I will be putting a little system in my 92 Accord in the very near future. I am not really too much up on what's good better and best. I already have subs from my other car that I will be using. They are two JL 10s (don't remember the model) powered by a JL amp. I am very satisfied with the sound. My goals are not to blast the doors off at a light or to impress anyone and needless to say it won't be in a any competitions. I just love to listen to music and want a nice system. As far as a budget, I don't have a set budget....put it this way, I will pay twice as much for twice the sound quality, but I won't pay more for a 10% difference in quality only a pro might be able to hear. But, if a number figure has to be assigned, I would like to stay as far under a grand as I can for everything minus subs. So here is what I have thought out so far:
Headunit: Clarion DUZ385SAT Why: I like the double din, the fact that the buttons and display are larger and it looks the most factory. I don't like Times Square light shows, dolphins, teeny buttons and a load of functions most folks will never use. I like the front AUX input, the ipod capability and the bluetooth capability.
Amp: At first I was thinking the Rockford P400-4...but then I saw the Sony Xplod XM-4S and saw that it was a full 6 inches narrower and they have the same RMS power rating at 4 ohms. I want to put it under my seat and it looks like the RF just won't fit where the Sony will. So that's my rationale there...
Speakers: I will be removing the factory 5" speakers in the front door and the "box" and mounting 6.5s...looks to be plenty of room with a 1" spacer ring. At first I was thinking components...but I don't want to cut the door panel for the tweeter and I'm not sure the sail panels will work....and on top of that it would signal any idiot that I have a nice system. I don't want kick panels because of the extra expense and loss of my dead pedal. So...that leaves coax's. Then the rears are 6x9s. I'm not real set on a speaker or brand. I was thinking maybe the Polk MOMO series. Or perhaps any decent respected brand. I was also thinking for a little more money stepping up to Focal polyglass 165CVX and 690CVXs.
So...fire away with opinions, suggestions, how well this stuff goes together, quality of these parts, etc.... Thanks!
1992 Accord EX 5 speed, 220k Personal wrench to friend's 1995 Civic EX
Not that the rockford is the greatest amp but it is light years better than the Sony. Sony hasnt made good car audio in over a decade. Go with the focal polyglass u wont be sorry. As for the rear try running focal access 6"s, not 6x9s. build a plate and run 6"s, 6x9s are poor for sq because of thier oblong shape the outside of the cone travels at a slower speed than the inner parts (flexing the cone and causing distortion.) As for the mid amp, if u have to install it under your seat you can run a rockford T4002 (power series) to the front polyglass 6"s and run the rear access (which are more efficient) off of the radio. The T4002 will fit under your seat and sound way better than the sony. On top of that, having that extra power on your front coaxial spkrs will help them image better.(T4002= 100x2rms vs p4004 50x4 rms.) hth
'97 NM SH~ tokico Illumas w/ neuspeed springs, AEM intake, DCSports 4-2-1 header Magnaflow cat, Greddy Evo2 cat-back, 17" 05 RSX-S wheels Tru amps, QSD 3-ways, Boston SPG-555 sub, premier 980 h/u http://www.trutechnology.com <= world's best mobile amps
Hey, thanks for the info....that's what I was looking for. A few questions about what you said.
-If the Rockford is way better than the Sony but still not the greatest, short of a McIntosh, any other recommendations or is the Rockford the best for the price I am looking at?
The 6x9s...I understand what you're saying. My rear speaker housings are made around the 6x9s...but I did find an adapter plate on the net for 5.25-6.5 in place of a 6x9 so maybe that will work.
-Also, you said run the Focal Access 165CA1 in the back..I assume it's not worth running the polyglass in the back since it's just a filler? Should I cut the tweeter wire like I've heard others say?
-On the Focal site it says the polyglass are rated at 70w RMS and 140W max. The T400-2 says it's rated at 120w x2 4ohms RMS. Is that too much??
If running a 4 channel is a better setup, I will see what I can do about amp mounting...but I'm not sure I have a lot of options. I could put it on top of my sub box, but I still want to be able to use the car and be able to remove the subs if I have to to lay the seats down if I need to haul something. So I'm thinking under the seat is more or less the only option.... But if the 2 channel sounds better anyway with the imaging, then I should be good.
On another note.. I've been reading about JL highs (amps and coaxs) having badass sound quality.... a JL system all the way around????
Thanks again for all the great info.....
1992 Accord EX 5 speed, 220k Personal wrench to friend's 1995 Civic EX
I agree with incubus, stay away from the Sony and anything that has explode in it's name. I am also no fan of R/F, but as mentioned it is far better then the Sony.
Replace the front door stock plastic speaker housings with MDF housings/plates and use some Dynamat, [or the like]. For the rear install the 6x9s but remove the tweeters, wire the speakers in series, [8 ohm load] and connect them to the bridged rear channels of the amp, use the amps x-over not the passive ones, on a JL Audio 300/4v2 set the "Filter Mode" to high-pass, [HP] "Freq. Range" to x10 and the "Filter Freq. (Hz)" to between 400-500, [4000Hz-5000Hz]. You will also need to isolate the back of the rear speakers from the subs, or they will just become passive radiators, I just cover the backs of the speakers with Dynamat. 94
94LS ^^^ now in the process of being striped down and gutted for the rebuild. Now cruising in my new winter car, 89 Chrysler Dynasty
You get what you pay for.
Nothing is impossible, the impossible takes longer and costs more money.
Thanks fcm for the great info. I guess the verdict is in...no sony explode! I'm leaning towards the JL amp....I would probably mount it on the back of the box side by side with my sub amp (matching) and then when I lay my seat down, there they are. If I absolutely have to haul something and have to take the box out...I guess I just won't have a stereo until I'm done with what I'm doing...oh well. I know you pay more for JL, but like you say, you get what you pay for.
What's the reason you're going for the eclipse speakers over the focal or JL for example?
Why are you going for 6x9s as opposed to round speakers like incubus said?
What the advantage of wiring it the way you said? Is that using it as a 3 channel? The rears on one channel?
No one has said anything about my headunit of choice so I guess I'm good there...
I know lots of picky questions, but I want to do this right!
Thanks again.
1992 Accord EX 5 speed, 220k Personal wrench to friend's 1995 Civic EX
Ok...I got a headunit and love it. Now I am very close to buying speakers. From what everyone has said, one shouldn't put tweeters in the rear and everyone says to cut the tweeter wires. Well... what about putting midrange drivers in the back?? They make 6.5 and 6x9 midranges with no tweeters. There are a few companies that make them (CDT, Image Dynamics, JL to name a few). So what do you all think about putting a good coax in the front and midranges in the back? Thanks!
1992 Accord EX 5 speed, 220k Personal wrench to friend's 1995 Civic EX
I chose the Eclipse over the others because they have very good SQ for the price and they fit without too much moding, they are a standard 6.5" speaker and a point source Don't get me wrong, the JL and Focals are also very good speakers, they just do not have the "advantages" that the Eclipse does.
I pick the 6x9s because they fit, have more cone area and will work better as a mid-bass/mid-range speaker then a 6.5" Yes a 6x9 mid-range would work, that is what you would have if you got the Eclipse and did not use the tweeters.
The advantage of wiring that way is to get you a mono rear fill, an 8 OHM load is easier on the amps power supply, amp will run cooler, it will also help you set up a proper sound stage. 94
94LS ^^^ now in the process of being striped down and gutted for the rebuild. Now cruising in my new winter car, 89 Chrysler Dynasty
You get what you pay for.
Nothing is impossible, the impossible takes longer and costs more money.
94
