EliteCM.net

I've noticed a lot of questions lately on audio systems and would like to just have a general Q&A thread for people looking for quick answers.  I know there are a few audio guys in here like Rich and I that can help answer questions for you.  Hell, if it's a question about home audio or home theater, I can probably help you with that too.  So, post away if there's anything you'd like to know.

By installing a double din ( Alpine IVA-W505 ), would the audio signal be sent to the stock headunit and then to the speakers or to the speakers directly?

No, you would completely disconnect your OEM h/u and use the IVA-W505 to power your speakers, or you could run RCA's from the IVA-W505 to an amp to power your speakers.  Your OEM h/u would be completely disabled and basically become a clock.

unless he has dual zone and he still has to give the stock radio 12v/gnd/acc and illumination

Sorry, I just thought that was assumed.

My h/u is steering wheel control compatible. If i buy the controls and the adapter for my radio, should that work since my car didnt come with them

It's possible, but may cost a bit for all the parts.  I haven't tackled this yet, but I really want to.

Yeah i should've mentioned that I have dual climate control. So I still need to have power to the stock headunit. So wait. If was to run RCA's to an amp and then to the speakers, can there be a way to merge or combine the signal from the amp along with the signal from the stock headunit to the speakers so that I can still have the ability to use the stock headunit?

No.  Don't do it.  That is the  worst idea ever.  I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but using the OEM h/u to send audio to an aftermarket h/u defeats the purpose and is the most retarded thing ever.  If you really don't want an aftermarket h/u, get a good line level audio processor and use that with your OEM h/u instead of an aftermarket h/u.  Get something like an AudioControl LC6i or LC7

Tim, I think he's talking about being able to choose between listening to the stock radio and listening to the aftermarket radio. (I.e. by having the stock stereo speaker wires spliced into the speaker wires from an amplifier or aftermarket unit.)

 I might just do that. If I ever got pulled over for loud music I could say my h/u was just a GPS and my radio was completely stock. Then turn up my stock radio with no bass... LOL

I honestly think it's a bad idea and not worth the effort.  To wire the OEM h/u to an AUX in on an aftermarket h/u just doesn't make any sense to begin with.  To wire the OEM h/u and an aftermarket h/u to your speakers is also a very bad idea, and would require at least 8 relays to switch back and forth between the two sources.

ahh shit...8 relays??? forget it then...but im still able to use the climate control since i have dual climate right? thats the last thing i need to lose

Yes you maintain the dual climate control provideing you leave the stock head unit in place. Basicly your stock head unit becomes a clock, and the screen for your climate control.

Yes, you keep all of that.  As long as you retain your factory HVAC/CD panel, you will keep your dual climate controls.



Let's hope we don't have to keep repeating ourselves.  I'd like to stay away from the theme of having to answer the same question over and over again in the same fucking thread because someone doesn't read what was written the first goddamn time.

Now they can read it twice before they ask  

Coool. I plan to keep the stock h/u in place and keep the touchscreen in the cubby

i used a LOC (line out converter piece that lets you hook up amp to factory radio)...i wired that from the speaker output from the factory radio and the rca side is going into the Auxiliary in (rca to mini adapter) on my pioneer radio. so i still have factory XM & factory 6 disc changer as audio sources and it's louder too

Are kicker, jbl or jl any good for subs?

Of those 3 choices, I would go with JL Audio.  That's just my opinion though.

In past vehicles i've had some kicker stuff, and i've been nothing but, please with it.

2 Questions Tim,

1. What speakers would you suggest for the front of my 05 EX Sedan? It's stock right now and I'd like to upgrade them in the near future.

2. If you have subs in the trunk, should they be pointed towards the front of the car or towards the rear?

Thanks!

I've answered this question before in the past for other people, but I'm not sure if I've answered it in this thread yet.  Anyway, it really comes down to your budget and what sounds good to you.  I can't exactly tell you what brand to purchase.  I could recommend what brands to stay away from.  If I worked for a car audio shop, I would end up pushing whatever we sold.

Here is my advice.  Figure out what you're willing to spend on new speakers.  If you're buying front and rear speakers, your budget should be split 80/20, meaning you should spend 80% of your total speaker budget on front speakers.  When you've figured out what your price range is, go out and listen to the speakers in your price range and buy whatever sounds best to you.


That depends on where they are located in your trunk.  If they are near the front of the trunk, I would fire them towards the back of the trunk (where the tail lights are).  If they are in the rear or the trunk, I would fire them forward.  You basically want the longest path of travel for the sound wave.  If they are near the front of the trunk, they will reflect off the interior of the trunk and fire forward.

Thanks Tim. I'm gonna go check out some speakers for my car at Best Buy (probably), but if you would suggest some brands to stay away from that would def. help out.

i have my factory head unit in my car still working and the double din going into the Aux-in on my Oem head unit, i still use the stock head unit for the am/fm, 6 disc and when i want to listen to my harddrive or watch a movie i turn on the double din and turn the radio to the aux-in/cd changer setting

 my main volume control is still through the factory radio, and i didn't loose my steering wheel controls

to me at least it works very very well the sound quality is pretty good

also the install was very clean i didn't have to use a y harness i just spliced a few wires on my adaptor that plugs into the head unit so it was an easy install as well

Why did you do it like that?  The aftermarket h/u will have better sound quality than your OEM h/u.

That's how it is in mine even though it wasn't intentional.  It's convenient for when I dont feel like switching out cd's every 20 minutes.  However 95% of the time the Ipod is hooked up to the aftermarket HU so I dont have to worry about that problem.

I get to keep my steering wheel control, and 6 disc and as far as sound quality goes its sounds awesome when I am using the double din for my mp3s or movies

i've had aftermarket radios in all of my cars and the sound quality is easily as good as any other of the systems i once had

You do know that you can get an adapter to control your aftermarket h/u with your steering wheel controls and they make multi CD changers for aftermarket h/u's, right?  I guess it just seems counter-intuitive to have an aftermarket h/u if you're running the audio through your OEM h/u.  Maybe I'm a snob, but my system beats the ever living shit out of the OEM h/u in sound quality, functionality, and every other aspect.  To me, what you're doing is like buying a sports car that you will only drive in the snow.

yep i know i can get an adaptor i just prefer it this way works well for me

So, what's the point of getting an aftermarket h/u if you're just going to keep using the OEM h/u?

So that IF i want to listen to my dvd mp3 or watch a movie I can

You'd probably benefit from making your factory radio an Aux input on your aftermarket unit. Switching it around in other words. But it's up to you how you want your sound to sound...

Yeah, that part doesn't make any sense to me at all.  You've basically taken an aftermarket h/u and dumbed it down and reduced the sound quality by having the audio go through your OEM h/u.  Like Steve said, you can do whatever you want if you think that it sounds good that way.  I know enough about car electronics and audio systems to say it's an ass backwards way of doing things to have steering wheel controls and a multi CD changer.  When I got into car audio, the goal always was to improve the sound quality of my audio system.  I just don't understand people that retain their OEM h/u and think that the piss poor sound quality is good enough if they add an amp and some aftermarket speakers.

unclejud49348, Please, PLEASE don't buy your speakers at best buy. You can preview them sure, why not. If you find something you like go to ebay amazon or just look around on google shopping. They have MUCH better deals! :Dx

Thanks Paulius for the advice. Yeah I have been searching around but I haven't actually decided on what I want yet. I think my gf is getting me speakers for our anniversary so I better pick out what I want quick.

Any suggestions (from anyone) about what brand of speakers to get?

I've had personal experience with MB Quart, Infinity, and Pioneer. I liked the MB Quart speakers and Infinity speakers the most. Still using them in fact. Pioneer is a good company for entry-level speakers but for sound quality you wanna find something that's not sold at Walmart or Pep Boys.

Some of the speakers that sound good to me are MB Quart Q Series, Infinity Perfect, Alpine Type R and Type X, Polk Audio MM Series and SR Series, and Focal K2 Power and Utopia Be.  Those are speakers that I have listened to and would suggest.

Can anyone suggest a good way to prevent the rear view mirror from vibrating loudly during bass notes?

The one on the windshield?  Just make sure that it's secure.  I've actually knocked mine off when I had the volume up really loud.  It slides forward to remove, so you may want to make sure it's secure first.  That's usually the cause of it rattling and making noise.  If that doesn't work, you may want to try and get something that will damped the vibration.  Maybe a spray on rubber that you can do a light coat of?

When you say it slides off, is that at the base where it connects to the windshield?

Yes.

hey guys my friend installed a system on his car. Now i feel like jumping on the band wagon, and getting one myself. I just want some bump in the trunk. i dont know what brand of sub/amp to go with. i would like to have quit a bit of bass tho. im going to keep my stock radio (EX) and stock mids/highs.... i do listen to alot of hip hop along with some house music. so i think a 12" would be ideal. since im not upgrading all my system components i wouldnt mind spending abit more for a quality sub/amp? what do u guys think

Since you asked, I think you're making a big mistake by only adding a sub.  Don't blow your wad on a sub and amplifier.  Just get an inexpensive 10" and amp if you're not going to upgrade your interior speakers or h/u.

what 10" sub and amp combo would you recomend tim?

Something cheap.  Maybe like an Alpine Type E or Type S subwoofer and an Alpine MRP-F300 mono amplifier.

ok and perhaps a swr-1022d type r 10" along with the mrp-f300? a side from that im going to need a wiring kit... do i need a harness to adapt to my stock deck?

 and is there any way i can contorl the bass on the mids. on my dads truck i had a system with a stock deck. and everytime i lowered the bass from the stock deck it would also lower the bass on the sub. how can i control the bass to the mids apart from the bass going to the sub?

I actually put a little piece of Dynamat where the mirror clips on to the windshield. If you push the mirror all the way forward it will slide off and you can fit the dynamat under the little metal bars. This has greatly reduced vibrations for me. The mirror mount still slides forward at REALLY high levels of bass, but it used to just vibrate upward and become useless before.

Get an aftermarket head unit and install a proper aftermarket stereo system.  Then you will have the control you're looking for.  Other than that, you won't be able to do what you want with your OEM h/u.  Sorry, but there are no short cuts for what you're trying to do.

its alittle piece that connects to your speaker wire going to the sub. you can raise/lower the bass going to your sub. therefore when you you lower the bass on your stock deck. you will only lower the mids bass, and wont pass through that box and affect your sub. i will try to find out more on it.

I'll say it again, you will not be able to do that.  You might not realize this, but if you are using the OEM head unit, you are going to be tapping into the speaker output for an audio signal to your sub.  When you reduce the bass going to your interior speakers on your OEM head unit, you also reduce the bass going to your sub.  I don't just make this shit up and it's not a theory.  Unlike most people, I actually know what I'm talking about and have the credentials to back up what I say.

oh i beleive you tim. its just that my friend who installed his sub last weekend has that part... i told him about it he asked future shop about it, and boom they gave him this piece. shit i don no. let me see if i can find more on it...

I think you have something confused then.  There are ways of increasing the output of your subs with a knob, but no way of doing what you're talking about.

This is a home audio question. I am pretty big into home theater and I have created in my bedroom what I believe to be a pretty bad ass system, just for tv and music. Still watch movies in the true home theater. I used to have a desktop computer that was hooked up to my flat panel tv and had a digital coaxial connection to my Onkyo a/v reciever. This was great to play my music through itunes. I have recently purchased a laptop and lost these capabilities. I was trying to think of a way to play my music wirelessly through my system with my computer. My parents have a lot of high end shit that i cant afford like a via dj and little touchscreens on the walls throughout the house that that control the music throughout the house. One i dont have that kind of money and two well i dont have that kind of money. My dad has no clue because he just used a free lance a/v consultant, but I dont have one of those handy except you Tim. Any ideas? My receiver is not network capable by the way.

I think that I may have just found a solution. Sonos ZP90. Something like this would work I believe. Do you know any other cheaper options?

I use an Apple Airport Express to stream audio from my laptop to the home theater system in my living room and my bedroom and control it remotely with my iPod touch.  I'm not sure if you use a PC or Mac, but would assume you could get it to work with a Windows machine.  I'll try to test it out on my gf's computer this weekend since I only have Macs.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_176 ... gn=froogle (http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_17637_JVC+KD-R800.html?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=froogle)

Quick question Tim. I am looking to spend no more than 250 for a used or new single or double din headunit with the minimum feature of 6 preamp outputs and HD radio ready or already installed... The rest would not really bother me all that much ... This link above, the JVC r800 has caught my eye and I dont think it's too bad... Plus I can make it match the colors of my dash :D...

Do you have any recommendations from personal experience of just from what you know? Or any good places to buy? Maybe even members on here? :D

From personal experience, I have always had good customer service from Crutchfield when I have purchased anything.  If you're asking for my opinion of JVC, that's another story.

I used to like JVC alot but, alot has chaged with that company as a whole.

I have the Pioneer DEH-7000bt, and it is awesome. It is HD ready and has 6 preamp outputs. It also has bluetooth, you may already have this, but it is awesome either way. It is $300 ON CRUTCHFIELD, but I got it for $200 shipped on amazon.

I found it for you. It is 221 shipped now, but here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-DEH-P7000 ... 252&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-DEH-P7000BT-Dash-iTunes-Receiver/dp/B0015Z18FK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242486252&sr=8-1)

Just wanted to know what peoples opinions are about Stinger? Mainly, their amp wiring kits.

I've never used their stuff, but I've seen it in a few shops.  I'd take a look at the kit and make sure that the hardware (i.e. - battery terminals, ground terminal, fuse holder) aren't cheap and flimsy.

Tim,

I was looking at some pics of 'cords with subs in the trunk and the trunk was lined with dynamat, and I was wondering, should I line my trunk with something like that? Right now I've got 2 12's (Too much bass, but I got a great deal) and a 1200 watt amp in my trunk with the subs pointed towards the rear of the car. I've been told that it sounds like it rattles outside of my car, and I was thinking maybe the dynamat would help. What do you think?

Thanks

Well, you've got a Honda so it will take a lot to reduce the rattles.  Dynamat is used to dampen sound by increasing mass and lowering the resonant frequency of the body panel.  With our cars, you'd have to make sure you get the trunk, trunk lid, rear bumper cover, license plate, and tail lights.

Is the coupe rear speakers grill the same as the coupe?  I just installed Infinity 3eference 9622i in the rear and neither the factory grill nor the one provided fits correctly. Stuck on this mofo since it looks ugly have the speaker in plane sight without a grill :(

Yes, they are the same.

Shit I meant coupe the same as the sedan? Damn I feel stupid for that one!

I don't think they're the same, but compare the part numbers.  It really doesn't matter though, you're barking up the wrong tree with that one.  You may want to try mounting them from the underside instead so you can get some extra clearance to put your OEM grilles back.

Thanks for the help Tim. It worked out and I was able to put back my stock grill.

I'm glad to hear it worked out for you.  Make sure that you have a gasket of some sort between the speaker and the rear deck to seal the speaker.  Trust me, it will improve the sound quality.

For sure. It came with this thick ass seal which I misplaced. Gonna put that along with my deck either tongiht or smetime this week

Any tips on finding a good quality deck that comes with ipod adaptor/support (not just stereo-mini), and can be used with the PAC adaptor to retain factory steering wheel controls?

I would recommend Alpine.  Since you mentioned good quality and an iPod adapter/control, Alpine is one of the best.  They were the first company to have iPod integration.  I have an Alpine IVA-W200 in my car and LOVE the iPod integration.  You can also use a PAC adapter to retain your steering wheel controls with most Alpine products, but you should check for compatibility with PAC.

I have the Pioneer DEH-7000bt, and it is awesome. iPod integration is really good. It is set-up jut like your iPod. If you have a newer iPod than all you need is a USB cable to plug into the back.

is running a JL cleansweep better than say a new deck?

Ummm, no.  A quality aftermarket h/u will always be better than the OEM h/u with one of those things.

Tim,

I'm probably going to purchase the Focal K2's you suggested, but I had another question. If I mount the tweeters in the sail panels, is there any chance that my side air bags could hurt the speakers (or speakers fly at me) if I were in an accident?

Thanks!

It's unlikely that you would have any problems if they were installed in the sail panels.  If you want to be safe, install them in the stock location in the dash.  I can guarantee that they won't cause any problems or become a flying projectile if your side curtain air bags go off.

I'd like to install a sound system without changing my H/U or adding an amp. I'd like Alpine Type R components in front and Type R in Rear. These models to be more precise:

 Front:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-SPX-17REF-6- ... 1|294%3A50 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-SPX-17REF-6-5-TYPE-X-COMPONENT-CAR-SPEAKERS-6x8_W0QQitemZ220401784799QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCar_Speakers?hash=item3350f857df&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1205|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50)

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-SPR-17S-CAR- ... 1|294%3A50 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-SPR-17S-CAR-AUDIO-6-5-COMPONENT-SPEAKERS-17-S_W0QQitemZ360160631312QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCar_Speakers?hash=item53db3f1a10&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1205|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50)

Back:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-SPR-69C-600w ... 1|294%3A50 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-SPR-69C-600w-6x9-TYPE-R-CAR-SPEAKERS-PAIR-6-x-9_W0QQitemZ300321590644QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCar_Speakers?hash=item45ec8fcd74&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1234|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50)

What else would I need to hook this up? Will it sound better? Should I really run an AMP? Which cables should I use? Do I need an adapter of some sort to fit these in properly?

You may want to use an adapter for the front speakers to fit properly in your doors.  You don't need any cables since you reuse your original cables.  You could get adapters that clip into your speaker wire connectors and provide you with a bare wire connection to go to your new speakers.  Will you get better sound from these?  It will only be marginally better, but don't expect something drastic.  Should you run an amp?  Yes.  If you want a high end audio system, you should always use an amp and an aftermarket head unit.

Which AMP would you recommend to run a system with the components listed above. I don't want any subwoofers and don't want to change the stock H/U.

I'd use the Alpine V-Power amplifiers for your application.

Hey Tim,

What is necessary to put in 6.5s in the doors, because i know that they would be too deep and the window would probably hit. Just a 6.5 ring from somewhere or what? I've had these Soundstream Tarantula 6.5s laying around since winter, it's about time to put them in :D.

I am not Tim but you can cut your stock speaker out of the bezel, ghetto, or buy spacer rings. I bought spacer rings and they were about $20.00. Dont go to thick on the ring because then you will not be able to get your door panel on. I forgot how thick mine are, an inch maybe.

Just those from crutchfield? How about these? :D http://www.12volt-travel.com/1-speaker- ... f8aa8bb7bd (http://www.12volt-travel.com/1-speaker-spacer-rings-p-1009.html?zenid=fa6b3f515a253a73e9069ef8aa8bb7bd)

That's what I got, but I got them a CircuitCity so I paid twice that much. I would get those if you don't mind on waiting on them because that is a good price.

I'd use these (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Door-speaker-adapterHonda-Accord-03-04-2003-2004_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQhashZitem22f4b073a1QQitemZ150134092705QQptZCarQ5fAudioQ5fVideo#ht_3047wt_1122).

Thanks, Tim.

How did you guys wire your setups?
Where did you run the cables?

I am getting an deck with 6 outputs (4 FR FL RR RL, 2 sub)
I plan on wiring for the sub without adding it yet. I am adding one single amp for the 4 speakers.

I need to run power and ground from the batteries to the amp, plus my 3 pairs of RCA cables? Will that still leave me open to the option of adding a second amp for a subwoofer in the future? (ie, my goal is not to have to run another power wire all the way from the battery when I add the sub later).

If you run a thick enough power wire to handle the current draw, you will only have to run one power cable.

As far as my set up goes, here's what I have:

1/0 AWG wire from my battery to the trunk on the driver's side, passing through the firewall and frame rail
1/0 AWG wire in the trunk for ground
12 and 14 AWG speaker wire from the amps in the trunk to the front speakers going up the passenger side
Alpine AI-Net data control/analog audio cable running down the center
Digital Optical (TosLink) cable running down the center

The reason why I have the low level audio cables running down the center of the car is because there is the least amount of wires going through the center console.  The driver's side and passenger's side have wiring harnesses running down them which could potentially introduce noise into a low level signal.

For the center cable is it concealed or does it go right over that hump or inside it?

It's between the carpet floor.

What size would you recommend I run for the power cable so that I can run only one? What size if I run two wires?

Can someone recommend a component system for the front in which the new tweeter would fit stealth in the stock tweet location.

I am thinking about the following speakers:

Polk DB
Infinity Reference
Alpine Type S

I'm actually trying to find a suitable location to run my power cable. I've looked for grommets in the engine bay and can't find any good ones. Honda's used to have a plethora of grommets but it seems they've done away with most of them. I've seen how others have run their cables in the automatics, but it won't work for me since their run just happens to be where my clutch master cyl is.

I have Polk Audio Coaxial speakers and I like them a lot, dont know if that helps.

Unless you're running huge power for an SPL system, you only need one run of power cable.  I can't tell you what size power cable to run if I don't know the total current draw of your amplifiers.  Answer that question first and then I can answer yours.


I've fit a set of the Alpine Type R's in the stock tweeter location.  I'm sure you can get those to fit if you're somewhat handy.


There's a grommet that you can use on the firewall.  It's to the left of the steering column.  It goes into one of the "frame rails".  I route power wire through there and out a hole that's below the fuse box in the engine bay.  I'll show you when I come down for the BBQ.  If you have time for a quick rendezvous this weekend, I will be in LI on Saturday.

Thank you Tim for the opening to use. If you hadn't said anything, I would have never known. I don't think I'll be able to ride out this weekend because I have a friend coming up from Miami to chill.

Also, now that you mentioned that opening, I just might have my sub and amp installed before the BBQ. Maybe even have a fiberglass box in there as well. (If I don't fuck it up like that phone/ MP3 holder I tried making a while back.)

If you need help with that, just let me know.  I'm glad to give assistance.

I'm sure I'll be shooting you texts or some shit when I start the glass project. I have a pretty good understanding of it, just don't have the experience with it.

+1 that's where mine is, Holla! It's a tight squeeze to get to from inside the car. I would recommend using a metal hanger and taping the power wire to it and get it thru the hole. It's better thru here since the battery is on that side.

That's exactly why I want to go through this one Billy. Besides, the less power wire used, the less amount of current drop due to the length of the run.

Got any pics for that rail? would be nice to see how to get at it :D

Yeah, I have no pics, but I'm sure someone else can take 'em for ya.

Quick question: the Accord EXL comes with a factory 270 watt speaker system, correct? I have to admit that my factory audio system is badass (i'm no audiophile), and it's a hell of a lot better than the factory Bose system in my mom's Tahoe.

I was sure its 180watt not 270. Mine is terrible.

Bose in my I30 was worlds better than this  

Well, I found some more specs from Honda's website, and according to it, the EX has a 120 watt system, so I don't know what the EXL would have.

I would consider myself an audiophile -- and honestly, the stock stereo on my EX is not half bad. I've heard aftermarket systems that are worse than our stock systems.  The midrange could be cleaner, and bass a little tighter...but it works as my DD.

If the EX has a 120W system I would assume the EXL is the same.

^I always thought that until I upgraded it. I only spent about $500.00 and it is sooo much better. Im sure it could be much better than what it is now if I would get a sub and amp my speaker, but I cant because of my parents.

Yeah, I'm completely fine with my system; I listen to mainly hard rock and classic rock, so I'd rather not fork out the hundreds of dollars on subwoofers and stuff. The only problem I have with my factory audio system right now is that the front door panels rattle a little, and the front door speakers distort faster than the tweeters and deck speakers at higher volumes.

I will probably replace my OEM speakers one day....but thats about it.  When I bought this car I decided it was going to be a performance oriented car...not a club on wheels. My last car had a 15" sub in the trunk that could induce vertigo....not only do you lose your trunk....well made audio gear is HEAVY.  I sure my old sub with the MDF enclosure weighed 100lbs.

I'm not buying a sub :) maybe eventually if the bass isn't enough for me

I am going to be running:

1x Infinity 475a (90w RMS x 4    @ 2ohm)       reccomends 4 gauge wire
2x Infinity 60.9CS
2x Infinity 69.29I

At most in the future I would upgrade to a 400w RMS amp with a Kappa 12" subwoofer and nothing more.

I will run one wire, and a distribution thing to send to each amp.

How do these last 5 posts have anything to do with Q & A? Could you guys post this kind of stuff somewhere else?

Asim, I asked for the current draw of the amps you plan on running.  I'm not going to start looking up specs of model numbers.

+1 to what Z said.  What the fuck is that bullshit?

I have a question... I have 2 12 inch subs hooked up to a RF amp, it seems that 1 sub hits harder than the other why is that?

How difficult is it to remove the rear seats? Because id like to custom a fiberglass/CF panel for the sub to point into the car.
Also if anyone knows of anyone else who has done this id like to see pics of the finished product

That's not enough information Billy.  Are these the same subs, and you just got a 2nd sub and added it?  Is the dual sub enclosure built to the same spec as the single sub enclosure?  How is the amp wired?  These are all things that could make a difference.  In theory, all things being equal, you should have a +3 dB increase in output from your subwoofers.


It's actually pretty easy.  I think it's like 2 bolts that holds your seat back in the sedan.  The coupe shouldn't be much harder to remote.  Take a look at the exploded picture of your back seat on a site like hondaautomotiveparts or something.  That might help you gain a better understanding of how everything is assembled.

I really could use an aftermarket radio, I am fucking sick of the terrible settings on the OEM radio. The two things that I want are 5/6 pre amp outputs and hd radio capable, but preferably built in. Ive been looking at the jvc kd-r800 and  alpine cda-9884. Do you have any recommendations?

Alpine over JVC.  There are really only 2 popular aftermarket receivers that I would use.  Alpine and Eclipse.  Eclipse head units are a bit over complicated.  My MECP teacher, who is a MECP master installer, admitted that he had trouble setting the clock on his Eclipse h/u.  Of course, he's a bit old school, so it could be the fact that he's not as up to date on newer technology.

Do we need some sort of antenna extension cable to hook up to aftermarket deck (when using Lower Cubby kit)?

Speaking of HD radio, is there any way of integrating that into the factory navi? I remember looking at Crutchfield, but they didn't have anything.

I haven't needed to use one for my h/u.  You may need to free the antenna from the clips that are holding it in place so you have extra slack.  You can buy an extension if you really want to though.


You won't be able to "integrate" a HD radio with your OEM h/u in the true sense of the word.  If you can get a 3rd party add on HD radio tuner, then you can add it to your OEM h/u with something like the USA Spec adapter with the AUX input.  IMHO, it's not worth it.  The factory h/u isn't that great, and adding shit to it only gives you another audio source.  Unless it's truly integrated in the h/u, it's a waste.  That's why I knew I didn't need a navi.  I didn't want to waste the money on a feature that wouldn't provide all the features I wanted, yet I would feel bad about getting rid of because it was so expensive.  IMHO, the factory navi is good enough for people that think the factory radio is good enough.  If it's not, I strongly recommend an all aftermarket system.

Anyone have a schematic of the pinout for the connector for Navigation equipped accords?

I want to make sure my y-cable wires match up to OEM so that I don't kill anything

If running multiple amps is it best to run a common ground using a distribution block and then from there to chassis?

Or should an individual ground per amp be used instead?

It is common practice to run ground from all amps to a distribution block, and then to a common ground.  That is how my system is set up.  Having multiple grounds can create a voltage differential and can cause ground loops.

This hasn't been asked yet so I'll post it here instead of my thread in the audio Section.  I have a 10" sub in a ported box, and an alpine Mono amp.  I will be hooking this up to the factory deck using a LOC.

My question is, how do I make sure the amp does not stay on all the time?  I know there is a wire or something I need to run so that the amp shuts off.  Don't I have to splice into one of the factory wires?

It may help if you provide the model of the LOC your using as different apllications may handle this differently.

Alright.  Well I haven't bought one yet but I might just go with a generic one such as:

http://www.amazon.com/Scosche-SLC4-Spea ... B000BFL52Q (http://www.amazon.com/Scosche-SLC4-Speaker-Level-Converter/dp/B000BFL52Q)

I believe that modle that you have linked to requires a signal from a factory amplifier which i'm pretty sure our accords don't have also please remember you get what you pay for.

Honestly, it depends on the amp that you're using.  Hell, you could use certain Alpine mono subwoofer amps with speaker level inputs instead of using a LOC.  As far as the remote turn on, if your amp does not have an auto sensing turn on, you will need to tap a wire in your OEM harness for your remote turn on.  I would recommend that you tap the 12v wire on one of your cigarette lighter plugs.

I know, I'm just tight on funds and want to pick up a generic line output converter (emphasizing "for now").  Can you recommend a generic LOC (one that requires you to tap into the rear speakers to get a signal)?

Thanks for the replies guys!  Sorry for the lack of info.

If it helps, the amp is an Alpine MRP-M350.  Here's the link:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500MRPM350 ... _and_specs (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500MRPM350/Alpine-MRP-M350.html?tp=115&tab=features_and_specs)

So, it has speaker level inputs.  I read somewhere that using speaker level inputs on an amp significantly deteriorates the sound quality.  Will using a LOC be better than using the speaker level inputs?

question....

so on the back of my cd player i have an AUX output.... i bought the box that connects to this AUX output allowing me to run both XM radio as well as a red and white RCA (i run my rca's to a male connector for my ipod nano)
sorta like this
http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... sa=title#p (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=car+audio+AUX&hl=en&cid=1346653893707571925&sa=title#p)

when i make a hard left... or accelerate hard
my ipod cuts out for a few seconds and once i complete the turn or let off the gas it crackles back into the music

i thought this just a loose connection so i popped out my cd player...checked all my connections... checked my AUX box where my red and white RCA's plug into... everything seems good.

do you think this is getting heavy interference from the other wires going to my amp?

left side of car = power wire with 60amp fuse (i think)
right side of car = remote turn on + RCAs to amp

not sure if i dealing with just a faulty wire, or what
this ONLY happens when im using the ipod in AUX mode.... so im thinking there might be interference of some sort...
what do you guys think?

try getting another rca to male connection?
faulty box?

pain in the ass.... so annoying for yur music to cut out while making turns

I've only heard that with regards to mids and highs. Since you're planning on running a couple of subs, I wouldn't worry about it. If you do plan on keeping your OEM HU, think about going with a unit like the JL Clean Sweep. There's been talks about it in this very thread. If you want to upgrade your HU, then the world is your oyster.

I do want to upgrade my HU... though due to recent events I'll have to push that plan further into the future.  I've looked into the CleanSweep and the AudioControl LC6.  They're pretty pricey for my situation.  I just want a generic LOC for the time being.  I want to test it out and see if I like it (for now)... if it sucks I'll rip it all out until I get an Alpine in-dash touch screen. LOL

Well, at least you plan on upgrading your HU. The CleanSweep and LC6 are generally meant for use with an OEM HU. If you plan on upgrading your HU anyway, don't bother looking at those. You can easily get away with running an LOC for the mean time to have a little more fill on the low end. Its what I plan on doing as soon as I get off my lazy ass and install it. Like Tim said, use your cig lighter or AUX power in your armrest to get your remote turn on. The only drawback to this is your amp will be on while your key is turned. HTH.

No.  That's incorrect.  A LOC and speaker level input on an amp are the same thing.  Stop taking advice from wherever you got that garbage from.  Anyway, you're adding a sub to an OEM system using the rear speakers as the source signal.  How good do you really expect the sound quality to be?  You'd be wasting more money if you bought that POS LOC (or any LOC in this case).  Since you're low on cash, buying a LOC would be a bad decision.  But, it's your money, do whatever you want with it.


That's actually an input.  The output is from your iPod box thingy.


Does it only happen with your iPod, or does it happen with any other sources like your XM, FM radio, or CDs?

To me, it sounds like a shitty install (no offense) instead of faulty equipment.  Just my opinion, but as I've said before, what the hell do I know?

On the contrary... I don't expect the sound to be "good" at all.  But "good" to you may mean something different than "good" to me correct?  To each their own... besides... I seriously don't expect much lol.  This is more or less an experiment for me to tell you the truth.  And no, I am in no hurry to purchase a LOC, believe me.  If I don't need one I'd rather not get one.  As for my sources?  Sorry, I guess I sometimes recall reading something somewhere briefly, and then ask you guys for clarification.

Thanks for your advice/suggestions Tim and everyone else!

as far as the install... its connecting that box to the AUX input...the connecting the red and white rca to the box, and the rest is just plugging it into a cell phone or ipod
nothing complicated, nothing to really mess up.

it ONLY happens with the IPOD... everything else is fine
makes me think its either the box or the wire connecting to the box since its ipod only...
im going to try and get a new rca -> male connection and see if that helps
just wondering if anyone had experienced the same problem

Why don't you try something else with a headphone jack? Instead of buying a new cable, plug in something else and see if it does it. It could be your ipod for all you know.

i did.... my blackberry does the same thing
its a cheap wire... and a good one to have anyway... good for hooking yur ipod to any stereo on yur travels
just is odd to me that its only when i turn hard left and accelerate hard

That answers your question then bro. Time for a new cable.

Another thing, it may be that the actual contacts of that 3.5mm jack are a bit worn and not sitting snug in your ipod or any device for that matter. Definitely hang on to it for traveling like you say. Its always nice to have extra lying around.

Good always means something different to me when compared to everyone else.

You asked for advice, and I gave it.  You can do what you want with it, because I know very little when it comes to stereos.  Just remember one thing, I tend to start ignoring people that are looking for validation disguised as asking for advice.

And here I thought I was trying pretty hard to avoid any hostilities.  I was genuinely thanking you for your advice man.  I know you know your shit when it comes to car audio.  And I assure you, I was not trying to disguise anything bro... I was merely pointing out that I sometimes seek clarification "Sub-Consciously" (see what I did there?) because of all the info floating around in my head (whether valid, or invalid).  

In any case, I'll be more careful next time.  Last thing I want to do is get on the bad side of an Admin (especially one who's helping me). Sorry!

*Note there is no sarcasm in any of the above* lol...

Don't worry dude. Its just a warning. He's only saying that because he's given people advice and after the research or whatever he did to help those people out, they turned around and did whatever they wanted anyway. They were looking for validation. Tim didn't want anything to do with it. I'd be the same way. If I bent over backwards to help somebody out, and they didn't at least use a small part of what I gave them, it'd piss me off. That's pretty much what Tim is getting at.

Ahh ok, I guess you're right.  That would be pretty annoying!  Thanks for clarifying =)  

Sorry for the garbage posts.  Let's get back on topic, haha!

Yeah.  It's just that I've studied this shit, I am a licensed installer, I trouble shoot home theater systems and other audio products for a living, and I've been an audio enthusiast since I was a kid.  Ask anyone that's sat in my car, and you'll realize that I take this stuff very seriously because there is a LOT of bad information online and myths spread by people that don't know any better.  I just want to try and use some of my education and training to help other people and get rid of that crap others spread.

I've sat in Tim's car, and his audio is unbelieveable. Literally one of the cleanest sounding systems i've ever heard. Take his advice, and do it right the first time, and you will be happy.

I've also sat in this man's car, and all I can say is, "Holy fucking shit!" The sound produced from those speakers is amazing. It literally feels like you're at a concert. I honestly have never heard a car audio system sound this good.


Couldn't have said it better.

*Sigh* I wish I could hear something like that.  AND get first hand help from people like Tim!  Sucks to be in Canada if you love cars =(  You guys got it all, cheaper parts, a nicer selection, and knowledgeable enthusiasts.

The wiring kit I bought (0/1 AWG, and some 4AWG) doesn't look to be totally copper.. Is this a bad thing?

IMHO, wiring "kits" are a rip off.  I just buy the wire and all the parts I need.  That way I don't get cheap components and the gauge and length wire I am looking for instead of compromising with a "kit".

SuB-CoNsCiOuS, where are you in Canada?

The kit had alot of the stuff I needed, at the right lengths and a very good price.

It turns out it is copper, it just doesn't look like copper if you look at the end straight on, I stripped some of the shielding and the strands are actually copper :)

Still have to run it through the firewall

I'm in Mississauga, about 20 mins from Toronto.  

Btw, having searched (in the car and on forums) for a couple hours now I can't seem to find where to run the power wire in a 7th gen 5spd coupe.  Any suggestions guys?  It's 4 gauge wire.

EDIT: Never mind guys, my cousin helped me and we found a grommet that was BRUTAL to push a 4 gauge wire through... but we got it done...

i think after im done with what i got now ill get amp (alpine v300), what brand wires do i need (what gauge main wire do i need and once to run to and from speakers)
and if somebody had a set that they can sell let me know

I want steering wheel controls. I have a Pioneer DEH-7000BT. If I bought this (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_127SWIPS/PAC-SWI-PS.html?tp=3405) and this (http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&catcgry1=ACCORD&catcgry2=2005&catcgry3=4DR+EXL&catcgry4=KA5AT&catcgry5=STEERING+WHEEL+%28SRS%29+%28L4%29) would it be as simple as plugging them up? I picked the 05 switches because I am assuming they are the lighted ones. Would I just wire the power dashboard lights so they would come on with the headlights?

Where is a good place to ground the amp? All I could find was where the fuel sensor ground was.

Does anyone know which brand is better for speakers? o2, Kenwood Excellon or Pioneer? Thanks!

Can you listen to the speakers in person?  You'll get a lot of different opinions.  Use your ears to choose speakers, not other people's opinions.

This deals with home theater and shitty ole comcast. This is the way the system in my room is set up. HD cable box to Onkyo receiver via component and digital coax. It goes from there to the tv via HDMI with digital to analog conversion and upscaling. There are a few other components running to the receiver, but I believe they are irrelevant with the problem. On to the problem. When I select some ondemand programs it pops really loud then my receiver goes into circuit protection mode. Oh, and I am not sure if this matters but there are 5 speakers and a sub with all monster cables and speaker wires and everything is on a panamax power conditioner/surge protector. Thanks for any help you all can give me.

That pop happens with my set ups at home too.  I have 2 comcast cable boxes connected via digital audio with the same problem.  It's an issue with the cable box.  Have comcast either update the firmware or replace the box.  Sometimes it's an issue with digital audio reaquiring the audio signal and when it cuts back in you get that pop.

Ok thanks Tim. I'll contact comcast tomorrow. I've been needing an excuse to upgrade to an HDMI box.

Sure man.  My boxes have HDMI and I have that problem now and then.

Ok, so I thought about it. Since composite is analog I figured I would swap the digital coax and the composite audio and see what happens. The pop is gone and there are no problems now, your a genius Tim. But since HDMI is digital, I am guessing I will run into the same problem, unless there is a new firmware out and you said it still happens with your hdmi boxes. After you mentioned the firmware in your original post I thought about the tech support chat. I used it and they supposedly updated my firmware, but it still did it with the digital coax. I am not just thrilled about using composite but I also dont like my receiver and speakers doing that. I guess what I am going to do is get a new box, hope that it stops, and if it doesn't Ill just use composite.

There is no such thing as composite audio.  There is composite video though.  PM me about this.

Tim can you please move back home to MI??? I would gladly hire you to build me a system.

Sorry, no.  I have living in MA, but I will only move back to a warmer climate with an economy that's somewhat stable.  I have no desire to move back to MI for any reason.  I am however willing to come out there to do your install.  My brother lives in Lansing, and I'm pretty sure he'd let me use his garage for an install.  I usually get out there once a year to visit family and friends.

Can a EX 6-disc changer HU drive 4-ohm aftermarket speakers?

Sure.  The speakers will be underpowered, but they will work.  If you just want to swap your speakers, you should be fine.  I'd recommend creating some sort of gasket with double sided tape between the speaker and the mounting location when you replace the speakers.

Cool. I have a pair of these coming from Amazon for $80 shipped.  

http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/product ... l=SPS-600C (http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=SPS-600C" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

I think everyone on the forum knows that you got those Greg!

I seem to recall a mass PM regarding those speakers. Its a vague recollection though. How about another PM reminding me?

Haha....yeah I suppose you guys are right!

I have a question... If your ride came with the oem h/u with dual climate control then you got a harness to covert it over to single because a Metra Kit was purchased, would you be able to use the same harness that is now single into a oem h/u that has single climate control? I was just thinking about this cuz I found some oem h/u on ebay for a good price but they are single climate control.

Sure.  Give it a try.

Lets bring this thread back up to the top.



Does anyone know if the USA-Spec will work in a car without XM or Navi? Will it display text and allow me to use steering wheel controls?

Yeah, it should work.  The best source of information is the manufacturer of the product.  The first place I would start looking for information is their website, or calling their tech support.  That's where I start with any research I do about a product I'm interested in purchasing.  I've done a few installs with OEM h/u's that had this and they worked.  I think it depends on which h/u you have (single CD/single climate; 6 CD/single climate; 6 CD dual climate) to determine whether it will display text.

I have the 6 CD single climate. I've tried crutchfield and it tells me it'll work with my car so I think it'll work. I just don't know what I'd wire it up to since I do have a button to switch from CD to AUX (I guess I'd use a connector in the back that's left over or something). I'm not a big audio guy and I'd be doing this myself. I'd only be interested if I can get text and can use the stereo controls though.

I'm going to email USA-Spec and see what they say.

EDIT: Started browsing the site first and seems that if you don't have XM it will not display text (will only display playlist number and track name). Sort of a bummer. Don't know if there is a solution that will do both (control via Steering wheel and show track names).

To confirm I have dual climate, and 6 cd without XM, and when I had this installed it did not display text.

If the USA Spec is anything like the Soundgate aux input that I got from Ken, you'd get a Y splitter that let's you plug in both the XM radio and your USA Spec. In your case, you won't need/get the Y splitter because there's no XM radio to begin with. There should be a white plug that you simply hook the USA Spec up to. In fact, I'm thinking about unplugging the XM radio and getting rid of the Y splitter in my car altogether since I never use XM; I also want to see if doing that gets rid of some of the problems I've been having.

This is all stuff I don't pay much attention to since I always upgrade to aftermarket h/u's.  OEM has never been able to provide the features and integration that I want.  I think that's where some people fall short.  They have unrealistic expectations beyond what their equipment is capable of doing.

I would go with an aftermarket headunit in the cubby area but with install and such it'd be much more than I'm willing to spend.

Ohh.  I guess it's beneficial that I know how to do that sort of stuff.  I will say that h/u installs are fairly easy in our cars once you know what you're doing.

I'm all for doing it myself, but I just don't have the experience nor do I know anyone willing to help me out so I can lear. I should drive up to MA and get help from you LOL.

Sure man.  If you want to learn, I'll be glad to show you.

I see a NYCM goes to Massachusetts thread starting soon.. LOL

Dude, there have been many NYCM visits NECM meets.  I have also taken the trip down to NYC plenty of times.

. My alpine cda-105 has frequency settings for the bass and treble and bass range settings. The bass is from 60hz to 200hz and range is from 1 to 4 treble is from 10k hz to 17.5k hz. My question is where should I have those, my preferences are to have the clearest sound with the deepest bass my 6x9s can get and the clearest treble as well. At the moment I don't have a sub. I am planning on purchasing a 10 Inch type R soon, how should I change these settings when I get that?  I apologize for any typos as I am using my iPhone to type this.

I'd start with everything at 0 and adjust from there based on what you hear and what sounds good to you.

i have no clue where to put this question/dont want to start a new thread but i did 2 parts of the big three upgrade (upgraded the ground with thicker gauge wire, and added a thicker gauge wire from the alternator to the + terminal on the battery, still need to upgrade the grounds from the engine). now the problem is i'm getting some crackling noise in the right door component speaker and i'm assuming it's coming from wire from the alternator to the + terminal on the battery. so i took that wire off of the alternator and the battery and the car has no power after hooking the old wire to the alternator, literally nothing.

is it safe to say i need a new battery? and anyother ideas of where this crackling could be coming from?

my set up is:
alpinie ida-x200 h/u
hifonics 440x4 amp
polk audio db components up front
infinity reference 6x9's in the rear

i re-ran the RCA's up the center of the car just incase, that calmed the crackling noise but it's still there. power wires are on the left door sill along with the turn on wire, speaker wires on the right door sill, ground is good for the amp.

This is definitely the right thread to post your question.  Unfortunately, you're diagnosing the problem incorrectly.  There is no reason why your alternator would ever cause a crackling sound in your right front speaker.  When you put everything back, you may not have connected something properly or missed a connection.  Go back and make sure everything is connected properly.  The only way to make sure your battery needs to be replaced would be to test the voltage.

Concerning the crackling noise, there's a few things you can do.  It could be some sort of interference coming through your RCAs if you moved them from the side to the center of the car and the noise was reduced.  I'd try swapping the left and right RCA's on the input of your amp and see if the noise moves.  You can also swap the speaker wire output and see if the noise moves.

i'll give that a shot. and i'll have to get the voltage tested for the battery...no idea how old the thing is.

edit: messed around with the ground, put it in a new spot. no help. switched around the RCA's and got nothing. forgot to switch the speaker wires though...i'll try that tomorrow. any other suggestions?

check if you flicked those switches on your deck to disable internal amplifier of the deck

when i did that the RCA's were never outputting the right signal and it lead to pure crackling

i returned the switches to "internal amp on" and the problems went away

We figured that the problem was with the output of the amp.  The head unit and RCA's are fine.

How much modification is required to fit a decent set of 6.5 components into the door/ factor tweeter locations.

Sometimes no modification is required.  You may need to modify your door panels slightly with a razor.  If the speakers are really deep or have a big magnet, you may need to cut the metal on your door a little bit too.

They would be alpine of course do they just bolt in.

Depends on which model Alpine speaker they are.  I had to Space out Dave's speakers a bunch, but Arie's just needed a standard adapter.

I might go with the R's then for an easier install

Pussy!

i am looking to add a sound system to my sedan, and i have been doing some research and ended up more confused then i was before. I want to have a clean sounding system with a good amount of bass, but i do not want to have subwoofer box in the trunk.

this is what i have so far, 6.5" focal speakers in the front (not sure what model exactly yet) any recommendations? i have heard nothing but good things about focal speakers, maybe these?

http://www.electrawarehouse.com/product ... 165KRC.htm (http://www.electrawarehouse.com/products/Focal165KRC.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

for the rear i was thinking of getting rid of the 6x9 and going with 6.5" mid bass/sub bass drivers??? or 6.5" subs???

http://www.woofersetc.com/p7020/M6+i--C ... Individual (http://www.woofersetc.com/p7020/M6+i--CDT-Audio-65"-240-Watt-MidBass-SubBass-Driver-(Individual" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)).htm

or maybe throwing some of these, if it can some how work

http://www.dealercostcaraudio.com/6w3v3-4.aspx (http://www.dealercostcaraudio.com/6w3v3-4.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

as far as the head unit, i will be doing a nav swap and be using the premium navi unit and adding an audiocontrol LC7 to it and a good amp (not sure which one yet)

appreciate any advice, thanks.

It's going to be hard to have an audio system with bass, but no subwoofer.  You're expecting the midbass drivers to do the job of a subwoofer, which they are not physically capable of doing.  I'd re-think your no subwoofer clause and consider getting one or not having a lot of bass.  There are plenty of smaller subwoofers that don't take up as much space as some other set ups with huge boxes and big drivers.

Well I have begun to think its time for an audio upgrade.  I have the OEM H/U 6CD changer, with the XM disconnected and a Dension IceLink iPod adapter hooked up.  The problem I am having is that the iPod puts out such a massive amount of bass signal that the OEM speakers get distorted with bass before it gets loud enough to really rock out the way I want to.

Now I mainly listen to rock and electronica so I don't need a huge stereo system or subwoofer.  I am simply looking to replace my OEM speakers (Front & Rear only, no Tweeter replacement) with a 2-way or 3-way speaker to help eliminate the distortion and give me a cleaner overall sound that can handle the additional bass signal from the iPod.  

I am keeping my stock H/U since I think it puts out enough wattage for the time being, so I am looking for opinions on the following 2 types of speakers:

2-way 6.5" speakers (since I have the tweeter up front already, getting a speaker with a separate one would just be overkill)
3-way 6x9" speaker for the rear deck

I am looking to spend about a total of $300-$400 since the as far as I know the speakers can be easily replaced and there won't be any extra wiring/amps.  I have been looking at Sony, Rockford Fosgate, and Alpine.  Any other suggestions are welcome! Thanx in advance!

3 way speakers are a joke.  Don't waste your money.  Sony is crap and RF isn't that great.  While speaker replacements are a good start, do expect a huge difference.  I'd only get Alpine's from your list/  Get 2 way speakers for both front and rear.  Also, try setting your iPod EQ to Off, Flat, or Bass Reducer.  That may help with your bass heavy iPod audio.  Most aftermarket iPod accessories are intended to be used with the iPod EQ off.

Thanx Tim, I know you know the audio stuff.  I'll def look into 2-way speakers then, as well as check my iPod EQ.  Optimally I am looking for speakers that will accomplish my goals now, but also I could hook up an amp later on down the road when I do put in the audio system I want. I will also discard Sony and RF, besides Alpine what brands would you recommend?

Are the speaker swaps easy? According to the Crutchfield sheet it looks pretty straight forward.

For middle of the road brands, I'd recommend Alpine, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, or JL Audio.  Anything else I would recommend is just way too expensive and you would be doing them a disservice by connecting them to the OEM h/u.

I have Polk Audio speakers that I had hooked up to a Pioneer DEH-7000bt and they sounded excellent. I recently downgraded my receiver because I place a higher priority on appearance and they still sound much better. I think I spent around $350 including brackets and harnesses. I also installed them myself and had no prior knowledge and it was simple. The hardest part is getting the door panel off.

I have kicker's 6x9 in the rear sounds good but i still need to do the front. i have oem nav unit  am still contemplating staying oem  or justing getting a aftermarket unit on my bottom cubbie but having 2 radios sounds like a headache to me. Ill be looking for a simple louder buget setup soon .

2 Radios isn't a headache at all. The harness that you would use eliminate the speaker connections to the factory radio so there are no sound issues at all.

Last X-mas I replaced my front speakers with a set of Alpine SPS-600C component speakers.  Big improvement in sound clarity.  I was also able to fit the alpine tweeters into the stock locations.  The OEM tweeters are complete shit...I used to think they are were decent...but listen to a silk dome tweeter and you will be sold.

I finally installed a PIE adapter to use my phone as an mp3 player for music. The sound quality is great if the phone is not charging, however when the phone is hooked up to the charger and the engine is running there is a lot of sound interference. If i directly ground the 12v power outlet to the body will that help get rid of the interference?

As long as it's a good chassis ground, it should help.  Where do you have it grounded right now?

 Now the outlet is grounded to the factory location, not sure exactly where.

After searching around the internet more, it appears i need this:
http://www.amazon.com/GROUND-LOOP-ISOLA ... 001EAQTRI/ (http://www.amazon.com/GROUND-LOOP-ISOLATOR-3-5-APPLICATIONS/dp/B001EAQTRI/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

I'd say negative on the ground loop isolator. I've always seen those things as gimmicks. Try a good chassis ground like Tim suggested. It's a no cost fix as opposed to throwing money at it. I have absolutely no noise coming into my speakers from what you describe and I can have anywhere from two to three devices charging at a time and that includes my phone, mp3 player, and gps. Check your ground hookup and if need be, move it.

Ok i'll try to ground the outlet at a better location to see what it does. Today I tried plugging the phone charger in the outlet in the center glovebox thing with the same result.

I believe those have the same ground point. I could be wrong. Its been a while since I pulled apart my interior.

Okay, I may have misunderstood what was happening.  I would advise against the ground loop isolator.  That is the last alternative after you've tried everything else.  Those things do nothing but waste energy and doesn't really fix the problem.  

So, you get this problem when you plug in your phone charger?  It sounds like a voltage differential that creates a ground loop.  You'll probably want to ground that adapter to the same ground as your car charger is using.

The interference is only when i am using the stock HU on aux. input via the PIE adapter and playing MP3's from my Motorola Droid while plugged into the car charger with the engine running.



Also another stupid question, does anybody know how to repair an antenna cable? I damaged the end that connects behind the lower cubby last time i had it apart. I tried splicing in a new end but it is a coaxial cable and very difficult to get a good connection.

Sounds like a ground loop caused by a voltage differential from your head unit and your car charger.  

As for your antenna cable, you're probably not going to be able to repair it, so your only option is to replace it.  I'm pretty sure it's a 2 piece cable in your dash, so you might be able to just replace the part you damaged.

After reading some recent posts I just want to clear up something I was confused about. Will I be able to fit 6.5 components in the door with the adapter or do I have to go with 5.25.

Also, which one is better if I have 6x9s in the back and a 10 inch sub as well and why.

You can fit 6.5" speakers in your doors if you want.  It all depends on the magnet size though.  I had to chop my doors up because my door speakers are 6.5" subs.  It's all about how far you're willing to go.

As for the rear speakers, that's a whole different ball of wax.  First, don't expect a 6"x9" to do the job of a subwoofer.  It's not designed to do that, and it's not physically capable of reproducing those frequencies.  In a high end audio system you'll want your rear speakers to be crossed over at a higher frequency than your front speakers so the sound image is in front of you, and not behind you.  I have my front speakers crossed over at 80 Hz (HPF) with a 12 dB slope, with my rear speakers crossed over at 100 Hz (HPF) with a 12 dB slope, and my subwoofer crossed over at 80 Hz (LPF) with a 12 dB slope.  With that set up, my front door speakers are reproducing midbass, giving it the "kick" most people want from a sound system, and it will help trick our ears that the bass in the trunk is coming from up front.  If you have your rear speakers trying to reproduce lower frequencies, it will draw your attention to the rear and make it sound like your sub is in the trunk.  Another thing is that the rear speakers should be barely noticeable compared to the front speakers.  While rear speakers are important, they are not nearly as important as the front speakers.

I think you misunderstood my question... I know that 6x9s distort sound because of their shape and are not a replacement for a sub woofer. I will have a 10 inch alpine type r in a fiber glass box in the back along with alpine type r 6x9s... my question is should I put 6.5s or 5.25s in the front. Which ones would you recommend in the front, the 6.5 or 5.25s? I'm assuming the 5.25s will focus on much more just mid range bass while the 6.5s will get a little deeper but not by much, and I will be going with a component system in the front.

I like to focus much more on quality rather than loudness, but I am within a budget, so I thought I would match all the speakers and subs to be either alpine type r or type x with an Alpine PDX-5 amp.

I'd go with 6.5" speakers in the front.  With something smaller than that, your midbass will suffer.

K. Thanks

Does my mindset on my system make sense (Quality over loudness but within a budget) or am I crazy?

Alpine SPR-69C (6x9" Type R)
SPR-17S (6.5" Components Type R)
Alpine SWR-1042D (10" Sub Type R)
Alpine PDX-5 (5 channel amp)
Alpine CDA-105 (Stereo)

Trunk and doors will be covered in eDead and Sub will be in a fiberglass box.

Sure.  It looks good.

JL Audio TR690-TXi (deck)
JL Audio TR600-CXi (front)

I'm looking to go with these speakers for my car (stock HU).

I'm thinking these will be powered fine by the OEM HU. Am I correct?

I believe the front ones need some sort of adapter (according to Crutchfield) but the rear can be popped right in. How would I know what kind of adapter to get since I can get the speakers for about $40 less on eBay.

They're made by Metra or Scoche and they're specific to our Accords.  You can find them on eBay too.

Is this what I'm looking for?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Metra-82-7803-Speak ... 2ead3fa179 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Metra-82-7803-Speaker-Adapters-Accord-Civic-Jetta-/200475124089?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ead3fa179" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Or am I looking for speaker connectors?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Metra-72-7800-Honda ... 414efd61fc (http://cgi.ebay.com/Metra-72-7800-Honda-Speaker-Harness-Pair-New-/280498102780?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item414efd61fc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Thanks in advance.

You need speaker harnesses regardless of the speaker like the ones in the link. As for the speaker adapter, I needed a one inch spacer because of the size of my magnet. I assume you will need the same. I just got a generic brand and fit at Circuit City, when it was still around, and they worked fine. I believe they were about $20.00. Hope this helps.

So basically I will need both? I won't mind trying those adapters for like $10...

Well, I don't know. I can't really tell what those adapters do. Why do you think you need adapters? It should be pretty simple, 6.5" speaker replaces 6.5" speaker. I'll just let the expert answer so it'll be certain.

The speaker wire adapters will be helpful, but you can just cut off the old adapters and run bare wire.  As for the speaker adapters, you may want to make sure they're spaced out so the magnet clears.

any idea of the quality of JL Audio speakers? I know their subs are great.

considering different options for my build...

Edit: and which series of their speakers is the best bang for the buck?

Their speakers aren't half bad actually.  Honestly, go listen to them and make your decision based on what sounds best to you within your budget.

No store sells them that know of :(.

I'll figure something out.

Go to their website, look for an authorized dealer near you, and ask them to listen to the speakers you want to buy.

is it bad to mix brands of speakers? im sure it is, i have infinity Kappa in back and maybe gona put apline speakers that come with amp in front, i do have kappa for fronts, just have to cut oem door grill out to make them fit

kappa has cross over on each speaker to separate lows and highs and send them to tweaters and midrange speaker,


also what about disconecting/removing oem tweaters? i heard that rubs power to regular speakers

It's not going to kill anything to use different brands of speakers.  The only people that care about that are judges.  

As far as your stock tweeters go, you may want to disconnect them if you're not using them.  They don't really "rob" power because they don't need much power.

found other amps with speaker level inputs (kinda looks like most 4 chanel amps have this feature.)
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/ ... /GM-D9500F (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/CarAudioVideo/Amplifiers/GMDigitalSeries/GM-D9500F" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130GM6400F ... tml?tp=115 (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130GM6400F/Pioneer-GM-6400F.html?tp=115" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_136J23204/ ... tml?tp=115 (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_136J23204/JL-Audio-J2-320-4.html?tp=115" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

All of those amplifiers require a harness.  I'm not sure if it's specific to the amp or not, but you're going to have to cough up extra money with the Pioneer amps.  They nickle and dime you on every accessory.  The JL Audio amp may have the harness included.  Call the manufacturers to find out though.

well since im not gona have shop do it for me i guess ill go with alpine

i think i decided on this one. 75W is what my speakers can handle RMS and it seems  to be deacent with speaker level inputs
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-Pion ... ioQ5fVideo (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-Pioneer-GM-D9500F-4-Channel-800W-Car-Amplifier-Amp-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem439fbd302eQQitemZ290442784814QQptZCarQ5fAudioQ5fVideo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Will the Alpine MRV-F450 ( http://www.crutchfield.com/S-I4MhZMKbKN ... -F450.html (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-I4MhZMKbKNk/p_500MRVF450/Alpine-MRV-F450.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) ) be able to power a 2 ohm sub?

The specs only list its power for 2 ohm speakers but not sub. Just want to make sure, found a great deal on craigslist.

Yeah, the only rating for the sub channel on that amp is for a 4Ω load.  If you have a 2Ω sub, you're SOL.

Hey guys,

Id like to be able to put the metra relocation kit in and use a single din CD Player with an 8" drop down screen (not retractable, just sits over the face of the kit)

Can anyone with the kit measure how much room you have from the top of the din to where it would first hit on the bottom? I could always go with a 7", but bigger is better!

Also, how do you guys "operate" the cd player once it is in the relocation area? if you have the radio playing on the stock h/u how do you pop a cd in?

You question is a little confusing but, generally the stock raido isn't hooked up to any speakers so it operates only as a clock/climate control.

I don't understand what you're asking either.  So, you want a single DIN CD player, and then you're going to block it and make it inaccessible by slapping an 8" drop down screen in front of it?  What's the screen going to drop down from anyway?  You may want to rethink this.  You're over complicating a very simple set up.

Sorry guys, I was kind of rushed this morning.

To the first question- What im doing is installing a metra relocation kit. But the headunit I thought would be cool is a single DIN, with a NON MOTORIZED, drop down screen

Pyle Screen (http://www.pyleaudio.com/itemdetail.asp?brand=&cat1=Mobile%20Video%20And%20Navigation&cat2=In-Dash%20DVD%20Receivers%20w/%20Monitors&model=PLD51MUBT)

That is a link to show you what im talking about, but not the actual item (the one I want is an 8" screen, not 5")  My question was how much room is there (would I be able) to fit the 8" screen that goes down below (infront of/blocks) the "pocket" (that the kit forms) or would it hit the center console infront of the shifter.  Therefore, my next option would be a motorized 7-8" flip up screen, and again, would I be looking at clearence issues? (this time up)  

Second question- So what your saying Mike is that when people do the metra kit they mainly let the oem radio go, and use the aftermarket h/u as the radio/cd/dvd player? Just clarifying.

Thanks guys,

Luke

I have a simple solution to what you're trying to do.  You're over complicating the fuck out of this by trying to stuff 20 pounds of shit (yes Pyle is crap) in a 5 pound bag.  You're better off getting a double DIN instead.  At least that will look clean.  Even if you pull off whatever it is you're trying to do, it's going to look like it was half assed.

I agree with Tim I would go double din, and yes you will need to purchase a wiring harness that basically makes the OEM radio a display.

Lately I have notice that my subs aren’t hitting as hard as they were the first time I installed them. For the past week my subs have been acting a little funny. As I am listening to them they seem to get a little low at times only for a second. Then they would just hit hard again. I have checked my battery out it is still good. The power cap is staying fully charged. I just can’t figure out what might be causing this problem. I thought maybe I might need an alternator upgrade? Any information about this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

If your running a cap and it's staying fully charged your alternator should be okay.

Have you checked the connections?

It could be your amplifier. 

I have checked the connections an actually one of the connections to the sub was lose. I tighten it. So far it seemed to be ok How would i know if the amp for the subs wouldn't be working correctly?

Swap one of them out.

Well so far the problem has all of a sudden stop. I believe the lose connection I had may have contributed to this problem.

Thread bump!

Quick question Tim. I am currently re-working my home theater system as I move it to the condo. The wall the TV is going on is where the stairs are. It's is kind of a narrow spot, so I can't really have any components sitting out without them not being in the way. So, to get to the point, I am installing a rack in the closet under the stairs. Now, I need to get my remote to work through the wall and control all my components. I have a Logitech Harmony One. I was looking at something like THIS (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_190RCAHT2/Niles-RCA-HT2.html?search=ir+repeater&tp=1899), but wanted to see if anyone had a similar set up or if they knew anything about this. I was hoping to maybe find something cheaper though.

Here is what I have that needs to be controlled:

Samsung Blu Ray player
XBOX 360
Apple TV
Onkyo Receiver
Samsung Plasma

That was a statement, not a question.  Anyway, both of my home theater systems have a RF remote, but have an IR repeater to control other devices.  It works consistently with my external devices.  I can't speak for other equipment though.  I'm sure you can find an IR repeater that's less expensive than that Niles one.

Oh, really? That's why I put a period instead of a question mark? Hell, if I could've had you maybe I could have improved my 34 english sub-score to a 36 on the ACT. There is no need to be an ass hole Tim. Thank you for answering the question.

You're no fun Bill.

Did someone get his Cheerios pissed in this morning?

Target practice. :D

I eat captain crunch, Z, not cheerios.

Why am I not surprised?  Back on topic shit heads.

Audio question...

I just replaced a headlight bulb, had to remove the battery to get to it. After I hooked everything back up I had to re-input my radio code (normal..) and now my stereo is pretending like there is not a CD player. It's reading my Denison IceLink hooked up with my iPod, and AM, FM, but no CD player? I have 6 discs in there and it's like it's just not there. Help? Suggestions?

Try resetting the radio again.

I just bought the Metra kit for the stock radio/H/AC Replacement, not the cubby.  I have the wiring harness for the H/AC and the wiring harness for the sony HU which ill cut into the stock wires.  Do I need the steering wheel control harness? metra has one that automatically picks up the vehicle for $30something.

There is no harness for the HVAC with the Metra kit.  The HVAC connector (the green plug) is plug and play into the Metra kit.  The harness that you got with the Metra kit is probably for the OEM stereo connector.  You should not cut or modify the OEM harnesses in any way.  The only thing you need to do is wire the Metra harness with your h/u harness. 

Let me know if you need help with that.  It should be pretty straight forward though.

So everything is plug and play? On my old GMC (01 Sierra) we had the plug that went from the sony H/U and cut out the stock cd player harness, and then wired the Sony Plug wires to the stock wires color by color (with the help of a 12v forum) If that makes sense..

I will need the Metra Dual to single climate control plug?

http://www.metraonline.com/part/70-7864-DZ (http://www.metraonline.com/part/70-7864-DZ)


What about the steering wheel controls? is that wired through the stock harness?  

http://www.metraonline.com/part/ASWC (http://www.metraonline.com/part/ASWC)

Do you have dual climate control right now?  If you do, you will need the dual to single climate plug.  If you want the steering wheel controls, you will need that other thing, and that will wire into your OEM harness most likely with the Metra adapter.

Damn, this shits pricey yo.

Yeah, it adds up when you want stuff that's good.

Like they say, gotta pay to play.

Question for you Tim..

One of the wires that runs into my amp only accepts a small wire, and the wire coming to it is a much larger wire. Originally it was taped with electrical tape putting the two together, but now that doesn't work anymore and I have no power coming to my amp. What can I do to remedy this?

Thanks in advance..

I'll need to get more specifics Justin.  I'm not sure which wire you're talking about.  If you had two wires spliced together and just held together with electrical tape, then that's your problem.  Fix the install and it should work properly.  Don't ever go back to the installer that did the hack job that's in your car.

I'll post a couple pics tomorrow to show what I'm talking about. Hard to explain without having it right in front of me.

I'm sure I could fix it if I was close by.  Too bad I'm not going to be in MI for a few more weeks.

does the oem 6 cd hu just plug and play with a single cd hu  both 2005 models?

Not sure. If both are single zone climate, I believe its a straight swap. Same should go for dual climate.

It should just be plug and play.  The 6 CD may require a code, so make sure you have that.

gracis senors

Gracias Señores

George Lopez?
i jingled the wires and plugs on the radio and hasnt done it in a while being an hour.... knock on wood

Real quick question...as Crutchfield is pissing me off with its retardedness.  Are the door speakers on a coupe 6.5" or 5.75"?  It is telling me that both fit, but I imagine one requires brackets and the other does not.  Trying to figure out which JL speakers I need to do my doors and tweeters but they can't get specific enough.

Usually you need adapters for 6.5".  Another thing to take into consideration is speaker depth.

Thread Bump.

Ok, read through this entire thread and found some answers I was looking for.  Still have more that hopefully Tim, et al, will surely be able to provide a response to :)... Thanks in advance Tim.

System Components:

H/U:  Pioneer DEH-P6600
- Added Pioneer CDRB10 Auxilary Input Adapter
Fronts: 5.25 Polk DB525.  Installed them with American International HSB-518 Speaker Adapter and Metra 72-7800 Honda Speaker Harness.
Rears: 6x9 Polk DB690.  Installed with Metra 72-7800 Honda Speaker Harness.
Amp:  MTX 3002 amp for sub.  Set at LP filter.
Sub: Infinity Reference Series 12"

Problem is that the mid-bass is lacking significantly in the front.  My stock had better mid-bass than what I'm experiencing now.  I have the fade set only slightly to the front (+3 of range = -14 to +14).   I've adjusted the midbass to max on the internal EQ within the H/U (+6 of range = -6 to +6).  Any suggestions?

My amp also has 3 adjustment knobs: Gain, Bass Boost and Frequency.  Pretty self explanatory, but just looking whether anyone had any advice on properly adjusting these knobs to clean up the bass response.  I have to check the amp specs for the frequency range and properly adjust that knob to suite the sub....

I apologize for being a noob.   ???

Ok guys am looking to re-do my rear speakers swap them out for something better, But my oem speaker plugs  have been cut so  is there anywhere i can get the oem connectors that come from factory?

Give the polks time to break in for starters.  For some reason it seems to take about 50 hours of use before they start sounding good.  Also, because they aren't amped, your not going to ever have great midbass response, as the head unit's built in amps simply don't have enough power (it's not purely the wattage as much as how fast the amp can get the power to change directions with the heavier speaker - heavier speaker = more EMF)

I have those speakers installed in a different vehicle and it took a while before they sounded okay.  In my car I have Polk Momo's (6.5's) and they took a while to break in as well.  It wasn't until I amped them that I felt they were an improvement over stock.  Adding the amp made a much bigger different than changing the speakers on my car.  I found that the Aftermarket headunit resulted in poorer midbass even with stock speakers, and stayed about the same when I swapped to the polks (I sealed the doors at the same time though, so that would have improved the mid bass if everything else stayed the same).  As the polks broke in, it improved a bit and ended up being a bit better than stock, but hardly noticable.  When I added the amp, the sound as a whole, but especially the midbass, improved very noticably, and I'm completely happy with my car's midbass now.  I have them high passed at 67hz for integration with my sub, but 80hz is probably a more appropriate starting point for your 5.25's

I used a multimeter to set the gains for my amp.  Leave bass boost at 0 (your head unit can take care of boosting the bass unless you want it to be disproportionate).  If you HU has time alignment, be sure to use it as that makes a big difference.  If not, don't be scared to run your sub out of phase to try get better integration.  A good place to start for frequency is 80-100hz considering your smaller front speakers and the resulting natural roll off on them.

^^^ Thanks Sworkhard!  I lost my original user manual for the head unit and finally downloaded a replacement.  There are a lot of features that are being underutilized, so some tweaking to the current settings will definitely produce a better sound stage.  Hopefully updates soon :)

Never thought of it earlier, but make sure the speakers are all in phase otherwise one could be 'sucking' while the other is 'blowing' resulting in quiet mids/midbass.

^^ Thanks again Sworkhard!  I used the Metra 72-7800 Honda Speaker Harnesses to install all the speakers due to simplicity.  Pretty confident the wires were connected to the correct positive/negative leads since the positive/negative speaker connectors are two different sizes.  Not definite, but am assuming the speakers are in phase.

Alright, I want to stop bugging Tim about this problem I've been having, so I'll post it here.

I have a Soundgate AUXHOND3 aux adapter installed in my car. I have the 6CD dual climate head unit. Whenever I plug my phone into the aux adapter, it sounds fine. However, whenever I plug my phone into the aux adapter and a cigarette car charger, I get that annoying alternator whine. So it's a ground loop issue.

Originally, I was going to take the ground wire from the aux adapter and hook it up to the cigarette lighter ground, but then I got lazy and got a ground loop isolator from Radioshack. That seems to be working fine, but I want my car to be Tim-approved, so I just got an idea. What if I grounded the whole head unit to the same ground as the cigarette lighter?

Does anyone have any ideas on how this could be accomplished? Would I have to cut the power wire to the head unit and rewire it? Also, I'm not 100% sure, but I did find a ground bolt behind the cubby with about 3-4 different wires hooked up to it. I have a feeling that one of those is for the cigarette lighter. I figured wiring the head unit to that ground bolt would help.

Jeff, can of gas and some matches.  :thumbsup:

In all seriousness, I think that should solve your issue. Honestly, definitely take out that Radio shack garbage and ground your HU to that bolt if it'll make your life easier. Another thing you can do is tie the ground from your adapter to the ground wire of your HU with a good soldered connection and some heat shrink.

there's honestly no point in doing that because then you'll be spending extra money to get the aftermarket harnesses to adapt to factory to install aftermarket speakers...your best bet is to use crutchfield/the12volt.com to find pos/neg speaker wire colors and just put terminal connectors on the factory wires and connect them to the terminals on the speaker

Damnit, I have a new car, I don't want that to happen anymore! Lmao  :laugh:

The only problem I have is, although I may be mechanically inclined, I'm nowhere near as good with electronics. Sure, I'm fine when it's just hooking up the black, white, and green wire, but when I took a look at the harness for the head unit and how many wires there are, I haven't the slightest idea what to do. I know one of the many wires there (a black one I'm sure) is the ground wire, but all of those wires are so small.

Is there a way to ground straight from the head unit to the ground bolt without having to mess with the factory harness? I honestly don't want to fuck around with that stuff if possible. For now, I'll leave the Radioshit isolator in until I get things squared away. I have 30 days to return it anyways.

 :mad6:

Haha I know Tim, I suck! I'm turrible at electronics, and I have a bad case of the lazies.  :suicide:

Cutting corners never works.

I got a question, Im planning on relocating my battery to my trunk (so I can fit my custom 3.5" to 3" intake with velocity stack) I know I have to run two wires from the battery one to the starter and one to the fusebox and a new wire from the alternator to the fusebox but what I'm not sure of is what gauge wire to use for this and what amp fuses to run with each wire, also where would I tie in a circuit breaker with this as I was told that I should run one if I'm going this route I already have a battery box and the battery is a yellow top optima

So i swap out my rear speakers now the speaker covers wont fit any one knows how to fix this or had this issue with aftermarket speakers?

Think of it like running an aftermarket amp in your trunk.  I'd run 1/0 gauge wire.  Is there some reason why you're going to run a 3"-3.5" intake?  Have you done some work to your motor, or is it just stock?


Try mounting the speakers from underneath.  That usually gives you more clearance.  Unfortunately, this is an issue with some aftermarket speakers.

It's just stock"ish" Intake,Headers,Exhaust,Port matched head,minor port work done on the intake manifold (not going to bother cutting it apart to do a full job save that for my tsx mani) started a second job 2 months ago to speed things up with my build, I'm in the part gathering stage right now :p but I got some nice toys on the way to help me build more power later (homemade flowbench :D)   I wanted to build my motor first but after noticing some rust forming on the rear drivers wheel arch I decided paint/looks would be my first focus so I'm working from the inside out got all my materials to reupholster just trying to track down a good place in canada to order some katskinz replacement leather, and since my interior is torn apart thought it would be a good time to lay some wires and relocate it now, wiring and electrical have always been the bane of my existence :p I just wanted to double check here first before I spend the money for parts time to put all my schooling/experience to work on my own vehicle for a change (3rd year apprentice mechanic and 1st year apprentice autobody) thanks for the quick reply

You should be able have a 3" intake clear your battery.  What most people do is cut off the positive battery terminal from the charge harness, and add a circuit breaker or fuse holder, then run cable from that to the trunk.  If you are replacing the power cable in your charge harness, then you'll need to break it down anyway since the knock sensor wire and alternator wires are part of the charge harness and you need to reuse those.  Then you can just use the stock cable as a guide.

Where in Canada are you anyway?

Ok sweet thanks...and I live on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, recently rated the number 1 island in north America and 3rd in the world awww ya ahaha nothing like shooting the Cabot trail through the mountains with the windows down and not a care in the world
Edit: winter though is a different story lol unless you have a snowmobile
(http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j51/rushzer0/09e6cb9a.jpg)

Adding a amp to my factory nav where would i tap into for a remote amp turn on, the ignition?

I used my cig lighter as its turned on by the ignition. Tim may disagree with that idea though.

who here has the Parrot MKi9200?

Not me. That shit was out of my price range. I do have the ck3100 and love it for its handsfreeness. Yes. That's a word because I made it up.

Actually, I don't disagree.  That's what I would use.


I installed the MKi9100 in the Fit and was less than impressed.  The call quality sucked and the iPod part of it stopped working after 8 months.  I need to rip that pos out.

okay I got a question. So the accord doesn't have a sub signal. So how do you guys with system get a signal for the sub when you have a 4 channel amp hooked up? Does the audio processor give you sub signal? Or do you tap a signal? Because when I look at the instruction of the cleansweep there is only 4 RCA that goes into the amp. So I am freaken confused.

I ask this because I have a 4 channel amp and a mono D amp.

So please educate me.

found my answer on crutchfield.. Y adaptor..

Y adaptor isn't the best choice, but it may be the only one you have.  Does your 4 channel amp have an output or a pass through?

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_218OCR504/Phoenix-Gold-Octane-R-5-0-4.html?tp=115&tab=features_and_specs (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_218OCR504/Phoenix-Gold-Octane-R-5-0-4.html?tp=115&tab=features_and_specs)

Its this one for the 4 channel and

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-GM-D7500M-Class-D-Amplifier-Watts/dp/B0036W9QEK (http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-GM-D7500M-Class-D-Amplifier-Watts/dp/B0036W9QEK)

for the mono amp.

I was thinking about selling the 4 channel now just because I don't want to rerun the wires through the fire wall. The one hole that is above the clutch is full now.

What difference does it make if you have one amp or two?  You should only have one power wire from your battery to your trunk?  It also looks like the  channel amp you got has an auxiliary output, so all you have to do is run an rca cable from the output of your 4 channel amp to your sub amp.

Tim I think you misunderstood. I only have 8 gauge installed right now. I would need to swap to a 4 gauge and then have it go to a distributor block (used the Crutchfield chart 600rms X 2 / 13.7~ 88 amps. the Issue is that the hole I feed the 8 gauge wiring is already packed with other wires. So I don't think i can fit the 8 gauge wiring in even if I removed the 8 gauge to take its place.

The idea I had was the mono block will solo power the monoblock. The 4 channels are going to power the 6.5  and 6x9 speakers. But issue is I don't know where else I can feed the 4 gauge to without drilling a hold through the firewall. Any suggest there? Not sure if it is really worth the trouble. I am just going to run the sub first and see how I like it.

I used this chart

http://www.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/car/cable_gauge_chart.html?g=120&tp=115 (http://www.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/car/cable_gauge_chart.html?g=120&tp=115)

and my wiring as of right now is 17ft.

Try passing the wire through the firewall in a different point.  There's a hole in the firewall that passes into the frame rail that's near where your steering passes through.  You mentioned you were using a different hole.

Hey Tim thanks for your help. You were right about the amp. It does have an Aux output so I can hook that up to my mono Amp. I been cleaning up that hole behind the clutch and rewiring a few things to remove the cluster from it. That way I can get the 4 gauge through.

Just wondering how do you remove the rear deck plastic? I need to sound dampen that area. It rattles with the sub inside now

remove the rear speaker grill covers that pop up first...then remove the speakers (factory bolts are 8mm screws, unless you already changed speakers using a diff screw)..

remove the rear c pillars by popping out the airbag cover tab first

there's a screw on each side of the C pillars..i forget exactly where but only 1 screw..once those are out..the rest of it "pops" out...

remove the 3rd brakelight (if equipped on rear deck) by popping/unclipping from underneath and removing the  bulb from it

i'm 99% positive the rest of the rear deck pops out


i am going off everything i did in my 04 accord coupe...not sure if it changes in the year/body style though

sounds good. I am doing it on an 06 sedan. So hopefully its the same.

It's fairly similar with the sedan.

Hey guys, I did a search and didn't come up with anything so I was wondering if anyone knows what the factory 6 disk cd changer "premium audio system" puts out per channel?  Someone said max 20 watts, i was really hoping the number would have been higher.  I'm just trying to do a small upgrade without changing the head unit just to get a slightly stronger sound.  I was thinking about buying an amp small enough to just feed two decent quality read deck speakers.  Any suggestions for a small cheap upgrade with either the method I mentioned or any other?

Thank you.

You should remove your speakers and seal them against the mounting surface.  I usually use closed cell foam or double sided tape.  That will give you the best bang for your buck.  If you want, you can upgrade your front speakers with something aftermarket that's better than stock.  Anything else, and you're wasting your time and money since you're looking for a "cheap" upgrade.

I'm sorry, I don't fully understand what you mean by sealing the speakers.  I've never heard of this.  Are you simply saying to double stick the speaker to the mounting location? If so, what does that do? Or something like building something to seal off the back side of the speakers? 

I considered just upgrading the speakers but from what I gather the head unit will underpower them and it will sound just as bad if not worse after I'm done.  I might be able to get a used amp off of a buddy for cheap so that isn't an issue in terms of money.  I just didn't want to spend as much money as a lot of you guys have done in your systems.  I don't want subs, I have no need for it being that I listen to country, haha.  I also don't want to mess with putting in a second head unit.

By sealing off the speaker, you seal the speaker from the surface it's mounted to so you reduce the back waves.  The double sided tape goes between the back of the speaker and the door/rear deck that it's bolted on to.

I can't find anything about this online, just sealing the door panels themselves.  Do you mean to litteraly seal off the back of the speakers as in over the magnet and cone (not even sure if the cone is visible from the back of car speakers)? Cover everything on the back side of the speaker?

No.  All you're doing is creating a "gasket" between the speaker and the surface it's mounted to.  Does that help?

yes thank you.  This allows the speaker to project better?  Something so simple is worth trying.

As Tim stated with regards to the backwaves, the "gasket" provides a cushion to muffle the vibrations from your speaker. As quickly as the speaker cone moves, it creates minor vibrations that distort the sound. By adding that foam to the mating surface, you cushion against those vibrations and improve the sound of your speaker. Correct me if I'm wrong here Tim.

Sorry Z, but you're a bit off.  The reason for the gasket is to seal the speaker from it's own back waves.  Since your speaker moves back and forth, it emits sound from the front of the cone and the back of the cone.  The sound emitting from the back of the cone is called a back wave.  That will reflect of the surface behind it (eg. - your door skin) and if your speaker is not sealed, the sound will come through the unsealed area and the back wave will interfere with the front wave and some frequencies will cancel out.  It's has a similar effect as wiring a pair of speakers out of phase.

The best way to do this is to seal the openings in your doors the best you can and seal the front and the back of the speaker so that you have an infinite baffle.  Obviously, this is kind of hard to do.  Sealing your speakers is the next best thing you can do on a budget.  You can even use sound deadening material like dynamat or b-quiet as your gasket.

its like dynamating the speaking without spending and arm and a leg. You might want to look into that also to help improve the sound quality.

Meh. I tried.

No, it's not actually.

Alright, thanks guys.  I thought that's what you meant but figured the only way to really seal off the backwaves is to completely enclose the back of the speakers but your just concerned about the backwaves in the immediate area around the speaker.  A guy at work referred to this as standard practice anytime your installing speakers. I didn't realize those backwaves could be such an issue.  Thanks again for the explanation.

oh I bought one, just trying to see where people mounted theirs... i paid 160 for it

The brain is under the console and the actual interface is in the sunglass holder. The thing is totally hidden.

cool. i'll be back in FL on friday, gotta see where i want to put it

LOC blows on stock system blows... Need to get an audio processor. Has anyone worked with the MTX re-q?? I just want bass.

I was just about to ask same question i saw them on sale but havent seen anyone install them on a 7gen yet ,also how will you go about installing it would i need to use somthing like the PAC AOEM-HON20 ?

Just going to run the signal from the rear 2 speaks. Cut and soldier.  I just want the sub to sound good. I wan the MTX req-5 because the regular one have ground loop noise issue.

I seen a lot of build on driveraccord but its like mixed reviews.

So wait, what's your problem?  Does it not sound good, is there no bass, or are you getting a ground loop noise?  You're not exactly clear on what the problem is, and each problem will require a different solution.

If you're just going to run the speaker signal from your rear speakers only to the processor, you're wasting your time.  Why spend $180 on a processor that you're not even going to use to it's full potential?  You're just wasting money at that point.  Seriously, all you're doing right now is cutting corners.  Why not do it right the first time?  All you're really doing is using a half ass bandaid to fix the problems created by a half ass install.

If you're really looking for advice, then do it right the first time and stop wasting your time and money.

just going to redo it. Thanks for your help Tim

So i got a new Rockford Fosgate's PBR300X1 amp the spec's say  to power it use a 10 gauge wire amp kit should i go with 4 gauge instead for the long run? its only 300 watts nothing major am planing to pair it with a PBR300X4 in future so am thinking running 4 gauge to a distribution block and down size the wire gauge from there to power both would it be a good idea?

4 gauge should be fine, the one thing you don't want to do is go smaller than 10 gauge.  I'm still running 1/0 from my battery.  From the distribution block to the amps, I'm running 8 gauge.

go with 4 gauge just in case you might want to add another amp. 4 gauge to distributor block and then 8 gauge. That is what I am doing to my car right now. Here the wiring kit I bought. It more like 2 gauge. The wires are soo thick.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KnuKonceptz-Blue-Black-KCA-4-Gauge-Amp-Install-Kit-/390344411460?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae2570944#ht_2048wt_1396 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/KnuKonceptz-Blue-Black-KCA-4-Gauge-Amp-Install-Kit-/390344411460?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae2570944#ht_2048wt_1396)

i seen that kit on there main site i placed a order they have good reviews and comparisons to other kits 

yeah I just did an install with it today. Damn those wire are thick. I had a hard time feeding through the hole that the MT people use. Make sure you have something that can crimp and solder the wired. I used a Vice to crimp them since I didn't have anything to do 4 gauge.. O yeah one thing I didn't like was the remote wires was on the RCA cable. My amp remote was on the other side for both amp. lol

now I need to know where to mount my mono block? any suggestion? I can't do the back seat since that is where my 4 channel is.

this is what my amp look like

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-GM-D7500M-Class-D-Amplifier-Watts/dp/B0036W9QEK/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_2 (http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-GM-D7500M-Class-D-Amplifier-Watts/dp/B0036W9QEK/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_2)

That's not a remote turn on wire Ken.  That's actually a ground wire to reduce noise.  You should not use that as a remote turn on wire because you run the risk of induced noise to your signal cables and you are essentially doing the opposite of what that wire's intended use.

yeah I am not using it as a remote wire because my remote wire is on the other side. I was kinda confused since they put this "-One 17 Foot Blue eKo RCA Cable with Built in Turn On lead". I just split the first remote wire and used it for both amp.

i was looking at these to mount my amps going for a clean install look

http://www.zenclosures.com/category_s/174.htm (http://www.zenclosures.com/category_s/174.htm)

also guys will this work for the oem setup
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360379362173&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360379362173&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en)

runing lines from that adapter to amp then from amp to speakers snice i dont what to change my deck

I like those shelves. They look clean.

You probably want to find out what the current rating is for the remote turn on of whatever you're using is.  It may be necessary to use a relay since most remote turn on outputs are really only designed for one amplifier.

okay hmm. I am using a 14 gauge wiring. I solder all 3 of the wires together with my dad help. Then shrink wrap them.

Yeah, that's not the point I was trying to make.  What's the amperage of the remote turn on going to the amplifiers, and what's the amperage required for the remote turn for your amplifiers?  Find that out, and then we'll know whether you need to use a relay or not.

Hmm okay can you explain more about this? I am kinda just learning as I go along kinda thing. Also will this help solve the issue of my speakers popping when on turn on and off the car? I been trying to figure that out.

My remote triggers come from my cig lighter in the arm rest.

Okay.  I'll have to look up the amperage from that.  It should be enough to power your remote turn on on your amps.  One thing you can do is use a relay for your remote turn on to give it a slight delay, and that may get rid of the pop when you turn your car on and off.

alright I will try to do some more homework. It only pops on the mono block amp. It doesn't pop on my 4 channel amp. I tested it as so. Both amp remote plug it = pop from sub, 4 channel amp plug in only no pop, mono block plug in pop.

I was looking around and people were saying to use the bosch relay. Other say add a resistor to the line. So I really confuses since there is no clear cut answers.

Whoever said to use a resistor is an idiot and doesn't know what they're talking about. 

Thanks Tim. That's the exact picture that I found also.

Go figure.

I am going to ditch the audio processor. Its taking way too long to ship due to back order. So I am debating if I should get a single Din or Double din. Looking at the Alpine unit with bluetooth built in and Ipod. I really dont like how alpine makes u buy the add on for the really good units.

Add on what?  Bluetooth and iPod.  All you need is a cable for the iPod.  I've tried 2 of their bluetooth systems and have been miserably disappointed so far.  I still use my bluetooth ear piece since it has the best sound quality on both ends.  Of course, I think it's the best bluetooth ear piece on the market at the moment.

for the high end decks you have to buy the blue tooth unit and its 100 bucks. lol

Yeah, that's a lot of shit they have.  I'm not crazy about any car bluetooth integration.  Every one I've used sucks.  I'll stick with my headset.

yeah... lol Audio stuff is confusing. I really wish there were better audio stores around my area. Best Buy and Frys are really bad place to test out stuff.

Look for a good car audio installer.  They usually have a show room with an area that you can listen to different speakers.  Also, check out some manufacturers websites and look for authorized dealers.

okay I checked out the P3300Bt and it looks very promising for the price.

Hey Guys. Me Again. I FINALLY have everything to Install my Audio System but I'm having a HARD time finding a way to pass the power cable from the engine bay to the inside of the car. Can anyone point out how to? I have a v6/6mt Coupe if that helps at all. Thanks !

Search and You'll find the answer you seek.

There's a handy little grommet between the clutch and brake pedal. It goes into the frame rail directly underneath the CMS and there's a handy hole on the side of said frame rail. Pop that grommet out and shine a flashlight through. You'll see what I'm talking about.

^What they both said.

Thanks ! I'll be installing my system this week hopefully.

What the eff? My CD player (the stock 6 disc) came back from the dead this morning, It couldn't play CDs anyways because I have an aftermarket HU in the cubbyhole but I thought I might be able to get my CDs out but alas they wouldn't come out...it's weird the radio and all the displays worked perfect but pressing the cd/aux did nothing wouldn't even go to CD mode but for some reason now it is...:/ I want my CDs back lol anyway to get them out short of ripping the thing apart? And what would cause my cd player to resurrect?

installed my metra aftermarket module so that I can use my OEM steering wheel control. It was kind of dumb. I had to cut my radio wiring to ground the steering wheel control. O well

Another issue.

ONLY IN AM settings, I have this annoying, high pitch "whine" that occilates in loudness.  It does not occur continuously, nor constant across the various AM stations.  If I am experiencing the "whine" in one AM channel and switch to another, typically the second channel does not have the whine.  If I then switch back to the original channel that had the whine, it may still be present or may have gone away.  It is hit or miss.

Also, the loudness or frequency of the whine is irrelated to the sound associated with the ground loop or acceleration.  It is random.  The ground and power lines are connected to the stock wiring.  Again, ONLY IN AM CHANNELS.  FM, Aux and CD does not produce any odd noises.

Please help.

Sounds like poor AM reception.  Did you have this same problem with your OEM radio on the same stations?

That's AM for ya.

No problems with the stock unit at the same station settings.  That's why I find it odd, especially if occuring only with AM.

Ya telling me.  I'm about to sucker punch the AM settings... LOLz.  :D

Could be a shitty AM tuner in the head unit.  Have you called the manufacturer of the head unit about this yet?  It doesn't seem like an install issue, but I recall something about using a small capacitor for AM reception problems.  That's kind of an old school trick though.

^^ No Tim, haven't called the manufacturer.  It could be that the HU is 6+ years old.  Thanks for the advice thus far!  Going to see what the manufacturer recommends....

It's worth a try.  Even though it's an old product, there may be some option.  I work for an audio company and we offer support for products that we sold back in 1966, so anything is possible.

So i started thinking i can install the jl audio cleansweep myself would i have to tap into the speaker out ect.. lines in back of my nav unit or cut the ones i need and feed them directly into the cleansweep harness ?

You'd need to cut them.

I've got a question for you guys: Anyone that has replaced the door speakers, how did you mount them? I know there are some sort of adapters you can buy and I've heard of a few people that made adapters out of mdf. Reason I ask is because back a few years ago when I had my other Accord I just took to a shop and had them put new speakers in it and I'm pretty sure they just cut the shit out of the door until it fit. Which is the best way to do it?

That depends what the best way means to you.  Do you want to return it back to stock one day, or do you want the best audio?  There are adapters that clip into the stock speaker mounting location.  You can also use MDF rings (I have a few that you can have) to mount them to the door.  Sometimes you need to cut the door a little bit for clearance of the speaker magnet since some speakers can be larger than others.  I've done a few installs in Accords, so if you need any help, I'd be glad to come give you a hand.

Ok cool, so pretty much just a MDF ring is needed, I don't HAVE to buy the adapters. I originally thought I was just going to cut the medal on the door like that shop did on my other Accord but once I took off the door panel I realized just how much metal they had to cut out to get the speakers to fit and didn't feel comfortable doing it. Thanks Tim!

On a side note, when the rear window blew out of the old Accord, my Pioneer 6x9's were toasted so I think i'm gonna go ahead and buy two sets of 6.5in components and replace the coaxials in the front as well. I've had my eye on a set of Planet audio BB625C components but I think at least for the front speakers i'm going to go with Alpine SPR-17S components. I should atleast spend the money on a good set for the front.

^this

I was looking around for parts when i saw they sell reverse oem wireharness i was thinking of getting one and running my wires from there but am not sure if nav and regular radio have same plug i think is a 20 pin
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using Tapatalk

I'm almost positive that the plug is the same, but the harness may be missing some wires for steering wheel controls and what not if it's for a non-navi head unit.

does anyone have the rockford fosgate punch P325.2?

Not here.

it is missing the steering wheel control I had to cut and re solider them to my control box for my new H/U.

There we go.

What is the best kit for putting a double din in my cubby?

OEM Honda is the best one to use.  The part number is 08B06-SDA-100.  I think they're hard to come by now though.  They "may" have been discontinued.

1hondaparts still has them. I have to order one myself.

https://www.1hondaparts.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=part_picker&make=Honda&model=ACCORD&year=2003&version=2DR%20EX%20(V6)&transmission=KA6MT&system=ACCESSORIES&component=AUDIO%20ATTACHMENT (https://www.1hondaparts.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=part_picker&make=Honda&model=ACCORD&year=2003&version=2DR%20EX%20(V6)&transmission=KA6MT&system=ACCESSORIES&component=AUDIO%20ATTACHMENT)

I saw them still available through Bernardi Honda last week as well

I guess its about time to post a question in here even though I probably know the answer. Over the last few days, I get intermittant speaker pops from my rear deck area. I have an LOC (I know. I know. Funds are short.) to tie my sub into the system. I have the left and right inputs of my LOC tied into the left and right speakers. Its been like that since that trip I made to Boston some years ago (you know about that trip Tim) and been working fine ever since. All connections are solid. Nothing has changed. I suspect one of my rear speakers has finally taken a shit and its sending the pop noise to the sub or the LOC I've been using has taken a shit. Mind you the pop happens over bumps at random and not very frequent but its still an annoyance. Ay suggestions on where to start troubleshooting this shit? And no, I'm not replacing everything as funds are short but I do have plans to do so in the near future. Just not yet since I'm still on the house hunt.

Okay, so you have a LOC connected to the rear speakers, that goes to an amp that powers your subs.  The pop is coming from your rear speakers?  Is it also coming from your sub?

The first thing I would do is completely disconnect the LOC from your rear speakers wires and see what happens.  Obviously, if it's still there, then you have a problem with your speakers.  If it goes away, then I would consider replacing the LOC.

Pretty much what I was thinking. I figured I'd put it out there and see the thought process. Now to only come up with time.

You can make time.  Feel free to give me a call if you need help with anything or want a fresh perspective on things.

Will do.

Think I figured out my weird popping. One of my connections on my LOC came loose. I don't know how I missed it but at least I found it. Haven't confirmed yet though.

Hey guys I'm looking to put a sub back in my car. Thing is I don't want it to weigh a ton, but I do want it to sound decent. Do you guys have any recommendations? I'm looking at either one 10" or possibly two 8" not looking to spend more then $250 - $300 at most

I'd get one 10" sub and an enclosure designed for the sub.  Don't get one of those one size fits all enclosures.

How do i re download the software from the disc in my dvd rom for my navigation?

Copied from other post:
Hey Guys, I'm new here, but i've been lurking around for a while. I recently purchased my 03 accord and the navi wasn't working. I had a friend diagnose it and the system had to compacters out, so they were fixed. Now i have the radio portion working(using the top screen) but the navigation screen doesn't work. I was just wondering what the problem is. I read that the dvd rom in the trunk could be bad, but i wanted to know if you guys have any input that could help me out before i spend some $.
Thanks Everyone

I wish I had experience with the OEM navi.  I'm sure someone in here can chime in and help though.

What version is your DVD, and what color? I can't quite remember, but I think my old 05 had an orange 1.4 DVD or something like that. If that's the case for yours, I still have a custom navi disc I made that will reload the software and show a different start-up image. I could rip the disc and give you an .iso file for you to burn to your own disc. Whether or not it will work, I have no idea. It may be that your disc is shot. At least my custom disc will be able to reload the software, though.

The DVD is orange, and in fine print at the bottom it says "Ver.3.20"
I read alot that people send the DVD ROM into alpine, alpine diagnose it and call to tell what the problem is. My question is, idk if the screen isnt working because theres a possability that the DVD rom is bad. What other things could make the screen not work.
Thank you for your help

I need this in my life!

What capacitor's do you guys recommend ? am not running anything too serious just 1 300watt 4 channel and 1 300 watt mono for sub , different people tell me different things such as , just hook up the capacitor to the mono amp and not the 4 channel one , what would be the correct way to go about this ,

If you are planning on using a capacitor, you can connect it to the sub amp.  I've had capacitors before, but found it wasn't necessary with my current set up.

+1 with the above post. If you use a capacitor just put it on the sub amp since that one will draw the most current when the bass hits.  A 1 farad should be plenty for a 300 watt amp.

what brand of audio capacitors would you guys suggest?

I don't use a capacitor, so I don't have a suggestion.

ok so Tim, I'm currently not using a aftermarket H/U and i was searching for one and i was thinking i wanted to keep the look in the car stock as possible. I don't live in the best area so i want my audio system to look stock just in case someone looks into my car they don't see anything. I already have speakers, amps, and subs installed, but i feel like I'm losing some of the quality from the stock H/U.

would a equalizer help with my problem at all?

Any help would be appreciated. Worst comes to worst ill get an aftermarket H/U and hide it somewhere or something.

Tim what is the shallow mount sub you use?

No.  An EQ really won't do much.  I prefer aftermarket h/u's because they usually give you an integrated solution.  Because manufacturers make it so hard to upgrade, another alternative would be an external signal processor that connects to your speaker wire outputs on your OEM h/u.  Something like a JL Audio Clean Sweep, or an Alpine PXE-H660 would work.  There are probably others, but I don't know as much about them because it's not an area of the industry I pay attention to very much.


I have a JL Audio 13TW5.

thanks a lot tim ^ exactly what i was looking for.

what do you guys recommand for amp noise or radio " pop " when you turn on the car ?

Usually a relay on the the remote turn on wire gives the amp enough of a delay that it gets rid of the "pop". 

Ok guys now i have a new issue the jl cleansweep works great but at night when i turn on my headlights i start hearing buzz "static" out my system .The static only happens when my headlights are on i guess also when the interior comes on and lights up the radio , where should i start looking ? Snice its fine when lights off , grounds maybe a cross in wires ?

Sounds like induced noise.  Where is the JL Clean Sweep in your car?  Try it in a different location or moving away from any existing wiring.  Shoot me a text if you have any questions.  I won't be around the computer too much today.

I installed the cleansweep in the glove box am sure its from the clean sweep since when i turn down the master volume knob the static goes away am a try relocating it to see what happens pm sent

Lemme know how that works out.  Does the buzz change in frequency with your engine RPM at all?

http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq107/xxcnaxx/?action=view&current=VIDEO0006.mp4

Here the example turn your computer volume up , with the music playing once i turn down the volume that's the HUMMmmm static like noise i hear even during songs , i found a  temporary fix turning the dash lights up from the knob in the gauge cluster lowers the sound dramatically so  till am able to figure out whats causing it , and able to re look over the wiring from the harness . Also no the buzz stays the same even during revs

That's induced noise.  Check the routing of your RCA's to your amps and make sure they're away from other wires.  Another thing you can do is pony up for more expensive shielded cables.  The cable routing is more effective though.  Don't run your RCA's along with other wires.  If they do cross any other electrical wiring, make sure they go across the wires.

debating about installing a half din dvd player in my lower pocket would there be a single din slot that support half din install with out the gap ?

Ok, I have an EX coupe with dual zone climate controls. I put in my fancy dancin aftermarket H/U in the cubby place like crutchfield says to do and hooked up all my schtuff.

The problem is, I don't like the location in the old cubby spot and I miss my burlwood fancy hideaway :)

The solution would be to get the adapter for the MANUAL A/C CONTROL version that puts the H/U where it belongs by removing my interface for climate controls turning them into manual knobs. I agree, it would seem a bit cheesier than our smooth looking dash and may ruin the look, but for functionality, I may suffer with it.
It is this http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120997864/Honda-Accord-Factory-Integration-Adapter.html?tp=3486 (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120997864/Honda-Accord-Factory-Integration-Adapter.html?tp=3486)


My question is, has anyone done this and what their reactions are, in fact I'll take opinions from people who have NOT done this either. I noticed in the reviews there is a delay from the knob to the actual effect..I'm not concerned with a delay. I also realize I will lose my dual climate control (i dont care)

I wouldn't get it.  Loss of dual climate control, delay in functions, and it's fairly cheap.  I have one, and I would never buy another one for the price it's at. 

Ok, thanks for your honesty Tim, I agree, the price is quite steep. I'll just get used to the location and possibly add the adapter to get my steering controls back

That's what I would do.

http://www.amazon.com/Focal-Access-6-5-Inch-Component-Speaker/dp/B001P80920/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345519921&sr=8-1&keywords=Focal+Access+165A1+SG (http://www.amazon.com/Focal-Access-6-5-Inch-Component-Speaker/dp/B001P80920/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345519921&sr=8-1&keywords=Focal+Access+165A1+SG)

Look good? What kind of modification required to fit this... big spacers?

Save your money dude.  Those are the entry level Focals.  You're just paying for the name at that point.  The only Focals I would get are the Utopia Be's or the K2's.  Anything below that is just a budget version that is pretty much the same quality as anything else in the price range.  Literally, you get what you pay for.

I am looking for something better than my
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_108609CS/Infinity-Kappa-60-9cs.html?tp=106 (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_108609CS/Infinity-Kappa-60-9cs.html?tp=106)

At under $200 range... If nothing beats them in that price range I will just sit tight

Also thinking of switching to a single 5 channel amp to change out my two amps , and fix the wiring so wastes less trunk space

Go out and listen to speakers in your price range.  Don't just go by the name.  You'll be surprised what you'll find out.  For an amp, I would suggest the Alpine PDX 5.  Best 5 channel amp I've listened to and it's pretty small.

Good to know, I think I will keep the speakers as is and simply upgrade the amp for the space savings, redo the wiring so it is cleaner as well.

Any recommendations for sound dampening? I am looking to dampen the two front doors and the rear deck

B-Quiet.  They're the least expensive company for sound deadening.  You can buy direct, or save a little money on eBay.  They're also a Canadian company, so you'd be supporting your economy.

Hmm so my car's audio is acting up.  When I turn the car on, the sound plays for like half a second and then I get no sound what so ever.  For the past two years, I have had one of those cheap POS chinese head units in my car.  I'm assuming the POS finally died, but how do I know for sure that is the problem?  I have an amp, capacitor, and a rockford 360 in the trunk.  How do I make sure none of these are the culprit?  I would assume since it plays for a short amount of time then dies that these are not the culprit but I'm no expert.  I'm a bit of a noob with this electronics stuff.

I'll bet its that cheap shit Chinese crap you got screwed with. Plus, how is your setup? Your interior speakers hooked to the Chinese crap or are they on their own amp? I can't remember everyones setup.

I'm pretty sure it is that as well.  At least I managed to get some use out of it before it died.  The amp is a 5 channel amp with my sub and all 4 speakers hooked up to it.  

Here is a picture if that helps

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/car/IMG_0264.jpg)

Another question, if I replace the Chinese HU with a stock HU and add a single din HU in the cubby, do I need to get rid of my 360?  Is there any point in keeping it installed? 

I good place to start is by testing your amp.  Turn your car on, and connect an MP3 player to the RCA inputs of your amp.  If you get sound, then go up the chain.  I have a feeling that it's the cheap stuff, but it's always a good idea to test instead of assume.  Hit me up if you need any suggestions or help with it.

I was wondering why you had a 360 anyway.  Usually, people get them because they're using the OEM h/u.  I'm not sure what kind of cheap chinese h/u you have, but don't over complicate it.  The OEM h/u won't matter at all if you're planning on keeping an aftermarket one.

I bought the 360 when I had just the stock HU and the USA spec Ipod thing.  When I had a shop install the Chinese POS, they said to just leave the 360 installed.  I think they were just too lazy to uninstall it.   I'd like to sell it to recoup some of the money this is going to cost me.  So I guess I'll just get rid of it. 

So even if the HU is broken the sound will still play when I hook the ipod up this way?

I assume this one would work.  I might run to walmart on my lunch break and pick it up.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Accell-7-3.5mm-Stereo-Audio-and-RCA-Cable-For-iPod/12531490 (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Accell-7-3.5mm-Stereo-Audio-and-RCA-Cable-For-iPod/12531490)

And just so I don't fuck something up, where do I even plug it in at?

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/kickerzx7005_zps44eebb5a.jpg)

We may need to figure out how the shop fucked up your set up.  It seems like they are lazy.  Anyway, the best way to do it is to plug the cable into the AMP1 RCA inputs.  Don't spend much on the cable also.  Get the cheapest one you can find.  Also, make sure the iPod volume is turned all the way down when you start out and slowly raise the volume.  I'll PM you my number if you have any questions while you're doing this.

Plug in right where it says input. If you have multiple RCA inputs, unplug them (remember where they came from obviously) and plug that adapter in you posted. If you get sound, from the amp->out is good. Matter of fact, you may be able to do it from the 360 but I'm not familiar with the inputs of it.

Edit-Tim beat me to it.

The 360 is really pointless because it's basically a higher end line level converter.  Since he's using an aftermarket h/u, it's useless.  The shop was lazy and didn't want to do the work.

Thanks guys I'll try this and Tim I'll give you a call if I have any problems. 

Well I looked at everything again before I went and bought anything and I'm glad I did.  My capacitor looks like it took a beating during the accident and apparently one of the power wires slipped out of the terminal.  I didn't notice it yesterday because it was still in the shrink wrap tubing but just barely touching the terminal, which I guess is why it would work for a second sometimes.  I'm just glad for once it was an easy fix! 

Thanks for the help fellas

New question!

My backup camera was destroyed in the accident.  I wasn't going to replace it because I didn't feel like running the wires and shit all over.  BUT when I was fixing my system I noticed these wires were taped up on the inside of the headliner in my trunk.  My question is, if I get a new camera, can I just plug it into these wires and be good to go?  The two wires that are electrical taped up had a yellow tag with writing on it.  I noted in the picture what the writing said on each wire. 

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/cam_zpsabb1282f.jpg)

A lot of the rear view cameras I looked up seem to have different connections so I'm not sure what to do.  For example:

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31dq0rwGmOL._SS500_.jpg)

You should be able to used the old harness if you get the same type of rearview cam you already had

The thing is, the camera came with the POS chinese HU I have.  No clue where to get a new one, the company isn't even around anymore.   >:(

I'm not surprised the company isn't around anymore. Was the old camera the type that goes above the plate or was it a license plate light replacement type?

Back up cameras should all have the same signal wires.  You should have power and ground and then 2 wires for the video signal.

Ordered a PDX5, baffles... b-queit came in already

Need ot find me a backup camera though!

I have one in my trunk keyhole.  I just got an inexpensive one off of eBay.  Where in Ontario are you again?

Above the plate type. 

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/Picture072.jpg)

I am in Oakville (Toronto Area)

Is the connection to your rear view cam look like a aux 3.5 mm cable ?

I really have no idea.  These are the only wires I see in the trunk for the camera. 

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/cam_zpsabb1282f.jpg)

I'm tempted to just buy a camera then just have a local shop install it to avoid any hassles with having to redo the installation. 

That one connector to the right with no tape on it looks just like what Clemente is talking about.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img442/7317/imag1577.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img255/1792/imag1575.jpg)

Because it looks like my spare  there all over ebay but i got mines off some chines distributors site till i found the one i liked ,there pretty durable and easy to swap this one is all metal and more durable then the knock offs part # is  E360

That looks like the one I want too, found it on ebay! :D

yeah fits good with out drilling and the angle is perfect once center , Tmart sells the higher quality ones

Thanks man, I'll look that one up.

I think that one will work perfectly.  The wires look the same.

(http://www.image-tmart.com/images/E/E02382/CMOSCCD-Car-Rear-View-Camera-(E360)-04.jpg)

Tim.  Read this in ubermike's profile thread.


I did not change the crossover frequency from 80Hz.  When setting the crossover frequency, it also allows adjustment of +/- 6 from the base frequency (i.e. my HU has base frequency settings of 60 Hz, 80Hz and 125Hz).  Should I also make that additional detailed adjustment?  If yes, what settings would you recommend?

Are you talking about the crossover slope?  If you can set the crossover frequency and slope for the interior speakers (front and rear independently) and the sub on the head unit, then you're in good shape.  If it were my set up, I'd have the front speaker crossover frequency set at 80 Hz with a -3 dB slope, the rear speaker crossover frequency at 125 Hz with a -3 dB slope, and the sub crossover frequency at 80 Hz with a -3 dB slope.

If you can only set the interior speakers and not the sub, then you will need to figure out if your sub amp has an adjustable or fixed crossover slope.  Usually it's fixed.  If it's fixed, you'll need to figure out what the slope is.  Would you happen to have a link to the owners manual of your head unit?

Pretty sure its the crossover frequency. I'll take a look at your suggestions and see what my HU is capable of. I have the link for the HU's owner's manual saved somewhere, Tim. I'll edit this post when I find it. Thx for the other info; very much appreciated.

That's odd.  Doesn't make sense to me why you would be able to adjust it +/- 6 Hz.  At those frequencies, you won't be able to tell a difference.

Well, I'm an audio n00b, so I could just be incorrectly stating some things. Just know the real basics. The manual should explain more. Will get that info ASAP. :)

Cool man.

While messing around with my rear view camera, I came across a connecter that wasn't plugged into anything.  I don't see anything near it to plug into, any ideas what it is for? 

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/IMG_0253370.jpg)

Looks like an OEM speaker connection.

I could use a bit of help installing my rear view camera.  The connecters aren't the same as my old one so it looks like I'll be running  a whole new wire. :(

I'm trying to figure out what plugs in where.  Please help me make sure I'm connecting things right. 

Starting from the left:

Black plug: camera plugs into this.

Red wire: tap into green reverse light?? (what is the best way to do this without soldering?)

Black/Red wire:  tap into black reverse light wire?? (what is the best way to do this without soldering?)

Yellow plug:  Rear of head unit

Red wire coming off yellow plug: No freaking clue



(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/IMG_0254373.jpg)

Ahh ok I'll ignore it then, thanks.

See above.

Also, when you use crimping butt conntlectors, you want to use a ratcheting crimp tool.

Thanks guys.

I think I may just try soldering it since I found out my buddy has a soldering gun.  I didn't want to have to go buy one, although I guess it would be useful to have. 

They're cheap enough to have one just in case.  It's a very useful tool.  I have 4 soldering guns and they all have gotten many hours of use.

I have a couple electric ones and one butane one. Definitely handy little tools.

I guess my first go with soldering went well considering the wires were dangling about an inch or two below the inside of the raised trunk lid.  At least I was smart enough to lay down some cardboard underneath or it would have been pretty bad lol.  Now I just need to run the wires as cleanly as possibly to the headunit this weekend and I should be good to go.  Thanks for the help fellas.

Glad you got it figured out. The true test comes when it works properly.

stock speaker connector..

Anyone know anything about the Kenwood KIV-701?   I found that, the kenwood ipod connector, and the single din metra kit for under $300 shipped and was thinking about getting it.  I know the screen is small as hell but I only want it to see my back up camera and for playing my Ipod.  I don't care that it doesn't play dvds or cds. 

Thanks, after digging around in the trunk for a while I found the other connector on the other side tucked away.  

I haven't heard about Kenwood stuff in ages.  If it does what you want, then check out some reviews on how well it performs and how well it lasts.  Everyone has their preferences in stuff, so take the reviews with a grain of salt.

I finally managed to get it all hooked up!  Believe it or not, that little red wire sticking out of the yellow plug had to be tapped into the HU harness.  I had wondered why the original camera had two cords ran from the camera to the HU and the new camera only had one! 

Thanks to all that helped. 

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/rvcam1.jpg)
(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/rvcam2.jpg)

Power leads for my back up camera are short, should I tap into something on the rear lights or run them to the seats in the trunk (where my amp and power distribution block is)

You can run them to the rear lights if you want.  It's fairly simple to do.

I'd have to extend it even to reach the tail lights. If I am going to extend it I feel the easiest option is to tap into the distribution blocks, is there any issue in using that?

Is this for power or to trigger the camera on?

Power only

Distribution block should be fine.  Just make sure you have a fuse in line.

Fused at battery and fused in the block :)

You taught me well!

Camera tested and working, making the connector was fun!

Have to mount and hide the wire clean

Opinions on the best 6x9 speakers for under $200?  I need a new pair after one of my Polks blew. 

I was thinking about maybe the Focal Access 690CA1 SG or the Soundstream SST 6.9.  Anyone with experience with either of those?

Focal makes great stuff, but the access is the low end of their line up.  At that point, you're just paying for the name.  Here's the advice I give everyone when it comes to speakers.  Listen to the speakers in your price range and buy whatever sounds best to you.

Why doesn't Bose make systems for our cars? Those snobs, I'd love to put a Bose system in my car...after I sell my kidney on the black market.

That's because Bose sucks. Ask Tim his feelings about Bose.

So since my amp is 300w RMS and my sub is 350w RMS, does that mean I can set the amp to "max" rather than "normal" (assuming its not clipping)

Acura RSX's came with a Bose audio system.  I don't think they're worth a kidney though.


If you're talking about your input gain, you need to set it according to the output voltage of your head unit.

its a 4 V output from the HU (Alpine 9886)

Subwoofer level control at HU has steps from -15 dB to 0 dB. Right now set to about "11" which I guess would mean something like -4 dB

Amp input gain is set to almost minimum for the front and rears. It overpowers the sub and I am trying to get more response out of it.

Amp input gain on the subwoofer along with HU choice is what I am trying to get at. Amp input gain for subwoofer I believe is set to "normal" which is halfway

Is everything set to 0 or normal on the head unit?  Whenever you're tuning an amp, you want to make sure the output of the head unit is right in the middle or set to 0.

I didn't know the sub level was actually a negative ramp so to zero the sub I'd need to run it at 0db or "15 sub level"

Treble and Bass on HU are both in the middle

Speaker gain at Amp is on a low setting
Sub gain at Amp is on middle setting

Just installed a new pair of 6x9s in the rear deck.  Does it matter that the trunk spring is pressed against the magnet on the bottom of the speaker rather tightly?  It was like that on my old pair too but I figured I would ask...

Well I set the gain properly now. Wishing the bass response was better.

What can I do to improve this (without changing the amp)?  I could change to a ported box

You may want to space them up a little so they don't rub the spring.  That's what I would do.


What frequency do you have the front speakers crossed over at?

There is no deck cross over as far as I know. I set a HPF on amp to ~90Hz
I set LPF for sub to ~100Hz

This is probably a dumb question but I'll ask it anyway.

Since I'm hooking up my speakers and sub via RCA cables from my amp to my HU, I don't need to bother with the wires circled in the pic below right?  I just need to tape them off? 

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/huwiring1.png)

Yes you can just tape them off

Yet another question for you guys.  

I have component speakers up front and 6x9s in the rear.  All four speakers have crossovers attached.  Does this mean I should turn the "xovers" on my amp off?  

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/amp3.png)

They are 2 different types of crossovers Ike.  The passive crossovers you have that came with your speakers take the full range signal and essentially split it so the high frequencies go to the tweeter and the low frequencies go to the midrange/midbass driver.  The crossover on your amp are a high pass crossover and allow you to not send frequencies below what your interior speakers are able to produce.  You should have an adjustment knob on the amp so you can select the frequency crossover point.  You want to leave the crossovers on your amp on, and adjust the crossover point for them if you can.  If it were my set up, I would set the front crossover point to 80 Hz and the rear crossover point at 100 Hz for your interior speakers.

Ahhh ok, that make sense.  Thanks!

One more amp question while I'm thinking about it.  In the picture above, you can see the input level button.  Should this be set on low or high? 

Depends on what that means.  You should be able to find what low and high are actually (i.e. - input voltage), then find out what the output voltage of the RCA's on your head unit are, then adjust appropriately.  Most amps have an input gain knob on them though, which is weird that you have a switch for just high and low.

My amp does have gain knobs on them also which was why I was confused as to the point of the button.

This is what the manual says about it:

2. Input Level - The RCA inputs on Kicker ZX amplifiers are capable of receiving either Hi or Low-level
signals from your source unit. If the only output available from your source unit is a Hi-Level signal, simply
press in the Input Level switch on the amplifier.

Saw this in the amp manual too

Input Sensitivity:
Low Level: 125mV-5V
High Level: 250mV-10V



My Kenwood Excelon DNX6990HD manual, it says "Triple 5.0V Pre-outs with Crossover System". 

I guess that means it should be set on low?

Yes.  Now it makes sense.  Hi is if you're using speaker level inputs, Lo is if you're using RCA inputs.  You definitely want to set it to Lo on the switch, then turn the input gains all the way down.  They are not volume adjustments, you use those to match the output voltage of your head unit.

Excellent, thanks!

I totally used my gain setting for the sub like a volume control, even after matching the voltage I didn't feel like it was enough power :(

I think maybe I need to switch to a ported sub box instead and play with the crossovers like you had suggested

I figured he meant that for the speakers only, not the sub. 

Speaking of amp gains, what is the proper way of setting them?  My amp's manual doesn't really say. 

Googling the question above gave some very indepth and technical answers.  I did find these instructions which seem to be more on my level lol.

1. Play a typically loud music CD in your headunit. Set volume to 75%. Wear ear protection.
2. Starting with the amp gains at their lowest setting, slowly raise one gain at a time until you hear clipping from the corresponding speaker. This will sound like audible distortion.
3. Once you've found the clipping point, back the gain down until you no longer hear the distortion.
4. Repeat for any addt'l gains on the amp/amps.
5. Your new maximum volume setting on the headunit is 75%, never exceed that for happy, healthy speaker life.

Follow up question.  With the gain on the lowest setting for both speakers, the rear speakers completely overpower the front speakers.  Should I just keep the gain for the rears on the lowest setting and then only adjust the gain for the front speakers? 

That's what I would do.  You want the rear speakers to be unnoticeable while they're playing, but you want to notice a difference if they weren't hooked up.  If that makes sense.  Can you adjust the output to the rear speakers in the head unit settings?  Maybe you can lower the output volume for the rear that way?

I didn't see any options on the HU to do that other than the fade.  I did manage to adjust the gains and it sounds pretty good now.  The front speakers gain knob is turned about 1/4 of the way and the rear is turned about 1/8 the way.  The gain for the sub on the other hand is turned about 3/4 of the way up.  It was still a bit low for my liking so I just upped the sub loudness setting on the HU a bit since I was afraid of turning the gain up any higher.  I guess that's what I get for going with a 5 channel amp instead of getting a dedicated amp for my sub.  

You can always add a adjustable gain control to up the voltage to your sub on and off to adjust to your liking a bit more

Hey fellow CM'ers!

I've got a question for all of you, hope you can help.

I'm buying my 18 y/o sister a nice Christmas/birthday gift and upgrading her sound system. She has a 09 Accord Sedan 4cyl LX (probably on trim). A few years ago I bought her a head unit and amp, but it's time to upgrade her speakers. The head unit is a run of the mill Alpine and the amp is probably a 300watt Kensington, though I am not 100% sure. I want to upgrade her speakers to something decent, but not over the top. When I did mine years ago I got all Boston Acoustic, but I'm looking to spend about half that. I can get 10% off anything through my old shop.

If you would be so kind, I'm looking for advice on:

Brand, Alpine is good for about $100/120 per pair?
6 1/2 in the front with tweeters?
6 x 9 for the back deck?
No subwoofer

Thanks in advance. It's depressing to look outside at my car and not be able to drive it. Such is life in the big city I suppose.

Holy shit!  I haven't seen you post in a while! How have you been?

As for the amplifier you previously purchased?  Is it a 4-channel amp used to power the speakers?  It may help to list either the specific model of amp or, specifically, the RMS of each channel.  This would help with recommending which speakers you should look at getting.

Since this thread is 36 pages long, and I justly read the first ten, is there much difference between the premium audio for our car that came with nav and the regular audio? I have xm, and 6 disc. If there is a performance difference can the premium speakers be swapped with the originals?

Don't waste your time swapping to the "premium"

Really ? I feel like the stock stereo performs fairly well, I was hoping the premium ones would be an easy improvement though

Aftermarket is better.

Changed the sub box to ported. Increased the gain on sub from the amp. Now feels like the bass it should feel like. I like the response so far

So I have an odd and slightly worrying problem that just developed.  When I shift into reverse, my backup camera displays a very distorted and static like picture.  However, that is the least of my worries.  When I use my blinker, the display on my head unit turns off until the blinker is turned off.  Not only that, but when I have my blinker on, ALL of my rear exterior lights blink.  Brake lights, stop lights, even my license plate lights blink!  WTF?!   I'm assuming this has something to do with the backup camera.  I'm going to take the trunk apart and look at the wiring when I get off work, but any suggestions of what to look for?  Until I get this fixed, I won't have working blinkers :( 

Don't worry about it.  Turn signals are optional to most people. 

I would look for damage to your wiring.  Look in the wiring guide to find out what color the wires are for your turn signals.

Turn Signal (Left) - red/blue - (+) - top of fuse box (large white plug)
Turn Signal (Right) - brown - (+) - top of fuse box (large white plug)

Okay so here are the two wires at the fuse box.

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/wire008_zpsd8c13dc4.jpg) (http://s230.photobucket.com/user/ikethegreat/media/wire008_zpsd8c13dc4.jpg.html)


From the fuse box, they go to this connector behind the fog light switch.

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/wire005_zps744b20a7.jpg) (http://s230.photobucket.com/user/ikethegreat/media/wire005_zps744b20a7.jpg.html)

Nothing looks out of place to me.  I also checked the wires at all four turn signals and nothing looks damaged.  I did find this random plug at the rear driver's side turn signal that wasn't plugged into anything.  Any idea what it is for?

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/wire009_zps08112497.jpg) (http://s230.photobucket.com/user/ikethegreat/media/wire009_zps08112497.jpg.html)

I also checked out the wires I tapped at the backup light socket for the rear view camera and they were fine. 

I'm starting to think this has to be a problem with the wiring behind the stereo.  What else would cause my head unit's display to flash with the blinkers?  I should note that the sound does not go out, just the display. 

So confused  :'(

Took the stereo apart last night and checked all the connections.  Everything looked fine.  I'm stumped.  Here are a few quick videos I took of what's going on.

This is with the headlights turned on and the right blinker only on.

Rear
(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/th_blinkers002_zps6482817f.jpg) (http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/blinkers002_zps6482817f.mp4)

Front
(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/th_blinkers003_zps1b9b671c.jpg) (http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/blinkers003_zps1b9b671c.mp4)

This one is of my head unit freaking out when the blinkers are on. 

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/th_blinkers001_zpse07b543a.jpg) (http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/blinkers001_zpse07b543a.mp4)

That's it bro. Time to light your car on fire and walk away.

 :D

It figures that this happens after I already spend $1,500 in new replacement parts for it. 

When it rains, it pours.  :(

That's how it is man. I try to keep the parts purchasing down after previous experiences and stick with maintenance mostly.

Replaced the turn signal relay.  No change.  Grrrr

My issue is been similar i try the turn signal relay swap  and when i press the brakes and have the hazard lights on the whole dash blinks on and off all the years of looking i still haven't found a fix

That's not natural.  I'll have to look into this a little deeper.

On same note Same thing happens when i swap the brake bulbs with leds whole interior lights up when brake is press ,i thought it was maybe a resistance issue but even load resistors do me no justice

ikethegreat what have you tried  so far besides the relay ?

Just that and inspecting as much wiring as I could.  I honestly have no idea what else to do.  I had really hoped that the relay was the problem. 

I'm not sure how I missed this before, but the wife pointed out last night that when I turn my blinker on, there is a knocking noise coming from somewhere behind the dash.  I'm not talking about the normal blinker clicking, this is a knocking that happens in rhythm with the normal clicking. 

I'm not 100% sure where it is coming from, but it sounds like it's coming from beneath the stereo..... I really hope it isn't the ECU....

It was suggested on v6p to replace the combination switch so I'll try that seeing as it is only a $25 part.  Not sure how hard it is to replace though...

I can look that up for you.  If you're hearing something knocking from under the stereo, you should probably look into that first.  Honestly, the ECU wouldn't really be affected by something like this.

Tim would you think the multiplex control unit could be the issue if all else fails?

That would be great


That is what I had hoped.  It is hard to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from.  I'll have to remove a couple dash panels this weekend and take a closer look. 

Sure.  Stranger things have happened.

Well I figured out where the sound was coming from, although I have no idea what it does.  According to the parts diagram, it is a "Stopper" (54023-S5D-A81). 

It only does this clicking when in park, without the brake applied.  If I apply the brakes, or shift out of park, it does not do this.

Video:
(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/th_MOV_0048_zpsd0958dce.jpg) (http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee257/ikethegreat/MOV_0048_zpsd0958dce.mp4)

Mine clicks to.

Only when the blinker is on and in rhythm with it?

Nope different click. Mines random like a fucking gremlin.

Swapped the combination switch, still no change. 

When I put the car into reverse, both blinker lights on the dash briefly light up.   The image on my HU from the rear view camera is very distorted and basically fucked up. 

Could a faulty rear view camera be causing all these problems?  I hate to keep throwing money at this by replacing things but I'm running out of ideas... 

There is an auto electrical repair shop near my house that I'm going to take the car to if I can't figure it out.  I'm just not looking forward to spending hundreds of dollars for them to try and diagnose the problem. 

Checked the rear view camera wiring, the tail light wiring, and the head light wiring and harness. All looked fine.  I tested every single fuse in the car and all tested fine.  I checked every single ground wire in the engine bay and they were all were fine.  I pulled the stereo out and redid EVERY single fucking wire.  Nothing worked. 

I think I've done everything I can, time to take it somewhere I guess...   :'(

Okay so completely different question.  I think my rear view camera is bad and I bought a replacement.  The camera itself is the same but the wire harness is different. 

On the old camera harness, at the end that plugs into the headunit, there is a little red wire coming out that connected to the  Reverse sensor wire of my headunit.  The new cable does not have this red wire.  So what do I connect to the reverse sensor wire, or do I just leave it disconnected? 

Is that reverse sensor wire on your head unit hooked up to your reverse lights?

No, the reverse sensor wire on my head unit is connected to the little red wire that comes out of the camera's yellow connector that plugs into my head unit. 

here is a picture

(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Color-IR-CMOS-CCD-Reverse-Backup-Car-Rear-View-LED-Waterproof-Camera-E360-New-/00/s/NTg1WDU4NQ==/z/BYIAAOxyY9VRUlDl/$T2eC16dHJHwE9n8ii+ILBRUlDkUci!~~60_12.JPG)

So, what do you have triggering your head unit to switch to the reverse camera?

That little red wire coming from the yellow connector. 

Where does the other end of that wire go to?

There is a red wire on the camera end that I tapped into the positive wire at the turn signal light socket.

The turn signal or the reverse light?

Sorry, I meant the reverse light. 

Okay, then you need that wire connected to your head unit.  You can just run your own wire.  Your last camera just had it integrated into the harness.

Ahh ok.  I guess that isn't a big deal since I have to run the new cord for the camera anyway. 

Yeah.  The last camera you had, just had the wire integrated into the harness.  It's convenient if the camera doesn't break.  ;)

$500 later, I have working blinkers.  There was apparently a short in the rear turn signals somewhere.  I have a feeling it has something to do with the accident I was in last year where my whole rear end had to be rebuilt. 

You should go back to the shop that did the repair and bring them the bill.  At the very least, contact your insurance company and let them know about it and see if they can help you work with the shop that did the repairs.

Any Recommendations for component speakers for the front door? Budget ~200$

Mine have been causing nothing but problems

nada

I don't have any recommendations.  I always have my favorite brands.  Alpine and Polk Audio are two companies that I would listen to if you have time to check them out.

I've run polk components in both my '98 accord and in my '07 accord.  Very good stuff for a reasonable price. 

I've also ran Polk 3-way speakers in my old vehicle and then installed/transferred the same speakers into my Accord.  Been running strong and still clear for almost 10 years now.  I plan to go with Polk again, or at least listen to Alpine as Tim suggested ;D....

I do like Alpine, the Alpine amp has been working great since I switched to it. I'll pull the old speaker to make sure that its the speaker's problem, or if its something else (water?) before putting money on a replacement.

I searched for this and couldn't find it. The RSX Bose speakers, they look a little bigger then the coupe door speakers. Besides the size difference could they be used?

Why replace a crappy OEM speaker with a slightly less crappy OEM speaker?

I wouldn't use those speakers.  With the RSX, Bose actually is involved with the engineering of the car from the beginning, to insure the audio system is designed properly for that vehicle.  You're better off going with an aftermarket set of speakers instead. 

Gotcha, that makes sense. I knew there had to be a reason when i couldn't find it.

Is it okay to use a different brand of tweeters on a set of component speakers?

I think one of my tweeters is dying and I'm thinking it would be a lot cheaper to just swap tweeters instead of buying a whole new set of components. 

Technically, yes, but the answer is no.  You have a passive crossover that is for that set of speakers.  If you use a different tweeter, it will have a different resistance and will not sound the same or sound worse.  Sorry it's not the answer you're looking for.  Aren't these speakers fairly new?  Maybe they have a warranty that you can get a replacement for free or less $?

I bought them in Nov. '11 so unfortunately they are past the 1 year warranty.  This is my second pair of Polk components and both sets have lasted less than 3 years each.  I love their sound for the price but I need something that will last longer. 

Any suggestions? 

I would contact Polk with your frustrations. The old I know they are out of warranty but its the second time.

I have been noticing something about my subwoofer where it is intermittent. Not in the sense that its there for a minute then gone then back, but sometimes its non existent (powers up) but either has extremely low signal or isn't getting boost from the amp.

Then it can show up randomly either at next power up of the car, or it can just appear out of nowhere after being dormant for 30mins +.

I haven't been able to trace this down to anything specific.

I believe this occurred even before when I had two Infinity amps (one mono and one four channel).

Alpine 9886 deck
Alpine PDX5 amplifier

Could it be a voice coil crapping out?

Could be almost anything. May be a good idea to start with what's easy to test and work your way from there.

Tips on where to start?

Well, usually voice coils don't just cut in and out. They fail and stop working forever. You may want to try another speaker on that channel. If it does the same thing, then it could be the amp.

Another noted today, it can "come on" and "come off" without changing input or powering down the deck.

I was listening at low volume, trying to get it to "come on". One trick to get it to appear is turn the Bass + higher on deck (not sub level), then turn the volume up a little and wait for it to show up. Once its active again, turn the Bass back to 0. Continued listening at this medium/high volume for a little but until I turned it down at a stop light. When I brought it down, I noticed the sub disappear again.

You think maybe the amp is over heating, shutting off, then once it cools down it turns back on again?

I've started to get some serious engine whine coming from my speakers.  I've checked the grounds for my HU and amp and they appear fine.  I bought some ground loop isolators but I'm afraid they will affect my sound quality so I haven't installed them yet. 

When I ran my amp power cable and speaker RCAs, I ran them together along the same side of the car.  I've been reading that this can cause engine noise.  However, if this was the culprit, the engine noise would have been present right from the start when everything was installed, not just appear one day out of the blue.  Correct?

Correct. It's still a good practice to separate them to reduce the amount of induced noise into your RCA cables.

What has changed since this started happening?

Nothing that I can think of.  I did replace the screw holding my amp's ground wire down in the trunk because it was completely rusted.  I used a wire brush to scrap the rust off the mounting point and the ring connector then screwed it down with the new screw.  This was a couple weeks ago and the noise just started recently.  I guess I'll have to tear my trunk apart this weekend and investigate.   :(

That sucks man. Definitely consider re-routing your power wire or RCA's.

Should I even bother with the GLIs? I'm seeing mixed reviews about them online.  Any experience with them?

I've never used them. Any kind of thing like that just wastes energy.

I have found that the only way to reduce induced noise is by routing wires properly and making sure you have a proper ground.

Check your ground again. Also, if you haven't yet, put a star washer between the ground terminal and chassis.

Oh okay, I'll swing by the hardware store and pick one up.  I don't have anything separating them right now. 

You don't need anything separating them. A star washer will "bite" in to the metal for a better electrical connection.

Gotcha, thanks Tim. 

Removed the ground wires, scrapped the area as best I could with a wire brush, put the ground wires back with a star washer and 90% of the noise is gone.  I'm going to replace the two ring connectors on both ground wires since they were pretty corroded and I hope that removes the last 10% of the noise.   :)

It should help. Make sure the ground wire isn't corroded also. Sometimes it's a good idea to solder the terminals after they have been crimped on. That way you have the best electrical connection.

I have the worse luck with audio equipment.  One of my soundstream 6x9 speakers is making a nasty vibrating noise on high notes and one of my polk component speakers is dead (tweeter still works tho).  I didn't even notice the dead polk speaker until I had my HU play sound threw each speaker individually. 

Anyway, I'm looking to replace both sets.  I'm eyeing up the Focal 130 AS for the front and the Focal 690 AC for the rear.  Anyone have any experience with either speaker or Focals in general? 

Focal makes great stuff, but with the lower end stuff you're just paying for the name.

So, looking into a bit more boom boom without a subwoofer box in the trunk, I have Rockford fosgate Punch front speakers and the rear deck speakers are no longer doing the job, they can't keep up with the fronts.
Local audio seller advised me into buying some CDT CL-69s.  He can have them for 175$ CAD ( ~140$ USD) for the pair. I have never heard of that brand but they are supposed to be a high quality brand and these being their entry level series.
Do any of you know these? have comments or other recommendation ?
Here is the product link :
http://www.cdtaudio.com/sep_components/subwoofers/cl69s.htm (http://www.cdtaudio.com/sep_components/subwoofers/cl69s.htm)

(http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab109/Pascal_Godin/cl69s_lrg_zpss55giqyd.png) (http://s854.photobucket.com/user/Pascal_Godin/media/cl69s_lrg_zpss55giqyd.png.html)

I'm not a fan of those CDT's. I'd give you advice, but you're not going to like what I have to say.

damn that was a quick answer ! I am open to advices, and I think I know what advice it is XD
And why you don't like CDT ?

I'm just not a fan of the brand and the quality of their products. A lot of companies will "push" a specific product because they make more money on it than others.

If you really want my advice, get a subwoofer. Expecting your midrange speakers to do the job of a subwoofer just isn't a realistic expectation.

You wouldn't need a large sub or a huge enclosure to get better bass. Look into a single 8" subwoofer with a properly designed enclosure.

Yup knew it would be this advice, i'm not expecting the bass from a sub tho, just a bit better than my oem. Actually looking at other options than those I showed earlier, I might just go with some relatively cheap speakers for now to see how it compares and then get a better idea of what I want/ need
 

I finally went with those for now, I'll see how they sound and then decide what I really want. I paid them 45$ so that would not be a big loss and I compared in new for 80$-100$ they were no where near the visual quality of those. Just got to find out if they would be better sounding tho.

(http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab109/Pascal_Godin/B00F666A-DA51-440A-B881-B12C2C8A0540_zpsyt5wipsu.jpg) (http://s854.photobucket.com/user/Pascal_Godin/media/B00F666A-DA51-440A-B881-B12C2C8A0540_zpsyt5wipsu.jpg.html)
(http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab109/Pascal_Godin/8D44F7EC-0D0D-4FE7-9963-36555810E14F_zpssrbnnpdi.jpg) (http://s854.photobucket.com/user/Pascal_Godin/media/8D44F7EC-0D0D-4FE7-9963-36555810E14F_zpssrbnnpdi.jpg.html)

If you want more bass, the front speakers are where you should focus your attention.  The rear speakers aren't as important as the front.  The rule is that you spend 80% of your speaker budget on the front and 20% on the rear.  Another thing you can do with your existing set up is to be sure that you seal your speakers to your door with some closed cell foam or double sided foam tape.  That will seal off the back waves from the front waves and reduce any frequency canceling.  Also, a piece of sound deadening material behind the speaker in the door panel will also help absorb the back waves.

okok, you mean to replace the factory foam in front/around the speakers ? I'll check on that. Also, a buddy of mine offered me to give me a 4 channel amp (don't the brand yet), and someone advised me on getting a rca converter/ sound processor thingy at the front near the radio, to run RCA cables at the back to the amp and then get decent speaker wires to the speakers. he advised me on a RE-Q5 but they seems to be discontinued and don't seems to be available anymore. What is your thought on that and do you have any inputs on a similar product if you think it is a good idea, I am on a low budget thing here.

Found this, seems pretty decent, and comes with a harness for the factory radio.
I checked for audiocontrol stuff but they are way too nice for what I need.

http://www.pac-audio.com/productDetails.aspx?ProductId=561&CategoryID=28 (http://www.pac-audio.com/productDetails.aspx?ProductId=561&CategoryID=28)

The foam should be placed between the speaker and the panel it is bolted to.  As far as a line out converter, I would recommend AudioControl LC6i line out converter.  AudioControl makes pretty good stuff.  I did an install with one using a high quality amplifier and speakers and was impressed with the audio quality from using an OEM head unit.

PAC is okay.  If you're on a budget, it will work for what you need.  I'm sure our standards are different when it comes to audio quality, and working on a budget can force you to make certain considerations on what is important.

190$ CAD for a LC6i, not too bad ! thought it would be like 350$+

This is my first real audio upgrade that I really am taking my time to get info on what components do and stuff, even if it is a cheap upgrade. I did my fronts before but only because my oem ones stopped working and just bought what fit in the price range I could afford. I think the LC6i would be still great for a 2.0 version upgrade in the future (like better amp, speakers and maybe a sub). I don't think it is worth buying the PAC for the price the audiocontrol is available.

Quick question about amps specs, actually about specs of this amp that was given to me. Yes I know it is a cheap one, I've been looking at its specs and one of them confused me. It's the input sensitivity. If I use the LC6i, It will convert into low-level signal right ?, so does that mean that the amp can't take more than 2V from the signal coming from the LC6i ? I worries me because I see the "maximised" setting from the LC6i is about 9V. Is that a completly different thing or does it mean that i'll need to adjust my LC6i to make it peaks a 2V when a 3/4 radio volume ?
(http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab109/Pascal_Godin/13179_10153148426004110_5835755491245559169_n_zps4bdjvfbv.jpg) (http://s854.photobucket.com/user/Pascal_Godin/media/13179_10153148426004110_5835755491245559169_n_zps4bdjvfbv.jpg.html)

I did install the amp using the hi-level inputs, turns out it is worse than it was with my oem unit alone. In a bonus, I got electrical whine and I can hear every relay click in my speakers, like the turn signals. Pretty nice. I'll diagnose the issue, checking my grounds and testing the amp using rca inputs. Good thing I wired my stuff so that upgrading would be easy.
I'll post pictures in my profile thread.

So I have to replace my speakers, some are ripped, blown or other wiring issues.... BUTTT looking for a 4ohm setup that can drop in. I had to use spacers for my 60.9cs even though they were "shallow" rated

Any suggestions for the front speakers? As per Tim's recommendation I am not too concerned with the rears. I did previously have a foam baffle in place, but there was some corrosion that got to the speakers still, probably due to moisture rather than direct water contact. The MDF spacer rings I had in place turned to mush.

Thanks,
Asim

What have y'all found to be the best hardware to mount speakers in the rear deck. Doing a sound system overhaul and my current nut and bolt combo is a PITA to put in and remove.

It's been a while since I've done anything in the rear deck.  I switched from 6"x9"s to 5.25" round speakers a long time ago.  I recall mounting a set of speakers from the bottom at one point.

What kind of problems are you having with the existing hardware?

My nuts and bolts were just hard to handle. The hardware that came with the Polk MM691s was exactly what I needed :)