Hi everyone. I've been reading lots of stuff here and decided to get involved a little :) My first post will be about a dilemma im in right now. I have a pretty tight budget and really dont know what to do. So what would YOU do? i know its about what i want but i thought some opinions would help me decide. Thanks in advance! Feels good to be here.

Gurkan

Welcome to AF! Its good to see that some ppl actually read up before posting. Thats a good habit! :biggrin:

As for the question. I voted for the rims first and here is why. Audio Systems are something that change as technology enhances. Lets say that you want to buy the top of the line system now, and it costs you $600. If you were to wait about 6 months, that same setup would prob cost you half the price, and another setup will be ruling the market. I didnt really see that principle stand true with rims. Rims are typically always in the same price range, depending on price and style. If you were to buy 5 star Enkei (for example) rims now for about $800, ill bet that it will still cost the same in 6 months. Atleast thats how I saw it.

Remember things like big sales and connections (ppl you know that can get you discounts), alter my opinion in which i may have another decision. Anyways, Good Luck and again welcome to AF! :thumbsup:

Wow, ive never thought about that. I mean price going down on audio systems and staying the same for rims. its a very good point! thanks.

I think I would go with the audio system first, because there's nothing more annoying than a stock system and trying to ride out with the only 2 speakers that are actually working.

first i would do performance stuff. but to answer your question definately audio or at least a CD player

performance upgrades could be an option but im not really into racing man :uhoh:

PS: I like your avatar :lol2:

Welcome to AF! Its good to see that some ppl actually read up before posting. Thats a good habit! :biggrin:

As for the question. I voted for the rims first and here is why. Audio Systems are something that change as technology enhances. Lets say that you want to buy the top of the line system now, and it costs you $600. If you were to wait about 6 months, that same setup would prob cost you half the price, and another setup will be ruling the market. I didnt really see that principle stand true with rims. Rims are typically always in the same price range, depending on price and style. If you were to buy 5 star Enkei (for example) rims now for about $800, ill bet that it will still cost the same in 6 months. Atleast thats how I saw it.

Remember things like big sales and connections (ppl you know that can get you discounts), alter my opinion in which i may have another decision. Anyways, Good Luck and again welcome to AF! :thumbsup:

Well thats not really true. Technology doesn't advance that rapidly. If you get something top-of-the-line, then you can expect it to stay that way 1+ years if not more. This might not be true for head units but is pretty accurate for speakers. As an example JL audio sold the the same W6 sub for like 10 years, and still it is a pretty good sub. During its least year of production, it still would set you back a few hundred.

Also a really good system is gonna be a lot more than $600.

Well thats not really true. Technology doesn't advance that rapidly. If you get something top-of-the-line, then you can expect it to stay that way 1+ years if not more. This might not be true for head units but is pretty accurate for speakers. As an example JL audio sold the the same W6 sub for like 10 years, and still it is a pretty good sub. During its least year of production, it still would set you back a few hundred.

Also a really good system is gonna be a lot more than $600.

From what i know I have to say that technology does advance very rapidly. Im not saying that it becomes useless, but its just not the top of the line product anymore. I am sure everybody can relate to computers. You go to Bestbuy and buy the best computer they have; You come back in 6 months and it costs half the price.

Now i am not sure if this applies to speakers, but the point that i was emphasizing was very general. I think everybody can agree that if you were to buy a good system for yourself now, the same setup would cost you less if you are to buy it in about a year; I am saying this with no doubt in my mind. Also, I am sure that a really good system does cost more than $600. If you read my original post carefully, I wasnt being accurate; I was making an assumption.

I also think that the price of a sound system would go down in a year. All electronics prices go down. They have to. Sound systems may not go down as drastically as computers ofcourse but i think real_madridcf has a good point. Anyway. I think i'll go for rims first since like cro mentioned, 600 bucks can't get me a good sound system but it could get me a good set of rims. So guess I'll have to wait for maybe not a top notch but a fairly good sound system for some time :) thanks for all the ideas guys.

I am an audio freak myself and I would say audio usually. Except, I just sold my stuff to buy rims and exhaust :-)

BUT!!

The only reason I did this is because I got good deals on both. As well, I live in Canada so it snows here and I can't have rims on my car all the time, where as I can have a system whenever I want. So that plays a role for me.

The thing with audio, is regardless if there is another system ruling the market, you will be happy with what you have in the first place, i mean that is why you bought it right? So, for sure, as said above get a CD player AT LEAST! I would say go with the system.

well, the reason why i almost decided to go with the rims is because i wont be able to get a good, "full" sound system just yet.. i dont have that kinda money. Im not trying to make something worth like 3000 bucks but still, rims are cheaper and i really dont like stocks.. BUT thinking about it i guess i can both change rims and change the stock speakers only.. That way i could have a new head unit, and a new set of speakers instead of stocks and i could save for a 5 channel amp + sub. you think this would be a smart thing to do?

Hey GRK, what model eclipse do you have? Do you have the premiem sound system or the only with just radio?

I like that idea of doing some of the system and getting the rims at the same time. The only thing I would suggest is not getting the 5 channel amp. I would say get a sub amp and a speaker amp, usually you dont get enough power to the sub, but it all depends on what you want. Personally, I would get two amps.

if you have the infinity sound system in your car and there still in decent shape id say you can hold of on replacing the speakers for now.. just get a headunit and a cheap sub/amp for now... should be able to get a decent deadunit for under 200. For a sub and amp you can be hooked up for another 200-300 if you dont want it to insane. so id say 500 can get you bumping.

For wheels Id go to www.wheelguyz.com i think it is.. im pretty sure they have packages for 17's that include tires starting at $495 i think and up.

Basically.. i think you can have both for under a grand.. might not be the top quality stuff but it would serve its purpose... gl and welcome to AF.. peace

the system i have in my ram cost me about 800 and it sounds nice. there are pics and everything if you follow the link in my sig.

well heres my thoughts. if your car look stock, your more the likly going to get away with having a good system and not get it stolen. as soon as you put wheels on your going to get noticed. i think that the price of wheels/tires & stero equipment has gone down so much in the past 3 years that a normal guy/gal can get away with having a non-brand 145db system and wheels and tires for $1400.

what ever you do, get a better alarm.

Well, I'd step outside the box here and state that you should put some $$ on a nice alarm BEFORE you do anything to dress it up. Too many dopes come in my shop AFTER the theft!

Lets say that you want to buy the top of the line system now, and it costs you $600

let me start out by saying that if thats your top of the line system, it better be for your moped. i would vote for putting a nice system in your car first, but there are a few things you have to understand about it. 1. IT IS NOT CHEAP AT ALL! if your not plannin on spending 1,000-1,500 bucks, go for rims. 2. if you do opt to go wiht the system... save money and buy good stuff the first time. theres nothing worse than spending money on a cheap system and blowing up a speaker then buying a new set to replace it. 3. shop around! car audio stores are great, but go to 3 or 4 different ones and make sure you listen to the stuff before you buy it. dont settle for somehting that sounds decent, you can always find somehting to fit exactly what you want, it just takes time.

i hope ive helped

Personally, I'd get rims before i get an audio system. Only because the systems tend to go out of style after a month or so.

Personally, I'd get rims before i get an audio system. Only because the systems tend to go out of style after a month or so.
You evidently never seen one of my built systems then. The one that I am comming up with for my Jeep will have a custom molded speaker box that looks like it floats over the rear of the vehicle. I'd post pics but have no way to do it.

Dude, i was talkin about the name brand stuff. Not like im puttin audio down. i just think they go out of date to fast.

Dude, i was talkin about the name brand stuff. Not like im puttin audio down. i just think they go out of date to fast.
Oh, well theirs a trick to that. The stuff internally usually only changes once in about 3 or 4 years. They just change some of the eye candy and part numbers. I know DEI who makes my amps I sell takes longer on changes. The last run on amps was running for almost 5 years. That is long in the car electronics depo.

it pretty much depends on the type of sound you want to get if its is from a retail store the price while go down but if you try to get comptetion sound the price stay the same for a year or so my sound all came out to $4,000 a year ago and now its only 200 dollars cheaper

IMO i think that an audio system would be best first off, because when you drive your car you cant see your rims. and in reality rims are not for the driver, they are for bystanders to go whoa look at those shiny beasts. I think that you should tend to what i think is one of the most fun things about driving which is blasting music while ur goin 50 through crazy turns haah.

i personally would get the rims. along with that you get looks,weight reductions and performance. go for the rims

I personally would go system. But thats just me. My friend sold me his older JL W6 15in and an amp that'd push it for 200 bucks. I then purchased 2 sets of 6.5's and I was happy. ( I got my clarion head unit for christmas) Without the CD Player I only spent $350. But then again I have never had rims. I also think a head unit and some rims would be nice. But you gotta do what you feel. Peace :nutkick:

BTW. If anyone is interested my friend is selling 2 Rockford Punch 12's and a 450x2 amp with a box. If anyone is interested shout me a holla. or aim me