Hey all-
first time posting in this section. A little background on my project, i'm restoring an '82 FB, i'm probably going Spirit R Grey on the outside, with a burgandy interior (debating on whether i want to track down stock seats and re-cover them with covers from Victoria British, or find a Sparco/Momo dealer in my area and find seats that are comfortable and that fit, and have them re-upholstered to match the stock interior). anywho, the bin support metal behind the seats is pretty rusted, so instead of tracking down a replacement and some new bins, i'm probably going to make a place to mount stereo equipment there. My questions are as follows:

1. What components should i use? what have you had the best luck with sounding the best? I an going to have a separate amplifier for my components, so powering them won't be a problem.

2. What thickness fiberboard should I construct the piece out of? The sub box will be sealed, so i don't need to worry about the port sounding shitty.

3. i have some fiberglass expierence, should I 'glass the underside of the box to make it stiffer?

4. What head unit have you had the best luck with? I'm looking at some Alpine units right now.

5. I only want to go with a single 10" sub, what's the best sounding sub that you've heard.

6. What brand amplifier have you had the best sound come from?

The reason why i'm asking is that i work 6 days a week and the only real car audio shop in my area is always closed by the time i get out of work. My initial ideas for subs are either one Alpine Type R 10" or one Eclipse Titanium 10" sub. I know that the Titanium is a pretty heavy sub, and that it has a HUGE magnent on it, so there may be a packaging problem. The sub will be sitting exposed to the front of the car between the front seats, and the amps will be mounted behind each seat (one amp for the sub, one amp for the components)

 

Kicker SoloBarrics are very nice for ur sub

Pioneer Deck, very good
Just fiber the whole box and make it smooth, i am doing the same and painting it as the car.

I really like Kicker and Audiobahn amps and subs.

Well i tried to help.
Good luck.

 

Head units-> Nakamichi or McIntosh.
Amplifiers-> Phoenix Gold
Speakers-> A/D/S, POLK or Boston Acoustics
Subwoofers-> Rockford Fosgate, Phoenix Gold, Eclipse or Alpine

This list includes some expensive stuff. If you are looking for something a little cheaper, look into POLK/MOMO components and Subwoofers. They can be had for less money and the quality is great.

These are obviously my opinion but, I have had great luck with most of them.

 

Like he said...it's all opinion...so here's mine:

Incredibly overated. As are Alpines w/ their bulky nature and complex control menus. I'm a hardcore Pioneer fan when it comes to their headunits. All the right controls, easy menus, nothing you don't need. And they're very stylish.

Don't know anything about them, but for a sub, a MTX Thunder 6500D mono-channel sub is cheap and CRAZY. I still have one (which I'm gonna sell if I ever get around to it) that is 700 rms, 1100 peak. Freakin INCREDIBLE performance for the money. As for higher end stuff, I like JL amps, and Alpine makes some nice amps too.

I dunno how/why ppl like Polk. No offense, but I've heard 'em, and I think they're real crappy. IMO. Bostom Acoustics is BY FAR the absolute BEST, esp. when it comes to component systems. You can get something a tiny bit better for a LOT more money, but will you notice the different? Absolutely not.

I'm a JL fan...but I know that's prob cuz they advertise so well LOL. For the money though, I honestly think Alpine's Type R, S, or E subs are the best value. They play VERY well, sound GREAT, and are DIRT cheap.

If you can get a package deal, I'd get Boston Acoustics all around. Component system, amp, and sub. Again, it's all VERY subjective, and it depends on what you want to hear. I personally don't agree w/ 99% of ppl's taste when it comes to audio equipment, but that's because I'm looking for something completely different. I don't look for loud in speakers - I look for incredible clarity. I listen to a lot of techno and rap, and I like to pick up the tiniest background sounds and effects. In subs, I don't like hearing a sub at all. I don't get subs to hear them pounding...that's why I have high end speakers for. I get a sub to play the VERY deep notes that you CAN'T hear, but you will FEEL. It'll vibrate the hell outta everything in the car So yea...I think now you can take my $0.02 in perspective...

 

Resonant engineering makes some quality subs (www.reaudio.com)

DLS makes some amazing amps, and components, the Ultimate amps and iridium speakers are what i'm familiar with (www.dls.se)

Boston Acoustics also make great speakers and amps. (www.bostonacoustics.com)

3/4" MDF is standard for sub enclosures

if the box is properly constructed then fiberglass is not nessesary.

I used to run pioneer head units, but I moved to Alpine several years ago and I can hear a positive difference. I like the 9815 and 9835 models. The preouts aren't the strongest on the market but they still sound great. Stay away from the 9853 and 9855 models!

 

JL Makes killer stuff too. I couldn't agree more.

 

I heard JL audio makes the best speakers on the market period. What about JBL?

 

I love my Focal Polykevlar components, but it's really a matter of opinion. What sounds perfect to your ears may sound not so great to me.

That said, JBL isn't in the same class as most of the others mentioned here.


Boston Acoustics, JL, A/D/S, Focal, Diamond, and Alpine are all good names. If you REALLY want to spend some bucks, check out Dynaudio, Rainbow, Zapco or McIntosh

 

eclipse head unit
focal separates
JL subwoofer
soundstream amp

 

Ill be running:

Kenwood Headunit
Focal Componenets
Elemental Designs Subs and Amps

www.edesignaudio.com

One of the best companies out there today

 

Yep. In fact, I was under the distinct impression that the ONLY time you need glass isn't because of construction quality, but to fit a custom shape that would be hard/impossible to fit w/ wood, that's all. Otherwise, the wood enclosure it comes w/ is completely fine. I actually think the really thick wood enclosures may allow the waves to mature a bit more and really give better low-end bass than thin fiberglass (which the face of the enclosure is made of). But that's my observation/hypothesis, not a statement. I'd need someone like Rynberg to comment as to whether it has any validity or not.

No. JL makes the best advertised SUBS on the market, NOT speakers. Very big difference (I don't even know if they make car speakers). JBL's kinda ghetto IMO.

I don't disagree w/ you that these are INCREDIBLE companies, but again IMO, I think you'd be wasting your money on such items. Why? Because, in short, it's like a car. You can't just throw nice springs on a car and expect it to handle well. The ENTIRE CAR has to be designed, engineered, and designed to handle well. One component may IMPROVE it overall, but not to it's fullest potential, when compared to a car DESIGNED to handle well.

Example: You can put coilovers, sway bars, strut bar, etc on a Civic, and it'll handle a hell of a lot better than stock, BUT, it'll NEVER handle like an RX-7, which was ENGINEERED w/ an actual race car chassis, and 50/50 weight distribution, independent multi-link suspension, blah blah. So would I spend $10K on suspension in a Civic? Na...I'd just buy a car that was built to handle well in the first place...OR buy something for a grand, that'll give considerable improvement, and call it a day.

LIKEWISE, the mainstream affordable stuff is the $1K components that'll make a major difference in sound quality, w/o being rediculously expensive for nothing.

If you want something at the level of Dynaudio, I'd think you'd be wasting your money, because no matter what you do, you will NEVER take full advantage of the sound system, since the RX-7 was NEVER designed w/ good acoustics in mind. My boy's Volvo C70, however, was.

Dynaudio teamed up w/ Volvo DURING THE CAR'S DESIGN, and told them where they were going to need to integrate speakers. The doorpanels, dash, trim, etc, was designed to INTEGRATE Dynaudio's needs to make the sound what it could and should be. And I swear, his car - stock - sounds better than ANY sound sytem I've heard in my LIFE, hands down. They fit TWELVE speakers in that car, w/ THREE-STAGE component systems in the front: a dedicated sub in the bottom of the doorpanel, a midbass speaker above knee level so you can actually HEAR it lol, and HUGE tweeters on the dash, which I've found to be the best place, since it hits the windshield then reflects back toward the cabin. There's also a HUGE center speaker in the dash. I mean...the went ALL out. So if you want something like that, buy a diff car lol. Don't waste the money on trying to make the RX-7 into a soundstage it wasn't designed to be.

So long story short, I wouldn't go further than Boston Acoustics high end components and JL sub in an RX-7. Anything over that, you simply don't even have the enclosure space or room for enough speakers and properly spaced and aimed tweeters and imaging devices to really make that big of a difference in the car's soundstage. So the excess money you spend on Dynaudio and other exotic brands would be wasted - IMO.

~Ramy

 

Be careful of eDesigns.

A couple threads about eD:

http://www.icixsound.com/vb/showthre...6&page=1&pp=10

http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showth...9&page=1&pp=15

http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?p=783191

 

well, i went to the local car audio place (if you live in the detroit metro area, Toys with Noise, Ann Arbor store), and they suggested for a car the size of a FB to go with Alpine Type S all around. they said that they Type R stuff wouldn't give me any better sound, just cost more. I'm going with an Alpine head unit, can't remember the model number (got a quote from them on all the work), but i'm going to have them put in the iPod interface, and the head unit i'm looking at has a static touch screen, much like the iPod's wheel, allowing for much easier control of the Pod. i'll be building the box myself, but for all the wiring and parts and install, the quote was 1,450. they are going to run all new wiring to everything just in case the stock wiring is rotted to eliminate any possiblilty of it shorting out and ruining my stereo/starting a fire. i'm not very good with electronics, and not familiar at all with car audio, so i'm just going to have them do the work, probably the only thing on my car besides paint that i'm going to have professionally done.

 

Say what you want, but I owned two of eD's products for 2 years and Ive never had a problem. And, on top of that. THe first thread you posted, things break and people screw up speakers all the time, it happens to every company. And the second thread is an all out **** throwing contest, its clear that the HC guys are repping their sub and downing the eD stuff and the same goes for the eD guys in that thread.

If you want a true opinion on eD, either take a risk and buy their stuff, like I did, or find someone who runs eD and listen to their equipment. I just bought 2 more eD subs this morning after selling my original sub because it was huge and I wanted somethign smaller for my FC.

 

What are you looking for in a system? Sound Quality, SPL, or a combination of both? From what you have said I assume a good SQ system.

That being said I would recommend:

Kenwood Excelon or Eclipse Headunit
Alumapro Alchemy RX or Infinity Perfects

Most quality amps can produce a good sound, I like Zapco, Soundstream, older PPI amps....

I would also use MB Quartz or Infinity for the components.

If you are good at glass I would definatly do that, otherwise 3/4" MDF

 

STAY AWAY FROM THE NEW ALPINES WITH GLIDE TOUCH

they are models 9853 and 9855, I haven't heard anyone give them a good review, this is the first year they have made them and they rushed to get them out and didn't properly test the glide touch, it's much slower then the old interface and akward to use. The new models are also made by a new factory and they used cheap parts and the faceplate loading mechanism has been failing.

I strongly suggest the Alpine 9835, it has all the great features, except the crappy glide touch.

 

Personally, I like the glidetouch. its not that hard once you get used to it. And unless your going to be going thru the menus while your driving then it is quite functional. I would say, go down to best buy or whatever, and look at the glidebar, run your finger up and down it.

 

Head unit-Alpine or Kenwood Xcelon
Amps-Xtant, Rockford Fosgate, JL
Mids and tweets-Focal,Boston Acoustic.
Subs-JL. For the money JL woofers are the best. I have had dozens of JL woofers in my cars and they are the best. For the record I have tried Fosgate, Orion, Alpine, MTX, Infinity, Cerwin Vega(stoker and old school orange rings)
Most of the higher end woofers sounded good but blew out quickly. I always like to punish my subs so I make sure I have more than enough power on tap. I had two jl w3 12's in my mustang about 4 years ago that I powered with a BD1000 Fosgate amp and I was always pounding them. My friend is still using them to this day with no problems.
My.02

 

I guess it's depends if you search through mp3 folders... cos the glide touch sucks for that, and I hope your motorized faceplate doesn't fail like most of the units out there that have.

 

My freshman room mate had 2 Alpine Type R 10's and Type R components, with Alpine amps in his Tahoe, and he beat the **** out of them all the time, and they sounded great.

 

I've heard nothing but great things for Resonant Engineering Subs. Cheers

 

well, seeing that everyone has different opinions on the subject i'm going to have to recommend what i had stated in a different post:

Fiberglass thickness: should be 3/4" to 1" thick
Head Unit: Pioneer
Amp: Xtant or Kicker
High's and Mid's: MB Quart
Subs: Kicker Solo Baric (which requires minimual airspace and will leave some trunk room for you)

Just make sure that your amp and head unit can be tuned so your system is well balanced. Otherwise you'll have to much bass or to much screeching from your high's and mid's. Additionally, if you're looking for pure sound quality you should look for a head unit that does not have an enternal amp because it can cause distortion (Feedback). If you go that route I would also recommend that you buy a small amp to wire your high's and mid's through, and a seperate amp for your subs. I've had quite a bit of experience building boxes and tuning systems...but that's my 80 cents.

 

first of all whatever you do, don't mount that sub between your seats facing the front of the car. it will sound like ****. face it to the rear, in the hatch, or facing upwards in a sealed box (facing the roof). you will get much better bass and sound quality!

head units....alpine

amplifiers for components....alpine
bass...........phoenix gold (old stuff not this "octane" crap that's made overseas.

then there are some cheaper amps i am in love with for bass made by M.A audio. haven't heard them yet but they're priced low, and i've heard lots of good things. (this is for bass only, no real sound quality)

and that of course is only my opinion...

be very careful to make sure you know what ohms you are running with the sub and amp cuz there's alot of variables there, and you don't wanna end up with something that isn't gunna run to its full potential

this is for a fb, which is where my experience is.

 

Pioneer owns all
I have this "ancient" Detaceable face tape deck hooked up to a pioneer 12 disc changer. Wouldn't trade it for any other setup. I love it b/c i bet some ******* asshat is gonna look in there and be like "wtf that deck has a hole for a tape in it, nevermind". The changers in back
Dont know about amps but i happen to like alpine and pioneer speakers.
For subs i'll take Rockford Fosgate Punch Subs