So I've decided the new audio for my car

[Nick R]

Months of nail biting, and trying out at the store, and I've finally made my decisions.

For the deck, Kenwood 50x4W Ipod Compatible CD Deck

I'll do the speakers either at the same time or later. Could be a while, as the deck itself should make a big difference.

Rear 6x9s- Pioneer 6x9 3-way Speakers
Front 4x6s- Infinity 4x6 2-way Speakers

 

[VK56VD]

Do the head unit first as the difference will be huge from that single upgrade.

It is also recommended to keep the same brand speakers in the front and rear due to different sensitivity and sound reproduction between the brands.

3 way is also recommended more for the front due to a better sound stage it can produce. Rear speakers are fill speakers for the mids and lows so 2 ways are probably a better choice.

What's your logic in having two brands?

 

[Nick R]

I didn't really reason with the brands. They were the best sounding speakers for the price of the ones I listened to at the store. I suppose these were ok Pioneer 4x6 3-way

 

[VK56VD]

Both pairs are nice and probably much more than the head unit can handle. If later on you decide on a 4 channel external amplifier, the speakers will sing an even better tune.

 

[mcrn]

Trust me. Spend your money on front speakers. You really do not even need rear speakers. If you really want rear speakers get them later. Do you ever listen to live music? Acoustical? Music is recorded in stereo not surround sound.

 

[Dave Hess]

Its amazing what $110 can get you.

 

[BuickGN]

Do the front stage first. You probably won't want to upgrade the rears once you do the front.

Spend the money you were going to spend on the rears for a cheap 10" sub and amp. If you're looking for a little extra punch and don't care about super sound quality although they're quite good for the money, look into Interfire amps and a sub. You can get the amp and sub for about $110. You'll be much, much happier that way.

 

[Nick R]

Yeah but how hard is the installation going to be, and how much am I going to have to put into wiring, and a sub box? Besides it's entirely possible that once I get a new deck I won't even want to upgrade the speakers. (Not the hopeful tone, lol)

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Yeah but how hard is the installation going to be, and how much am I going to have to put into wiring, and a sub box? Besides it's entirely possible that once I get a new deck I won't even want to upgrade the speakers. (Not the hopeful tone, lol)


It's very possible. There are many factors but the deck can make as large or a larger difference than the speakers.

I learned the hard way. I upgraded my front stage and left the rear stock powered off the stock amp. Later I added an amp. The rears literally sounded as good as the aftermarket fronts and the fronts had a completely new and better sound.

A cheap sub, box, and amp can be had for just a little more than the two rear speakers you were showing. If you make your own sealed box, it's that much cheaper. Even a $40 sub with an $80 amp will get you decent quality and sound ok and tons better, louder, and clearer than the 6X9s. It's just a power, ground, and amp turn-on wire.

I'm just trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes I've made over and over again but I don't want to sound like a jerk, but trying to prevent you from wanting to upgrade an upgrade a year from now.

I've got over $5,000 into my system but I could reproduce it without the trials and mistakes for about $1,500.

 

[VK56VD]

Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Yeah but how hard is the installation going to be, and how much am I going to have to put into wiring, and a sub box? Besides it's entirely possible that once I get a new deck I won't even want to upgrade the speakers. (Not the hopeful tone, lol)


It's very possible. There are many factors but the deck can make as large or a larger difference than the speakers.

I learned the hard way. I upgraded my front stage and left the rear stock powered off the stock amp. Later I added an amp. The rears literally sounded as good as the aftermarket fronts and the fronts had a completely new and better sound.

A cheap sub, box, and amp can be had for just a little more than the two rear speakers you were showing. If you make your own sealed box, it's that much cheaper. Even a $40 sub with an $80 amp will get you decent quality and sound ok and tons better, louder, and clearer than the 6X9s. It's just a power, ground, and amp turn-on wire.

I'm just trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes I've made over and over again but I don't want to sound like a jerk, but trying to prevent you from wanting to upgrade an upgrade a year from now.

I've got over $5,000 into my system but I could reproduce it without the trials and mistakes for about $1,500.


Excellent advice!

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: Spartuss
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Yeah but how hard is the installation going to be, and how much am I going to have to put into wiring, and a sub box? Besides it's entirely possible that once I get a new deck I won't even want to upgrade the speakers. (Not the hopeful tone, lol)


It's very possible. There are many factors but the deck can make as large or a larger difference than the speakers.

I learned the hard way. I upgraded my front stage and left the rear stock powered off the stock amp. Later I added an amp. The rears literally sounded as good as the aftermarket fronts and the fronts had a completely new and better sound.

A cheap sub, box, and amp can be had for just a little more than the two rear speakers you were showing. If you make your own sealed box, it's that much cheaper. Even a $40 sub with an $80 amp will get you decent quality and sound ok and tons better, louder, and clearer than the 6X9s. It's just a power, ground, and amp turn-on wire.

I'm just trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes I've made over and over again but I don't want to sound like a jerk, but trying to prevent you from wanting to upgrade an upgrade a year from now.

I've got over $5,000 into my system but I could reproduce it without the trials and mistakes for about $1,500.


Excellent advice!


And I agree with it. I've done some learning of my own too, in the past.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: mcrn
Trust me. Spend your money on front speakers. You really do not even need rear speakers. If you really want rear speakers get them later. Do you ever listen to live music? Acoustical? Music is recorded in stereo not surround sound.


I haven't personally heard a car stereo that sounded better with the rear speakers faded completely off, or where the quality of the rear speakers didn't affect the overall sound quality.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: Spartuss
It is also recommended to keep the same brand speakers in the front and rear due to different sensitivity and sound reproduction between the brands.

3 way is also recommended more for the front due to a better sound stage it can produce. Rear speakers are fill speakers for the mids and lows so 2 ways are probably a better choice.

What's your logic in having two brands?


I agree with the decision to use different speaker brands based on how good they sounded in the store (with all equalizers on flat). I've found that they tend to balance each other out, since the terrible acoustic properties of a car interior, often along with terrible enclosures, tend to create a lot of coloration. Different sounding speakers may help balance that out. The same brand and model line often sounds quite different in different sizes anyway.

I'll let Paradigm know that they screwed up by making most of their speakers 2-way!

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Months of nail biting, and trying out at the store, and I've finally made my decisions.


You went the same route I'd go. If you want some real bass after that, add a sub. I'd add an amp to the speakers if you want some serious volume, but the deck's 20W RMS of power is plenty for me these days.