Are they trying to oversell me?
10-05-2003, 12:14 PM
#1
0 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1
I've got a '92 Honda Prelude SR with a stock sound system.
I want to replace the speakers only, and was advised that I would need to replace the deck as I would have quality problems using the stock deck.
Is this true?
Also any advice on what speakers to get?
Thx in advance.
I want to replace the speakers only, and was advised that I would need to replace the deck as I would have quality problems using the stock deck.
Is this true?
Also any advice on what speakers to get?
Thx in advance.
10-05-2003, 12:31 PM
#2
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,692
any aftermarket setup will help you instead of having a oem setup. they are right but you don't need to get anything unless you want too. the head unit will sound just slightly better with aftermarket speakers(all depends on which ones you put in) but you will find that an aftermarket head unit would be the next logical step in upgrading. i think the store who told you that already realizes that you will not improve your system sound 10 fold, but rather slightly. most likely you will spend money on your speakers and then say hey it still sounds like poop. and probably blame it on the speakers and or the shop that installed them.
10-05-2003, 12:51 PM
#3
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 604
K.I.S.S.
Keep It Stock Silly
What better way to not get your gear ripped off. Make it look like there is nothing to rip off. If it has a cd player then i would say keep it. I would get a Line Output Coverter if you plan on adding amps in the future. A LOC is like 30 bones. Take the money you would spend on a deck and get a amp for your new speakers. I think THAT would yeild better results than running speakers off a low power head unit.
Keep It Stock Silly
What better way to not get your gear ripped off. Make it look like there is nothing to rip off. If it has a cd player then i would say keep it. I would get a Line Output Coverter if you plan on adding amps in the future. A LOC is like 30 bones. Take the money you would spend on a deck and get a amp for your new speakers. I think THAT would yeild better results than running speakers off a low power head unit.
10-05-2003, 05:01 PM
#4
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 575
Originally posted by D-50Truck:
K.I.S.S.
Keep It Stock Silly
What better way to not get your gear ripped off. Make it look like there is nothing to rip off. If it has a cd player then i would say keep it. I would get a Line Output Coverter if you plan on adding amps in the future. A LOC is like 30 bones. Take the money you would spend on a deck and get a amp for your new speakers. I think THAT would yeild better results than running speakers off a low power head unit.
K.I.S.S.
Keep It Stock Silly
What better way to not get your gear ripped off. Make it look like there is nothing to rip off. If it has a cd player then i would say keep it. I would get a Line Output Coverter if you plan on adding amps in the future. A LOC is like 30 bones. Take the money you would spend on a deck and get a amp for your new speakers. I think THAT would yeild better results than running speakers off a low power head unit.
10-05-2003, 06:31 PM
#5
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 756
Hey, the way I look at it, if you were going to get new speakers regardless. Buy the speakers only, see if there is much of an improvement, if not, down the road you can contemplate an aftermarket deck or outboard amps to power them.
I'm in the process of constructing my system, but right now I have image dynamics ctx6 coaxials in my front doors. The rest of the setup is stock (including deck). They are pretty basic speakers, and I must say that it sounds ten times better than it did when it was stock. Just my 2 cents [img]smile.gif[/img] Honda usually uses pretty wimpy speakers. Unless I'm mistaken, alpine makes honda decks which have always been pretty decent.
good luck! [img]graemlins/beer.gif[/img]
I'm in the process of constructing my system, but right now I have image dynamics ctx6 coaxials in my front doors. The rest of the setup is stock (including deck). They are pretty basic speakers, and I must say that it sounds ten times better than it did when it was stock. Just my 2 cents [img]smile.gif[/img] Honda usually uses pretty wimpy speakers. Unless I'm mistaken, alpine makes honda decks which have always been pretty decent.
good luck! [img]graemlins/beer.gif[/img]
10-05-2003, 07:15 PM
#6
2000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,026
The only quality problem that I could see (other than the above mentioned) is that some cars come with 8 ohm speakers and aftermarket speakers are typically 4 ohm.
However,
(1) Only a truly weak deck would not be able to handle that impedance drop
(2) Most Japanese cars come with 4 ohm speakers from the factory.
But perhaps this is what they are thinking. Ask them exactly how the quality will affected. Their answer will tell you if they are sincere or trying to hose you.
However,
(1) Only a truly weak deck would not be able to handle that impedance drop
(2) Most Japanese cars come with 4 ohm speakers from the factory.
But perhaps this is what they are thinking. Ask them exactly how the quality will affected. Their answer will tell you if they are sincere or trying to hose you.
10-06-2003, 12:10 PM
#7
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 575
My girlfriend's Sprint came with 10 ohm speakers ... And they were only rated to handle 10 watts MAX ... LOL Needless to say, they weren't in the car long after she upgraded her stock head unit to an Alpine CDA-7893 with the V-Drive internal amplifier. The speakers would literally start sounding like they were about to blow at volume 11 after like 20-25 minutes with a flat EQ and MX off and after about 10 minutes at volume 12 ...
10-06-2003, 12:36 PM
#8
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 113
Stock HU's are usually so nice from an ergonomic standpoint... I'm still staring at my Alpine 7894 half the time trying to figure out where to get to what function.. 
Not to mention from a cosmetic standpoint... one of the reasons I bought my 7894's was because it was one of the only high quality MP3 players that wasn't painted spraypaint-silver... like I've got silver other places in my car. Ugh.
If you like your stock HU, go with it.
You just need a line-level converter (or LOC) to convert the high-level speaker outputs to low-level RCA inputs.
Honestly, I haven't had luck with many LOC's, I hate them like almost nothing else. Quite often, I've had luck simply soldering the high-level speaker outputs right into RCA barrels, and just plugging my RCA cables into them. Often stock HU's are wimpy enough that you can get away with that just fine, LOC's can actually over-attenuate, in my experiences.
But if you do upgrade your speakers, try it without an amp first. Try it before you buy it, right?
If you find it's not loud enough for you, then purchase a small amp, you probably won't need anything fancy.
At that point, tackle how to install it.
Not to mention from a cosmetic standpoint... one of the reasons I bought my 7894's was because it was one of the only high quality MP3 players that wasn't painted spraypaint-silver... like I've got silver other places in my car. Ugh.
If you like your stock HU, go with it.
You just need a line-level converter (or LOC) to convert the high-level speaker outputs to low-level RCA inputs.
Honestly, I haven't had luck with many LOC's, I hate them like almost nothing else. Quite often, I've had luck simply soldering the high-level speaker outputs right into RCA barrels, and just plugging my RCA cables into them. Often stock HU's are wimpy enough that you can get away with that just fine, LOC's can actually over-attenuate, in my experiences.
But if you do upgrade your speakers, try it without an amp first. Try it before you buy it, right?
If you find it's not loud enough for you, then purchase a small amp, you probably won't need anything fancy.
At that point, tackle how to install it.
