I'm brand new to the forum. Thanks in advance for all I learn here. Looks like a great community.
So I just got a FREE 2001 Chrysler Town & Country, much to my wife's horror. Neither of us dig the minivan image, but car pool for kids' school next year makes it a good thing. It's a "use only when more than 5 seats are required" sort of thing, since we have other (cooler) vehicles. But mobile entertainment is a must. So my first decision concerns speakers, since other components will be guided by that choice. BIG QUALIFIER here: The system will be in keeping with my investment, i.e. big bang for little bucks. The van needs some engine work and tires ... my goal is to be rolling with mobile entertainment for less than half the market value of Town and Country. I'm trying to get something started for $500, and the top in the end would be $1000. The speakers will probably be the only pieces I would leave installed if I were to dump the van ... in dash DVD player, any amps, headrest monitors, etc. would be pulled. I'm not ruling out used components to build my system, nor J.C. Whitney-quality level/no-name type goods to achieve something workable, with the understanding that it's pretty easy to excel the factory sound quality of a basic Daimler-Chrysler 2001 stereo AND add some video too.
Here's what the factory configuration is: 6x9s in the front doors, 6x9s in the rear panel (next to 3d row seat), with forward firing tweeter holes (2.5"?) behind and above the rear speakers, and upward oriented 5 1/4 openings in the dash. There is a louvered area on the right aft cargo area that looks empty, but maybe could accommodate a 8" subwoofer???
There are a number of 5.25" and 6.5"component speakers available on eBay for around $50 a pair. I'm thinking two sets of something like that, plus a subwoofer. The rounds would go in the doors and rear panels, tweeters in the dash and rear factory tweeter locations. I would probably then run a single channel or bridged amp for the sub, a four channel amp for the component speakers, and an in-dash DVD receiver and four headrest monitors for viewing from the rear two seats. Although a dedicated rear dvd player is a possibility. I might just use the built in receiver amp power for a while and then add the woofer and seaparate amps later, as well as start with only 2 headrest monitors to split up the budget.
The component speaker brands I've seen for about fifty bucks are MA Audio, Boss, Lanzar, Powerbass, Visonik, Audiopipe, Planet Audio, Pyramid, and Pyle (only brand I've heard of). Please comment on any experience with these sources. If you guys think all of these **** too bad to justify my labor for install, I would probably step up to Infinity Reference components for just under $100/pair. I'm open to suggestions on other speaker configurations, but everything has to be flush mount, with the possible exception of tweeters.
Thanks for your insight on speaker choice or any other suggestions on how to plan my bargain system.
- Rich
So I just got a FREE 2001 Chrysler Town & Country, much to my wife's horror. Neither of us dig the minivan image, but car pool for kids' school next year makes it a good thing. It's a "use only when more than 5 seats are required" sort of thing, since we have other (cooler) vehicles. But mobile entertainment is a must. So my first decision concerns speakers, since other components will be guided by that choice. BIG QUALIFIER here: The system will be in keeping with my investment, i.e. big bang for little bucks. The van needs some engine work and tires ... my goal is to be rolling with mobile entertainment for less than half the market value of Town and Country. I'm trying to get something started for $500, and the top in the end would be $1000. The speakers will probably be the only pieces I would leave installed if I were to dump the van ... in dash DVD player, any amps, headrest monitors, etc. would be pulled. I'm not ruling out used components to build my system, nor J.C. Whitney-quality level/no-name type goods to achieve something workable, with the understanding that it's pretty easy to excel the factory sound quality of a basic Daimler-Chrysler 2001 stereo AND add some video too.
Here's what the factory configuration is: 6x9s in the front doors, 6x9s in the rear panel (next to 3d row seat), with forward firing tweeter holes (2.5"?) behind and above the rear speakers, and upward oriented 5 1/4 openings in the dash. There is a louvered area on the right aft cargo area that looks empty, but maybe could accommodate a 8" subwoofer???
There are a number of 5.25" and 6.5"component speakers available on eBay for around $50 a pair. I'm thinking two sets of something like that, plus a subwoofer. The rounds would go in the doors and rear panels, tweeters in the dash and rear factory tweeter locations. I would probably then run a single channel or bridged amp for the sub, a four channel amp for the component speakers, and an in-dash DVD receiver and four headrest monitors for viewing from the rear two seats. Although a dedicated rear dvd player is a possibility. I might just use the built in receiver amp power for a while and then add the woofer and seaparate amps later, as well as start with only 2 headrest monitors to split up the budget.
The component speaker brands I've seen for about fifty bucks are MA Audio, Boss, Lanzar, Powerbass, Visonik, Audiopipe, Planet Audio, Pyramid, and Pyle (only brand I've heard of). Please comment on any experience with these sources. If you guys think all of these **** too bad to justify my labor for install, I would probably step up to Infinity Reference components for just under $100/pair. I'm open to suggestions on other speaker configurations, but everything has to be flush mount, with the possible exception of tweeters.
Thanks for your insight on speaker choice or any other suggestions on how to plan my bargain system.
- Rich
