Valor? Who in the hell is making those now? Jeez. You are going to get flamed if you start recommending parts like that... Fosgate for speakers? Really? Their Subs are "meh" ok, but their door and wall speakers sound just about like Sony.


This quoted text is standing proof that if you can't take the time or the money to build a system the right way, then you need to hold off and keep saving up for at least some decent entry range materials.

 

I understand what your saying but if the amp will not fit 2guage wire its for a reason. Running that much power to a low end amp will FRY the amp. Trust me


or just call your "boy" steve mead im sure he will tell you the same.

 

Getcha popcorn ready lol

 

haha already munching

 

The biggest theme here is know your brands, know your models.

For head units, the best name brands are usually Pioneer and Alpine. Not that other brand names don't make good units, I just hear many pros talk about those two brands. Alpine if you want a full out, no stops system (if $$$ isn't an object) with amps, subs, component speakers, etc. etc. and Pioneer if you want a low-end to medium end setup.

If its a no-name brand, they probably don't even make their own stuff (rebranded), or they make it so cheaply I wouldn't want to touch it with a ten foot pole.

Picking out a head unit is kind of like picking out a motherboard for a new computer. You don't want it to be cheaply made, as it is what ties all your parts together. You could spend a million bucks on parts, and if you cheap out on the deck, you'll end up with problems, or crappy audio. What I usually do is spend decent money on the crucial parts, like a head unit, and if I can't afford the nice speakers I want after that, I wait and save or get some mediocre speakers to get me by.

And if you don't know what you are doing, don't be afraid to admit it and get someone to do a professional install for you. Best Buy will do it fairly inexpensively (relatively speaking), they offer a nice guarantee on their work (1 year), and you have someone large and very targetable to go after if you feel they screwed something up.

 

Another thing you need to think about when buying a head unit is "can I blindly operate this while cruising down the road at 70 MPH?". In terms of quality, the big names are all pretty well equal right now, but the sole winning factor is Pioneer's simplified navigation through their head units. If I switch from rock to say some of my Electronic or other heavy bass focused music, I can effectively go through and change my high pass over filters, woofer frequency, and gain blindly. I don't even need to take my eyes off the road once.

I have used/installed just about every major brand of headunit out on the market today, and from my time invested in messing with them, I can confidently claim that the three major brands I would pick are:

1. Pioneer
2. Alpine
3. Eclipse

In my eyes, they seem to offer the best of all aspects when it comes to quality, features, and design. (Yes, I know Eclipse is leaving the car audio market)

Jason just spoke a lot of truth when it comes to a H/U and future buyers should take interest in his post.

 

See now I am officially confused. I want a system, but am very clueless to car audio.

 

Ok, what are you confused about?

I do apologize for the confusion you find in this thread, but someone needed a talking to and they don't return PMs.

 

Basically anything related to car audio. I've been looking to get a new H/U, speakers, amp etc etc.

 

I dont know if anybody knows who Steve Mead is, but he would laugh in this kids face for talking about Valor and Rockford junk. He plays with big boy systems like R.E. audio and other big name equipment. He is a true professional and audio guru, not just some kid who thinks he knows all....End of rant.