Foob

iTrader: (1)

I'm gonna see if I could stop by a couple car audio shops to listen to a couple speaker setups. And see what I like. Im ordering my dash kit, headunit and rear view camera tomorrow morning. About the dash kit, decided that I'm just gonna order a Metra kit cause I heard they have the same texture just different color and use some left over gloss black spray paint to color over the kit to make it look like it's all one peice (cause the headunit I'm purchasing has a gloss black frame), if anyone has done this yet please post a pic! Gonna see about buying sound dampening from a local store might save some cash that way.

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

Yea if you modify any dash kit to compliment whatever you do, it will look great. Its kinda hard now to find the OEM kit, Carson used to sell it, but just like many sites that dealt mostly with the 2GS, they're moving on with the new stuff. Really sucks cause the 2GS is still a popular platform. I personally am ready to move on to the a new platform, just hard to get away with such a beautiful car. I've seen that kit go for even $80 bucks the last time I checked. The one sold by metra (which is pretty much the same as the rest) has that textured look. I recommend sanding it down smooth and find a matching color to paint it, or if you have the extra cash, get it water transferred printed. That would ensure a perfect match to what you want.

Foob

iTrader: (1)

Nigel has it too, just that he's not replying to my pm's about if he has the brackets or if I could use the brackets from my old nakamichi headunit. So I'm just gonna go metra.

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

Just wait on Nigel, I know he's reputable. As for the brackets, my understanding is that you use your factory ones and all you get is the trim that bolts on to it.

Foob

iTrader: (1)

Other thing that's confusing me on his page is that he's got it set as a pre-order.

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

I'm not surprised, its not something that is stocked and possibly only stocked by factory vendors. I'm pretty sure Nigel is a middle man for something like this, other stuff he stocks, but this particular item is a Toyota product, doubt anyone but Toyota stocks it.


... man I miss Carson.

Kyle Harty

iTrader: (17)

Yeah, Carson was the first place I tried to look.

Foob

iTrader: (1)

Gonna see a couple speakers tomorrow with my gf at a couple stores, to see what I like. Might buy the sound dampening then too if I could grab some from instore. Kinda leaning towards stinger/fatmat, with some 3m sound dampening spray (spray for only the underbody) to try and quite the car down some more. I ended up ordering the Metra Dash Kit. Gonna see what it looks like when I get it sometime over the weekend or early next week Depending on the shipping. Same with the rear view camera and the Headunit. Fingers Crossed tomorrow goes well and I have my speakers or will be putting in a couple orders for em.
Also Nigel Told me that the dash kit uses the same brackets, and i found out that some people have had to shave the brackets down to have their spesific headunit fit into the dash correctly without a 1/2 inch gap.

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

My recommendations, if you have patience and can control the itch to buy something which most of us dont have control and go impulse LoL Visit many reputable shops specific to car audio and they'll have set ups like you see at Best Buy to hear everything compared to everything, the only difference is that these shops should have better quality equipment. I've found a lot of cases that entry level high end stuff will sound much better than flagship models of known name brands and end up costing less than the flagship piece. In all my car audio years I never stop learning and its a trip the first time you hear the difference in sound that just the materials alone the components are made of can effect the sound. I highly recommend shopping around and finding pleasantries for the ear... BUT, I'm the type of person who is very critical about how a system sounds, thats my OCD for ya But I promise, when you actually hear the difference from one component to the next with exact same music running through the same deck and amp, its amazing what different sounds components can pick up. I know in the different levels of Hertz Audio, one set up gave amazing vocals, another set up with different cone materials gave great mid-high bass a lot better than the other with vocals, you could hear the strings of the bass guitar much easier than with the other setup. IMO, the majority of systems out there when they crank it up, it hurts your ears.... IT SHOULDN'T! You can be extremely loud, but its not going to be ear piercing, it should be smooth and your ears and brain should accept whats coming in and enjoy it at any volume. Bass of course is a whole different story, but were talking about the main part of a system and thats the music and vocals.

I'm gonna stop now because I know I'll have a whole training moment and write a book on stuff that people not only dont think of, but just dont care LoL

Kyle Harty

iTrader: (17)

^^^what he said...the more speakers you can listen to the better. Also agree 100% on the high volume thing, I've gotten a headache from stock systems turned up "loud" but I can listen in my car at full volume for long stretches with no fatigue. Bottom line, everyone's ears are different, take your time to find what yours like!

Foob

iTrader: (1)

After shopping around I'm sold on the Hertz Energy 2 way 6.5 components on the front, and some Audison Prima 6.5, 2 way coax for the rear. With a kenwood Eccelon 5 channel amp, and a ported box with two 10 inch ported JL Subs with an enclosure.
Then some wires and some sound dampening lol
If anyone is in the Hollywood FL area definitely reccomend checking out AudioLogic. Got the reccomendation form my gf's dad.

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

Great choice Also, although Audison is a great brand (same manufactures as Hertz) I'd recommend going all Hertz for inside speakers so all the sounds are the same just a suggestion And if you could pony up for an Audison 5 channel amp for the set up... That wouldnt only be baller, but all out perfect!

Foob

iTrader: (1)

That Audison 5 channel amp definitely looks clean lol, if I was to do something fancy in the trunk, like a display or something that would work lol, but being that it's a daily, I can't see myself fork over that much for an amp lol, could get some nice wheels and tires for that price! Also definitely doesn't look entry level haha. If you know of any good hertz coax 6.5s I'd check them out with your reccomendation.

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

Just find the model of the component you're getting and find the matching coaxials. Should be the same as the component, just with the tweeter attached. As for that kenwood amp, I wouldnt expect much performance for $190 bucks. I seriously look into saving up for a Hertz HCP5D. Less power for the woofer, but its efficiency clean power, I wouldnt doubt it would blow away that kenwood. I dont see that kenwood putting out a true 500 efficiently. Maybe you can find a shop with that 5 channel of both with some demo's. I've always found that low power amps will put out more power than higher power amps of lower brands due to they thiele small perimeters. Now that I read them, all the claimed wattage on the kenwood is all in in 14.4v which unless your car has a massive alternator... not gonna happen. THD's are too high, signal to noise ratio kinda low (and being its a mass produced amplifier, I wouldnt doubt these numbers are exaggerated cea compliant or not)

Nonetheless, just make sure you get a pair of 4 ohm woofers or a pair of dual 2 ohm woofers so you can get the full power from the sub channel. I'd even recommend getting just one bad *** woofer rather than 2 mediocre subs, just as long as they dont need more power than the amp can give. If you go one, make sure its dual 4 or single 2 (if the even make a single 2). I've done too many installs with cvrs and personally I was embarrassed with the performance. Maybe look into some bad *** 8's (yes they make them) Digital designs makes a phenomenal 8 that can blow your brains out. The only thing is that with a 5 channel amp, you're very limited on what you can use for a sub due to low out put on sub channel. I refuse to believe that 500w will come out of that kenwood and actually because thats rated at 14.4v (which you will never sustain) you're looking at a max of 360 if you can sustain the 12v while pumping. So just keep that in mind when lookin for woofers. I have a foolish friend buying woofer after woofer and amp after amp because he doesnt want to spend the money on what he needs (even though he's spent more as a whole than he would have if he just bought the right thing in the first place) He under powers his woofers wants MORE bass so he cranks it up, distorts the amp, amp heats up because its demanding more than what it needs and transfers heat to the woofer and POOF! Woofer eventually dies. This is why I usually recommend a independent woofer amp (unless you spend huge amount of money on a 5 channel) Your 'affordable' 5 channels (no matter how good the amp is) will only give you minimal sub channel because they are made for people who just want clean sound and not loud sound. Being that you want 2 10's makes me believe you want some bass... but with cvr's (or any other brand) paired with just a few hundred watts paired with our thick foamed leather bounded rear seats... bass is very hard to escape! The only way around it is to build maybe a 4th order band pass ported through the woofer hole or cut out the leather between the seats and port it through there. I did and SPL run with my system with the seats up and iirc I got somewhere around 140db (which is terrible!) I pulled my rear seats out to let the bass through and got 143.5 which is pretty nasty! Every db is twice as loud. You're standard decibel level out in the streets is usually like 136-139 which is probably what you'd want to shoot for. I'd be surprised if you broke into the lower 30's . Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I put a pair of those 12's as an experiment cause I had a set sitting around and swapped them in my buddies car with just about a 360 watt amp and was soooo sad! He had a pair of kicker L7 12's that could barely move because of the little power he gives them and even those were much louder with the same wattage (he's yet another who doesnt understand matching woofers with power and has replaced those 12's twice not understanding that he just cant run them with that amp he has)


ok, novel done....

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

Ok, even more info (and I'll keep it short) I was just checking out the deck you want and I highly recommend not getting it. #1, I personally bought a 6.1 deck on accident and was too lazy to return it and I hate it! It looks retarded, the screen doesnt fill in the whole double din because, well its a smaller screen. But thats just cosmetics. As for functionality, the kenwood only has a 4v output for RCA's (which is ok) but for $20 bucks more (and maybe less through ebay) you can get the Pioneer AVHX4600BT which is a full 7"'s of screen AND gives you 6v preamp outputs for your RCA's which is fantastic and your amps will love you for it.

just another susggestion