SleepyTime

Hey..first off, hi all, and thank you if you can help answer my questions. I drive a '98 Honda CRV and was looking at replacing all the stock speakers/dash deck with new things, such as a in-dash deck and new speakers..and was wondering what i should get while not being overly expensive, and whats the difference between 2-way/3-way/and 4-way systems..i really just need a basic rundown on car audio systems..haha.
Thanks.

zzzzzzz

iTrader: (5)

Separates - A speaker system with more than one type of driver. The most common type of separates system is a set containing two high frequency drivers (tweeters), two lower frequency drivers (mids or woofers), and two crossover networks (filters).

Coaxial - A speaker composed of larger cone for low range frequencies and a smaller cone or tweeter for higher frequencies aligned on the same axis. A crossover network is necessary to route the proper signals to each driver. These may be passive (usually included). If the speakers are bi-amplified, an active crossover will be used to route the proper range of frequencies to the respective amplifier channels.

http://www.the12volt.com/glossary/glossary.asp

what do you need in your set-up?
what is your $ ?

SleepyTime

hey..thanks. I'm have only the basic stock parts in it right now..and I was looking at upgrading the deck(radio/cdplayer etc) as well as the speakers..the car comes with 4 standard speakers. My cash amount for purchasing can range up to about 300$ I'd guess..give or take a few. I'm basically looking for a whole system..nothing too fancy, just an upgrade to my current one.

beauthepro

First, I would recommend that with the budget you have given (around $300), don't try to do everything - i.e. don't try to buy a Head Unit (HU), speakers, subwoofer and amp. You will simply be ing your money too thin to get quality results. I think everyone will agree on this.

My recommendation would be to first invest in a HU ~$200. A lot of distortion is caused when you turn your factory radio up to high volume levels. Distortion not only sounds bad, but will damage your speakers over time. If you were to upgrade your speakers without having an external amp, you wouldn't get the drastic results you desire, and could even end up blowing your new speakers, too.

Many brands such as Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer make decent quality HUs for $150 - $200. Make sure they have at least one set of pre-outs for later upgrades, and the features you want. If you like to have a remote control, look for that, if you want red screen instead of blue, go for that, etc. I have had negative experience with lower-end Sony and JVC models (under $200), but if you find one that you personally like, then go for it.

Other key features to look for:
- Watts RMS: more = better. Not only does a higher number mean louder, it also means cleaner, undistorted sound up to a higher volume.
- At least one set of pre-outs for future upgrades such as a subwoofer.
- MP3 capability, if you're into that
- Remote control, if you're into that
- Rotary **** volume, if you're into that

Once you've decided on a HU, shop around. Look for a place that offers free installation. Most places offer free install on HUs that are over $150, but not always. Watch for sales. Don't buy a used one if you are new to the game, it'll only be a pain in the a$$ to install yourself. If you are going to do this, however, make sure to get the wire harness that comes with the deck, and also the mounting cage.

If you have money left over, look at upgrading your front speakers. A decent pair of plain-ol' coaxials can be had for around $100. Rear speakers are not as important, and you might be able to get away with keeping the factory ones in place. Look for speakers that can handle around 30W RMS. Don't worry too much about peak ratings, as this is not important at all when using a HU to power your speakers. Remember that it is not the speakers creating the energy - they only convert electrical energy to sound - so 300W RMS speakers won't be any louder than 30W RMS speakers if you feed them from a 25W RMS source, such as a typical HU.

That's my advice, hope I've been able to help.

Brandon

iTrader: (1)

^ agreed.


I don't see you getting too much of a system for 300 bucks though....you don't get much of a deck for 300 these days, let alone deck and 4 speakers.

You'll either spend more money on a deck and end up buying crap speakers or vise versa.

Spending anywhere from $500 to $1K would make your search for decent sound ALOT easier.

SleepyTime

thanks for the responses, helps alot

veeman

iTrader: (3)

IF $300 is your budget, then get a high powered deck, available for around 200-250 for a good brand. I bought an Alpine cda-9827 a few years back for 250.00, and it sounds as good as my 500.00 9833, just not as many neat features. Next spend 50.00 on a set of dome tweeters to add to the front stock speakers, Pioneer has a set for around 35-40.00, or PM me, I have a set of nerly new 1" soft dome Infinity tweets for about the same. This will give you nice sound in the car for now until you decide whether to add more components later. I've found over the years that at lower budget levels, the stock speakers can be used effectively with a few add ons (tweeters and caps), and sound quite good to most normal (non-car audioholics) people. Go talk to a couple of local retailers, best buy, future shop etc... and get some suggestions, and then let us know what they are, at least we will let you know if it's reasonable or not.

SleepyTime

At the moment I'm looking at the Alpine CDA-9856 as it seems to have all the features I'm looking for, along with quality sound for a reasonable price, and appears just as good as the 9857 for 100$ less. If that isn't really the best bang for the buck deck, I'm currently most interested in Alpine decks, as they appear good quality for the money, and am wondering which one would be best. Also, would my local Honda dealer be able to do the installation for me? As I live in a fairly small town and don't really wish to do the installation myself, I'm kindof strapped for ideas as to where I could get the service done.

WD21

a basic deck install is easy, usually. if I had that range, I would spend 200 for a deck, and if your really good at finding deals, spend 200 for an amp and sub.