I am about to buy my new sound system and I am looking for last minute input and pricing help. Here it is:

Blaupunkt San Francisco (CD-70) - $450
Blaupunkt CDC-A08 - $220

Precision Power PCX-4125 Amp - $890
Precision Power PCX-1500 Sub Amp - $900

Focal Utopia 165W - $990
Focal Poluflex 6x9's - $300

2 - Kicker S10's (Solabaric) - $500

custom box - $150

Install, wiring, battery terminals - $400

Make custom face plate - $150

2 - 24 volt/1 farad caps - $165 each

This is all at Auto sound and security in Redwood City, ca.

Anyone have better prices or suggestions on other components? Also better/different installer?

Thanks

 

Sounds good to me. You can get the Focal cheaper online, but I would stick with the place you are getting them from, because they are probably authorized. I would hate to have speakers that cost 1g go bad, and not be able to exchange them.

 

This guy is Focal authorized Luchioni@aol.com he's in Santa Monica. I got Utopia 165w3's from him for $800 so I'm thinkin like $600-700 for 165w's.
$320 for the kicker's but the box's are quoted when he see's your vehicle and what you want. I paid $30 for 1 12 box for a friend. Cap's are a $100 a farad.
He can get all the amp's super cheap.
Drop him an e-mail and he will give you direction's to his shop.

 

ZmZm,

If you can get the Focals from Crazedluni's friend get the Utopias!! Definitely worth the money. You still would be saving money.

Spiro

 

I think that everything looks good expect for the CD player and Changer and the focal's. For $440 you can get a CD player that is so much better than Blaupunkt(I.E. Pioneer, Clarion, Eclpise, JVC, Sony). I have had Clarion, Pioneer and JVC head units and everyone of the are great. As for the speakers you can get Dimond Audio speakers, I believe but not sure, 6x9's for about $300-400 and a compent set is $600-800. I am not totally sure on the price I haven't priced them lately but I do know that they are pretty much the best on the market.

[ 07-11-2001: Message edited by: KikAzCL97 ]

 

Diamond Audios are good speakers, but I dont think they compare to Focal, or Dynaudios.

Spiro

[ 07-11-2001: Message edited by: spiroh ]

 

Does this Luchioni@aol.com character have a website or how does he receive payment? I really don't trust most online vendors much so I don't want to send money to him and end up very aggravated and disappointed.

 

i would rather get an alpine cd player!

 

If I went with an Alpine, I could also get a model that accepts CD-R's and MP3 as I understand it.

What is the general opinion of Focal's versus MB Quart?

 

alpines can read cd-r....not mp3 files, though. also, i listened to the mb quartz. absolutely loved the clear mids...but the highs were just too harsh for me!

 

For the other brands, I wouldn't say anything. But with JVC, I'm totally against it. JVC has really really bad workmanship. I installed 2 systems for my friends with JVC head unit and CD changers. Both changers failed to operate properly. One wouldn't eject the magazine. One just died after 5 months. The trips going forth and back to JVC service center added up to the point that my friend abandoned the changer at the service center.
I had to take apart 2 JVC boomboxes, both were brand new. One belonged to my ex-boss
who got it as a gift. The thing was missing 2 screws to hold the disc changing machanism. The other was mine. Disc changing machanism was also screwed up. It came off the factory misalligned.
After all that incidents with JVC, if someone mentioned "JVC", I get upset all over again. Maybe it was just my luck (oh come on, 4 products went bad. what a coincident!), maybe JVC just sucks. Good luck to all JVC owners out there.

Peace.

 

damn ... and I thought I spent too much on my system. I'm so glad I did the install myself. $150 for the customized face plate, a little stiff for ppl like me.

Good luck with your system. Be sure to take some pics and show us.

 

I am a bit scared to spend this amount of money without making damn sure that I am getting the best and that the installer is top notch.

I wish someone could recommmend a good ca. based installer.

 

hey ZmZmcar,
I got my Focals from WWW.WESTERNAUDIO.COM
for a very reasonable price. Polykevlar model 165k for around $400.00 and they are authorized Focals dealer so don't worry about warranty issue. They also installed and carry orders brand names too.
If you call ask for Allan & tell them Dan sent you...

01-S
Focals & Xtant, Polarg M6, V1
Neuspeed front upper tie bar ordered
Comptech sways are calling me

 

I don't know where you are, but check out www.theautophile.com Peter has some of the best equipment money can buy. I bought a few pieces from him and he is *very* helpful with any questions. He's in Berkley, CA.

As for the speakers, if you get the Utopias you'll no worries about having one of the best. I heard the Diamonds, CDT's and some others and the Focals were much better.

 

What about getting rid of the Blaupunkt and getting either Alpine or Eclipse. With Eclipse they have an in-dash changer.

 

Another one to look at then would be Nakamichi. I am at this moment having one of thier head units and 6-disc in dash changers installed. I personally think they're the best looking units on the market. A lot of people think they're wayyyy to spartan. They're basic and to the point units with the focus on sound.