How does this system sound?

thevolvoguy · 10-14-02, 07:36

Well, as a lot of you probably remember, I am looking to upgrade my stereo system in the 850. I set a limit to what ever I can get for under 1k.

Well scratch that...

I decided that if I am going to be in my car as much as I am, I might as well go ahead and invest. So here is what I have come up with.

Blaupunkt San Fransisco head unit w/ MP3 CD
Blaupunkt In-Dash 5-disc changer
MB Quart Componets for the front doors
Infinity Kappa 5 1/4 2-ways for the rear doors
Infinity Kappa 6x9's for the rear deck
2 Audiobahn 12 inch subs, undecided on amp.

I want to buy this sub, it seems like a good deal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=1866503838

and this CD player

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1389269735

Otherwise, I am buying the reciever through Crutchfield, speakers through car toys and having everything installed by car toys.

What do ya'll think? Also, it was reccomended by a sales rep that I get an external amp for the componet speakers. Is this completely necesarry? Is 45x4 watts enough to power all the speakers w/o an amp? It seems like a low wattage to me.

Jngrbrdman · 10-14-02, 07:40

Are you sure you want to go with Blaupunkt? That isn't really the best unit you can get. Actually, its way down on the low side. The rest of it looks pretty good, but I'd look at a Pioneer head or something like that. Blaupunkt is the kind of equipment you can pick up at AutoZone. Not renowned for the clearest sound or best quality. Just a thought.

Jademonkey · 10-14-02, 07:48

I agree with Jngrbrdman, if you are going to spend the money I would suggest getting a better headunit. Pioneer has some nice ones, as does Alpine.
And in regards to the amp for components, the amp will provide the components with more power and more power equals better sound quality.

If you are happy with the sound just running off the deck, then that is fine but if you want better sound then buy a 75x4 watt amp(or similar) and it should sound much better.

thevolvoguy · 10-14-02, 07:50

Jng --

So you would reccomend Pioneer over Blaupunkt? Hmmm... I have been shopping all day and I was sold on the Pioneer "Premier" DEHP740M, which is one of the top of the line recievers Car Toys had. But, the sales guy told me that he would check out Blaupunkt, and take their top of the line over Pioneers, which was a surprise to me. Blaupunkt's top of the line is $550, while the Pioneer I was looking at was only $320. So if someone can give me a good reason not to go with the Blau, please speak up before I spend all that money on a reciever.

However, the attractive thing about Blaupunkt is the fact that I can get a 5 disc in dash changer that, when mounted under the reciever, fits perfectly in the 850's oversized din. I doubt the Blau would be compatable with another brand and I have yet to see another brand that makes a similar product.

I need to re think the head unit deal...

Anyway, I am open to any suggestions.

Jngrbrdman · 10-14-02, 08:09

Are you familiar with this site? Its just one of a thousand car stereo reviews out there. I thought it might help out a bit.

Remember: Just because its more expensive doesn't mean that its better. Let Zymol be the example for that little phrase.

I'm just not pro Blaupunkt because of the cheap heads I've seen in autopart stores. I've felt how cheaply made they appear and have heard their ear shattering 15 W outputs.

The one you are looking at is obviously not one of those, but I'm just fearful of the name because of some of the cheaper things they have produced. Have you taken a trip down to a local stereo shop so you can see your choices before you buy them?

Oh, I notice that the one on ebay has only moved about $30 bucks in the last 3 days. That is sort of another sign about what people think about Blaupunkt. Not that the head that you want is a bad product, but it appears that there are more out there who get scared when they see the name 'Blaupunkt' as well. IMO you can get better sound out of the Pioneer unit. I've seen and heard the Pioneer DEH-P9300 and it really rocks. It looks way smooth in the car too.

Scottwax · 10-14-02, 08:54

I'd go with Pioneer or Eclipse for a head unit. Just a little heads up, some brands are recommended because they make more profit for the store than other brands.

The wattage you get from a head unit is usually specified at a very high total harmonic distortion (THD) like 10% which would sound horrible. When they are rated for power at a reasonable THD (.1%), they have no more than 10 watts per channel. My Kenwood amp is rated at 400 watts (4 x 100 watts) but it's at 10% THD. At .08% THD, it's 50 watts a channel. It's an excellent amp and you can probably find one with similar power for around $250-300 to drive your component speakers and probably a single 100-150 watt per channel amp for the subs for around $200 (100-150 watts x 2). With the MB Quart and Infinity speakers, along with the subs, it should sound great. In fact, with a good 4 channel amp and the component speakers, you may not even need the subs. I'd just get everything except the subs and dedicated amp and see if it is loud enough and has the bass you want. You can always add the additional amp and subs if you want more.

wm tiger · 10-14-02, 09:32

Blaupunkt head units (receivers) have a respectable reputuation. There are some that you want to stay away from (San Diego, Sante Fe, Los Vegas) otherwise they are excellent. The San Francisco and Los Angeles models are top-of-the-line. Blaupunkt also make quality speakers however there amplifiers are overpriced relative to its competition...

One of my better friends is a car audio installer and he's recommended me my sound system on a tight budget.

*Alpine CDA-7892
*Infinity Kappa 6.5" (doors)
*Infinity Reference 6"x9" (rear)
*JBL 2.5" (dash)
*Profile 640sx California Series (4-channel, 75 watts)

It sounds superior to people who waste a couple grand on 1,000+ watt subwoofers while neglecting to power their main speakers through anything other than the head unit. I'm estimating its costed me $650 - $700 and my receiver has the potential to add a subwoofer if and when I desire it...

As you probably could guess, I'd highly recommend a quality amp to power your main component speakers.

PrinzII · 10-15-02, 09:34

I concur that there are some Blaupunkt systems that sound decent but the more mainstream ones are not the greatest in the world (My personal gripe with them is high distortion).

With that said, I would go with either Alpine, Pioneer, Eclipse, Kenwood, or Clarion. If you want to go a tad more "esoteric" check out Sony ES, Denon, or Nakamichi.

The rest of the system is decent except for your subs. I would look at either JL Audio's W3 v2, Eclipse Titanium Series, CDT, a/d/s, MA Audio (newcomer but good), Alpine R Series, Rockford Fosgate.

As far as an amp is concerned, check out a/d/s, JL Audio, Rockford Fosgate (Power Series), Soundstream, Xtant.

If you want a few ideas, click the link at the bottom of this post to see what I am throwing in the Maxima (even that's about to change)

PrinzII · 10-17-02, 08:18

Quote:

Originally posted by BlackRegal
For my money, I would go with Macintosh for the head and amp. All speakers would be a/d/s. If you're looking for pure volume and thump, then there are better setups out there. But, if you're looking for fidelity, imaging, and clarity, I don't think you can beat that setup.

That being said... your speaker choices look fine, but I'll jump on the bandwagon and say look for a different head unit. Most of PrinzII's suggestions look inline with what I would look at for a mid-priced head unit. If you're going to step up to a Denon or Nakamichi, the just go all the way to the Macintosh.

One other recommendation... invest in some good active crossovers (not passive). They'll optimize your frequency response and power usage.

Since you mentioned higher end, then he would want to check out:

Brax Amps
Arc Audio (Amps)
Rainbow (Sepakers

Bear in mind that the items you are mentioning and the ones I just listed are well out of the 1k budget.

In my case, I am waiting for Eclipse to come out with an in-dash CD Changer that plays MP3s.

PrinzII · 10-19-02, 08:11

volvoguy, check out the following...

www.eclipse-web.com
www.alpine1.com
www.denon.com
www.xtant.com
www.kenwood.com
www.jlaudio.com
www.adst.com
www.ampmanaudio.com
www.diamondaudio.com
www.caraudiomag.com

Another thing that can be a weak link in a good sounding system is the cabling. I would go with Stinger, Streetwires, Monster, or Kimber.

thevolvoguy · 10-19-02, 08:24

Thanks for all the links Prinz!

Does anyone know how Denon head units are? I own a Denon home reciever and love it.

However, I would like to go with a MP3 compatible CD player, which Denon currently does'nt make. So I was thinking of the DEH-P8400MP reciever and installing a Pioneer DEQ-7600 equalizer below it, to make a nice clean Double Din installation.

As for the MBQ's I wanted to put in the front, those seem kind of pricey. $350 for the pair. They are only 5 1/4 inch... would there be a better, or equal lower priced alternative? The Kappa componets are $299, JBL's are $179, RF's are $369, Kicker's are $229, MTX are $139, Kenwood's are $149, and finally the Polk's are $229. I need to go as low as i can go w/o comprimising sound quality. Ideas?

Again, thank you to Prinz, and everyone else who has replied for all the great Ideas and sites.

wm tiger · 10-19-02, 09:40

Your MB Quartz components that you plan to power by your amp of choice is not where I'd look to save money, I wouldn't go much lower than the Infinity's. If your looking to save money in your system, I'd instead:

1. Ditch putting 6"x9" speakers in your rear deck. Rear speakers aren't really needed as they essentially put out the same frequency as the rest of your full-range speakers.

2. Depends highly on your personal preference though you could save tons of cash waiting till later to add your subwoofers which would require a pricey amplifier. You may find that your 4-main speakers provide more than enough base if you give them enough power via a quality, 4-channel amplifier.