Crank the Metal!
In February of 2002 my 3 year/36,000 mile warranty was up & I decided it was time for a kick-ass stereo. There was a car stereo/alarm place called 109 Sound & Security down the block from my old job in Lindenhurst, LI so I went in there & talked with the owner Mike. After a couple of weeks of research I decided to go with Sony “ES” Mobil for the Cass Head Unit, CD Changer & Amplifier. The "ES" stands for “Elevated Standard” & is their top of the line equipment. They also have “ES” components for home audio & video. The CD changer has a 12 second delay & doesn’t skip when the truck is bouncing around offroad.
I went with Pioneer for the Equalizer and door speakers & a JL Audio 10” w0 Sub with a sealed enclosure for nice tight bass. The Pioneer EQ is a real nice piece with +Gain, sub volume & crossover control at your finger tips. All 4 door speakers are TS series 3 ways - 6.75” in the front & 5.25” in the back .
The little 10" Sub from JL Audio slammed. It was my first time hearing of this company & I was impressed. I later used their speakers, subs & amps in my 2001 Corolla S (RIP) & my 2001 Accord EX Coupe (sold). I highly recommend JL Audio.
After I bought the Corolla as a DD in 2005 I ended up putting the JL 10" Sub in the trunk & added a JL 12 w1 in a ported enclosure in the back of the 4Runner. Holy crap! What a difference!
The cd changer is mounted under the drivers seat, the amp is mounted on the back of the DS rear seat & the sub was in a sealed box in the cargo area.
This stereo rocked & most of it is still working after 14 years. The 5 Channel Sony amp started smoking driving to work one day in 2003 cranking Pantera. Right after the warranty was up! Freakin’ figures right. The fuse should have blew but the plastic around the fuse melted. I smelled burning plastic while driving & the sound turned off. POS! I needed an amp that could handle my Heavy Metal & go to 11!
Hello JL Audio! I replaced the 5 channel “Xplod” with the 6 channel JL Audio e-6450. The 5th & 6th channels are bridged for the sub. This amp sounds sweet, warm & powerfully smooth compared to the Sony. I have abused this amp with volume & it’s still cranking after 13 years. The poor Pioneer door speakers are on their way out though. They’re ok at mid volume but are starting distort at higher power levels.
Sony-ES-XRCA 630X
Sony-ES CDX-T68X
Sony-ES-XM1895
Poineer-EQ-6500
Pioneer-TS-A1765
Pioneer-TS-A1365
JL Audio-10 w/0
