Your Top Ten

[djgizmo]

I was looking at Onlinecarstereo.Com - Wholesale Car Audio/Stereo Deals At Bargain Prices (http://www.onlinecarstereo.com)
(where I purchased my amp) and I now understand why soooo many noobs get confused with decent name brands vs crap. There are so many out there.

So I figured I'd make a list of my favorite / top ten brand names I'd recommend. (This is not a thread to start flammin people, just to get people to see brands out there that people trust)

In no particular order...

Top Ten Brands I'd recommend

Alpine - Recommend for Subs / Amps / Components
JL Audio - Recommend for Subs / Amps / Components
Diamond Audio - Recommend for Subs
Audio Control - Recommend for Line drivers
Kenwood - Recommend their entire line of products
MB Quart - Recommend for Components.
Memphis Audio - Recommend for Amps / Subs / Components
Sound Stream - Recommend for Amps / Subs / Capacitors
Crossfire - Recommend for Amps / Subs
Xtant - Recommend for Amps

Top Ten Brands I'd never recommend
Clarion
Blaupunkt
Dual
Lightning Audio
Pioneer (Not a dig at the quality, just has never met my expectations)
Kicker (Not a dig at the quality, just has never met my expectations)
Pyle Car Audio
Pyramid Car Audio
Legacy
Sherwood


Whats your top 10?

[Miles]

why in god's name would you put clarion and pioneer in the same bin as dual?

for me, i'd have to say alpine or pioneer for HU's (and someone is going to come out of the woodwork screaming about eclipse... but i've never owned one, so i don't know), elemental designs or image dynamics for subs, DLS for everything else. i realize that's not ten, but i can't even think of 5 other brands i like as much as those.

[djgizmo]

Why in gods name can't you read? I just wouldn't recommend them (same with kicker and pio). Both Clarion & Blaupunkt for me just don't cut it when it comes to style and button location.

why in god's name would you put clarion and pioneer in the same bin as dual?

[P057]

Why in gods name can't you read? I just wouldn't recommend them (same with kicker and pio). Both Clarion & Blaupunkt for me just don't cut it when it comes to style and button location.

where does eminance land?

[TIM TIM TIM]

good:
eclipse
kicker
jl
boston acoustics
polk (some)
alpine

[TBSpyder]

Different brands excel in different categories obviously, so it's hard to say.

Clarion and Pioneer do make great decks though, perhaps some of the best. Lightning Audio makes decent "budget" stuff. Alpine is good, although nothing special.

[93ex]

Top

Clarion
Alpine
JL
ED
Rainbow
Focal
ID
DLS
Morel
ARC

ten I wouldnt buy I'm leaving out dual etc
Pioneer - Most of thier stuff always looks like an early 90s gm interior
Kicker - too radical of a design for me
audiobahn - yuck
xtant - eh I've never liked the sound of thier stuff
RF - I dont trust it anymore, looks great but quality is a question mark
Eclipse - still leery since equits days
Sony - boo yuck
Blaupunkt - my parents spent some money on a blaupnkt deck once, it was garbage. It worked, but the controls were all counterintuative.
lightning audio - I wouldnt buy it.
Kenwood - I dont know about that

[CHUPA_CABRA_2.0]

I have always had great experinces with
Pioneer
Kenwood
Eclipse
and now Distinct Audio (cheap shameless plug for Toby) but they are sounding great

[Brandon.]

a couple of my favs.

fosgate
re audio (kinda going downwards)
adire audio
oz audio
eD
boston acoustics (new stuff is amazing)
rainbow
CDT is pretty good
I kinda like knu konceptz for wiring.
oh and of course jensen






just kidding on the jensen

[Notladstyle]

.... clarion? FOSGATE? kenwood?

you guys got some funny ideas of good brands.

[GradeA_TireFryer]

Are We Talking Product Made Today Or Over Ones Experience?

[CHUPA_CABRA_2.0]

mine are based on products owned and used

[Miles]

owned and used here too.

[P057]

out of experience--

Polk
infinity
clarion
eclipse
diamond
mb quart
JL

i guess i can only really list seven

worst brands i would never reccomend to anyone.

eminance (everything)
sony (everything)
Pyle (everything except their screens, they're decent)
Pyramid (everything)
Kicker (mostly everything except wiring and a few other things--- Edit- I will probably reccomend kicker if i find out all they truly want is some nasty loud bass, then i'd say hey whatever..)

[Brandon.]

.... clarion? FOSGATE? kenwood?

you guys got some funny ideas of good brands.



clarion did make one of the best sounding HU's to date. and fosgate is not that bad.

[TIM TIM TIM]

kicker amps are pretty good too IMO.. subs i agree are sloppy but the amps are very nice. mainly the sx series

[P057]

kicker amps are pretty good too IMO.. subs i agree are sloppy but the amps are very nice. mainly the sx series

I was going to mention that but i've only really looked at and heard maybe two kicker amps and i cant really make any sort of decision based on that so i said that maybe a few other things.

I've just experienced too much negative over positive so... :dunno:

[djgizmo]

Quit whining and participate. what the heck else do you have to lose, you're already here on the board. ;)

.... clarion? FOSGATE? kenwood?

you guys got some funny ideas of good brands.

[TBSpyder]

From an experience stand-point...I'd take a Kicker sub over a Kicker amp. I can't tell you how many Kicker amps I've seen that have had major induced noise.

[Notladstyle]

I would use just about anything if the price was right. a free pyle amp beats a 150$ diamond audio amp any day.

but if I had the cash I would stick to

JL
Diamond



wtf are you still reading for?

[TIM TIM TIM]

From an experience stand-point...I'd take a Kicker sub over a Kicker amp. I can't tell you how many Kicker amps I've seen that have had major induced noise.

really? both of mine, and several of my friends with kicker amps havent had any problems. there customer service has been awesome whenenver i needed help also

[TBSpyder]

really? both of mine, and several of my friends with kicker amps havent had any problems. there customer service has been awesome whenenver i needed help also


Yeah. When I worked at SA, I'd seem them come in quite a bit. It was usually always the amp itself. Usually the the models that were a few years old.

[TIM TIM TIM]

hmm thats wierd.. hopefully they fixed whatever problems those were having lol.. i cant afford to replace mine haha (well my dads now)

[Eclipse99RS]

Kenwood - decks
Pioneer - decks
JL Audio - All
Focal - Speakers
Diamond - Subs
MMats - Amps
Stinger - Wires, alternators, batteries etc.
ARC
Rainbow
ID



Would never use:
KICKER!!!
dual
insignia
anything you can buy at a flea market, and everything else i didn't say i would use

[GradeA_TireFryer]

buy experience:
orion - hcca
ppi
audio control
md quart
vega - strokers
real old schol hiphonics

[jriggs]

everything in my convertible is Blaupunkt and the sound is crisp and clear the subs sounded good, it was no spl set up but it was clean and clear. and the price for it all was right... freebee's

[Notladstyle]

yes, because thats how much blaupunkt equipment is worth: nothing.


;)

[jriggs]

yes, because thats how much blaupunkt equipment is worth: nothing.


;)

but heck it actually sounds really dam good, with the bad rep a TON of blau has has i think i might have gotten the "rotten eggs" which in their case means the Golden Eggs, it's pretty dam loud and super clear but then again i don't listen to a lot of rap, the only bass that goes pass the subs is a kick drum or bass guiatar. but it sounds dam good, no one i know in plant city (yea small town with a bunch of shitty systems and dumbass's / and when i drove the car in gainesville everyone loved the stereo) as ever had anything bad to say about the sound of the rag tops stereo, so to me its good enough lol

[Notladstyle]

Honestly I have to agree =( I heard a blaupunkt marine system (the clear midrange speakers and the 3" shallow mount sub) and I was impressed with how loud it got. He was replacing it for the lack of bass though and in the end bass is really whats most important.


You can take any set of speakers and crank of the trebble and have tinny sound, but it takes a good set of speakers and a quality install to get warmth and midbass to match.

[P057]

but heck it actually sounds really dam good, with the bad rep a TON of blau has has i think i might have gotten the "rotten eggs" which in their case means the Golden Eggs, it's pretty dam loud and super clear but then again i don't listen to a lot of rap, the only bass that goes pass the subs is a kick drum or bass guiatar. but it sounds dam good, no one i know in plant city (yea small town with a bunch of shitty systems and dumbass's / and when i drove the car in gainesville everyone loved the stereo) as ever had anything bad to say about the sound of the rag tops stereo, so to me its good enough lol

I've actually never heard any blaupunkt stuff, and am rather interested, i'd like to hear it at the meet if you can make it?

[k4rts]

my top ten, in no order...
DD - subs and amps
Fi - subs
RE - subs
TC Sounds - subs
Kicker - amps
Stereo Integrity - subs
Incriminator Audio - subs and amps
Soundsplinter - subs
Planet audio - amps
Memphis - subs and amps

theres more but im done.

[jriggs]

I've actually never heard any blaupunkt stuff, and am rather interested, i'd like to hear it at the meet if you can make it?

if i'm in town (i'm up in gainesville at uf) i'll try to bring it out if when i check everything on her shes all good (tranny seal is going hopefully its not gone)

[the727kid]

Eclipse - Subs, amps, HUs
JL - Amps/Subs
Rainbow - Speakers
IA - Amps
SI - Subs
FI - Subs
Sundown - Amps
Soundstream - amps/subs
DD - subs
CDT - speakers

I could add a few more but thats a few in random order.

[droppedisuzu]

Brands I've used/use and like.
RF - Everything
TREO - Everything
JVC - HU
OZ Audio - Everything (BEST SQ)
Lightning Audio - Strike/Storm Series ONLY
Kinetik Batteries (BEST Batteries)
Quantum Audio/DB Drive (Good reasonable equipment)
Stinger
Panasonic - HU

Brands I've used and don't like.
Audiobahn - Everything
Memphis (especially Depth Charge and Street Edge)
JL (Don't handle enough power for the price)
Pyramid - all
MA Audio (Amps put out half their rated power)
Kicker - Subs (Way to sloppy for me)
etc..... There's more, but no more time!

[TBSpyder]

Brands I've used/use and like.
RF - Everything
TREO - Everything
JVC - HU
OZ Audio - Everything (BEST SQ)
Lightning Audio - Strike/Storm Series ONLY
Kinetik Batteries (BEST Batteries)
Quantum Audio/DB Drive (Good reasonable equipment)
Stinger
Panasonic - HU

Brands I've used and don't like.
Audiobahn - Everything
Memphis (especially Depth Charge and Street Edge)
JL (Don't handle enough power for the price)
Pyramid - all
MA Audio (Amps put out half their rated power)
Kicker - Subs (Way to sloppy for me)
etc..... There's more, but no more time!




:serious:

[stompy]

ok here goes

the good
eclipse
alpine (f1 status if you can afford it)
kenwood (only there higher end stuff)
pioneer (mainly there avic series)
polk
kicker (mainly there ss components and sx amps)
mtx (all around)
tsunami wires
jl audio

the bad
jensen (audiovox, verge, phaze liner...)
sony
jvc
fosgate (ever since they lost there engineer)
dual
lightning audio

the ugly
eminece
bnc
funky pup
bazooka
pyramid

[Kaise7en]

Kinda sucks that the Ugly has two of my most sold items in it, I sell more eminence and pyramid than anyone in florida, probably. I'd say at least 80% of the cars we work on have some kinda eminence and bullet tweeter combo in it.

[ShroomDaddy]

I have had a few systems and I will tell you what would NEVER reccomend:

BAD:
MA Audio
Sony Xplod(Magnets fell off of sub)
Fosgate
BOSS
Street Beat

Now for the systems that sounded pure:

GOOD:
Kenwood(AMP) had one to power my PG 15s
US Amps(Merlin Seres 2)(AMP)
MTX(Subs)
Polk
JL(Friends w7s rocked loud)

I currently have a Merln Series2 amp with MTX 7500 15s with a 3.0cap and 200 amp alternator. Yeah and a yellowtop optima. Sounds great and I know people bag on US Amps, but they also did on my Phoenix Gold 15's which lasted for a few years... like 6 years. I would seriously advise against anythng that someone is trying to sell out of the back of a van for dirt cheap prices. Quality almost always costs money, put it that way

[P057]

Kinda sucks that the Ugly has two of my most sold items in it, I sell more eminence and pyramid than anyone in florida, probably. I'd say at least 80% of the cars we work on have some kinda eminence and bullet tweeter combo in it.

thats just sad :(

[TBSpyder]

Kinda sucks that the Ugly has two of my most sold items in it, I sell more eminence and pyramid than anyone in florida, probably. I'd say at least 80% of the cars we work on have some kinda eminence and bullet tweeter combo in it.



Do you work at the flea market with scrappy?

[stompy]

in all reality its a matter of spl or sq, where eminence is loud it hurts the ears to listen to but some kicker ss components will stay clean and smooth. but cost a CRAP load more.
just my 2 cents

[the727kid]

I think everyone buying after market wants clean and smooth.....distortion is not an option.

[TBSpyder]

in all reality its a matter of spl or sq, where eminence is loud it hurts the ears to listen to but some kicker ss components will stay clean and smooth. but cost a CRAP load more.
just my 2 cents



No, I think it just comes down to cost...especially when dealing with speakers. Subs deal in sq and spl...not speakers. Speakers are supposed to reproduce music or sound as accuratley as possible...a speaker is rated soley on it's sq. A good speaker will be accurate WHILE loud.

[superflyRR]

Kicker Subs
Power Acustik Amps
Pioneer Head Units

[Notladstyle]

Kicker Subs
Power Acustik Amps
Pioneer Head Units

those are your top choices eh?

[superflyRR]

I new that would raise some eyebrows, I was the guy with the white f150 and the GREEN astro van. I would say it was pretty loud for those brands

[Notladstyle]

numbers/specs and reasoning why you think those are the top brands?