hay all, new to the forum, been lookin around heaps for help but havnt really found too much.
im about to get my P's and im wanting to upgrade my sound system when i get my licence.

i drive a n14 1993 nissan pulsar SSS.

at the moment i have a kenwood HU with 2 sets of 6.5inch 2-3 way (not sure) speakers. no amp/sub.

After speak to a few people about what i should get ive decided to get a new HU with 2preouts and aux. a set of front splits, or 2-3way speakers (not sure on the difference or whats better) for the front, a 4ch amp, and a 12inch subby. might keep the existing back speakers in the car just for some sound fill.

What advice im after is what brand/model, HU, speakers, AMP and 12inch subby with box i should get. So im just after opinions of what people would get if in my shoes

budget:
HU$220
amp$200?
Speakers for the front-$200-300
subby$100-175
installation, no idea what it would cost
cables- ill get em for bugger all at my workplace.

thanks to anyone who can help me out.
obviously its not guna b the best system out ther but i just want something that pumps alright, i listen to a bitta RNB, house, techno, rock/pop, lots of music.

more a beginners question, rather than a sq one, but oh well...welcome to the forums

budget:
HU$220 - jvc, alpine
amp$200? - jaycar
Speakers for the front-$200-300 - focal, morel, dls, boston, hertz, digital designs, kicker (actually some decent splits at the ~$250 price point, 'ks' line i think), soundstream, alpine
subby$100-175 - pioneer
installation, no idea what it would cost - factor in at least $300, up to $600 for a very good job including some sound deadening of the front doors
cables- ill get em for bugger all at my workplace.

I'll say first off that you dont want a '2 or 3 way' coax speaker... not on that budget. Also ignore the rear speakers... simply leave them disconnected.

My advice is to go shopping! Take the suggestions of people here and go and audition as many sets of splits as you can. Hertz is what I like on that budget.

Jaycar for the amp. Get yourself a 4x100.

Don't forget wiring in the budget. Just a rough guide, you'll need 2 sets of RCA's (around $20ea), 5-6 metres of power cable (around $9/m for 4ga from Jaycar), a fuse holder and fuse (~$15 from Jaycar) and enough speaker wire (10-15m @$??).

hmm i really havnt herd of alot of those brands for speakers. Where abouts in victoria, south east suburbs, should i go to hear a wide range of car speakers? do JB have those kind of brands? how bout sumwhere to get it installed. is it true that if i get a HU from jb for Example, then someone else installs it, then the warrenty doesnt work?

warranty exists on a product bought from a registered seller and installed correctly...if u've never installed anything before, i probably wouldnt recommend u do, but rather get a professional to do it for u. it doesnt matter if the item was bought and installed at two different stores.

that's because most of those brands wont be found at ur local jb or strathfield...they are specialist car audio brands, found at specialist car audio stores.
try phatt audio concepts in braeside, stylyn in boronia, or tower audio in oakleigh

and considering your budget, i actually would consider 2-way coaxials...they may prove to be better than 2-way splits/components if you are on a very low budget (<$200)

Head Unit: Alpine CDE9874E - RRP $249 (so should get it around $220 if you shop around or wait til JB have a sale). 2 pre-outs, aux and can add iPod connectivity for a few extra $$.
Amp: Jaycar Response 4x50W - RRP $199 - will give you 50w each for the front speakers which will be adequate, and you can bridge the other 2 channels to give you a single 160w channel foir your sub. Run your existing rears straight off the head unit or leave them disconnected entirely. I'd try to pony up and extra $100 and get the 4x100W version of the amp if you can afford it though, I have one thats going on 4 years old and it's still going great.

HU: You should be able to get an Alpine or Pioneer unit with 2 preouts on spesh from JB or Strathies for that money.
Speakers: See above posts, go and listen to some at dedicated car audio stores (not box movers like strahies and jb
Sub: Pioneer 307
Cables: consider welders cable for power cable to save some more coin.

Split speakers are where the tweeter and midbass/mid woofer are seperate components and are wired from a crossover box. Coaxial speakers are an all-in-one unit that dont have a seperate crossover. Splits allow you to play with the placement to adjust the stage height and imaging direction etc more easily. Good to have but obviously it costs more money for the same speaker quality.
The number of "ways" is how many woofer/midrange/tweeter combos there is. If you are looking at coax speakers, any more than "2-way" is a wank and you are paying for extra tweeters and crap which usually add nothing.



Coax speaker are also easier to install so could save a little on the install cost a s well.

I'm about to try one of the Panasonic CY-PA4003 4-channel amps in my new install on the weekend (turns out my old 4x100 Response won't fit under my seat), might be worth a look for a cheap amp, you can pick them up for as little as $229. Will report back and let you know if it does a decent job.

Update: got the Panasonic in yesterday and it's sounding very good so far. The installer (Fairfield Car Radio) rated it as a better amp than a similarly priced and specced Soundstream that they had in the shop.