Hey all, I recently purchased an 07 CGP TSX and the modding bug has gotten me bad. I redid the entire interior in white LEDs as well as the tag lights, got the TL switchblade, and installed the 08 Accord backup cam. Now I'm looking into aftermarket audio. Let me give you the rundown...

First off, I don't have any particular budget per say, but I do want to get only what I need done and for a reasonable price (because any extra money I spend on this is money that could be spent on other mods).

I listen to mostly hip-hop / rap, and while I don't need my roof to flex I would like to turn some heads and impress my friends. I really think one good 12" subwoofer is what I'd like to start with before doing anything with the speakers. My question is what sub / amp pair should I be looking at and what is a reasonable price for your suggestion? I went to a local audio shop today and they were really pushing Orion as they believed it delivered really good bang for the buck. They quoted me around $650 for a 12" Cobalt sub and a 600w max Orion amp installed. Thoughts and suggestions?

My concern is that this isn't going to meet my needs. After meeting with these guys I've been looking into the Orion XTR Pro subs and have been considering the XTR Pro 12" sub at 500 RMS and 1000 max. Is Orion really as good as these guys say? Can anyone speak from experience?

 

Do you think you could install this yourself? I just bought a new sub amp and built my box for about less than they quoted you. Im quite partial to AudioQue products. Check them out....if you arent looking at competition subs look at their sdc2.5s. I think they are around $130 and are rated at 600watts rms. They also make quality amps. I have never heard any of Orions subwoofers so i cannot help you there.

 

I'll check them out... I really doubt I could do it myself, I've really got next to zero electronics experience and don't mind paying these guys to do it since their labor costs seem pretty cheap. The guy quoted me less than $100 for labor which I would be glad to pay to have an amp and sub professionally installed.

 

old orion stuff ftw, newer stuff isint nearly as good. But aq ftw. Also op where u from

 

reading, pa

 

Im sure theyll install something if you buy them the stuff. I know my friend has two memphis audio subs and they sound pretty good. I think certain shops get deals with certain companies because one shop around here has everything memphis audio. 650 seems just a tad high for a cobalt imo...if its what im thinking.

 

That's what I was thinking...I also had them quote me for replacing the four door speakers (2 coax and 2 component) as well as a new amp to power them and that was like 1300 installed with capacitor and dynamat. I really like these guys because they seem like they care and will do a great job, but their prices are a bit too high (although again the install prices are very fair). So I'll probably just get whatever I decide to get online and just have them do the install.

 

OP, it really isn't that hard to hook up a stereo yourself. The steps to do it are actually very simple. There's enough help on this site that we could pretty well walk you through everything.

As for $100 for labor at that shop, that's cheap. The reason it's so cheap is because they're raping you on the equipment. And a shop probably will not install something they don't sell you.

AudioQue is a very good brand. When you buy from them, you're buying direct from the manufacturer, which is very nice. There are also several other brands that are only available online that are much better than the Orion's they're trying to sell you.

And like Brian said, O/S Orion is awesome stuff. The newer stuff has gone downhill...

Don't waste time or money on a capacitor. They're completely worthless, save a few benefits that are very minimal. But most of their benefits come if you didn't install something right.

 

Ok so I went to another local car audio installer and listened to some of the subs they offer. I listened to a 12" JL W6 and a 12" Alpine Type X and I loved both of them, I think the W6 sounded a bit better but it's tough to tell listening to them in a room and not a car. What are your thoughts on these two subs? I know they're great, but are they worth the price? How does the stuff from AudioQue compare?

 

Both of those subs are meh. I wouldn't waste the extra money on them. I'd still stick with the AudioQue. Although, if you're looking at the 1kw rating of the Type X, you may want to consider stepping up to a little beefier online branded sub. Something like a Fi SSD/ AA Chaos, etc. Those subs are rated at 800w and would be a much better comparison for the Type X.

 

are you gonna get an jl audio cleapsweep for your radio or a RF 360? if not how are you going to hook up these amps? i just wanted to know cause i got my system ready to put in but do not know if i should get the jl audio or just do a inline convertor

 

When I was looking at the JL's the guy at the local shop suggested an inline converter. I hadn't really given it much thought yet because I'm still undecided on what sub/amp combo I'm going with.

 

The only reason to go with a Cleansweep or RF 360.2 is if you're going to be running a complete stereo off the factory hu. They both offer 6 channels of RCA outs to run multiple amps. There's no reason a simple LOC won't work if you're just adding a sub and amp. If you were going to amp your front speakers and all, then you'd need more channels of RCA output, but again, a multichannel LOC would work fine. The 360.2 and Cleansweep just offer you more flexibility in your tuning adjustments. Not really worth it, imo. Then again, I always replace the hu.

 

I’ll summarize here;
Most shops and installers no nothing about the Honda premium audio system in the TSX, this system is completely different form the old school Bose system in every way. A major difference is the HU which is of very high quality and will match the best of any major brand HU in audio performance. So, unless you’re looking for more features like DVD play back and built in Eq stay with the factory HU and spend you money on speakers and amps. Also skip the clean sweeps and other re-eq devices as they are not needed on this system and will just raise your noise floor.

If you want to build a high end system then you need good components up front and since you are a hip hopper then a sub. You must power them with a good amp and take the feed off the HU. This is where it can get complicated so make up your mind on what you want to end up with before you start buying equipment.

If you just want a thump system then remove the 6x9s and replace them with a sub and amp. Get an amp with speaker level inputs and skip the LOCs. Take the feed from each 6x9.

As far as what equipment to buy you must to separate opinion from fact and the fact is that the salesman will sell you what he has and what he makes the most from. Users generally have a brand favorite for various reasons Ford, Chevy, Honda, Alpine and on and on.

So get a vision of what you to end up with and a budget and go from there. If you go at it half baked then you are going to spend a lot a get junk.

Jeff

 

w6 and type x are "meh"?

I'm all about internet direct brands, too(ssa xcons ftw) but the type x and w6 are very nice subs.

 

For the money, yes, I still stand by Meh...

 

Ok, so let's say that hypothetically I choose this sub

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_subs.php?series_id=4

and this amp

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_amps.php?amp_id=575

What else would I need besides a box and some cable?

Also, mercman...what do you mean by take the feed from the 6x9's?

 

If you're keeping the stock head unit, you will need a line out converter

 

Or an amp with speaker level inputs, like Merchman suggested.

And OP, I wouldn't waste the money on that setup... And if you did spend the money for that amp, you would definitely need a LOC.

 

how bout

2 of these
http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/s...7B47%7DS4.html

and
http://www.db-r.com/sell/store2/inde...roducts_id=187

 

You can't go wrong with JL audio equipt. The install is just as important so make sure they do it right.

 

So I'm still doing my research, hoping to come to a decision soon. What are people's opinions of Alpine Type R's? A Google search shows them at just over $100 each. At this price are they worth it? Also, just how good are these online brands people are suggesting?

Thanks, eggyhustles for suggesting a setup. If anyone else would like to suggest a full setup I'd appreciate it. I really just want a sub or subs that will go hard and impress my friends without spending a ton.

 

Type R's are loud, but imo, sound like complete ass. I'll never pay for them, but that's just me.

The online brands will give you a much better bang for your buck, as long as the enclosure is correct. Some of the internet based companies have subs that are very sensitive to their enclosure while others seem to work well in a variety of enclosures.

If you're looking in the 1kw range for an amp, the one Eggy suggested is one of the best out there.

 

That would be a killer sounding set up. Type r's do get loud but sound like poop like said.

 

Thanks everyone for the help...I think I'll probably go with the setup eggy suggested.

@mattastick

If these are so sensitive to the enclosure does the TSX trunk have enough space to comfortably fit an enclosure with those two SSA 10" DCON's? I remember looking up some youtube videos and seeing some people with crazy big boxes for one 10" or 12" SSA DCON.

 

Ok, I've narrowed it down. Based on what everyone is saying here and my own independent research I've decided to go with SSA. My question now is two 12" DCON's or one 12" ICON? Both setups are comparable price, but which would be better for me? Like I said I listen to hip-hop mostly and want a setup that goes hard, so what do you think?


And a BIG thanks to everyone who has been chiming in on this thread to help me decide, I really appreciate everyone's advice.

 

2 DCON's would probably take up most of your trunk for their optimal enclosure, assuming you wanted a ported box. Personally, I'd go with the 1 ICON, but that's just me. Put it in 2.5 cubes tuned at 32hz and you should be money. That SAZ-1000 would be a perfect amp to power it as well.

And the setups you saw were probably a horn or something like that. I thought I remembered a horn of some sort with 2 10's or 12's and it was going nuts from a trunk... Horns are larger than ported boxes and more difficult to design, but they can offer greater sq while still offering a ton of output if you get it right.

 

2 dcons will only need 2 cubic feet

here's the box design straight from ssa

http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/i...al-ported.html

 

Those are for 10s, Eggy. He's asking about 2 12's...

 

12's def won't fit

2 10's should be enough anyway

 

Listen man i use to install in allentown pa about an hour away from you, you want good subs and something that will definetly turn heads get sum digital designs them shitz will make ur windshield shake i did a full system on a 05 tl with those and dats the only car in a-town pa soundin rite will post piks soon new member

 

Dd's r nice but pricey. I use to have a 9515c. It's all in the box though.

 

I really don't need anything crazy loud and I would like to keep the cost down so I doubt I'll be interested in the DD's. The SSA 12" ICON is probably what I'll go with. I can get that and a 1000watt Sundown amp from SSA for like $569 which is a very reasonable price and from what I've heard should be a lot better than my original choice of a 12" W6 from JL.

 

go with the dcons

it'll save u on cost and u won't have to beef up your electrical.

 

How would sub choice require electrical upgrades? 1kw of Sundown power is 1kw of Sundown power. Doesn't matter if it's powering 2 10s or 1 12...

 

Unless someone is paying you to use their product, the driver selection should come after you've decided what type of enclosure you want to use, how much additional weight you're willing to haul around, how much trunk space you're willing to give up, etc.

If you have some stereo shops around, you ought to at least get a general idea of what different enclosure types sound like. You can probably hear sealed and ported, maybe even bandpass in one stop. Each type of box has its own character, with advantages/disadvantages. When you do this, you should understand that there will be differences between how these sound on a showroom floor and in a vehicle. Combined with considerations regarding enclosure size/weight, the best driver for your project may be something you have not even considered yet.

The amp should be selected based on what the driver will handle in the enclosure you've chosen, and you can size your wiring on that basis.

You can think of an amp with speaker-level inputs as one that "has a built in line out converter connected to its own line input".

The stock amp has a "flat" balanced line level signal going to it. Internally, it bi-amps the front doors/tweeters, powers the rear speakers about full range and the 6x9's have a low-pass with a bass boost. Depending on the "in-cabin" response of your new system, you may not want the crossover or bass boost frequency or level to be where they are. I would highly recommend getting your signal from the rear door speakers, rather than the rear 6x9's so that you are able to control these setting more easily yourself.

 

he'll be giving them 600, not 1000

 

Soundstream 5 channel amp and a Soundstream t4-12.

 

no sound stream ftl

 

SoundStream's alright. I wouldn't run it, but some (read: 2) of their products are alright. And by 2 I mean the older XXX 15 and maybe their XXX 15k. But the 15k is way overpriced for what it is...