Dodge challenger audio upgrade

[Smokin J’s]

I am upgrading the system in my Challenger. I have 2-10’s and an amp right now. I want to add new 6x9’s in the doors, 6.5’s in the back, and 3.5’s in the dash. Planning to run a 4 channel Kenwood or Alpine at 50 x 4 to power the 6x9’s and the 3.5’s and just run the 6.5’s off the factory head unit. Is this a good idea or should I run the 6.5’s off the amp and the factory head unit to push the 3.5’s ?

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[HardofWhoring]

Well, 3.5s could be tweeters or they could be mids.
6.5s in the back are coaxial 2way/3way?
Are those 6x9s a 2way/3way?
What is lacking from it currently that you want to improve on? What is your main goal, or reason behind wanting to do this?


THE WAY I UNDERSTAND 6x9s is that the design is trying to spread the sound wave out farther, it's trying to help fill a room. I don't see why they would put that in a front door, but if that's what it is, then that's what it is.
If you were trying to get loud, you could add an adapter to make that a 6.5" which would give you a lot more options, but I think I'm getting ahead of myself.

Just so were clear, you don't want loud music? You're replacing speakers, adding an amp, and all you want is 50 watts? You're going to spend minimal more, to make those all 100, 120, or 150 watts, and you will at least have the option to get some real volume out of em.

What about the head unit? Factory, are you keeping it?

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Skip the dash speakers altogether, you don't want to mix coaxials with additional drivers in the dash. Get something more powerful like 125 x 4 (185 X 4 @2 OHMS) to run the front doors and the rear fill like this:

DI800.4 Full-Range Class-D 4-Channel Car Audio Amplifier, 1,500 Watts, 2-4 Ohm Stable, MOSFET Power Supply, Bridgeable - Recoil Audio

Features: Class-D 4-Channel Amplifier, 1500 Watts Max Power, RMS 185 Watts x 4@2 Ohm; RMS 125 Watts x 4@4Ohm; RMS (Bridged): 360 Watts x 2@4Ohm; Peak Power: 370 Watts x 4@2Ohm Featuring a high-speed MOSFET power supply, premium grade internal components, as well as 4-way protection circuitry...

www.recoilaudio.com

- or -

Get a set of compas up front like these 4 OHM nvx X series comps up front:

NVX XSP65KIT X-Series 250W 6.5" 2-Way Car Audio Speaker w/ Cones and Dome | eBay

Product SKU: 195465 ID: xsp65kit. NVX XSP65KIT. NVX FRING65 6.5" Speaker Baffle Ring Kit. NVX XBAF65 6.5" Speaker Baffle Ring Kit. NVX SDRLR1 Sound Damping Rubber Roller. NVX SDRLR2 Sound Damping Rubber Roller.

www.ebay.com

With these in the back:

NVX XSP652 X-Series 900W 6" x 9" 2-Way Car Audio Coaxial Speakers 810021844725 | eBay

NVX XSP692. NVX SDRLR2 Sound Damping Rubber Roller. NVX SDRLR1 Sound Damping Rubber Roller. NVX SDBSK2 1.38 Square Feet Damping Kit. NVX SDSK2 1.38 Square Feet Damping Kit. NVX FRING69 6x9" Speaker Baffle Ring Kit.

www.ebay.com

 

[Smokin J’s]

Thanks for the replies. The 3.5’s and 6.5’s I’m looking at are coaxials. The 6x9’s are 3 way speakers. All are Kickers on sale at Best Buy. Im Keeping the factory head unit. Goal is better sound and more volume. Trying not to break the bank tho. I just assumed the 50 x 4 amp would do the trick. It’s a Kenwood and only $120. I’ve seen more powerful amps but they are brands I don’t know, or a lot more expensive. Not trying to spend $300 on just the amp, unless I have no choice

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

https://www.recoilaudio.com/product...-4-ohm-stable-mosfet-power-supply-bridgeable/

125 x 4, no brainer. Recoil is newer to the game, but many here have used a lot of their stuff (me included) and in my opinoin, as good as the stock Kenwood line.

They have a full line of speakers too. AS for best buy, not sure what you are looking there, but would surmise that any of the NVX VS or X series are as good as what most of the inexpensive kickers sell for, especially at best buy. I have as have others here, use a lot of NVXtoo, they are one of the better go to budget drivers. Just ask around, post your kicker deal, then ask about comprable drivers from NVX, the go with the consensus.

They are essentially the SonicElectornic house brand - Check them out at:

NVX Car Speakers, Subwoofers, Amplifiers and Installation Accessories

Developed by and for music buffs, NVX provides a range of audio solutions for any ride. Shop our vehicle specific BOOST boxes, premium speakers, stereos and accessories. All designed and engineered in the United States to provide an audiophile experience at fair market prices.

nvx.com

 

[HardofWhoring]

Thanks for the replies. The 3.5’s and 6.5’s I’m looking at are coaxials. The 6x9’s are 3 way speakers. All are Kickers on sale at Best Buy. Im Keeping the factory head unit. Goal is better sound and more volume. Trying not to break the bank tho. I just assumed the 50 x 4 amp would do the trick. It’s a Kenwood and only $120. I’ve seen more powerful amps but they are brands I don’t know, or a lot more expensive. Not trying to spend $300 on just the amp, unless I have no choice

What they sell is not bad, IN MY OPINION, you are paying more to them not for a better product, but for their advertising budget. Power Acoustik, JVC, and Even MB now, aren't exactly high quality brands, that BB sells.
No reason you can't get a quality 4x100 amp for under $150, and closer to $120.


The reason to go with 100-120w per channel, is that you will definitely get a healthy amount more volume out of it, then you would out of 50w, there are a LOT MORE OPTIONS in that power range, and you will spend just about the same thing (for the same product). I would at least look for speakers in the 80-120w range, and if you want help finding an amp or speaker recommendations, we can come up with a list of sites to check out.


If you know crutchfield, they are probably number one. IMO Sonic Electronix is probably top 3, or at least in the top 5.


As for the 3.5s, my suggestion is to forget about em, (as in disconnect em, and really try to forget how they sound/ get used to not listening to em once the doors are done). Get a 4 ch amp for your four doors, and if you have em in there now, even disconnect em. Get your 4ch setup right, enjoy it, and then see what you are missing, as in do you want more highs or more mids to try to fill in. Then connect yours back up, or find some really low wattage (mids or tweeters), to fill in what you think is missing, that will just play off your head unit power. They're not going to make the sound, they're just going to fill it, (mostly when you have a passenger blocking the other door).

 

[Smokin J’s]

So the smaller amp won’t cut it. It would **** to do all this for a small difference in volume. The links for the items I’m looking at are below. I included the smaller amp and one that’s more powerful but not too expensive . I’ll check Crutchfield for similar options.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/pioneer-6-1-2-2-way-coaxial-speakers-pair-black/6065200.p?skuId=6065200

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/kicker-cs-series-6-x-9-3-way-car-speakers-with-polypropylene-cones-pair-yellow-black/6333357.p?skuId=6333357

KICKER Pair 43DSC3504 DSC350 80 Watt 3.5" 3 1/2" 2-Way Car Stereo Speakers DS350 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BLVEV8S/?tag=caraudiocom-20


Kenwood KACM1814 Compact 4-Channel Amplifie https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097DGV7FG/?tag=caraudiocom-20


Pioneer GM-D8704 1200W Max 4-Channel GM Digital Champion Series Class FD Multi-Channel Car Audio Stereo Amplifier w/Wired Bass Boost Remote Free Alphasonik Erabuds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3173C2/?tag=caraudiocom-20

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

I put systems like this together for the budget minded all the time. The budget you have is what I will start with, $379 total (plus tax) plus the same installation stuff you'll need as well, that adds $73 for a total of $452 plus tax (did not bother with the Kenwood amp, not one of the better product in this selection, I would purchase either the Recoil or the Pioneer )

That pioneer amp is a great amp, I've used it a number of builds, solid performer, on Amazon for $37.49 less.

$142.50

Amazon product ASIN B07N8HPTMC
If you really need a pair of earbuds, the ones offered for "free" (not really free) and a better set can be had for around $15:

Amazon product ASIN B0170RBJ9Q
I use Pioneer speakers in my current ride (the Z series at $299 a pair), and the ones you've selected are on a par with the Kickers, but there is a hitch. If you run the front doors and the dash together, you lose the ability to control the volume for everything up front except the front to back and the balance as the amp will see each corner (Left doo/dash - right door/dash) as a single speaker, not good, especially if one is beaming off the dash and the other is in the lower door. No benefit in sound when you have no control over which of the fronts is louder. Combining any of the channels as one, no bueno.

Skip the dash and get these NVX speakers front and rear as they will sound better, much better in my experience, than any of the speakers you have selected. They use Similar polypropylene cones larger magnet motor structures and the tweeter section is handled by a much better silk dome. The NVX line has a good, better, best. The X series is their top of the line, let's go with the mid priced line, in budget and better than all the speakers you have put together;

For the 6x9's and right now available directly from NVX:

$99.99

VSP69 900W Peak (300W RMS) 6x9" V-Series 2-Way Coaxial Speakers with 25mm Silk Dome Tweeters

Product Details: 6" x 9" V Series 2-way Coaxial Car Speakers Power Handling: Peak: 900 watts per pair / 450 watts each RMS: 300 watts per pair / 150 watts each Polypropylene cone material Nitrile Butadiene Rubber NBR speaker surround 1" Silk Dome Tweeters CEA-2031 compliant: Yes 1.5" Voice coil...

nvx.com

Up front you have two options, a coaxial for the doors, right now available directly at $25 off what they sell on Amazon for:

$79.99

VSP65 600W Peak (200W RMS) 6.5" V-Series 2-Way Coaxial Speakers with 25mm Silk Dome Tweeters

Product Details: 6-1/2" NVX V-Series 2-way Coaxial Car Speakers Power Handling: Peak: 600 watts per pair / 300 watts each RMS: 200 watts per pair / 100 watts each Polypropylene cone material Nitrile Butadiene Rubber NBR speaker surround 1" Silk Dome Tweeters CEA-2031 compliant 1.5" Voice coil...

nvx.com

With the money saved from the dash speakers and staying with the familiar trusted retailer theme, you can pick up the installation goods. This is one of the least expensive and bonafide pure copper installation skits, I've purchased them, several times. Don't get ****** in by lesser costing 4 gauge kits, they are ALL most certainly CCA (copper clad aluminum) wire and not worth the $15-$20 difference in savings, cheap is cheap but fires are expensive! I've done the homework for you. If there is another, less expensive kit, that is OFC copper, it's likely be a matter of a dollar or two, this is a good kit.

$49.99 (less 10% coupon) $44.99

Amazon product ASIN B0C8V972Z7
Line out converter from the OEM HU to the Amplifier:

$19

Amazon product ASIN B09MTHDJ7D
You get one 17" RCA, you'll need another RCA, these are decent and since they are a different color, you'll be able to tell which is for the front and which is for the rear channels.

$10

Amazon product ASIN B07TBS624D
Total: $396.47

(add $15 if you really need the ear buds!)

And for almost the same, (only $40 more, than the v series and usually $80 more) go with the x series with carbon fiber cones and German silk dome tweeters!

6x9's are $40 off

XSP692 900W Peak (300W) RMS X-Series 6"x9" 2-Way Coaxial Speakers with Carbon Fiber Cones and 25mm Silk Dome Tweeters

Product Details: 6" x 9" NVX X-Series 2-way Coaxial Car Speakers Power Handling: Peak: 900 watts per pair / 450 watts each RMS: 300 watts per pair / 150 watts each Lightweight Carbon Fiber cone Rubber speaker surround 1" Silk Dome German-made tweeters CEA-2031 compliant 1-3/8" Voice coil Woven...

nvx.com

6.5's

XSP652 600W Peak (200W) RMS 6.5" X-Series 2-Way Coaxial Speakers with Carbon Fiber Cones and 25mm Silk Dome Tweeters

Product Details: 6-1/2" NVX X-Series 2-way Coaxial Car Speakers Power Handling: Peak: 600 watts per pair / 300 watts each RMS: 200 watts per pair / 100 watts each Lightweight Carbon Fiber cone Rubber speaker surround 1" Silk Dome German-made tweeters CEA-2031 compliant 1-3/16" Voice coil Woven...

nvx.com

Going with the X-series blows your original selections out of the water and is still less than what you would have needed to spend for your original selection. One of the benefits of using my 40+ years in audio in forums like this is I am not a seller and my motivation is to give you information that provides you with better options that don't cost you more and will perform MUCH better.

You don't have to trust me here but the selections and the system I have put together here will outperform the 6 speaker set up that you have put together, every day of the week and twice on Sundays!

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Another speaker option is to go with these CTD 2 ohm, highly efficient speakers for slightly more. It will increase the output of the amp and the speakers being more efficient will yield about 50% more volume than the use of the NVX, EIther setup will get plenty loud, just another option - very detailed and the loudest option for your amplifier. It bumps up the output of the Pioneer to 150x 4 and the Recoil to 185 x 4. Come to think of it, both amps are class D, 2 ohm stable and getting the Recoil amp and these speakers is almost a wash over the pioneer and the either the NVX series. The recoil amp and these speakers would be the way to go for sound SQ and volume, hard to beat!

DI800.4 Full-Range Class-D 4-Channel Car Audio Amplifier, 1,500 Watts, 2-4 Ohm Stable, MOSFET Power Supply, Bridgeable - Recoil Audio

Features: Class-D 4-Channel Amplifier, 1500 Watts Max Power, RMS 185 Watts x 4@2 Ohm; RMS 125 Watts x 4@4Ohm; RMS (Bridged): 360 Watts x 2@4Ohm; Peak Power: 370 Watts x 4@2Ohm Featuring a high-speed MOSFET power supply, premium grade internal components, as well as 4-way protection circuitry...

www.recoilaudio.com

6.5s:

$139.99

CDT Audio ES-610X

6x9's:

$124.99

CDT Audio HD-690CFX

These are cyber sale prices so keep that in mind.

 

[Smokin J’s]

I appreciate the expertise and input ! I just wish I lived near you guys so I could have you install the system too ! Hopefully the guys I go to for installation don’t hit me extra hard in price since I’m not buying components from them .

I like the idea of running the 6x9’s (doors) and 6.5’s (rear) off the more powerful amp. If I want to run the dash speakers off the head unit, how would that affect volume and fader control ? And what would be the difference in control if the dash speakers are disconnected?

How does the amp go from 4 ohm to 2 ohm to increase power? Is there a switch or is it just based on the speakers selected?

I think the current subs are tied in to the rear speakers. How Does adding a second amp affect the setup, how things need to be wired, volume and fader controls?

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Thanks for the replies. The 3.5’s and 6.5’s I’m looking at are coaxials. The 6x9’s are 3 way speakers. All are Kickers on sale at Best Buy. Im Keeping the factory head unit. Goal is better sound and more volume. Trying not to break the bank tho. I just assumed the 50 x 4 amp would do the trick. It’s a Kenwood and only $120. I’ve seen more powerful amps but they are brands I don’t know, or a lot more expensive. Not trying to spend $300 on just the amp, unless I have no choice

I have the CT Sounds 150.4 and two 2000.1. Pretty clean and solid amps for more than a year of use. I wouldnt expect the CT Sounds 80.4 to be any less of a compromise to deliver the needs for your liking and budget. I would recommend getting the 6x9-6.5/5.25 speaker adapters to give more options for component speakers as well. They are very inexpensive, and will allow you to look at more options within your budget, like a two way component set up front or even look into a 3 way front stage, and a coax or 2 way low rms component set for the rears. Kicker speakers are not a quality well made speaker any longer as they have been in the past. CDT Audio usually has a monthly Sale on speakers that Id look into,. though i would not recommend any of the CL series, but recommend the HD series components and the Upstage sets as well or 3 way sets

CT-150.4D // 1000 Watts RMS 4-Channel Car Audio Amplifier

The CT Sounds CT-150.4D is a compact full-range class d 4 channel car amplifier. The multi-channel amplifier features a Low Pass Filter (LPF), High Pass Filter (HPF), and Bass Boost so you can get the exact sound you are looking for out of your amplifier.

www.ctsounds.com

CT-80.4AB // 480 Watts RMS 4-Channel Car Audio Amplifier

The CT Sounds CT-80.4AB is a compact full-range class ab 4 channel car amplifier. The multi-channel amplifier features a Low Pass Filter (LPF), High Pass Filter (HPF), and Bass Boost so you can get the exact sound you are looking for out of your amplifier.

www.ctsounds.com

SoundQubed has a 5 ch LOC that may interest you as well,and meet the criteria?

Q-LOC5 Active Line Out Converter

SoundQubed Active Line Out Converter, allows your stock radio unit, be integrated with aftermarket audio power.

soundqubed.com