Audio advice please

[sip]

I am asking for your advice before I make a mistake. I don't know anything about car audio.

I changed factory front speakers to Alpine 501 Coaxial speakers (Alpine's entry level speakers) and Head Unit to a double din Kenwood DPX308U but still cannot get sound quality as good as my 2004 Dodge Caravan with its stock unit. An audio installer in Brampton suggested that I put a 4 channel amplifier and upgrade the speakers. He said Caravan has a factory amp and that is why it sounds better. The options I considered are:

1) Put the Alpine speakers to rear and put new better speakers to front. I don't know which speaker to put but some one suggested Kenwood KFC-P680C (6" woofer and 3/4" swivel tweeter mounted on to a plate) . Cost: $250 installed.

2) Add a amplifier. Cost: $400 installed.

I have a limited budget. Any suggestions regarding speakers or what to do?

[p-o-g-i]

If you have already installed an aftermarket deck and you installed entry level aftermarket speakers, to get the best quality sound without breaking the bank..... sell off those entry level speakers, and purchase a good set of speakers for the rear and a component set of speakers for the front.

[instict911]

an amplifier was like 200$ for me and i installed it myself, it was prettty easy just take a little bit off time. If you go the patience you can hook it up under the passenger seat and it will be hidden and stuff, i hate spending money and i always go around spending money unless necessary. Most installations are very easy and simple. but ya i think you should get decent speakers all around

[sip]

Did you install an amplifier for speakers or sub-woofer? If the amplifier was for the speakers, was there a noticeable improvement in sound quality after the amp?

Any recommendations for speakers? What should I do first: get new speakers or install an amplifier?

[peterm15]

Where are you located?

My suggestion is to install an amp replace fronts with 3 way speakers and move you current front speakers to the back.

Sound quality was a big thing with me as well, I replaced all speakers, 2 amps a sub, HU and re wired everything. If you go small amp you will gain quality without having to rewire. None the less, replacing the HU was the best first step.

I will say I went overboard.

[TheMaterial]

bypassed the Chrysler amps before in a car, and its not the reason these speakers sound worse. The Caravan has 3 sets of speakers in it. 2 pairs of 6x9s and a pair of 5 1/4s. It sounded better because of the amount of space in the van, paired with the 3 sets of speakers. But that's besides the point.

Upgrade your speakers. Move your cheapies to the rear and pick up a pair of good speakers.

[peterm15]

bypassed the Chrysler amps before in a car, and its not the reason these speakers sound worse. The Caravan has 3 sets of speakers in it. 2 pairs of 6x9s and a pair of 5 1/4s. It sounded better because of the amount of space in the van, paired with the 3 sets of speakers. But that's besides the point.

Upgrade your speakers. Move your cheapies to the rear and pick up a pair of good speakers.
*Hijack notice.*


Got any tips for bypassing the infinity amps attached to the speakers. Working on my moms jeep now and just trying to figure it out.

[TheMaterial]

*Hijack notice.*


Got any tips for bypassing the infinity amps attached to the speakers. Working on my moms jeep now and just trying to figure it out.

You have to keep them. Take them off the speaker, wire them up like you would a normal amp and remount the amps in the door.

[sip]

I found JBL GTO8608C 6" x 8" Component Speakers for $150 (tax included) and Kenwood KFC-P680C for $130. Any idea which is better?

JBL (http://www.sonicelectronix.com/search.php?keyword=JBL+GTO8608C+&action=search&show_description=1&show_thumbnails=1&Submit2=Search+Now!) Kenwood (http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_11810_Kenwood-KFC-P680C.html)

[peterm15]

I found JBL GTO8608C 6" x 8" Component Speakers for $150 (tax included) and Kenwood KFC-P680C for $130. Any idea which is better?

JBL (http://www.sonicelectronix.com/search.php?keyword=JBL+GTO8608C+&action=search&show_description=1&show_thumbnails=1&Submit2=Search+Now!)
Kenwood (http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_11810_Kenwood-KFC-P680C.html)

I can't really comment on quality as I'm not that knowledgeable.

Are you thinking about an amp?


You have to keep them. Take them off the speaker, wire them up like you would a normal amp and remount the amps in the door.

There is an impedance difference.

The factory speakers are 2 ohm and the aftermarkets are 4 ohm. What about that.

[J_wow86]

go to future shop or best buy and grab yourself some infinity kappa speakers, they are the best, if you're on a tight budget get the infinity reference, and for sure get a 4 channel amp for the speakers, id recommend alpine.

[sip]

go to future shop or best buy and grab yourself some infinity kappa speakers, they are the best, if you're on a tight budget get the infinity reference, and for sure get a 4 channel amp for the speakers, id recommend alpine.

Infinity kappa's are 2 omh speakers. Wouldn't they require a more power from amp than a regular 4 omh speaker? Futureshop's Infinity kappa 680.9CS at $299 is double the going price in US.

[J_wow86]

the kappas are 4ohms, at least the ones i have are and i have the 680.9, and i have the reference in the rear and im running them all on an old 2ch. alpine amp and they sound really good, crystal clear. gonna buy a 4 ch next year though. If you want a GOOD sound system in your car, i'm telling you, go with infinity speakers and alpine amps, if you just want to upgrade from stock speakers I guess you can just go with w/e suits you, but i'm telling you infinity speakers are the way to go ;)

[TheMaterial]

There is an impedance difference.

The factory speakers are 2 ohm and the aftermarkets are 4 ohm. What about that.

Shouldn't matter at all, if it was the other way around you may have some issues.

[Lockdown]

I would say stop trying to go so fast.
Save some money, and take the time to research the products you are purchasing.
Take the time to save up and purchase better gear.
Going with the cheapest available isn't going to get you what you want.

[Impressive]

Did you install an amplifier for speakers or sub-woofer? If the amplifier was for the speakers, was there a noticeable improvement in sound quality after the amp?

Any recommendations for speakers? What should I do first: get new speakers or install an amplifier?

I have aftermarket speakers hooked up to an amp without a sub and there is a noticeable difference in sound levels and quality. I also have an aftermarket headunit, but to be honest it doesn't produce the best sound quality in itself, so if you've got a good aftermarket Pioneer or Kenwood you'll notice even more of a difference than I did.

For speakers, if you can get a set I'd recommend Morel Tempo 6s...they sound amazing in my car.

[sip]

the kappas are 4ohms, at least the ones i have are and i have the 680.9, and i have the reference in the rear and im running them all on an old 2ch. alpine amp and they sound really good, crystal clear. gonna buy a 4 ch next year though. If you want a GOOD sound system in your car, i'm telling you, go with infinity speakers and alpine amps, if you just want to upgrade from stock speakers I guess you can just go with w/e suits you, but i'm telling you infinity speakers are the way to go ;)

Kappa 680.9 are 6.5" speakers. Did they fit in without a problem? I am asking this question because stock speakers are 6x8.

[sube]

I would say stop trying to go so fast.
Save some money, and take the time to research the products you are purchasing.
Take the time to save up and purchase better gear.
Going with the cheapest available isn't going to get you what you want.

This is the best advice you going to get anywhere. Buy cheap get cheap. and buying cheap usually finishes up being the most expensive route to go. You are not satisfied with the end result so usually the cheap stuff gets trashed to replace with better components. So save your money in the first place, save and buy good stuff.

Pat.

[peterm15]

Kappa 680.9 are 6.5" speakers. Did they fit in without a problem? I am asking this question because stock speakers are 6x8.

You'll need to buy or build an adapter. I have 6.5 fronts, simple to do.

[Lockdown]

This is the best advice you going to get anywhere. Buy cheap get cheap. and buying cheap usually finishes up being the most expensive route to go. You are not satisfied with the end result so usually the cheap stuff gets trashed to replace with better components. So save your money in the first place, save and buy good stuff.

Pat.

100% correct. It is always better to do it right the first time, then it is to do it multiple times on a budget until you are happy.
Even more so if you are having the work done for you.
Labour gets expensive when you repeat the same procedures on the same car.

Best thing to do is start with a goal and then work with someone who knows what they are doing and have them help you build what you want, in stages that you can afford AND stages that will sound increasingly better. You don't want it to sound worse at any time but have to understand that doing it in stages means that it won't sound optimal until complete.

Perhaps rather that starting with "I want it to be better", maybe decide on if you just need it louder, or if clarity is what you are looking for, or maybe you feel that it doesn't sound full or complete, perhaps your current set up is lacking in bass or you want tighter highs.
You could ask 100 people and get 100 different answers on what is better but if you explain exactly what you want out of it, most will steer you in the same direction just with their preference of brand.
That and a budget

[Lockdown]

double post?

[samanthastyle]

Oh! I have a question about sound and speakers!

My car has the base model factory speakers and deck in it...
I find it sounds like garbage... Static and such... and very quiet. (I use my iphone with blue tooth... My iPod and cord sounds even worse!)

Would getting new speakers make a difference at all? Would getting new ones at least make the sounds a bit more crisp?
I really don't feel like getting a new deck.

I have an amp and bass that I havent put into the car yet mostly because it requires a new deck too... and i'm worried that the bass will over power the crappy speakers:P

lol

thank you!

[genericmoniker]

Come for a ride sometime Sam, all I've got is a sub and IMO it sounds great and really adds a missing dimension to the sound. New speakers will sound quite a bit better than the stockers, but you won't get more out of them unless you install an amp for the speakers or get a new HU. Lockdown posted some great advice on knowing what your goals are and adjusting the plan as needed. I'd suggest giving it some thought and starting your own thread.

[samanthastyle]

Come for a ride sometime Sam, all I've got is a sub and IMO it sounds great and really adds a missing dimension to the sound. New speakers will sound quite a bit better than the stockers, but you won't get more out of them unless you install an amp for the speakers or get a new HU. Lockdown posted some great advice on knowing what your goals are and adjusting the plan as needed. I'd suggest giving it some thought and starting your own thread.

hehe, i'm going to have to google what those short forms are :P lol! Are rides when all the Mazda's get together?

Would I have to get a new deck for an amp?

I made a new thread: http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?67605-Sound-systems-Stock-Decks-and-Speakers&p=1026018#post1026018

:D thank you !

[sip]

My Kenwood Head Unit is 4 omh: Speaker Impedance 4-8Ω

Does it mean if I put a 2Ω speaker, the HU will eventually burn out?

A speaker I considered, JBL GTO608C, is 2 ohms. JBL states: "Use a lower-impedance voice coil than a typical 4-ohm speaker to extract the most power possible from all amplifiers engineered to drive loads of 4 ohms or less. The GTO608C component system makes the best use of any amplifier by providing an optimum 2-ohm load." BTW, factory speakers, I think, are also 2omhs.

[genericmoniker]

Not sure if it'll cause the HU to burn out, but it definitely won't sound quite as good as a matched impedance speaker.

[Genpu_Mz3]

My Kenwood Head Unit is 4 omh: Speaker Impedance 4-8Ω

Does it mean if I put a 2Ω speaker, the HU will eventually burn out?

A speaker I considered, JBL GTO608C, is 2 ohms. JBL states: "Use a lower-impedance voice coil than a typical 4-ohm speaker to extract the most power possible from all amplifiers engineered to drive loads of 4 ohms or less. The GTO608C component system makes the best use of any amplifier by providing an optimum 2-ohm load." BTW, factory speakers, I think, are also 2omhs.

most factory speakers are around 4 - 8 ohms. 2ohms on a speaker is a big load, your hu will be fine, everything will be fine.

[sip]

I gave up the 2 omh speakers, I looked at a 4 omh like Focal 165 A1, Focal's entry level component speaker.

2004 -2009 Mazda 3 has a mounting depth of 2.5" (63mm). Focal's depth is 2.6" (66 mm). Would the extra 3mm cause a problem in installing the speaker?

[JayJay18]

I would get thicker mounting adapter like a MDF one thats about 1/2" and you should be fine

[sip]

I upgraded my stock sound system by putting a new head unit, JL Labs coaxials for front and an amp with a 10" sub. After spending about $1000 I am not happy with the sound quality from the front speakers. I feel the entry level Alpine coaxial fronts I replaced sounded better. I can put the Alpines back or get a new set of component speakers and a 2-channel amp for front. I have listened to Focal speakers at local audio shop and they sounded OK but again they are hooked up to a powerful amp with different acoustics than the car.