Car Audio Newbee

honestly I am so dated on car audio that it would be like asking me a question about home audio and I would then recommend the best stuff from 1987-1994...I can say one thing though...the Levinson system in the Lexus LX 470 is pretty dismal compared to "real" car audio systems in my opinion fwiw. I haven't heard the McIntosh car stuff but I'm gonna have to say that those thieves are pretty savvy these days...who knows...they might look in your car...see McIntosh...and say "oh yeahhh....I'm gonna git me a whole lotta crack"...lol

I have no idea where you live...but I would recommend going into a good car audio place where there are rooms of varying levels of equipment...skip the el cheapo room...get an idea of what sounds good to you and just try to keep it simple.

All I had in my Boat (I'm using that particular system as you have a convertible) was an Alpine Head Unit, Soundstream 4x50 amp, 1 pr of Boston Accoustic pro6.1 which was a 6" mid and a separate 1" tweet...and dual 10" subs (can't remember brand) in an isobaric chamber (refers to how the enclosure is built...like a bazooka...but with another sub behind the one that you see...or so said the guy who gave it to me) 2 channels ran the mid/highs and the other was bridged to run the sub. Whole setup ran me less than 2k.

It got plenty loud and was clean also...I could even hear it while wakeboarding....now my neighbor...he was the guy that installed the system...he had a 13k system in his mastercraft...you could listen to that one while parasailing...lol...boy the neighbors were glad to see him move!

wish you luck on your hunt!

oh...ok...one other bit of advice...sorry about the long windedness...one way to avoid having your system stolen...is turn it down a few blocks before you park your car...wherever...i speak that as a former victim myself...twice...lol...and being that I was auto insurance adjuster and dealt with tons and tons of stolen stereos...make sure that you get the special rider on your policy if needed...the company i worked for...one of the big uns...didn't cover aftermarket stereos that weren't installed in the factory locations...so that amp under your seat or in the trunk...your sub...or anything else that wasn't in a "factory" cutout wasn't covered.

and don't think that it won't get stolen...cause it probably will.

you suuuure you wouldn't rather just upgrade your home rig? hehehe

I had a pioneer super tuner with a 12 disc in dash loader running 2 amps wich were under the seats (Jeep Wrangler)
with 2 way 4 inch speakers in the dash, and 4 inch 2 ways in the sound bar with a Pioneer 8 inch sub and it really sounded great, no boom in the bass nice open mids, only slightly harsh highs wich I could trim with settings. this system in 97 was about 2k and sounded excellent, also as rough as a wrangler was...there was hardly ever a skip in the disc.

For the sub I would go for the Infinity Kappa Basslink over the Bazooka. It is a 200w 10in. with a 10in. passive radiator. I agree with the reviews as for my ears a more natually sounding sub that is NOT like those you hear and cringe from blocks away.
Good luck.

Oh by the way...I had Juno amps in the Jeep.

Head Unit: McIntosh MX406
Amps: Precision Power (the good stuff, not their junk line)
Speakers: MB Quart
Subs: JL Audio

I'm out of it now, but I spent a VERY long time in the world of car audio. These brands impressed me most along the way. Mcintosh--not cheap, but worth it. PPI--best bang for buck and very clean when installed correctly. MB Quart and JL Audio--very little comes close, and nothing comes close for less.

If it were me, I wouldn't touch Alpine with a ten foot pole...too etched and brittle, not to mention unreliable. That said, I can't stand the Alpine sound anyway. Some people like it, I'm just not one of them.

Please follow Richingoth's advice to stay away from the Bazooka sub. IMO, Bazooka is the Bose of car audio. If you don't go with JL Audio, the Infinity Kappa Basslink is a much better sub than "Buzzooka".

As always, it's your ears and wallet that count. Do what they tell you to and enjoy what you get. Don't forget to have fun with it. Hope that helps a little.