what to use in RX7?

got 1 grand to burn on a sound system. :biggrin:
what amp/woofers should i use? my car uses speakers 6 1/2 in the back and 4 inches in the dash what are the best to use?
im looking to spend between 600-1000$ US
BTW this is the head unit (http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=2039646&search=kenwood+kdc-x879) i got in my car, and its a second gen mazda RX7
thanks

That headunit looks nice, but I'd use a different site... for example this one is much better (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-CMWEo1AFK6P/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=113KDCX879).

First of all, most people that have been doing this for a while would say: buy what you want the first time, so you don't have to upgrade 10 times. Saves you a TON of money in the long run.

Front: (~ $170 - $250)
You want something really nice, larger than 4 inch. If you can fiberglass or build some kick panels, or mount them in the doors, it'd be much better than simply replacing the stock speakers. Many people don't even have rear fill speakers, and most just have some inexpensive coaxials. What you really need up front is some 6.5" component speakers, with a really good crossover (either active or passive --- active gives you much more control, but requires more amps). Brands to look for are CDT (Don at Island Sound ([email protected]) has some really good deals, look for the EF series), Resonent Engineering (http://www.reaudio.com) (for both components and subs... the XXX line are some of the best out there - you'll have to call for prices), or Focal.

Rear: ($60)
Some inexpensive 6.5" coaxials will do the trick. Pioneer, CDT, whatever. NOT Audiospawn (=audiobaun).

Amp(s): (~ $200 - $400)
You got some choices here. First of all, you really won't be happy with the sound coming from your components unless you amp them. You can either buy seperate amps for sub and speakers, which many people do because of the bling in your trunk (I mean, 2 or 3 amps does look pretty impressive), or a single 5 or 6 channel amp that powers everything. I don't think an active crossover is in your price range just yet, so I won't worry about it for now. I'm getting a DEI 1100d5 5 channel amp, that puts out around 1100 watts, ~ 75 on 4 channels for the speakers, and 600 at 1 ohm for the sub. I'm not touting Directed, I'm just going to try it out. Hifonics makes some really good amps, PPI is a good brand, Pheonix Gold amps are really good, and Profile makes some nice ones for the money. Depends on how much power you want.

Sub(s) ($200 - $400)
Again, you've got more options, depending on the kind of output you want. I'm not the expert on this, but I'll do my best. I'll save the enclosure suggestions for the next topic. If you want SPL (just getting loud), go for some Audiobauns... they're gonna sound like crap, but definately be loud. If you want SQ, You can do multiple smaller subs, or a good large sub. I'm running with a 15", hopefully soon to be a RE SE (GSteg, EMAIL ME!). Brands to go for are RE (the SE and SX series are good for SQ, the XXX is good for SQL, and the MTs are SPL), Ascendant Audio (Atlas = $150ish, Avalanche = ~$350 both mostly SQ, with the Ava being more SQL), Incriminator Audio (more SPL oriented), and Adire Audio (Brahmas are reputed to be some of the best SQ subs out there, and their other lines are very good as well). Sorry if I missed any, or got info wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's right.

Enclosure: (~$50)
You're probably best off to build it yourself. Most people on the forum here can design one for you for 10 bucks, or you can get a program like BassBox 6 Pro and come up with a design yourself. Buy the 3/4" MDF at Home Depot (or where ever), some wood glue, some silicone or thicker consistancy glue for sealing it (and the carpet), carpetting (walmart - $7 a roll, in the auto section, near floor mats), and a plate connector (for getting wires into the enclosure).
There's always been debates about whether to go sealed or ported, and most decide to go ported, because they like the extra output in the lower frequencies. I'm sure you can find all sorts of debates on this forum and others on the net about this issue. Sealed is probably a good one to start with, because it's easier to do, and harder to fry your sub with. For a 15 inch sub, you'll probably need around 2.5 cubes - 3.5 cubes (cube = cubic foot, aka ft^3). For ported you'll need around 4 cubes to 6 cubes.

Wiring: ($30 to $50)
You don't have to do anything fancy here. If you're under 1000 watts, you'll probably just need 4 gauge wire for power, and 12-14 gauge wire for the speakers. For the signal wires, just get some simple shielded RCAs; they don't have to Monster cables for 40 bucks a cable. This place here (http://www.trianglecables.com/audio-video-cables-adapters.html) seems to have some really good deals. Ebay is a good place to get wire kits as well.


OK, I'm sure I missed some stuff, but those are your basics. Good luck!

Wow, diceman's starting to have some nice little write-ups...I trust his more than CB's ;) :rofl: :lol: :lol2: :tongue: :sunglasse

But, i'd correct him about...

CDT Audio Components. Another way to contact Don
AIM: djdilliondon
Email: [email protected]
He's an authorized CDT dealer, sells new with warranty for great prices. Tell him I sent ya ;)

Ascendant Audio, check their site soon. www.ascendantaudio.com
They're selling the rest of their current stock for REDICULOUSLY low prices. Pick up a subwoofer while you can...amazing SQ and build quality!

Incriminator Audio, loud ass woofers. SQ is all in the install ;) www.incriminatoraudio.com
I can hook you up with an Incriminator Audio dealer as well if you're interested!

Any more questions...let us know!

NG

For that price, why wouldnt you get an Alpine headunit?

hes already got a HU.....