LuminaPower92 Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 (edited) Where is a good place to purchase audio supplies online? Such as wiring(speaker and power), kits, amps, subs, etc.... Also - I have a sub box, should i use any kind of insulation inside of it? BTW - whats a good gauge wire to go with. Im not going crazy, just want some bump in my Lumina. Edited January 15, 2011 by LuminaPower92 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGP5sp90 Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 Try this: http://www.ramkodist.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted2bass Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 Ramko is a distributor for dealers only, you wont be able able to buy from them. They are one of the distributors we use at my work actually. Try onlinecarstereo.com. They are one of the better sites out there. By the way did you ever get that remote starter for your wifes car? Message me on here or facebook if you have any questions about the remote start or audio stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white4d96 Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 sonicelectronix.com is a good one. Also, look around on some stereo forums, you can usually get great deals on them. Try stevemeadedesigns.com, I frequent there and they usually have some decent deals in their for sale section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec_b Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 I've ordered several times from onlinecarstereo, not a bad place to get deals. For wires, you can order direct from knukonceptz, they have great stuff at a great price. I got a complete 1/0 gauge kit with fuse holder for ~$65. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminaPower92 Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 ^ Just got a wire kit from them the other day. Greatly priced! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thickey8 Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Iv always just used best buy or car toys not big on waiting for shit in the mail haha always seems like it takes forever.But for things i cant find like wiring or fuses i go to ebay or like home depot or lows they have all kinds of wiring. I wouldn't insulate the box iv never heard of that id insulate the trunk it keeps from raddles and keeps the bass more clean nothing ruins clean clear bass easier than a loud vibration. With wiring 0 gauge is best wiring you can do for wiring but can get lil $. If your not running 2 amps and don't have a battery rack for extra power or have 2 18' subs in the trunk i would say a 4 gauge or 8 gauge wire will do just fine. I mean really all depends on how much watts you running 4 gauge is thicker and if your running like 1000w to 1500w 4 gauge is your 2nd best with 0 gauge being the first but 4 gauge will hold up just fine anything under 1000w 8 gauge will do. when you wire it all up turn your head unit to about 3 quarters up and tune your amp to its max output and that doesn't mean turning the knobs all the way up, everyone does that thinking there amp is putting out all its power its wrong all your asking for is to blow your amp so don't so that lol. but once you tune it to the point where you think it sounds good wait a bit for everything to warm up. if the amp doesn't turn off or cut out your good i had an amp one time that when i turned it up to point it would turn off and reset its self this was because i had 8 gauge wire and was trying to pull to much power and couldn't keep up was also a lack of power from my battery as well. Recommendations for subs and amp if you are looking go kicker sometimes $ but for the money they will last pry your life time and will always run like the day you got it. If you have anymore questions about wiring things up or come a crossed any problem msg me and ill help you out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 ^^ The worst advice I have read in the Car Audio section. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 ^^ The worst advice I have read in the Car Audio section. Ever. X2 on that. Honestly, we like that you're posting around here as a new members, but please, don't make recommendations when you don't know what you're talking about. If I were you I would have at least compared the prices you've seen at best buy with the ones on soniceletronix and onlinecarstereo to see what the difference is. At that point you would have not said a thing because you would have realized how badly you got ripped off. We're talking 300% markup here at Worst Buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwmin Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 (edited) x3? on sonicelectronix and knuconceptz SE might not be the best for audiophile grade equipment, but for you budget it's a good place to start. I've bought a few head units from them. I can't exactly relay my point like I'm trying to, so sorry if it comes across wrong or confusing Edited February 15, 2011 by pwmin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 I'd just like to mention that we'd be more than happy to offer you assistance with parts to put a system together. Better to get the best bang for your buck and quality the first time around instead of saying "oh hey look what I just bought" and having half of us reply with bad experiences we've had with that product or with better options you could have bought instead. I made that mistake once and its not a cheap mistake to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwmin Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 I'm not the best person to ask, but there are plenty on here that know what they're talking about. I'm thinking about getting a different amp and sub for my car sometime pretty soon...this lighting audio amp and mtx rt sub are pretty lame, lol plus I'd like to put them back in my truck so I have something in there again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Iv always just used best buy or car toys not big on waiting for shit in the mail haha always seems like it takes forever.But for things i cant find like wiring or fuses i go to ebay or like home depot or lows they have all kinds of wiring.I wouldn't insulate the box iv never heard of that id insulate the trunk it keeps from raddles and keeps the bass more clean nothing ruins clean clear bass easier than a loud vibration. With wiring 0 gauge is best wiring you can do for wiring but can get lil $. If your not running 2 amps and don't have a battery rack for extra power or have 2 18' subs in the trunk i would say a 4 gauge or 8 gauge wire will do just fine. I mean really all depends on how much watts you running 4 gauge is thicker and if your running like 1000w to 1500w 4 gauge is your 2nd best with 0 gauge being the first but 4 gauge will hold up just fine anything under 1000w 8 gauge will do. when you wire it all up turn your head unit to about 3 quarters up and tune your amp to its max output and that doesn't mean turning the knobs all the way up, everyone does that thinking there amp is putting out all its power its wrong all your asking for is to blow your amp so don't so that lol. but once you tune it to the point where you think it sounds good wait a bit for everything to warm up. if the amp doesn't turn off or cut out your good i had an amp one time that when i turned it up to point it would turn off and reset its self this was because i had 8 gauge wire and was trying to pull to much power and couldn't keep up was also a lack of power from my battery as well. Recommendations for subs and amp if you are looking go kicker sometimes $ but for the money they will last pry your life time and will always run like the day you got it. If you have anymore questions about wiring things up or come a crossed any problem msg me and ill help you out you are correct, 1/0 is the only way to go with 1000W+. not too many people have stepped up and actually done the research to do things right for a 1000 watt + system. and if you have tried it you know you are in a whole nother league above all the flea market guys. IF you do it right, your cars charging system will have no problem keeping up and be superior in all ways to stock. useful in severe duty driving with all accessories running full power is always nice too. no more weak batteries and voltage dips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow96SE Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 (edited) Where is a good place to purchase audio supplies online? Such as wiring(speaker and power), kits, amps, subs, etc.... www.crutchfield.com - Their customer service makes up for their slightly higher prices. Also have some great deals every now n then. www.craigslist.org - Why buy new when used is generally just as good. Especially finding awesome old school amps for dirt cheap cause people don't know what they're worth. www.knukonceptz.com - good for wire and other install accessories. Car Audio forums as mentioned are great too, like a specialized craigslist. However people there generally know what an item they have is actually worth (can be good or bad). Also - I have a sub box, should i use any kind of insulation inside of it?You don't insulate a box generally, but you can stuff poly-fill into one if it's a little too small for the sub. It helps trick the sub into thinking it's in a larger box by slowing down the soundwaves. BTW - whats a good gauge wire to go with. Im not going crazy, just want some bump in my Lumina. If you are going with a basic setup, using anything ranging from Sony/Kenwood/Laznar, basically anything you can buy from a *mart/BestBuy, you would be fine with a quality 4 guage wiring kit. However going with 2 or 0guage wouldn't hurt and gives you more expansion options. However if you are only sticking to 1 amp under 1000w RMS ( a REAL 1000w amp.. not a Sony or Jensen) 4 guage is plenty. Just make sure you use good grounds and keep the power wire no longer than is needed. I currently run an oldschool PPI PC2600 @600w RMS off of a 4ga KnuKonceptz kit and have no issues at all on my Ranger's stock charge circuit. You also don't have to buy super expensive car audio wire. In general, wire is wire, as long as it's a true guage measurement, and thin stranded. A lot of cheaper 4 guage wire is mostly jacket and no wire, or thick wire strands, and is actually more like 6-8 guage. Welding wire can also be used, and generally has very fine strands, which is great for car audio. It can also be bought a good bit cheaper most of the time. Edited February 19, 2011 by Shadow96SE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thickey8 Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 with all respect I don't think you can talk down to my opinion yah online prices are better sometimes not disagreeing, but its my own choice and opinion to not shop for everything online if i have the money and i want it at that moment that's my thing.For all the people who find all there deals online kudos to you. and it doesn't matter where the hell you go no one knows exactly everything the people at best buy don't know shit its all self educated info and personal likes and dislikes with sound. Plus all these threads are great i just bought my old cutlass and how fixed everything iv had problems with with this website but just for the fact that im a new member doesn't mean shit, il be the first to confess i don't know everything about car audio but i try to help with what i do know. And my opinions everybody that post has an opinion like fucking politics just because i voted for obama doesn't mean im right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white4d96 Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 with all respect I don't think you can talk down to my opinion yah online prices are better sometimes not disagreeing, but its my own choice and opinion to not shop for everything online if i have the money and i want it at that moment that's my thing.For all the people who find all there deals online kudos to you. and it doesn't matter where the hell you go no one knows exactly everything the people at best buy don't know shit its all self educated info and personal likes and dislikes with sound. Plus all these threads are great i just bought my old cutlass and how fixed everything iv had problems with with this website but just for the fact that im a new member doesn't mean shit, il be the first to confess i don't know everything about car audio but i try to help with what i do know. And my opinions everybody that post has an opinion like fucking politics just because i voted for obama doesn't mean im right. Um...what? First off, you went spouting 'information' that was horribly misguided. Good luck powering a TRUE 1kw with 8 gauge wire. Hell, good luck powering half that with 8 gauge. And if your amp keeps turning off and on at full tilt, you need to turn your gain and bass boost DOWN and rework your charging system, you are likely getting voltage drop like mad. Has nothing to do with 'this one amp.' And WTF does voting for Obama have to do with anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I don't think he was spouting off anything misguided. he claims to not even be an expert and speaking from his own experiments and personal experience. I think the other guys were just bustin his balls and half seriously joking earlier if you didn't notice so lighten up and chill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted2bass Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 with all respect I don't think you can talk down to my opinion yah online prices are better sometimes not disagreeing, but its my own choice and opinion to not shop for everything online if i have the money and i want it at that moment that's my thing.For all the people who find all there deals online kudos to you. and it doesn't matter where the hell you go no one knows exactly everything the people at best buy don't know shit its all self educated info and personal likes and dislikes with sound. Plus all these threads are great i just bought my old cutlass and how fixed everything iv had problems with with this website but just for the fact that im a new member doesn't mean shit, il be the first to confess i don't know everything about car audio but i try to help with what i do know. And my opinions everybody that post has an opinion like fucking politics just because i voted for obama doesn't mean im right. I work at a car audio shop so I appreciate that you buy locally instead of buying everything online. Sure you get great deals online but i cant count the number of people that we have installed online purchased equipment for and something was defective. Then not only do they have to pay for us to install it they have to send it back to wherever the purchased it from, wait for a new one to be shipped then come back and have us install it AGAIN. If they buy from us and there is a defective part we replace it on the spot. Plus we charge more to install supplied equipment. But please try to find a locally owned shop near you instead of going to big box stores like Best Buy. Chances are you will get better service and, if you are a return customer, better deals. Plus you will be stimulating the local economy rather the helping to line the pockets of Best Buy CEOs. There is a Best Buy right down the road from my work and we are constantly fixing their fuck ups. The installers there either dont know what they are doing or are extremely lazy. They recently sent a guy to our shop for a radio and amp job in a Impala, Best Buy refused the job because they said there was no place to run a power wire through the firewall:lol: They also fired a installer recently because he couldnt pass the MECP certification test, a trained monkey could pass that test. I know Slick worked at a Best Buy so i know all the installers arent like that. But be wary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thickey8 Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 ha ha is this all you guys do is bicker and bitch wow good late night entertainment id say. white4d96 good for you for knowing your shit i guess and thanks for the advice. Addicted2bass i will try and locate a local dealer cause you are completely right best buy is a joke i remember my parents took there van in to get satellite radio when it first came out and there so fucking lazy you mounted the box under the seat at an angle and wires were everywhere. From that point on my fam and i have always installed everything are self's. plus with seeing product first hand and not a few pretty pictures is very nice and very helpful, so i will continue to buy local and try and find a dealer. Im sure well no positive a lot of you guys know more than i do but i think you need to work on you people skills and stop being an ass hole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thickey8 Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 I don't think he was spouting off anything misguided. he claims to not even be an expert and speaking from his own experiments and personal experience. I think the other guys were just bustin his balls and half seriously joking earlier if you didn't notice so lighten up and chill. Thank you i appreciate that you understand what i mean Garrett Powered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 ha ha is this all you guys do is bicker and bitch wow good late night entertainment id say. white4d96 good for you for knowing your shit i guess and thanks for the advice. Addicted2bass i will try and locate a local dealer cause you are completely right best buy is a joke i remember my parents took there van in to get satellite radio when it first came out and there so fucking lazy you mounted the box under the seat at an angle and wires were everywhere. From that point on my fam and i have always installed everything are self's. plus with seeing product first hand and not a few pretty pictures is very nice and very helpful, so i will continue to buy local and try and find a dealer. Im sure well no positive a lot of you guys know more than i do but i think you need to work on you people skills and stop being an ass hole Keep in mind some of the best quality and highest end brands cannot be bought in big brand name stores and some cannot even be bought in any smaller retail stores or you have to travel a great distance to find them. Names like kicker, kenwood, sony, and rockford fosgate should never be used in the same sentence with sound quality. Find me a retailer that sells Image Dynamics subs. They will be very rare if at all. Then, find me any subs that compare in sound quality to Image Dynamics subs, and I guarantee you won't be able to without at least 1.5x the price. That's why a lot of us don't buy retal. Because in the end, we spend less and get a much better sound system. The Image Dynamics subs I bought used won the Central California regional SQ championships and I paid $200 for the pair shipped. They will put anything you find at any best buy and most retail stores to shame in SQ. That being said, local shops are great if you don't want to do the work yourself and don't mind the markup. I've used them before. Just keep in mind reputable small shops are few and far between. Some of those places perform very poor and very shitty installs. Oh, and another thing. How car audio looks is completely useless. My id subs have baskets that make them look like jensen made them, but they sound like Focal made them. Most truly high quality sound edquipment is not flashy. Hell, even when you compare magnet sizes on subs, you can be severely mslead. Its not the size of the magnet that matters, but the quality of the material, which only a brands reputation will reflect. Sent from my HTC Awesome using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thickey8 Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Keep in mind some of the best quality and highest end brands cannot be bought in big brand name stores and some cannot even be bought in any smaller retail stores or you have to travel a great distance to find them. Names like kicker, kenwood, sony, and rockford fosgate should never be used in the same sentence with sound quality. Find me a retailer that sells Image Dynamics subs. They will be very rare if at all. Then, find me any subs that compare in sound quality to Image Dynamics subs, and I guarantee you won't be able to without at least 1.5x the price. That's why a lot of us don't buy retal. Because in the end, we spend less and get a much better sound system. The Image Dynamics subs I bought used won the Central California regional SQ championships and I paid $200 for the pair shipped. They will put anything you find at any best buy and most retail stores to shame in SQ. That being said, local shops are great if you don't want to do the work yourself and don't mind the markup. I've used them before. Just keep in mind reputable small shops are few and far between. Some of those places perform very poor and very shitty installs. Oh, and another thing. How car audio looks is completely useless. My id subs have baskets that make them look like jensen made them, but they sound like Focal made them. Most truly high quality sound edquipment is not flashy. Hell, even when you compare magnet sizes on subs, you can be severely mslead. Its not the size of the magnet that matters, but the quality of the material, which only a brands reputation will reflect. Sent from my HTC Awesome using Tapatalk Where would you find these online? i can find a dealer for them off the website but nothing online id like to look into this brand iv never heard of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) The only place I've found them is on woofersetc.com. Otherwise, you would have to find a dealer or get them used like I did. A great place to get used equipment is dyima.com. These guys are audiophile professional grade. I felt 100% confident in buying these used because I know the guy who installed it there knew what he was doing and didn't overpower or blow them. Another brand similar to this is Digital Designs. I have a buddy on another forum who bought one. You can get those only at authorized dealers or direct, and they're not cheap at all. Their 12" 750W model sells for $330 if you're lucky to find it. However, that sub will gladly take 1500W all day long and sounds 10x better than anything Kicker has ever released. If you want to go with more common quality brands, there's RE Audio, Fi, and my personal favorites, Sundown Audio. Sundown makes epically amazing subs. Here's a video of two SA-12's. http://www.amazon.com/SA-12-D4-Sundown-Audio-Subwoofer/dp/B003ZWBG7Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1298239281&sr=8-2 They're severely underrated and put out a LOT of power, but you'll never hear of them at Best buy, and many retail stores don't carry them either. Edited February 20, 2011 by xtremerevolution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white4d96 Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) Keep in mind some of the best quality and highest end brands cannot be bought in big brand name stores and some cannot even be bought in any smaller retail stores or you have to travel a great distance to find them. Names like kicker, kenwood, sony, and rockford fosgate should never be used in the same sentence with sound quality. Find me a retailer that sells Image Dynamics subs. They will be very rare if at all. Then, find me any subs that compare in sound quality to Image Dynamics subs, and I guarantee you won't be able to without at least 1.5x the price. That's why a lot of us don't buy retal. Because in the end, we spend less and get a much better sound system. The Image Dynamics subs I bought used won the Central California regional SQ championships and I paid $200 for the pair shipped. They will put anything you find at any best buy and most retail stores to shame in SQ. That being said, local shops are great if you don't want to do the work yourself and don't mind the markup. I've used them before. Just keep in mind reputable small shops are few and far between. Some of those places perform very poor and very shitty installs. Oh, and another thing. How car audio looks is completely useless. My id subs have baskets that make them look like jensen made them, but they sound like Focal made them. Most truly high quality sound edquipment is not flashy. Hell, even when you compare magnet sizes on subs, you can be severely mslead. Its not the size of the magnet that matters, but the quality of the material, which only a brands reputation will reflect. Sent from my HTC Awesome using Tapatalk My local shop deals ID and DD The owner's a crabby Italian but he knows his stuff. As for Sundown power, a friend of mine lent me his SAE-1200 for a night to hook up to my R-12's and even at a 2-ohm load it was insane, louder even than when I had it hooked up to my MTX 81000 (which was supposedly 1500@2ohm@14.4V.) If it weren't for the insane price tag I would own one already. Edited February 20, 2011 by white4d96 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 I am curious about the linear excursion capabilities and frequency response of the ID subs. ok looked at the site on the ID v3, OK, their catch phrase is they are the standard for affordable high performance. I see why because they only have 17 mm of linear excursion. that is not what I would consider SQ. here is a mid level sub of much higher capability without a fancy name that will move over 2 inches completely linear. they are called TC sounds. close on the heels of JL audio and Boston. watch these specs literally blow ID out of the water! http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=293-658 remember to not only look at the company reputation, but also the specs in black and white. people will tell you what they like but you can tell by the looks and comparing specs. like when people ask for a dyno sheet when you claim you are putting down the power. I would like to know how low those ID subs will hit. and I know those TC subs look bad ass as hell. OH WOW! just looked and they throw down 15 HZ! that is serious HSQ! now lets look on ID website for low frequency output hmmm lets see. how low will they hit? SQ subs will hit VERY low if they truly are SQ. that is the definition basically. so any SQ sub builder is going to brag about the extended low frequency tones it can make over the SPL guys who hit much higher ear shattering bass. well where is the bragging? they will not list this spec? well if they are not SPL and bragging about "affordable" sound quality, I guess that makes it a flea market brand. I don't know for sure though. what are the specs on it??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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