Snoops

Hey guys,
First off, sorry in advance for the long post. I am trying to get as much info in here for people who are interested in helping me out since this is driving me nuts.....
I have found tons of information on audio here and on other places, but unfortunately I do not know much about electronics - it may as well be in another language to me.
Basically I've spent hours on here, on the net, and driving around talking to salesmen in stores....
Honestly, it seems like I get a different answer every time I ask the same question. (A ported system would not sound right in your car, here get this sealed system instead" or "you need a dual voice coil subwoofer" and the other said he would just get a mono one.
One person said that I could get a high end 8" (like a JL W7) and it would sound better than two 10" subs. Another guy told me that I could get one 12" and that would be plenty of bass and sound better than two 10's in some ways. Then one person said to get one with dual voice coil or something, the other didn't. The last person I went to was saying that I would definitely need to get two 10" or 12" since the Lexus IS has so much sound deadening to it.....jeez give me a break.
Obviously they are trying to sell me on their particular product line, rip me off on the material, and confuse the hell out of me in the process! My problem is that I know they are trying to screw me, but I don't know the right questions to ask!

So, can anyone help me out or point me in the right direction? I listen to all sorts of music, everything from blues to rap, and I would prefer a "clean sounding" system rather than something that is obnoxiously loud and cheesy. What kind of set up are you guys running? That would really help me out.
Here are some rough guidelines on what I sort of want:

• Budget: $300-$700 - (I'm flexible on this but would prefer to spend $400-$500)
• I want to prefer to buy the items on the internet since the local stores are way out of whack...
• I would really like to follow a "shopping" list that someone could possibly suggest. (fingers crossed! - Pretty Please!!!) Otherwise I would like to try and get a package deal somewhere so I get items that work well together.
• I would like to have a bass **** put somewhere so I can adjust it on the fly. Does this require a special type of amp or does it need to be set up in a special way? This local guy told me that but I don't know if that is true.
• I do not care what brand it is, as long as it is quality.
• I really like the stock system in general, I ONLY want more bass. I don't want to mess with any other components. I am very concerned about screwing up the factory system and losing the "driver, passenger, etc... settings)
• SPECIFIC things to tell an installer or for me to know. I read several places that it is important to tap into the such as tapping into the stock sub wire instead of the rear speakers wires. I mean that seems like that would be common sense, but apparently people have not installed it that way from what I have read.
• A sealed or ported box? From what I have found I would need more power to run a sealed system.
• One or two subs, what size?
• What kind of amp? Do I need one with multiple channels?
• Do I need to have a 800 Watt system or would a 400 Watt be fine? I have no idea.
• My main problem is that I have no idea how to relate a 200 Watt system vs a 1000 Watt. Is it like driving a Ford Focus vs a Ferrari F50?

I was thinking about something like these since it is in a package and would be hard for me to screw up. I guess I would need to buy the wires and the **** in addition to this.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_7003091...s-Package.html
The site is asking to sell this for $449, but personally I would go an get the parts my self. For example, I spent 5 mins I could buy it for approximately $80 (box), $120 (subs), amp ($190) = $390, saving me some $60 bucks to go towards paying someone to install it.
Alternatively, I could go with something like this:
http://www.jlaudio.com/cp112-w0v3-ca...-systems-93281 &
http://www.jlaudio.com/rbc-1-car-aud...essories-98015 &
http://www.autosoundswarehouse.com/s...fosgate/Detail

Wow - Phew. I really do appreciate any and all help or advice, as you can plainly see, I've gotten myself totally confused. Thanks a bunch!

DKnight350

I am sorry no one has replied to your (lengthy) list of questions.

From my experience, a sealed box is the way to go. Ported creates more bass, but it is noisy and sloppy IMO. The sealed is clean and precise (like a LEXUS).

Do not buy any 1000w amps (or crazy high wattage amps) as they generally do not have a clean sound. Any company can make a high wattage amp, but they cannot control the distortion levels. You have a premium car - be smart with your sound :-)

The bass **** is a feature of the amp (common in amps geared for subs).

I would like to increase the volume in the car (Can hardly hear the radio with the windows down) and would like more bass, but I do not want to risk ruining my car over it. If I had a friend with an upgraded setup, I would consider doing it.