Im A NEWBIE and need some help

 

Bronze Member
Username: Dabeast34

Post Number: 12
Registered: Sep-04
Hey i am about to turn 16 and i want to get a system for my car asap. I know almost nothing about car audio. The only thing I'm sure of is that I want a system that will hit hard. So any advice as far as what to get, how to wire what are good brands and all that jazz for a newbie would be great. Also I'm not looking to spend a great deal of money on it seeing that Im going to leave for college in 3 years. thanks
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zacdavis~

Post Number: 60
Registered: Sep-04
start with a nice head unit, go to a local car audio store and ask a saleperson to show you some and their features, when you find some you like, look them up on some internet sites to find a good price, before ordering from online go back to the store that the salesperson helped you in and ask them if they can match or come close to the price, its always better having real people to deal with, plus they can install it, remember labor is something you tend to get a better deal on if you bought the product from them.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Sas

Post Number: 36
Registered: Sep-04
good advice, in fact go to a few shops and shop around see what prices are like. next thing look at car audio mags and get a feel for what people use, read the reviews. in fact the more you read, the more you will learn about stuff. ask around, alot of poeople with a decent sounding system will love to talk about and brag about their systems and what they want to do next. put yourself out there and absorb all the info you can. the more you know, the more you will know what you want and like. the head unit is one of the most important peices off your system so that is the best place to start. go to review boards and learn what people are saying about the products theyy have used. make a list of the top 5 of each part of your system you want. 5 subs, 5 amps for your subs, 5 front speakers, 5 amps for you front speakers, 5 radios and so on... take your top 5 list and shop around, at local car shops, ebay and other internet websites and take it from there. make sure you educate yourself before making any final purchasing. remember knowledge is power
 

Silver Member
Username: Symplestiles

Stockton, CA Usa

Post Number: 178
Registered: Aug-04
very well said sean and zac. car audio is something that cant be rushed..if you do things because you get ancey, youll pay the price in the end. i was the same way when i was first looking for a system. i wanted everything right away and hated waiting..but after reading around and posting on this forum for a couple of weeks, i was able to determine the best setup for my situation. there are so many knowlegable people on this forum that they are all the education youll need to start things off. good luck and if you have any quesitons (prices, best sites, how a sub lies in ranking, etc etc) feel free to post away, someone will always reply.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zacdavis~

Post Number: 61
Registered: Sep-04
(when buying equipment)
we all appreciate your confidence in our "advice", but i think maybe my point wasn't quite clear, advice is something jonathon, glasswolf, hydro, sean, myself or any other knowledgable person can give you, however, "opinions" are another story, remember that they, ARE opinions when we say, "go buy this brand".... or "you should buy twelves".......or.........
what i'm getting at is, you can trust our "advice"... but only trust yourself, with an "opinion" on how something sounds, thats the main reason i ask people to check out gear in person, look at it, listen to it, and if you like what you hear, Then ask for "advice" on how reliable the product may be
 

Gold Member
Username: Jonathan_f

GA USA

Post Number: 1800
Registered: May-04
Very, very well said.
 

Silver Member
Username: Fishy

Tamarac, FL USA

Post Number: 176
Registered: Sep-04
Its one thing to go down and audition a set of separates, but sometimes thats just not possible with subs. They just are too application dependent and are going to sound much different depending on the enclosure/vehicle, much more so in somebody's showroom.

I mean I really want, no demand, a few subwoofer "opinions". For example I have no idea where I could listen to a pair of Shivas, but at 125 a pop they sure seem like a great deal.

-Fishy
 

Silver Member
Username: A3forme

Post Number: 273
Registered: Sep-04
Valid point Fishy. However, a good shop will let you demo a product in your vehicle. At least the most popular brands they carry. Our shop does, and another one about 20 miles from us does. It is a tremendous help that aids the customer in deciding what sound they like.

Unfortunately Adire retailers seem to be few and far between.
Very good points Zac, Sean. Too often we just state our opinion without regard to the individual. Our suggestions may be for good quality products but the person spending their money needs to be as confident as possible in their decision. And there are a LOT of good products out there. Until recently I've only vaguely heard of Digital Designs and from what i've been reading they have some good stuff. Can't wait to hear some.

So we all bring a lot to the table, but more suggestion of people going to try out the products before they buy (if at all possible)will benefit the inquring new guy tremendously.
Especially when it comes to subs and components.

Thanks. That's my $.02
 

Silver Member
Username: Fishy

Tamarac, FL USA

Post Number: 181
Registered: Sep-04
lol, guess I'm just lazy. I've always just solved the subwoofer question by throwing money at it. These days that method can get a wee bit expensive. It used to be that a 300 dollar woofer was just plain "out there" in price.

Not any more. Thankyou JL Audio.

-Fishy
 

Bronze Member
Username: Dabeast34

Post Number: 14
Registered: Sep-04
So what i am getting from all of u guys that it is not good to rush getting my equipment, it is better to shop around and to find out what is good and what are good prices for those products. But I guess that i still know nothing about brands of subs and amps to look into, i know that i need both subs and amps, but i do not know what type or size or brand to look at, that is what i am trying to figure out here, what are the best products at a resonable price, if you guys could help me out with this thatd b great
-thanks-
 

Bronze Member
Username: Slim

St.pete, Florida

Post Number: 38
Registered: May-04
whats your price range thats important too when buying a system so they can give you the best bang for your buck.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Dabeast34

Post Number: 15
Registered: Sep-04
well i dont really know what my price range should and will be. I am willing to pay for the better brand names but i dont know how much the better subs will cost, im thinking that $100 or less would get me a good sub with good SQ etc. Tell me if this is too high or too low of a price to expect to pay for one sub.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Mike_anthes

Canton, SD USA

Post Number: 37
Registered: Aug-04
um...100 dollars is pretty cheap for a GOOD sub with decent sq and spl. um well b4 i go recommendin stuff what do ya want for spl. ground shakin or just enough to hear the bass. a lot of sq or what.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Dabeast34

Post Number: 21
Registered: Sep-04
i want a split between both sq and spl, i want it to hit hard but i also want it to have good sound quality, ive been told that the cerwina vega v-max are the exact sub that i am looking for, they have both sq and spl and there less than $100, but if i need to spend a lil more for a better sub i am willing to do that but i dont know how much more i would have to pay for a better sub $25 $50 $100 i really do not know?
 

Silver Member
Username: A3forme

Post Number: 293
Registered: Sep-04
The Adire Audio Shiva's have better SQ and still have excellent SPL for a sub in that price range. They are a little ugly though.
$125 shipped on www.acoustic-visions.com. You could also look at the Image Dynamics IDQ, it leans more to the SQ side.
The Infinity Perfedct 12.1 is also a good SQ/SPL sub. Try to listen to some subs. Each person's ear is different.
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