Hey all.. got a few questions. I am intrested in equipping my TSX with a new sound system..however dont really know where to start. Yes, ive searched, but alot of it is techinal talk that im yet to understand.

So what i would like to know is basically where to get started with this ..

i want to make my sound system louder.. more bass.. im the rocker type so something that works well with that kind of music. Im kind of short with my budget, around 400- 500 dollars tops , not looking for anything fancy, but would be nice to turn heads and let ppl know im not running a stock sound system. I hope i provided enough information here.. it would be much appreciated if you guys could help out. Thanks
-Ron :blaze:

 

Welcome to the board. Read through the threads in this section to see what others have done and to get ideas.

Questions you need to think about and decide on:

1) Do you want/not want a box in the trunk?

2) Are you paying for professional installation?

3) Do you want everything to get louder or just the bass?



System 1:

New F door speakers - $80-150
New 6x9's - $80-200
4-channel amp - $150-350

You'll need about $25-50 for wires and cables and such.

This would be louder than stock. It would sound better, but would not be aimed at highest-fidelity sound - more highs, more bass, more volume.

System 2:

New F door speaks - $125-225
Sub in a box - $100-150 for the sub and $25-65 for the box
4-channel amp - $150-350.

This would sound better, but paradoxically, might not be as LOUD as system 1, due to less midrange cone area.

System 3:
Amp, sub, and box, with what you have.
Well under $500 depending on your choices...

The system will play no louder in the cabin, but will have more bass. Then when you have more money later, you can upgrade the fronts and add an amp for them, and get more volume and better sound.

 

can always count on ELD to drop a line in audio threads.

 

Thank you for the quick reply. Yes , i do plan on getting this professionally installed. Yes..I would like subs/box in the trunk. And yes... i would like everything to get louder as well.

Thank you for those options... Now another question..where would i be able to purchase these items. Would a local shop that does this line of work have this ...or would i visit somewhere like circuit city to pick them up.

System 2 seems appealing....
Any recommended companies..suggestions would be very helpful.


Thank you again.

 

check www.onlinecarstereo.com. i think their price is pretty decent. oh forgot .. ebay!

 

Aight ive come up with a few links just to see if im along the right track here.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ueVnZ1W...ms&i=575P110S4

For the subs.


The box i can get anywhere really..so im not to worried about that.


http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ueVnZ1W...&avf=Y&search=


As for front speakers.. A little confused
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ueVnZ1W...&avf=Y&search=

is that what im looking for?


-Ron

 

well .. the front and rear door can accept 6.5 inch speakers but you wnat to check to make sure it fits. i thikn crutchfield might have a listing of what speaker fits with no mod to door. if you get that front speaker and stll runing stock amp .. i think it'll be useless bc of the crossover setting on the stokc amp. best ot get component set. you'll end up replacing the speaker in the door and the tweeter in the dash. it will sound better and if you decide to upgrade to different amp, then it'll be even better!

 

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-d1x4OUK...&avf=Y&search=


Something like that? Does that come with 2 front speakers or just one?

 

when it says component it usually means that the tweeter is seperate from the woofer.

 

lol sorry for being a noob, not sure what any of that means...

 

Sorry the edit button woudlent load for some odd reason.

Ok, sorry if this is becoming frustrating due to my lack of knowldege on this topic, but i assure you i am reading many many threads. However, i do need some clarrification.

By F DOOR speakers..that means front correct? Now, there are 2 of those, 1 on each door... assuming we speak of the same things. I Found alpina SPS 170 A 6 1/2 '' , hoping that those would be a good recommendation.

The sub, i think im ok with.

Next up, the 4 channel AMP. ELD.. i believe you said that the TSX comes with an AMP below the NOT AN ASHTRAY area... and that its not recommended to move it.. So buy purchasing another 4 channel(not sure what channel means) amp i would be adding a second one?

Ill continue searching, hope to have things cleared up

Thanks- Ron

 

Ron,

I wouldnt get those alpine if I were you. The best sub 150 set Ive seen are the RE6.1 components. They run for 150. You can look them up at www.REaudio.com. If you can spend alittle more the Alpine SPX-177r is a great set for about 215 at ikesound.com. Either sets should satisfy your needs.

 

Thank you. If it comes down to quality, i am willing to spend more money.. i am just looking for reviews/recommeneded products, so i appreciate your input. At first i was a little hasty to just get the system in, however i am willing to save more cash and ensure a more quality soundsystem. Thank you again.

 

how much are you willing to spend? and how much time are you planning to put in your system? A quality system focuses more on the install more so than the products you use most of the time. Personally, I like to buy raw drivers and make my own component system, its more bang for the buck.

 

Well as of now i have no idea where i would be getting my system installed. I need to talk to my brother/friends for some places that have a respectable reputation. ( and if anyone happens to know any good places in nassau county long island, would be nice ) . But for the actual system 600-650 dollars which in my eyes is a nice amount (still 18, havent started making the big bucks and have expenses)


By the way.. what exactly does the component set..persay the alpine one contain... the 2 front speakers i assume...

_ron

 

a component set usually consist of 2 speakers, set of tweeters, and a set of passives.

 

haha...I'm no audiophile but I wonder what people like ELD think of the pyramid equipment thats all over EBAY??

is it a coincidence that they call it pyramid, cause its prolly just a big pyramid scheme

 

lol pyramid isnt very good in quality ..but you can practically make anything sound pretty decent.
RMATIC09's question on component set..

2 way component set: 2 woofer, 2 tweet, 2 crossover
3 Way component set: 2 woofer, 2 tweeter, 2 mid range, 2 crosover
2 way coaxle(sp?): 2 speaker with a tweeter built in the speaker
3 way coaxle: 2 speaker with a midrange/tweeter and a tweeter/smaller tweeter built in
4 way coaxle: 2 speaker with a midrange, tweeter, and a smaller tweeter built in

@ www.onlinecarstereo.com: free shiping i think. For around 200 i recomend these:

MB quartz discus series DSD 216 for $159 <------ I currently have these in my Teg, sounds great!
MB Quart RCE-216 for $189
MB Quart RSD216 for $189 <---- Out of all of these listed, I'd get these for their price & quality!
JL Audio TR650-CSI $for 125
JL Audio VR600-CS for $209
Pioneer TS-C160R for $179
Diamond Audio M361 $159
Diamond Audio M661 for $229
Focal 165A for $189

 

Thank you very very much. Now the 2 woofers, being the speakers would go where the stock speakers go, where does the "tweet" and "crossovers" go? Are those replacing stock systems or being added?

Any specific AMPS/Subwoofers that would go better with the JL Audio XR650-CSi, or the Apline spx 177A as examples.. or does any 4 channel amp / sub do the job.

Like 2 10 '' Kicker 03C10 for subs and like a Rockford Fosgate 301X
150 Watt AMPLIFIER
...


Thanks again :gheywave:

 

Speaker/crossover placement is actually up to you. You can put it anywhere you like. Some places willl produce better sounds some wont.

If it was my car that i'm working on,
2 way component set: woofer go in the door where stock speaker is, tweeter will go up in the dash in the corner near the windshield where the stock tweeter is at. crossover will either go on behind the door panel if there's place or somewhere above the pedals.
3 way component set: tweeter on dash or door panel, woofer in stock location, mid range some where on the door panel

 

woops i mean RCD 216 not RSD 216.

 

Thanks , so for the 2 way component set, the tweeters and crossovers are being added to the stock system, not replacing?

 

well .. if it's your front door (front passenger and front driver door) .. no. the woofer and tweeter will replace teh stock one. Stock woofer is in the door, stock tweeter is in the dash in the corner towards the windshield where the VIN number should be at. the crossover is being added to the stock system IF the component is being powered by an aftermarket amplifier. If it's being powered by the stock amplifier, then the cross over is not really used due to crossover setting is on the stock amp itself .. or so i've heard. (note: i dont have a tsx .. YET!)

 

Yea, i plan on getting an aftermarket amp. Thanks alot appreciate all the input.

How do these installation places get to the speakers by the dash? seems like it would be one annoying of an install.

- Ron

 

damn...not to hijack your thread rmatic, but...

all this i am assuming will be ran with the stock head unit. (i dont have a tsx either but it will be soon)
i put a system in my old car, and had aftermarket head unit, speakers, and a 4 channel amp. it sounded really nice. but after i had to take out the aftermarket head unit, so back goes the stock unit. and man! there's a huge differenece it made my speakers sound real bad, it wasnt loud, it wasnt at it's potential. wondering if that'll be the same as in the tsx?

 

After somethinking... i've come to this conclusion tell me what you think.

To save money and hassle..and still add to my sound system i was thinking of picking up two Rockford Fosgate P310D2, 10'' , with an enclosure and and a rockford 2 channel 500 watt amplfier to power it , (fosgate 501s)...

what you think?

 

Didn't you say you were going for sound quality? If so, I would go with different subs.

 

any recomondations?

 

just get a single 12. id recommend the tc9 from soundsplinter. http://www.soundsplinter.com/rlp_pre...subwoofer.html

if you want to spend on something cheaper id get this: http://www.soundsplinter.com/rli_ser...subwoofer.html

 

If you are going to go with RF .. i wont go with anything lower than the 3rd top of line from RF. The rest are just junk. JL subs are always good option even the low end one would still sound good. Check out MTX subs too, they're cheap and sounds pretty damn good. And if you can get a hold of the older Pioneer subs withat that aluminum dust cap that looks like an bullet type head, those are good also.

 

I'd also say just go for a single 12". The subs these guys suggested are good, I would also recommend checking out the Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1. It's a good balance between SQ and SPL and it won't break your pocket. You can pick one up off ebay for around 120.

 

Ok, so what do you think of this (note: im not keen on the 1 12'', id rather have the 2 10''s)

2 JL Audio 10W0-4 10''
RMS Power Range : 125 Watts

RMS:
Impedance: 4 Ohm

Impedance:
Diameter: 10 Inch

And for the amp


Rockford Fosgate 601S
600 Watt Amplifier
RMS Power Range : 300-600 Watts

Number Of Channels: 2
Low Frequency response: 20 Hz

High Frequency Response: 20000 Hz
Built In Crossovers: Yes


150 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms
300 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms
600 watts RMS x 1 bridged output at 4 ohms
stereo or bridged mono output
4-ohm stable in bridged mode
Tri-Way capable
50-250 Hz high-pass/low-pass (12 dB/octave) crossovers
Punch Bass (0-18 dB boost at 45 Hz)
speaker- and preamp-level inputs
13-1/8"W x 2-7/16"H x 9-7/8"D

 

That's a LOT more power then needed for those 10"s. THe JLs can withstand a pretty good beating, but I think you might be able to fid something more cost effective? maybe... I'm on the fence about it, sitting here thinking...

 

So your saying the AMP is alot better then the subs in terms of power.... What do you think then for the subs.

 

bump?

 

ok, how much are you looking to spend and how much bass are you looking for?

 

Here's my

I think the stock system in the TSX is pretty decent to start with. If you dont want to spend a lot of money I would agree that just going with a bass upgrade would suffice.

Crank your bass down to -5 and crank it, you'll notice without having to run a lot of bass the stock speakers crank out quite a bit of mid-high sound with little distortion.

Also you dont want to get crazy and start with two woofers. Unless you are looking for quanity of bass instead of quality of bass, if you just want it to BOOM BOOM BOOM a dual bandpass box would be the way to go.

But if you really want quality sound your best bet is a 10 or 12 in a sealed box with dual voice coils. That wired correctly will get you down to 2 oms and with a 2ohm stable amp you will rock the shit out of the car with one speaker.

 

Not what he said. He said that the amp is overkill in that situation. More power != more SQ. My theory is that you want 2 10"s in your trunk because it looks "cooler" or more "pImP yo" or some shit like that. You said you wanted SQ, for the $250 you will spend on those two JL's (minus box) you could get a kick-ass single 12, that will blow the dual 10s out of the water, no matter what your mouth-breathing friends think, as I assume you want the 2 10s to impress them, and they probably insist that 2 subs are always > 1 sub. Screw that mentality. Get 1 12" Adire Shiva or Elemental Dynamics 13Kv.2 ($125 or less for either one) and feed it between 300 and 600 watts (make sure you are optimized vis-a-vis ohms, and go easy on the gains, hombre). Watch your friends laugh at it because they've never heard of it, then sit their asses in your car and make them worship you after they hear what music sounds like when you buy based on quality, not name brand or number of woofers, dude. Laugh as you have saved $200+ dollars. Hell, they will have never heard of those subs, tell them they are $750/a piece, they will believe you. Decide now, do you want 2 subs that are mad phat yo, or do you want real sound quality and rock solid bass.



PS...this is no slam on the JL W0's, I had a 10" one in my last car, it was $185 for the loaded enclosure, and I fed it ~165 watts from the bridged rear channels of my JBL amp. It sounded good, but wasn't terribly loud, and I could bottom it easily. Think of it as a good all around sub for your girlfriend's car. You can do a lot more for a lot less $$, especially since you are starting from scratch, not working with constraints as I was with my last install (limited watts, 4 channel amp, etc.)

 

I have run a 10W0 for about 4 years in my CR-V - in a Stealthbox. It works... not the best hifi I've ever had, but it works. $185 sounds like a lot for that woofer in a box - street price on it seems to be between $80 and $99 unloaded. I would agree in general with the assessment except to say that if it was bottoming that easily I would suspect the enclosure a bit...

I think that HG is making a great point here in general. Many of these "what should I buy" posts are by people who don't seem to be that clear on their objective(s) (I doubt I would have been that clear at 18 or so, but I'm not trying to slam anyone, simply make an observation).

I was in 12V retail for years. Most young men who came in would say that they were interested in "good sound" - even though they did not know what it was. In fact, the only ones that were open about volume being their primary goal, I am pretty sure were drug dealers trying to play the "ice cream truck" game in the neighborhood.

If you ask people what they want out of their stereo, 90% of people will respond, "I want it to sound good". Who's going to admit "I don't care what it sounds like as long as it's loud and hits hard"?

What does "sounding good" really mean to them? It means, "I want to be able to play the music that I listen to, loud, and not have stuff blow up when I do, and I want to impress my friends, and I want it to sound more impressive than that other guy's car who I don't like... and I don't want to actually have to learn anything in the process..."

If you asked this person what their comparison, their reference standard, is, they probably don't have one, except maybe some friend's car. They listen to electronic and heavily-processed recordings of music on their iPod headphones, or on some crappy PC speakers, and maybe they go to an arena concert once in a while with a bunch of 15" EV's playing mid-bass at 140dB while Britney dances and the light show goes on... they listen to music as a social act rather than as art.

So when you (not RMATIC, everybody) want a stereo in your car, what do you want it for? Be honest with yourself. Do you want to fit in and be cool? Do you want to impress the friends who ride in your car, or a girl, or piss off your parents? Or do you want to hear a particular song, or artist, or album, and hear details and words and sounds that you never heard before? Do you want to hear the difference between a kick drum and a drum machine (or between different kinds of drum machines)? Or the difference between two kinds of electric guitar amps, or the noise as the guitar player slides his fingers on the strings?

Is this just another way for you to define yourself as a consumer who buys certain brands - thinking that the brands say something about you? (They do, but not what you think...) If you could buy a great sounding setup with no brands on it at all, would you?

Back to topic: RMATIC, don't buy the Rockfords. Don't buy anything until you know what you want and how you are going to achieve it. Right now you are a weathervane, pointing the direction of the last gust of wind. Take an opportunity to learn before you spend your money... or anybody's money.

 

I just found the receipt...part number CS 110RGW0....$169.99, so add tax and the ass-raping that comes from shopping on the Main Line in PA and I was close with my guess. It's the PowerWedge box, I think. Maybe I was too hard on it, it didn't bottom THAT easily, but my point is that with 165 watts I could get the woofer to it's limits, so they aren't wonderful subs, and they certainly aren't going to take 600 watts. Like I said, a good sub for your girlfriend's car

In researching my original post, I found this deal:

http://www.edesignaudio.com/combo.htm
(combo #1, with the 13kv.2 driver and NINe.2 amp, for $250).

That's real tempting, I could probably have the whole thing installed for around $300 (inc. the parts, and I already own the wires), give or take $20. The only thing that really bothers me about the stock system in the TSX is that you basically have to choose, bass or volume. When you are driving windows down at 70 mph on a beautiful summer night, it is often interrupted by one of the door mids making that awful slapping/bottoming noise, followed by a lunge at the volume knob. I am toying with the idea of getting that sub combo, so I could knock the bass level down to all the speakers, and still have plenty to go around from the sub. I just don't trust anyone around here (Athens, GA) to work on my car, and I am exceptionally anal about how it's done. I am also very wary of doing any electrical mods, as I don't want the nav system to short out at some point, and have to come up with $3500 to fix it because my warranty was denied. It is definately something I'm considering in the back of my mind, though.