Complete Audio System For Under $2000

[jrmedia]

hi all im looking to upgrade my audio system my price limit is $2000 im wanting to get a full audio system hu,speakers,amp(s), subs and anything else i might need ive been looking at this let me know what you think or any upgrades/missing stuff i may need

HU: Panasonic CQC800
Amp: Pioneer GMD7400M
Speakers (front): Pioneer TSA532P
Speakers (rear) : Pioneer TSA932P
Subs: Kicker 07CVT122
Before tax total: 1,379.94

now i know i would probably need the 4ga amp kit for power but not sure if i would need the high out put alt for the car or anything else or possibly upgrades to what i have picked let me know thanks in advance

[ryanbgb22]

I'm not really into car audio any more. But something about the brands of pioneer panasonic and kicker doesnt add up with what you are willing to spend. You can do way better. At the very least, get focal speakers with an amp to drive them (JL or equivalent). At least if sound quality is what your looking for.

[cardude007617]

you can do "better" than pioneer for speakers. dont get me wrong, they make great stuff (especially head units) but if you have a higher budget use it

look into some of the comp brands if your looking for BASS (MMATS, Fi, BTL, Lanzar, etc etc) i love my mmats subs. pioneer sub amps arent amazing. its hard to know where to start.

what are you looking for? SPL (BASSSSSS) ? or SQ (Sound quality) ?

[Sean]

If your gonna go with Kicker subs go with the CVRs or one of the solobaric series..ditch the CVTs, unless your trying to save space

and get at least a 1000W amp.. try Kenwood or Hifonics, the prices arn't that bad

[K WeRd]

id say use a 0 gauge kit even it ifs not needed.

[zukiracer19]

FOCK Kickers... i had 2 x audiopype comp12" subs and literally broke my window out played all my friends alpine subs and kicker

[ltpats]

I went online and wothout even trying very hard found everything you listed for a grand total of $600.00.
Not a huge Pioneer fan, have you listened to Infinity Kappa's at all?

[thormxkid]

with a $2000 budget you could have a decent system.
the most important part of a system is a source (head uint) so take your time picking out what you want panasonic would be far from my first choice...
the high end decks if your looking for the best sound IMO are

Pioneer DEH-P9800BT, Alpine CDA-9887, Eclipse CD7200 mk II

all those decks are in the $400 price range

speaker wise you'd want to spend time at your audio store playin on the sound board...front speakers are prolly your next important choice you don't want to cheap out here ethier...if you do your sub(s) whatever your thinking of could over power them and you wont be able to hear the music just some mumbled words with bass ...but some ppl like that. but i'd rather hear the words .

good front speakers would prolly be in the $200 and up range

rear speakers aren't so important...usualy just used as rear fill and passangers in the back would prolly like to hear some tunes...so for these anything decent will work...

80 and up for rears

for subs...there so many to choose from i wouldn't knoe where to start...kicker from what i knoe are more bass then clarity...(could be wrong)...but seeing as you picked a swallow sub i'd recamend the

JL Audio 13TW5-3 cost around 350 and up but they're suppost to put out some good clean bass for being a swallow woofer and it only takes up the same mounting dia. as a 12inch woofer

with all that i've told you depending on what item you buy you should be somewhere in the $1,100 mark...with only amps and wiring to go...

for amps...agian so many to choose from...just make sure you look at the rms out put not max watts...when you pick your amps try to leave a liltte head room...
what i mean is if your speakers are running at 60 rms get an amp that puts out aleast a lilttle more then that...that way you knoe your not goin to drive you amp into clippin tryin to feed those speaker the power they need. same deal for a mono amp.

hope that helps.
i knoe i just killed 15mins.

[Jake]

I've always been a fan of and used Clarion decks, always been good to me and have cool features and look sexy imo

[Metallman56]

before i go out on the web and put together a awesome system for you, i need to know if your more interested in Sound Quality (sq) or how loud your bass is (spl), or both.

let me know

[ace_332]

go with the alpine 9887 for your deck. Grab the q logic q forms for our kick panel and put a nice component set up there. Amp those and dont worry about the rear speakers. Add in a decent sub set at the right crossover with a little second skin sound deadener and your good to go. just make sure you have everything wired up nice and clean.

[jperryss]

Don't forget the sound deadening.

http://raamaudio.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi

[zukiracer19]

http://www.audiopipe.com/gal-newproducts-2008.asp

[ace_332]

rammat is a good choice for the sound deadener.

[IanGT99]

With a $2000 budget, you have a TON of options. Throw the Pioneer amp and speakers idea out the window right now. Stick with a higher end Pioneer or Alpine head unit. Next look into a component set for the front and a decent pair of 6x9's for the rear. The front speakers are the most important in the system. I'd say look into Infinity Kappa's and get a decent four-channel amp to drive them. As far as the sub and amp, I'm a big fan of the Alpine digital sub amps. They don't require the power draw that others do and they're much smaller. I've always been a huge fan of JL Audio subs. People will say they're overpriced and whatnot, but two W3v3 10's sound amazing. Expect to drop about $100 or so on wiring and installation kits. I haven't looked into this stuff in a while, so I can't give specific models, but this is my best price ballpark:

Pioneer head unit - $400
Infinity components - $250
Infinity 6x9's - $200
Alpine 4-channel amp - $300
2 - JL Audio 10's - $400
Alpine sub amp - $400
Wiring and accesories - $100

Total - $2050

[ace_332]

No need to worry about upgrading rear speakers as in a good sound system its just used for fill. take that 200 and use it to have a better front soundstage

[thormxkid]

Originally Posted by IanGT99

Infinity Kappa's

booooo

[Metallman56]

i wonder if this guy is ever going to post back.

[IanGT99]

^^^ haha. Well, I'm sure he didn't expect to have this much response to his post. I forgot to mention he'll need a sub enclosure unless he plans on making one himself. With the right tools and about $40 in parts, one can be made that's much better than the store bought kind. Just takes some carpentry skills and patience.

Ace, you're right in saying upgrading the rear speakers isn't nearly as important as the fronts, but using stock speakers with a more powerful systems will cause problems. Paper cones and foam surrounds won't hold up nearly as well as composite cones and butyl rubber surrounds. Using matching front and rear speakers (at least as far as brand goes) has seemed to work well IMO. If tuned correctly, the rear speakers can provide decent mid-bass to fill the back and give a more surrounding effect. As unimportant as they are in the big picture, I wouldn't recommend overlooking the rears completely. Even a cheap pair would be better than stock.

As far as the comment about the Infinity speakers, I have listened to many component sets in that price range and the Infinity's sound the best to me. I know there are better sets out there (mostly by lesser known brands), but for my own experience, those are the ones I would get. Keep in mind that everyone will have a different opinion. Everyone's hearing and personal tastes aren't the same.

[Metallman56]

personally if it were me, i'd only spend about $100 on the rears, and get these for the fronts.

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=1078

or any of these i think i'd choose over the kappa's. dont get me wrong, i do like kappa's i think there the best thing BB or CC sell, but i feel all of these are better.

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=2715

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=6846

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=4985