Hello, I followed a friends recommendation to ask questions here due to the good advice he has received.
I am in the process of getting a 99' Pontiac Grand Prix Sedan. I would like to get a new stereo system for it as soon as I receive it.
It is my understanding that this car has 5.25" front speakers in the doors with separate tweeters and 6x9's in the rear. I would like to replace them all with better speakers as well as add a sub and a new receiver.
I have done a minimal amount of installation such as adding my own receivers and wiring a single sub to an amp powered off the car battery, so I would still consider myself a novice and it might be better for me to get a "professional" installation. Professional in quotes because I am not convinced that the local chain stores that offer this service always have extremely qualified individuals.
Anyway I would like to spend somewhere around $600 for the whole setup and I need your advice on the individual components.
I primarily listen to Mp3 files encoded at 192kbps, either via a CD-RW or an iPod. I would like the components for this system to be focused on providing the best audio experience for the money and the Mp3 file format source. I realize Mp3 is a compressed format and audio quality is already lost and I am not sure if anything on the market today is built to make Mp3's sound better but I thought I would at least ask.
Here is my idea on cost, please recommend if I should focus more or less on certain speakers or the receiver.
Receiver: $100 - 150 or possibly $200 if it is an Mp3 master
Front Speakers 5.25" $50-100
Front Speakers Tweeters $50-100
Rear Speakers 6x9 $70-150
Sub + Amp $250 or less if possible (I don't want bass for the sake of shaking the car, I just want a good balanced sound)
I realize this is a challenge due to my low overall price but that is why I have come to the pro's here.
Thanks in advance.
Replies (15)
trunkisloud on 07/18/2007 21:34:03
well thats not bad budget for the most part.......heres a few links that may help you ...but there are miles of sites that you can find decent deals on this stuff......
http://sonicelectronix.com/item_9100_Pioneer+DEH-P6900UB.html
this link here shows a list of 5.25" components for your app...its up to your taste on which ones ..maybe ask around here for opinions when you are lookin at these..http://sonicelectronix.com/cat_i73_5-1-4--component-systems.html
heres a link for the 6x9's
http://sonicelectronix.com/cat_i30_6---x-9---speakers.html
with the sub and amp give a little more detail on what you are looking to do.....do you want sound quality?? or just a little bump in the trunk but not too much.??
welcome to the show.
wwatty on 07/18/2007 21:49:50
For the sub, I am just looking to use it to round out the overall sound and compliment it. It doesn't need to be over the top bump, so I guess the quality is what I am looking for.
kirchatndftbl on 07/18/2007 22:17:51
your looking for a good low budget sq install im guessing
(HU)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8788_Clarion+DXZ475MP.html
(5.25's)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6340_Hifonics+Atlas+AS5.25CI.html
(6x9's)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6415_Alpine+SPS-69C2.html
(sub)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_9480_Infinity+Kappa+122.7w.html
(amp)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6471_Alpine+MRP-M650.html
some of the other members can come up with a beter system but this is just what i threw together
wwatty on 07/18/2007 22:52:02
Thanks for the suggestions so far.
I almost forgot one thing.
My last receiver purchase was when the very first Mp3 receivers were hitting the production lines. I made a very well informed purchase because not all Mp3 receivers were as fully featured as others. Am I correct in assuming that all the recent Mp3 players will display all the ID3 tags and also support gapless playback? My current unit does not support gapless playback since none of the receivers did back when I purchased it. I would really like gapless playback.
Thanks.
trunkisloud on 07/18/2007 23:00:43
i believe that pioneer i linked has the features you are lookin for.
wwatty on 07/19/2007 18:30:27
I have been reading about that Pioneer DEH-P6900UB, and it seems great. Lots of positive reviews and it does include the gapless playback. It is on the short list.
trunkisloud on 07/19/2007 18:46:15
cool...what about components?..did you take a look at any or what?.....theres a lot out there in your price range and some decent ones at that......with any luck you shouldnt have too much work to install them...
wwatty on 07/20/2007 16:32:05
I have been trying to figure out where to start. In the end I guess listening to them is the only way to know for sure. I can't even seem to round dow the choices though. For example kirchatndftbl linked these http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6340_Hifonics+Atlas+AS5.25CI.html
I have never heard of Hi-fonics but that doesn't mean they are not good or will not suit my preferences. There are speakers of the same size from $60 up to $150 and none of them are popping out at me. If anyone else has a particular favorite I would be more than happy to start with them and do more research. As it stands I feel pretty lost in the sea of options.
trunkisloud on 07/20/2007 16:42:55
this is really where youre own judgment comes in....i mean i scored a set of fusion components on ebay for 60 bucks .i love em..they sound great to me..but others may disagree.....it all depends on what you want.......just do some research ..compare price and specs...if youre looking for something to sound decent up front but not really state of the art then i dont see a problem with spending less than 150 or even less than 100 on these......i think those hifonics would do you nice for this app.....theres 2 positive reviews on that page ...but like i said its up to you..do you plan on puttin an amp on these or just running the head unit on em.?
wwatty on 07/20/2007 19:28:46
My experience is just using the head unit to power the front and rear speakers and an amp attached to the sub. My experience is very limited though and I run into problems when I start worrying about power consumption and whether or not I will be matching the correct watts or straining my battery too much. Like I said my knowledge is very minimal when it comes to the actual installations.
RMS Power Handling watts
Peak Power Handling watts
Impedance ohms
all things that I think I don't know enough about.
Here is a good example
The Pioneer head unit I am looking at provides
Peak Power Output 50 watts x 4 channels
RMS Power Output 22 watts x 4 channels
The Hifonics speakers that were linked require
RMS Power Handling 100 watts
Peak Power Handling 200 watts
How these two relate I am not sure. For instance does the head unit only supply 22 watts to an individual speaker on a normal basis with bursts of 50? If so aren't the specs of those speakers asking for 100 watts on a normal basis with the ability to handle bursts up to 200?
Thanks for all the help, I am really showing that I am a true newbie now.
trunkisloud on 07/20/2007 19:47:34
Max power is the total amount of power that a speaker should handle. RMS is the amount of power that it can recieve continually. So it may be forced to receive more than its RMS power, and it can do that for a small fraction of time once in a while, but it can't do it all the time.
you could get plenty of volume with these comps off the hu as long as you dont drown it with bass......chances are..after you get it all installed ...it may sound good for a bit but eventually youll want more ...which is fine because its pretty much the same with most everyone...this is where the amp comes in for the comps...and you would only need a small amp for these.....only way to know for sure is to hook it up ....
kirchatndftbl on 07/20/2007 23:17:56
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6390_Pioneer+TS-G1341R.html
these would work as well and are a closer match to a hu rms rating
trunkisloud on 07/21/2007 00:40:10
pioneer is always good for the money but he was also wanting to replace the tweets.
wwatty on 08/18/2007 01:31:39
I just returned from a lot of traveling, but I have my car now so the time is right to start buying some of this stuff. I do have a follow up question though. On the steering wheel there are a few controls for the stock receiver like volume, mute, play, seek and AM/FM. Are there any after market receivers that let you retain the functions of these buttons or will they be useless without the stock receiver?
Victor on 08/18/2007 04:08:49
With a low budget SQ install I usually advice my clients to go the complete alpine way....
nothing too prejudicial, but alpine is one brand that makes all its low end equipment of a good quality too..
usually with most manufacturers the low end products are compromised for in quality...
anyways... there are many different good better best brands you can select from, but here is what i would suggest...
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=CDA-9883&lang=en&tab=F
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=MRP-F450&lang=en&tab=F
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=MRP-M450&lang=en&tab=F
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=SPR-13S&lang=en&tab=F
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=SPR-69C
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=SWR-1042D&lang=en&tab=F
These can be bought for much lesser price fitting your budget on other online dealers and e-bay...
all these can be bought under $900 on http://www.sonicelectronix.com/
look on other sites too u may find a better deal...
Victor...
PS. am sure if you decide to go with this system you shall value it for long and enjoy every moment of music....
reason for a 10" sub, since you are a clean listener you would want crisp transients from this sub...as you would prefer quality over quantity.... a 10" performs pretty well in the low range upto 35Hz too ... and a sealed enclosure for quality clean tight bass....
with this install you would not need a bigger alt or batt, just a simple big3 upgrade will do great...
count another $100 for other accessories like cables, wiring kits etc.. and probably another $50 to $100 if you make the enclosure yourself or buy a prefab...
I see this install coming up under $ 1100... with every penny worth it...
you can consider these wiring kits..
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8165_Monster+Cable+MPC+P300+BAP1000.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8176_Monster+Cable+MPC+P300+BAP500.html
also if budget permits... this is something i would as an installer never ignore.. probably do this even before i start deciding on the equipment i should buy... until you dont have a suitable listening area no good equipment can make it sound sweet...
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_2439_Dynamat+Original+%2B+Xtreme+20%27+Trunk+Kit+19105.html
I am in the process of getting a 99' Pontiac Grand Prix Sedan. I would like to get a new stereo system for it as soon as I receive it.
It is my understanding that this car has 5.25" front speakers in the doors with separate tweeters and 6x9's in the rear. I would like to replace them all with better speakers as well as add a sub and a new receiver.
I have done a minimal amount of installation such as adding my own receivers and wiring a single sub to an amp powered off the car battery, so I would still consider myself a novice and it might be better for me to get a "professional" installation. Professional in quotes because I am not convinced that the local chain stores that offer this service always have extremely qualified individuals.
Anyway I would like to spend somewhere around $600 for the whole setup and I need your advice on the individual components.
I primarily listen to Mp3 files encoded at 192kbps, either via a CD-RW or an iPod. I would like the components for this system to be focused on providing the best audio experience for the money and the Mp3 file format source. I realize Mp3 is a compressed format and audio quality is already lost and I am not sure if anything on the market today is built to make Mp3's sound better but I thought I would at least ask.
Here is my idea on cost, please recommend if I should focus more or less on certain speakers or the receiver.
Receiver: $100 - 150 or possibly $200 if it is an Mp3 master
Front Speakers 5.25" $50-100
Front Speakers Tweeters $50-100
Rear Speakers 6x9 $70-150
Sub + Amp $250 or less if possible (I don't want bass for the sake of shaking the car, I just want a good balanced sound)
I realize this is a challenge due to my low overall price but that is why I have come to the pro's here.
Thanks in advance.
Replies (15)
trunkisloud on 07/18/2007 21:34:03
well thats not bad budget for the most part.......heres a few links that may help you ...but there are miles of sites that you can find decent deals on this stuff......
http://sonicelectronix.com/item_9100_Pioneer+DEH-P6900UB.html
this link here shows a list of 5.25" components for your app...its up to your taste on which ones ..maybe ask around here for opinions when you are lookin at these..http://sonicelectronix.com/cat_i73_5-1-4--component-systems.html
heres a link for the 6x9's
http://sonicelectronix.com/cat_i30_6---x-9---speakers.html
with the sub and amp give a little more detail on what you are looking to do.....do you want sound quality?? or just a little bump in the trunk but not too much.??
welcome to the show.
wwatty on 07/18/2007 21:49:50
For the sub, I am just looking to use it to round out the overall sound and compliment it. It doesn't need to be over the top bump, so I guess the quality is what I am looking for.
kirchatndftbl on 07/18/2007 22:17:51
your looking for a good low budget sq install im guessing
(HU)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8788_Clarion+DXZ475MP.html
(5.25's)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6340_Hifonics+Atlas+AS5.25CI.html
(6x9's)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6415_Alpine+SPS-69C2.html
(sub)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_9480_Infinity+Kappa+122.7w.html
(amp)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6471_Alpine+MRP-M650.html
some of the other members can come up with a beter system but this is just what i threw together
wwatty on 07/18/2007 22:52:02
Thanks for the suggestions so far.
I almost forgot one thing.
My last receiver purchase was when the very first Mp3 receivers were hitting the production lines. I made a very well informed purchase because not all Mp3 receivers were as fully featured as others. Am I correct in assuming that all the recent Mp3 players will display all the ID3 tags and also support gapless playback? My current unit does not support gapless playback since none of the receivers did back when I purchased it. I would really like gapless playback.
Thanks.
trunkisloud on 07/18/2007 23:00:43
i believe that pioneer i linked has the features you are lookin for.
wwatty on 07/19/2007 18:30:27
I have been reading about that Pioneer DEH-P6900UB, and it seems great. Lots of positive reviews and it does include the gapless playback. It is on the short list.
trunkisloud on 07/19/2007 18:46:15
cool...what about components?..did you take a look at any or what?.....theres a lot out there in your price range and some decent ones at that......with any luck you shouldnt have too much work to install them...
wwatty on 07/20/2007 16:32:05
I have been trying to figure out where to start. In the end I guess listening to them is the only way to know for sure. I can't even seem to round dow the choices though. For example kirchatndftbl linked these http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6340_Hifonics+Atlas+AS5.25CI.html
I have never heard of Hi-fonics but that doesn't mean they are not good or will not suit my preferences. There are speakers of the same size from $60 up to $150 and none of them are popping out at me. If anyone else has a particular favorite I would be more than happy to start with them and do more research. As it stands I feel pretty lost in the sea of options.
trunkisloud on 07/20/2007 16:42:55
this is really where youre own judgment comes in....i mean i scored a set of fusion components on ebay for 60 bucks .i love em..they sound great to me..but others may disagree.....it all depends on what you want.......just do some research ..compare price and specs...if youre looking for something to sound decent up front but not really state of the art then i dont see a problem with spending less than 150 or even less than 100 on these......i think those hifonics would do you nice for this app.....theres 2 positive reviews on that page ...but like i said its up to you..do you plan on puttin an amp on these or just running the head unit on em.?
wwatty on 07/20/2007 19:28:46
My experience is just using the head unit to power the front and rear speakers and an amp attached to the sub. My experience is very limited though and I run into problems when I start worrying about power consumption and whether or not I will be matching the correct watts or straining my battery too much. Like I said my knowledge is very minimal when it comes to the actual installations.
RMS Power Handling watts
Peak Power Handling watts
Impedance ohms
all things that I think I don't know enough about.
Here is a good example
The Pioneer head unit I am looking at provides
Peak Power Output 50 watts x 4 channels
RMS Power Output 22 watts x 4 channels
The Hifonics speakers that were linked require
RMS Power Handling 100 watts
Peak Power Handling 200 watts
How these two relate I am not sure. For instance does the head unit only supply 22 watts to an individual speaker on a normal basis with bursts of 50? If so aren't the specs of those speakers asking for 100 watts on a normal basis with the ability to handle bursts up to 200?
Thanks for all the help, I am really showing that I am a true newbie now.
trunkisloud on 07/20/2007 19:47:34
Max power is the total amount of power that a speaker should handle. RMS is the amount of power that it can recieve continually. So it may be forced to receive more than its RMS power, and it can do that for a small fraction of time once in a while, but it can't do it all the time.
you could get plenty of volume with these comps off the hu as long as you dont drown it with bass......chances are..after you get it all installed ...it may sound good for a bit but eventually youll want more ...which is fine because its pretty much the same with most everyone...this is where the amp comes in for the comps...and you would only need a small amp for these.....only way to know for sure is to hook it up ....
kirchatndftbl on 07/20/2007 23:17:56
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6390_Pioneer+TS-G1341R.html
these would work as well and are a closer match to a hu rms rating
trunkisloud on 07/21/2007 00:40:10
pioneer is always good for the money but he was also wanting to replace the tweets.
wwatty on 08/18/2007 01:31:39
I just returned from a lot of traveling, but I have my car now so the time is right to start buying some of this stuff. I do have a follow up question though. On the steering wheel there are a few controls for the stock receiver like volume, mute, play, seek and AM/FM. Are there any after market receivers that let you retain the functions of these buttons or will they be useless without the stock receiver?
Victor on 08/18/2007 04:08:49
With a low budget SQ install I usually advice my clients to go the complete alpine way....
nothing too prejudicial, but alpine is one brand that makes all its low end equipment of a good quality too..
usually with most manufacturers the low end products are compromised for in quality...
anyways... there are many different good better best brands you can select from, but here is what i would suggest...
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=CDA-9883&lang=en&tab=F
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=MRP-F450&lang=en&tab=F
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=MRP-M450&lang=en&tab=F
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=SPR-13S&lang=en&tab=F
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=SPR-69C
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=SWR-1042D&lang=en&tab=F
These can be bought for much lesser price fitting your budget on other online dealers and e-bay...
all these can be bought under $900 on http://www.sonicelectronix.com/
look on other sites too u may find a better deal...
Victor...
PS. am sure if you decide to go with this system you shall value it for long and enjoy every moment of music....
reason for a 10" sub, since you are a clean listener you would want crisp transients from this sub...as you would prefer quality over quantity.... a 10" performs pretty well in the low range upto 35Hz too ... and a sealed enclosure for quality clean tight bass....
with this install you would not need a bigger alt or batt, just a simple big3 upgrade will do great...
count another $100 for other accessories like cables, wiring kits etc.. and probably another $50 to $100 if you make the enclosure yourself or buy a prefab...
I see this install coming up under $ 1100... with every penny worth it...
you can consider these wiring kits..
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8165_Monster+Cable+MPC+P300+BAP1000.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8176_Monster+Cable+MPC+P300+BAP500.html
also if budget permits... this is something i would as an installer never ignore.. probably do this even before i start deciding on the equipment i should buy... until you dont have a suitable listening area no good equipment can make it sound sweet...
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_2439_Dynamat+Original+%2B+Xtreme+20%27+Trunk+Kit+19105.html
Copyright ClubKnowledge 2009 * All Rights Reserved
