DC2R audio (front speakers)

[00dc2]

I'm really starting to get annoyed at the quality of the standard audio...

so i am thinking about replacing the front speakers soonish.. wont do the HU till one that i really like comes out.. preferrrably one with a HDD and wifi.. might settle for microSD or CF slot though..

question: are Hertz and Focal etc speakers really that good compared to say pioneer? i was looking at the specs and pioneers do 30Hz - 30kHz.. hertz start at 60hz.

i am guessing this cos people who buy hertz will be putting in a sub so makes no diff to them... but i am not going to be adding no sub so... ??

Also, can the grille covering the front speakers come off without taking the whole door paneling off? or not? i want to check to measure how much room there is for a deeper speaker compared to standard.. does a 61mm deep speaker fit in there (say with a spacer)?

Will it sounds ANY better with stock HU and good speakers?
Is there any way that i can get a new HU and still be able to use my stock stacker?

cheers

[philz]

ermm well specs arent really the way i would compare speakers, also normal splits/speakers wont even go down low to 30hz, the would go fairly well down to 80hz with a hipass, 30hz and a normal front splits will just die lol.
Subwoofers also rarely play low to 30hz as well.

I would go out and listen to a range and see which ones you like.

Got a price range?


i would have a look at hertz, boston, focal, ozaudio.. just to name a few

also depending on your style of music as well.

And yes it will sound good with new speakers.

[VTECMACHINE]

one word: AVI

[totti]

My focals are 71mm deep and they fit nicely with 18mm spacers, so u will have no worries with 61mm depth speakers

If you want the best sound possible, sound deadening your front doors (at least) is a must, the more the better!

[00dc2]

sound deadening the doors.. you mean with something light like foam right?

budget is not set in stone.. not too much but i hate buying equipment that aint good quality.. i have a set of HD600 sennheiser headphones at home as an example.. maybe 500 as an absolute max.. not sure. depends on what i can get for what money.

can i get the grille thing that sits in front of the front speakers off without taking the door paneling off (just to take a look inside)?

looks like the price range is about 200 to 600.. will do some more research then go do some listening..

what focals you got totti?

any comments regarding avi Vs focal Vs boston vs hertz?

[speeder]

It comes down to personal preferance and what kind of music you listen to, there is no point asking others what they like because you may not like it yourself.
They are thousands of brands who makes v good speakers, so i guess choose what you like within your budget.

[kavehman]

Car audio can be an expensive hobby.

Don't expect to improve the sound quality without improving the speakers, deck, and powering the speakers off an amp.

If your just starting out u can get a better cd player and that will improve the sound quality of the stock speakers.

Aftermarket speakers need more power and stock decks just can't give out that much power.

The best setup is to.

1. Upgrade the Deck
2. Upgrade the speakers to component set-up with some Focals/ Morel/ or Hertz speakers
3. Power the speakers off a decent sq amp like JL/ Zapco/ or something else of similar quality.

At the end of the day $900 in parts will get you an awesome set- up but be prepared to install it yourself.

BTW I reccomend sound deadening the doors with some dynamat and sealing the service holes. This will greatly improve the sound quality.

If you need anymore tips just ask. BTW a professional touch is to route all the cables that go into the doors through the molex plugs, u will need to drill a hole, and it will take a weekend to do both doors. But it looks so much more professional than drilling holes through metal etc.

[zeth_an]

I will have to agree with kavehman.. I reckon you should change the HU first then go for some new speakers

Plus once you've changes ur stock HU u can hear the diff. from your stock speaker then you can live on ur stock speaker for a lil bit longer + save up more money

sound deadening is another important bits if you are going to invest in good speakers. However, make sure that you don't have any loose bolts inside ur door, otherwise later on down the track you gonna have alot of rattling in there

[00dc2]

but i am struggling to find a HU that i like. seriously.. i would like it to have internal HDD, SD slot, wifi, play dvd mp3 audio..

i know those features will come in time.. but they are not around all that much yet... companies are stuck in the past...

where is a good place to mount a small amp in the dc2? (2x75Wrms nominal)

[VTECMACHINE]

under the recaro's is a great neat place to mount the amp's!

Just a question of interest... has any one heard of the brand AVI?

[kavehman]

Look for a head unit with bare minimal in features and something that produces excellent sound quality.

Denon only just started producing MP3 head units, and they make some of the best sq head units out there. All of the greatest SQ decks have minimal features in regards to MP3 playment and adapters etc.

If I were you I would focus less on features and something that will give u nice sound quality. Look into the Kenwood line-up mid range stuff provides great bang for your buck.

If you want a deck loaded with features chances are its not going to reproduce the greatest sound quality.

to be honest it doesn't soundlike ur looking for sound quality, you just want features.

vtecmachine: I did a lot fo research and study when looking into my sound set-up. I'm till not done completely with it. I have never come accross AVI.

Most brands out there with big brand names have gone downhill though. They build up a reputation and then quality drops.

BTW: try not to put amps under seats, they need airflow to cool them down. The boot is always the best place, and not on the back of the seats. I do not reccomend drilling through the car to bolt things down. Always find an alternative way of installing without drilling.

[kavehman]

Just for reference my set-up consists of

-JL XR650CSI components, which I plan on changing when find something more melow
-Panasonic Deck Which Came with the car. I would get Kenwood if I were to change it with the 24bitt converter
-Rockford 0AWG wiring Kit, with terminals etc
-Alpine 2 channel Amp powering the front speakers
-Alpine Type R rear speakers powered by the stock deck for some rear fill.
-JL 10W6V2 Sub in sealed box
-JL 500/1 Amp powering the sub.
-Dynamat in the front doors with service holes sealed.

The whole set-up cost about $1200 and that was by sourcing some used parts.

But my advice for a starter is to forget about rear speakers, forget the sub for now.

Focus on front speakers Deck and an amp to power the front speakers. Wiring is important too.

[tinkerbell]

ps - i am first in line for the XR650CSI's

[szymonsta]

this is probably not so constructive, but my 2c is:

car audio? wtf?

ermm.. yeah. chuck some sound deadening on the car, amps, etc. maybe 50kg's worth. yeah, about how much mr.honda REMOVED when designing the type-R. but, you will have improved sound quality.. (!?)
as far as i'm concerned, if i want to listen to music, and i mean REALLY LISTEN, i do it in the comfort of my own home (and dont get me wrong, i like music a lot,im in a band, etc..) i do not see a high quality audio as necessary in a car such as the ITR which, even standard, has so much road noise, creaks, groans and bumps inside the car. if listening to music in the car was important to me, the ITR would be just about the worst choice of car i'd be guessing.yes, i'd get a lexus or something..

..but then again i am really NOT into car audio.

[kavehman]

well the trick is to design a system that can be easily removed.