theElio

For reference, my previous car had the following:
Kenwood Excelon Head Unit (Don't remember the series#)
Kenwood Excelon 6.5" Component Speakers w/ tweeters (doors)
Kenwood Excelon 6.5" Speakers (rear)
Kenwood 250w mono amp powering a ported 12" Rockford sub

I used to drive a 98 Eclipse. I currently have an '05 TSX.
I listen to mostly rock, hard rock, metal, though the occassional dance/techno music is listened to. For reference, the CD that brought out the absolute best of my car stereo was Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral. I really enjoyed my old setup. I enjoy tight yet powerful bass. It doesn't have to hit really hard as if I had a rap/hip hop setup. That being said, feeling the dual-bass drum is nice too. I do enjoy sound that surrounds me as opposed to coming from a front stage.

I'm not really sure what I should do to improve the sound but it's clear that an upgrade is in order. There's no bass, the sound isn't crystal clear and voices are hard to hear.

From what I've been reading on the Avincar setup, it sounds like a good deal but it's set up for those who like a "front-stage setup." Also, I'm not sure that just the speaker swap would be enough bass. I was thinking of getting a sealed box for the back but I have no clue how powerful an amp and sub I should get if I go for the Avincars.

Can I get some advice?

elduderino

Well, this probably is better for a PM than a thread, but since I'm certain more people than just yourself have similar questions, let me answer them this way.

The Avincar speaker upgrades for the TSX and the CL-S are intended to be the best sound you can get without adding an amp. They have shortcomings and limits, as all speakers do, but I think they're the best compromises between efficiency and low-frequency response, between efficiency and crossover insertion loss, and between efficiency and high-quality drivers.

Note that efficiency is highlighted. With the TSX OEM amp it's critical, being 2 "high-power" HU chips in a tiny metal box.

The CL-S sounds better than the TSX kit because its OEM amp is more power per channel (even though the TSX amp has more channels).

I would like to point out that you can order an Avincar TSX upgrade kit with rear mids for the R doors - such as the system that Pilbox reviewed on these pages. It's not my recommended architecture, but it can be done.

Here's a couple of pointers:

1) If your last system has an aftermarket amp, you may not be happy with the Avincar speaker upgrade.

2) If your last system had a subwoofer, you might not be happy with the Avincar speaker upgrade.

3) If your Eclipse had a 12" sub in the back, you have a hell of an act to follow - in that a mouse farting in the back of an Eclipse sounds like a killer bass note to a front-seat passenger. The Eclipse, like some other longer hatches, is a stereo installers' dream car, in that all subs sound killer back there. My 6x9s may just piss you off... hell, a 10 in a box might just piss you off, relative to your reference system in your old Eclipse.

So, I only want people to buy this kit if they KNOW they don't want an amp, or a sub. If you're not sure, I AM sure - you want an amp and a sub, you just haven't gotten clear with yourself yet, but you do. And I want you to have a system which makes you happy - so don't get mine, cause they're not for you.

I do use the avincar drivers in more powerful applications - with bigger amps, with more complex and higher-power-rated passive xovers - but once you make that plunge you can select from many, many choices.

And as far as enjoying sound that surrounds you, maybe you should turn your back to the stage the next time you go to a concert? : )

theElio

Your PM box is full I do have more questions, however. So let me know when you can free a spot