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Need audio equipment suggestions

Rangore

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Hi all,

I've looked thru a few threads. I thought I'd ask. What audio equipment do you use or suggest. I have 15 with 401A 12 speaker.

I want nice quality sound, and able to play at high volumes when I desire. Loud enough to be able to hear it clearly from 20 feet away. I like good quality bass boom when the song demands it, but I don't want that to be all I hear. I want it feel it though. :)

I listen to classic rock (Eagles, CCR, Boston), Punk (Rancid, Green Day), Rap (Flo Rida, SPM), to modern pop music. Sometimes booming bass like the song Animals.

I want to keep the factory head unit, and take no more space than what's used by the factory 12 speaker. I would be willing to have subs in the spare tire space, or side of the trunk like the factory sub.

Any ideas you have I'd love to hear them if you feel like sharing. I'm willing to change anything except the head unit.


thanks again
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mumbles

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Music is a very personal thing, so I always recommend listening to speakers before you purchase. If you can't do that, you have to resort to recommendations, and they should be from people that have similar listening tastes to your own.

Blah, blah, blah...

I don't know what your budget is, but if I were in the market for an awesome set of speakers that do everything well, I'd purchase this Hertz set of 3-ways;

http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81578

I have heard this set before, and they are very smooth and don't color the music. I listen to mostly Classic Rock, including Eagles, CCR & Boston, so I can safely recommend them for that genre. I would also recommend staying away from metal dome tweeters... for the most part they tend to get harsh at loud volumes...

Take a click over to the forums at Do it yourself Mobile Audio (DIYMA.com). There are lots of different sections that discuss installation, tuning, equipment choice, etc... and there is even a section where you can ask folks to recommend equipment for your vehicle.

If you give us an idea of your budget, we can get into more specifics...
 
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Rangore

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Thanks. My budget is to try to keep it low, but not sacrifice quality. I'm willing to spend 1.5-3k including install.
 

chipmaker

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Im cheap also. I am going to start with the low end. Replace stock sub with 2 10s, maybe Daytons or Sundowns. Powered by SoundCubed 1200.1 and their amp kit. Zenclosure rear firing box. :headbang::shrug:
 

SQ_S550

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As hextall said we are all different in taste, (I'm not fond of Focal sound though it is a great speaker and has worked well for many) I would second the Hertz speakers however!

What kind of sound do you like? Something with alot of the s-sound or cymbal sound, something a bit more subdued with just the edge taken off?

I would hit up some shops and demo some products. Most of your budget will be spent on the front stage. Do yourself a favor, save the money from rear speakers and up you speaker budget for the fronts. A strong front stage will always out perform a mediocre front and rear stage.

Then move to amplifiers, you get what you pay for here, buy the most rated power you can afford. Stay with some mainstream brands and you will be fine.

Get a processor! This as well as a good tuner can and will make or break the system. I would actually invest here and hold off on the sub until funds recover because with the better front stage you will get a more solid mid bass punch that will be light years ahead of the OEM. Then add the sub when able to get the lower notes, most of the music you listed rocks in the mid bass region also.

Worry about the sub last. Sub bass is easy to do. Sub bass is not easy to do accurately. So here buy something of quality and work with what you have. The Dayton Audio Reference line is actually pretty good bang for the $$.
 

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JL makes a stealth sub that fits were the factory sub is at. May or may not be enough bass for what you want. For speakers I really like Focal, Audio Frog, and Hertz. Audio Frog sounded the best to me but I ended up getting the Focals because they were much cheaper. Also be sure to get a nice amp I personally like Alpine and JL amps but others are good as well. Lots of great gear out there so have to listen and get what you like.
 

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Just last week I purchased the Hertz Mille 3 way set on the bay brand new for around $425, the Audison bit Ten processor new for $299, and Phoenix Gold Ti2 1600.5 amp on the bay for $525 brand new. For a sub I'll be using the Eminence Kappalite 3012LF-4 in a custom fiberglass enclosure. I'm looking to improve on sound quality and level dramatically while not adding much weight. The sub only weighs 8lbs but has 14.5mm of Xlim while giving very high efficiency.

I'll have around $1500 into the build plus a few odds and ends perhaps.

I hope to install it in the next few weeks.
 

essque

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Soundqubed is definitely a brand worth looking into, their HDC3 subs are no joke for the price ($239 shipped!). Good luck fitting a serious Sundown sub into the Zenclosures box, I got one and that bitch is shalllooowwww. Couldn't use it for my IDMax 12's. Incidentally, you can buy it cheap from me if you go with the Daytons lmao.

OP, I think with the right box you could get the bass you need with a single 10". I'd definitely consider the Sundown X10 if you want to splurge or the Soundqubed HDC310 to save cash. They both take higher power than their ratings should you be inclined to go that route. As far as components, you can get the Morel Tempo Ultra componet set brand new on Ebay for $250 right now. I'd grip those in a heartbeat. Fantastic clarity for that price range. CDT has insane deals too that I'd look into before splashing cash on Hertz or Focal.

Just my .02 cents but I have no problem mixmatching equipment, hunting open box/refurb/closeout deals and seeing what happens. Some guys drive right to their local installer and go all Fosgate, Alpine, Kicker, MTX or JL Audio etc with good results and it's nice to have that warrantied service nearby and they tend to give you a better deal when you have them install it. Just depends on what you're comfortable with but I wish you luck and look forward to seeing and hearing what you choose!

Im cheap also. I am going to start with the low end. Replace stock sub with 2 10s, maybe Daytons or Sundowns. Powered by SoundCubed 1200.1 and their amp kit. Zenclosure rear firing box. :headbang::shrug:
 

mumbles

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Thanks. My budget is to try to keep it low, but not sacrifice quality. I'm willing to spend 1.5-3k including install.
On the previously mentioned DIYMA.com, check out the classifieds section. People on that site swap equipment frequently, so it's possible to get good deals on almost new equipment, but you have to hang out there and be ready to jump when things get posted. This isn't Craigslist, so don't be worried about buying used as most people on that site can be vouched for and don't sell crap.

Soundqubed is definitely a brand worth looking into, their HDC3 subs are no joke for the price ($239 shipped!). Good luck fitting a serious Sundown sub into the Zenclosures box, I got one and that bitch is shalllooowwww. Couldn't use it for my IDMax 12's. Incidentally, you can buy it cheap from me if you go with the Daytons lmao.

OP, I think with the right box you could get the bass you need with a single 10". I'd definitely consider the Sundown X10 if you want to splurge or the Soundqubed HDC310 to save cash. They both take higher power than their ratings should you be inclined to go that route. As far as components, you can get the Morel Tempo Ultra componet set brand new on Ebay for $250 right now. I'd grip those in a heartbeat. Fantastic clarity for that price range. CDT has insane deals too that I'd look into before splashing cash on Hertz or Focal.

Just my .02 cents but I have no problem mixmatching equipment, hunting open box/refurb/closeout deals and seeing what happens. Some guys drive right to their local installer and go all Fosgate, Alpine, Kicker, MTX or JL Audio etc with good results and it's nice to have that warrantied service nearby and they tend to give you a better deal when you have them install it. Just depends on what you're comfortable with but I wish you luck and look forward to seeing and hearing what you choose!
Some good equipment suggested here... both Morel & CDT have great sounding speakers in multiple price ranges.
I'm also not adverse to mixing brands... My front stage is SEAS, Audible Physics & Stereo Integrity. I use Acoustic Elegance subs, a processor from Helix and amps from JL... so I'm all over the place.
 
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Rangore

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Noob question...what is the intent of adding a processor and why is it worth the cost?

I'm not competing in stereo competitions, but want pretty good quality sound and volume (yes those are subjective). I'm not just an average listener (obvious by my desires to upgrade at even this level), but I'm not an audiophile that will buy $10k home speakers.
 

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essque

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Basically the processor will provide a pure, clean signal to your amps so you can EQ and dial in the sound precisely the way you want to hear it. Without one, you will be at the mercy of the stock head units factory settings which literally limits the bass at higher volumes to supposedly protect the speakers. So you just dropped over a thousand on new equipment but your bitch ass factory head unit is choking your sound. It's called bass rolloff and it sucks. At first, you may not really even notice but after a few weeks of listening, your ears will adjust and you may find the sound to be a little muddy. Or you'll hear someone with the exact same or similar sub and power as you and their system slaps hard as hell while you're left scratching your head why yours doesn't sound as good. You can get by without one don't get me wrong, but you'd be leaving a lot of quality sound, control and SPL on the table. This is my plebian understanding of getting good sound in a Mustang.
 

essque

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Good sir please post a sound clip asap! It is a must that I hear your setup, fascinating choice of equipment :cheers:

On the previously mentioned DIYMA.com, check out the classifieds section. People on that site swap equipment frequently, so it's possible to get good deals on almost new equipment, but you have to hang out there and be ready to jump when things get posted. This isn't Craigslist, so don't be worried about buying used as most people on that site can be vouched for and don't sell crap.



Some good equipment suggested here... both Morel & CDT have great sounding speakers in multiple price ranges.
I'm also not adverse to mixing brands... My front stage is SEAS, Audible Physics & Stereo Integrity. I use Acoustic Elegance subs, a processor from Helix and amps from JL... so I'm all over the place.
 

chipmaker

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Basically the processor will provide a pure, clean signal to your amps so you can EQ and dial in the sound precisely the way you want to hear it. Without one, you will be at the mercy of the stock head units factory settings which literally limits the bass at higher volumes to supposedly protect the speakers. So you just dropped over a thousand on new equipment but your bitch ass factory head unit is choking your sound. It's called bass rolloff and it sucks. At first, you may not really even notice but after a few weeks of listening, your ears will adjust and you may find the sound to be a little muddy. Or you'll hear someone with the exact same or similar sub and power as you and their system slaps hard as hell while you're left scratching your head why yours doesn't sound as good. You can get by without one don't get me wrong, but you'd be leaving a lot of quality sound, control and SPL on the table. This is my plebian understanding of getting good sound in a Mustang.
To make it worse, there are many processors. Epicenters, clean Sweeps, LC2iBs. WTH. I tried the Epicenter to fix rolloff on a Jeep Infinity system, it kinda worked, but had weird artificial bass sound. Hard to explain. I ended up swapping in Alpine HU, not really an option for me.

So many different views on the web.
Some are happy pulling signal from before sub amp.
Some are happy with pulling signal from rear speakers.
Some are not happy until they get pure signal from between HU and kick panel amp.
And with all those options, some use a processor and some don't. :crazy:
 
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Rangore

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Well shit!! LoL. There's an extra layer of confusion/research. LoL

I do appreciate all the information...thanks for the replies so far.
 
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Rangore

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What is SPL?
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