What's in Your System?
 

Looking to do major upgrades to my stock radio/speakers and was wondering what you guys did in terms of components, what sounds good/what doesn't for a range of different types of music, etc.

Thanks!

This is a tough question to answer as Audio is typically very personal. Best thing to do would be to grab a few CD's of your favorite stuff and head out to a local stereo shop and listen to different gear ... you'll know what you like ;)

A few things to think about before you start:

1. What is your budget? A full blown high-end install will be at least $4-5K+

2. Looks. Do you want stealth or do you want show?

3. How important is weight? do you care if you add 300lbs in subs, amps, boxes?

There are TONS of good components out there, so you can't go wrong depending on your budget. What is more important is that you find a quality installer in your area. Make sure they don't compromise sound for looks which does happen more often than one might think. The success of a good aftermarket car audio system really depends on the quality of the install.

Generally, as far as subs are concerned it depends on where you want to put the sub. I've seen people fit 1-3 10-inch subs under the strut bar, but if you want 12s you're probably going to have to put them in the spare tire well or in a custom box in the rear corner(s) of the hatch.

Sealed sub boxes are generally better for tight, accurate bass. Ported boxes are good for looser, boomy bass. Picking a sub box depends on what type of music you listen to. Make a CD with different types of bass on it, then head down to a shop and see how each sub box sounds with each bass type. The same technique can be applied for picking out a sub brand.

What if you like both? One of each with an A/B Switch? :D