HardofWhoring
Member
Don't know your knowledge level, so I'll go over what I think are some of the basics.
Yeah the big 3 will help just about any vehicle even stock. When adding an amp, you definitely should (plan for it).
You have a healthy budget, before you buy your stereo, there are quite a few other things you should think about.
1. The alternator - If you're still on stock, then you should at least know how to calculate what you are adding. (I'll use that sundown amp since it shows the specs).
75w x 4 = 300w (for ch 1-4) / .65 (65% efficient ) = 461w
300w (x1 for 5th ch/ sub) /.86 = 348w +461 = 809w.
809w / 14.4v (standard voltage numbers) = 56 amp draw for that one amplifier, (that you would be adding to what your vehicle uses). That is when it's full out playing your subs at your max settings. It would be highly unlikely you would need a new battery for that, but if you play heavy bass music on high for hours on end, you would probably need a larger alternator. Not sure about your vehicle, but if a slightly larger factory alt is an option, that would probably be good enough.
2. Wiring. - The big 3 is a big part of that. Probably $50-$100, and you (used to be able to) buy a hydraulic crimper and do it yourself for the cost of what any audio shop would charge. This is an easy job, and you can use it to make your custom power and ground cables too. Your going to need a fuse on your power wire to protect the wire. For the big 3, your amp wiring, fuse, crimper, you should figure your options but its probably about $150. That includes new speaker wiring from your amp to your speakers. 40-50 seems to be where your factory wiring is probably not enough, and won't kill you to spend $20 there.
3. SOUND DEADENER - I go through stages of where I enjoy this more than my stereo. If you want to know what it's like, go listen to your stereo on a lower volume with the windows down in traffic. Then put your windows up, and that's about what sound deadener does. It blocks out all the outside of your vehicle / ambient noise so that you don't HAVE TO crank it up to hear your music. The doors are where you want to start, they block out the sounds from the other vehicles. Doing the floors blocks out road and your own vehicle's noise (wind, engine, exhaust, tires). The roof is to help create a cocoon and a better sound stage baseline. Four doors are about $150-$200 for the good stuff. My regular cab pickup was about $500 for the entire cab with some doubling.
From what I gather so far, My build for a $2k budget would be two sets of those focals I posted earlier, and a 4 ch amp that would play just those. (that's a little under half).
$100-$150 on a simple head unit.
$200 wiring (on the high estimate for two amps with a splitter)
$150 for sound deadener
You can buy a better sub than what you have posted. It looks to me like you might have just wanted to use one amp, and that really limited your options.
A second amp that is 1 ohm, 1 ch, and will work for a different sub. I like JL audios, I have em, but you are paying a premium for that name. Not sure how much bass you want, but for the price of that sub, you can buy something that will hit a lot harder. If this is just going in your trunk, you don't need a enclosure that's got fancy curves and a label. This is where you should figure out that alternator amperage, because if you go bigger.
I WOULD go with a larger alternator for probably around $300 for something that's probably about 80-100 amps more than factory (and that could be $500-600). There could be a big price difference in what you actually find, it really depends on your vehicle and what you have. I'm not going to search for your options, but I suggest you see what they are before you buy. You don't want to build this, then NEED one or else you have to turn it down after 20 minutes. I would bet your factory alt is about 100 amps, and you're not adding 50 amps of draw and getting away with it not effecting your vehicle.
That would give you about 50-60 amps for your sub amplifier. (60x 14.4 = 864) x .85 = 734, and then it depends on how your music as to how well that would recharge. That would be a constant recharge when that's not how your music plays. You could go with 1,000w RMS sub on that alt.
You can buy a sub (up to 1000w for cheap, and a cheap amp to play it on). A sub is also something you could hold off on.
The only change in all of this to save a little would be to get rid of the second pair of 6.5s, and 4 ch amp, and just get some budget low wattage speakers to go in the back that can play off your head unit's power. Get a 2ch amp for the fronts, and set your sound stage. That would save a few hundred, and would cover that alternator.
I know you said you don't want to buy an alternator, but if you want a subwoofer, ANY SUBWOOFER, I bet you will need one. I will bet your factory alt is about 100amps, and won't keep up with a subwoofer, (unless you're cool with turning the sub amp off for a few songs in between the one song you get to listen to). I honestly think the alternator that you don't want to get, needs to be/ will eventually be the biggest ticket item on your list, (even if you don't do it now).
Yeah the big 3 will help just about any vehicle even stock. When adding an amp, you definitely should (plan for it).
You have a healthy budget, before you buy your stereo, there are quite a few other things you should think about.
1. The alternator - If you're still on stock, then you should at least know how to calculate what you are adding. (I'll use that sundown amp since it shows the specs).
75w x 4 = 300w (for ch 1-4) / .65 (65% efficient ) = 461w
300w (x1 for 5th ch/ sub) /.86 = 348w +461 = 809w.
809w / 14.4v (standard voltage numbers) = 56 amp draw for that one amplifier, (that you would be adding to what your vehicle uses). That is when it's full out playing your subs at your max settings. It would be highly unlikely you would need a new battery for that, but if you play heavy bass music on high for hours on end, you would probably need a larger alternator. Not sure about your vehicle, but if a slightly larger factory alt is an option, that would probably be good enough.
2. Wiring. - The big 3 is a big part of that. Probably $50-$100, and you (used to be able to) buy a hydraulic crimper and do it yourself for the cost of what any audio shop would charge. This is an easy job, and you can use it to make your custom power and ground cables too. Your going to need a fuse on your power wire to protect the wire. For the big 3, your amp wiring, fuse, crimper, you should figure your options but its probably about $150. That includes new speaker wiring from your amp to your speakers. 40-50 seems to be where your factory wiring is probably not enough, and won't kill you to spend $20 there.
3. SOUND DEADENER - I go through stages of where I enjoy this more than my stereo. If you want to know what it's like, go listen to your stereo on a lower volume with the windows down in traffic. Then put your windows up, and that's about what sound deadener does. It blocks out all the outside of your vehicle / ambient noise so that you don't HAVE TO crank it up to hear your music. The doors are where you want to start, they block out the sounds from the other vehicles. Doing the floors blocks out road and your own vehicle's noise (wind, engine, exhaust, tires). The roof is to help create a cocoon and a better sound stage baseline. Four doors are about $150-$200 for the good stuff. My regular cab pickup was about $500 for the entire cab with some doubling.
From what I gather so far, My build for a $2k budget would be two sets of those focals I posted earlier, and a 4 ch amp that would play just those. (that's a little under half).
$100-$150 on a simple head unit.
$200 wiring (on the high estimate for two amps with a splitter)
$150 for sound deadener
You can buy a better sub than what you have posted. It looks to me like you might have just wanted to use one amp, and that really limited your options.
A second amp that is 1 ohm, 1 ch, and will work for a different sub. I like JL audios, I have em, but you are paying a premium for that name. Not sure how much bass you want, but for the price of that sub, you can buy something that will hit a lot harder. If this is just going in your trunk, you don't need a enclosure that's got fancy curves and a label. This is where you should figure out that alternator amperage, because if you go bigger.
I WOULD go with a larger alternator for probably around $300 for something that's probably about 80-100 amps more than factory (and that could be $500-600). There could be a big price difference in what you actually find, it really depends on your vehicle and what you have. I'm not going to search for your options, but I suggest you see what they are before you buy. You don't want to build this, then NEED one or else you have to turn it down after 20 minutes. I would bet your factory alt is about 100 amps, and you're not adding 50 amps of draw and getting away with it not effecting your vehicle.
That would give you about 50-60 amps for your sub amplifier. (60x 14.4 = 864) x .85 = 734, and then it depends on how your music as to how well that would recharge. That would be a constant recharge when that's not how your music plays. You could go with 1,000w RMS sub on that alt.
You can buy a sub (up to 1000w for cheap, and a cheap amp to play it on). A sub is also something you could hold off on.
The only change in all of this to save a little would be to get rid of the second pair of 6.5s, and 4 ch amp, and just get some budget low wattage speakers to go in the back that can play off your head unit's power. Get a 2ch amp for the fronts, and set your sound stage. That would save a few hundred, and would cover that alternator.
I know you said you don't want to buy an alternator, but if you want a subwoofer, ANY SUBWOOFER, I bet you will need one. I will bet your factory alt is about 100amps, and won't keep up with a subwoofer, (unless you're cool with turning the sub amp off for a few songs in between the one song you get to listen to). I honestly think the alternator that you don't want to get, needs to be/ will eventually be the biggest ticket item on your list, (even if you don't do it now).