New Speakers-Choices?

chris360hawks said:
Thanks for the info man. I just ordered the Alpine off of Amazon for about 140. It got nothing but positive reviews, and the jew in me liked it being cheaper then the Memphis amp. I am excited to be able to get it all installed!
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Hahaha nice, let us know how you like it.
 
infinity (kappa series) or any harman product for that matter. best bang for the buck IMO. been using them in every vehicle/boat ive ever had and they have always performed amazingly. i usually use external amps for all of my speakers though. night and day difference from head unit power.
 
Anyone notice that most HU are small compared to a 4 channel amp? HU rarely have enough power or can produce a clear sound for the aftermarket speakers. HU stock or not can not produce a clear signal at higher levels of listening. An aftermarket HU is the best way to go and a 4 channel amp. If you are going to run a sub then you can use a 5 channel amp. There is a lot of information out there, you just have to find it. Personnally I really like diamond D3 components. Infinity Kappa 6X9's are amazing as well.
 
Kurtis said:
Anyone notice that most HU are small compared to a 4 channel amp? HU rarely have enough power or can produce a clear sound for the aftermarket speakers. HU stock or not can not produce a clear signal at higher levels of listening. An aftermarket HU is the best way to go and a 4 channel amp. If you are going to run a sub then you can use a 5 channel amp. There is a lot of information out there, you just have to find it. Personnally I really like diamond D3 components. Infinity Kappa 6X9's are amazing as well.
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I disagree. Good aftermarket HU's with a decent rated power output are fine for most people. I have been powering 4 aftermarket speakers off of just a HU for years and it works great (I get great sound quality for a car). Sure it won't get super loud, but it works and works well. If you want to blast fellow drivers and wake up your neighbors, then yeah, you will need a separate amp for your speakers, but if you are on any kind of budget, then you can very easily get away without it.
 
Nelsonmd said:
I disagree. Good aftermarket HU's with a decent rated power output are fine for most people. I have been powering 4 aftermarket speakers off of just a HU for years and it works great (I get great sound quality for a car). Sure it won't get super loud, but it works and works well. If you want to blast fellow drivers and wake up your neighbors, then yeah, you will need a separate amp for your speakers, but if you are on any kind of budget, then you can very easily get away without it.
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Nelson,

I usually agree with most everything you post, but on this one im going to have to pass. from a minimal volume to a maximum eardrum deafening volume, the amplifier will provide a NOTICEABLY better signal and clarity over a head unit (if configured and tuned correctly) every time, hands down (provided it is a decent quality made amplifier).

But if you are satisfied with OK sound, then go ahead. But being a musician and music fanatic to the max, I prefer only the best I can get (for the money at least). and that's why Harman/Kardon companies are my go-to's. i have all infinity kappa series components (components in front/coaxial in rear doors and infinity amps as well. sounds great/ never distort/ never disappoint).
 
cordrayj1 said:
Nelson,

I usually agree with most everything you post, but on this one im going to have to pass. from a minimal volume to a maximum eardrum deafening volume, the amplifier will provide a NOTICEABLY better signal and clarity over a head unit (if configured and tuned correctly) every time, hands down (provided it is a decent quality made amplifier).

But if you are satisfied with OK sound, then go ahead. But being a musician and music fanatic to the max, I prefer only the best I can get (for the money at least). and that's why Harman/Kardon companies are my go-to's. i have all infinity kappa series components (components in front/coaxial in rear doors and infinity amps as well. sounds great/ never distort/ never disappoint).
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Well, be fair here. You say you are a musician and an audiophile, then yeah, you will be unsatisfied with anything but high end. This thread was about budget audio in a 4runner, so he is not going to get Harmon-Karden anyway.

I am not a musician or an audiophile, nor are 99% of people here.

I disagreed with a post that made it sound like an aftermarket HU will not be enough for the average user to be happy when using aftermarket speakers.

I am not saying you're wrong (or kurtis for that matter), it's just that these comments need to be qualified for what kind of user you are. You are an abnormally picky/experienced user, so your preference, while valid, is probably not the best choice for most of us.
 
and ill add this...i have a factory head unit. and put a minimal $ amount into the amps. i havent used the factory stereo since the week after i bought the car, i go straight from my iphone (i used pandora radio/ipod) to my amp, so i guess the head unit doesnt even matter. i guess i was comparing apples with oranges. fair enough...i stand corrected.
 
cordrayj1 said:
and ill add this...i have a factory head unit. and put a minimal $ amount into the amps. i havent used the factory stereo since the week after i bought the car, i go straight from my iphone (i used pandora radio/ipod) to my amp, so i guess the head unit doesnt even matter. i guess i was comparing apples with oranges. fair enough...i stand corrected.
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Hmmm, Ipod straight to amp? I have never heard of that. That might be a really good option for Chris360Hawk since he isn't getting a HU either. Do you need a special cord or Amp option for that? Is the signal just output from the headphone jack?
 
All I use is a standard Y-adapter cable with a headphone jack on one end. If you have a 4 channel amp there is a 2 to 4 way RCA adapter. Use the volume control on whatever device you wish( or satellite radio) or add an equalizer for a master control. This minimizes the devices the signal passes through reducing possible interference.


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All kinds of good info here, thanks people! I bought my '98 Limited a year ago and am still pretty happy with the bone stock sound system! I even went with Wet Okole seat cover$ last year, instead of upgrading the sound. A friend just gave me an extra set of old, but brand new infinity 6002i 6 1/2's so I just need to find some 5 1/4's for the back doors that will sound OK with them. Any suggestions or doesn't really matter much? I plan to install all the speakers and then see if I'm still OK to use the stock HU and amp until something breaks. 13 years is pretty old, but the only thing broken on my entire 4Runner is the auto antennae! ;)
 
Alright decided it's time to buy a new head unit for the runner. The speakers sound great, but I can tell they are being limited by the head unit and I want one with nice Ipod functionality. These are the two that I'm looking at:

Kenwood DPX308U CD receiver at Crutchfield.com

Amazon.com: Pioneer DEH-P5200HD CD Receiver with HD Radio and iPod Direct Control: Electronics

I like the double din more factory look of the Kenwood and the ability to change the colors to match the dash lighting alot. I also like how they both have the radio preset buttons so it is easy to change the station, unlike some other aftermarket head units. I like with the Pioneer that I would be able to install a CB radio underneath it since it is a single din and the fact that it has HD radio built in. Both of them are clean and simple looking units which I like.

Which one do yall like more?

BTW thought I'd add this info as it may effect the choice of head unit:
I have a amp. This is the one I have:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500MRP...search=MRP-F300&tp=115&tab=features_and_specs

Right now I have the amp powering both the front and rear set of speakers through the speaker line level inputs. Once I get a new head unit I was planning on using the RCA outputs on the head unit to go to the amp, then to power the front speakers on two of the channels and power a sub on the other two channels. I am just going to have the rear speakers being powered by the head unit off the factory wiring. Does that make sense/seem like a good idea?

For a sub I was looking at the Bazooka tubes. Looked promising due to the small size, included enclosure, cheaper price. I don't need a sub to give huge amounts of bass, just something to give more "fullness" to the music. I don't know which Bazooka tube to choose though. Lot's of options regarding ohms, dual voice coils, etc.

http://www.crutchfield.com/g_510/Enclosed-Subwoofers.html?c=3&tp=112&avf=N#&nvpair=FFBrand|Bazooka
 
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I'd take either of those decks but I wouldn't be spending $170+ on a 10" bazooka tube. That's a bit pricey. If you don't want much bass check out the shallow woofers and a shallow box. They make them for 2door pickups with no extended cab, they fit right behind the seat in a little box and they seem to do the trick. But, I've only heard 1 or 2 trucks with shallow woofers and I prefer my 2 12's in my big box.
 
Mojo29 said:
I have the Polk MM6501 components in the front and rear. They are powered by a JL amp. The JL amp and (its the weakest 4 channel JL makes 80x4 RMS) is just too much for the car speakers. It's actually pretty pathetic how over rated the polk speakers are. They say MM6501 can handle 120 watts RMS. That is so far from the truth, maybe around 40 or 50 watts RMS. Personally my Rockford Fosgate FNQ components sounded better and handled much more power. They are not cheap but just some input. I'm sure some will disagree with me, but personally I haven't had much luck with them. Save your money and go with something else. The JL amp is on the other hand one of the best amps I have ever owned. JL makes great quality products.
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Hey guys, I started to mess with the headrest DVD players yesterday a little and I need to figure out how to make it sound GOOD thru the car speakers. I guess it uses something called an 'FM Modulator', so that when a DVD is being played and you want to hear it on the car stereo you set it to the radio station that was set at the port (87.7 in my case). It just sounds real sh|tty though....and I know NOTHING about stereo's. Before I run down to the stereo bastards and fork over a ton of money i wanted to hear what you guys thought about this. THANKS!
 
Since this thread is alive again, any recommendations on brand/model/size of tweeters for the front door by window? If I'm going to replace all 4 door speakers might as well swap tweeters out too.
 
I have read a lot of these type of threads. How do you stop the new deck from being stolen? I don't see removable faces on the one linked. I know you can put an alarm but you know how good those are sometimes.
 
rockdaddy80 said:
Since this thread is alive again, any recommendations on brand/model/size of tweeters for the front door by window? If I'm going to replace all 4 door speakers might as well swap tweeters out too.
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Get some components for the front. They come with tweeters.

I got these. There are lots of other component speaker setups available though.
 
Swipter said:
I have read a lot of these type of threads. How do you stop the new deck from being stolen? I don't see removable faces on the one linked. I know you can put an alarm but you know how good those are sometimes.
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I lived in the Phoenix area for 8 years. All different areas too. (Scottsdale, N Phoenix, Gilbert) My truck (an 87 S-10 Blazer) was broken into over 5 times and the truck itself was stolen twice. Definitely need either a removable face or an alarm.
 
I put a 2013 Toyota Corolla NAV unit in my 97. It does everything it needs to and looks Factory.

My brothers Jetta was almost totaled for the damage done to the interior to steal a 20 dollar Walmart radio.

My S Series Saturn has a T1819 Scion radio in for the same reason. It rocks, and. It looks factory.


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In the process of installing now:

-Alpine iLX-207 Headunit
-Alpine KTP-445A Amp
-Alpine 6.5 fronts and tweeters
-Alpine 5.25 rears

And about 50lbs of sound damping material.

Will let ya know how it sounds!
 
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