Ok I know zippo about custom car stereos. I have a 2003 Mustang and I was hoping to upgrade my stereo system a bit. I would like to do things that are easily movable to a new vehicle and not lost when I end up selling the vehicle. My budget isn't that high (<$500 would be nice), but I was wondering what exactly I could replace that would noticably improve my system. It currently has the Mid level Mach system from the factory (not the one with the Sub in the trunk). That is one thing I don't want to do is take up trunk space with subs, but I wouldnt mind adding some sort of sub, perhaps in the back seat on the floor. Again, my knowledge of what is available and possible is not very high. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Car Stereo experts, a little help...
1 - 20 of 28 Posts
Well to get a sub your gonna take up space someplace, either your truck or your back seat.
Does your stock radio have pre outs? (rca jacks for a sub?)
How do you want to improve your system? More bump or just better overall sound? Also what type of music do you listen to?
If you mids and highs are decent and just wanna add some bump get a Rockford Fosgate He2 from best buy. with a 4 yr warranty. Then a matching fosgate amp like a 400s (i think its now called a P4002) new from Ebay. And you need a box. Sealeds better sound quality but ported is louder.
If you listen to rap get a 12" sub, if rock get 10" if its both.. you prolly wanna go with a 12 sealed. all thsis is about $500.
This place has the best boxes on earth.. the snail shell design is awesome... powered4sound.com
ok next route....
If you want to just improve some sound quality just upgrading the speakers all around makes a good differance. Could even add an amp to them so you be able to turn it up louder without distortion. Don't expect much bump from it but, it will improve some.
Theres some ideas without knowing what exactly your looking for its hard to dial in on any specifics. Also need to know if that radio has pre outs.
Does your stock radio have pre outs? (rca jacks for a sub?)
How do you want to improve your system? More bump or just better overall sound? Also what type of music do you listen to?
If you mids and highs are decent and just wanna add some bump get a Rockford Fosgate He2 from best buy. with a 4 yr warranty. Then a matching fosgate amp like a 400s (i think its now called a P4002) new from Ebay. And you need a box. Sealeds better sound quality but ported is louder.
If you listen to rap get a 12" sub, if rock get 10" if its both.. you prolly wanna go with a 12 sealed. all thsis is about $500.
This place has the best boxes on earth.. the snail shell design is awesome... powered4sound.com
ok next route....
If you want to just improve some sound quality just upgrading the speakers all around makes a good differance. Could even add an amp to them so you be able to turn it up louder without distortion. Don't expect much bump from it but, it will improve some.
Theres some ideas without knowing what exactly your looking for its hard to dial in on any specifics. Also need to know if that radio has pre outs.
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What I have done in the past, whereas I didnt want to take up much space, I bought a bass tube. They come either amplified or non-amplified. You could get one for around $300 or less depending on what size you go with.
If you are looking to hook up a sub that you have to put into a box, I have a 10' Orion that was used for about 8 months for $50. I have one in my car and it is more than enough without being driven hard.
If you are looking to hook up a sub that you have to put into a box, I have a 10' Orion that was used for about 8 months for $50. I have one in my car and it is more than enough without being driven hard.
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Well one thing to remember is you get what you pay for . Your amp should run 1.00 per watt. I currently use JL Audio subs and amp's. Yes they are a little more pricey but it's worth it. They also make custom boxes that are pre molded to your trunk so you cant even see them "stelth boxes". Very nice equiptment. Also Alpine make a box with amp that can tap into your factory system. I hear they are decent for a factory upgrade. Good luck.
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JimmyTheJeweler
I see you are a JL-Audio supporter. I had in my car before I sold it for compitition and quality purposes 2- 18w6 JL subs and 2- 2150 PPI amps for Lows and all mb quarts for mids and highs running off 2- PPI 450 ams.
trick440
great questions... One should really know what kind of music they mostly listen too and what exacly they would like to get from there stereo system.
I see you are a JL-Audio supporter. I had in my car before I sold it for compitition and quality purposes 2- 18w6 JL subs and 2- 2150 PPI amps for Lows and all mb quarts for mids and highs running off 2- PPI 450 ams.
trick440
great questions... One should really know what kind of music they mostly listen too and what exacly they would like to get from there stereo system.
Well from what I am learning, it sounds like it will be too big of a pain to replace certain parts of my stereo because of how the factory stuff is worked. Oh well, looks like I may have to upgrade my home system instead.
As for my music tastes...techno, 80s, Alt Rock, and AM Sports radio
As for my music tastes...techno, 80s, Alt Rock, and AM Sports radio
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Reef120 I currently have 2 12w6's with 2 250/1 JL amps and one 300/4 powering my MBQuart 6.5 all the way around. With a Alpine CDA9835 head unit. All in all I love it is it competion no but it does what I want it to. O ya I have the XM brain for the alpine also.
JL does make a stealthbox (A loaded sub enclosure that blends into your trim) for your car, but that alone will probably blow your budget.
Here's the link:
http://www.jlaudio.com/stealthbox/mustang_coupe.html
I'm not sure, but I'm guessing the Mach system is a little difficult to integrate with. You may want to look for a factory Mach sub/amp maybe on ebay that you could just plug into your system. A little low end always gives you something to build on.
I've been out of "the game" lol for quite a while, it's nice to see the old familiar names still being around though. My PPI Pro Mos amps were bulletproof. Of course that was long ago! Even before the Art Series, lol. And I remember when the 10w1's were the ****.
I miss it, but once I realized I'd never be satisfied, I had to get out of it.
Here's the link:
http://www.jlaudio.com/stealthbox/mustang_coupe.html
I'm not sure, but I'm guessing the Mach system is a little difficult to integrate with. You may want to look for a factory Mach sub/amp maybe on ebay that you could just plug into your system. A little low end always gives you something to build on.
I've been out of "the game" lol for quite a while, it's nice to see the old familiar names still being around though. My PPI Pro Mos amps were bulletproof. Of course that was long ago! Even before the Art Series, lol. And I remember when the 10w1's were the ****.
I miss it, but once I realized I'd never be satisfied, I had to get out of it.
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473 Posts
Fig I laughed when I saw 10w1 I ran many of those off an old 3522 Alpine amp 100w x 1 woho!! Ya the stealth boxes are nice! They make a converter that taps your speaker outputs and turns them into RCA's. Have used them once on a Grand Am to hook up an amp and it worked good. Also Circuit City carried a Alpine 10inch sub with amp for around 300 that had speaker line inputs and sounded pretty good for a factory system sub upgrade. Don't rule out the Bazokka sub tube either I put 2 in a boat and they sounded nice with an Eclipse deck. Good Luck.
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473 Posts
Paint all you do is tap into your rear speaker inputs and your all set.
Ah, hmmm, well shoot now maybe I should . Of course I have no idea how to do this stuff. Here is something I found on ebay....any thoughts?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32823&item=5713636708&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
. Of course I have no idea how to do this stuff. Here is something I found on ebay....any thoughts?http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32823&item=5713636708&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
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473 Posts
Not bad but look for a powered unit. That one needs an amp for it.
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Been awhile since I've been in the game myself, but the basics never change <G>. First, you never answered the kind of music question. Personally, I like to listen to everything, so my reccomendations will reflect that. Ok, so I went to Crutchfield and looked at what will fit your car. It turns out that the Mach system uses an outboard amp, so upgrading the head unit will be a pain. I think for $500 you have 2 choices. Upgrade the 6x8's in the doors and deck with components or add a sub. Depending on how much work you want to do, you could go with 6 1/2's or 5 1/4's. The 5 1/4's will be easier to install. JL audio makes decent components as do many brands. MB Quart used to be the best, not sure if they still are.
As far as a sub, I was going to reccomend the JL Stealthbox myself. They sound great and fit well. If you want to go cheaper, Crutchfield does sell a corner powered box that fits in your trunk. It doesn't take up that much space.
Hope this helps.
-Aaron
As far as a sub, I was going to reccomend the JL Stealthbox myself. They sound great and fit well. If you want to go cheaper, Crutchfield does sell a corner powered box that fits in your trunk. It doesn't take up that much space.
Hope this helps.
-Aaron
wow lots of info. last time i bought sterio stuff for my car I went with infinity 6x9's in back with a 200w amp, infinity 5 and 1/4 with tweeters up front. lot of people thought I had subwoofers with this setup but I didnt. of course this was 6 years ago. I no longer own the car that this was in. I got rid of it after someone broke into the trunk (they didnt take anything) and a bunch of stuff started to go wrong with the car. I traded it for my current vehicle but I now no longer have the $$$ to invest in a system. well ok I didnt but I do now. So what do you guys suggest for a good sysem assuming mostly rap but I do listen to different things like linkin park, all saints etc etc. sorry dont mean to jack your thread but yoru thread sparked my curiousity =]. maybe I or someoen else should just start another thread on this topic.
I used to work at a car stereo intsall place in college. I can honestly say that the best investment is a good head unit, or CD player. Any stock player is not very good. Your sound will be cleaner and will more power.
I would stay away from bazooka's tube's....too expensive and they don't sound very good. IMHO.
I would recommend 1 12" or 10" Kicker Solo-baric sub. They take up <1 cu ft for the box and sound excellent! JL Audio is nice also.....
I have one 12" Solobaric and a Kicker 160ix (i think) amp in my Grand Prix. I also upgraded my head unit to a Pioneer Premeir CD player with 50w x 4 channes. (peak watts of course). When I had my stock speakers in there, just that sounded great!
Since, have upgrade to JBL GTO components in the front and 3-way 6x9's in the rear.
Anyways........that is my recommendation. If you need more advice or opinion...just let me know. I've been doin this for years.
I would stay away from bazooka's tube's....too expensive and they don't sound very good. IMHO.
I would recommend 1 12" or 10" Kicker Solo-baric sub. They take up <1 cu ft for the box and sound excellent! JL Audio is nice also.....
I have one 12" Solobaric and a Kicker 160ix (i think) amp in my Grand Prix. I also upgraded my head unit to a Pioneer Premeir CD player with 50w x 4 channes. (peak watts of course). When I had my stock speakers in there, just that sounded great!
Since, have upgrade to JBL GTO components in the front and 3-way 6x9's in the rear.
Anyways........that is my recommendation. If you need more advice or opinion...just let me know. I've been doin this for years.
Factory systems have come an extremely long way in the past 7-8 years. What was once an afterthought, now plays an integral part of the interior design. That was the challenge years ago, overcoming an interior that was accoustically crap.
Now, speaker placement is a hundred times better. Some sort of a component set (separate mid-bass driver and tweeter) is very common, at least in the front stage. Paper speakers have been replaced with better material. Sound deadening material is prevelant (I remember pulling out my interior and having to ad my own, lol) Factory head units have decent power, if not external amplification and a sub straight from the factory is growing popular. And now with the video craze (which as an old school sound quality competitor, I still don't get) their catching up with that. I've even seen some cars with a center channel, something that years ago cost me a stupid amount of money to fabricate.
The easiest way to freshen a stock system is to replace the head unit, though now-a-days some factory systems make that hard to do. An aftermarket unit can give you more power (which today's factory speakers can handle) more sound shaping options as well as expandability, and of course fancy displays, lol.
Next would be speakers, now if your car is 1 - 3 years old, the gap between stock and aftermarket has shortened. Obviously you can spend a boat load on high end component sets, but without amplification the difference won't be that noticable to the average joe. One thing I've always been a proponent of is getting rid of any ovular speaker, I can't stand em. There in efficient as all hell and, due to that wear out way to soon. Now their's always been that 6x9 crowd, they love the "bass" response of them, some love them so much the even put them in the rear window of their 84 cutlass. lol. But seriously, for sound quality I've always replaced them with components. A 4x6 dash speaker? Come on, again oval. Replace it with at least a plate. Now you will loose some bass response, but you'll play clearer and crisper and yes, louder. Plus it ready's you for the sub.
A quick tip: Rear speakers are over-rated. Spend your time/money on improving your front stage. That's where your ears are. Seriously, in competition we used the term rear-fill. And that's all it was, something to bridge your front stage and your subs. Some guys I knew didn't even use rear speakers. And this was in a competition for sound quality! How unimportant? In my last install, I had a 6", 4", and a 1" in the doors with a 3 1/2" in the dash for a center channel. My rear fill? just a pair of 5 1/4" components.
Yes, even if you listen to classical, country or rock a sub will help. Now don't be mistaken with the rattling trunk/license plate of the high schooler next to you. I'm talking about an even mix of sound quality. In a perfect world you shouldn't be able to "hear" the sub, its hard to explain. For instance, back in the day, I had 4 JL Audio 12 inch subs with 1200 watts of RMS power. (for those of you audiophiles that have made it this far it was an isobaric enclosure with the JL fiberglass iso-plate ((do they even still make those?)) But, you couldn't get in the car and say "wow you must have a dump load of sub's in the trunk" The mix was even. (I did have a knob on the dash to take care of the punks next to me if needed though, lol)
Understand, sub bass in car audio is your foundation. It takes an interior which is accoustically flawed and kindof even's it out. It gives you an accoustical platform to build everything else on. I'd even argue that just adding a sub to a system like a 8 or a 10inch would be the place to start. It just depends on how much you want to get into it, and how much you want to spend.
I can't really give an all encompassing philosopy here though. Ever car, budget, listening habits, music taste and set of ears is different. If you've got any questions about your specific situation feel free to pm me. You might be able to tell I love to talk about this stuff!
Now, speaker placement is a hundred times better. Some sort of a component set (separate mid-bass driver and tweeter) is very common, at least in the front stage. Paper speakers have been replaced with better material. Sound deadening material is prevelant (I remember pulling out my interior and having to ad my own, lol) Factory head units have decent power, if not external amplification and a sub straight from the factory is growing popular. And now with the video craze (which as an old school sound quality competitor, I still don't get) their catching up with that. I've even seen some cars with a center channel, something that years ago cost me a stupid amount of money to fabricate.
The easiest way to freshen a stock system is to replace the head unit, though now-a-days some factory systems make that hard to do. An aftermarket unit can give you more power (which today's factory speakers can handle) more sound shaping options as well as expandability, and of course fancy displays, lol.
Next would be speakers, now if your car is 1 - 3 years old, the gap between stock and aftermarket has shortened. Obviously you can spend a boat load on high end component sets, but without amplification the difference won't be that noticable to the average joe. One thing I've always been a proponent of is getting rid of any ovular speaker, I can't stand em. There in efficient as all hell and, due to that wear out way to soon. Now their's always been that 6x9 crowd, they love the "bass" response of them, some love them so much the even put them in the rear window of their 84 cutlass. lol. But seriously, for sound quality I've always replaced them with components. A 4x6 dash speaker? Come on, again oval. Replace it with at least a plate. Now you will loose some bass response, but you'll play clearer and crisper and yes, louder. Plus it ready's you for the sub.
A quick tip: Rear speakers are over-rated. Spend your time/money on improving your front stage. That's where your ears are. Seriously, in competition we used the term rear-fill. And that's all it was, something to bridge your front stage and your subs. Some guys I knew didn't even use rear speakers. And this was in a competition for sound quality! How unimportant? In my last install, I had a 6", 4", and a 1" in the doors with a 3 1/2" in the dash for a center channel. My rear fill? just a pair of 5 1/4" components.
Yes, even if you listen to classical, country or rock a sub will help. Now don't be mistaken with the rattling trunk/license plate of the high schooler next to you. I'm talking about an even mix of sound quality. In a perfect world you shouldn't be able to "hear" the sub, its hard to explain. For instance, back in the day, I had 4 JL Audio 12 inch subs with 1200 watts of RMS power. (for those of you audiophiles that have made it this far it was an isobaric enclosure with the JL fiberglass iso-plate ((do they even still make those?)) But, you couldn't get in the car and say "wow you must have a dump load of sub's in the trunk" The mix was even. (I did have a knob on the dash to take care of the punks next to me if needed though, lol)
Understand, sub bass in car audio is your foundation. It takes an interior which is accoustically flawed and kindof even's it out. It gives you an accoustical platform to build everything else on. I'd even argue that just adding a sub to a system like a 8 or a 10inch would be the place to start. It just depends on how much you want to get into it, and how much you want to spend.
I can't really give an all encompassing philosopy here though. Ever car, budget, listening habits, music taste and set of ears is different. If you've got any questions about your specific situation feel free to pm me. You might be able to tell I love to talk about this stuff!
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