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Heres the situation. I'm selling my wheels and a guy offered to hook me up with audio prices at nearly half off in Best Buy. I told him that I will discount the wheels, as long as the prices are lower than Ebay audio stuff that are brand new and from reputable sellers.

So far, I only have a Pioneer 750, so it's the Premier.
And I have Kicker Resolution 6.5 Components in the front.

1: I am for sure in the market for a subwoofer, and was going to buy the JL w6v2 12 inch for around $300. Best Buy doesn't carry JL, so I was going to buy the sub at a local shop. Unless you guys have suggestions for RF, Pioneer, or Kenwood stuff from Best Buy. I don't even think they carry the Power series subs from RF.

2: I will need an amp to power the JL sub and was looking for about 400-500 watts rms at 2ohms from some class D amp. I will go to Best Buy tomorrow hoping to see more selections, because Best Buy online has very few choices.

3: I will also need an amp to power my Kicker components and was looking for about 100-200 watts rms at 4 ohms. The components are said to handle 100watts on the box, but I read that the tweeters when bought alone are made to handle 150 watts. So i'm somewhat confused how much to power my fronts.

The wiring I will probably buy from Best Buy. RCAs, power, distributor, and fuses. I was thinking maybe even getting it installed at Best Buy, since he will hook it up with a price.

There is alot of info. on just what I wanted to do here, but I wanted some opinions on what I should maybe get and if the amount of power I wanted to power my stuff is optimal. My budget for audio is probably around $800. My old plans was the JL sub for $300 + Kicker 5 ch amp for $330. So round it out to about $650 for a sub and amp that would power everything. I still need a sealed box, wiring (two sets of RCA, power wire, speaker wire, etc.), and installation. Is this budget high enough for an above avg system that is leaning towards SQ with some decent SPL? I'm thinking of getting one of the 7thgen members to install it for a price too. And I'm not looking for the best wires, just a little above avg with oxygen free copper.

 
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Best Buy sucks, you are better to pay more for GOOD gear somewhere else

 
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I was planning on buying the sub somewhere else, but how about amps? Do the amps matter that much? Heck, I was looking at getting Sony or Pioneer amps, and if that guy can hook me up with near half off from msrp, two amps will cost me around $250. And I have read on here that wiring is not that important to go overboard. It matters more on the way you wire throughout your car to prevent noise or any distortion.

I can't afford JL amps like I wanted, but RF amps is a possiblity from Best Buy. Plus, I heard people who work for Best Buy get the sickest deals on warranty.

 
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well if you raelly aren't an enthusiast then yeah best buy is fine for you, even for subs. I usually speak from my point of view which is that of a competitor and a person who spends a lot of time in the industry.

wiring isn't like... super super critical, but make sure you use the biggest power wire that will fit into your amp, use a good pair of RCA's and use nice thick speaker wire and you will be fine. Of course make sure to follow proper practice and run signal (RCA's) and power on different sides of the car, keep your ground wire 36" or shorter (although a wee bit longer if you absolutely have to won't hurt anybody), and keep your fuse within 18" of your battery.

RF amps are okay, I'm sure you will be more than happy. Hell I run an RF amp myself (1001BD) so I guess I can give them an endorsement.

Also, I am selling my amp (500 watts @ 4 ohms, 1000 @ 2) so I can let you scoop that one up for a decent price if you are interested...

 
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Dang, too much power for me and will probably make me go too much over my budget.

Yeah, I knew you were one of the hardcore audio guys. Thanks for understanding my level of audio interest. I just hope that my inexpensive amps won't hinder the high end quality of the JL sub I want.

 
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You can buy my amp and still stay within your budget I will sell for $350 + shipping

 
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$350 was my budget for amps to power my sub and components...haha. Unless I would hook it all up to 1 channel...haha. I'm a noob at audio, but it doesn't mean I don't want decent stuff...hehe.

 
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Well you can use your head unit to power your front and rear speakers and use an external amp for your subs only. You'd still have decent sound yet enough bass to slam you into oblivion.

 
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You know that will sound like crap...haha. I will have too much bass to hear my midrange and highs. You just talking like a salesman now...haha.

But seriously, I know I went the wrong way when I bought my Kicker Resolutions. I was thinking the top of the line Kicker has to be really good. It sounds good to me so far, but from what I have read. I probably should have just gone with some mid class Focals.

On your experience, how much do you think I should power the Resolutions for optimal use with longevity in consideration. I have the stock rear speakers and were just planning to leave those alone or maybe buy some $50 cheap speakers for fill and power it with my deck. And will the 12 inch JL w6v2 be too much possibility for my kind of system?

 
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Actually I've ALWAYS used deck power and I've been running that amp for just under a year on and off and it's never really bothered me, all it takes is proper tuning. I mean it doesn't sound like WOW, but it's quite good still.

And Focal will poo on Kicker and/or give it a bear*.

*A bear is when you take a dump, don't wipe your *** and then go to a passed out guy and put your *** right into his face and rub the poo in.

 
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A bear sounds like it is referring to the "rabbit and bear" story. But yeah, I do regret and will stick to it though.
West Coast Extreme SPL'er...hehe. Your all about high powered bass.

 
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Yeah very much so

http://www.cardomain.com/id/westcoastextreme

 
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One thing I'm worried about is if I buy cheap amps like Sony, will my JL w6v2 sub and kicker components sound like crap?

Here are the specs of the amps.
Sony XM-2200GTX
200 watts RMS x 2 @ 4 ohms
250 watts RMS x 2 @ 2 ohms
Stereo or bridged-mono output; tri-way capable
Selectable 10dB bass boost centered at 40Hz
Preamp and speaker-level inputs
Gold-plated connectors provide reliable signal and power connections
Requires 4-gauge power and ground leads (not included)

SONY XM-D500X
250 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms
500 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms
2-ohm stable
Class D design
variable low-pass filter (50-300 Hz, 12 dB/octave)
variable bass boost (0-10 dB centered at 40 Hz)

I'm not a total audiophile, but if these amps will kill my SQ alot, give me a suggestion of other inexpensive brands. I see people sporting JBL amps alot. Would that really be better than Sony?

 
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YUP! Any weak link in your system will have an effect on the total quality. You could have Mcintosh amps, Utopia 3 ways, Brahma subs and hook it all up with some nice radio shack wiring and it'll suck.

Ok, first off, if you're interested inthe 12W6V2, see if you can get a good deal on a H.O. Wedge (enclosed 12w6v2 from JL).

 
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damn
sounds like my system =)

but as to the wiring, i dont know if i can entirely agree...

 
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Okay, I guess I'm gonna forget the Sonys...hehe. I will forget the Best Buy deal and probably get the new Phoenix Gold Xenon series stuff. It will only make me go over my budget a bit.
The Xenon X100.2 puts out 100watt x 2 @ 1-4 ohm (I love how the impedance doesn't effect the power rating. Just like JL amps)

And the Xenon X400.1 puts out 400 x 1 @ 1-4 ohms.

It will probably cost me $400 bucks for both those amps now. The sub will cost me about $300 and wires around $150. I"m at $850 without a sealed box and I've decided I'll learn how to install this stuff... it will be fun after my DATs. The H.O. box is so big that it will take up to much trunk space. I just want to have a small sealed enclosure for strong, accurate bass. I'll try to build the box myself, so that I won't go broke.

And you guys with your dream systems...haha. Too funny. Man, this is a big investment that I hope can be transferred to my next car...haha.

 
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Really? You don't agree that poor quality cables spoil a nice system?

I didn't know you run McIntosh amps, awsome. You got any advice on some good quality bestbuy stuff for this gentleman?

BTW - off the topic, I've heard rumors of a new Aesop album to be released soon, but haven't found any evidence. Obviously you are a fan, You hear anything about that?

 
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1 - dont run mac amps, but utopia 3 ways and brahma.
arc amps, cant afford mac

2 - wiring is a touchy subject. I believe that properly routed cables, as long as theyre not falling apart, and as long as proper gauge is used, will pretty much all sound the same. Why don't I use walmart cabling? because its not durable.

3 - I met Aes a few times, and I think he's getting progressively crazier. I don't even know if i'll even like a future album by him, but seeing as how he's already put out 5 albums, I dont think he'll be faltering

 
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you missed the part about you best buy recomendations for this gentleman's thread.

 
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Hehe, don't worry about it. You guys scared me about ruining my system with crappy amps, so I'm going with the Phoenix Gold Xenon amps I listed above. And I'll probably be getting decent wiring. I was thinking maybe the Rockford Power series wires and either Dual twist or Matrix cables will be fine for my needs.

I'll keep in mind Ludlam's setup to know what a true audiophile has or wants. But I think I'lll be okay with my more economical system.

 
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man, RF amps are fine for you

I miss the days when I didnt have to spend 1000 dollars to see a performance increase in my sound

 
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Oops, here I am pushing your for an opinion and my post with my recommendation didn't get up. I think I forgot to submit it after I wrote it and walked away. I always get side tracked somehow. Anyway the X400 was my $.2



Weren't those also the days when you couldn't detect an increase in performance? C'mon, you know you wouldn't trade your finely-tuned ear for a fatter wallet . . .