Well it's time to change out the audio system in my '02 Wagon and I am looking for some recommendations. I have searched much of the audio section for ideas but I am having troubles piecing the right system together.

What I had:
h/u = DEH-P8500MP
front speakers = Polk Audio EX2560
rear speakers = Polk Audio EX502a
Amp = JL 300/4 powering all speakers
Bass = Bass link

New system:
h/u = my pioneer has face troubles so I want something that has less mechanical movement. blaupunkt cd72? I also will be adding an ipod or like device in the future.
front speakers = CDT? MB Quartz? or others?
rear speakers = same
Amp = the jl fit perfectly under the driver seat where I have already routed all my wires so something similar or the same. I need to replace my current 300/4 because one of the allen screw heads is stripped and jl wants $80 (not including shipping) to fix it. I'm also interested in the 500/5, but do not know if it fits under the driver seat? Anyone have experience fitting a 500/5 under the driver seat?
bass = I want more bass (hence the 500/5). I also want a stealth box that retains the spare tire. Anyone out there want to sell his or hers and build another? Why won't anyone build these stealth boxes??

So any and all recommendations are welcome. I have currently ripped out the old audio system and want to build up the new system from the speakers and amp.

Aslo my taste in music is wide spread. I listen to it all.

Thanks in advance,
okpop

New system:
h/u = my pioneer has face troubles so I want something that has less mechanical movement. blaupunkt cd72? I also will be adding an ipod or like device in the future.
front speakers = CDT? MB Quartz? or others?
rear speakers = same
Amp = the jl fit perfectly under the driver seat where I have already routed all my wires so something similar or the same. I need to replace my current 300/4 because one of the allen screw heads is stripped and jl wants $80 (not including shipping) to fix it. I'm also interested in the 500/5, but do not know if it fits under the driver seat? Anyone have experience fitting a 500/5 under the driver seat?
bass = I want more bass (hence the 500/5). I also want a stealth box that retains the spare tire. Anyone out there want to sell his or hers and build another? Why won't anyone build these stealth boxes??


HU: I like Alpine. They don't break as much and with a silver faced DIN pocket look great.

FRONT: CDT and MBQ are pretty far apart in terms or sound characteristics. Both are good but the MBQ tend to be very bright while the CDT are mellow. Would it be possible to spend some time in an audio store and give us a little more feedback on what kind of sound you like?

Rear: Who needs em..

Amp: Fix which screw? 80$ if it still suits your needs is a bargain. JL makes good amps and unless you want to upgrade to more power I would keep it. If you want more power add a seperate sub amp. Also, the dimensions are 19.7"L x 9.25"W x 2.36"H for the 500/5. That may be a little large to fit under your seat. Your current amp is 13.4"L x 9.25"W x 2.36"H.....do you have another 6 inches of clearance? I would keep it and add a second amp for the sub....but that is just me.

Bass: We all wish someone would make a truly nice enclosure. Hopefully JL will step up and deliver.

I second Bryan in general. An Alpine may be a good bet since they have the iPod adapter available for their Ai-Net HUs. Same answers as Bryan on front and rear speakers. And for the amp, I would definately recommend that if you want good bass you need a dedicated amp for your sub(s). For which amp you need, first decide just how much power your sub of choice is going to require...

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=618889

offset

i enjoy a more mellow sound to my music, but i still want the range to hit all types of music I listen to. what speakers would you reccommend that would give me a quality mellow sound with some bass? I will not be putting in a sub until I can get ahold of something for the spare tire well.

on the jl amp, one of the front speaker allen heads is stripped so getting the wire to have a solid connection is impossible (the whole amp needs to be taken apart to replace the one screw) and i always loose connection to one side on corners. the only way to fix it is send it to them so they can take it apart to replace the screw for a minimum $80. i love the amp but am sick of sticking my hand down under my seat to try and jam the wire into a good spot. i will probably stay with a jl amp, just a brand new one. I baught the one I have used with the screw the way it was.

I read about the 2 amps and the dimensions are what puzzled me. I haven't measured under the seat to see what the biggest size I could get in there but was wondering if anyone has tried yet? 19" does seem like it might be a little too big.

Who is doing the install? And what is your budget? How much effort are you willing to put forth on installing front speakers? Any thoughts on sound deadening?

offset

sorry i guess i forgot to include the important information.

I installed everything myself. i have sound deading material throughout the whole car. I took everything out of the car (and I mean everything) and used RAMAAT to fill the floor, roof, and all 5 doors on my wagon. It's solid in the inside. I also custom ran all the wires to be completly hidden from site. I set it up to run 2 amps if I ever decicided to add another for a sub. But since I could not find a spare tire sub enclosure I went the cheap route (BassLink) for the time being. Everything is there to add a sub and amp to the back, but I want everything stealth. I need the room.

So since the stealth subenclosure is not in the near future I want to build a really nice 4 speaker system with the thought to add a sub later.

Offset: what do you mean by 'how much effort am i willing to put into the front speakers?' I'll put whatever it takes to get a clean sounding system. Money isn't an object, but I'm also not building a show car. I just want a clean sounding system like out of a factory luxory car (but a tad bit better). Some cars come with lots of bass without any subs and that is what I am looking for.