Sound Sytems

tdc

Im planning on buying a 1.3 colt in a few weeks and i want to get a good sound system for it. can anyone recommend a system/woofer/speakers, etc. also a head unit to go with it? im not really too knowledgeable about sound systems but i do want a good quality from an estsablished brand, for a reasonable price of course.
thanks

colm_mcm

what sort of music will you be listening to? are you looking for sheer volume, flashyness or just good sound quality.
How do you want to play your music, do you need Ipod connectivity, CD changer, and do you want bluetooth connectivity for your phone.
What's your budget, and can you afford to sacrifice much boot space?

projectgtr

Alot of good questions there colm_mcn
Speakerwise i like Jbl myself for the price they are the best allrounder in my book, bring some music you listen to with you when buying your speakers and have a listen in the shop (then go buy them online its cheaper:D )

crosstownk

Answer colm's questions and you'll be on the way to knowing what you need to buy.

If you're serious about listening to music then you'll want a good system. If you just want 'flashyness' (as colm so eloquently put it!) then just buy cheap noisy gear.

I'm a sucker for music and I like it loud - but I like it to sound good at high volume. There is no point in listening to music with a speaker overdriving - it kills clarity.

Now everyone has a budget and likes to get the maximum from it - but it's also worth thinking about future expansion. Plan your ideal system and buy something that is expandable but still within your budget. There is little point in buying something that will have to be replaced with something more capable should you decide to expand at some point in the future.

Each one to their own, but my advice is to buy a system that will eventually be powered by external amps - all those 4x50W amps in head units are good, but not good enough for high quality. The power supply to the amplification circuitry is never adequate on a head unit. A head unit should simply be the source. A 3-way processor (Hi/Mid/Sub) is an excellent addition - if not then 3 passive crossovers will do, but the 'adjustability' of a network processor is priceless. Be sure that the power available to the sub is as close to 50% of the system's total power as you can manage/afford. And finally, never underestimate the punch of a dual voice coil subwoofer - especially if it is in the right enclosure.

tdc

colm_mcm wrote:

what sort of music will you be listening to? are you looking for sheer volume, flashyness or just good sound quality.
How do you want to play your music, do you need Ipod connectivity, CD changer, and do you want bluetooth connectivity for your phone.
What's your budget, and can you afford to sacrifice much boot space?

i will be listening to mostly rap/hip hop.

im not looking for flashyness, like crosstownk said, i like it loud, the quality has to be good when being played loud.

iPod connectivity and CD player, no bluetooth needed

im not too sure what i should be spending on a system - 500?

yes all boot space can be sacrificed

bombidol

Similar question by myself, I would like a sub and and amp and decent player. But space is at an absolute premium as I will be transporting gear in the Kangoo

crosstownk

tdc wrote:

i will be listening to mostly rap/hip hop.

im not looking for flashyness, i like it loud, the quality has to be good when being played loud.

iPod connectivity and CD player, no bluetooth needed

im not too sure what i should be spending on a system - 500?

yes all boot space can be sacrificed

With rap/hip hop you'll need punchy bass and a sub that can drop middling deep. You'll also need clarity in the mid range to bring all the 'incidental' sounds to life.

Get a 4 channel bridgeable amp and a sub that can handle being bridged to two of the amps channels. Use the other two channels to power the speakers in the front doors. Power any rear speakers from the rear speaker connection of the head unit. It's a good idea to place rear speakers in the parcel shelf - speakers in the rear doors just drag the stage image all over the place. Get an amp that has a crossover set up. Set the sub hi-pass to about 100Hz and the mid lo-pass to 120Hz. That will stop your door speakers from bottoming out and let them reproduce the midrange with more clarity and you'll have to balance the amp so as one set of speakers is not louder than the other. The sub will look after the bass. I'd opt for a sub in a ported enclosure.

tdc

thanks for all the info guys.

out of interest how much would an alpine set-up cost? ive been looking at a few products (head units, speakers, etc.) but i can find any price list. any info?

tdc

can anyone reccomend a decent set-up for 500-600euro?

crosstownk

Opinions vary on car audio, just like opinions vary on music. But for your budget I'd recommend this HiFonics amplifier. With correct power & speaker cables, you will have excellent clarity and virtually no noise. It can get a wee bit hot, but nothing that an old CPU fan from a PC won't sort out. It can run in 2/3/4 channel mode and has the necessary crossovers to suit most applications. So you can power your sub on 2 bridged channels and your fronts from the other 2 channels. Check out prices on eBay.

Also check out some Kicker, Pioneer and Crunch subs - you should be able to find one within your budget. I've heard a lot of people rave about Kicker subs and rightly so, but I use a Pioneer at the moment and I find it sweet, controlled and powerful. I've also previously used a Crunch 12" and found it excellent - but it blew for no apparent reason :mad: Be careful if you're buying a second hand sub - you'd be best off seeing it and checking that it works before you part with your cash - I've seen plenty of subs with distorted voice coils that drag on the fixed magnet and finally just die. Don't spend all of your budget on the amp and sub - remember that you will need power and speaker cables and it pays to buy something of a decent quality. You might also want to consider upgrading your front door speakers if you decide to power them from an external amp.

EDIT:It might be worth your while doing some research into auto audio first - if you want to then check out the Car Stereo Cookbook or Auto Audio. Plenty of info to get your head around before you start your install.

EDIT2: Before you buy a new head unit, check your current one - you may not need to replace it just yet - be sure that it has RCA line out - not just sub out. Do you know what make and model is in the car you intend to buy? Is it a factory stereo that's part of the dash?