bluetoon

First car audio system. After doing a lot of reading and researching I've decided on the Alpine SPX-13PROs for my front speakers. As far as HU go it seems like the better the sound quality the crappier everything else seems to be on the unit (ie. flimsy buttons, poorly executed extra features) but I've got a few decent options picked out.

Where I'm completely and utterly lost is with the two amps and the sub. I know this much, I want a 4 channel amp for the front speakers (in case I decide to expand) and a single channel amp for the sub (obviously). Basically I want some recommendations on a good 12" sub that will sound great with the Alpine fronts as well as two well made, reliable amps.

Car is a 1994 Toyota Corolla. I listen to all kinds of music from rock to older hiphop to house and electro. I want accurate bass as opposed to something that will just rattle the houses down the block (though I still want something that will pound). As far as budget is concerned, the cheaper the better but I'm not going to skimp out on the system just to save a couple of bucks.

JohnVroom

proposed rewrite:
First car audio system. After doing a lot of LISTENING and researching I've decided on the Alpine SPX-13PROs for my front speakers.


with speakers it is the sound and reliability that maters, make sure the sound is to your liking first and foremost

BradSk88

At the risk of sticking you to a brand, the Alpine Type X sub sounds amazing, I'm running one now and it only needs a small box (~1.5cuft), but you'd need a hefty amp to control it properly.

Also, if you're looking for better sound I'd recommend going for a 10 rather than a 12. 12's tend to push more air while 10's have less moving mass and are easier to control/dampen.

Give a price range and it'll be easier to recommend.

bluetoon

So to make my life easier I'm just taking my brothers system.

1.Eclipse CDR 7000 deck
2.4 Alpine type X's (front and rear)
3.Orion XTR Amp (for Alpine X's)
4.2, 10" Rockford Fosgates (doesn't know the model but they sound pretty awesome) in a sealed enclosure
5. Planet Audio Big Bang (powering the subs)
6. 2 Capacitors

$825 in total for everything. Now just comes the installation. I'm totally lost in terms of installation so I'll likely leave it for the pros. I was quoted $520 for all that. Not sure if it's worth risking any of the installation myself. Read over some DIY guides and it's a little over my head, likely because I'm a hands on person so reading about it just confuses me.

BradSk88

If that install price includes parts, that's about right. In a toyota corolla it should be easy enough to do the speakers yourself. That could save you up to 200 install, assuming you don't make a giant mess :P

bluetoon

The door takes 4" speakers, would installing the 5.25" be a great deal more difficult? My main concern is the wiring as removing the door panel wouldn't be all that difficult. Also depending on how difficult it would be to make the X's fit in the door without the need to have them stick out (I'd rather avoid it so people looking into my car don't see them).

BradSk88

I don't remember that car exactly. Couldn't hurt to pull the door off and have a look though. Might just have to make a ring out of wood to clear the hole.

I don't see why the speaker would need to stick out. Those type X's have tiny magnets now.

bluetoon

I'll give it a look in a few days and see what I can do. Can I just use the speaker wire that's attatched to my current speakers?

I also have an aftermarket deck, a Sony Xplode (came with the car). Does that mean that installing the CD7000 is as easy as removing the old deck and matching up the wires or does that depend on the deck itself and how its wiring is set up?

If I can just do parts of this myself I will I just don't want to destroy my stereo system. I'll likely hook up the subs to the amp myself and do the front and rear speakers if I can just use the existing wires in the car.

BradSk88

Again, I'm not familiar with that deck.

If it's just an audio deck then yes. Assuming the people who put the xlpod in used a proper wiring harness, you can just unclip that and color match the wires from your new deck, snap in the new cage (or mount it to the brackets) and pop the deck in.

If it's a video deck, you'll have to take care of the e-brake wire.

You can use the factory speaker wire or run your own. Chances are you won't hear a difference.

d4rin

It is important to use the proper sized wire AWG when installing new speakers.