Hey guys....I have a bunch of questions that maybe some of you can help me with. I want to upgrade my entire system to something that sounds a couple steps up from the factory system but I'd like to spend no more than about 500-600 bucks at the most to do it. At first, I thought it was gonna be pretty straightforward, but the amount of choices out here are givin me a headache. I want to keep everything as clean and stock lookin as possible so therefore, I don't really want a big sub box and I definitely don't want to be bothered with caps or optima batteries and all that good stuff. Ideally, I'd like a new head unit and 4 new speakers, but I keep getting conflicting answers. Here are my questions that I hope someone can answer for me
1. Do I absolutely need an amp and/or a subwoofer? I'm not trying to rock the entire neighboorhood, just have a car system that sounds as good or somewhat close to my home system....clear highs, good midrange and good, but not overly thumping bass. Something that sounds good with the windows down and the roof open in the summer...I hate A/C. And if you do suggest an amp, where can I put it? Can i get one to fit where the factory one is? Same thing with the sub...can I get anything small, to maybe fit under a seat or a small enclosure in the sidewall of the trunk? That Infinity basslink sub looked promising and there's a couple good deals on them on ebay.
2. Do all the components of the system have to be from the same manufacturer? I'm all over the place with brands so far.
3. So far, the components that I'm set on getting are a better deal on the net than in stores, but I'm not sure if I trust myself to try and install all of this stuff since I've never done it before but money is a concern and I don't know anyone who can do it for me.....anyone know any reputable installers in the nj/nj area? From lookin on here, it seems like Best Buy/Circuit City is like dealing with the devil LOL....I liked the people at 6th Avenue Electronics, but I'm still not sure and I don't want to end up with a headache.
4. At first I was pretty much set on dropping in 2 sets of 5 x7 / 6 x 8 speakers but a shop i went to offered to make templates to set in 5.25 round speakers which opens up a whole new bag of speaker choices. What are the pros and cons to doing this? How will it affect the sound?
5. Can anyone recommend a decent headunit and speakers, subs and amps? What should I be looking for when it comes to subs and amps? As far as head units, I'm pretty much decided on a Blaupunkt head unit because their specs seem good and I like the face layout and Crutchfield gives them good reviews...does anyone have any experience with them? I like the new panasonic head units as well, but I'm not sure about those either.
Thanks in advance for any help
