first of all i know nothing about car stereo. Well i want to put 2 jl 12 w3's in the trunk with a 500 watt amp. when i got a quote from to local car audio shop, there is something called a MTX re-Q, so you can run the subs off the stock headunit. its $175 and $75 to install it. is there something cheaper i can use that will still sound good, until i eventually get a new HU? thanks!

 

you can go cheap with just a regular loc but if you try to compair the mtx price to a comperable unit(rf 360, jl clean sweep) you will see the mtx is the cheapest.

You know that for $250 you can get a good deck right?

 

any amp out there worth its salt has speaker level inputs anymore, which means you dont need and aftermarket device to use the factory head unit. and if you do find an amp without if, metra makes a unit that you can find on ebay for 20 bux. theres more than one way to skin a cat

 

no need for that the radio has a decently flat output, i would use a 20 dollar line out converter and save the money honestly the difference will be nill and like u said eventually going to an aftermarket radio

 

if u plan on upgrading the head unit then line out converter is the way to go. if u are having a shop run the power wire for it. go a head and pick up a good set of rca's and have them run them now. so when u get the new head unit all u got to do is plug them in.

 

The converters work pretty good.. I had one in my car for a year before I got a aftermarket HU.