Systems; Big and small; Loud and clear.

[AceX]

If it's been asked once, its been asked a hundred times; "What should I do for my stereo?" While these may not be the exact words, the idea is just the same. What speakers, amps, headunit, etc.

Hopefully, this will give you a better idea of what you want or are looking for.

First, I'm going to assume that you know how to do some basic wiring and know how to read a wiring diagram. I'm also going to make other assumptions along the way, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Firstly, we need to go over the single most important part in the entire system: The headunit.

When looking for a good heaunit, there's alot to take into account; Do I want to listen to Mp3's or are normal CD's just fine? Do I/will I integrate an iPod? Do I need a CD changer? What about satellite radio? Perhaps Bluetooth? What about video or navigation? Generally speaking, the more features, the more expensive the unit will be. The best way to find what you're looking for is to go the your local stereo shop and talk with them about your needs. Most will be more than happy to help you in your selection. (Also, don't talk to the guy for 3 hours about the part then say, "I can get it on ebay for $XXX." because that tends to piss them off. If they spend alot of time talking to you and trying to take care of you, you should probably buy from them.)

As you can see, you have to consider what you're going to need from your head unit before you go out and buy one. You will want one with at least 2 pre-outs, some sort of electronic equalizer (the larger the better in this case), and is easy to configure/use.

From this point forward, I'm going to assume that you have found a headunit that suits your needs. I'm also factoring the cost of a mid-range headunit into every budget. Guessing that you spent an average of $200-$300 on the headunit itself.

Now for those of you on a tight budget, try this on for size: $500

Get a good set of 5.25" coaxial speakers. You can place them either in the kick panels or in the doors. The kick panels will give you better sound and provide a much better anchoring point for the speakers.

These speakers will provide you with some great sound quality at a good price. It isnt hard to find a good set for less than $100. The best way to find what you're looking for is, again, to go to a local shop and listen to some of the different speakers that they have. Some will provide more bass and others more trebble. Which ones you select depends on you're own personal tastes in music. I personally like the sound of the Boston Acoustics 5.25" coaxial speakers. Pioneer also makes a decent set. If you can't spring for the more expensive speakers, check out a set of Rockford Fosgate or Kicker speakers.

Shifting focus to the rear of the cab, a good set of 6x9 speakers will add great depth to the system and compliment the 5.25" speakers in the front. They won't provide any real bass worth mentioning, but they usually don't require hardly any airspace and can fit almost anywhere.

I reccomend Pioneer for this application. I've listened to alot of different 6x9 speakers and I can honestly say that the Pioneer speakers are the only ones I would buy. If memory serves me right, they go for around $120-$150 for a set.

You can run both of these sets of speakers off of the deck without any issue. With just the parts listed, plus some wire and screws, You're into this for probably close to $500 and the system will sound pretty decent.

If you want, you can slam down a couple more $$$ then you can grab a Kicker 4chan. amp and use it to run the speakers You'll also need to get an install kit for the amp. with this part added, look at spending close to $1000.

For those of you with a slightly higher budget: $1500

Get yourself a set of entry level component speakers. Boston Acoustics makes a killer set of low-end components. If you're a little tighter on your budget, Clarion has a decent set as well that go for around $150-$180. Both have sperate crossovers for the midrange and tweeter.

Also, size matters. A set of 5.25" components is going to sound a little better than a set of 6.5" components, but they won't be as loud. It's kind of a trade off. Size vs Sound. I have both in my truck and honestly, you really can't tell much difference in the quality of sound when you're going down the road, so if youcan drop a couple extra bucks, get the 6.5" set and let everyone in traffic enjoy your music with you

For the rear, we're going to step our game up and go low (in the soudn range that is.) Seeing as most of us have trucks, and not alot of space behind the seat. a shallow mount sub is your best/only option. There are several manufacturers to chose from, but to be honest most of them sound pretty much the same. JL Audio is releasing a thin mount sub sometime this year, so I can't comment on there's just yet, but I have heard the Kicker subs in action and I own a set of Pioneer subs myself. Honestly, It's pretty much a toss up between the two. Both are pretty close in price and performance so it really comes down to looks and for me, Pioneer took it in that department. (Its a sad day when the LOOK of a speaker is what puts it ahead of the others...) Pioneer sells prefab boxes for their subs which run about $150. So, for the sub and box, you're looking at $325-$375.

Now that we have our sub, we need an amp to power both it, and the components up front. This is where alot of people can get really confused. Amp selection is a hard thing, but for the sake of simplicity, I'm going to sya that we want a 4channel class A/B amplifier that produces 75-150 watts/channel. I suggest ARC Audio, JL Audio, or Zapco. While these obviously aren't the cheapest brands, they are some of the best. I especially like dealing with ARC Audio because they have a serieous commitment to their customers (The CEO of ARC Audio is also a really nice guy.)

With the addition of the amp, you'll also need to run power fom the battery and add a fuse inline as close to the battery as possible. Placing the fuse about 4-6 inches away fromt he battery is perfect because it allso some room to play with when you are removing the battery for whatever reason, but keeps it well within the needs of the system. Most shops can sell you an amp wiring kit for about $100-$200 depending on complexity and/or elegance.

For about $3000 out of your pocket:

Go big or go home. Simple as that. Drop some serious money on some serious speakers. If you're big into sound quality and not so much on the volume, you can't do much better than a set of 6.5" components from MB Quart's Q-Line. The next step up in both $$$ and quality is the top level Boston Acoustics and Focal's N*7 line up.

If boom and volume is what you're after, but you still gotta be able to hear it all, then look no further than JL Audio's ZR650-CSi.

If you want even more volume and keep the clarity, grab two sets of MB Quart Premium component sets. One set of 5.25" components and one set of 6.5" components.

Now that we've just dropped nearly $1300 on speakers, let's get an amp to power those lovely pieces. A good 4ch amp is up to the task. Make sure it can supply the speaker with enough power at all times. Try and match the RMS and peak wattage numbers as best you can.

JL Audio's 450/4 is more than up to the task. A great amp with low distortion and loads of power. Also, ARC Audio's FD4150 is a great choice. Again, lots of available power with low distortion. Both amps run in the $800-$1000 range.

Now for subs. Again, because we're confined to a very limited space, a set of Pioneer 12" thin mount subs will have to do the trick.

Driving the subs will be the job of either the 4ch amp, or, if you can spring for it, a dedicated monoblock. A JL Audio 500/1 or ARC Audio FD1200.1 or FD 600.1 should be able to make those subs pound your ears into submission.

Well, there's three very different system ideas, all of which will produce great sound for a relatively low-cost.

[72GMC2500]

great suggestions man

[JAKES 68GMC]

thanks for posting.

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

Some sounds a little steep on the prices for some of the stuff. But nice break down. Thanx for posting.