Upgrading System. Need Some Tips

I have a system in a '97 Saturn SC1. Right now I don't have a great system, but it's good enough for starters. I got a set of 12inch Legacy subs (1600 watts total) hooked to a 300watt Jensen amp. I know my subs aren't getting the sound they should out of a 300watt amp, but it was all I had at the time. There's a few brand names and subs I want, but not sure what's best. I'm looking for deep bass. I was thinking about getting a set of 12inch Kicker Solo-baric L7's, but I'm not positive if they're good enough for my liking. My friend has a set of 12inch Kicker Comp VR's with a 600watt amp (not sure what brand name) and they sound pretty good. He had a set of 12inch Alpine subs with a 500watt amp (don't remember the brand name) and they sounded good as well. I think the Alpines sounded better, bass wise. So that brought me to wanting a set of Alpines since I've heard them in person. I'm not sure what kind of amp I want yet. Of course the wattage will be the same as the watts of the subs, but for brand name I don't know yet. If I get the regular 12inch round subs, I'll keep my box to save money. I heard different opinions on 15inch subs. Would you recommend 15's over 12's? If you were in my position, what subs and amp would you get??.....

a set of 12inch Kicker Solo-baric L7
a set of 12inch Kicker Comp VR's
a set of Alpine SWR 1221D Type S
or something else??

and what amp should I get that's good and cheap? I'm sure alot of you know brands that are cheaper and are good as the ones I mentioned, if not better. So any advice will help. Thanks.

Get a pair of Kicker 10" Comp vr woofers and put a KX 400.1 digital amp on them, if your box is built correctly this thing will slam.

15's are good for one thing only= SPL. They don't sound worth a crap for general music, unless you are a bass-head and don't care about the quality of the music. They will shake things for blocks, but that's about it. 10's and 12's are great for quality sound while still making your heart skip a beat. I've had every size of sub from 8's to 18's. Right now I have 2 JL 10's on an Xtant 300 watt amp. I'm not dogging your stuff, but lose the Legacy and Jensen stuff. The subs are not very effecient and the amp is nowhere near the power that the subs need. Underpowering subs is just as bad as overpowering. Unless you plan to amp your other speakers a lot, you don't need 1600 watt subs. There are plenty of good subs and amps to choose from. Also, the interior shape and volume of your car have a diverse affect on how the subs sound. Most people buy mediocre stuff because that's all the money they have, but just a little more money would allow you to get really good stuff. Sell the stuff you have, get some more money together and buy some good stuff. Opinions on car audio is just as vast as opinions on anything else. What I prefer might not please everyone else. Don't forget, a poorly made box will make the best subs sound like junk.

I don't really want 10's, I'm more of a 12's person. I've heard 15's in person, but I don't know if I would like them after a while. So I'm going towards a set of 12inch subs. I finally made a desicion on my upcoming system, so could you guys give me your opinions on it, and how it'll sound?

HiFonics Brutus BX1500D amp
2 12" Kicker Solo-Baric L7 subs
Installed in a box from Powered4Sound.com
A JVC headunit

Like I said, I'm looking for SPL/SQL, and it'll be installed in a '97 Saturn SC1. I'm also going to get some sound deadening to help decrease the rattling like my current system does. Also, while I'm here on the subject, I got a question about installing another battery in the trunk just for the amp. Could someone explain how to do that, or do you recommend me doing it that way, or would it be easier just to get a better battery and alternator? I just don't know if the 1 battery can handle the amp? Any advice on the upcoming system and any answers on the battery situation will help. Thanks!

A HiFonics 1500 and 2 L7's is overkill unless you are putting some major power to your mids and highs. If you plan to do that down the road, you will not have SQL until then. You'll have insane power to the subs and 12-17 watts on the mids and highs. Sound deadening is a good move. No offense, but your car needs it, a lot of it. Also it will make your system louder by reducing the amount of flexing the panels and the body do. As for a second battery, you need a dual battery isolator. It allows the alternator to charge both batteries, keeps the amp on the second battery, and the car on the first. Spend the money on a good gel cell, and use 0 gauge to hook it all up. If you aren't sure how, take it to a stereo shop and have them hook up the isolator.

I was going to upgrade my components and give them their own amp. So from my opinion I think it would be a good sounding system once I get it all. But since you know alot more than me, do YOU think it would be a good system?

so far, yes. Like I said before, I think the Brutus is overkill, but it's not my car. Do what YOU want, not what your friends think.

Most people who don't like 10" subs is because they have never heard them installed correctly. Remember the bigger the woofer, the bigger the amp, the bigger the debt.

If you are looking to SPL AND Sq , get a single sub 12' or 15" with 1200-1600 RMS power handling , THEN put that into the p4s box . Make sure it has a larger xMax than the L7 and one sub will outperform two subs .
With that being said , a Resonant Engineering --- dual 2 ohm would fit the bill perfectly . HiFonics amps are " okay " , the 1605d would be a better amp than the 1500d , but if budget allows , get something better than hiFonics at 1200-1600 watts for the single --- ..
Proper size wiring and wiring procedure also .. Also consider some sound dampening . SecondSkinaudio.com has liquid dampening on sale called Spectrum v3 that only needs one coat ...
It goes on all metal panels once cleaned up properly and works REALLY well to stop trunk rattling ..

get a different head unit...jvc is crap. so is jensen. look for something with at least 4 volt preouts otherwise tuning your amp will be FUN!! otherwise buy a line driver. these up your output volts to your amp so it can take more gain hence lessening your chance to send your amp into clipping. the hifonics brutus is a good amp for the price. i use it and haven't had a problem yet. also i've said this before and i'll say it again. check out elemental designs some of the greatest stuff on the market. www.edesignaudio.com also www.icixsound.com . icix is full of stereo gurus who know how to set up your particular stereo preference (these guys are also really non bias to elemental designs products) just give it a look see