Help on decision

[carkid0007]

Well its not really speaker help but it is, I am not real familiar with all the speaker lingo and I was wondering what I would need to have a nice sounding system, not something that would rattle all the nuts and bolts loose, just sound nice and have some bass to it still ?

[Apparition]

Depends on your budget.

I would recommend basically upgrading your speakers to something with a 92+db sensitivity (this allows high intensity of sound at lower power levels).

Upgrade your deck to provide adequate power, and something that looks cool to you, and is comfortable to use. ie: having the volume easily accessible while shifting, etc.

Get one 10" sub in a sealed box, and get a 250 to 350w amp, and the sub has to be able to handle this power, otherwise you can blow it. Also, understand its easier to take away bass than to add bass. So if you want to have your testosterone moments and blast your windows outta the car, get two subs and tons of power, and you can always turn down the bass. This is what I did, and works nicely. Be aware, power costs quite a bit of coin, and speakers that can handle that power cost quite a bit of coin too.

If your budget is low, do things in steps. Get the deck first, it'll make the most difference, upgrade your 4 speakers to something that you like to hear. Like going into a car audio store and have them play individual speakers (most places have setups like this) and listen to each one. You'll hear the one that pleases you. :) Also, if you plan to eventually amplify these speakers with a four channel amplifier, get something that can handle the power load. Then get sub(s)/amp.

Subs range in size and it really depends what you're looking for in music. If you listen to rap, you want 12" subs. They're boomy and are perfect for rap. If you listen to a lot of rock, 8" are a tight bass and sounds better. A 10" sub is a happy medium.

Then based on what kind of sound you want, tight or boomy, you decide on the box style. A sealed box will require a lot of power to make it pound, but the bass will be quick and tight. A bandpass box, or vented box will be boomy and have a lot more intensity (volume).

After you have all that, you can get really fancy with things like parametric crossovers. This is to fine tune the sound you want, and can have different settings based on the different types of music you play. Most decks come with a basic crossover, but a parametric crossover really allows you to maximize the sound in your car. I don't recommend this for someone just getting into sound. They're a bitch to setup, takes forever to find what you like. You have to use pink noise, and set the parametric curve to match it, that sorta thing. Its a bitch. :D

Hopefully that helps you out, I know its a little long, but audio can get highly involved. Any questions, pm me.