[spyder6]

okay, so I think im going to ditch using my factory head unit and go for something a little bit better. I need peoples opinion on the set up i want to go for.

Head Unit:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Ymbrc8CopZg/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=113KDCX891&s=0&cc=01

Front Speakers:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Ymbrc8CopZg/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=1085022I&s=0&cc=01

Sound Bar Speakers:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Ymbrc8CopZg/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=1086022I&s=0&cc=01

Amp Wiring:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Ymbrc8CopZg/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=575RFK8I&s=0&cc=01

Amp (already Own)
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Ymbrc8CopZg/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?I=500MRPM350&search=mrpm350

and i own a 2 year old Pioneer 10" sub thats basically:
http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=520&i=130TSW251R&tp=111

I dont know a whole lot about car audio systems but I'm hoping i'll be able to retain the factory wiring with those speakers. my plan was for the head unit to power the speakers and the amp to power the sub obviously. I also plan on ordering a 5.25" bracket from 33 Engineering for the front speakers.

if all this is good and my brother agrees i think i may end up ordering it and installing myself, any tips on that would be good aswell. i know how to get the factory head unit out - i already had to do that once.

one big question i have though is, can i plug my factory Sirius tuner into that head unit? i dont want to have to buy another one and go through the trouble of transferring my stuff.

[mylt1]

if your only gonna run off the deck i would run just 2 sets of the speakers you have picked out for the front. the amp is a little over kill but should work. 120w sub and 200w amp. i am not a big fan of over powering anything. choice is yours though. im also not a big fan of 2ohm speakers but if thats what you like.

[bman9089]

have you listened to any of those yet? best thing you can do is go to cartoys and other places and listen first.

[Mech]

you should swap those front speakers with 4ohm speakers...and the wiring kit, just an option but walmart carries Scosche...and you can get a 4ga. kit(heavier power wire) for that price.

and i think you will hurt that poor lil subs feelings b4 long

[spyder6]

Originally Posted by mylt1

if your only gonna run off the deck i would run just 2 sets of the speakers you have picked out for the front. the amp is a little over kill but should work. 120w sub and 200w amp. i am not a big fan of over powering anything. choice is yours though. im also not a big fan of 2ohm speakers but if thats what you like.

the sub is an older Pioneer, its actually a 200 watt sub, its for the most part the same as the one i had listed, but it has a different coil in it that uses more power. the sub amp match up is fine, its just the deck and speakers ive been worried about. and there is no way i could run the 6 1/2's off the deck too without stressing it?

whats the difference in sound quality between the 2ohm and the 4ohm? Ive listened to the 2ohm speakers at the local car audio place (Robert's) and they sounded miles ahead better than the stock stuff. (could you run a line from the amp to the deck to give it a little more power?

and as far as the sub goes, 10" is all i need. I dont listen to rap and i dont try and rattle people out of their cars, just want even tight bass for rock and stuff.

[SirGCal]

I always say that if you're not going to run a fill amp (and a fill amp would overpower that sub's effects in this case) then stick with speakers rated for 35W RMS or less for off-the-head-unit operation.

As for the head, I don't like Kenwood. I've replaced more faulty ones of those than even the cheepie brands out there. The P's are fair (Pioneer and Panasonic), but the only units I recommend openly are Alpine, Eclipse and Clarion. I even swore a while back to never buy or carry Sony (probably the most wrongly over-hyped name in the business), but I'd buy one of those before a Kenwood again honestly.

[spyder6]

thanks for the pointer SirG. would i be better off using the factory speakers instead of investing in new ones?

[SirGCal]

If you're just going to stick with head unit power, I would do the head, and sub/amp if you plan to and leave the stock speakers in place first. If you want a touch more sound, maybe a cheap 5.25" upgrade in the front. Pioneer makes some inexpensive 25W RMS speakers that are a great match for head units. But the simple point is, get the head and sub going and if you're fill is still not what you're looking for, then continue with an upgrade there.

[spyder6]

thanks SirG, all i need to do now is pick out a head, after talking to my brother and reading up on here and briefly speaking with a friend of mine who is a competition audio guy, ive been looking more into Eclipse and Alpine heads. I like the Eclipse more, especially that it has a OEL screen,

Looking at this, the Eclipse CD5100
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-iDoyOitBekc/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=300&i=099CD5100&tp=5684

[spyder6]

also looking at this Alpine deck http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=CDA-9887&lang=en&tab=F

[bman9089]

Originally Posted by spyder6

also looking at this Alpine deck http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=CDA-9887&lang=en&tab=F

check out the 9884. That's the HU I'm going to get.

[spyder6]

SirG, would you recommend that i run new wire to the speakers if i decide to get new ones? or would the factory wiring suffice?

[mylt1]

if your not running an amp then the factory wire is fine. if your gonna amp, run new wires.

[02tjsport]

I must disagree with SirGCal for once. I like kenwood and have had good luck with them. I am actually planning on getting that exact model. My main reason for liking them is the adjustable and ease of use on the functions of hte unit. Mine just went out because i have let my mounting bracket be broken too long and it has just been ratling around inside the dash. But it has also seen 4 vehicles.

I would get a different set of speakers 4 ohm ones, and an amp. It is super easy in a jeep to run speaker wire to all 4 speakers from the back seat area.

[SirGCal]

New wires if you amp more than 40W or so. Otherwise you're fine.

And as for the Kenwood thing... As I said. They are too hit and miss. Some units last forever. Some don't work out of the box. For three summers, doing odd-job installs for extra cash through my garage and a local shop for a friend, over half of the work was replacing broken new Kenwoods, or taking them out to be serviced. And this was only a few years ago, not back in the 90's even. Plus, with multiple of their high-end units now, their electronics aren't up to the task of what they should be and their SQ suffers.

But if you have one and like it; great! I'm happy for ya. And if it even sounds proper, even better! But I've sen too many of them go the other way on the average to make them worth the risk of buying one today. That's the only point I'm trying to make.

As for the 9887, that's one I've always liked myself. Extremely good unit.