What do you guys think of this system?

[briantek]

Whats up guys! This is my first post and will not be my last that's for sure.
Anyway I am recently (1 week ago) the proud owner of a 2003 Solara with the JBL audio system. I have been lurking around here for the past week absorbing all the information I can. I am fairly new to car audio but have learned quite a lot in the past week. Here's what I plan on buying:

From Crutchfield:
1x Toyota Pocket Kit 1982-up - 14.99
Link: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-xm5Fe6Aof7d/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=081TOYPOC&s=0&cc=01

1x Toyota/Geo Wire Harness receiver, 1987-up - 9.99
Link: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-xm5Fe6Aof7d/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=120701761&s=0&cc=01

1x Kicker Solo-Baric 12 Inch L5 comes w/sub enclosure - 279.99
Link: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-xm5Fe6Aof7d/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=510&I=2065VS12L5

1x Profile AP1000M - 159.99
Link: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-xm5Fe6Aof7d/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=489AP1000M

1x EFX 4-Gauge Amplifier Wiring Kit - 49.99
Link:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-xm5Fe6Aof7d/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?i=142CAKPA41

6 Feet StreetWires 12-gauge Speaker Wire - .80/ft
Link:http://www.crutchfield.com/S-xm5Fe6Aof7d/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?i=211UC12

From AAFES.com(Its a military base exchange website):
1x Kenwood Excelon KDC-X789 - 249.99 + Free Shipping ($100 Cheaper than Crutchfield)
Link(Crutchfield):http://www.crutchfield.com/S-xm5Fe6Aof7d/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=113KDCX789

Please tell me what you guys think. I tried to put together this system to be the best bang for the buck. Oh and I don't want dual 12's, I really need the trunk space.

Later on I will be upgrading my rear 6x9's and my front (are they 5 1/4's? 6 3/4's? or 6 1/2's?) component speakers to Infinity’s. I am a little confused about these though. Do I NEED a separate amp if I replace those 4 speakers? And If not how much will I benefit from having one? Anyway I plan on doing this all myself with all the information supplied on this site. Oh and how hard is it to replace the factory speakers? I found a post talking about having to remove the back seats! Anyway I appreciate your help in advance guys!

[solaraN8]

if i were you i would try to find something better then the profile amp, you will definatly be happier in the longrun if you get a better amp, i always ran crossfire amps in my other cars and i got a mb quart amp for this car and its ok but i wish i spent more for the crossfire or memphis. its always better to spend more money in car audio cause if you get a cheap amp your sound quality will suffer

[cam2Xrunner]

if i were you i would try to find something better then the profile amp, you will definatly be happier in the longrun if you get a better amp, i always ran crossfire amps in my other cars and i got a mb quart amp for this car and its ok but i wish i spent more for the crossfire or memphis. its always better to spend more money in car audio cause if you get a cheap amp your sound quality will suffer

you have an MB Quart RAA2400 right? What do you not like about it? That's a great amp.

[briantek]

if i were you i would try to find something better then the profile amp, you will definatly be happier in the longrun if you get a better amp, i always ran crossfire amps in my other cars and i got a mb quart amp for this car and its ok but i wish i spent more for the crossfire or memphis. its always better to spend more money in car audio cause if you get a cheap amp your sound quality will suffer

Yea I agree with you and now I'm going to go ahead and change that to the Kicker 600.1 I can get it for 50 more bucks on ebay. So thats 100w's more and a much better brand name. Not to mention the same brand as the sub I picked out. Can anyone tell me what speaker size we have in the front? Thanks!

[krawzyazn]

you can get the sub cheaper then that and a L7 at least

[briantek]

you can get the sub cheaper then that and a L7 at least

In a box just like that one? I serached ebay and found Crutchfield to be pretty well priced for that sub+enclosure (free shipping too).

[cam2Xrunner]

Brian Tek, if you'd like my suggestion,

I'd get this amp..

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-MB-Quart-RAA420 ... dZViewItem

The use this coupon to get 25 bucks off when you pay with paypal

C11-Giftguide

Then for a sub, you can get an Arc Audio Arc12D4 and a box for about the same prie as the Kicker sub/enclosure. I guarentee you the Arc sub will sound better.

Run the Arc sub off the rear channels of the MB Quart 4 channel (400 watts rms @ 4 ohms) and that will leave you with 100 watts rms x 2 for your front components.

IMO don't bother with rear speakers, IMO it sounds better with no rear speakers and a good clean, strong front component system.

Kenwood headunits are OK. They aren't up to par with Pioneer units, and the DEH-P860MP pretty much kills that Kenwood unit. That's the unit I'd reccomend. You can get a new one on ebay for about 300-320 shipped, and there's a 15 dollar coupon you can use.

$15.00 off a $100 or more purchase:

C23-GIFTGUIDE

[briantek]

How about the Pioneer DEH-P7700MP? Whats blows the Kenwood anyway? Is it features or sound quality? The DEH-P7700MP is the same price as the Kenwood on the website I'd like to get a H/U from (I have a store credit there).

[cam2Xrunner]

The Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP is a very big step from the 7700MP. It has better sound quality from the 24 Bit Burr brown DAC, it also has WAY more crossover flexibility(than the Kenwood too). It will allow you in the future to run an actively crossed over system.

Running Active means instead of using the included passive crossover in a component set to split the freqencies into two channels(one for the tweeter, one forthe mids) you are splitting those frequencies from the headunit and you are sending each channel of the amplifier it's own signal to amplify. And from there the amplifier sends a seperate channel to the individual speakers(tweeters/mids)

So lets say you have a 2 way component set(tweeters and mids) You will need 4 channels of amplification for it. You can use a 2 channel amp for the tweeters, and a two channel amp for the mids, or just use a 4 channel amp.

You don't really need to know all this right now, but if you ever want to go this route, you will have a capable headunit to do it.

Also, the Pioneer units have better build quality and longetivity than a Kenwood unit.

[briantek]

Can anyone tell me the size of the front speakers? Or the max size I can add without drilling holes.

[cam2Xrunner]

Oversized 6.5" You can fit a 7" Mid.

I'd rec. using an MDF wood cut baffle/spacer.

Marv sells really nice ones.

http://community.webtv.net/MarvsPlace/MarvsPlace

1-831-383-0308

[Monkeyman]

It has better sound quality from the 24 Bit Burr brown DAC

Burr-Brown Digital-to-analoge converters make a HUGE difference, they have 8x oversampling, so what you hear is what was really on the CD. I don't know how much the heads your looking at are selling for, but you should take a serious look at the Eclipse CD-8445 and CD-8455. They have multipoint x-overs, channel time delay (so each speakers sound hits you at EXACTLY the same time), parametric eq's, and the list goes on. The best part of the Eclipse is their design: All sound stays in the digital domain until just before the pre-amp, ensuring that the sound is clean.

From the ECLIPSE-WEB.COM site:
Advanced 2-mode Sound Control DSP:
Parametric EQ :
10 band (pro mode on)
7 band (pro mode off)
Time Alignment
Crossover
Listening Position Selector
Multi-Harmonizer
Source Volume Control
Memory Stick-ready
Advanced 24-bit DAC
High 8V preamp output
HD Radio-ready
GPS unit-ready
FM/AM tuner
MOSFET power amplification
8-step full dot VF display
MS/CD ESN security
Digital input
3 prs. pre outputs
Aux input
Remote control

I dumped my Nakamichi CD-700II for this unit, and I haven't looked back. Even the Audiocontrol SA-3055 analyzer agrees (28 out of 30)!

David

[briantek]

Ok guys I installed my H/U (ended up buying a Kenwood X789) and it is working flawless. That part was a lot easier than expected. However, I got my amp in (Kicker KX400.1) on friday and me and a friend installed it. It took us 6 hours, but I wanted to make sure everything was hidden properly and connected right. Well after it was complete I started up the car and I get nothing from the amp. No green light and no red light. I figured it may have been the GND wire. It was about 4 FT long so I decided to cut it in half and try again. That time I saw the green light come on for a fraction of a second then turn right off. Anyway This is what I have done so far:

Run the power cable +12 Volt to the +Battery with the fuse at 18inches in-line.
Run the power antenna cable from the REM jack on my amp to the blue power antenna cable in my harness
Ran interconnects from sub-out to input of amp

Am I missing anything? I don't have my sub yet so I didnt connect speaker wire. My sub will be here monday. Does a sub need to be connected in order for the green light to come on? I'm thinking I need a new battery.

Please help out a first time amp installer!

[briantek]

Ok I just read a crutchfield Amp install guide and It said to connect the Power cable to the +battery TERMINAL and not directly to the post. Well I think I connected it to the post. Could I have caused harm to my amp by doing this? Tomorrow I'm going to take it out and connected it to the terminal. Hopefully It works. Heres a picture from the crutchfield guide:

[cam2Xrunner]

You connected the remote turn on lead of the amp to the power antenna turn on lead? Try turning it on to radio instead of a CD and see if the amp turns on.

I think your headunit might have both a power antenna turn on and a amp turn on lead.

To check this really quick just touch a jumper wire from the amps turn on lead to the 12V power wire input and see if the amp turns on.

Either that or you just have a bad connection at the power/ground/remote turn on.