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Old 26th September 2009, 03:44   #1
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ICEing for the first time!

Hey Guys,

So I recently got a nice black swift VXI from my father a couple a days back.. its an awesome car and i love it but it does'nt have a prefitted entertainment system so i need to ICE it up!

Now, my budget is 30k tops and now the things i would like to know about are:

1) Please suggest some good headunits, speakers (Front/Rear), Amp and subwoofer in my 30k budget.
2) Please suggest some nice ICE shops in Pune.
3) Please let me know how I can get a discount if possible.
4) Any other things you want me to know?

I was looking at an all sony setup but i read a lot of places that sony is not a nice brand so i dropped the idea but i still like the headunit a lot, can you guys tell me if:

1) WX-GT77UI : Xplod™ CD Receiver : In-Car Entertainment : Sony India
2) CDX-GT686UI : Xplod™ CD Receiver : In-Car Entertainment : Sony India

are any good?

My basic requirements for a headunit are:

1) USB (front is preferred)
2) Aux In (I can connect my phone with this)
3) iPod (this is not necessary but is a plus if included)
4) CD
5) Tuner
6) Should be able to play MP3/AAC/WMA formats

If you guys think that I wont be able to get a good setup in my budget then just suggest good headunit and speakers (front/rear/tweeters), but keep in mind that later on I would add amp and sub woofer to it so leave a scope for upgradation and compatibility.

Whoa! Long post. Sorry guys but i just had these questions and there was just no clear answer to them, but just gimme a rough idea.
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Old 26th September 2009, 15:29   #2
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small suggestion... Stay away from Sony ICE
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Old 26th September 2009, 16:44   #3
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I think for a 30k budget, one should get a reasonably decent mid-fi ICE set up. There's nothing really wrong with the Sony range except for reliability. More often than not Sony HUs start throwing tantrums after a while and then they are just inconsolable. You do have other options such as Alpine, Kenwood, Blaupunkt, JVC, Clarion and Panasonic.

There are quite a few threads here with recommendations for your budget. Do look through them, am sure will help you shortlist brands that you could give a ear to. Cheers!

I would suggest Front - component speakers (2 way), a good 4 channel sub and a subwoofer and some damping. For the rear fills if your budget permits go for a pair of coaxial speakers (2 way/3way).

Last edited by pranava999 : 26th September 2009 at 16:51.
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Old 26th September 2009, 16:47   #4
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more than reliability its for SQ .. i have used Sony for more than 3 years in my car and not even single hitch once...

But offcourse SQ was real bad
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Old 27th September 2009, 10:46   #5
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xmOD, you can try the Panasonic CQ-RX322. It costs about 6k with bill

CQ-RX322 | MP3 CD Recievers | Digital AV | Panasonic India

SQ is very good and has USB and AUX features also.

Regarding the rest of the setup, please let us know the kind of music you listen to.
There are Pune TBHPians who will be able to guide you to a good installer
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Old 27th September 2009, 16:18   #6
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thx for the replies guys..
Quote:
Regarding the rest of the setup, please let us know the kind of music you listen to.
Well I listen to mostly electronic and trance numbers. I like songs with a heavy bass. So I would definitely want a good sub woofer/speakers with good bass.

Also about the head unit i forgot to mention that I dont really care if the HU does'nt have a CD player cause I really cant remember the time i actually put in a cd in my other cars to listen to some music.. most of my music is in digital format so USB, AUX, iPod connectivity are some of the features i would like, also please suggest if I can get a decent HU within the 10k range which has bluetooth connectivity as well, although its not absolutely needed plus it would be fun having this feature this aswell.

Now as far as I understand this, I need front comp speakers (2 way?) and rear coaxial (2/3 way?) speakers. What difference does a speaker being a 4 way or 2 way make? Do you guys this I can just install these now and still be able to get some good bass outta them for a while until I install the sub woofer and amp later on? Also for this I think i'll need a HU with 3 pre-outs for expansion? suggestions?

OR

Should I just install 2 front comp, 2 rear coax, sub and amp right now in one go available in the 30k range?

Last edited by xmOD : 27th September 2009 at 16:20.
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Old 28th September 2009, 00:36   #7
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ok so abhayshanu from here gave me really valuable inputs on the kind of setup i would want.

this is what he suggested:

Headunit: DEH-P5190UB
Front Comp Speakers: JBL Car & Marine Audio
Sub Woofer: JBL Car & Marine Audio
Amplifier ( here i was given the option for a mono for sub alone or a 4 chan amp):
Mono Amp: JBL Car & Marine Audio
4 Channel Amps:
- JBL Car & Marine Audio
- JBL Car & Marine Audio
Rear Coax - Any 6x9 from JBL

So i have the following options:

1) Install 2 X Front Comp (2 way), Headunit, Sub and Mono Amp and upgrade later with 2 X Rear Coax and a 4 Chan Amp
2) Install 2 X Front Comp (2 way), Headunit, Sub and 4 Chan Amp and install 2 X Rear Coax later on while bridging 2 channels of the amp for the sub.

Personally, I like option no.2 as i dont really want a Hi-fi system. A mid-fi setup is ok for me and am good with that.

Need you inputs guys on this and also do read my previous post here and comment on that too.

Last edited by xmOD : 28th September 2009 at 00:39.
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Old 28th September 2009, 09:14   #8
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If you are happy with the second option, please proceed.

However, Try to listen to the JBL speakers and HU before you invest. Also listen to other brands as well to know the difference and to decide what your ears like.
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Old 29th September 2009, 11:57   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xmOD View Post
ok so abhayshanu from here gave me really valuable inputs on the kind of setup i would want.

this is what he suggested:

Headunit: DEH-P5190UB
Front Comp Speakers: JBL Car & Marine Audio
Sub Woofer: JBL Car & Marine Audio
Amplifier ( here i was given the option for a mono for sub alone or a 4 chan amp):
Mono Amp: JBL Car & Marine Audio
4 Channel Amps:
- JBL Car & Marine Audio
- JBL Car & Marine Audio
Rear Coax - Any 6x9 from JBL

So i have the following options:

1) Install 2 X Front Comp (2 way), Headunit, Sub and Mono Amp and upgrade later with 2 X Rear Coax and a 4 Chan Amp
2) Install 2 X Front Comp (2 way), Headunit, Sub and 4 Chan Amp and install 2 X Rear Coax later on while bridging 2 channels of the amp for the sub.

Personally, I like option no.2 as i dont really want a Hi-fi system. A mid-fi setup is ok for me and am good with that.

Need you inputs guys on this and also do read my previous post here and comment on that too.
My $.02
Great decision on not going with the rear co-axials right now. Spend money on the HU, components and the amp for now. Sub can be added later when the budget permits it and then the rear co-axials.

Build your system slowly or you'll end up doing what most of us have done here: ugrading

Research as much as you can online and audition as many cars as you can. Nothing like first hand knowledge to help you choose your system at the right price. You don't wanna get ripped off do ya? Listen to your installer but trust your ears in the end. It is, after all, your car, your money and your music

IMO, JBLs, Infinitys, Polks are very bright speakers so unless you can stand to listen to piercing high frequencies, look at other options as well. For about 7k you have innumerable other options for the components. Audition as many speakers as you can. I have Boston s60 compos in my car and boy do I love them! 6.1k and you're set with a brilliant set of entry level speakers.

Pick up a powerful amp (70 - 100W RMS/channel atleast) with good crossovers so you don't end up upgrading a year or two down the line. It's okay to feed the speakers with a lot more than their rated power as long as the amp doesn't clip. With a good amp powering reasonably good speakers, you probably won't even feel the need for rear coaxials. Good crossovers are essential for two reasons: 1. to ensure that your speakers get the right frequencies for a long life. 2. better sound integration in your car.

Look for HUs with atleast 2 pre-outs if not 3. USB playback is an additional feature that is quite handy. Again, research online to see the options available.

For the kind of music listen to, my choice of a sub will the JBL entry level ones. Get a box built to the speakers recommended specifications. Should cost you about 4k in grey with a custom built box.

Audition as many cars as you can before sheeling out the greenbacks. Thats the best advice anyone on this forum will give you.

Hope you find this useful
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Old 29th September 2009, 12:33   #10
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Thx a lot wannabe loser for the advice.

Quote:
Pick up a powerful amp (70 - 100W RMS/channel atleast) with good crossovers so you don't end up upgrading a year or two down the line.
How about option No 1 ( JBL Car & Marine Audio ) ??

Also what exactly does crossovers do?

Quote:
IMO, JBLs, Infinitys, Polks are very bright speakers so unless you can stand to listen to piercing high frequencies, look at other options as well.
If i want a laid back sound, then what brand of speakers would you recommend other than Boston?

Also, I was considering the following headunits:

1. DEH-P6050UB
2. DEH-P5150UB

Need your inputs.

Last edited by xmOD : 29th September 2009 at 12:45.
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Old 29th September 2009, 15:32   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xmOD View Post
Thx a lot wannabe loser for the advice.

How about option No 1 ( JBL Car & Marine Audio ) ??

Also what exactly does crossovers do?

If i want a laid back sound, then what brand of speakers would you recommend other than Boston?

Also, I was considering the following headunits:

1. DEH-P6050UB
2. DEH-P5150UB

Need your inputs.
Audio crossovers are a class of electronic filters designed specifically for use in audio applications, especially hi-fi. Commonly used loudspeaker drivers are incapable of covering the entire audio spectrum with acceptable volume and lack of distortion by themselves. Thus, crossovers serve the purpose of splitting the audio signal into separate frequency bands which can be handled by individual loudspeaker drivers optimized for those bands.

More info here: Audio crossover - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Like I said, there's a lot that goes into making a nice audio system for your car than just brands.

I had the opportunity to listen to a setup that was using that particular JBL amp with JBL 607c components. The sound was very bright & piercing and frankly, after about 10 mins, I couldn't listen to it anymore. It was probably the speakers.

If you'd like to pick that amp up, I'd suggest bridging the four channels into two and powering each set of component speakers with one bridged channel. That way, you should get about 100 - 130W on each speaker making the speakers sound nicer. And at this price point, I really don't think you'll notice that much of a difference between amps, but that's just me. Pick up the amp by all means, but ensure you bridge the channels for the best result. You will also need a mono amo for your sub if you're planning to add one as all the channels of the JBL will be used up in the configuration that I have suggested.

As for speakers, I haven't heard too many so I can't really recommend any, other than what I have. Like I said, audition a few cars on the forum from pune. Seek help from the gurus here too. MoralFiber I think has an illusion audio setup which apparently sounds sweet. Check with him.

The HUs you've chosen seem to have +ve views on tbhp as well. I've never heard either of them unfortunately so I can't comment. From what I've heard, the Kenwoods have nice sound quality. You could also look at JVC. Alpine is another good option but it might be out of your budget.

Don't go now! It really isn't that bad. All this might seem like a lot of info and gyaan but trust me, learning all of this is worth it!

Before you take a decision, read up, go out there to the shops seee whats on offer at what price, check the specs, audition cars and ask the gurus. All this will ensure that you overshoot your original budget by atleast 50%

Give me a shout if you need anymore help.
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