Best low-budget setup?

[AceFrehley03]

Well, I'm thinking about putting a system in my car. First I'd replace the speakers in the doors and the package shelf and the deck at the same time, then add a sub later, possibly.

I'm trying to stick with the lowest budget possible, and I already have the deck (just a cheap Blaupunkt, it was free, beggars can't be choosers.)

I'd just like to hear some suggestions... brands, websites to lurk around on... that sort of thing.

(If it matters my music preference is mainly rock, some old, some new. Ozzy, Nickelback, things like that. The louder and clearer the better.)

Thanks.

[Nick]

You have to run new wires from the head unit to each speaker location because your stereo is common ground and aftermarket components do not bolt in easily. That said, I'd say either save up for nice Alpine or Infinity speakers if you can. Infinitys are so clear and crisp, they're amazing. If you can't wait, Pioneer speakers are pretty good for the money. You can isntall just the head unit if you get a PAC OEM II adapter from Crutchfield. www.etronics.com (http://www.etronics.com) has good deals for speakers and such.

[ April 06, 2004: Message edited by: Nick ]

[pepsi2185]

I think i would go for the rewire. Make sure you headunit has a high pass filter built in and a nice feature is a low pass non fading preout. Nice control features, worth the money for the sound quality. You would probably be lookin around the 159-199 range. Speaks dont really matter as long as you like how they sound.

Big Joe

[Desert Stallion]

Pioneer's are tough to beat for the money, but Alpine's aren't that much more, as far as speakers go. I'd rewire the car as well.

[BuffaloBigJ]

x2 on the rewire...

As for speakers i'd have to say pioneer would be the last speaker I would recommend out of the aforementioned ones.

If I were you I would go with some alpine, infinity, or polk speakers. All of which are readily available, If you rewiring I would also recommend adding an amp to the speakers instead of using the head unit amp. You will get a much cleaner crisper sound out of a seperate amp than you could ever do out of a head unit.

Do you have a price range you want to stick to? I have a small car audio business here in Buffalo and would be willing to help you decide on some products. I would recommend buying whatever you decide on through e-bay as the prices a lot of times are so close to dealer cost it's sad....

You could do a deck and 4 plus a sub and 5 channel amp for around $500-700 including all your wiring which isn't bad for a kick ass sounding system.

Let me know....

Jeff

[AceFrehley03]

I already have the head unit, and as far as budget, I'm trying to stick as absolute low as possible. I still need wheels, paint, carpet... and for everything I'm looking at around $1,000. So, the stereos on the bottom of the list. I'm probably just going to rewire it, put in the new head unit, and call it good for a little while. Thanks for the offer though.

[Nick]

If you reqire it, you need new speakers. The common ground stereo system has a different 6 ohm speaker. Your options are to add the head unit by using an PAC OEM II Adapter or reqire everything and install new speakers. :( If you pick up speakers from a '88+ Mark, those will work.

[RJ Sclafani]

Ace, try buying some audiobahn component sets off of ebay. they run about $60-70 on ebay for a decent pair of components up to 6 1/2.

[AceFrehley03]

Sad enough I haven't tried looking on EBay yet. I'm ashamed. I'll do that, though. What size speakers are in the doors, and will I have to build new mounts?

Secondly, if I replace the 6x9'ers in the back will I be able to keep them hidden underneath the package shelf or will I have to redo everything? I really want things to be as inconspicious as possible.

(I already have the head unit and adapter for the wiring harness. It's not PAC OEM-II but the cheap Wal-Mart equivalent.)

[RJ Sclafani]

if you are replacing stock speakers with the same size aftermarket speakers, then everything should fit fine. in my TC, there are baskets that hold the 6x9's, my door speakers were somewhere around 6". at most you would have to make a wooden ring/adapter to make them fit.

[Desert Stallion]

Ace, doors are 6.5", and the rears are held in by rubber retainers that fit around the magnet, so the aftermarkets will fit the same way and no one will be the wiser.

[SQ_LSC]

I've not been impressed by the brands recommended, so i'll throw out some of my own with a good price vs. performance ratio.

CDT audio, Diamond audio, JL audio.
I'd pick any of these over those mentioned for around the same price.

[Nick]

The doors are 5 1/4" on some cars. I know they are on mine. There is a bracket that angles the speaker for better stereo imaging. Maybe if you eliminate the bracket, the hole is for a 6.5".

[Desert Stallion]

Hmm, the brackets in my '85 took a 6.5" speaker pretty well. tongue.gif

[pepsi2185]

Dont forget the 4"-4.5" in the top of the dash.(Sound terrible without changin them, they are right in your face. My doors are 6.5 as well. What about kicker resolution components, sweeeeeeeet.

Keep us posted.

Big Joe

[SQ_LSC]

I agree that resolutions are also very nice

Kicker makes one of the best free-air bass drivers on the market. There model RMB6, RMB8, etc. What would be sweet would be a set of there 6" RMB's in the doors, and a 1" tweet with a 3-4" midrange in the dash.

[ April 09, 2004: Message edited by: SQ_LSC ]

[AceFrehley03]

Where are the speakers in the dash located at? I didn't realize there were any in there.

I think I'm just going to piece together an Infinity/Kicker system through components off of EBay or something. I don't need anything competition-quality, I just want sound that sounds good loud. smile.gif

So just to double check. I have two 6.5" speakers (one per door), two 6x9's (on the package shelf) and a 4.5" in the dash? Is that all, or am I missing out on one or two or five?

Thanks again everyone.

[Nick]

There are no dash speakers in Mark VIIs. There are 3.5" dash speakers in Fox chassis Continentals, however. Make sure to check some place like etronics.com before you buy from someone off eBay. I didn't and I found my amp cheaper elsewhere.

[RJ Sclafani]

quote:Originally posted by SQ_LSC:
I've not been impressed by the brands recommended, so i'll throw out some of my own with a good price vs. performance ratio.

CDT audio, Diamond audio, JL audio.
I'd pick any of these over those mentioned for around the same price.

i would choose them over said above too, but i dont think ace even wants to spend that much on speakers.

[SQ_LSC]

those aren't any more expensive than anything else, if your watching e-bay. Most manufactrurer's make differen't models at differen't price points. Take alpine speakers for example:..

At equivalent pricing, there high end speakers are hard to beat for sound quality but there low end models don't fare well to my ears to speakers in the same price range. I have MB quarts in my truck and they're the same way. I would not recommend there low line speakers to anyone because the tweeters are bright and shrill but there high end models rock.

[RJ Sclafani]

I've had some mb quart components (very very nice), ran me about $400 or so, some of the best speakers I've ever heard. Now I just have boston rally components in the TC, they are decent for me, but I always strive for better sound and more power.