Mk 2 basic system advice

[Captain Puke]

Just looking to install a low-end system into my  3 door mk2, I'm looking for decent sound quality for not silly money and without chopping the interior about.

In previous cars I have used a stealth shelf with  6x9's and a 10" sub run off a dedicated amp.  After reading the sticky's it seems this may not be the best way to go as the 6x9's will struggle with the air movement from the sub..

From reading the sticky's, it seems the best idea is to have a 10" sub in a box in the boot (amped, naturally) and use decent 5" mids in the doors and possibly some decent tweeters in the dash grilles, run direct from the head unit.

I listen to a wide range of stuff from rock to hip hop and so don't need mad bass but would like a well balanced system.

I wont ask for head unit advice apart from what kind of power/channel outputs should I be looking for.

Any advice on brands/places to shop for the sub, box, amp, mids and tweeters?

I only use this car when I'm back in the UK (about two weeks every two months) so cant justify big money (more than 700 sheets)

Cheers

[deanpompey]

For good sound quality, Amp everything.

Get a good quality headunit ( nakamichi is my personal preference closely followed by alpines mid-top end units)

A decent quality 4 channel amp will power the following ( bridge the two rear channels for the sub) ( JL audio/alpine/pheonix gold etc )

Good quality component speakers ( have a crossover to split the frequencys to the mids and tweets ) in standard locations ( Rainbow and JL audio do good entry level components for around the £150 mark.

Sub in boot.  ( JL audio 10W0 is good entry level sub.

Done.

You can build a good install at much less than £700 notes if you shop around and buy good quality second hand kit, rather than cheap brand new stuff.

[Captain Puke]

Cheers for the advice.  Have just been out in the car, right now there is a nasty old head unit powering the door speakers.  The dash tweeters and rear speakers are not connected.

Will an amped pair of 5" speakers in the doors really provide enough midrange?  Is it worth using something in the rear?

[deanpompey]

For a sound quality system you dont want/need anything in the rear, you will just muddy the sound field/imaging.

I ran a set of 13cm Rainbow components, Nakamichi CD400 HU, Pheonix gold QX300.4 amp and a 12" Rockford Fosgate sub in my mk2, and it sounded beautiful

Whole lot cost me less than 450 buying second hand, MUCH better system than if id bought £450 worth of cheap brand new items.