Not true la. 2k+ budget can get you a decent setup but you need a helluva lot of patience and scout at the right places. Get everything 2nd hand.

Friend of mine did his entire 3-way setup for RM2.5k budget. Everything he bought was either 2nd or 3rd hand.

- Northcreek tweeters
- Hybrid mids
- A/D/S/ midbass
- Cap itik ayam speaker cables
- Cap itik ayam RCA cables
- Alpine 9853
- PHD2200 and A/D/S/ amps
- Helix dark blue + sealed enclosure sub

All for 2.5k, ok what. Not cap ayam ler except for speakers wires and RCA. The installation was DIY though so that's some savings already.

f I were you, I'd buy some sound dampening material like Sikadamp, Dynamat Extreme, etc and DIY dampen the areas that are rattling. Meaning you'd have to get down and dirty but at least that'll give you something to do over the weekend (assuming you don't have a girlfriend).

Then invest in a high sensitivity component set like the Rainbow SLX speakers. They work bloody well with stock HU and if you were in KL I could let you hear it in my Myvi (stock HU).

Then finally when you have the time and money throw in a 4-channel amp to whack the front components and a sub at the same time (for $ saving la).

That's the cheapest you can go for decent SQ + bass. Don't rush ICE. If you do it'll cost more to keep upgrading upgrading and upgrading. Been there done that.