I found a 500/5 watt Jl Audio Amp and a pair of jl audio xr650-csi 6.5 speakers with the tweeter for $250 for both. They were both brand new never been used. It's been a long time since i've been in the car audio game but I always knew jl audio where some of the best products.
Was also looking to get a Sub with it, are jl audio still good subs? Was looking to get one sub in a band pass box. Maybe a 12incher, Is there some other brand where I could get more for the money? Also are alpine still some of the best head units you can buy?
JL makes excellent gear. IMO they're the "high end" of the common brands. The 500/5 is discontinued now, but it went for $500+ on most sites. The components are still available -- looks like $250ish.
I'd say you did OK.
JL makes excellent subs, but I would say price vs performance you can probably do better. Onlinecarstereo has a 12w3v3-4 for 164 shipped. Alpine type R's are nice - 12's are about 140. Pioneer's ~100 subs aren't bad, there's always RF...
Alpine is still making good quality HU's, Eclipse is at the top, Pioneer is up there too, and I think Panasonic is worth checking out.
how would i know if it was cloned? The amp had the manual in the box with a hand written serial number on it. I also went back the next day and they still had the subs I saw there. They had a pair of JL Audio 12 inch Subs W3-D4 they were older looking ones from like early 2000's but like the other stuff they looked BRAND NEW. I think maybe they were donated to the store by the cops from a drug car or something I have no idea. But I got the subs for a 100 bucks And I know the subs were bank back in the day I hooked them up and they sound great. I just don't get what all this JL stuff was doing at a thrift store.