If you want an all-in-one-system amplifier solution, there are many choices, but the Blaupunkt PA5350 five-channel amplifier (MSRP $500) still stands out as an excellent choice for compact GM trucks. With its plastic housing, it's a stylish amplifier, with four 50-watt channels to drive full-range speakers (it can be bridged into two channels if your truck currently lacks rear speakers) and a dedicated 150-watt amplifier to drive a dedicated subwoofer. Its small size is due in part to its innovative TriPath output design output, which is highly efficient, generating little heat, thus requiring far less heat sinking, making the amp smaller than comparably powered conventional amplifiers.
Throughout its long production run, one thing has remained constant, and that's the front speaker application, 4x6-inch speakers mounted in the top of the dash. While speakers can be mounted in the door, it's not something that most do-it-yourselfers are eager to tackle. As the popularity of the 4x6-inch application has waned, fewer and fewer manufacturers now offer this size. With this being the case, it makes sense to go for the best, and in this case, that's the Polk/MOMO MMC460 4x6-inch plate speaker (MSRP $150). Instead of a tweeter coaxially mounted over a 4x6-inch oval midrange, the MMC460 uses a high-performance round 4-inch 'woofer with a 1-inch dome integrated into the speaker's mounting plate. The result is a small speaker with a big sound and an excellent choice when used in conjunction with a subwoofer in the rear.
Because it's such a hassle installing speakers in the doors, we have a suggestion that gives you an opportunity to install bigger full-range speakers up front without any cutting. Select a set of custom-molded replacement kick panels from Q-Logic (MSRP $200). Long a staple of high-end installations, these replace costly custom-molded kick panels, enabling owners to install 6.5-inch component 'woofers along with separate tweeters in the front of the vehicle. The result is great sound with superior imaging and staging as the distance of each speaker to the listener's ears is close to equal as possible in a small cab.
If you're looking for a great set of 6.5-inch components for use with the Q-Logic kick panels, take a look at JBL's Power Series component systems, specifically the P650c model (MSRP $350). All the Power Series models use a state-of-the-art Plus One Honeycomb-Laminate (HCL) 'woofer cone that combines woven glass fiber with a Nomex honeycomb core for lightweight and impressive rigidity, essential for crisp, clean sound. The pure titanium dome tweeters have impressive power handling capabilities and offer extended high-frequency response well beyond the limits of human hearing. The last part of the package is a high-quality passive crossover that, like the individual drivers, offers outstanding power handling capabilities.
Due to the popularity of the GM compact pickup twins as a basis for sport truck buildups, we often see elaborate custom installations in the vehicles featured in the pages of Sport Truck. This often requires the selection of raw subwoofers, which need to be optimized for small enclosures. The Rockford Fosgate Punch HE2 RFP4208 (MSRP $130) is designed for just such applications, able to deliver deep, tight bass when mounted in an enclosure as small as 0.1 to 0.5 cubic feet. The dual voice coil system design enables you to wire the two 4-ohm coils in parallel, for a 2-ohm load, for maximum power. With 125 watts per voice coil power handling capacity, the Punch Series is robust enough to be used with very powerful amplifiers.