[sfriesen]

I've been looking around at speakers, mainly crystal, infinity, ARC audio. I think I want to run 6.5" components up front in the doors and 5.25" components in the rear of my 99 ECSB.

I already havea 2-channel amp that I planned on using to power one 12" sub.

What amp would be best for running the 6.5" and 5.25" components? I don't want to cheap out on the amp either, however I don't have a ton of money to spend. The 2-channel is an infinity.

Only other catch is that I really want to use the stock head unit in the truck, I prefer the look and it's much less likely to catch the eye of theives. Will I still get reasonable sound if I use LOC's to run the two amps that run the components and sub?

I mainly listen to Country and Rock, when my wife is in the truck god knows what she'll want to hear. So I'd like good sound for many different applications of music, but like I say, Rock and country is what it'll play the most of.

ANY info would be excellent, thanks fellas
-Steve

 

[jonyb]

If you already have an Infinity amp, try to find a matching 4-channel amp.

I installed a set of SS65.2 Kicker 6.5" components in the front doors of a 99' extended cab with a Rockford Punch 550.2 2-channel amp. No rears, and you couldn't even tell they weren't there. The fronts put out enough to not worry about rears IMO.

As for the stock head unit, it's not gonna sound as good. In fact, I think OEM head units sound like crap, but that's just me.

I'd ditch teh rears, buy a 2-channel, and with money saved from not buying rears, buy a nice head unit. They have detachable faces if you're worried about theft, and if it's that big of a problem, then don't install anything except for an alarm.

 

[sfriesen]

Maybe I'll put a black touch screen panasonic in it or something. I just hate the look of most aftermarket head units.

I could always just put a set of 4X6's in the rear ran off the head unit, run a good set of components in the front doors off of that infinity 2-channel amp that I already have, and run the 8" bass tube that I've also already got. I wouldn't get the bass that I want with a 12" but it wouldn't be too bad and I'd get all the mid-high that I could handle I guess...

Maybe I'll go that route.

 

[Forklift]

ditch the stock radio

 

[sfriesen]

Looks like that's the consensus...


OK, next matter of business... for the money, what's the best set of 6.5 components and 4X6's (maybe 5.25" coaxels) that I can get keeping $ in reason? I was looking at crystal, is it really superior to many others? Where would it rate with infinity or Rockford? I heard a boat this weekend with ARC audio Foose edition stuff in it and it was NICE! I think it's almost a little more pricey than some of the crystal audio stuff though...


Do you guys see a problem in this then?
aftermarket head unit
4X6 or 5.25 coaxel's in the rear (powered by CD player only)
6.5" components in the front doors (powered by 2-channel infinity amp)
8" bass tube under the seat (obviously stand alone)
----In this situation I'd run a fat power wire to account for the addition of another amp later for a 12" sub to replace the tube, but the tube would get me by for free for now.----

Again, thanks for the input so far, keep it coming!

 

[DirtyBlackHoe]

I personally would take the Crystals over the fosgate or infinity's without a doubt. I without a doubt would NOT run rear speakers in the ex cab. I would just use that money to buy nicer components up front or get a nicer cd player.

 

[sfriesen]

OK, I have very little knowledge of the technical side of this, but talking to a buddy I was told that I could indeed run more than just 2 speakers on a 2-channel amp? He said it would just affect the ohms being put out to each speaker I guess?

If this is the case I am thinking along the lines of ordering all the components and coaxel's from ARC audio, running them off th infinity amp, then just letting the bass tube do it's own thing.


Is there a good reason not to run the rears in my X-cab truck? Not even 4X6's?

 

[jonyb]

When you run the rears and fronts off of 2-channels, you have no control of the loudness of the rears, therefore, since they're 12" away and the fronts are further than that, the rears would be WAY too loud and you'd barely hear the fronts. Hence the ditching the rears as we've all said.

Bass tubes are okay if you want boomy. There's no sound quality at all with those. It's all in what you want though.

 

[sfriesen]

Is there a level of importance involved in matching a pair of amplifiers brand-wise? Or is that a matter of preference?

I just remembered that I also have a 4-channel 800w Rockford Fosgate amp laying around.... somewhere.... lol

 

[jonyb]

It doesn't really matter, just looks better.

 

[Forklift]

When you run the rears and fronts off of 2-channels, you have no control of the loudness of the rears, therefore, since they're 12" away and the fronts are further than that, the rears would be WAY too loud and you'd barely hear the fronts. Hence the ditching the rears as we've all said.

Bass tubes are okay if you want boomy. There's no sound quality at all with those. It's all in what you want though.

well you could run the fronts off the amp and the rears off the radio

 

[jonyb]

It is possible. I did that on the 99 that I mentioned above. Had the fader turned almost all the way to the front, but not all the way, to add just a little fill.

 

[spitfire2332]

1 more vote for skipping the rear speakers. I had my perfects amped and yeah, they screamed, no need for rears. If you REALLY want some rear speakers, get something on the cheaper side, definetly NOT components.