Questions questions questions...

Maisum

Beware! Long Read!

Well to start off, hello! I'm new to here and would just like to let you all know that I know almost NOTHING about any of this, so any help would be appreciated.

Situation...
I have a 1994 Ford Tempo
According to this website my cars speakers are as follows

Front: 6-1/2"
Rear: 6" x 8"
Front door: 6-1/2"
Rear deck: 6" x 8"

I also work at Best buy so accommodations will be used. I'm not sure if pricing is against forum rules so for now I will leave them out.

Now if I get the DXi6500 package, do the component speakers have to be used? Because I'm pretty sure my car has no tweeters. Also in the picture with that package, what is that black rectangular thing on the top left?

I don't see any 6" x 8" in the DXi section, and that's all my car has so is there anything I can do there?

Now as for subs I was thinking of two DXi124 DVC's. Once again I know nothing about anything, but on the accommodations website this was the last and most expensive one so I assumed it would be..the best? Are they good if I get 2 singles? As in are 2 singles better? Or are 1 boxset of 2 subs better? (That's just a quick question, just wondering nothing really to do with my setup since I'm getting PA no matter what...)
They don't come with boxes so I was going to get them from bestbuy which after taxes should be around 40 each.
I still have to get an after market stereo which I was to spend at MOST on, $100. If that's too little of a budget lemme know and I'll see if I can bump it up. I'm not sure how much those things cost, not trying to get any touchscreen or anything like that. But a good after market stereo would be nice. After that's taken care of I would need an amp, that's where I need the most help. Now I've been sorta reading these forums and everyone asks what are you trying to do with your set up. I'm trying to get the best sound quality but I want my car to BUMP. If my bumpness gets in the way of my sound quality though, that's not good. I am a 17 year old kid so I understand that we might want different things.

So back to the amp....I need one. If anyone works at bb and knows which amps are on the list, that would be great because I'm just gunna get everything from there...

Also I know installation needs to be perfect during this kind of transformation, so which wires am I supposed to get? 4 gage or 8? 4 is the more powerful one right?

Anddd yeah I think that just about wraps it up for me...
Also if anyone could PM me the link to the accommodations website, I already know the username/password...I just need the link to review and see what I can get...if not it's cool
But thanks for all the help guys!

Maisum

DSkip wrote: »

What is your goal? Like I said amazing sound quality but I was good bass. I'm not sure how else I would put it..examples?
Do you want to be loud? Yeah loud but not high pitch if you know what I mean..
Do you want to recreate a concert on your dash? nono I just want it to fit right there
Do you want it to be loud, but have a great balance between bass/mid/treble? I guess...isn't that what everyone wants?
What is your overall budget you intend to spend?
I really don't have one, i'm gunna end up buying this piece by piece but lets say around 400 (with acc. ofcourse and without installation)

No offense intended, but please tell me you don't work in the car audio section

Haha no computers. If you want to know anything about computers you come straight to me lol

decal

If you work at Best Buy why not mosey over to the installation garage and talk to the techs there? Seems logical to me,but what do I know!!

Maisum

Well let's just say there's a HUGE difference in the price, and if it wasn't for that I wouldn't be getting anything.
But why only 2 front speakers? How does that sound better? Isn't that like saying have only a 2.1 system in your room instead of a 5.1?
And how come only one sub?

Yeah but I know that chick and let's just say i'd rather talk to ya'll.

Maisum

Appreciate that but I'm only looking for DXi speakers/subs because of the accommodation. The amp can be polk/kicker/kenwood. For the headunit it doesn't matter...

And also since I'm driving this old car I don't want anything happening to my sub(s), should I bolt them down in my trunk?

arun1963

Maisum wrote: »

For the headunit it doesn't matter...

Ah! but it does. In a car, its all about how much you control the sound, how you use that control (read hu), learning to hear and yeah speaker placement is v.v. important.

Have you ever put together a Dell, based on the customers stated wish list, sold it and felt, 'nailed it'.......thats what Skip is trying to do. Since you both know your respective stuff, you'd both 'nail it'. But right now, u're here on the car audio side......I'd hear Skip out.

btw welcome to CP. Who knows, maybe if you hang around here long enough you may put in a request for a transfer to car audio at BB.

Cody mentioned the the actual figure somewhere, yeah the mark ups on this stuff is insane. but there's a perfectly logical reason for it......lol

nguyendot

Car audio at Best Buy is about a 90% markup...
It varies quite a bit, but when I worked there I got car audio around 75% off or more.... The amps probably have the least margin, the speakers the most (after the cables).

You should see the Harman/Infinity/JBL accomodation they get (and I get still).

When's Best Buy gonna pick up some real pc parts? And not that overpriced $12 sata cable stuff. I mean come on.

Maisum

arun1963 wrote: »

Ah! but it does. In a car, its all about how much you control the sound, how you use that control (read hu), learning to hear and yeah speaker placement is v.v. important.

Have you ever put together a Dell, based on the customers stated wish list, sold it and felt, 'nailed it'.......thats what Skip is trying to do. Since you both know your respective stuff, you'd both 'nail it'. But right now, u're here on the car audio side......I'd hear Skip out.

btw welcome to CP. Who knows, maybe if you hang around here long enough you may put in a request for a transfer to car audio at BB.

Cody mentioned the the actual figure somewhere, yeah the mark ups on this stuff is insane. but there's a perfectly logical reason for it......lol

Oh sorry I didn't mean it like that I meant as in brand...I know the headunit matters but I was talking about brand. Maybe brand matters also, that I do not know

And thank you! Yeah it's insane how cheap we can get PA, that's the only reason I'm going for this transformation. The only thing that's bugging me is that my car's back speakers are a size that PA doesn't carry, so i guess i gotta either leave em stock or just not use them...

@nguyendot I didn't see all those accommodations! I'll check that out today thanks for the heads up

nguyendot

PM me if you need to login for the JBL accomodation (same site for infinity, jbl, harman).

It hasn't changed in...10 years.

I use the same site for my discount from Dell...

KaosTsoc

I would say that if PA is not going to work then I would go with JBL. I have three cs10's in my truck, and have had them for like 3-4 years now, and have thrown everything at them. There has been a couple of times I thought I blew one, but I did not. I have heated the voice coiles up so much that I have smelt them burning, still played them at that level, and still pounding hard to this day (knock on wood). I know the CS 10's are nothing to brag about. But considering how they have held up, I have nothing, but good things to say. They do get loud as well. Hell I think I paid $89.99, buy one get one free when I bought them. I have had them in a ported box, and it sounded good. I have them in a sealed box now, and they sound good that way as well. Hope this helps, or at least gives you some options


Thanks.

eloplayspolo

first thing - dont ask your installers anything, ive yet to find an installer at a bestbuy near me who can even have an intelligent car audio conversation.. and im no expert.

2nd - im aware that your discounts are genreally 30%-50% and sometimes 75% (monster usually does that)

like the other users mentioned front speakers are all you need.
here is what i would go with - if ur budget allows it.
if not i would buy your system piece by piece, start with a head unit, then get some speakers, then an amp for the speakers then a sub and amp.

http://www.bestbuy.com/nex/product/sku/9985266 your sub(s)
http://www.bestbuy.com/nex/product/sku/1007107 for your front speakers

the site doesnt have the DX components, but i would go with those for your fronts

and for your sub, i would get a single 12" Alpine type R - It is of better quality in my opinion than the POLK DX series.

head unit - http://www.bestbuy.com/nex/product/sku/9760651


check your monster cable accommodations, even if you guys dont care the car stuff in the store - there is a good chance you will get 75% off on it. of all the companies i got to deal with at circuit city - monster was by far the coolest, the guy emailed me tracking info, made suggestions and even later when i totaled my car and no longer worked there, he got me accommodations pricing again.

are you geek squad or just work in the PC department?

Maisum

DSkip wrote: »

OK. So looking at what is offered and keeping your budget/car in mind, this is what I would recommend:

Polk DXI650 - don't go components. I don't see where you'd notice any difference and it'd save you money

Polk DXI124SVC - one should be more than plenty.

Polk PA 660 - This will get 75 watts to the fronts and 150 to the sub. Later down the road if you feel you need more power, you can splurge on a mono amp to push it. A 4 channel amp is always good to have in your arsenal though since it is so versatile. The Power Acoustik BAMF1600/4 has higher output for $20 less, but I don't know how well they hold up. You could also look at the kicker zx3504 or the alpine mrp-f300, both solid amps.

That puts it about $400 pre-Head Unit. Add on another $100 or so for misc. installation items, and youve got $200-300 to play around with a nice head unit. The key here is choosing a good brand and getting the bells and whistles that are important to you. We could recommend some that would be solid for true SQ setups, but chances are you will never use those functions, so why pay for them?

Alpine and Pioneer are the usual favorites for head units. Kenwood also has some solid entries. Find a unit that is easy for you to operate and has the add-ons you want. It'd be good to look for a unit with at least 2 pre-outs, preferably 4 volts. The higher the voltage, the lower the gain will be set on the amp, which will in turn extend the life of your amp.


If you need any suggestions or need any information about what something is on a head unit, ask away. If anyone has any suggestions, please add on

Well now I got some news! Turns out my speakers are actually
Front: 5 1/4
Rear: 5x7 or 6x8

Now the front would HAVE to be this, and the rear would have to be this...

Also what's the difference between the DXi124SVC and the DVC because I get the same for the same price
and yeah I was thinking Pioneer
also would it be bad to just get everything piece by piece? As in getting the Headunit first, then the amp and sub and use my current speakers temporarily until I buy the other speakers? And then possibly in the future get a separate amp for just my amp and use the other one for just my speakers...I heard it clarifies your sound alot

And no not GeekSquad.......yet

nguyendot

Rofl.. geeksquad.

I still have my geeksquad badge... I was DA 2468. I'm glad to have left that place, they don't teach you anything.

Maisum

So I just went to Best Buy and was looking at some headunits and noted down some units
I want a USB in the front cause I have an iPhone 2G as my iPod and the 3.5mm don't work with that phone but if it were in the back and hanging out it would kinda look bad..right?
Kenwood KDC-BT645U $100
Sony MEXBT2800 (no USB port in the front atleast) $104
Pioneer DEH-P5200H $128
Pioneer DEH-P6200H $141
Sony CDXGT640UI $102
Alpine CDA-105 $138

Kenwood I can get basically for 50% off so if there's anything better than what I have up there then I'll go for it I just dont wanna spend over 150
This is gunna be the first thing that I'm going to get so if I can get the best one that would really help, thanks guys!

eloplayspolo

nguyendot wrote: »

Rofl.. geeksquad.

I still have my geeksquad badge... I was DA 2468. I'm glad to have left that place, they don't teach you anything.

haha, the best is when i was with firedog over at circuit city.
We did actually have a guy who did board level work on lappies though...

nguyendot

I've moved out of that..... hehehe

MCSE got you "secret agent" at Best Buy. Here it makes you just another tech.

Maisum

DSkip wrote: »

Get Head Unit first. After that, I'd recommend speakers but you would probably want the sub first.

You need to decide what amp you will get and then we can talk svc vs. dvc.

Out of the head units I stated which would be the best? Like for the speakers and settings and all that...
Also if I wanted to add bluetooth, would there be any other necessary modification?

eloplayspolo

Do you not have access to another kenwood that is a step up? you get what you pay for

Maisum

I'm not sure what you're talking about...
I can get any Kenwood I just need the model number and it needs to have a USB in the front with aux (or in the back but I think in the front would look nicer, no?)

KaosTsoc

Maisum wrote: »

Out of the head units I stated which would be the best? Like for the speakers and settings and all that...
Also if I wanted to add bluetooth, would there be any other necessary modification?

If you dont want to have to spend the extra money to get the adaptor. I would go with the

Kenwood KDC-BT645U
Sony MEXBT2800

Since it is built in there is no need for an adaptor, or trying to figure out where to place it. I would highly look at a HU that has a mic, with a cord so that you place the mic where ever. I went with CZ500, it has bluetooth built in, and if you compair them side by side, they might be close in the functions that they offer. Hope this helps.

Thanks.

Maisum

Yeah if those are the only two with builtin bluetooth then I'm just going to get the Kenwood for starters, reviews say its really good. Thanks!

What if its longer (in width) then the radio I already have built in? What can I do then? Because I know if it's shorter you can get that stuff to fill in the hole...but what about the other way? Thanks!

And also if I get the PA 660 amp, will that be fine for the DXi124DVC? In the future I might just want to get another one, so my amp will be able to handle them both, right?

PerfectCreature

I think that the Kenwood would be a fine choice, however. I would stick with the Polk amp, they are slightly modest and polk customer service is amazing.
You are on the right track.
Wires and such is where the cost comes in most times....

Maisum

Yeah I went to Best Buy and the guy told me the samething. Well thanks for all the help guys, I'll be coming back for help with the settings on my radio lol