Wow. That really shows how much you DON'T know about car audio.
Just because the brands aren't mainstream it doesn't mean that they aren't good. If you don't think that his stuff his "high end," than you REALLY are not qualified to talk. I'm sure if I told you I used Adire Audio products you'd say it wasn't "upper end."
Let's see. His DEI 1100d is one of the top amps out there. It was used to set a world record in dB Drag in 2002. Team BS Extreme hit 177.7dB with that same amp(64 of them anyway). This was a certified score in Extreme 13+ class. This record I believe still holds today as THE loudest certified score in the world. Not upper end? Please.
Those Vifa and Dayton drivers. Where do I begin? Vifa and Dayton drivers are very popular with the DIY component guys. These brands win SQ competitions bud. Dayton drivers rival Seas Excel drivers. If you had any idea what these were you'd take that back really fast.
Now on to Image Dynamics. His sub, which I'm sure you are not too familiar with was one of the three original super subs. The Adire Audio Brahma, Image Dynamics IDMAX, and the JL W7 were the three original super subs. Elemental Designs also jumped on with their A series line. Image Dynamics is not only known for their subs. They make superior HLCD's. Just to let you know the potential of these bad boys, his front stage when it is perfected will put any component system to shame including yours. Horns are super efficient and can get disgustingly loud while maintaining sound quality.
Arc Audio is next. Arc Audio make some very high quality electronics. Although their subs are mediocre, their amps and processors are top notch. If you think your stuff is expensive, wait until you see the retail prices for this stuff.
I don't want to be a total dick, but that comment you made was totally ignorant.
Jigga, I'll admit you have nice equipment. I personally run JL Audio and Alpine myself. However, I'm gonna guess that you tried to build a "sound quality system." There is one major flaw with your setup. A good sound quality setup will have a front stage that comes from the front. Why did you run components in the rear? Rear fill drags the sound stage backwards and ruins imaging. Here's a couple of tips for rear fill. One, is don't run it. Two, don't run it high-passed. Honestly, it seems like you just went out and bought a lot of expensive equipment without much thought to how you'd set it all up.
Don't take this the wrong way. I respect GSteg a lot for his audio knowledge. Which is why I'm making this post. There are very few people I would take audio advice from. He has proven himself.
He has a lot of experience in the SQ realm and I have a lot of experience in the SPL realm.