90 old cutlass ciera audio??

well im wondering what would be a good system to put into this car (its a midsize sedan) and has 3 1/2" speakers in dash and 6x9" in rear window ledge. i am wondering if i upgrade the speakers to better ones should i pull out the wires and install new larger wires or leave them? also am wondering about an allround subwoofer for normal music listening (no turning it up thumping down the street just proper bass for the song) i am thinking a 10" but dont really know and want to know what would be better to use a sealed box or ported for how i am looking at using it? also what is a good amp to run the sub and do i need a amp for the speakers or not? i am in need of an allround head unit that has to play cd's (i hate the am/fm radio in it righ now, not even tape) but am wondering if i can get one that will fit the car not just look aucward with the older car, it also hopefully wont need to have a huge backing plate to fill in the area around it (its a large opening about 3-4x6-7" opening)

im sorry for all the questions but am not really technical with subwoofers and newer systems and speakers. (never thought i would be saying that at 16!!)

They make 1 1/2 , two and three din decks which are 2 and 3 times the size from top to botom as a normal sized deck. One should fill the space just fine. They also make some dash kits for about 20 or so bucks that fit a normal deck and have a little cubby that fills the rest of the space. Some of them even have a space for a eq. Lots of choices anymore. Look up dash kits in a search and you'll find something.

You should'nt have to replace the stock speaker wires that are there. Just buy a wireing harness adapter and use the stock harness. about 5-7 bucks.

Alpine makes great sq equipment. so does Infinity and polk. 1 ten inch or twelve inch sub is perfect for a good sounding system. I'd recomend just shopping around at local car audio dealerships and finding something you like. Bring your favorite cd and listen to it in their displays. Find something that sounds good to you. Just remember that if it's realy cheaply priced it's probably cheaply made. Most of the time you get what you pay for.

check out some of pioneer's head units. They have one that fits the HUGE GM opening.... also a lot of the installation kits look good now a days if you wanted to go single DIN. As far as you speaker replacements go 3.5's aren't gunna do much for ya..... Is there space for a 6.5" in the door? A good component set could be used and you won't need rear fill. As far as subs go.... for just a little bump and SQ check out RE's REline www.reaudio.com also look at their SE line. Check out incriminator's 187 and Li lines www.incriminatoraudio.com Ascendant's Atlas line www.ascendantaudio.com Adire is revamping their lineup right now for all u ppl who will wonder why I'm not reccomending them.... hit up djdilliodon on AIM about components tell him your budget and what your looking for and he'll get you set up he's an authorized CDT dealer. I don't know what your budget is..... what do you have to work with?..... also I'd suggest getting a 15" sub becuase its not much more then a 10 or 12 but you can get a lot louder with it for your future bass cravings once you get used to having some bass.

what about the typhoon subwoofer model #'s KFCW3009 (12")
KFC-W2509 (10")
are they good? (can get the 10" for $100 (cnd) in a ported box at A&B sound)

That's kenwood right?......kenwood subs suck ass

well i will be wanting to use 3.5" speakers up front (stock ones in dash) and maybe mounting some in the front doors but i dont know till i go down to the coast this spring break,(the car is down there at my father's house) my main concern is the depth and the window mechanisim (power windows) so dont know if i can put them in. if i can what are some good grills to put on a ten inch sub and 5-6" round type speakers (hopefully grey and close to the stock look)

but why do kenwood subwoofers suck? what about there speakers?


what about the Rockford Fosgate P112S4 Punch 12" and P110S4 10"? both are under $150.
12"
WebID: 10040586
Mfr. Part Number: P112S4
Band Pass Volume Info Not Available
Basket Material Stamped Steel
Binding Posts Spring Loaded Compression
Cone Material Parabolic Polypropylene
Frequency Response 32Hz
Impedance 4 Ohms
Magnet Weight 1.1 kg
Mounting Depth 5.6"
Ported Box Volume 1.25 Cu. Ft.
Power Handling Max 300 Watts
Power Handling Nominal 150 Watts
Product Warranty 1 Year Limited
Recommended For Band Pass Yes
Recommended For Ported Yes
Recommended For Sealed Yes
Sealed Box Volume 0.85 Cu. Ft.
Sensitivity 87.5dB
Surround Material Foam
Voice Coil Size 1.5"
Woofer Size 12"
FEATURES:
4 Ohm SVS subwoofer with parabolic polypropylene cone.
Linear Spider
1" Excursion
Removable Motor Cover
8 AWG Compression Terminals
Optimized for small sealed enclosures.

10"
WebID: 10040582
Mfr. Part Number: P110S4
Band Pass Volume Info Not Available
Basket Material Stamped Steel
Binding Posts Spring Loaded Compression
Cone Material Parabolic Polypropylene
Frequency Response 35Hz
Impedance 4 Ohms
Magnet Weight 1.1 kg
Mounting Depth 5.2"
Ported Box Volume 1 Cu. Ft.
Power Handling Max 300 Watts
Power Handling Nominal 150 Watts
Product Warranty 1 Year Limited
Recommended For Band Pass Yes
Recommended For Ported Yes
Recommended For Sealed Yes
Sealed Box Volume 0.65 Cu. Ft.
Sensitivity 85.5dB
Surround Material Foam
Voice Coil Size 1.5"
Woofer Size 10"
FEATURES:
4 Ohm SVS subwoofer with parabolic polypropylene cone.
Linear Spider
1" Excursion
Removable Motor Cover
8 AWG Compression Terminals
Optimized for small sealed enclosures.

ive have asked around on other forums and the rockford 10" subs are good.
also whats a good amp to go with either of these subs?


maybe this one
MTX RT251D
WebID: 10027465
Mfr. Part Number: RT251D
# Of Channels 1
1 OHM Output Power - Full Range Not Applicable
14.4V Dynamic Power At 2 Ohms 250 Watts
2 OHM Output Power - Full Range 250 Watts
4 OHM Output Power - Full Range 125 Watts
Bass Boost Yes
Bridgeable No
Bridged Power At 2 OHMS - Full Range 250 Watts
Bridged Power At 4 OHMS - Full Range 125 Watts
External Bass Control Capable No
Fuse Rating (Amps) 25 Amps
High Pass Filter No
Included In Box Speaker Harness, Manual
Input Voltage 8V RMS
Low Pass Filter 18dB/Octave @ 85Hz
Mosfet Switching Yes
Overload Protection Yes
Product Dimensions 20 x 24.7 x 5.3 cm
Product Weight 3 kg
Protection Indicator No
RCA Inputs (#Pairs) 1
RCA Outputs (#Pairs) 1
Screw Type Terminals Yes
Signal to Noise Ratio 100dB
Smart Engage Turn-On Yes
Speaker LVL Inputs Yes
Total Max Power 250 Watts
Tri-Mode Capable No
Warranty 1 Year Parts & Labour
FEATURES:
Heavy Duty Nickel Plated Terminal Block Type Connectors
Smart-Engage Auto-Turn On For Easy Integration With Factory Head Units
Adjustable Input Sensitivity
Regulated PWM Mosfet Switching Power Supply
High Powered Transformers
Buffered Isolated Output For Daisy Chaining Multiple Amplifiers
Pure N-Channel Design
Intelligent Surface Mount Technology
Real-Time Computerized Protection Circuit
Anti-Shock PCB Mounting Design
Acoustically Seamless Turn-On/Turn-Off
Unique Rubber Insulated Iso-Feet
Speaker And Low Level Inputs
Colour Coded Wire Harness For Speaker Level Input Installation
Built-In 18dB/Octave LP Crossover @ 85Hz
250 Watts x 1 Into 2ohm
125 Watts x 1 Into 4ohm

www.reaudio.com www.incriminatoraudio.com www.adireaudio.com www.ascendantaudio.com www.stereointegrity.com www.soundsplinter.com www.edesignaudio.com (amps) www.cdtaudio.com

whats really better, a sealed box or ported? probly for single or dual 10's. what should i look at in a well made box (might just get one used)

whats really better, a sealed box or ported? probly for single or dual 10's. what should i look at in a well made box (might just get one used)
It's depedant on your tastes of music, sub design, and vehicle. A properly ported box usually seems to hit a little lower while sealed is usually more punchy. Sealeds are the easiest to work with if you are doing it yourself.

If you do not want to sacrifice a lot of space, I'd look into Directed Audio. Anything in their Studio or CompX line is awsome. Their new SX line seems real nice too but I haven't messed with them too much yet since they've just be released. They were a crowd pleaser at the SEMA show. You can see the new stuff at www.directed.com but will have to do a search for the others because they are closing them out. It would be a great way to save some $$ because the prices are about 1/4 of what they once were.

well im wanting to get a cmplete system for around $500 cnd hopefully all from www.absound.ca and futureshop.ca (the 2 stores near me) im fine with having to install this all by myself. it needs to be 3.5" (2) up front to install into the dash properly and 6x9" (2) in rear. will probly be going with one or two 10" subwoofer but am open to all (nothing over 12") and probly will be going sealed box for simplicity. the speakers dont have to look good (all having covers for stock look and for safety (i still will be using my trunk for hauling things) i just want a system that will be equal or just over my stock system but can play cd's (only has am/fm radio right now) also please tell me things to look out for in building a sealed box for the sub(s).

will these work together?
MTX RT1004 10"
WebID: 10027462
Mfr. Part Number: RT1004
Basket Material Steel
Binding Posts Nickel Plated
Cone Material Poly
Frequency Response 34.7 - 150Hz
Impedance 4 Ohms
Magnet Weight 850 g
Mounting Depth 4 5/8"
Power Handling Max 200 Watts
Power Handling Nominal 200 Watts
Product Warranty 1 Year Parts & Labour
Recommended For Band Pass Yes
Recommended For Ported Yes
Recommended For Sealed Yes
Sensitivity 87.9dB
Surround Material Foam
Voice Coil Size 1.5"

and

Road Thunder 202 2-Channel Amplifier (www.mtx.com said it would but want to make sure)
WebID: 10027235
Mfr. Part Number: RT202
# Of Channels 2
1 OHM Output Power - Full Range Not Applicable
14.4V Dynamic Power At 2 Ohms 200 Watts
2 OHM Output Power - Full Range 200 Watts
4 OHM Output Power - Full Range 150 Watts
Bass Boost No
Bridgeable Yes
Bridged Power At 2 OHMS - Full Range Yes
Bridged Power At 4 OHMS - Full Range 200 Watts
External Bass Control Capable No
Fuse Rating (Amps) 20 Amps
High Pass Filter Yes
Included In Box Manual
Input Voltage 14.4 Volts
Low Pass Filter 18 dB @ 85 Hz
Mosfet Switching Yes
Overload Protection Yes
Product Dimensions 20.2 x 24.7 x 5.3 cm
Product Weight 3.2 kg
Protection Indicator Yes
RCA Inputs (#Pairs) 1
RCA Outputs (#Pairs) 1
Screw Type Terminals Yes
Signal to Noise Ratio 100dB
Smart Engage Turn-On Yes
Speaker LVL Inputs Yes
Total Max Power 200 Watts
Tri-Mode Capable No
Warranty 1 Year Parts & Labour

Other features include a variable gain control and defeatable 18dB/octave crossover at 85 Hz, which is selectable for Hi Pass or Low Pass operation.
FEATURES:
Heavy duty nickel plated terminal block type connectors
Smart-Engage auto-turn on for easy integration with factory head units
Adjustable input sensitivity, bridgeable multi-channel circuit design
Regulated PWM Mosfet switching power supply, high powered transformers, buffered isolated output for daisy chaining multiple amplifiers, Pure N-channel design, intelligent surface mount technology
Class A 100% discrete driver circuit topology, real-time computerized protection circuit, anti-shock PCB mounting design
Acoustically seamless turn-on/turn-off, unique rubber insulated Iso-Feet, speaker and low level inputs
Color coded wire harness for speaker level input installation, built-in 18dB/octave HP/LP crossover 85Hz, 50 watts x 2 into a 4ohm, 100 watts x 2 into 2ohm, 200 watts bridged into 4ohm, frequency response 20-20,000Hz +/- .25db

Yea they will work together but you may want a little more power than that. I would look into a sub that handles around 250w rms 500w peak if I were just wanting sq. I dont think you will be happy with this setup. check out (www.newsales.com) and look at the subs they carry if you are on a budget. If you find a sub you want to look into type the model of it in your surch bar and you will find better prices for it at other sites. I found my "american pro" subs there and I have found them for like 50 or 60 bucks a peice at other sites sence then. I get some crap by talking about them on line but everybody wants to ride with me once they hear them. My old "volfenhag" subs cost me 60 bucks a peice and they also got me lots of compliments. my american pro's handle 500 watts rms and 1000 peak. I had to run them on a 250w kicker amp for a while and they sounded realy clear and crisp. Now I have them both powered by 800 watt profile amps and they get me warnings from the popos' from time to time. So even if your subs are rated for more power than you give them you can still get realy good sound out of them. all you would need is one of them in your trunk to give you good sound quality. Same with volfenhag subs.

well im wantign to keep the amp and sub beign baught from www.futureshop.ca just for simplicity. i am wanting the amp to be cheap (under $200) but be able to use the potencial of that sub (im not going to be over powering this sub trying to get the car to thump, its going to be properly set up to work with the rest of my equipment and give proper bass)

well you should be ok then if you are just wanting even sound. The only thing I would be concerned about is being able to get enough sound from it in your trunk. But if you are just running your satalite speakers off of the deck I guess it should even out pretty nicely. Do you have any ideas for a deck yet? I would look into panasonic. They have great sound quality. And if you can find any mtx satalite speakers in your site they wouldnt be bad either. But I realy dont see too much good sq equipment on your site.for a good sound quality system you'd be looking away from mtx and looking at mb quart or infinity. For what you are shooting for you may want to get something like i got for my moms car which was a set of jbl 3 way 6x9's for her rear deck a set of jbl 3.5" speakers for the dash and two sets of jbl components for the front and rear doors. It was a way nice sounding system. I didd'nt even have to run a sub. Just a 250w amp for the components and another 250w amp for the 6x9's and 3.5's. It put out plenty of bass. And it was a happy medium of low,mids and highs. She loved it.

well i will be going down to the local audio shop here in town and looking at what they have in my price range. im proby going to see about a custon box being make like this
____________________________
\ l l /
\ l ____ ____ l /
\ l _lsub l_ _lsub l_ l /
\l_l______l__l______l__l/

the part infront of subs will be covered in speaker cover fabric so the subs are hidden and inside the angled parts the amps will go with the same fabric covering the openings (allowing the amps to be cooled and hidding everything from veiw (it will look like a box in my trunk) the covers will be removable like normal fabric speaker covers to have acess to the subs and amps. the subs will probly be dual 10's and the amps are unknown at this point (depends on the tens i can get ahold of) the box i will probly build myself but i will see about getting to audio shop to cover it with carpet. i will see about getting them to wire the car up when i get it up here (its down on the coast) and get the proper wire ran everywhere (at this time i will probly be getting to sub built and having it sit in my room till i upgrade the rest of my components because at this point the car had a am/fm radio and stock worn out speakers)
the sub box in all its glory!!
http://img158.exs.cx/img158/3557/ampbox3gg.png

Nice design for the box/amp rack. Should be perfect for a sq system. with dual subs and amps you will have a nice looking setup too. It looks like you know what you want. The box will be easy to build. With a sealed box you will only have to worry about getting everything tight and making sure the cutout for your sub is pretty exact so that it does'nt have any leaks. The subs and amps you chose would work great if you ran it like this. I was thinking you only wanted a 1 sub setup. You have it under control. The only thing I would suggest would be to run a component "woofer/tweeter" setup up front in your cab somehow just because It greatly improves your sound quality. If the 3.5's are in your dash you should still have a place to mount a speaker in your front doors in alot of cars. They usualy include them in the design of the vehicle even if they dont use them. Sometimes there is a place directly infront of the unused speaker hole on the door pannel that looks like it could have been planed as a grill at one time and just not preferated to acomidate it. If you are handy with a sharp raisor knife you can create the grill and mount the component behind it. If you like the idea and do it you will notice that the plastic turns white where it is cut with the knife. To fix it you will need to run a lighter over the cuts and the white will disapear like magic.You wont even know they were cut out if you do a good enough job. It is just an option you may have. I'm not trying to be pushy with my ideas. It sounds like you have a good plan though.

why don't you quit screwin w/ that overpriced mainstream garbage and go with something much better from one of the companies i reccomended up there.

why don't you quit screwin w/ that overpriced mainstream garbage and go with something much better from one of the companies i reccomended up there.

Ditto, you asked for help from those more experienced than you...so use it! peace

NG

TRUE,TRUE,TRUE. cant recomend something if we dont think its wourth buying. everyone has been giving you good advice. They know their crap. Why are you asking questions when you already have your own answers? If you want sq buy sq equipment. Nice box idea but the equipment makes the system. An installer would feel like an ass installing the crap you are wanting to buy. May even turn you away. Most installers put pride in their work.so Id start asking about one of the brands that we have recomended if you want answers. Cuz you have tereble taste in equipment.
It may work together but it's still half ass equipment. Stuff a fifteen year old would save up his paper route money to buy for his two hundread dollar starter car. How old are you buy the way? Either realy young, or realy old I'm guessing.

well im not wanting to run out and buy expensive equipment to throw into my first car. im wanting to get equipment i can learn from, im just wanting to be equal or just above my stock system, not way over the top. also i have set myself a budget not to go over $1500 for everything i want to put into the car ($1500 is the value of the vehicle, im not wanting to sink more money into the vehicle then it is worth)

also im looking at mainstream equipment because most of those brands you listed i dont think i will be able to find a dealer here in western canada, but i could be wrong with finding those brands here. i will be checking in the next week if any of those brand are carried by the audio store near here.

sorry if you think im wasting your time but i was wanting to get some questions answered and check on some things with other members of these wonderful forums.

well im not wanting to run out and buy expensive equipment to throw into my first car. im wanting to get equipment i can learn from, im just wanting to be equal or just above my stock system, not way over the top. also i have set myself a budget not to go over $1500 for everything i want to put into the car ($1500 is the value of the vehicle, im not wanting to sink more money into the vehicle then it is worth)

also im looking at mainstream equipment because most of those brands you listed i dont think i will be able to find a dealer here in western canada, but i could be wrong with finding those brands here. i will be checking in the next week if any of those brand are carried by the audio store near here.

sorry if you think im wasting your time but i was wanting to get some questions answered and check on some things with other members of these wonderful forums.

Your local store will not carry the BRANDS THAT ARE BETTER THAN MAINSTREAM!!! Read the sites we listed, call for direct pricing...it's cheaper. peace

NG

first off, you can order almost anything into canada from the sites that are posted in these posts. Secondly, If you do have a $1500 budget and it doesnt include the cost of the car too, You can get one hell of one nice sq setup with that kind of money. Third, dont look at it as sinking money into one car. Do you leave your stereo system in your house when you move out of it? Hold onto the stock equipment you take out of it and put it back in when you get rid of the car.If you buy 1 nice setup you can transfer it from vehicle to vehicle and only have to invest in new peices and parts along the way if speakers sizes change or wires end up too short and what not. If you buy cheap equipment you might as well give it to whoever buys the car from you. It wont increase the value of the car by instaling a cheapo system. And just because it's your first system does'nt mean you need to start cheap. If you know how to read instructions you'll do just as good installing nice equipment as you would the mainstream equipment you're looking at. It is all pretty much the same no matter what you get. But you're not going to get high quality sound out of that mtx stuff. You'll just be paying for the name. You realy will be much happier with the equipment we have suggested. And you will pay alot less for it.

Mtx ,Pioneer,Kicker and so on are big names in car audio. They have nice equipment too but you'll be paying out the ass for it. Like 500 bucks and so on just for 1 good amp and 300 bucks for 1 good sub.The stuff you are looking at is their low grade equipment. It's made with cheap components and sold for a higher price than it is wourth. The name is all they need to sell it. A $100 mtx amp may say puts out 250 watts rms but you might be lucky to get 150 watts total out of it if not less. Their $99.95 subs may say they handle 200 watts but that will probably be peak power and rms will be down in the 75/100watt range. If you run them at 200 watts for a long period of time they will probably quit working. It is all made cheap and fast so it can rake in money from uneducated buyers. Dont be a victim of advertising.

ok well im wondering about a head unit, at this moment i am very happy with the unit in my mothers pathfinder (JVC) and am wondering about your thoughts on their head units.

i will try to see if i can get either the local audio store to order some subs and amps from some of the companies you guys listd or i will just try and get my parents to let me use there credit card if i pay them the money back.

the atlas 12" looks good and for 145 usd well ill have to limit myself to two

JVC makes some good decks. Panasonic is better in my opinion But you wont be doing too bad with JVC. Depends on what you get.

JVC makes some good decks. Panasonic is better in my opinion But you wont be doing too bad with JVC. Depends on what you get.

I'd only touch JVC in extreme budget situations. I JUST put a JVC unit in my brother's car yesterday...good little unit for $90 shipped and plays mp3 too!

Alpine is my pick, check out their new bottom line HU this year...$150 from crutchfield with warranty! 9843 i believe?

NG

http://www.edesignaudio.com/product.php?cid=1&pid=19&tab=Specs&cur=CAD is that a 12" sub? whitch should i go with that one or the atlas?

well maybe the alpine CDE-9841 its $150 usd will suffice for what i am wantign to do (also the budget for the sound system isnt 1500, 1500 is what i dont want to go completely over in parts i put into the car so if i blow the engine in the car im just going to junk the car rather then go out and buy a rebuilt motor for $2000 or so.

.... but the equipment makes the system. An installer would feel like an ass installing the crap you are wanting to buy. May even turn you away. Most installers put pride in their work...... How old are you buy the way? Either realy young, or realy old I'm guessing........


What a nut you are. Equipment doesn't JUST make the system. There are plenty of knobs that think they can pay $5k on equipment slap it in their ride and have it sound awsome. Well, that just doesn't work. I preach this all the time. You gotta build the right enclosure for the equipment and the ride. You also have to use the right materials. None of this going to Lowes and getting marine grade plywood or particle board.

My installers and I don't mind installing other's shit. Granted, we'd like to install what we sell but that doesn't always work out. Yes, there are some stuff out there we'd rather not waste the time but as professionals, we do the best we can. Actually, we love making a $500 cracker jack system sound better than the punk with the self installed $5k system. Yes, we all pride ourselves in our work. If we didn't, we wouldn't be doing it. We can put just as much time and money into a "cheap" system as an expensive one.

If you were to answer your last question, my guess is that you gotta be younger than 25 because you don't sound too experienced in true audio systems.

im 16 and its my first car and first new generation sound system (last system i worked with was installing 6x9's in place of 5x7's in the rear of my fathers station wagon and installing a oem chrysler cd player into the dash inplace of the stock radio. i have no real experience with aftermarket cd players and subwoofers. but i can tell the differnece in good bass and an idiot playing his rap with the bass turned all the way up.

The install is 90% equipment is 10%.......I run panasonic if that means anything to you..... and for subs I'd get incriminator or RE ED isn't up to par IMO.

I have been installing car audio for around 11 years or so now. Im damn near 27 now and I installed my first amp and subs when I was 15. I worked my way up through alot of budget equipment from walmarts and radioshack specials. And I have learned that the equipment does make the difference in sq. Of course you have to build the right enclosure for your subs. and you have to use the right gauge wires and alot of times upgrade your alternator. There is alot more to it than the equipment. But the equipment does play a big part in the quality of the sound. I have heard some cheap systems sound pretty good I will admit that. Jensen had some little bronze colored amps (I dont remember the series)a while back that were little power houses. And I picked up some no name 6x9's once that blew away most of the other speakers I've owned. But not just any equipment is worth buying. You do have to choose wisely. I use to work on a line that built pc boards for a caraudio company and I learned what goes into cheap equipment. They use the cheapest stuff they can get. And some quality equipment is done the same way. It usualy means there is more to it most of the time. So there is a difference between el-cheapo and quality equipment.

hell yea there is a difference but I can make audiobahns bottom of the line subs sound better and get louder then some dumbass just throwing together a couple JL audio w3's or w6's install is 90%.

Yea you're right. Install is 90% of the system. But could you get the mtx's he wanted to buy to do the same? Even Audiobahns low end equipment is put together well. Some of Mtx's stuff is realy questionable. I cant say too much about the subs he was looking at but I did check into them at a number of different sites and only a few of them had the same info on them. I could'nt find the true rms value of them at any of the sites which tells me that the subs were probably just thrown out there to make some cash before they even sent them through all the quality checks. Or the rms value fell down in the 50's and 60's and they didd'nt want to put it down because they would sell less. The company I worked for built main boards for another company that contracted us out to take up their slack. and they were contracted out by a company that was based out of california who ran the production of profile and a few other name brands. And there is a difference between profiles california series and clarus series amps. The california series actualy have better components in them. The clarus series cut back their funds on the electronics because of the shiny body they housed them in. Both are actualy pretty good amps. I would own either.But you do have to watch what you buy. Some companys just go with the lowest bidder and the electronics are the cheapest available. Jensen is famous for it. And rampage is the worst. You're lucky if you get it home before you find something wrong with it.

AHHH I TOLD U NGSM!!!!11111!!!!!! I always use ca and he always used clarus. but audiobahns are definately not put together well. they're even less reliable then kicker.

AHHH I TOLD U NGSM!!!!11111!!!!!! I always use ca and he always used clarus. but audiobahns are definately not put together well. they're even less reliable then kicker.

Mike, in all honesty...I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth. Some of the stuff he says really baffles me. I've opened the boards of both series amps, and I've talked to some amplifer guys, as well as a guy @ Profile the numerous time i sent back a Baja and a California amp. The Clarus line, is more solid. peace

NG

Well I realy dont care if you believe what I have to say or not. But arguing about the difference in quality between california and clarus is pretty much pointless. They are damn near matched as far as Im concerned. the design of the circuitry is actualy based on the same concept. They have totaly different power ranges because of the difference in the component layout, But they both are constructed with the same quality. they just cut back on the funds for the components in the clarus series. They didd'nt use cheapo components, They just found a sheaper supplier. I remember it being the capacitors and transistors But it could have included more. Either way they made us test 10 out of each lot that came in and I dont remember there being any problems. I was just part of the line so I cant vouch for everything that went into the amps. I put in the resistors,diodes,fuse block and tested components when a shipment came in. I worked on the cl 640s. The job paid $7.00 an hour and it was a bouring job. I have owned the cl800 and the ap600 and I had no complaints about either. I'd say either would be a safe investment.

I'm still no car audio pro. I'm still trying to learn how to build a perfect enclosure. But I do know enough about electronics to know what is wourth buying.

I dont like audiobahn, Mtx or kicker. I dont think most of their equipment is wourth buying. I'm a lj,panasonic,mb quart guy myself.

I will say that since the clarus series amps arent as complex they do have a better chance of being solid amps. But it all depends on how you use them I guess. I gave the ap600 to my brother about a year ago to push his volfenhags and it is still working well for him. And when I got rid of the clarus it was still in mint condition. Never once overheated on me.

I still stand behind the CA/AP line I've installed at least 10-15 of them and never once had a problem. Baja's sucks ARSE didn't have problems but I doubt it did rated power.

Never messed with any baja series yet. Dont know too much about them. You're the first opinion Ive heard so far. Does'nt seem like they are used by many people. So they probably do suck. duno?