sh@rpshooter, welcome to TBHP ICE! Best ICE intro I've read. And you definitely know what you want.
1 & 3. You sound like the front+sub kind of guy. If you don't mind not having rear fill, all you need is a good pair of components up front, a good 4-ch amp and a sub (and a HU, of course). You will get good front-stage if you get good comps and amp them well.
If you are really into music, and you spend 2 hrs daily in your car I would say you should get a sub. Since you don't want a chest massage, and you'll be getting a car with a boot (ok, the verna is a notchback), a 12" in a sealed box would be best. Maybe even a 10" would do. 50Hz to upto say 80Hz will be best when supported by a sub. Most comps will not go below 60hz, and that is when they get amped well.
But 15K will not cut it for the kind of sound you want (warm, somewhat laid-back). And for a start (you've mentioned step-by-step upgrade) 20K
maybe better. The reason I'm saying this is that you need to buy stuff that you shouldn't have to throw out later. HU: Since you don't have a HU, you should get one that has 3 pre-outs (front+sub needs only 2, but you may change your mind later) and gives a quality signal. That will run to 10K-12K. Options from Alpine, Blaupunkt, Kenwood & Pioneer will be best. I think all the HUs in this range will have aux-in. Speakers: If what you want is warm, somewhat laid-back sound, JBL may not suit your tastes. JBLs are a bit forward and are brighter than most other options. But you may like the sound from Infinitys. They are more laid back than JBLs and are not as laid back as say Alpine Type-Rs. But Infinity comps will run to about 10K to start with. Alpine Type-Rs maybe 15K. Hertz HSK (Hi-energy) comps will be 15K. You should listen and decide. If it were my money, I'd buy Hertzs (I personally love their sound). But YMMV. You'll need to allocate at least 12K here for speakers. And for your tastes, best avoid co-axials, unless you're using them for rear-fill.
The more sensitive of speakers car-audio will be around 93DB. Most have sensitivity of 90-93DB. Some of the lesser sensitive ones (sometimes more expensive) may sound better (so I've heard), but you'll need expensive amps to get them to move :-)
Another note about speakers: If the music you usually listen to is very vocal intensive (lemme guess, mostly female Jazz artists?), you can consider getting 3-way comps. They will be more expensive (at least 14-15K), but they will be worth it. You'll also need to amp them as soon as you get them, so initial investment will be more.
HU + Speakers will eat a 20K budget (and some) in the beginning. Amp & wiring: Next add a good 4-ch Amp. Don't go for the entry level ones. Buy at least a JBL GTO75.4 (@13k). Alpines are available for about 20K. Audison amps start at 24.5K. Bridge the amp to 2ch for the time being, and drive the front comps. If you get Hertzs (2-way comps) you can bi-amp them - the XO has the facility. I don't know of you can bi-amp Infinitys or Alpine-Rs. Wiring (Power) will run to about 3K, and RCA interconnects will run to 2K for 2 sets (I assume 2 sets will be needed, even though you are driving only the front channels bridged). Damping: You may not need damping until you add an amp, but one you do, your front doors will start vibrating and driving you mad. Then you'll need to spend 3-4K to damp your front doors with Dynamat/Fonomat/WURTH/Pylemat etc. Damping the boot & the boot-lid maybe required when you add a sub. The NHC may need damping very soon, sometimes even without an amp. Not sure about the Verna or Fiesta. Sub: Next get a good 10" or 12" sub in a sealed box. Get a good brand, and don't settle for Pio (Pios do good SPL, but there are better SQ drivers). Options a quite a bit here, in all price ranges. JBL has a good sealed 12" sub-in-a-box solution for 8K. Hertz Energy Subs will cost you between 7.5K (10") and 9K (12"). You'll need to build a box for those (1.5K). IDQ 10" or 12" will be 10K and 12K (approx -- not sure of exact price), and you'll need boxes for these too.
This about completes your requirement. If you'd like to, you can later add rear fill (to the current 4ch amp) and a dedicated amp (monobloc/2 ch) for the sub.
Last edited by hydrashok : 15th January 2007 at 00:09.
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