Warning long read: ( skip to *** if you must)
I'll share my car audio history with you first:
Car: 2000 Toyota Celica GTS
Factory system: 8 speaker premium package ( front 3 way, rear fill) small factory amp
My stock stereo wasn't bad to me when I first started out with the car. Over time one of the factory mid-bass woofers rotted out.
With no prior experience with car audio, I called a few places and didn't like the quotes I was getting. I am a Mechanical Engineering student and thought this would be a good project for me anyways.
I started with finding a new component set off Amazon that had good reviews. I found the Inifinty Refernce 6.5 components at a good price with equal reviews. So my idiot self said lets put 2 pairs of components in, 1 in the front and 1 in the rear.
Next up was the head unit. I bought a pioneer double din avh-4300 and installed a kicker 350/4 amplifier (one of my door actuators died, so I ordered a new actuator and installed a Viper alarm to protect all this new equipment I bought).
My experience after all this: I had no clue about audio at the time, but I knew the tweeters in the rear were deffinately messing up my sound.
I took out the tweeters from the rear and left the woofers. "Ok.. This sounds better I thought". After much listening to my new stereo, I thought the highs were torture to my ears. I just couldn't understand why my new systems sound was so awful compared to my old factory system.
After some research online, I decided maybe I needed to deaden my car up since I had awful road noise anyways. Well I found some stuff on Amazon :(
"Oh wow, dynamat is so expensive! fatmat is like half the price.. (no brainer)"
After installing the deadener just about everywhere I was very pleased with the noise decrease and gains in my bass.
I still couldn't get over the high pitched sounds I would get at moderate volumes. I decided I needed better components and purchased the HAT Imagine with all the good reviews (Finally found this site) ;)
I ended up purchasing the Imagines and a kicker zx700.5 I found on Craigslist.
I installed everything and added a Re Audio 10" sub in a ported box I built.
"OK, I am finally getting somewhere", I thought. Who knows how many times I have changed the tweeters from coax to component. I still had a problem with the tweeters distorting the music at higher volumes (much less but still a problem).
At the moment my speakers are bridged on the kicker running an est 110-120 watts for each component (gains set with oscilloscope). I am only running front stage and the Re 10" sub, but I want more!
*** The question I have: Where do I go from here?***
Ideas:
1. Change out as much of the fatmat as I can and install butyl based product. No melting after 2 years of humid hot weather, but if the other stuff works better I am willing to change it out. (I wish I knew about this beforehand)
2. I plan on purchasing the PPI 900.4 and the PPI mono amp for the sub. At that price and power, I can't resist (I don't think the 5 channel I have now is enough for what I want)
3. I want to buy new components for the front (again :(). I would really be interested in a 3-way as it will give me more options to design and build with. I will be adding a JBL MS-8 to take care of my processing. I am hoping that the next components I buy will be the last.. (that's probably not going to happen, but I hope so ;))
What do you guys think about the Hertz HSK 163, PPI, or maybe some drivers I can go 3-way active with? With that in mind, I am still learning about speaker specs and what to look for.
I could use something with more mid-bass, tweeters don't scream at high volume, and overall better clarity. I listen to a mix of everything but I enjoy dub-step in my car since I live in a condo and cannot turn up the home hi-fi.
I may upgrade the sub later to a SA 12 or JL 10W7. I just built a fiberglass box for the RE and really enjoy the trunk space at the moment.
I am open for any suggestions you guys have. I have not demoed any speakers around town, I don't know of any places around here who carry anything I am particularly interested in (Knoxville, TN). Hopefully meeting up with some of you guys from Knoxville can help me figure it out.
This is becoming an expensive addiction :) and I am hoping to satisfy my needs with this upgrade.
Sorry for the long winded rant.. Thanks for looking!
-Cheers