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Should I keep what I have or "upgrade"?
- Thread starter blu_fuz
- Start date
CarpePoon
Hard-core CEG'er
You came out boasting that you have "580w going to your speakers" and that you ONLY paid $1000 for your system. I showed you the specs of your equipment, and the prices. You got ripped off. You called yourself a dumbass, I called you ignorant (lacking in audio knowledge). You said that your going to go buy all kinds of new stuff, well, if you learn the first time, maybe you won't get burned the 2nd time. So stop taking facts as "cutting you down". This is half as ghetto as my first system, I don't care how you spend your $$, but you honesty could have bought my current system for that amount.
Oh, couple quick things about the install. 1) secure and ground your cap(I know, you know) 2) secure your inline fuse, it looks like a sharp edge is rubbing on your coolant hose. let alone its surely getting smacked around by the engine movement. 3)for the love of all that is holy, why did you drill through your hinge pillar and door?!?! I hear a loud pop and blown fuses in your future if you don't fix that.
Oh, couple quick things about the install. 1) secure and ground your cap(I know, you know) 2) secure your inline fuse, it looks like a sharp edge is rubbing on your coolant hose. let alone its surely getting smacked around by the engine movement. 3)for the love of all that is holy, why did you drill through your hinge pillar and door?!?! I hear a loud pop and blown fuses in your future if you don't fix that.
blu_fuz
New Member Classroom vulture
I also agree with some of the other's points. I think you got taken for a few $ with this setup.
The kenwood is ok, the capacitor is ok, the door speakers are ok. The dual stuff has false advertising all over it and you just didn't know. Everyone is trying to let you know that Dual is what you pay for.
I use to use all optimus stuff from radio shack. Big amps, three 10" subs(2 mounted in rear deck and one custom box in center console), two 12" subs in a MTX box in the trunk, 200 watt amp for the 10"s and the biggest optimus brand amp they had for the 12"s. Two 4" speakers and two satellite speakers on the B pillar. Loud as hell, but in no way good quality components. That is all they are saying. I also paid over $1,000(probably more like $1,500) for that stuff back in 1999.
P.S. all power wires were just speaker wires
. Luckily I didn't have a fire.
The kenwood is ok, the capacitor is ok, the door speakers are ok. The dual stuff has false advertising all over it and you just didn't know. Everyone is trying to let you know that Dual is what you pay for.
I use to use all optimus stuff from radio shack. Big amps, three 10" subs(2 mounted in rear deck and one custom box in center console), two 12" subs in a MTX box in the trunk, 200 watt amp for the 10"s and the biggest optimus brand amp they had for the 12"s. Two 4" speakers and two satellite speakers on the B pillar. Loud as hell, but in no way good quality components. That is all they are saying. I also paid over $1,000(probably more like $1,500) for that stuff back in 1999.
P.S. all power wires were just speaker wires
. Luckily I didn't have a fire.steelblueSE
Hard-core CEG'er
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
- Messages
- 1,737
Word. Wow this thread got pretty funny in the week I didn't have internet. To red rocket i mean silver rocket- MTX subs blow! My door speakers hit lower than half the bs they sell.
I wouldnt go that far. Even some of the companies known for raggedy stuff usually have a line of uncommonly good equipment few know about.
silver rocket
Hard-core CEG'er
I heard that Rockford fosgate is not the best i was told MTX was a great brand. And for the wire through the door i put some silicon or some thing like that to keep it from rubbing away the insulation. I will break down the prices for you.
Subs 75$
Amp 75$ ea = 150$
cap 80$ish
set of 2 speakers 80$with tax = 160$
head unit 180$
the wiring was expensive 250$
That's 895$
I know the cap was a rip cause its only 1/2 a farad
Installation i even called some one for you all they said to do all this they would charge 175$ so that's 1070$. So i guess it did not cost me 1k cause i did the install (with supervised help) So now do you want to say i over payed for every thing? Cause that's about right with what you were saying about the subs. They already were in a box.
Subs 75$
Amp 75$ ea = 150$
cap 80$ish
set of 2 speakers 80$with tax = 160$
head unit 180$
the wiring was expensive 250$
That's 895$
I know the cap was a rip cause its only 1/2 a farad
Installation i even called some one for you all they said to do all this they would charge 175$ so that's 1070$. So i guess it did not cost me 1k cause i did the install (with supervised help) So now do you want to say i over payed for every thing? Cause that's about right with what you were saying about the subs. They already were in a box.
CarpePoon
Hard-core CEG'er
I don't know why you just said this, you can't be serious, The enclosure has 10x more to do with how a speaker sounds than the speaker/sub itself. especially if your talking about door speakers in a Contour since the Contour is one of the worst engineered cars for factory audio locations. MTX is not a bad brand. Sure there's better stuff out there for more $$, but that doesn't mean MTX blows..
I thought he said he had this system, he even provided photos of it:shrug:
And I never bashed him for the system, I just set him straight on his facts. He has a $450 system he paid $1k for. Hopefully he won't use the same guy to get him his stuff again.
Very true! And its very hard to keep up with because companies are always buying eachother out so quality can increase/suffer with no warning.
example, Orion- used to be some of the better stuff out there. But they are now owned by Directed and produce nothing but crap under a respected brand name. Another is Crunch, they used to produce crap, now they are owned by Maxxsonics who owns Hifonics and MB Quart, Crunch has turned into an awesome product line.
Liquid_force
CEG'er
Everybody has to start somewhere. IMO SR isn't doing so bad. I can't believe someone actually tried to make an issue of actually running wire too large. Most everyone in this hobby ends up with 4 gauge anyway. SR did it right by starting with that instead of having to rewire 2 or 3 different times.
(Is that cap grounded?? I don't see a ground wire.)
BTW - those Dual amps are 290w (rms) each, not 580. Your kenwood's are getting about 100x2 and your enclosure - assuming the amp is bridged is getting 290w. The xia5600 or 4225 would do them a little more justice. If you go to better subs you'll definitely need to look into an amp upgrade too.
The one thing you REALLY need to try to do soon is get a grommet on your speaker wires up front. It's only a matter of time before the insulation gets cut and those wires are shorted -- which could mean the end for that channel of your amp.
(Is that cap grounded?? I don't see a ground wire.)
BTW - those Dual amps are 290w (rms) each, not 580. Your kenwood's are getting about 100x2 and your enclosure - assuming the amp is bridged is getting 290w. The xia5600 or 4225 would do them a little more justice. If you go to better subs you'll definitely need to look into an amp upgrade too.
The one thing you REALLY need to try to do soon is get a grommet on your speaker wires up front. It's only a matter of time before the insulation gets cut and those wires are shorted -- which could mean the end for that channel of your amp.
Not going to flame anything besides this..what wiring did you pay that much for?!
CarpePoon
Hard-core CEG'er
Dude (mywhip) the post you just made included a quote you pulled from his totals, where he totals it up to around $1k for the stuff he already has and posted pictures of. He already spent too much for what he has, now he's going to go spend an ass load more Originally I thought $300 added to the $1k Now I belive I read it as ANOTHER $1300. In which case he is getting ripped off again, or at least his parents are. Oh well, you can only help those who are willing to listen.
that is exactly how i understood his post as well.
silver rocket
Hard-core CEG'er
First off it would be me paying for the 1300$ set up. i don't get the money from any one but myself from my tax return. (i figure it will be around my 18th bday) I will be getting another amp but if you think i am getting ripped off then what do you suppose i get? Make a list limit is 1500$ all i would like is better subs/amp/cap or extra battery. Inform me of the good brands please if you don't want to know that the money just went out the window if you could get a better set up. The setup i would get i believe it was 2 10" square MTX's (if there not a brand then that's what's on the subs) A 1400W amp don't know the brand and battery to replace my cap i would ground this one. All this was said at about 1300$ from Custom Sounds. So what would you buy?
I could find you all kinds of crap it just depends on what you want. how many subs what size give us a guideline.
CarpePoon
Hard-core CEG'er
Thank you, you are seeing the light!!! $1300 is hardly a budget system. But we would need guidelines to piece something together. Do you want pedestrians ears to bleed or just those inside the car?
blu_fuz
New Member Classroom vulture
I like that this is turning from a e-fight to a help thread . Way to work it out guys . This is why we stay here, to help eachother.
. Way to work it out guys . This is why we stay here, to help eachother.My bad, haha. He said the setup he is getting when he i s 18 will be 1.3k alone.
Once again, my apology haha.
getsum111
Yes I am a Pirate, 200 years too late.
LOL, priceless! :laugh:
Having done both the "el cheapo" systems, as well as a few quality ones, this brings back memories. One thing no one seems to have mentioned is that, while you do tend to pay more for quality products, they tend to last much longer than others. For instance, My first sub was a JL Audio, and my first amp was a used Alpine. The sub lasted 8 years until it finally dry rotted the surround, and the Alpine is still rockin' the wife's truck, 13 years later!!
Like the gurus here will tell you, don't go with looks alone, and IGNORE the power rating printed on the covers of the budget amps. For a really good sounding system, you don't need tons of power, you just want it to be "clean power". Look for low THD specs on the amps, that's always a good indicator.
Just to throw out some names, I'm runnin' 2 amps, an older Orion 4ch for the doors, and an older MTX Thunder to power my sub. I've got Infinity reference in front doors, and Polk db's in the rear, and for a sub I have an Infinity Kappa Prefect 12. While I admit there are better speakers out there, I'm still very happy with the sound in my car.
If you're wondering if something is good or not, post it up, plenty of folks in this forum who really know what they are talking about, if you are willing to take their input.
Wow, that was a little more than I thought I was gonna say.:laugh:
Very well said!LOL, priceless! :laugh:
Having done both the "el cheapo" systems, as well as a few quality ones, this brings back memories. One thing no one seems to have mentioned is that, while you do tend to pay more for quality products, they tend to last much longer than others. For instance, My first sub was a JL Audio, and my first amp was a used Alpine. The sub lasted 8 years until it finally dry rotted the surround, and the Alpine is still rockin' the wife's truck, 13 years later!!
Like the gurus here will tell you, don't go with looks alone, and IGNORE the power rating printed on the covers of the budget amps. For a really good sounding system, you don't need tons of power, you just want it to be "clean power". Look for low THD specs on the amps, that's always a good indicator.
Just to throw out some names, I'm runnin' 2 amps, an older Orion 4ch for the doors, and an older MTX Thunder to power my sub. I've got Infinity reference in front doors, and Polk db's in the rear, and for a sub I have an Infinity Kappa Prefect 12. While I admit there are better speakers out there, I'm still very happy with the sound in my car.
If you're wondering if something is good or not, post it up, plenty of folks in this forum who really know what they are talking about, if you are willing to take their input.
Wow, that was a little more than I thought I was gonna say.:laugh:
CarpePoon
Hard-core CEG'er
Heres a good example, to show you how bargain amps are literally "full of crap" let alone the specs, just check out the innards
lets check out a bargain "1000W" amplifier
now the inside
Now lets check out a clean sounding true 1000w amplifer
how about the sexy JL Audio 1000/1 :drool::drool::drool:
And the sweet goodness...
