I am very confused about sound systems in a car

[niwi7]

Hi..you can either answer my questions here or send me to a site that can explain all this to me



first of all...the car is a 2001 mitsubishi eclipse

i want to get a good sound system in it

where do I start? i know i need a in dash reciever....but how do you install these? and then from here, i need 4 new speakers for the car, these probably arent that hard to install....but now....do I need a subwoofer? I dont want to be one of those annoying cars that all you hear is BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM, but I want deep bass that rumbles you a lil and good sound....so lets say I am getting a subwoofer what is the deal with an amp? what do you connect to it, what does it do, and do you definately need one? thanks

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you want a sub then you need an amp.

Car stereos are the best item to upgrade first because the aftermarket units are much better than the junk most manufacturers put in their cars.

You can adjust the levels on your sub so that it isn't really boomy and annoying. I have one and it really helped improve the sound in my car stereo because the speakers in my car are fairly small and anemic to begin with.

 

[mobobuff]

Sounds like you'd be better off having it professionaly done. If you decide to DIY, there's a lot of guides on the internet about it, Google will help you out.

Some run-of-the-mill stuff:

The amp runs off your battery, gets input from the receiver (dash component), and connects to the subwoofers. The midrange speakers, I believe, just run off the receiver (they're usually rated somewhere around 100W, 4CHX25W or something to that effect).

Installation can be a pain, and it can look sloppy if not done right, which is why I'd suggest looking into having it done at a shop.

 

[niwi7]

thanks

theres a shop near my house that does this kind of stuff

so if i want this done, what do I need to buy? how come the subwoofers seem to be the cheapest item, they are liek 50 dollars soemtimes cheaper

when i go to like lets say bestbuy website they have a bunch of options about amps like mono or multi, what exactly do I need if I want an in dash reciever, 4 new speakers and one subwoofer?

 

[mobobuff]

You'll want a mono amp if it'll be just for the sub(s), but you said you didn't want ground-shattering bass, so that may be unnecessary. If the power of the receiver is too low to get the desired volume from the midrange speakers, you'll need a multi-channel amp. You won't want $50 subs, they'll sound like crap. If multi-channel amps have a channel for subs, and it's not underpowered, then that may be all you need past the receiver. I imagine the shop will pick out everything for you, or at least help... maybe not.

 

[niwi7]

okay

how much do you think this will all cost me? i don't want to spend over 500, but less than that would be good too

and i know these systems run for alot....which is why I was thinking about maybe skipping the woofer and amp for now

 

[niwi7]

oh i have another question

im getting an ipod for christmas

is there a reciever that I can get with an input jack or something so i can plug the ipod into it? i dont wanna use one of those stupid radio transmitters

 

[mobobuff]

Yeah, if you just wanna do the receiver + 4 new speakers, you'll still get some nice improvement over the stock system, even in the bass. If you want a full system (amp + decent subs) you'll go over $500.

So go to the shop and ask about a decent 4 channel receiver and some decent speakers, they'll probably have a price quote for you pretty quick.

Edit: Yes, those radio transmitters suck, completely negates the benefit of having a decent system. I'm not sure if there are any receivers out yet that have front panel inputs yet... I'll question Google real quick.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: niwi7
okay

how much do you think this will all cost me? i don't want to spend over 500, but less than that would be good too

and i know these systems run for alot....which is why I was thinking about maybe skipping the woofer and amp for now

To do a decent system in a car, you are looking at $700+

The difference between 500 and 700 is like night and day.

Get a low end alpine or Eclipse headunit.
Get an amp rated at 4x50
Buy sub (10" or 12")
buy ONE PAIR of speakers to put in your doors. (Run the rears off of the head unit)
cables ($50-$100 depedning on what quality you get)

 

[IamElectro]

Originally posted by: niwi7
oh i have another question

im getting an ipod for christmas

is there a reciever that I can get with an input jack or something so i can plug the ipod into it? i dont wanna use one of those stupid radio transmitters

Alpine makes a unit that is ipod compatible but i believe it to be a bit pricy.

edit

The KCA-420i is a 99.00 addon to any Ai-net compatible headunit.

 

[niwi7]

hm only get one pair of speakers and keep the regular ones in the back? that makes sense

how do you add that up to 700?

figure liek 100 for the speakers, 160 for the reciever, 70ish for sub, then idk how much amps cost

what is a headunit and why alpine or eclipse

 

[kreb]

I would stick with the stock speakers and just run the bass through your sub. I had a friend who did that and it sounded pretty convincing

Getting a new head unit makes a HUGE difference, so if you think your speakers still sound like crap then get new ones. If you're ok with it, then don't worry be happy (and a little richer too)

 

[mobobuff]

This receiver on Crutchfield has an optional auxillary input, so that means that the designs are out there, and if you mentioned it to the shop they could probably hook you up. That receiver, though, is 500 bucks, and it was the first one I saw listed by price that had an auxillary input.

What you COULD do, that would be better than the radio transmitter, is get a receiver that also has a tape deck, and just get a phono-to-cassette adapter. Better than the transmitter, and less expensive than the receiver with aux input.

 

[niwi7]

hm only get one pair of speakers and keep the regular ones in the back? that makes sense

how do you add that up to 700?

figure liek 100 for the speakers, 160 for the reciever, 70ish for sub, then idk how much amps cost

what is a headunit and why alpine or eclipse

 

[niwi7]

hm thanks guys

i think the person who we are getting the car from said it had a 6 cd changer

thats not good, right bc then its probably harder to take it out and install the new one

 

[mobobuff]

Headunit = receiver.

Some CD changers are external.

 

[kreb]

Here's a Clarion ProAudio DXZ445 for $155.95 at Sound Domain. It has an auxiliary input albeit in the rear. There are some Jensens with front auxiliary inputs for less than $100 but they are kinda fugly and I tend to stay away from them.

Good luck.

 

[rh71]

Everyone has the other aspects covered but you didn't mention if you wanted the headunit itself to play mp3s also. That will introduce more expensive headunits (receivers). From previous threads, Alpines have an IPOD adapter.

 

[niwi7]

yes i definately want it to be able to play mp3 cds as well

 

[badboyeee]

Originally posted by: niwi7
yes i definately want it to be able to play mp3 cds as well

If your on a budget, a Sony CDX-F5700 has MP3 and aux input. You can only connect either an aux input or cd changer tho, not both. It also has HP/LP crossovers, sub volume, 7band-EQ. You can probably get this for like $150 online.

But most people don't like Sony. Theres a Pioneer 4600(?) that runs about $175, that plays Mp3s. But I think you need to get an adapter for the aux input that runs about $25??

If your not on budget, check out the Alpine CDA9831 which is about $325?.

 

[niwi7]

i've been doing a little research and I came across those subwoofer tubes that have an amp built in

whats the deal with these? i've been in a car with one and i remember it sounded nice, with non-obnoxious bass

so what would you think about me getting a new head unit, 2 new front speakers (or should i replace all 4), and then a bazooka powered tube