Greg Hertig
CarAudio.com Newbie
- 1
i am looking for advice for my new system. I am not new to car audio, as I first installed a system almost 25 years ago. That grew into a love for car audio, and I was really big into it in my early 20s. I still love having great sound quality and to turn it up a bit, but since i just bought my first new car in almost ten years, it has also been almost ten years since I last did an install. Knowing how many car audio manufacturers lie about output and quality, I was hoping to get some advice for my new build. My primary purpose is going to be sound quality, but I also would like it to be able to thump. Not looking to get into an SPL competition or anything like that, but enough to feel the bass, other goals are to keep it as stock looking as possible and to retain all stock storage areas. My vehicle is a 2014 jetta sportwagen tdi, and I have a few ideas on what to start with from my browsing. Total budget could be stretched to 2000, but it would make me and the wife happier if I can keep it significantly lower than that.
head unit: probably the biggest factor hear is going to be versatility. I want a double din touchscreen display with wireless android auto. 3 sets of preouts, backup camera ability, ability to play cds and FLAC, retain steering wheel controls and have idatalink maestro compatibility. Possible early candidate for this is Kenwood DDX9705 which is around 470.
Front stage: The Sportwagen comes with a front 6.5", 4", and 1" tweeter. I am leaning towards a set of 2 way components rather than three way due to cost. Not too sure who makes good components now, but from my browsing, I am leaning toward JBL Stadium GTO600C. I have used JBL in the past and always thought they were solid. I also like that this set is at 2.5 ohms so I can get a bit more out of an amp. I am really open to suggestions here, but I know I do not want to go active with the speakers and want to keep them passive. I did an active setup about 15 years ago, and I would rather not go through that pain again. i've seen the JBL for as low as 200
Rear stage: Yes, I want to keep a rear stage. I understand imaging is typically better with just a front, but I have kids who ride in the back seat who want to get good effects from the sound as well. The sportwagen has a stock 6.5" and 1" tweeter in the rear doors. FOr the sake of simplicity, I am considering the JBL Stadium GTO600C again here. Definitely open to suggestions though.
Subwooofer: Not sure what to go with here. I am planning on installing the subwoofer in a self made fiberglass box in the trunk that will tuck into the rear wall. I don't have exact volume available since I did not make the enclosure yet, but it looks like it will be around 1 cubic foot. Mounting depth can be a maximum of 7". I should be able to go to as large as a 12" diameter fairly comfortably. Sound quality is going to be more important than SPL, but the ability to go louder is also nice. I really don't know where to go here, as the last subwoofer I bought was an Adire Brahma, which I loved (fairly obvious there as I still have it 15+ years later), but I do not have the room for it in the Sportwagen.
Amplifiers: Not sure here either. I know Amplifier ratings were ridiculous on several brands back when I last did an install, and I know companies can change owners and become garbage overnight. So I really don't know what is decent. WIth that said, I also don't mind using brands that make outrageous claims as long as they put out the power I require. I once used a power acoustik amp that was rated around 3000 watts, but it was benched around 500 which worked for the application I wanted. The big thing I would want to do here is match power to speakers and subwoofer with a bit of headroom so I don't have to push the amps to 100% to get full capabilities of the speakers and woofer. I know precision power used to be solid, are they still good? I saw a few amps in there lineup that looked like they would meet my criteria, and were at a good price.
THanks in advance for any guidance and suggestions.
head unit: probably the biggest factor hear is going to be versatility. I want a double din touchscreen display with wireless android auto. 3 sets of preouts, backup camera ability, ability to play cds and FLAC, retain steering wheel controls and have idatalink maestro compatibility. Possible early candidate for this is Kenwood DDX9705 which is around 470.
Front stage: The Sportwagen comes with a front 6.5", 4", and 1" tweeter. I am leaning towards a set of 2 way components rather than three way due to cost. Not too sure who makes good components now, but from my browsing, I am leaning toward JBL Stadium GTO600C. I have used JBL in the past and always thought they were solid. I also like that this set is at 2.5 ohms so I can get a bit more out of an amp. I am really open to suggestions here, but I know I do not want to go active with the speakers and want to keep them passive. I did an active setup about 15 years ago, and I would rather not go through that pain again. i've seen the JBL for as low as 200
Rear stage: Yes, I want to keep a rear stage. I understand imaging is typically better with just a front, but I have kids who ride in the back seat who want to get good effects from the sound as well. The sportwagen has a stock 6.5" and 1" tweeter in the rear doors. FOr the sake of simplicity, I am considering the JBL Stadium GTO600C again here. Definitely open to suggestions though.
Subwooofer: Not sure what to go with here. I am planning on installing the subwoofer in a self made fiberglass box in the trunk that will tuck into the rear wall. I don't have exact volume available since I did not make the enclosure yet, but it looks like it will be around 1 cubic foot. Mounting depth can be a maximum of 7". I should be able to go to as large as a 12" diameter fairly comfortably. Sound quality is going to be more important than SPL, but the ability to go louder is also nice. I really don't know where to go here, as the last subwoofer I bought was an Adire Brahma, which I loved (fairly obvious there as I still have it 15+ years later), but I do not have the room for it in the Sportwagen.
Amplifiers: Not sure here either. I know Amplifier ratings were ridiculous on several brands back when I last did an install, and I know companies can change owners and become garbage overnight. So I really don't know what is decent. WIth that said, I also don't mind using brands that make outrageous claims as long as they put out the power I require. I once used a power acoustik amp that was rated around 3000 watts, but it was benched around 500 which worked for the application I wanted. The big thing I would want to do here is match power to speakers and subwoofer with a bit of headroom so I don't have to push the amps to 100% to get full capabilities of the speakers and woofer. I know precision power used to be solid, are they still good? I saw a few amps in there lineup that looked like they would meet my criteria, and were at a good price.
THanks in advance for any guidance and suggestions.