Contemplating a new sound system for my GS. Please Help.

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[TD="width: 457"]Hello All. Does somebody out there know about car audio? I don't know much but was considering the following set up w/ the new receiver mounted under dash, the 6x9s in the rear deck, 10s in the trunk, the 6.5s in the doors and the tweets in the dash. Not sure what to do with the extra amps, might have one for the 6x9 and one for the tweets and 6.5s. I am wild ass guessing this will be good. Any suggestions appreciated!!! BTW these are amazon prices as of now. Thanks again, Clint

Pioneer TS-A6994R A-Series 6"x9" 5-Way 600 Watts - Pioneer Mobile $72.89
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[TD="class: xl64, width: 64, align: right"][/TD]
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[TD]Pioneer TS-A1684R A-Series 6 1/2" 4-Way 350 Watts - Pioneer Mobile [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]$51.45 [/TD]
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[TD]Legacy LS328 3.5-Inch 120 Watt TwoWay Speakers - Sound Around [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]$14.99 [/TD]
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[TD]Metra 99-9000 Dash Kit For Uni Under Dash Full Shroud - Metra Electronics Corp [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]$16.23 [/TD]
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[TD]Pioneer DEH-3400UB CD Receiver - Pioneer Mobile [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]$98.99 [/TD]
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[TD]Total[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]$254.55 [/TD]
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[TD]Infinity Basslink 200-Watt, Dual 10" Powered Subwoofer System (Black) - Infinity [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"]Have[/TD]
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[TD]Three Isographite Series II 300 Watt Amps[/TD]
[TD]Have
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Doesn't sound like a lot of money to me. I know when I put the system into my 03 regal, I spent at least a $1000 on the components. Of course I'm pushing 800watts into the sub, but quality speakers up front are not cheap. Ultimately it only matters what YOU think of the sound.
Go to best buy or a car stereo place and put your ears on those speakers. If they sound good, buy them.

Your goal of a quality sound system is to have it sound like you have one single music source coming from directly in front of you. The rear speakers are not really to be heard, just to provide "fill". They kind of round out the sound. Therefore the best speakers should be whatever you put in the dash or facing you. Component systems with a cross over provide the best sound. They allow only the frequency the speaker can handle to pass to the speaker, so it sounds the best.

Best of luck to you, and remember, somebody will always have a better sounding system, or tell you they do, but if it fills the need you have, then the system is perfect.

 

Thanks for the advice esp on the up front being good. I will not get the $15 tweets! I'm on a tight budget with this and you are right, I don't really want the best as it just does not matter to me. That being said, as far as the speaker sizes/types and locations am I on track for this to sound decent or am I way off??? I realize I can spend more and get better stuff, but right now I have had a crappy radio w/one have blown speaker for 15 years. Anything will sound better!!!

Thanks again,

Clint

---------- Post added at 11:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:52 AM ----------

Thanks Larry, those are very cool. Sort of blows my cheapskate budget though. I don't mind the under dash mount and its cheap.

 

As a good quality, not crazy expensive speaker, consider the Infinity Kappa series.
Like this type.... http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Infinity-Kappa-329cf-2-Way-3-5-Car-Speaker-/69694914

The Reference series speakers by Infinity may sound better with lower power so consider those also. Like I said before, you can pay enormous dollars for speakers. I bought Diamond brand for my fronts and they are amazing, but spendy.

It seems every few years the main component makers switch places as to who is good. I know back in the 80's, Sony was the best of the best, then back in the XPlode days of early 2000's, they were just a fair speaker, now who knows, I haven't been following it since 2004 when I built my system.

Infinity, Eclipse, Pioneer are all good solid lines that will probably work good for you. I think the over all plan you have is pretty good. Don't bother getting 3 way 6x9's for the rear, you don't need 3-way speakers back there. Usually coax are great since the rear are just fill and add a little crispness to the bass. Bass notes are non-directional so having the woofer in the trunk always works fine.
I would say spend the most for your 3.5", then step a little way back for your 6.5", then a larger step down in quality/price to your 6x9.


Rock on!

 

Great advice John. I looked at it and I can get all infinity speakers and have about $350 into this which is awesome. Not sure if I need the Infinity Reference 6030cs 6.5-Inch 270-Watt Two-Way Component System and the tweets you mentioned above? Thanks again, I'm looking forward to some high quality tunes in my ride!

Clint

 

I think you will have a little better mid range coming from the 3.5" speakers in your dash than just using the component system tweets in those 6030's, but I may be wrong. The small component tweets can take some serious power and make a lot of sound, however they really will not touch the mid range.
I guess it depends a lot on what type music you like. If you are into pop and rock, then I feel the 3.5" will be better, however if you like Jazz or classical, I think the component system will be amazing. If you listen to rap, well, then you need another 1000 watts of power and a few 12" subs in a box in the trunk, plus lots of sound deadening to stop the rattles.

 

Houndogforever has some good points. Personally I'd ditch the rear speakers and put that money into the front speakers. I've never heard of those amps so I can't comment on them. One thing you can usually ignore is the power rating of speakers. If you look at any mid 59 high end speaker you will almost never see a box that says XYZ watts. That is usually a marketing ploy. Woofers tend to be a little different but people throw lots more power into woofers anyway so it tends to be more relevant.

Unless you already locations for the doors one option to consider is kick panels for your 6's. I believe you can get premade ones although making them isn't overly difficult a good set of coax or components (comps being better in almost every case) and you could even not put speakers in the dash. Here are some interior shots of my dad's 67 chevelle. It had nice kick panels that blended in pret nicely. http://dalesplace.com/others/67chevelle/interior.htm

For the sub, any decent 10" sub will give performance that most people will be happy with, even some 8's. Dual 10's will be plenty.

If you want to see some comparable cars, go to diymobileaudio.com. There is a 65 goat, 65 olds 442, a 69 camaro and a 67 chevelle if I recall. None are really over the top install wise so they can give you an idea. Most of them have really good discussions on speakers, placement, etc that are relevant to your body style and goals so can see some more options and opinions.

 

Ditching the rears is not a bad idea at all. Like I said, they are really just a way to add some fill in.

Maybe do the fronts and leave the option to add the rear speakers as christmas presents later? That way they are free. :Brow:

 

Thanks for the suggestions!! After looking up some stuff online it seems aftermarket kick-panels are the way to go. Modifying the doors, cutting holes in my interior panels, creating enclosure to keep moisture out...to much work for the door mount option! These guys http://www.vintageautoradio.com/ind...ategory_id=26&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=67 have non ac car kick panels for $99, which seems like the better option. I'm worried that the reported 2.5" depth of the 6.5 infinities might be too much?? I guess I could always space it out, it would still be less work than the door option! Also the amps are just something I scrounged up, I don't know if they are any good, however they were free. Thanks again! Clint

 

Yea it would be pretty easy to space those out if needed with simple mdf or hardboard. 2.5" for a 6.5" setup sounds pretty average though so I hope those kicks are designed accordingly.

One extra step I would do is take some non hardening modeling clay available at hobby lobby or other hobby/art supply or some duct seal and apply it to the back of the panels. This will help kill any resonance especially with thin panels.

 

Cool, sort of like checking piston to valve clearance. What's good, 1/4"?

 

Checkout sonicelectronix.com better prices and name brands

 

that would probably do. kind of depends on the panel, how flexible it is, etc. but that is certainly a good start.

and a second vote for sonicelectronics.com. I order quite a bit from there, mostly accessories but they have good prices on amps and speakers. These days I actually get my amps and speakers used Saves a LOT when getting high end components.

 

I've installed 100's of units over the years and that does NOT make me an expert

Whatever speakers you choose, keep them of the same manufacture and same series. I prefer two or three way, they tend to be more efficient and as long as your head unit has midrange controls you can blend them to your liking.

The rears are very important, as is the fronts for mid/highs. Typically the fader is a notch or two towards the rear. If youre mounting the fronts in the kick panel, youll be disappointed with the high Fq response. Highs are very directional, lows arent. A component set with 6 or 6.5 in the kick panel with the remote mounted tweeter up on the dash, coupled with a good set of three way 6X9s and a solid 12 sub would be ideal.

Not to go against what Jon told you, I just have a different approach. I prefer to be surrounded by music in the car, right in the middle of the soundstage.

 

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on a couple points.

a) rear speakers. How often do you go to a concert and face away from the stage? Unless you are building a theater in your car and need dolby surround, there is no real reason to have speakers back there unless you just want them for some odd reason. Very, very few if any serious car audio setups will have rear speakers, with the exception of subs of course.

b) There is nothing wrong with frequency response in kick panels in most cases. Dozens of world class competition cars can attest to that. Having a big separation between the tweeter and the midrange can cause issues however, which typically takes a good processor to overcome. The only time any real issues come up with due to obstructions like a big center console that gets in the way.

 

Clint was looking for suggestions, it's my aproach Remember, your sitting in a box and it's a budget build. By far more bang for the buck with 6x9's than anything that will fit up front. By adjusting the mids you can create an up-front image. World class is also high dollar and I'm sure it's a different game than this. Besides, I'm getting old and my hearing is next to go :bglasses:

My GS is getting an AM-FM radio (not stereo) with a 4x10 up front and a 6X9 on the rear deck (one of each). It does have a fader ou:

 

Budget can still be good and world class doesn't not necessarily mean high dollar. There are more than one competition cars out there with mid level speakers in them. One is even a 3 speaker setup. single sub and one speaker in each kick panel.

If you want an up-front image, you don't use rear speakers. A decent 6.5 or even a 5.25 can have decent midbass and the midrange will almost always best a 6x9, just by the fact that speaker companies don't put much effort into making "quality" 6x9's. A 6x9 will have more bass as a general rule due to it's cone area, which is roughly that of a an 8" speaker. However if you are going with a sub anyway, in a setup like this it doesn't get you much.

If you want to do those kick panels, you can choose any decent speaker set. My personal preference would be the Mirus line from Hybrid Audio. This is their budget line and for $140 for the 5.25" coax set, they really sound good. I've demoed them myself and thought they were as good as the Focals I had at the time which cost 3X as much (and I got those used...). When paired with a 10" sub it was quite impressive. You can pick them up online from here, or any Hybrid dealer. The next step up is the Imagine line. Those are component speakers and are about $250. I use an Imagine 6.5" sub in my truck.

If you are interested, the CEO, Scott Buwalda might still have some dealer samples left. He had the Mirus 6" ones for 25% off, comes to about $113 give or take. Here is the link. His email is sbuwalda at hybrid-audio dot com. I've gotten stuff from him directly before and he answers pretty quick. Ships quickly too.

 

I have pioneer 6x9's in rear powered by a Sony XM 2100 GTX and a Kenwood KSC WD250 powered sub in my 67 and no front or door speakers and it sounds awesome...windows open or closed at 80 mph...so times too much is just that too much...

 

Thanks everyone for the help. I think I will be forgetting the 6x9s for now as that seems to be the general consensus. So what I am left with is the bass-link 10" sub system, 6.5 coax speakers in the kicks, and 3.5 tweeters in the dash. I personally think the tiny tweets in the 6.5 will be helped by the 3.5 and that the 6.5 will be good for the mid range. If I do this all with infinity reference speaker and a reasonably price pioneer deck, which its seems to be easy to get a lot for the money, I shouldn't be out a lot of cash and still have a good system...

Thanks again for the help.

Best Regards,

Clint