Definitely aiming in the wrong direction with the Hifonics. The BTL needs real power and the 1606D won't deliver.

The ICON Sundown combo would be right in your budget and will sound great and get very loud.

ok question, do u think the icon/sundown combo.. would compare to a 13w7/jl 1000.1 -- which one is better for SPL/SQ.. overall just comparison.

and yes i know, for 500$ -- thats crazy compared to JL's proabably 1500$ price for the w7/1000.1

ALSO, i have a coupe, and the seat does go down, so this will be plenty of power correct?

right now i have 2 chitty kenwoods on a rf 600 watt amp, and no aftermarket hu, and it sounds okay loud, but just TRASHY, like it sounds AWFUL.

ALSO, my aim is EXCLIIPSE -- if anyone feels they can point me in the correct direction, and no, i dont want any used items. ty tho.

the icon is a nice sub many people like them....

the hifonics is crap.

sundown amp fosho. and you have to pick a sub!

well looks like im goin for the SSA/Sundown combo.

still looking for a comparison against a JL w7/ JL 1000.1 setup.

http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/shop/in...p;productId=150

vs.

JL 13 w7 // JL 1000.1

anyone? please..

Edited January 28, 200817 yr by strrmx

i think you will be happy with that setup and so will your pockets haha, maybe later on down the road with a little more money you could get a btl but no need unless you wanna go deaf by 30

awesome review of the icon sub unbiased

http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/forum/i...showtopic=10339

and a little more info on the sundown amp

http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/forum/i...?showtopic=9398

overall i think the icon and sundown combo is an awesome deal and should fit you bill... which leaves you with about >500 to spend on a good h/u, some coaxs, and sound deadener... hope this helps some

oh both of these companies have GREAT customer service so if you ever have any questions you can speak directly to them... vs paying 1500+ for JL and no customer service

Edited January 28, 200817 yr by MINO

i have to agree that 600 is a lot for an amp........but.......the saz 1500d is well worth the price tag!!!!!!

if you search the various car audio forums you can usually find them used (lightly) or even get lucky like me and find a bnib for anywhere from 325-400....... mine was 375 and worth every last penny and then some!!!

anyways, i'm getting ready to do a "small set-up" in my gf's 96 grand am. this set-up will include an alpine cde-9881 w/ ipod interface cable, alpine mrp m450 mono amp, 4guage power/ground w/ 60amp in-line fuse, alpine swr1242d (type r 12"), and a 1.49 cu.ft. vented box. not my idea of audio bliss, but she will be happy w/ it when i'm done.

my advice to you would be to take the time to do some research on audio equipment that sparks your interest, look for the best price, and sometimes "trial and error" is the best way to learn. good luck on your system.

You may even be able to work out a deal with SSA for the ICON 12" and a SAZ-1500D instead of the SAE-1000D. That way you have power to spare and you're all set to move up to something else if you want to. Also, two ICON's off of the 1500D would be sweeeeet. Maybe instead of a 12 you go for two 10's.

You may even be able to work out a deal with SSA for the ICON 12" and a SAZ-1500D instead of the SAE-1000D. That way you have power to spare and you're all set to move up to something else if you want to. Also, two ICON's off of the 1500D would be sweeeeet. Maybe instead of a 12 you go for two 10's.

1 12'' and the 1500d would be very nice.

im not sure i have the money to go with two 10's.

anyways, still, any comparison to the JLw7/1000.1 just in terms of sq and power..?

I'll give an opinion on the HU's you mentioned, the Kenwood is what I have now and it is hands down the best deck I've ever owned. The USB interface is great, it will work with a jump drive or even a small external hard drive. I would stay far away from Alpine head units. I have no clue why these decks are still so popular. I've owned them and installed them for people and it always ends the same. They sound great but they're not reliable. Pioneer or Kenwood head unit's have always treated me well. The Kenwood's a little less user friendly but this year especially has better features than Pioneer is currently offering.

As for the JL / SSA+Sundown comparison,

the W7 and the SSA Icon are both meant for sound quality, with good power handling and good excursion. No I am not saying the Icon will beat the W7 or the W7 will kill the Icon. Both will produce great sound in a well built box, and have solid output when given clean power. The price difference can partially be due to the JL Audio established name and a massive hype train at fulls steam ahead, the great performance record the W7 has, and that they are a large company that are dealer based. For SSA, we are much smaller, much newer, and the Icon is still pretty new to market, in addition the Icons are sold direct on the internet (with a few dealer reps too). So the W7 can command a larger price tag, but does it really command that much larger? Most say no.

The JL 1000 amp is a good solid regulated amplifier that will be almost spot on 1000 watts regarless of voltage levels above 11 volts I think. It also has been around for a few years, has a big company behind it and is mostly sold in stores. The Sundown on the other hand, just like SSA, is a new company, just getting the name established, and the SAE-1000D is new to market, it will also do 1000 watts no sweat, but with a good electrical system they have been known to put out about 1100.

So the turn here is, do you feel the extra money is worth it for a big name product who has a long history, or two well built products who have great names and customer service but are not big companies that will give very similar levels performance for less? If this is in a trunk car, the fine details that might be in favor for the JL are lost in the trunk anyway.

Yes I am biased towards Sundown because I know Jacob does outstanding service, and the Icon is our (ssaudio/denim) subwoofer and we believe in its quality and performance (reviews and feedback support that), but I am trying to explain the difference in and unbiased manner.

jacob is the man

appreciate it denim

appreciate it denim

No problem, was doing my best not to be biased, but it is hard when one of the items in question is your own company.

Excuse me if I'm jumping into this thread a bit late, but how about going back to what Jim and a few others asked? How about upgrading your factory speakers with at least a pair of coaxes? For the cause of better sound I'll throw you a pair of Audax 5.25's for $40 shipped.

But seriously, lets look at what you could get with a "budget" system ($1k full systems are refered to as budget systems):

Used HU on here or another forum: $125

RCA/amp kit on here or another forum: $50

Coaxes: <$50

Solid little amplifier: $300

Good quality subwoofer: $300

And you said the box and installation is covered.

So far I've got $825 and that can be had shipped to your door if you look for about an hour in the classifieds section of this, and other forums. Now, I would upgrade your fronts as far as monetarily possible. Even if you run them off a HU, a really good set of coaxes will make a huge difference.

If you go another route and go for a 4 channel that you can bridge two channels on to make it a 3 channel, then you've got the potential for seperates up front (powered off the amp), good power for a sub, and you'll be much happier IMO.

Excuse me if I'm jumping into this thread a bit late, but how about going back to what Jim and a few others asked? How about upgrading your factory speakers with at least a pair of coaxes? For the cause of better sound I'll throw you a pair of Audax 5.25's for $40 shipped.

But seriously, lets look at what you could get with a "budget" system ($1k full systems are refered to as budget systems):

Used HU on here or another forum: $125

RCA/amp kit on here or another forum: $50

Coaxes: <$50

Solid little amplifier: $300

Good quality subwoofer: $300

And you said the box and installation is covered.

So far I've got $825 and that can be had shipped to your door if you look for about an hour in the classifieds section of this, and other forums. Now, I would upgrade your fronts as far as monetarily possible. Even if you run them off a HU, a really good set of coaxes will make a huge difference.

If you go another route and go for a 4 channel that you can bridge two channels on to make it a 3 channel, then you've got the potential for seperates up front (powered off the amp), good power for a sub, and you'll be much happier IMO.

very solid post and great advice.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee