I posted previously about a speaker instal that left me with poorer sound than I started. And I have been on a crash course in car accoustics since.

where i stand now, is i was going to just have Circiut city remove the $60 a pair sony quads I was sold , and had installed in both the front and back of my 02 scab....but today they say I wont be refunded the installation charges of $80!!!!!!!!!! I am fuming....I am paying for less than nothing( headache and no new speakers)

their solution yesterday was to throw a 650watt four way amp at this problem to clean up the sound......but talking to guys at work I am getting the idea I may have to just pay up and get better stuff( hey i figured the new speakers would be better than the stock ones...guess not.

one suggestion was to buy component alpines R's for the fronts( someone knows of some used uninstalled for sale)...(do the custom install myself), then buy an amp and a sub woofer for the back and keep the factory rears.......

I have an alpine CDA 9837 cd reciever...

I had been pushing my speakers... the volume goes up to 35 and i would push it to number 27 or 28 on occasion....but the bass started to fuzz some at 28 or so......

((the new sony speakers fuzz at a higher frequency at about 24 or 25!!!!!!!!!!))

soooooo...lets say I would be ok coughing up about $200 for the front components speakers, and maybe $200 for an amp... and I would build a box myself for the woofer.....dont know what that costs...then maybe $80 for the amp cables( I am told)...

would i have to buy a 5 way amp to power four speakers and a sub woofer???

sorry if these are dumb questions....seems there are LOTS of ways to do things with stuff like this.

I want clear sound as loud as i can take it in the truck( normal person talking here).....which isnt as bad as some people....it is a truck!!!!!!!!!!......I dont like a ton of bass vibrating everything to pieces.....or like I hear from other cars........


I like to hear clear highs, some of the music I listen to includes classical type music, and they can almost break glass.....laura pausini, andrea bocelli, emma shapplin, ana gabriel....you know the common stars!!!!!!!!! ha ha ha ha

I think I have listened to a radio station for less than 10 minutes the whole last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so I think you know where i want my sound...and my rough budget, and what I have to work with already......

suggestions would be welcome

thanks

bob

 

I mentioned it is an emergency, because I have till sunday to decide to fight the refund or let the speakers stay in the truck, or have them taken out and maybe loose the install fee.

so one option I am floating....is to leave the $60 sony speakers and try to clear up the sound with an amp....is that a feasable route?

OR ARE THE SONY 55WATT RMS QUAD SPEAKERS FOR $60 REALLY worse than the ford factory speakers.

or should I just bite the $80 install fee remove the sony speakers and push money into better front speakers, and maybe and amp... then later a single sub

I dont relish trying to be an complete azzhole and argueing for an hour or more come sunday with the manager to try and get my install refunded


so that weighs the options to one side....

thanks

bob

 

eat the 80 bucks and chalk it up to experience. then get a good set of comps AFTER reading LOTS of reviews in magazines and online audio forums, ask questions and then pick a 2 channel amp that will mate well with the new front stage. be prepared to spend a little more than you should tho. your an audiophile. and classical music is VERY dynamic and detailed. I would bump up your budget to 500 for the comps + 2channel amp. that should get you a very nice sq setup. and then you can always add a sub + mono amp later. you might want to stay away from harsh speakers with metal tweets too. just cut those out from the get go and focus on choosing a warm comp set with a softer tweeter since those tend to do better with vocals and classic stringed intruments

 

thanks for the reply....as for a 2 way amp...you suggest I dont run an amp to the factory rear speakers, after i install good quality fronts? or are you suggesting to just leave out the rear speakers when they take the Sony's out?

If I buy an amp with more feeds wont I have more options later, and less work running wires? at least the wires from the reciever wont have to be run again?

or am i missing something about adding a second amp later to push rears and or a sub?

is it that i can jump the signal from the reciever over to the second amp when I get it ...FROM the first amp?

the details.... the bugs are in the details...sorry for being SUCH a novice!

seems like 30 years ago whern i went through stereos in my haot rods....it went much easier!

ahhhhh ignorance was bliss i guess.. ha ha ha

thanks

bob

 

get rid of the rear speakers unless there is someone back there 75% of the time. not only will this save you money form not having to buy 2 more speakers and a 4 channel amp. it also sounds better *** well. basically a simple yet effective sq setup is nothing more than a h/u, component set. 75-150x2 amp and a single 8,10,or 12 sealed with a mono amp w/ 300-1000watts (more power is always better..... more overhead)

 

thanks for the replies.....now every answer , makes a new question... ha ha ha

so I shouldnt even have the rears re installed( they have to take the sony rears out!) and leave them wired like the factory intended..????

would that have any effect on the new front component speakers and new amp...even though the amp wouldnt be hooked up to those rears?


bob

 

I would just throw in the back ones. I noticed when I took my back ones out, I could hear more road noise and such due to the big hole in the back doors. I ended up covering the speaker holes with some wood and it helped a noticable amount. So yes, I would put the stock ones back in there just for that reason; or at least cover the holes if you dont put them back in.

No affect on the new comps and amp.

 

as far as the components speakers go....I have been looking and notice that spec are different...and imagine that depending on the type of music one listens to one may be better for that person than the other...sooo

in just two brands that i looked at

INFINITIkappa) range in hertz is up to..21,000

ALPINE: ("R" series) range in hertz is up to 30,000

seems like a big difference

there are other specs...but Id like to know how these specs effect sound in a truck

thanks

bob

 

OK I will give you some advice here to do with as you please. I have about 15 years of fooling with car stereos under my belt. I have done more complex high end systems and I have also done quite a few budget systems. I have acctually seen a cheap thrown together system sound just as good as a more expensive system.

Here you go. Leave the Sony's in. The problem you are having is not speaker related they are head unit related. The internal amp in the head unit is clipping at higher volumes making the sound distorted. Why spend $80 to remove perfectly good speakers, then pay more to get new ones. Save the $80 and put it to use on a nice 4 channel amp. Get a 4 channel amp with about 50-75 watts RMS per channel. By using the 4 way you can keep the fader controls which I usually fade to the front 3 or 4 levels so the back is more of a rear fill than a full on sound. Get a mono amp or two channle amp to push the subs and you will be golden.

My brother put 2 3 way Sony 6x9's on the rear deck, 2 6 1/2" 3 ways in the front doors and a 12 in the trunk. Powered the highs with a 55x4 and the sub with a 500x1 and when I say it was loud that is an understatement. It was pretty clean as well for what he spent on it. It wasn't going to win any SQ comps. but if you didn't know what you were listening for it sounded almost perfect.

It is easy to get carried away spending a small fortune on a car stereo, ask yourself if you want better than stock or the best money can buy. I am assuming from your original purchase you are looking for better and louder than stock. In sticking with that, save some money and just keep the speakers you have get two amps and a sub and be done with it.

 

Unless you are planning on a jam session for your dog thoes numbers make no difference. A perfect human ear can hear from roughly 20-20000hz. 21K you will not hear, 21K-30K you won't hear.

 

great replies......I want the best I can decipher......knowing full well it is in a truck running down the road.....since i dont have a reference to super sound quality in a truck running down the road other than what i have been listening to for the last 17 months since I bought the Alpine stereo head unit, and before that 3 years of the factory system.....I probably would be super enthusiastic over modest sound improvements......some times you just want to let lots of people hear you...other wise, youd go deaf listening to your music at those levels on a regular basis... ha ha ha

who would say price doesnt matter with what i have in mind......I mentioned the type of music I listen to so you guys in the know may comment on wether certain component specs would be better for me......

with all the DIFFERENT specs speakers and sound systems are made to , you have to believe they are for different listening types........

I dont need to feel like I am having a BOWEL movement when i listen to my bass drown everythign else out!.........ha ha ha

I like hearing all the highs that i still can hear, and I want to hear them loud and clear...no static or fuzz in the speakers......

thanks guys

bob

 

no no start thinking outside the box. no more mainstream. look at DLS, CDT, vifa, seas, morel, genisis, focal, MBquarts qsd, zapco, arc audio, crystal mobile sound. image dynamics. diamond audio, rainbow, boston acoustics higher end.... there are litterally hundreds of high end brands that are WAYYYYYYYYY better than anything sold at the local chains. most of the higher end companys low-mid end stuff is matching the mainstreams higher end stuff right now. and the best part is that there are some really good comps out there in the 150-300 range

the front stage is your KEY to accurate stereo reproduction. I wouldn't skimp on it at all. the rear fill is not needed anymore so therefore just disconect the rear speakers either at the h/u or at the speaker itself. you can leave the speakers in or replace them with a peice of wood. road noise will increase if you just leave a hole there. lets take this one step at a time. start looking at different mid-high end comps from the list of manufacturers I have here and then narrow them down to what fits your budget. then start asking opinions on caraudio forums. since most of the specs don't as mean much with comps. anything over 100w rms is going to be PLENTY loud pair with a powerful amp (heres where you want the overhead). the main thing you want is a flat freq response. most companys dot provide those but some do. this is why I like the mags because they do on and off axis graphs. mainly as long as the mid woofer can handle 100w rms @ 60-80hz you should be good. god. your setup is going to be so simple.... comps, sup, two amps..... but the best thing is its be simple yet effective.

 

Oh my lord you would think in 15 years you could of picked up that speakers are the MOST important part of a system and that a $60.00 pair of Sony Spkrs may be worse then factory. And rear speakers give you fill and remove road noise at low volume...but should never ever ever be of cheaper quality then the front. The best thing I ever did was spend $400.00 on Focal comps for the front and the 2nd was adding Focals to the back. Third was Dynamat the whole cab and now it's a rolling sound room. Everything else you said is spot on. Head Unit and amp/sub would bandage his current situation....but there is no way I would go to the trouble and expense of a amp and HU and fire this thru cheap spks. Speaker install is so easy once you learn how the panels come off. I can get to my fronts on a stop watch in under 3 mins I'm guessing.
PS Don't take it personal as to you take on the spkrs....but that is seriously bad info. ANY and all "how to" article on planet earth starts with spkr quality. We need to help this guy not mis use his money. And I'm not thinking he needs Focals but a $100.00 plus will buy Alpine "R" series etc at a Best Buy. He needs a speaker that will handle the clean extra power that makes loud music go from in your face irritaion to the maybe one more trip around the block cause this song is kicking state. He will have a $60.00 credit to work with and the upgrade to the $100.00 range is dramatic as you know my greasy brother! Again your response over all was great because you are spot on about getting carried away...even though we both know once he gets the bug....he will be in the perpitual rip it out every 9 months and spend mode for ever.

 

hello...thanks for all the replies

I went back and had them remove the sony speakers today....they made me eat the installation. I am back with my factory speakers, and $80 lighter....

live and learn....

I am going to spend a month or so looking and learning about auto accoustics....not that i will install a $5000 system...but just to learn , and be able to make inteligent decisions.

at this point Ill probably go with components in the fronts for sure, some new speakers for the rear. An inexspensive sub and box with its own amp in the rear. and some form of amp to power the four speakers.........I may do it in steps....It looks like more money I wanted to spend at this point....so Ill plan it out over the summer. And probably do it myself with some friends help, as well as this sites help and suggestions.

It looks like ebay can be relied upon to find some great prices on this stuff...

just hope i dont get burned by any deals

Ill set my budget at around$850 at this point....I am thinking about:

$200 for front speakers
$300 for the big amp
$100 for the rear speakers
$150 for the mono sub amp
the rest for the sub and wires, we will see if I have to ante to that kitty as things develope

bob