will be (maybe a 2 seater convertible?). However it's not that big a deal since I can only make guesses about that.

nodsetse

Do you plan on building the enclosure, or do you need a prefab box, or intending to have one made? Planning to install everything yourself? What type of music do you mainly listen to, and how loud do you like it?

Since you said small, and would like to be able to easily transfer to another car in the future, maybe a simple all-in-one solution would meet your requirements. You might want to check out the Infinity BassLink II, as the price, including install and wiring, would be far less than $600.

SorcererXIII

I was planning on getting a prefab enclosure, and have it installed by someone else since I have no experience with that. If there is a decent all-in-one solution I'm ok with that too, but I was under the impression that they aren't that good? My favorite music is electronic. Lately it's been Mylo, Hybrid, and Junkie XL in my playlist. With the stock system I usually have the volume at 42, SSP "Feel" setting, bass 5. I'll go as high as 52 when I have the windows down but the highs tend to hurt my ears so I'd actually rather have the overall volume lower with a louder bass.

I read some good and bad user reviews of the infinity system so I was hoping for something one or two notches better if it doesn't get to pricey. Also the size is a secondary consideration for me.

SorcererXIII

How does this sound:
Kicker 06 7X750 750 Watt Car amplifier - $289
http://www.hookedontronics.com/show_....jsp?cid=18860

Kicker DC10 300 Watt enclosed subwoofer - $191
http://www.cardomain.com/item/KIC05DC104?ref=frog

jallamas

$600.00 = www.elementaldesigns.com ask Mandos/Chris here on SL for some advise, he works at Elemental Designs.


John

nodsetse

Given your description of settings used on the stock system, the type of music you like, and knowing the components in question, I think that combination would more than meet your requirements. If you like that amp and sub/box combo, there's no reason not to go for it.

I was considering what to suggest, but it's difficult because there are so many great potential solutions within your budget. A lot of it comes down to what brands a person prefers, and there's certainly nothing wrong with Kicker, so if that's what you want, get it. I'm sure you'll be pleased, provided it's installed appropriately and the gain is set correctly.

SorcererXIII

Thanks, I was overwhelmed by all the choices myself but it's starting to sound like it's hard to go wrong no matter what.

L4rry_B1rd

Get some eD stuff, and you will have some money left over for a nice entry level HU that will make your music sound very good and make your brand new sub and amp sound GREAT!

daxII

if you're looking for something with tight and responsive bass, an infinity perfect 12.1 would be a good choice. they work well in a small sealed (pre-fab like you'd mentioned) box and don't need much amplification to get going. they also get very low. put about 200-300 watts on that and you'd be good to go. are you dead set on keeping your stock head unit? i'd strongly suggest switching that out for something aftermarket. you could feasibly get a 12" sub, enclosure, amp and head unit for around $600 if you know where to look.

nodsetse

Glad to assist. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's hard to go wrong, because there are so many possible combinations, and you want to be sure the sub/enclosure combination is optimal and the amp is a good match. The solution you came up with is a good one, and so are those suggested by others here.

IceNine

SR Audio was selling an Alpine V-Power amp with a set of 2 E-type 10" subs for $299 at one point... pm sraudio to see if he has more.

daxII

here's a good example of an entry-level type setup:

alpine mrp-m450 (400 watts x 1 into 2ohm) about $120 shipped
stinger wiring kit (4awg HPM series) about $50 shipped
stinger rca cabling 17' about $20 shipped
1.0 cu ft sealed enclosure for 1 12" about $60 shipped
infinity perfect 12.1 (getting hard to find, discontinued) or an alpine swr-1242 type-r about $120 shipped

so let's see. that puts you at about $370 for a tight-sounding, space-saving setup. take the extra $230 and buy yourself a sweet head unit! (ahem...alpine CDA-9857!)

SorcererXIII

i'm reluctant to replace the head unit 'cause I already paid for the ipod upgrade on the stock unit (I know it's not as good as aftermarket - too late). how much of an improvement could i expect?

L4rry_B1rd

a substantial improvement since the stock HU has no RCA plugs in the back. That means that you would have to buy a LOC and that gives you a crappy signal at best for your amp. Even a budget HU has at least 1 RCA output on the back which menas a direct, clean signal to your amps which is then amplified to your speakers.

SorcererXIII

are there any other possible hangups with a new head unit? compatibility with steering wheel controls, ipod jack, etc.?

L4rry_B1rd

unless you get some sort of adapter, or one of the higher end Eclipse HU's, then your controls wont work. and your iPod jack will be useless since you will have to buy the iPod adapter/ cable for the respective HU brand. might not be worth it for you...

SorcererXIII

It looks like the kicker amp I was looking at has a speaker level input.

mdickson81

I spent around $1000 with my head unit and an extended warranty but for sub and amp.

I went with an Infinity Kappa Perfect 10.1 from (10 inch), sounds great with a ported box. You can find them for around $130.
http://www.caraudioimage.com/index.c...Product_ID=352

For the amp I went with a JBL GTO 75.2II (Bridged it produces 290 Watts RMS)
http://www.cardomain.com/item/JBLGTO752II

Most of the people that ride in my car freak that its only a single 10. Cardomain has a very good selection on just about everything and they are an authurized dealer meaning you wont get screwed in the end if you need to return things.

Nematoad485

Now I'm going to go on record as example of the exact setup that Sorcerer has. I too wanted to keep the stock HU (iPod Upgrade) but wanted some more low end. Talked to Chris at eD and I couldn't be happier. Now my setup cost me about $500, but that includes a custom fiberglass box so you could get a much cheaper setup (box cost as much as the audio equipment).

Also, saying that the LOC (Line Output Converter) gives a crappy signal is way wrong. If you have it hooked up correctly it sounds great. My setup sounds extremely clean. Just contact Mandos, tell him what you want and he will get you everything you need to make it happen, and at a very affordable price.

nodsetse

And if it does you won't need an LOC, as was mentioned in another post. Seriously, there's nothing wrong with the direction you're going, especially if you like the stock sound, and just want to add some REAL bass. I suggest proceeding with your current plan, as it'll get you the bass you want, and then you can always upgrade the rest of the system if or when you'd like.

Edit: If you do it this way, I'd suggest disconnecting the rear speakers, and sending that signal to the speaker-level inputs on the amp. This will give you the ability to balance the bass with the front speakers, by using the head unit's fader control.