I want to add on

[tc86gn]

A year ago I yanked out all the factory rotted speakers and replaced them and the deck w/pioneer speakers and cd player. I Just went to Crutchfield and ordered a deck and all the speakers.

Deck: Pioneer DEH-P47DH I bought this deck because I knew that later on I could add some things. disc changer, amp, possibly a sub.
Rear speakers: TS-A4103 4x10 2 way 120Wmax
Door speakers: TS-A1357 2 way 150Wmax
Dash speaker I don't have the info on but it was a 2 way speaker but don't have the box still.

For a while it sounded OK because it was better than it was. But, I have gotten spoiled in the 02 WS6 listening to the monsoon system.

My goal is to get somewhere close to the same sound I get in my T/A. I also want to add a disc changer. 12 disc is good for long trips.

I can fix anything on that car and wire anything together but, I just don't know where to go from here without some advice. I know jack squat about how to make this thing sound like I want it to and I don't want to make any stupid purchases.

Any good advice would be appreciated and save me some money instead of buying things that I do not need that will not help me get to my goal.



Thanks.

 

[SilverSleeper]

I would suggest upgrading to a component system for the front, and 6x9s in the rear. 4x10s really arent gonna give you the mid bass you can get from a 6x9. Speakers were an afterthought when these cars were built. 4x10s are a rare size, and were only made so that they could fit something back there for rear speakers. And, the 3.5s in the dash are hardly capable of producing any worthwhile sound outside of upper to high frequencies. The better brand of speaker is a step up, but not a big one. The limiting factors of the stock setup are the sizes and locations of the factory speakers. Pioneer is a decent brand, but there are a lot better ones out there IMO. If I remember correct, the pioneer 3.5s only have a paper cone tweeter. Thats not gonna give you the clean highs you want. Like I wrote before, a component set (5.25 + tweeter set) will give you much better results. I would buy that first, and try that. If you are still lacking more mid bass, then replace your 4x10s with the 6x9s and the adapting plates.

 

[tc86gn]

I think in the back of my mind I already knew that the speakers were not going to be good enough for my goals. Wish I would have asked about this before I bought them. I guess I made a decent choice on the deck.

I am open to your advice on where to look for speakers. Should I go back to Crutchfield?

BTW, your sig says cow country in NY. I grew up there near a little town called Naples in the finger lakes. And yes, it was on a dairy. I decided to stay here away from the snow.

 

[SilverSleeper]

Well, just about anywhere you go around here is cow country, although its getting less and less every year. If youre not right in cow country here, drive 5 miles and you will be...lol.

Honestly, I think crutchfield is overpriced. Sure, they include "free" adaptors with the decks and speakers, but their price on the item is high to begin with. Unless you buy "closeout" deals there, you will save money elsewhere. Local car audio instal shops will probably be your best bet. They arent owned by a chain and prices are sometimes negotiable, especially if you are buying multiple items from them. Ask around, if there are local car shows where you see someone with a system, ask them where it was done. Dont bother with the -mart stores, most of their stuff is junk. If you dont have or cant find a local install shop, then a circuit city or best buy is probably a good second choice. Most important though, you want to "hear" what youre buying.

Im a believer in money makes a difference when it comes to audio, of any kind. So, buy the best you can afford. Im partial to Infinity, Polk, Boston Acoustics, and McIntosh for speakers. JL Audio makes decent subs. Off-axis response is key in car audio. (off axis response is in a nutshell, how good it sounds when the speakers arent pointed right at you) Since you are limited to where you can put speakers in a car (at least one thats not a purpose built showcar) how it sounds off axis is really important. This is where the cheaper brands fall short, I think.

 

[tc86gn]

Thanks for all the advice. I will let you know how it turns out as I go.