I think maybe you should go to the local hole in the wall autosoundsplus. They will be able to hook up different kinds of components as well as different amps and subs. If you had an Ovations I would say go there. Not that I would would pay their prices but those places are very helpful so you can here the sound of all parts

Nevermind you already said that...duh!

 

i'm gonna chime in here. here are a few good brands that are relatively cheap and should float around your budget:

gs designs
autotek
cadence
infinity ref
fusion

online, you could get really good deals. if you need links, let us know.

as for subs, here are a few to consider:

jl audio w0's or w3's (bit more exp, but good sub)
kicker comp vr
fusion powerplant
autotek
(haven't heard these but price is good)
adire shiva, elemental k series

mind you, there are many other brands out there that i didn't list, but i'm trying to stay within your budget. being 17 and all, money isn't that easy to come by. hell, even if you're an old man like me, money isn't easy to come by.

 

5.25" are relatively easy to find, all you will need to do is cut a baffle out of a scrap piece of plywood or something, and that way you won't be ruining your car. Plus with 6x9's it hard to keep your stereo stealth because you will have to cut the rear shelf and fit grilles. Theft magnet.

What about your front speakers?
Cadence for your front speakers though won't be too easy, Cadence magnets are very deep and your window won't roll down all the way. Which is why I'm building fibreglass door pods to fit mine

For subs, I strongly recommend Cerwin Vega HED. Excellent subs and they're cheap!

For amps Phoenix Gold QX line, JBL power series, Fusion, a whole bunch others I cant think of...they go quite inexpensive as well. I've never seen or heard Cadence amps in person but they are $$

 

Hiredgoon

Have you tried installing the cadence 5x7's in the front and 6 1/2's in the back of a protege 5 and they didn't fit? I haven't tried mounting them yet and this could be bad news.

On amps, cadence makes great hard working long lasting amps as well; Blaupunkt seems to get some great reviews on amps, but I have never tried them.

Has anyone out there successfully mounted cadence speakers in their car without window problems?

 

Monster a few things you should think about for the speakers.
First don't look at them only listen. In fact when you listen to them on a board turn away from them and let some one switch pairs until you find one your ears only, like. Don't think about looks and brands. I like what I like and so will you but I have no respect for people who buy speakers without listening to them and comparing different sets.
Second the difference between 6x9s and 6 1/2s are basicly none. Essentialy the difference in bass you get wiht the 6x9 comes with more distortion. Both are fairly unnoticable.
As far as brands go even different series of speakers in the same brand can sound very different.

Having never listened to any polk speakers I can't say what I think of them nor would I. But if you desire an opinion on any sets or you have a price range and the available brands you have access to let me know and I can give you my .02 on them. I have auditioned, MB Quart, Boston acoustics, JL audio, Eclipse, Alpine, Kenwood, Sony, Image dynamics, Xtant, Focal, and JVC.

 

What about CDT speakers everyone? I would say CDT makes some of the most natural sounding, high quality speakers on the market. TheZeb has them onsale right now too...

 

GREAT! Thanks for all the info. I think I will go out today and go a few places and listen to as much as I can.
Now I have an idea of what to look and listen for.
I can't wait untill I actually have bought it all and have hooked it up so I can hear what they sound like in the car.

 

1st Mp3 got it. don't look, listen. and a lot of times, everything on the board will sound good, so yeah, turn around and have someone switch it and pick the one you like.

as far as the cdt's go, good luck trying to find a pair for $100. even on sale they are heavy on the wallet. but they are up there in terms of great sound, with a/d/s and focal. just not cheap.

 

Now I am getting confused on what I am going to do.
Because after thinking about it, in the audio store it is always going to sound different then what it will in your car. And there are only three audio stores around here that they actually have something I can listen to, and they don't have the best of selection.
I mean maybe this is getting a little too much in the fine details. If I buy a pair for 100 dollars from Mb Quart, cadence, or pioneer, they have to all sound pretty good, there may be some differences, but I am thinking they won't sound too different. When I went in the one audio shop and played some sony and some panosonic they sounded pretty similar.

Main reason I am saying this is because the stores just don't have a huge selection I can listen to, I hate it. So I almost have no choice except either buy something that I can listen to (like the sony or pioneer) at the stores locally, or I can just order either MB Quart or something online and just give it a try.

It is kind of frusterating.

 

If you order high stuff like cadence or MB quart it is going to sound good. You will like either one. Listening in shops helps some but it is not a panacea. The environments are too dissimilar. I am going to buy mine from a local shop and yes that costs more than ebay and while I can change out speakers myself, if I am gonna get an amp at the same time I will just pay them to do it. It will cost me about 150 more than ebay and do it yourself but I get a 3 year warranty and someone to bitch at if it doesn't sound perfect and no headaches from the process. It is worth it to me. Given your poor local selection, I think you can order online with confidence that you will like the quality. I just want good solid sound; I don't have dog ears and I don't need to spend 5 or 10 grand on a system..though I do understand the addiction as I used to really tweak out my rides. Now I am older and just want something that doesn't sound like crap

 

there are a lot of good online places that offer good service as well as prices. local shops have the advantage of having your stuff then and there.

what brands besides sony, panasonic and pioneer do your local shops offer? no jl? no kicker? anyhoo, like i said, if you need links, let us know.

 

Although a speaker will sound different in a car its weak points will be audable on a board. For instance you can hear that a BA and an MB Quart are very bright on a board. This will be no different in a car. I would never reccomend buying MB quart with out listening first they are ery bright and are to much for many people. In fact they are propably the most loved and the most hated speaker out there. Listen to whats around and search manufacturers websites for retailers you may not know about. Hell I live in New Hampshire and I have at least one shop representing any brand within 20 miles. I never even knew about 2 of them until I went to a manufactures site to find a dealer.

 

Hey i was just browsing through this thread and I want to say first of all that Pioneer speakers are VERY good sounding if you ask me, and i've listened to MANY kinds of speakers....maybe i don't know what to listen for, but if it sounds good, it sounds good! I have all pioneer speakers (3 way 6 1/2s......4 way 6x9s) and i LOVE my system! Secondly, when it comes to 6 1/2 s VS 6x9s, I can tell you that the 6x9s sound WAAAAAAY better than the 6 1/2s. I tested this out in my car because i have 6 1/2 in the front and 6x9s in the back. I put the fade all the way to the front and listened, then to the back..... There's a TON more bass in the 6x9s.... I had to cut some metal to get them in *boy was it worth it!* but it only took a couple hours max, and if i can do it, anyone can.
I have a friend with 2 12 in subs and a 1000 watt amp and it pisses him off when he hears how good my lil pioneers sound....They seriously impress everyone who listens to them....I recommend them all the way! They put a grin on my face every time i turn them up!!!

 

Hey i just want to add that the Pioneer 6x9s sure don't seem to cost you any noticeable difference in clarity either. They sound as crisp and clean as i can imagine. They are just a beautiful thing, to the ears and the eyes.

 

6x9's would carry more bas, but to cut into your doors... i dunno 'bout that... maybe an 8" for midbass. or better yet grab a single 10 or 12. and unless you carry passengers often, or if you have multimedia, you really don't need rear fill.

throw the 6.5's up front, and set your imaging with a sub in the back.