Hey guys, thanks in advance for the help

I have a 04 Regular Cab with an after market head unit and the two stock front door speakers....I'm going to upgrade the door speakers to some mid-grade speaker (I respect the fact that it's a Ranger). I do want some more bump from whatever set up I go with. To get adequate "bump" i probably need a woofer.

To the point I was wondering what would be a better choice for me, a off-the-shelf complete powered sub unit or the more traditional buy my own sub box, sub, and amp.

What is overkill for this truck? I want to have a nice sounding stereo, but it doesn't need to be "top shelf". I don't want to go crazy on budget, say 500 or 600 bucks.

I'd appreciate any and all help such as describing your particular setup that works for you and may as well work for me.


Thanks.

 

If you dont know much about subs/amps/boxes, Id say go to an audio store and see what they have thats all together. Or you could go on craigslist and get something used, but be careful buying used speakers.

 

I agree, go to the store and see what they got, shouldnt be a problem to get something
within that budget you set. listen to the subs as well, see what you like best, for me it
was the Rockford Fosgates, I have 2 10's powered by a Alpine mono sub amp, built my
own boxes for around $500, and its about perfect for me.

 

if you just want a little bit of bump from the system i think you could get away with a bass tube, wont take up much room, not too expensive, and will give you exactly what i think you are looking for

 

what sort of music will you be listening to the most? how much do you have to spend?

 

I ran a 6" dual tube (2 subs) Bazooka bass tube when I had a reg cab truck. For the size & the small amp I was running, it sounded pretty good.

They now make Bazooka tubes with built in amps that will connect easily to any head unit.

You can 'em in 6", 8" or 10" versions although a single 6" or 8" should be plenty.
With built in amps, there's a little less wiring to deal with and it will take up less room than a separate amp & sub, but the only drawback is that if the amp blows you're out of luck & vice/versa with the sub.

Similarly, you could look into the pre-made sub+amp+box kits. They're available in truck style slim boxes, all you need to do is wire it up & go.
You could probably get by spending about $300 +wiring either way.

Next option would be a 10" or 12" shallow mount sub & pre-made box and an amp. Just make sure the box matches the sub's specs & the amp doesn't overpower the sub.
You could probably get by spending about $300 - $400 +wiring.

Next & most difficult would be to buy the sub of your choice, build a custom box (MDF or particleboard) to the sub specs & add an amp.

Definitely not for most people, as building & finishing a box requires time, tools & patience, plus a bit of geometry & carpentry skills.
If you have the tools, experience & materials you might save a few bucks v/s buying a pre-made box. Plus, you can design it however you want, add an amp rack, storage, etc.

If you're not looking to blow the doors off, start small, get quality stuff & if you outgrow it, it will be easier to sell later on (easier to sell than no-name components).

You're on the right track though.... ask questions BEFORE you buy anything & don't believe everything the "dudes at the local stereo shop" tell you. They can smell a newb a mile away & most of them will try to sell you way more than you need, or worse, they'll push their "house brand" of crappy stuff as gold.

I've had good luck with Rockford Fosgate, Kicker, Kenwood, MTX, Blaupunkt, etc. brands.

Good luck