please make comments for additional info, corrections, mistakes, etc ...
This is a thread to look thru before you ask a question. Most of the regulars in here love car stereo and would like to help you but you need to help us out by at least skimming thru the info below.
First and foremost, be sure to mention all of the relevant data, ie amp, speaker, car, etc ..
At the end of the thread is a list of manufacturers and a general ranking, please use it as it is intended - a guide.
To answer the age old question, there is no "best" brand or setup. Everything has compromises, sometimes it's a very high price.
Many things you do in car stereo will be a LOT easier if you buy a Digital multimeter - you can get one at walmart for less then $20
Power Distribution:
Alternators - if you're system draws less than 1000 watts RMS, you probably don't need an uprade; if you are between 1000 and 1500, you may need one - depends on the draw; 1500+ you most likely need another alternator
Batteries - the alternator supplies ALL the power for the car once the car is started, so a bigger battery may not help unless you play the stereo with the car off a lot
Multiple batteries will increase car off listening time but will be an a LOAD on the alternator once the car is started.
Capacitors - They help in some cases and do nothing in others. They are NOT a solution for an underpowered alternator. Do not use ones with voltmeters on the top, their high ESL will render them useless
Big 3 - This entails replacing 3 wires under the hood with bigger ones
Battery ground to chassis
Battery ground to engine block
Battery positive to alternator (careful - often times it is routed thru the under hood fuse block)
What to do when my stuff doesn't work or work properly:
Head unit doesn't turn on - check fuses supplied with unit, check fuses under the dash, check fuses under the hood
Head unit doesn't retain memory - there is a power wire that connects to constant 12 volts and one that connests to a source that only gets 12 volts when the car is on - make sure they are wired properly
Amp red light comes on - 3 things cause an amp to go into protection mode 1) overcurrent - the amps power wire is shorted or the amp is fried 2) thermal - will go off when the amp cools down 3) Short circuit - the load on the output is too (low); see the JL audio tutortial on wiring
General discussion of box types
Sealed (first order)
relatively inefficient
good overall sound
good transient response
no "tuning" necessary (see below)
very easy box to make
Ported (third order)
more efficient than sealed (above it's tuning frequency)
good sound if box designed properly
average transient response
box size and port size/length must be tuned fairly close
requires decent woodworking skills
requires uses of subsonic filter below ported frequncy
bandpass (fifth or seventh order)
very efficient in the bandpass
pretty much requires a midbass driver
poor transient responxe
can be very difficult to build and tune
since the sub(s) do not play into the air at all (only thru ports) they are easier to blow because you cannot hear them stressing.
Below is a suggested list of websites for info
http://www.bcae1.com/
http://www.jlaudio.com/tutorials/
LIST OF BRAND RANKINGS TO GO HERE