Sound System Upgrade Suggestions for a Newbie..

[spacewagonUBE]

first tym ko kc papaus ung oto ko,, tanong ko lang po, ano ba ok na set up sa SPACE WAGON gnun kc oto ko,, ung simple at kaya ng baget,,, balak q sana palitan head unit,, seps speaker,, tska gustokodin sana lagyab ng sub,, kaso iniisip ko lng ungspaceng conpartment ko,, konte lang sana space ng makukuha ng sub para may mapag lagyan pa ko ng gami,,, anu ba aus parasa oto ko na sub??? ung bang separate ung sub at ampli,, o ung amplified sub na???? anung sukat po ung pede??? tnx po,, sana mtalungan nyo ako,,,

[robot.sonic]

Boss, bawal text speak dito. jejejeje

robot.sonic

PS: Hintay hintay ka lang... may magrereply din sayo. Baka si GH.

[tata_ismael]

Good day guys!

I'm planning to upgrade my stock sound system.. Walang nagbebenta dito sa amin sa province kaya kailangan ko ng suggestions nyo.. Oorderin ko pa siguro jan sa manila kung sakali..

My stock headunit is a JVC DVD player model KD-5000 DVD (50x4) nga pala.. Do I still need to upgrade this?

I would like to have a 1-brand-system with a budget of around 25-30k.. Plano ko sana 1set separates, 1set coax, an 8 or 10-inch sub plus 1 amplifier.. I was browsing the website of mickeys and LAcars and saw some good choices..

Here are some of the options I found sa net:

Option 1: db DRIVE System
db680.2 seps (50w nominal) 5k
db650.2 coax (50w nominal) 2.5k
K3 10inch sub (450w rms) 5k
A3 80.4 4ch.amp (4Ω: 4 x 80 Watts / 2 x 200 Watts) 9k

Option 2: MB Quart System
MBQuart FSA-216 (40w) spes 5.5k
MBQuart FKA-116 (40w) coax 4k
MBQuart FWA-304D 12inch sub (300w rms) 6.5k
MBQuart DSC 480 (80x4) 13.5k

Option 3: Focal System
Focal ACCESS 130A1 5 inch 2 way Component Speakers 9k
Stock rear
Focal ACCESS 25A1 10 inch Subwoofer (200w rms) 7k
Sound Magus C160 (4x160w) 9k (or other ampli below 10k)

Option 4: DLS System
DLS Reference R Series R6A 2-way Component Speakers (80wl) 10k
Stock rear
DLS RW10 (dont know the price, maybe 8k)
Sound Magus C160 (4x160w) 9k (or other ampli below 10k)

Which system do you suggest guys? I'm not after loud bass.. Ang habol ko lang eh clear and quality sound with just enough bass to appreciate RnB and other mainstream music..

You can also suggest other systems or combinations, basta 20-30k lang presyo..

TIA and God bless!

[jhnkvn]

I'm on #3 and #4. Biased on Focals compared to DLS' reference series. Only time I'll go for DLS is when there's a UP6 (by far one of their best) on the line and then back to the Focals.

Mickey's and LA Audio charges a bit of a premium on the prices. You can haggle a thousand lower in Banawe with comparable service (I'm OK with Mickey but I heard some bad reviews with LA Audio) If you're not that far away, you should take a trip to Banawe. It's kinda like the mecca of car audio in the Philippines the same as how Gilmore is to computers.

You wouldn't really need rear speakers if you're at the front. 90% of what you hear comes from your front speakers so don't fret about just having stock speakers at the back.

[tata_ismael]

Thanks sir jhnkvn!

1. If pipiliin ko yung Focal System, what amplifier ang bagay na nasa 8-12k lang presyo?

Focal ACCESS 25A1 10 inch Subwoofer 200w RMS
Focal ACCESS 165A1 6 inch 2 way Component Speakers 60w Nominal/120w Max

2. Ok na po ba yung 60w nominal na seps or hanap pa ako mas malakas?

3. Tsaka ano po ibig sabihin ng "Tight accurate bass without boom"? Yun kase description ng Focal na subwoofer sa net eh.

[tata_ismael]

Eto pala specs nung focal na sub:

10" Single 400 Watt Subwoofer
Power Handling:
Peak: 400 watts
RMS: 200 watts
Impedance: 4 ohms
Woven glass fiber cone
Butyl rubber surround
2" Voice coil
5-3/4" Magnet
Frequency response: 32-500 Hz
Sensitivity: 92 dB

-------------------------------

1. How about Morels?

2. Tsaka Infinity System?

Infinity REF6020CS Seps (90w RMS) 6k
Infinity 1250w 12 inch Sub (300w RMS) 5.5k

[glntVR]

Kailangan talaga same brand seps and subs?

For seps I would go for Morel Tempo. Don't buy coax na. Sayang lang. Use the money sa other components
Sub, Polk Momo would be nice.
Amplifier, Polk Audio din.

If you want okay din naman Polk na seps para straight Polk Audio set up

[jhnkvn]

Well, not sure on going for a same-brand set. I'd rather mix-and-match. Besides, our car speaker scene here in the Philippines isn't quite developed as the US. So some brands aren't really available here (like Hertz, Genesis, Dynaudios for example)

In reality, you can't go wrong with Morels, Polk, Focals, DLS (experience starts at Reference series). However, setting up a pure-Focal setup would prove to be expensive. So wala na yan sa budget mo.

Focal's 165A1 Access lineup is great for its price. Heard it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. IMO, it sounds smoother than a Morel and I like its mid-range more.

Are Morels inferior? No. But at that price point, I would prefer Focal over a Morel. Brand-wise, Focals are more exclusive than Morels. But when it comes to the high end, masgusto ko Morel Supremo 6 rather than Focal's Utopias ewan lang kung bakit..

Infinity... err.. no, I'll stick with Polks, Morels, and Focals. Infinity is kinda like.. Bose. They bank on their "mainstream" reputation but otherwise, doesn't provide an excellent bang-per-buck speaker.

For Focal's subwoofer, I think it's a bit expensive for its performance. Tight bass without the boom is basically.. teka, pano ko ba ito iexplain.. Tight bass is basically BOOOM. A low frequency sound that's short and reacts. Hindi parang mga SQL setups that have a long bass response.. BOOOOOOM (a long low-frequency sound). The best classic example of a non-tight bass is those subwoofers you find in jeeps. Yun tipong BOOOOM BOOOM.. ayun, tawag mo doon hindi na tight bass. Sabog tawag doon

You need a relatively trained ear to notice tight bass and near-tight bass. So it wouldn't really matter. In fact, sometimes a longer bass gives the perception of bass depth for the listener. So.. rather than focusing on the subwoofer, focus on your separates and amplifier rather than putting cash on a "better" subwoofer. I ended my setup with a Focal Polykevlar but my subwoofer was a mere JL 12-incher sub.

For your amplifier, not sure about the Sound Magus. Since matagal na since last-setup ko di na ako updated dyan eh but way back, Rockfords were the go-to amps.

Ok na po ba yung 60w nominal na seps or hanap pa ako mas malakas?
60W is fine. Don't look at RMS in trying to judge a speaker's capability. Morels (or was it Quartz?) are power-hoggers but that doesn't mean Focals, DLS, or any speaker in that matter is inferior.

Each audio manufacturer has their own sound signature. It's up to you whether you like it or not. That is why the best choice is to audition it first. I believe most audio specialists like Mickey and LACars offer auditioning rooms. You might want to drop by Araneta Ave's Jeff Tan if you have time. He's highly recommended kung ayaw mo sa Banawe maghanap.

[tata_ismael]

Thank you for the inputs sir jhnkvn & sir glntVR..

I'm from Mindanao nga pala guys.. Nearest Metro City is Davao City which is around 4hours travel pa.. This is why I want to get as much info & advice before I either go to Davao and buy, or order in Manila.. Problem with Davao is, I think they only sell mainstream sound equipments such as kicker, pioneer, etc.. And if they do sell focals & dls, i'm pretty sure mahal dun.. hehehe

From your inputs, I understand that I should focus on my seps and amplifier muna.. If that is the case, pwede ba na hindi muna ako bumili ng sub? Para yung budget ko eh makakuha ng maganda-ganda naman seps and ampli?

If pwede, what 1set seps + 1ampli combination would you suggest for a budget of 25k-30k?

These seps come to mind:

DLS UP6i * 16.8k
DLS X-PROGRAM XSB62 * 11k
Focal ACCESS 165A1 * 9.2
Focal POLYGLASS VB 165VB * 13.8k

Any amplifiers you could suggest na not more than 15k? Are these amplifiers any good?

RF Prime R300-4 4-Channel Amplifier (50 Watts RMS x 4 * 4-Ohms) * 9.5k
Digital Designs Class A/B C4B (60W x 4) * 12k
DLS XD 40 Class D (4 x 100 W) * 14.9k
DLS XA-40 Class AB (4x50) * 11k
KICKER ZX 350.4 (4x90) * 15k

The websites of mickey & LA are my only source of reference guys, kaya pasensya na if my choices are somewhat limited.. Pero you can suggest others pa rin naman..

Thanks again!

[ryan0805]

my current set up:
hu : pioneer 3050ub
front speaker : indi ko pa nachecheck pero pioneer din 6"
rear speaker : pioneer ts a6950 coaxial 3way

gusto ko sana ung mejo ma bass... ano kailangan ko bilin na mejo mura? for toyota corolla.
salamat...

[aejhayl17]

get 2 amplifiers, sound magus will do, 1 mono or 2 channel, and 1 4-channel.
get 2 12 inch subs in a ported box.
install it with a grade 4-8 wiring
ipatono mu na lang ng mayos

if necessary, replace your front speakers, get a pair of seps with tweeters, focal will be excellent.

medyo SPL na siguro ng set up niya.

make sure na busog na busog sa wattage ang speakers and subs mo para busog din ang tenga

sorry, no first hand experience. eto kase ang plano ko for my budget set-up walang budget e

[ryan0805]

boss magkano kaya budget nung sugestion mo?

[aejhayl17]

boss magkano kaya budget nung sugestion mo?

hehe medyo madugo paps, pero depende kung saan ka bibili at paano ka makikipag haggle sa price.

sound magus amps worth 5k each
subs 3k-10k each
focal seps 4.5k
wiring kit 1.5k
labor? not sure
box 3k

madugo diba?

if your not brand conscious, sa raon, you can get a deal consist of a 12" sub, a 4 channel ampli and wring kit worth P6.5k

[ralphyboy11]

yung sound magus vs1500.1 mono block amp (the newer version of sound magus x1502 but all the same iba lang ang color) maganda na for your sub amplifier.. malakas na rin yun.. cost 9.5k jan sa manila..

[tata_ismael]

Consulted a couple of friends, and after hearing their suggestions, i've refined my search a bit:

1. DLS RM6.2 (100w/160w) 12.7k
2. Morel Tempo 6 inch 2 way (120w/280w) 8.8k
3. Focal ACCESS 165A1 (60w/120w) 9.2k

1. DLS CA23 2ch Amplifier ( 135w x 2 * 4Ω) 14.8
2. Sound Magus C160 (160w x 4) 9.5k
3. JBL GTO1004 (100w x 4) 9.5k
4. Rockford Fosgate Prime 300.4 (50w x 4) 9.5k
5. KICKER ZX Series ZX350.2 (110w x 2) 14k

DLS UP6i is just way too expensive for me to be able to buy an amplifier that could drive it..

Your inputs would be really appreciated, guys..

Thanks again and God bless!

[jhnkvn]

Taas naman ng RMS power ng Sound Magus C160 (160Wx4). Been hearing a lot of recommendations here and there. Might be worth it for a bang-per-buck amplifier. Anybody with feedback on SM amps?

Don't look for high RMS amps. Rather, look for good quality amps that you're sure won't give out in the middle of the year or something.

Davao is still pretty big. I'm pretty sure there should at least be Morels, DLS, and Focals selling there (I mean, Cebu has them, so I'll bet the house that Davao should also have). They're probably harder to find.. but it's the same situation here in Luzon with most (80% maybe) of the shops simply offer mainstream brands like Pioneers, Targas, etc. (yun tipong pang-masa).

More expensive? I don't think so. Might be a wise choice to first ask around since shipping costs are also expensive

I'll go for Focal Access' lineup and a JBL GTO1004. The Rockford Punch is still a decent alternative, but its price has been pushed down drastically (check US eBay and you can see it selling at $100 while the JBL at $200). Although in terms of audio, can't really comment. I still believe Rockfords make one of the best amplifiers for cars for their price range out there. But at this price point, I'm sold with JBL.

Yes, you can always go subwoofer-less for now. I would have done it if it means I can get a better seps and amps.

You shouldn't worry about amplifiers. If the subwoofer you're looking takes a chunk of power, you might want to consider buying a monoblock amp just to power it solely. Most of us (hehe) go for the route of 2 amps anyway... one for the seps and the other for the sub.

[jhnkvn]

Ryan, always post a budget first so that members can help you with your budget in mind Mura is relative kasi. Mga iba dyan gumagastos ng 100k sa sounds nila so 30k is considered "mura" na sa kanila

[tata_ismael]

Thanks sir jhnkvn..

I already inquired about the prices and availability sa Davao through a friend.. Prices are higher, pero reasonable naman, although per order basis nga lang ang DLS and Focal.. I'll try to look for friends using DLS and Focal for comparison.. Most of them are using kicker kase eh..

I'll probably chose between DLS and Focal na talaga.. Will update na lang if my project pushes through.. I guess it's time to visit Davao..

Thanks ng marami and God bless!

[speed unlimited]

Goodluck na lang sa project Set up mo.

[ralphyboy11]

Thanks sir jhnkvn..

I already inquired about the prices and availability sa Davao through a friend.. Prices are higher, pero reasonable naman, although per order basis nga lang ang DLS and Focal.. I'll try to look for friends using DLS and Focal for comparison.. Most of them are using kicker kase eh..

I'll probably chose between DLS and Focal na talaga.. Will update na lang if my project pushes through.. I guess it's time to visit Davao..

Thanks ng marami and God bless!

sir your from davao ba?