Stereo System upgrade options

[Claymore]

I appologise in advance, I know there are several other threads with fairly comprehensive responses, however if possible could anybody provide with a bit more guidance. I have already purchased a Pioneer 4050 H/U which I am currently trying to find a pin and wire to attach to the adapter and power the antenna (if anybody could tell me where I could find one, or an alternative it would be much appreciated).

Basically, I am after a bit of a practical insight into how different speaker setups would sound and ultimately, which will provide me with the best result. I am after sound quality (mainly rock/metal) so thumping base is not a huge priority for me, thus I was initially thinking of a setup involving front splits (up to $200 each), rear 6x9s on the parcel shelf ($150 odd each) and a 4ch amp (around $250). All told I think the ballpark price was going to be around $900 not including cable, etc.

My hope was that the 6x9s can produce enough base to compensate for the lack of subs. I notice that in the "Planning A System On A Budget" thread, the $1000 setup recommends a sub and amp, this leaves me wondering if the 6x9s will infact provide sufficient base for a balanced setup. Given my budget is somewhat flexible, should I really be looking seriously at installing a sub amp and woofer or could that money be better spent in higher quality splits or 6x9s?

Brand is not really an issue for me at this stage, I am more trying to get a feel for relative cost/benefits for each of the components and try and get the best overall result for the dollars spent.

Thanks in advance, Dave

[Claymore]

I should also add, I can't really afford to lose too much boot space to woofers, and larger removable subs would probably need to be taken out when I most want to use them anyway.

Cheers, Dave

[holdenboy]

OK, i cant really help you with the power antenna problem...may have to explain it a little more.

Anyways, youre on the right track with planning your system. I suggested going an amp and sub as its the best way to go for bass reproduction, but, like in your case it may not be very practical (space wise). 6x9s, provided they are of decent quality, amped and mounted properly will have a fair amount of bass.......just whether or not its enough for you is the only question. Everyones tastes in music are different, and what might sound good to me might not sound that good to you. All i can say is go into a car audio store and have a listen to a few sets of 6x9s running off an amp, and make your own judgement.

I personally, in the same situation would be going with a decent set of splits in the front (~$250), a pair of 6" coaxials for the rear (~$50), a 4ch. amp with around 100wrms/ch.
(~300). Mounting the amp on the back of the rear seats or on the underside of the parcel shelf, and getting a 10-12" subwoofer in a smallish sealed box (~$300). This way the sub is easily removable by unscrewing the terminals that hold the wiring, wrapping a bit of elec. tape around each wire and undo any brackets etc that hold the box in. Would take about 5 min and about the same to reinstall.

Theres your $900 spent (before wiring etc) and provided its installed and tuned properly, will be a well balanced system with good staging and bass reproduction.

[Claymore]

Basically the antenna requires a power input to raise, from what I understand the blue/white wire for this is also used to turn the amp on and off. The adapter I bought has this wire free, I was wondering if there is any way to attach and run it through the ISO adapter socket so I don't have to cut the stock wire and bypass the socket (for when I want to sell the car and reinstall the old unit).

If I were to expand my budget to include the sub and amp, would the extra cash be better spent with better rear coaxials or 6x9s?

Thanks for your help, Dave

[VYruckus]

hey there. i just done a complete upgrade. if you are going to put a sub in don't put in 6x9's in because the sub will make the 6x9 destourt. if your looking for good splits go with hertz. better then pioneer splits. pioneer make good 6x9's. i paid $290 for my front splits and $150 for my pioneer 6x9's, and $220 for my 4 channel amp(JBL). iv had ppl asking me what kind of sub am i running and when i tell them that l'm jsut running splits and 6x9's thay spin out. its a good setup with out a sub. hope it helps

[Timmos]

you could possibly fit 2x 8" subs in the parcel shelf.

[holdenboy]

Also thought they made 6" x 9" free air subs, i know DD make them......might be worth checking out.

Power antenna.....what you need to do is just strip back the insulation from the power antenna wire, without breaking the conductor (on the car side) and solder your blue/white wire onto it, then tape it up. When you wanna sell the car just undo the tape, cut the wire where it joins and re-tape.

Rear speakers arent really noticeable when you have a good set of amped splits in the front. Unless you have rear seat passengers its not that important, 6x9s wont be needed if you have a sub, as the only real benefit from them is bass output. Also the 6x9s will need to be mounted in the parcel shelf whereas the 6" coaxials just replace the stock speakers in the rear doors.

[2LOUD2OLD]

why not forget rears altogether
6x9s cannot and never will produce sub bass as well as a sub and will not play as low
As mentioned get a nice set of splits for the front, a 4 channel amp with the rear channels bridged to run a sub. If your tight on space, consider building a fibreglass box behind the tail lights in the boot. If you dont have the ability to build a fibreglass box, you can always build a small sealed box yourself for no more than $50. Therefore I would split the money as such:

Splits: $350
4 Channel amp: $300
Sub: $200
DIY sub box: $50

[Claymore]

Thanks for your help guys, I think I have a better idea of what I'm after now. A couple of final questions, will the subs need a separate amp (I think I have pretty much settled on subs and coaxials over 6x9s)? Also what will be the difference in sound quality between parcel shelf mounted subs (if viable) as opposed to removable units in the boot?

Thanks again, Dave

[2LOUD2OLD]

you wil certainly have more options if you go for a regular sub as opposed to a free air sub. it will also be a lot harder to get a free air to sound good. Just go for a box.
as for an amp, if you use a 4 or 3 channel amp then no you wont "need" a seperate sub. however getting a mono is generally better as they are specifically designed for running a sub. For your budget I would just suggest to go for a 4 channel amp with figures around 4x100WRMS

[holdenboy]

Yep, as 2LOUD2OLD suggests, a 4ch amp with around 100wrms will be ideal. This will provide ~300wrms to the sub. Free air sub/s wont provide half the output of a boxed subwoofer, but are a good option if its just impossible to have a sub/box. In your case as your willing to go with a sub just mount the amp on the back seats or underside of the parcel shelf and all you need to do is disconnect the speaker wires, tape em up, remove any screws/brackets etc (even velco straps work OK) and remove the box.

[Claymore]

Thanks for your help guys. I think you have answered all that I needed to know.

Thanks again, Dave