Stereo & Electronics - Few questions...

Hey Im new here I just got my firebird about a month ago and am looking to get a decent system into it before winter rolls around and Im not to sure where to start... Is best buy or circuit city an alright place to purchase the stuff and have it installed or should I look around for a smaller shop? Also what would you recommend as far as a head unit, speakers, subs, and an amp? I was wandering around best buy earlier today and it seemed like the best sounding speakers they had were rockford 6x9 4-ways. None of the subs really stood out, same with the amps. I was likin the Alpine head units but Im still not to sure... any help would be much appreciated... Thanks.

There is no place in our cars to mount 6x9s without modification. If you're not going to do the installation yourself then find a shop that knows what they're talking about - many places will tell you that the entire Monsoon setup must be removed/rewired to make any changes (this is false). The "big box" stores vary greatly in the quality of their installers. Some are good (none are great because they don't have the time) but many are terrible.

As for specific brands and models, you should read the hundreds of posts on the subject or do a search on the brand you're interested in. Opinions vary and most will recommend you listen to each and decide what you like best.

Auditioning subs in store is fairly useless because it will sound very different in your car due to cabin gain and it will most likely be in a different box than you will use. It also may not be in a box which it works well in, the wrong box can make a great sub sound like poo. Just something to keep in mind while you are shopping.

I would also avoid big box stores for your install. Find a reputable shop if you can't do it yourself. I would also not buy from BestBuy because they are evil.

Look at subthump.com for perfab sub boxes built specifically for 4th gen birds. This is a much better option than trying to drop a generic box into the trunk.

Happy hunting