[mattslope]

I have installed a few car stereo's, and have been asked a few times about the correct mod-path for differing situations. Well, there is a simple way to enter every project, and car stereo is no exception.

1. Make a budget. Account for all the money that you can and/or want to spend. Don't think about what equipment you want, think only of the amount of money that you want to spend.

2. Select a head unit. This is the most important component in the system, so choose carefully based not on looks or wattage, but sound and functionality (listen to the head unit with all presets like bass and treble set to zero, then switch to a competing head unit and compare). If you want a subwoofer, the head unit needs to have a subwoofer output, or you will not be able to properly tune the system.

3. Replace factory speakers. Do not run any speaker (factory or not) on head unit power unless you don't care about sound quality. So, if you can't tell the difference between an 8-track and CD, skip every step and buy a Sony Xplod, yo!

4. Rewire all speakers. Do not run factory speaker wiring, ever. Consider the factory wiring to be more restrictive to performance than the factory intake and exhaust.

5. Select a 4 channel amp based on THD, RMS power and functionality (crossover slope, bridgability, etc).

6. Select a subwoofer. Use only RMS power ratings when selecting, and look for a good combination of Xmax and Sensitivity. Remember that for every 3db increase in sensitivity, the amp has to work half as hard to put out the same volume, but that the sub will be that much more reactive to every input (sometimes a bad thing, damped sub reaction can be good).

7. Select a sub amp. No black magic here, pick one that meets the requirements of the sub. If you go down the D class road, you will have lower sub quality, but less power drain on the electrical system. Class A amps are the cleanest, but also the most power hungry.

8. Tune the system. Find a disc that offers good highs, lows, mids and thumps. Always run the bass setting at zero or lower on the head unit and turn up the sub amp to compensate. Never use the "loud" button (and never buy anything with an "Xplod" option). Loud buttons turn the gain up on bass and treble, which distorts the signal and ruins speakers.

That's all I have. Build your own sub box everytime, unless you are lazy. Then don't complain when the sub sounds like crap.

[redbaron]

Originally Posted by mattslope

I have installed a few car stereo's, and have been asked a few times about the correct mod-path for differing situations. Well, there is a simple way to enter every project, and car stereo is no exception.

1. Make a budget. Account for all the money that you can and/or want to spend. Don't think about what equipment you want, think only of the amount of money that you want to spend.

Also, consider that if your budget will not allow you to meet your goals, consider doing things in stages. I have done this in the past, and with a bit of patience, you can build a very nice system.

2. Select a head unit. This is the most important component in the system, so choose carefully based not on looks or wattage, but sound and functionality (listen to the head unit with all presets like bass and treble set to zero, then switch to a competing head unit and compare). If you want a subwoofer, the head unit needs to have a subwoofer output, or you will not be able to properly tune the system.

Again, part of this is budget. I would not consider a head without three sets of pre-outs (4 channel & sub). Get the best quality deck you can, consider buying the previous years model on close out. Oftentimes you can go one to two steps up the line for the same price, and there is virtually NO difference. This is how I got an Eclipse 3434 instead of a 3424

3. Replace factory speakers. Do not run any speaker (factory or not) on head unit power unless you don't care about sound quality. So, if you can't tell the difference between an 8-track and CD, skip every step and buy a Sony Xplod, yo!

Again, the only way i'd retain factory speakers, is if you're doing staged upgrades. A pair of three way infinity or polk speakers is in the $50-100 range, depending on size, and is well worth it. A deck will make a big difference on its own, but combined, it's much better.

4. Rewire all speakers. Do not run factory speaker wiring, ever. Consider the factory wiring to be more restrictive to performance than the factory intake and exhaust.

Quoted for truth! Obviously this is difficult, but it's worth it. I ran 14ga wire, which is probably overkill. 16ga is probably perfect, easy enough to run, and way, way better than the 22-24ga that you end up with stock. It's worth the $20 in wire, and a couple hours of your time.

5. Select a 4 channel amp based on THD, RMS power and functionality (crossover slope, bridgability, etc).

6. Select a subwoofer. Use only RMS power ratings when selecting, and look for a good combination of Xmax and Sensitivity. Remember that for every 3db increase in sensitivity, the amp has to work half as hard to put out the same volume, but that the sub will be that much more reactive to every input (sometimes a bad thing, damped sub reaction can be good).

Remember that there are other qualities besides "loud" to look for in a sub. A good range (frequencies that it can hit well) and clean, crisp response is worth more than plain ol' volume.

7. Select a sub amp. No black magic here, pick one that meets the requirements of the sub. If you go down the D class road, you will have lower sub quality, but less power drain on the electrical system. Class A amps are the cleanest, but also the most power hungry.

8. Tune the system. Find a disc that offers good highs, lows, mids and thumps. Always run the bass setting at zero or lower on the head unit and turn up the sub amp to compensate. Never use the "loud" button (and never buy anything with an "Xplod" option). Loud buttons turn the gain up on bass and treble, which distorts the signal and ruins speakers.

When you're doing this, try to stay with the type of music you are going to listen to the most. If you listen to almost all organic music, do not tune for electronic music. For instance, if you listen to mostly Five O'clock People type stuff, tuning your setup to Benny Bennasi is probably not too smart.

That's all I have. Build your own sub box everytime, unless you are lazy. Then don't complain when the sub sounds like crap.

that requires a knowledge of proper sizing, port design (if applicable) etc.

A good quality box can be purchased, which isn't too bad of an idea. A $30 box at circuit city is probably not the best idea though.

[mattslope]

Originally Posted by redbaron

that requires a knowledge of proper sizing, port design (if applicable) etc.

A good quality box can be purchased, which isn't too bad of an idea. A $30 box at circuit city is probably not the best idea though.

The proper box math is so simple, it hurts. If you have attained a High School diploma, and don't wear velcro shoes, then you too can figure out the right box size. No one box is built correctly, they are designed to fit the widest possible amount of subwoofers possible. Honest, unless you are lazy (like I am), building a box is worth the effort.

[PaidInFull]

Good advice Matt. I too rewired all my speakers when I got my system put in. I recomend the speakers and head unit I have, I love them.

[mattslope]

Originally Posted by PaidInFull

Good advice Matt. I too rewired all my speakers when I got my system put in. I recomend the speakers and head unit I have, I love them.

What did you get? Thanks for the compliment.

[PaidInFull]

Originally Posted by mattslope

What did you get? Thanks for the compliment.

Panasonic CQ-C9701U 70x4watts
Alpine SPS-170A 200watt x 4
and the stock Stock Infinity Gold dash speakers x 2

I want to add subs later, but for now thats plenty of sound.

[mattslope]

Originally Posted by PaidInFull

Panasonic CQ-C9701U 70x4watts
Alpine SPS-170A 200watt x 4
and the stock Stock Infinity Gold dash speakers x 2

I want to add subs later, but for now thats plenty of sound.

Glad to hear about that 4 channel. Good stuff.

[AlphaSigma]

Thanks, this is one of my projects this weekend, installation that is.