I used to compete in dB Drag and sound quality competitions and have been doing custom car audio as a hobby since the mid 90's. My current 78' F-100 will be getting a nice custom audio system consisting of...

Alpine CDA-117 head unit
Image Dynamics XS-65 component set
Sound Stream Stealth amps
and I am still indecided on the subs, nut probably either Incriminator Audio, JBL, or SSA.

I have about 2.3 cu.ft. to play with which is sufficient for two 10" or four 8" subs in a sealed enclosure. Electrical upgrades are a must, will probably go with a Mechman 250 amp alternator and a 0 gauge big 3 upgrade... may do a dual battery set up as well.

What do you guys have in your trucks? I am more then willing to help anyone with audio advice on product and set up.

 

In my two whole trucks I have nothing, no radio or speakers. I have an old pioneer radio 2 tweeters and 2 6x9s for my highboy sofar and hopefully I can get some subs and an amp and somewhere to put them. My 73 cab is rockin the stock system lol.

 

Before I started on my '79, it had a set of Pioneer 6 1/4" in the back next to the supercab seat, with a Pioneer head unit. When it comes time to put it all back together, I'm going to put in door speakers, dash speaker, and might do some tweeters on top of the dash in little boxes, with either a single 10 or 12 sub in the back. I'll try and find a source for an older 6 way (5 audio 1 mono sub) amp that provides 100 rms 4 ohm to each speaker and 400 4 ohm to the sub.

 

An audio upgrade is on my punch list albeit its probably on page two right now... :-) My current system is a pretty tired and cheap no name single DIN digital lo-fidelity head unit that has AM and FM! My guess is the PO got from the $10.00 close out rack at the local auto parts store. I'm thinking output is around 10 watts @ 5% THD. It does have 6 pre-sets for favorite radio stations. It is NOT satellite ready.

Round speakers of known rating are mounted behind the factory looking panels in stock location. I have not inspected 'em yet, but I think they are aftermarket. I also have two speakers mounted in the back that are attached to some brackets with some **** screws presumably so they can be quickly removed and put in the bed. It has the factory antenna hook up and I'm pretty sure I get FM stereo (at least that's what the light says). Needless to say, I do not have an external amp, cross overs or anything like a sub woofer yet. I do have a center speaker in my dash but the PO didn't hook it up when he installed the aftermarket unit.

Someday... I'd like a non flashy Pioneer with a detaching face-plate that I can plug my ipod or USB into and play my favorite hard Rock or Country songs loud and clear. A small amp ~ 300 watt, single subwoofer and decent replacement speakers ought to do it for me. Dynamat will be added to roof, floor, back of cab and doors.

Kidding aside, looks like I could learn a few things from you so please share your build.

 

I am going to run a vintage Alpine or Kenwood tape deck (the kind that would have been an upgrade back in the day...)

I will run all my components through a Clarion EQS746 Equalizer/Crossover. MB Quart door speakers and McIntosh amp, Pheonix Gold subs /w TMA T1000.1 amp. I will have the vintage look I want in the dash and still be able to listen to tunes via an I-Pod or other mobile device.
The fun part will be trying to cram it all in a standard cab truck and not lose any leg room.....

 

I have been in the car audio hobby since the early 90's too (old Basshead). In my truck I've got a Sony Head unit, sending signal to an old Linear Power X02 crossover supplying mids and highs to a Sony 4 channel amp feeding Sony 6 1/2's in the doors and tweeters surface mounted below the wing window. The X02 is sending the lows to a PPI 250 amp hooked to two Pioneer Premier Championship series 12's. My box is one that I got for free, it's made to go under the seat in an extended cab dodge so it's way too small for the 12's, but it gets the job done for now. I got to build a new one.

As far as electrical upgrades, I know my amps aren't huge but I did do the 3g 130 amp alternator upgrade and it works great.

 

Not to rain on your parade, but MB Quart was purchased by a group called Maxxsonic and Pheonix Gold by a company called AAMP America... as a result, quality has dropped dramatically. Judging by the McIntosh amp, you obviously want high end equipment, may I suggest looking into German Maesteo (same folks from the vintage MB Quart) or Rainbow car audio for comps. Check out Arc Audio for equipment similar in quality to the Pheonix Gold of yester year as well.

 

I put in a single twelve behind the seat and it's all the more bass I could want.

Seeins you've been in car audio a while I'm guessing you're wanting a bit more punch.

 

Not really. I have a stupid loud system in my Mustang, so I am going for a more sound quality oriented system for my truck.

 

I have DLS Gothia 3 ways in my doors and kick panels. I am building my center console/sub enclosure for a 10" JL Audio W7 I have in my garage. A Kenwood touch screen controls everything and will be mounted in the top of the console. I also have two Kenwood Gouriki Series amps to power everything.




There is huge jumble of wires between the seats now until I get the console completed. I found out that it is difficult to hide 0 gauge wire under carpet.
Good luck with yours and wish me the same. You never know how it will sound until you hit the power button...

 

Well to my mostly untrained ear bass is bass, 12" behind the seat, probably in hindsight should have stuck a couple 10"ers instead. Always loved that tight punch in my old 90 eclipse but seriously, a single 12" works fine. Even with that I've gotta figure out how to lock down the mirrors tighter, combined with the engine those suckers get moving.

I don't know the terminology but on the subwoofer setting it goes up to plus 5 and down to minus five and -2 seems to be the happy spot with that speaker.

Also, prior owner put some hertz speakers in and they sound incredible. Volume goes up to 50 and they'll do it no problem if I ever want to self induce hearing loss. Had some nice ringing ears testing it out day 1.

It appears to be just a couple of 6.5's or so in the door and he managed to stick two other speakers, under the stock sound hole in the mid. Nothing fancy on the setup but I wouldn't change or try to upgrade the sound from what that guy had done.

 

Are you running the W7 ported or sealed? Good luck with it all, let me know if I can help in any way.

 

Hertz has some really high end gear. Their Mille line is phenominal.