Hi. Mostly a lurker here, but I recognize that there are a lot of knowledgable people here who could help me out with my upgrade. Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

Last Dec I bought my first brand new car in almost 20 years. I love cars and tend to flip them every few years. My last car was suppose to be another in a long line of "fun cars" that I was going to drive for just a couple years before my next dream car. I drove it for 5 years (a very long time for me). So, this time when I ran across a TL I decided to get a new one (2006 TL w/NAVI) and drive it for at least that long again. I love almost everything about this car.... except the more I listen to the stereo the more I don't like it.

For a modern stereo the system is incredibly weak. The highs are dull and it amazes me there is a subwoofer in the car. When you put in a DVD-A the system sounds pretty good from a spacial sense, but its almost like the system is missing its personality.

I like what King of Pain did with his system, and am thinking of "borrowing" heavily from his work. But I would also be interested in other thoughts, including if he would do anything different.

What I think I have learned.

Keep the stock amp and use the David Navone Line Out Audio Converters. I really want to preserve the center channel and its functions, and the cleansweep stories scared me off.

Open air subs don't work (hence the current lack of tight bass in the car). JL Audio seems to be everyone's favorite, so I am thinking 12" inclosed.

The JL Audio6450 was the only multichannel amp I saw that could handle the 5 channels. The $400 price tag didnt seem to bad either. Am I missing anything? I will get another amp for the sub, as I dont think the 6th channel would be strong enough to drive the sub.

Questions:

I don't have the desire or will to rip into my new TL, so I am looking for a pro. Any suggestions on how to locate installers in the area. I don't live in a big town (Raleigh, NC) so we are full of big store retail installers, and the custom guy is hare to find. There are some small shops that I want to check out... how do I know if they will hurt my car?

I did find a local retailer that I am somewhat comfortable, but they sell everything at list price... making this a costly project before I even begin to talk to the installer. This dealer had Boston and Focal speakers (both sound real nice) but at list the pair of speakers go for either $270 or $600 pair. I saw the same $600 speakers online for $350.

Well, for those of you that have stuck with this ramble (thank you) please post your thoughts.