Captain Bone

Well, I got a huge problem. I went to the local audio store and they tried telling me I can not replace any components of the nakamichi system (including speakers), because of the weakness or some bull****. They then estimated a new, midgrade system at 2,500 dollars. I almost **** a brick. I was just wondering if anyone could help me with some simple modifications to make my system sound a little better, nothing major. My drivers side door speaker failed and so I figured I'd just upgrade the entire system. Any suggestions under 500 dollars would be great. I am not looking to touch the head unit or the 12 disk cd player. Thanks guys.

lex400sc

Buy $300 component speakers in the front, and $200 coaxial speakers in the rear. Fronts are 1-inch tweeters and 4-inch midranges, rears are 4-inch midranges. These are stock sizes, but you can fit 6.5-inch midranges in the front and rear for fuller midbass response. Buy your speakers online at an e-tailer, or through a CL vendor. Their prices will beat a b&m store 99% of the time.

pcmw

I agree with lex400sc.

New speakers will sound great... if nobody sits in the back and you don't need sound while checking your blind spots then just get the front components replaced and then get a nice 100watt X 4 amplifier to drive them and a new Infinite Baffle sub to replace the stock.

Front Separates with tweeter that fits in the mirror mount and a 5.25" woofer that fits in the door pod....something like the XR525CS = ~$250 http://www.jlaudio.com/evolution/XR525CS.html


Decent highlevel input amplifier that can handle the new speakers and a nice new sub JL audio makes a 300.4 = $400
http://www.jlaudio.com/amps/3004.html

Then just replace the factory sub with http://www.jlaudio.com/subwoofers/10ib4.html

Yeah this is over budget a couple of 'C' notes.... but damn well worth it.

Good luck.
MW

praetorian180

I have a question pcmw. I know nothing about car audio so excuse me if this is dumb. Let's say he changes all the speakers and the amp and the sub and stuff. How do you know if you have to get a new head unit or not? What exactly does a new head unit do that our stock ones can't or won't?

pcmw

Not a bad question...

Stock headunit does everything a new aftermarket unit will but there are differences in the way they communicate. The factory headunit outputs a very low level signal to the amplifiers in the rear of the car. This level is around .2 to .7 volts from what I tested...but that is not scientific or really an accurate scale. For example purposes it will do. Aftermarket headunits put out .6 to 3volts on the really high side. Those volts are the level at which the RCA cables carry the signal to the amplifier before the amp produces WATTS to the speakers. Often they refer to this as line-level or pre-out.

So with that said.... When I ran the stock headunit to my amplifiers it was really lacking volume. I turned the amplifier gains to high, volume know on the headunit to max...and the speakers did not even sound distorted or loud. I ended up adding a line driver (unit to cleanly amplify the line-level to up to 6volts) and everything came back to life.

MW

lexus baller

I started changing the speakers in my car and everything else was stock. I found out that was bad cuz the impedence was wrong. The Nakamichi stock radio was made especially for the speakers the car came with. So it didn't do my nice speakers any justice, which were all top of the line MB quartz. Then soon enough i added a amplifier to the stock system and got really weak signals because the stock radio give weak signals to a big aftermarket amp like alpine v12 that thirsts for full power signals from gold plated rca's. I was using a line converter by the way to add a alpine amp and i just got poor sound quality and weak sounding music. I've pretty much got this advice from every custom sound store out there...get rid of your piece of sh!!t factory crap. So i finally took my head out of my a** thinking i wanted to save money and i went out there and bought everything from front to back. Nothing in my car is factory anymore and i thank god i did what i did because my system kicks *** and i practically live in my car now because of it.

henrynguyen

I purchased a new amp + new sub + new eq. The output from stock amp is a little weak so I add additional amp(1600watts 4 channel but I only use one channel). I also replace the sub(Kenwood 400Watts) because too much power from the amp. The rear speakers, I run both of them into the eq to make the sound more clear(digital sound). The front speakers stay stock because I don't want the front speakers to produce loud sound.

London Bill

I have heard some bollox talked about car hi-fi but this thread contains some of the worst cr4p I have ever heard, henrynguyen which way do your ears face? - forward, that is where you should have the major signals coming from.

I going to get thoroughly pissed now because I cant take this much cr4p partially sober!

DoubleWhoosh

hah!

RalAegidius

I didn't know there was such a thing as a line driver (I'm also sorta dumb about car audio). Where does that go in the wiring? What brand is it?

I would like to keep the head unit simply because it's such a weird shape and finding something aftermarket to fit flush would be a major pain in the a$$.

But I'm open to getting a new amp and new speakers. Possibly a pair of 10" subs in the trunk. But for the moment I'd just like to rejuvenate the factory system. Not interested in having a "bumpin" ride. Just a good sound.

Ral

DoubleWhoosh

Yeah line drivers are pretty key when doing most OE head units with aftermarket components.

We have a pretty nice one if you are interested, PM me and I can give you the details.

As far as the line drivers, you definitely get what you pay for. The cheap ones will give some pretty bad audio signal and you won't know why the hell your system sounds bad!

Todd Matsubara
TM Engineering LLC
www.tmengineering.net

pcmw

Ral,

I bought an Audiocontrol Overdrive to bring the front channel up to line level that the amplifier liked. However, I think there are several great brands out there.

The order goes.. OE Headunit --> wires go to rear trunk area under factory cd changer at line level using simple wire ---> unplug harness and clip signal wires the wires going into factory amplifier... ---> tap these wires to a pair of RCA cable ends --> plug to line driver of your choice --> RCA output to new amplifiers.

Hope that helps. If you need more help, you can drive to Sac and I will hook it up for you.

MW

Keith13b

iTrader: (3)

Alright - my .02 cents about our systems.

1. Upgrade the front speakers to a NICE SET!!! Get the best you can afford. And make sure they are seperates (midrange and tweeter are seperate speakers). Depending on your skill level and ability to posess a Dremel tool or router, I'd say go with a 5.25" front component setup. The stock 4" is easily enlarged to 5.25. Just shave off about a .5" around the speaker hole. The speakers you buy should come w/ a template, just use that. Cutting down that plastic is a messy job, so do it outside. Going to a 6" is still simple, but you don't use the stock housing, and have to fabricate a whole new baffle - agin, simple, but if you don't know what your doing the 5.25" will sound better in the stock housing than a shotty made 6" baffle. Your front speakers are your "front stage" all the sound should sound like its coming from the front center of the car. The stock locations are pretty good locations to begin with, so thats why I tried to keep it factory.

The rears - 6" or 6.5" fit nicely. Just seal around the speaker w/ some silicone. Get a decent coaxial speaker (has the tweeter built onto the frame of the main speaker). Don't get some cheap 20$ special from walmart - get something halfway decent.

2. Next swap out the amps - get what every your friends recommend. I tend to go on the high end side, so go to a sound room and listen to what sounds good to you. I personally like the Alpine V12 amps (Im sure they have some new model out, but they do have good amps for mids and highs.

Consider getting a 2 channel amp for the fronts and a 3 channel amp to power the rear and sub. Buy what you can afford, but you get what you pay for!!!!!!!!

3. Swap out the sub - do a search on this forum for suggestions and hints.

4. If you still aren't satisfied with the sound, then swap out the head unit. But be prepared to drop some $$$$. I have seen several competition setups w/ the stock head unit in our cars. It fries peoples minds to see a 2000 watt setup w/ a stock headunit. The stock equipment is actually better made than most aftermarket setups. Making the dash kit is tricky too, so keep that in mind. Its tapered and it curves; hard to duplicate and look good.

Anyway - thats my order of replacing the stereo components for a newbie. Veteran audiophiles would disagree, but for the novice - this is a great start.

Keith

London Bill

Keith;

While it is not going to win any sound-off's your proposal is both clear & concise, a great starter for the amatuer or first time Hi-Fi installer, I just wish I still had the patience that you show.

RalAegidius

Keith,

Appreciate that advice very much. I wasn't sure what to try to do with the front speakers, given the peculiar size. But if it's that easy to enlarge to 5.25 and keep the stock housing, that's what I'll do.

Ral