Do I need new speakers?

[connerprince]

I just bought a brand new Toyota Corolla Cross but wanted to upgrade the cars audio system. I would max out the volume knob almost everyday leading to distorted music at high volume. I met with one car audio shop that says they're fine they just need an amp and a Hi low converter, and I want to add a sub and would need another amp for that, but also met with another shop that said they would swap out the speakers and they're made from Taiwan (cheap). How many amps do you think I need? Do you think I need to replace the speakers or should the new ones be fine with an amp?

PS. the one shop said they'll do new pioneer speakers an amp and sub for 1100, but the one that just wants to use an amp for the speakers and an amp for the sub would be 1300. Who do you think I should go with?

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[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

DejaVu

 

[Glen Livet]

I just bought a brand new Toyota Corolla Cross but wanted to upgrade the cars audio system. I would max out the volume knob almost everyday leading to distorted music at high volume. I met with one car audio shop that says they're fine they just need an amp and a Hi low converter, and I want to add a sub and would need another amp for that, but also met with another shop that said they would swap out the speakers and they're made from Taiwan (cheap). How many amps do you think I need? Do you think I need to replace the speakers or should the new ones be fine with an amp?

PS. the one shop said they'll do new pioneer speakers an amp and sub for 1100, but the one that just wants to use an amp for the speakers and an amp for the sub would be 1300. Who do you think I should go with?

A number of questions come to mind. What kind of budget do you have? Are you looking for an entire new system? Are you keeping the factory head unit?
If you can give us some more information. We can provide better advice.

 

[connerprince]

A number of questions come to mind. What kind of budget do you have? Are you looking for an entire new system? Are you keeping the factory head unit?
If you can give us some more information. We can provide better advice.

Keeping factory head unit. Budget around $1000, volume wasn't loud enough and was maxing out so looking to get louder and add a sub. But not sure if i need new speakers? I have factory speakers from a brand new toyota corolla cross. Been to one shop that said they're brand new don't need to replace just add an amp and a sub and amp for sub for $1300, and another shop that said they're shitty Taiwan speakers and to replace them and do sub and one 5 channel amp for everything for $1100.

 

[huberoy123 10+ year member]

I do my own stereo upgrade installs, but I have used Best Buy for installs on my daughter's car. They sometimes run promotions for free install on certain equipment. The location in Dover Delaware does good work. Wouldn't hurt to stop past your local location to get an estimate. Should be much lower than the independent shops.

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

DejaVu

LOL!

 

[akheathen Premium Member]

1300..... or someone else.... if they think they are going to improve the sound with anything pioneer thats not premier, then they aren't sure what good, nor efficient sounds like... and at that price point, its the garbage pioneer. you CAN actually get pretty far on factory mids and highs most of the time that you are dealing with stock that sounds like garbage. this is because about 80-85% of what you are hearing is mids trying to play frequencies that they just absolutely cannot play at high volume, being powered by something that simply cannot power what is needed. make the setup stop playing what it cannot play, and it will clean up 10-fold. easiest, quickest, and most reasonable way to do that is to add a sub stage to take the big power load off the mids, then find out what they actually sound like and go from there. back in the 90s, i used to power the highs off the head unit or tiny amp, then power the mids separately, and finally put the beans to the subs, and every stage would get clean, loud enough to independently cause hearing damage...... not to say it all sounded amazing and wasnt lacking, but it usually got by enough to hear the parts of the music good enough, without a bunch of distortion.....
either way, dont trade efficient speakers for speakers that are just as bad or worse, but require more power like entry level/not top level pioneers will do.

 

[dsw1204]

First thing you should do is sound deadening your doors. And, do a good job of it!!! This alone will probably give you the biggest improvement in sound quality. Spending $1000 on speakers without sound deadening will be a waste of $1000, regardless of what speakers you get.
When you do this, you won’t have to spend so much money on the speakers. Any decent quality speakers will do just fine. But, you must deaden!