Advice on some Amp / Subs

[pscmj84 10+ year member]

Within a month or so I'll be upgrading my stereo with a sub. I drive a 95 Maxima GLE (w/ Bose). The stereo has great midrange and treble clarity (6.75 components) with good sound staging. I will not be replacing it. The bass is good, but not great. I listen to rock mostly (biased towards bands like Disturbed, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Chevelle, and so on). I still listen to alot of Punk, Alternative, Classic, and Grunge Rock, and Old-School Heavy Metal though. I like my music pretty loud and clear with power in reserve for bass hits and "heavy" parts. However, I appreciate sound quality of loudness anyday.

Anyways, I am leaning towards a single 12' sealed and around 300w rms amp. 200 bucks is about the max price here. That means lots of stuff off E-bay and such. I'm going to post some potential products here. But I'm open to ideas on alternative products for the same price. Here goes:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...;category=48614

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...;category=18797

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...;category=18803

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...;category=32808

I have a friend with a 1230w in a sealed box and it sounds nice. The box has free shipping, thats why I choose it. Only thing I'm worried about is the bazooka amp because ive heard they have problems with overheating. I just choose a wiring kit, I'm not really sure what I need.

Here is the problem, the Maxima's Bose system. How am I going to wire this? Bose runs weird impedances for their speakers and ive heard the adapters are real expensive and not very reliable. Whats they best option without losing much in sound quality? I'll be installing myself (for the first time).

As if this wasn't enough, the installation has to be fairly easy to remove. This is because in the fall I am going back to my old car (88 Acura Legend). I don't really want to go into why im not driving it now. But I'll summarize by saying my sis needs a car and I want to drive a manual again. The good part is that I have an Alpine cda-7871 with good pre-amps and subwoofer controls in it with jbl 6.5 fronts and infinity 6.5 rears.

This is alot of stuff to give me advice on, but you guys seem to know your stuff. Any productive advice is appreciated.

Click to read more...

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

well, I'm not going to be able to help you with the installation. I have never messed with Bose stuff. I can give some advice on subs/amps. Honestly I listen to just about what you listen to (I'm a big punk fan as well) and I have always liked the sound of a single 10 for punk music but music like Linkin park I'm with you that a 12 goes well with most music. Okay, rambling. Here we go. I have a 12w3 (jl audio) and a US amps US-150 (350rms clean power) and I"m very happy with it. I would check that out. You can get a 12w3 for 80 on ebay and although no usa-150 on ebay for a decent price I got mine for about 80 dollars as well. You can build your own box. This is a good combo, gets pretty loud and very clean. You could mount the amp to the box (not really a good idea but if your trying to find an easy way to move stuff in and out) and the box on the 12w3v2 doesn't have to be very big.

What does the car you are driving have in it for a stereo? The stock stereo?

Hope this helps.

 

[pscmj84 10+ year member]

Thanks for the advice, unfortunately building my own box is not something I really want to try right now. The car I drive right now, the Maxima, has a stock Bose 200w hu (well actually the hu doesn't power them, the amps are somewhere else) with 6 3/4' components up front and 6 3/4' speakers on the rear deck. The car I will driving in the fall, the Legend, has an Alpine CDA-7871 (45x4 peak) with 6.5 JBLs up in the front doors and Infiniti Reference 6.5s on the rear deck.

well, I'm not going to be able to help you with the installation. I have never messed with Bose stuff. I can give some advice on subs/amps. Honestly I listen to just about what you listen to (I'm a big punk fan as well) and I have always liked the sound of a single 10 for punk music but music like Linkin park I'm with you that a 12 goes well with most music. Okay, rambling. Here we go. I have a 12w3 (jl audio) and a US amps US-150 (350rms clean power) and I"m very happy with it. I would check that out. You can get a 12w3 for 80 on ebay and although no usa-150 on ebay for a decent price I got mine for about 80 dollars as well. You can build your own box. This is a good combo, gets pretty loud and very clean. You could mount the amp to the box (not really a good idea but if your trying to find an easy way to move stuff in and out) and the box on the 12w3v2 doesn't have to be very big.
What does the car you are driving have in it for a stereo? The stock stereo?

Hope this helps.

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

Ok, so a no go on the box building. I can't give you advice on the items you are interested in because the links don't work //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif As far as bazooka stuff goes, I've known a few people that have had them with no problems. Although a know the infinity sub/amp combo (basslink, uses a 10inch woofer and 200 watt class D amp) is a really good setup and I don't know of anyone that has had any problems at all (4 of my older friends bought them on my advice for there vehicles) and all they need is power, rca's and your set. You can check them out here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3082614223&category=32822

 

[pscmj84 10+ year member]

Sorry about the bad links, these should work:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3082755134&category=48614

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3083084869&category=18797

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3082763702&category=18803

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3083344618&category=32808

As for the Basslink, I've considered it. The problem is that it leaves me with all or nothing when it comes to upgrading it (have to replace whole thing). If it was a 12' I might go for it.

Ok, so a no go on the box building. I can't give you advice on the items you are interested in because the links don't work //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif As far as bazooka stuff goes, I've known a few people that have had them with no problems. Although a know the infinity sub/amp combo (basslink, uses a 10inch woofer and 200 watt class D amp) is a really good setup and I don't know of anyone that has had any problems at all (4 of my older friends bought them on my advice for there vehicles) and all they need is power, rca's and your set. You can check them out here:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3082614223&category=32822

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

Yep, links worked that time. Not too bad, although I don't know too much about that amp. I looked up a few posts on another forum and it had mixed reviews. None of them really said I have this amp it ***** though, so you might be ok. I'm a die-hard US amps person, so it would be hard for me to say go with anything else. Although I think the basslink would be easier/less expensive of a way for you to go. Quick to setup, remove, and has decent sound.

The 12 you picked is pretty nice. Never heard it but I have honestly never had a bad infinity product.

 

[pscmj84 10+ year member]

Thats true, the Basslink would be easier to move. But the hardest part is routing wires and you still have to do that. US amps seem to be out my price range unfortunately.

Yep, links worked that time. Not too bad, although I don't know too much about that amp. I looked up a few posts on another forum and it had mixed reviews. None of them really said I have this amp it ***** though, so you might be ok. I'm a die-hard US amps person, so it would be hard for me to say go with anything else. Although I think the basslink would be easier/less expensive of a way for you to go. Quick to setup, remove, and has decent sound.
The 12 you picked is pretty nice. Never heard it but I have honestly never had a bad infinity product.

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

Same amount of wires either way. U.S. amps can be very expensive but like I said in my first post I got mine for 80 dollars. Keep an eye for it and you could get a really great amp. Honestly for you, I would say the basslink, but thats just my opinion. Maybe someone else can give you some other advice/ideas.

 

[slick rick 10+ year member]

fyi: the bose in a 4th gen maxima is decent... but nothing compared to my cdts run off my h/u in my 5th gen. the highs blow them away. however, i will give the nod to more midbass with the bose only because they are amped. but i have 2 10's for my bass

 

[pscmj84 10+ year member]

Yeah, I agree with you. They do nice mid-bass, and sub-bass isn't bad for a stock system with no sub. But we all know it can be much better //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif . Do you have a 2002+ or a 2000-2001? A 2002+ SE w/ 6spd manual is a car I wouldn't mind getting when I get out of college if it wasn't fwd (torque steer is bad enough in mine as it is, the 3.5 VQ is probably worse). The G35 is the perfect solution though.

fyi: the bose in a 4th gen maxima is decent... but nothing compared to my cdts run off my h/u in my 5th gen. the highs blow them away. however, i will give the nod to more midbass with the bose only because they are amped. but i have 2 10's for my bass

 

[slick rick 10+ year member]

Yeah, I agree with you. They do nice mid-bass, and sub-bass isn't bad for a stock system with no sub. But we all know it can be much better //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif . Do you have a 2002+ or a 2000-2001? A 2002+ SE w/ 6spd manual is a car I wouldn't mind getting when I get out of college if it wasn't fwd (torque steer is bad enough in mine as it is, the 3.5 VQ is probably worse). The G35 is the perfect solution though.

2k2 maj. blue auto. it still hauls though. smoked my buddies wrx. i have it on video 2. the fwd isnt that bad. i just can never launch above 1/2 throttle without lighintg the tires up. now a g35... gotta get the coupe! i love my max, i cant complain. its fast,comfy and bumps hard too! however, it does rattle alot... thats what dynamatting is for though.