Got some ideas from a dude named shiny_car

And here is what i am looking at: I want relatively loud, but more SQ than anything

*CD HU ($500): eclipse CD5100

*2-way 6.5" splits for front ($500): focal 165KF, boston acoustics SL60, mb quart RVF216, morel dotech mkII 6 (undecided) .. i have heard great things about each of these except mb quart? I have never heard of them.. Comments??

*2-way coaxial rears (whatever drops in) ($150-$200): perhaps same brand as front, but lower series

*4-channel amp (to power front and rears)($550): digital designs C4a

*2x 12" subs ($500 each): digital designs DD2512a

*monobloc subamp $800: digital designs M1a

*installation including custom subbox, some sound deadener, all wiring, tuning, etc $1000


Any areas which can be improved for around the same price? I mean i want a niiiiiiiice system, not something to compete with, but something to turn up when i want to and still be clear as crystal

I have a 99 AU Falcon

Spend more on the fronts, less on the rears, and perhaps only one sub. Just my thoughts, but spending $1800 on subs and the sub amp, yet spending $1k on the fronts/front amp, the fronts will reproduce more of the sound spectrum, so they warrant spending more on them.

Though, go out and listen to the speakers, and make your decisions on that. You may prefer the sound of $500 speakers over $1k speakers. But if you don't go out and listen then you may end up with gear you don't like at all.

Id think about spending less on the rears, and putting that money towards better fronts (even use stock rears if possible). Also consider the fact that you can have a very loud system with one woofer, this will take up less room and you could get a very very nice one instead of 2 lesser ones.

*dam it Louie to fast on this one

Is there an echo in here???

i would also consider a 2chan and a mono instead of a 4chan

never really put high SQ and DD together im sorry *waits for phil*

spend more on the fronts as the others have said,

dont buy focal 165kf's, buy the kp's or k2ps and you get the tn52 tweeter, its far far better and gives your music detail instead of sounding harsh.

if you want two 2512's do you really want SQ or do you want doof doof that sounds nice?

It's OK, I see similar comments a bit. I suspect that you, like many others, haven't really ever heard our products in a quality, musically focused install.

Did you know that our $349 C6.5 outscored the $800 Focals you suggest for "overall SQ" when recently tested by "Car Stereo Australia" magazine?

I also suspect that most people's idea of SQ isn't the strict CAASQ version of SQ, there's nothing wrong with a little "doof doof that sounds nice" every now and then.

Phil

I am putting dd in my car and it is set for sq comps in qld

hope high sq and dd will fit together very nice

forget the rears, run one sub, maybe something a little better ~$800ish. get something that will suit the m1a and get the most power outta it.

put the money towards better splits up front, Oz Audio Matrix elete, Boston Pro's if you want some real loud splits (and with plenty of midbass punch)


oh and i heard the DD 1008's (i think, what ever the 8in one is) in cruisers car at the finals and there a damn nice sub, very musical!

I've just installed a ddC4a, and am very happy....see http://www.mobileelectronics.com.au/forums...showtopic=78575 for another members review. I'm running an Alpine 9887 which sells for about the same as the eclipse, and haven't even started to tune it right... Also running DDc6.5 splits which are well below some of the others mentioned and IMO ( and compared to a VERY limited local comparison) are comparable with at least a couple in your list, at less than half the price. If you can audition a set, I think it would be worth your time. You might not like them, or you might, some people like focals, some don't. Don't write DD off before you listen - but that equally goes for Focal, Alpine Type r/x, DLS and the rest, it is a nice selection. Spend some of your budget on Sound deadening too.

Sounds like a MEAN system, I' m jealous as if funds and space permitted, an M1a and running the fronts active/semi active would be on the cards for me too.

Instead of the 2x DD2512a's you could go with 1 DD3512d.
Another though is getting an Oz Audio ME12 Dual 4ohm ($599) and running it with a DDMB2 ($479) A nice sounding sub that's capable of going fairly loud.

Tim

I got a quote back from fhrx and they want $5,500 inc installation.. (that's leaving the rears stock)

I think that's a bit pricey, seeing as the equipment itself only costs around $3,500..

They quoted me approx $1000 for labour, $350 for a battery and then all these other bits n pieces costing $10-$30 each..


Meh.. I dunno

After some responses on here i am now leaning towards:

One better quality sub (~$800-$1000) (Maybe DD 3512D) Max 1200W RMS [going to audition some over the coming weeks]

DD M1a amp to drive it

Nice pair of 6.5" components 200W RMS (Maybe DDW6.5 set) (~$600-$1000) [gotta audition some also]

good 2ch amp for them (DD C2a prolly)

good quality HU (Eclipse or Alpine)

Pricey? Not really.

If you only knew how much time and effort it takes to install something well, you'd rethink your price estimates.

Its not uncommon for people to spend ~50% of the total cost of the system, on the install. And when you think about it, seeing as the install is by far the most important bit of the entire system and will give you the resulting sound you desire, then your quote really is quite lean.

Yeah? I'm new to all this stuff, so yeah I learn more everyday!

Will take that into consideration, cheers

Might end up spending a bit more on materials then if it will cost that much to install

$1.5k is not really that much for a full solid install (I worked that you have roughly $4k worth of gear). You can check out the FHRX website and check out their installs. They always seem top quality, so for a full install, tune and after sales care $1.5k is definately worth it IMO. (and this isn't just because Marty's a member here, I'd say it for the majority of Specialist stores I have seen the work of/dealt with).

Would you rather someone working on your car when you are paying peanuts? Or would you rather having someone working on your car that is actually getting half decent wage? I'd rather know that in the end the installer/s are getting a decent wage, and therefore should be more willing to take more care then the installer being paid minimum wage

You raise good points

I have seen their installs and really am impressed It's just that i've been tossing up between a system and getting my car supercharged or turbo'd for quite some time, lol..

I was just hoping there would be more of a price gap between the system i want and the supercharger setup

I could always get some BOSS or Sony Xplod's cuzzzzzzzz.... fully hektik doof doof, lol


Ah well, once i'm on hols i'll figure out a bit more and compare again Basically just getting some ideas now Thanks for all ur input!

i really hope you are joking....


if not, keep this in mind:

you go out, spend like, 400 buying some dodgy as boss/xplod stuf....

after 1 week you decide that it is indeed shite, and you wish you didnt buy it... that 400 could have gone towards a real system....

lol, of course i was joking

Basically i was paying out on my brother for his crappy Xplod gear

I'll end up paying more for my sub than his entire system.. Why is basically.. Sony Xplod this and that and everything else

Personally I think you are putting too much emphasis on your sub(s)/sub amp.

The front speakers are the heart and soul of your system and will make more difference to results than subs, HUs etc. All great systems have decent fronts, as you cant turn ok speakers in to great by adding better sub bass, well mostly you can't.

I use my *big* amp to run my fronts and my *little* amp to run my subs. My subs are rated at 900wrms each and get 300wrms or less each. My fronts get a max 150wrms a side. The balance seems nice to me. No point me having more power to subs, even thou they can take it, as I would just end up turning them down to keep the balance right.

Anyway get the best fronts you can, dont worry about having the best sub, as a good one will often be more than enough and dont skimp on install, as that makes or breaks a system.
just my $0.02 worth
peace
Cyberpunky