New System Suggestions

Systems

I've finally decided that I can't live without a CD player anymore and I'm going to replace the crappy OEM junk Jeep puts in their vehicles. It's a post 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee (after the new body style took place), with 6x9s in the front doors, ?3" in the dash? and 6.75" in the rear doors (No Infinity system). I'm not interested in putting subs in either.

Unless someone here can convince me otherwise and find something better, it looks like I'll be putting in a Kenwood Excelon deck (X569) it's cheaper than the Alpines and Pioneers, does the MP3 CDs, has an additional input for an I-Pod, plus it looks fairly decent. <$300 on Crutchfield right now. The only major thing that concerns me is the line-out voltage, which is at a whimpy 2 volts. This most likely could cause a potential problem by using a external amp, which for all intensive purposes, I intend to use.

My main goal with this is SQ. It doesn't have to be obnoxiously loud at all times, yet it does need to be able to pick it up occasionally. Again, this has to be done with no subs.

I'm pretty much decided on the Polk line of speakers, but as to which ones, your answer is as good as mine. I was looking at the new "db" line, the speakers have good frequency response across the board (in both the 6x9 and 6.75) and should fit the Jeep. As you'll find out below, they could be a bit underpowered

The biggest problem that will occur in selecting the equipment is going to be the amp. It's going to be restricted on it's physical size, because of the limited "hidden" spaces and proper air flow for cooling in the vehicle. Once again I'm open to suggestions, however the MTX564 seems to be at the top of my list, all though it is a few more than I actually want to drop on just the amp. Size Restraints: amp dimensons (inputs & speak outputs have been accounted for) 14" (L) x 10.5" (D) x 2.5" (H)

I can't put a price on SQ right now, but as suggestions come in I'll be able to rule out those that are just to expensive.

MTXMAN

ewww... not mtx for highs especially if you're going sq... look at hifonics, soundstream, even rf before you go to mtx... those are some damn dirty amps

sntnsupermen131

kenwood exceleron is a good series...i have their 4x6s in my truck
but consider this hu...i think its better...it has mp3 and everything you could imagine...only $260...and 6volt preouts
pioneer 750
and as far as amps go...mtx is not one you want to get if youre going for sq...how many watts and channels do you want for an amp?
-Cody

Systems

Actual physical size will detrimine how many watts over 4 channels I can have and ulitmately the speakers as well. Right now I'm planning on running the dash speakers off the deck, front and rear doors off a 4 channel amp.

Anybody know the dimensions for some of the HiFonics amps (4 Channel).

As for the Pioneer, the Premier 750 was my first choice, but it was around $380 locally. But the $260 online looks like it might be the ticket. Anyone have any experience with these online wholesale dealers? (Especially the one linked above).

Speakers?

sntnsupermen131

that site has full warranty and free shipping
i bought my pioneer from there with no problems
-Cody

Systems

Another amp that you may want to consider would be the new Audiobahn Intake Series Amp A6004T. It puts out 75w x4 rms @ 4 ohms. It is about $200 with free shipping at www.justaudiobahn.com and it is SMALLER than the dimensions you wanted Dimensions: 1-7/8" H x 9-7/8" W x 9-7/8" D. I am running two audiobahn amps right now and they sound crisp and clean but I think I am the only one who pushes these. Here is a link it may be worth your time.

http://www.justaudiobahn.com/product_detail.htm?loppa=31103lr152u11a4161&&ID=IA&cco=BR&PID=A6004T

MTXMAN

I'd reccomend against audiobahn....

Keske944

I havn not used thier intake amps, but thier other amps were just what i needed and they are working beautifully. Why would you recommend against them? I am not arguing with you just wondering on your reasoning.

sntnsupermen131

i have not heard good things about audiobahn subs
as in theyre overpriced, made poorly, and their spl subs arent as loud as they should be and their sq subs are not as clean as they should be
i have no experience with them though
ive seen some nice looking installs with their subs though since they have probably the most flashy baskets out of most companies
their amps i have no idea
-Cody

MTXMAN

they're flashy and overpriced and from what i've heard they don't live up to the price, you can do better for less... that's why i recomend against audiobahn... That and the fact that most of their distributors also have Lanzar Pyle or Pyramid as their top lines says something to me.

Keske944

I bought both of mine online so I didn't have to look at any of the Lanzar crap. the closest dealer to me just carries audiobahn and Memphis. If you can get a good deal on them they are great I got a $1,000 amp brand new with warrenty for about 450 and that is the d calss amp that i am running my 2 MM10's off of. They do have good sq I have to give them that, but you are right in tath they are expensive. However, if you can get a good deal on them they are worth it.

Jstas

I think you are buying into hype too easily. There is nothing wrong with 2V line voltage levels.

It is clear that some 'splainin' is in order here. First off, line voltages are not the determinate factor for sound quality. Higher is always better but not always possible. I'll get to that in a second. What a higher line voltage does for you is fairly simple. A higher line voltage allows for two things. Number one, you get less signal loss and degradation between the source and the input stage of your amplifier. While the typical 12-18 foot stretch for your average car or mid-sized SUV does seem long, it is negligible. You really do not see significant degradation until you at least double that distance. However, the benefit to the higher voltage is that there is less signal interference. A long distance adds alot of area to gain interference. A higher voltage helps the signal maintain integrity. This can be remedied with very good patch cables though so it is a moot point. Number two, higher line voltages mean the amplifier does not have to work as hard to attain the same level of performance. A low line level voltage requires you to turn up the gain. When you turn up the gain of the amplifier, you are basically removing restrictions on the amplification process. But, you need to do that so that the amplifier can amplify the signal to the levels it is designed to do. The problem there is noise. The noise gets introduced by all the amplification circuitry and the power supplies. The power supplies need to work harder to reach the same level of performance. That shows up in things like slew rates and voltage gains across tested samples like a 12.5 volt, 13.8 volt and 14.4 volt tested values.

All that is not bad though. If you have a clean signal source, good patch cables and good amplifiers, you can get stellar performancewithout having the absolute best you can have. On top of that, very rarely are line voltages rated at 4-8 volts actually putting out 4-8 volts. They are peak values and the outputs are typically running anywhere between 1.2-3.0 volts RMS. In most cases though, a 2V rated output is actually putting out a true voltage of 2V. So in reality, you aren't really doing much worse.

Most people here talk about high voltages because they are nice to have and when you are supporting very large power numbers (1,000 watts and up for a daily driver) high voltages means that your amplifiers will operate more efficiently. They will handle extremes better without clipping and they will have good, strong, clean power because you are not asking the power supplies and amplification circuitry to operate at its limit. That is why everyone preaches 4V pre-amps. Like I said before, a 2V line voltage is not bad for this, it's just that a 4V line voltage is better.

So back to the possibilities. You choose your specs by what you goals are for your stereo. However, like most people, you are most likely on a budget. So that is going to limit the amount of cash you have to blow on the head unit. So don't over-spend your budget. Go with what fits your budget but gets you the best of what you can get for your money. You can always upgrade later.

As far as recommendations go, that Kenwood eXcelon head unit you listed is a nice unit. It has alot of capabilitiy too. eXcelon is also Kenwood's premiere line of equipment. It has the best of what they got in it. So those 2V pre-amps on that head unit may be "wimpy" but they are backed by some serious circuitry so they aren't as "wimpy" as you believe so. I would have no qualms about recommending that head unit. What I willl say though is, if you want SQ, then go with a Kenwood eXcelon amplifier too. If space is a concern, Kenwood has the X650D 5 channel amp. I have the same amp and it is plenty powerful for a daily driver and should not tax your vehicle's charging system. It will work well with your head unit and you will only need to buy 1 amplifier. It also has a built-in crossover network and comes with Kenwood's noise reduction circuitry. It makes for a very clean amp with good, solid power behind it. It isn't a power house like some others I have seen but I haven't heard of a cleaner amp for the price yet.

Other amplifier recommendations follow suit with what was already mentioned. Stay away from MTX. I'd even stay away from Audiobahn and RF for SQ purposes. I'd go with Soundstream, Hifonics, Kenwood, Alpine, Phoenix Gold and even stuff from a.d.s. if you can find it and afford it. Another good option and fairly new but limited in choices is the Polk Audio amplifiers. They put up nice numbers and Polk Audio is geared towards a very well balanced setup. I have a hard time beliving that the Polk Audio amplifiers strive for anything else but a well balanced, quality sound setup. I think those would also be a good option.

Just remember, cheap isn't best. It is better to take a small step down in wattage to afford a better quality amplifier. You don't need a billion watts to have it sound good. Infact, most people can get away with 600 or less total system wattage. Subtract a sub and most people can do 200 or less. Bigger is not always better. Buy what fits your budget but still gets you as close to your goals as you can get. Also, do not make your decision based on one spec. If you are undecided, find a place that will let you listen to the stereos back to back if you can. Afterall, your ears are the final decsion maker.

geralopez

Nice speech!!
You are right Jstas, your ears are the judges for the final decision for your car-audio setup.
-GLopez

sntnsupermen131

Originally posted by geralopez
Nice speech!!
You are right Jstas, your ears are the judges for the final decision for your car-audio setup.
-GLopez

speech or novel?

-Cody