dru

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking of adding an amp, sub, and speakers to my 2000 GS400 and need some advice/opinions. I know that Alpine is a good brand and I am thinking of going w/ it b/c I can get their stuff at a discount from my friend. I see a lot of people go w/ PPI and Soundstream, in terms of amplifiers, how does Alpine compare? Also, how are Alpine speakers (e.g. components) and their subs? Usually, I would probably mix and match brands, but since I can get Alpine stuff at a great price, I'm thinking of going ALL Alpine. Here was the setup I was considering.

1) Alpine MRD-F752 5 Channel Amp (75Wx4+250Wmono)

2) 2 12" or 8" subs

3) Alpine components (I'm not sure what the stock speaker sizes are)

Initially, I was thinking of just going w/ the factory head unit and later on get the TV, DVD, and Navi. All opinions and advice are welcome, b/c I'm not very experienced when it comes to car audio stuff. Thanks.

CoreY2K1

i was in your situation a few months ago. Alpine came too easy for me to pass up... I did the install myself and it came out pretty good:

MRD-752
IVA-C800
DVA-5205
CHA-S624
SPR-175A (rears only)

I couldn't get the SPRs to fit in the front so I used Boston 6.5s up there.

I used a JL audio 2 x 10" W0 box in the back... This is the only part of my system that I'm not completely happy with. the 250W from the 5th channel doesn't provide much...

dru

corey2k,

Wow, I was thinking of that exact setup. I'm either gonna go all out and get pretty much what you have or do what I posted above and get the other stuff later. I have a question. With the IVA-C800 (CD+monitor) and DVA-5205 (DVD) taking up all the space in the dash, if I want to add the NVE-N852A (Navi), can I put it in the glove compartment? I know there is a remote for this, that's why I'm wondering if you can stick this in the glove compartment. Thanks.

Percy

Stick with the Alpine. Soundstream has had so many Chapter 13/11 filings that it's not even funny. Poor quality control with Soundstream...they're like the GM of amps. Save a penny on a part if they could.

Percy

CoreY2K1

yeah, overall i'm happy with the Alpine 752... just need to add another V12 for more power to my subs...

i switched out the old cd changer for the new Alpine CHA and it fits in very nicely. i'm sure the NVE could fit in there, but i would probably mount it in the trunk, out of the way somewhere... the remote that comes with the IVA will control the NVE, so you don't need to have access to it.

i'll go Navigation one day too. i hear that unit is pretty amazing...

dru

corey2k1,

So you didn't change out the speakers in the car? If not, hows the sound w/ the amp and the stock speakers?

I still need feedback about Alpine speakers. Thanks.

CoreY2K1

no, i used Alpine 6.5s in the rear and Boston 6.5s in the front. changing out the speakers is the first thing you should do.

the Alpines are ok and so are the Bostons. Alpine subs are no good though...

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Dru,

I've got the same Alpine 752 amp in my GS using a JL 10" sub and factory speakers (premium, not Nak).

I put the sub and amp in as step one, and honestly it didn't do much for the factory speakers as the crossover built into the amp had to be totally de-tuned to keep from distorting. I wouldn't recommend doing the amp first with stock speakers (do speakers first). Marginal increase in sound clarity, some volume increase. Aftermarket sub sounds much better.

Hopefully, this will all change tomorrow when I get my Dynaudio's installed!

Next up will be the Navigation and an alarm. I'm thinking about the new Kenwood or possibly the Alpine or Pioneer. I just like the touchscreen on the Kenwood rather than the remote, but want to see it in person first.

amlin423

The CVA or IVA and DVA combo is a really popular one. Gonna install that myself soon. I had a V12 amp before and I really liked it until I got an Xtant amp which is quite an improvement (going to "upgrade" to a Mcintosh ...not sure if it's an upgrade since I've never heard it but a friend of mine swears by it) Never heard the alpine speakers but I'd stay away from the Alpine subs.


Sorry to digress a bit.
I have the IVA-C800 sitting in front of me uninstalled. Where did you guys mount the tuner for the IVA or CVA? I'm asking this because I want to mount the tuner in the trunk but the cable that goes to the display is not long enough. The "extended" antenna cable is fairly short too and won't be able to reach from the trunk all the way to the front. Are there extensions for both of these cables or did you guys mount the tuner somewhere up front?

Thanks

CoreY2K1

getting that tuner to fit up front was the hardest part... you can buy an extension cable but from what I hear, it is somewhere in the $100-200 range. plus, that is a really thick cable, and you're working with limited space down the sides of the GS.

I decided to make it work up front, so with some persistence I got it to fit in where the old stock amp was, to the right of the glove compartment:

http://home.earthlink.net/~calbers07/P7180021.jpg

It is in there kinda diagonally, and it was a pain to fit it in there with all the other cables, but it does work.

-Corey

amlin423

Thanks Corey, looks like you really squeezed it in tight there. So are you running you RCA's from the tuner across the front dash (behind the head unit) down the left side of the GS? Cuz I'm assuming you're running your power cable down the right side of the car since the battery is on the right side. $100-200 bucks for the cable is WAY too much....i rather just hold the tuner while I drive.

Could you send me an email at amlin423@hotmail.com. I don't want to deviate too much from the thread.
Thanks a lot!

Percy

You can fit ALOT of cable if you do it right in the GS. I have 4 (1.5 cm) thick RCA cables running down the left side of the car AND 3 thick runs (equiv to 4 guage) of speaker wire. Although the weather seals look small for the speaker wire (from the body to the door...rubber housing) you can, with a bit of effort, squeeze these cables through. You should use WD40 or some equivalent to make the wire run better...but I didn't want to deal with the smell. Took about a full day!

Always keep the power wire and RCA wires seperate from each other!

Percy

retrodrive

I would go with Alpine/Nakamichi headunit, ARCaudio/Zapco ams, Rainbow/Dynaudio/Focal components and ID/Alpine/ADS/Foclal subs.

Different companies produce their best products and the tricky part is to pick the best out of everyone. If GS interior similar to an LS interior, there are tonns of cables you can dump on the sides. I have 4 RCA's, 6 speaker cables, 1/0 power cable going and there are still tonns of space!

dru

Yeah, I never really heard great things about Alpine speakers and subs, that's why I needed to hear from you guys. I think it's agreed that the Alpine amps are "not bad," but obviously there are better ones (extant, mcintosh, etc..) and go w/ speakers and subs from somebody else. In that case, what components would u guys recommend? MB Quartz, Polk Audio, Infinity, Cerwin Vegas? Thanks.

Percy

dru,

I'd still recommend Dynaudio above all else. But, what are you system goals?

Percy