How does this system sound?

T

thevolvoguy

New member
Well, as a lot of you probably remember, I am looking to upgrade my stereo system in the 850. I set a limit to what ever I can get for under 1k.



Well scratch that...



I decided that if I am going to be in my car as much as I am, I might as well go ahead and invest. So here is what I have come up with.



Blaupunkt San Fransisco head unit w/ MP3 CD

Blaupunkt In-Dash 5-disc changer

MB Quart Componets for the front doors

Infinity Kappa 5 1/4 2-ways for the rear doors

Infinity Kappa 6x9's for the rear deck

2 Audiobahn 12 inch subs, undecided on amp.



I want to buy this sub, it seems like a good deal.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1866503838



and this CD player



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1389269735



Otherwise, I am buying the reciever through Crutchfield, speakers through car toys and having everything installed by car toys.



What do ya'll think? Also, it was reccomended by a sales rep that I get an external amp for the componet speakers. Is this completely necesarry? Is 45x4 watts enough to power all the speakers w/o an amp? It seems like a low wattage to me. :nixweiss
 
Are you sure you want to go with Blaupunkt? That isn't really the best unit you can get. Actually, its way down on the low side. The rest of it looks pretty good, but I'd look at a Pioneer head or something like that. Blaupunkt is the kind of equipment you can pick up at AutoZone. Not renowned for the clearest sound or best quality. Just a thought.
 
I agree with Jngrbrdman, if you are going to spend the money I would suggest getting a better headunit. Pioneer has some nice ones, as does Alpine.

And in regards to the amp for components, the amp will provide the components with more power and more power equals better sound quality.



If you are happy with the sound just running off the deck, then that is fine but if you want better sound then buy a 75x4 watt amp(or similar) and it should sound much better.
 
Jng --



So you would reccomend Pioneer over Blaupunkt? Hmmm... I have been shopping all day and I was sold on the Pioneer "Premier" DEHP740M, which is one of the top of the line recievers Car Toys had. But, the sales guy told me that he would check out Blaupunkt, and take their top of the line over Pioneers, which was a surprise to me. Blaupunkt's top of the line is $550, while the Pioneer I was looking at was only $320. So if someone can give me a good reason not to go with the Blau, please speak up before I spend all that money on a reciever.



However, the attractive thing about Blaupunkt is the fact that I can get a 5 disc in dash changer that, when mounted under the reciever, fits perfectly in the 850's oversized din. I doubt the Blau would be compatable with another brand and I have yet to see another brand that makes a similar product.



I need to re think the head unit deal...



Anyway, I am open to any suggestions.
 
Are you familiar with this site? Its just one of a thousand car stereo reviews out there. I thought it might help out a bit.



Remember: Just because its more expensive doesn't mean that its better. Let Zymol be the example for that little phrase. ;)



I'm just not pro Blaupunkt because of the cheap heads I've seen in autopart stores. I've felt how cheaply made they appear and have heard their ear shattering 15 W outputs. ;) The one you are looking at is obviously not one of those, but I'm just fearful of the name because of some of the cheaper things they have produced. Have you taken a trip down to a local stereo shop so you can see your choices before you buy them?



Oh, I notice that the one on ebay has only moved about $30 bucks in the last 3 days. That is sort of another sign about what people think about Blaupunkt. Not that the head that you want is a bad product, but it appears that there are more out there who get scared when they see the name 'Blaupunkt' as well. IMO you can get better sound out of the Pioneer unit. I've seen and heard the Pioneer DEH-P9300 and it really rocks. It looks way smooth in the car too.
 
I'd go with Pioneer or Eclipse for a head unit. Just a little heads up, some brands are recommended because they make more profit for the store than other brands.



The wattage you get from a head unit is usually specified at a very high total harmonic distortion (THD) like 10% which would sound horrible. When they are rated for power at a reasonable THD (.1%), they have no more than 10 watts per channel. My Kenwood amp is rated at 400 watts (4 x 100 watts) but it's at 10% THD. At .08% THD, it's 50 watts a channel. It's an excellent amp and you can probably find one with similar power for around $250-300 to drive your component speakers and probably a single 100-150 watt per channel amp for the subs for around $200 (100-150 watts x 2). With the MB Quart and Infinity speakers, along with the subs, it should sound great. In fact, with a good 4 channel amp and the component speakers, you may not even need the subs. I'd just get everything except the subs and dedicated amp and see if it is loud enough and has the bass you want. You can always add the additional amp and subs if you want more.
 
Blaupunkt head units (receivers) have a respectable reputuation. There are some that you want to stay away from (San Diego, Sante Fe, Los Vegas) otherwise they are excellent. The San Francisco and Los Angeles models are top-of-the-line. Blaupunkt also make quality speakers however there amplifiers are overpriced relative to its competition...



One of my better friends is a car audio installer and he's recommended me my sound system on a tight budget.



*Alpine CDA-7892

*Infinity Kappa 6.5" (doors)

*Infinity Reference 6"x9" (rear)

*JBL 2.5" (dash)

*Profile 640sx California Series (4-channel, 75 watts)



It sounds superior to people who waste a couple grand on 1,000+ watt subwoofers while neglecting to power their main speakers through anything other than the head unit. I'm estimating its costed me $650 - $700 and my receiver has the potential to add a subwoofer if and when I desire it...



As you probably could guess, I'd highly recommend a quality amp to power your main component speakers.
 
I concur that there are some Blaupunkt systems that sound decent but the more mainstream ones are not the greatest in the world (My personal gripe with them is high distortion).



With that said, I would go with either Alpine, Pioneer, Eclipse, Kenwood, or Clarion. If you want to go a tad more "esoteric" check out Sony ES, Denon, or Nakamichi.



The rest of the system is decent except for your subs. I would look at either JL Audio's W3 v2, Eclipse Titanium Series, CDT, a/d/s, MA Audio (newcomer but good), Alpine R Series, Rockford Fosgate.



As far as an amp is concerned, check out a/d/s, JL Audio, Rockford Fosgate (Power Series), Soundstream, Xtant.



If you want a few ideas, click the link at the bottom of this post to see what I am throwing in the Maxima (even that's about to change) :D
 
BlackRegal said:
For my money, I would go with Macintosh for the head and amp. All speakers would be a/d/s. If you're looking for pure volume and thump, then there are better setups out there. But, if you're looking for fidelity, imaging, and clarity, I don't think you can beat that setup.



That being said... your speaker choices look fine, but I'll jump on the bandwagon and say look for a different head unit. Most of PrinzII's suggestions look inline with what I would look at for a mid-priced head unit. If you're going to step up to a Denon or Nakamichi, the just go all the way to the Macintosh.



One other recommendation... invest in some good active crossovers (not passive). They'll optimize your frequency response and power usage.
Click to expand...



Since you mentioned higher end, then he would want to check out:



Brax Amps

Arc Audio (Amps)

Rainbow (Sepakers



Bear in mind that the items you are mentioning and the ones I just listed are well out of the 1k budget.



In my case, I am waiting for Eclipse to come out with an in-dash CD Changer that plays MP3s.
 
Thanks for all the links Prinz!



Does anyone know how Denon head units are? I own a Denon home reciever and love it.



However, I would like to go with a MP3 compatible CD player, which Denon currently does'nt make. So I was thinking of the DEH-P8400MP reciever and installing a Pioneer DEQ-7600 equalizer below it, to make a nice clean Double Din installation.



As for the MBQ's I wanted to put in the front, those seem kind of pricey. $350 for the pair. They are only 5 1/4 inch... would there be a better, or equal lower priced alternative? The Kappa componets are $299, JBL's are $179, RF's are $369, Kicker's are $229, MTX are $139, Kenwood's are $149, and finally the Polk's are $229. I need to go as low as i can go w/o comprimising sound quality. Ideas?



Again, thank you to Prinz, and everyone else who has replied for all the great Ideas and sites. :wavey
 
Your MB Quartz components that you plan to power by your amp of choice is not where I'd look to save money, I wouldn't go much lower than the Infinity's. If your looking to save money in your system, I'd instead:



1. Ditch putting 6"x9" speakers in your rear deck. Rear speakers aren't really needed as they essentially put out the same frequency as the rest of your full-range speakers.



2. Depends highly on your personal preference though you could save tons of cash waiting till later to add your subwoofers which would require a pricey amplifier. You may find that your 4-main speakers provide more than enough base if you give them enough power via a quality, 4-channel amplifier.
 
I would suggest Alpine over Pioneer for the MP3 deck.

Pioneer decks take along time to load the song(6sec+) while alpine loads it immeditately.



And as for the amps in the system, go to www.etronics.com and look at the JBL amps - Im getting the 1200.1 for 2 subs and the 80.4 to drive the speakers, and for the quality of the amps(very good) they are a very good price - like 250 for 1200 watts and 130 for the 80.4
 
Jademonkey said:
I would suggest Alpine over Pioneer for the MP3 deck.

Pioneer decks take along time to load the song(6sec+) while alpine loads it immeditately.



And as for the amps in the system, go to www.etronics.com and look at the JBL amps - Im getting the 1200.1 for 2 subs and the 80.4 to drive the speakers, and for the quality of the amps(very good) they are a very good price - like 250 for 1200 watts and 130 for the 80.4
Click to expand...



I forgot about the JBL Amps. Another amp you might want to look at is Directed (Who also owns a/d/s, Orion, Precision Power).
 
One more qestion guys, How are MTX subs? I saw a killer deal for a box and 2 12 inch subs w/ amp on clearance for $350. IMO they sounded as good as the JL audio box, (same size) they had next to it for $500. Anyone have personal experience with MTX subs?
 
thevolvoguy said:
One more qestion guys, How are MTX subs? I saw a killer deal for a box and 2 12 inch subs w/ amp on clearance for $350. IMO they sounded as good as the JL audio box, (same size) they had next to it for $500. Anyone have personal experience with MTX subs?
Click to expand...



MTX is also a good choice for amp and subs but there is a certain line that is much better than the series they sell in stores like Circuit city and Best Buy.



It just hit me a couple of seconds ago. Take a trip to your local Tweeter and listen to the following speaker/amp combination.



Boston Acoustics FS 60 ($219.95/pr)

Boston Acoustics FX93 ($139.95/pr)

JL Audio 300/4



If you want info on the speakers, head to www.bostonacoustics.com
 
wm tiger said:
Your MB Quartz components that you plan to power by your amp of choice is not where I'd look to save money, I wouldn't go much lower than the Infinity's. If your looking to save money in your system, I'd instead:



1. Ditch putting 6"x9" speakers in your rear deck. Rear speakers aren't really needed as they essentially put out the same frequency as the rest of your full-range speakers.



2. Depends highly on your personal preference though you could save tons of cash waiting till later to add your subwoofers which would require a pricey amplifier. You may find that your 4-main speakers provide more than enough base if you give them enough power via a quality, 4-channel amplifier.
Click to expand...



Actually, if he puts a decent 3-way 6x9 and a good 4 channel amp, he can eliminate the need for a sub.



I was going to put a set of Eclipse 83941s (3 way 6x9) in the rear of my '94 Maxima until I found out that it required some cutting to do that.
 
Head unit: Alpine CDA-7894 ($450.00)

Amp: JL Audio 300/4

Front Speakers: Boston Acoustics FS 60 ($219.95)

Rear Speakers: Boston Acoustics FX93 ($139.95)



Bear in mind, these are the manufacturer's prices. Does not include installation.
 
Prinz --



I have the same problem. The stock opening in the rear deck is somthing crazy, like 5 1/2 by 8 1/2. Even my door speakers are not going to be flush mounted because the opening is exactly 5 inches. I don't know what these car companys think they are accomplishing by making my life difficult. heh :rolleyes:



Anyway, my salesman at Cartoys said he could just install a bracket that will mount them cleanly, just not as flush as before. IMO thats better than cutting holes, because eventually, when I sell the car I will most likely put all the original equipment back.



So lets clear everything up. With everyone on Autopia's help, this is what I have decided.... not written in stone yet.



Pioneer DEH-P8400 head unit (Unless I find a better deal on the similar Alpine CDA-7894)

Equalizer... For the Pioneer setup -- DEQ-7600 Alpine -- EQ-3343



Kappa 6x9's I love these, no one is changing my mind on these babies. :D

Kappa 5 1/4 2-ways

MB Quart 5 1/4 Componets



JBL 80.4 1,2,3, or 4-channel amp <-- Thanks JM!! I saw this one at the store, and not only does it have perfect sound quality its cheap and looks great! :up



Subs... ehhh they would be a nice Birthday present later on. I have spent enough already. :xyxthumbs



So... I ask one last time... How does this system sound?
 
Prinz, I guess we were posting at the same time. :doh



Good suggestion on head units... heh



Im going back into Car Toys again today to check some more things out, I will give the BA's a look, I have some of those at home... they are as old as I am. Hopefully it will be my last day looking... so next week sometime I will start buying. Thanks, again!
 
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