First time install, Saturn 1997 SC2

[peterguz]

OK, so i got this car yesterday and its audio just isn't up to my par. Im good with a router and electronics an all, and im willing to redo existing panels. Really im lost on where to start but i know i want serious sound(jackhammers). help me out, have fun with it, and i can hopefully work off your design. Thanks in advance Price range tops out at about 500 for the speakers, unless its really badass and i can do it over time

Current specs:

Car Audio Front Speakers Size: 6 1/2″

Car Audio Front Speakers Location: Doors

Car Audio Rear Speaker Size: 6 1/2"

Car Audio Rear Speakers Location: Rear Deck

Dash: 1995-99 SATURN DOUBLE-DIN RADIO DASH KIT COMBO 95-3105 - eBay (item 200436337059 end time Jun-05-10 11:31:25 PDT)

with

the pioneer AVH-P3200DVD found here Amazon.com: Pioneer AVH-P3200DVD In-Dash Double-DIN DVD Multimedia AV Receiver: Electronics

Click to read more...

 

[AVX Mike 10+ year member]

I have a 2000 sc1 I've been playing with on and off for spl and sq for about 6 years. First off Jackhammers are a joke. A realistic budget and goal is a good starting point. What exacting are you trying to do with this car? Good daily? Comps?

Equipment placement-

I personally don't run rear speakers anymore, haven't since I worked at a sound quality shop and was educated to many things. I can go into more details on this at another time. So for the fronts....get a good, quality set of 6.5" components. Mids in the doors work fine unless you want to spend the time and money on kick panels. Deaden the doors. The plastic in the car has it's advantages in spl but is a weak spot in getting good midbass in front. Tweeters in the a-pillars down low, slightly angled towards the windshield.

Head unit- Better head units= better sound out to everything down the line. I highly recomend the Alpine 9887 or Pioneer 800prs. The time aligment and eq capabilities of these decks are amazing. Well worth the extra money.

Amps- Again better quality will = better sound. Arc, Focal, Ultra, TRU, Audison, etc. are good amps to look at if you want quality sound.

Sub set up-

I have tried many different set ups in this car from a single 10, single 12, dual 10's, dual 12's, 4-12's in a variety of boxes and firing directions. 2-10's has been the most efficient for good daily sound and decent spl scores. 149.9 Usaci with 2-10" ads subs and a JBL bp 1200.1 (1400 rms) That was subs up ports back, 2-4" pnr ports. Our current daily setup is 2-10" Ultra LV subs on an Ultra 1600am in a fiberglass box in the spair tire well with subs and ports up. Less than 1000 watts and 145 db Usaci. Tuned at 32 hz.

There are some basics to get you started. I hope that helps.

 

[peterguz]

Ok so i did some experimenting and i figured out that 3 of th 4 speakers are blown out as i guessed. This leads me to making a quick decision so i can once again enjoy my tunes. With either the pioneer or alpine mentioned above (4x50w) what full range speakers would work well and are realativly cheap. Looking for about 200ish for all 4. let me know, thanks.

 

[AudioDave]

I disagree with the head unit post above. A cd deck is mostly the same unless your running optical or 18 bit DACs in them which you will not get unless your at a grand or more. Other than this, a head unit is a head unit. The extra money is on bells and whistles. Only thing you DO want to look for in a nice deck is a high voltage out in the RCAs, unless your running a preamp that can accomplish this for you.

This is one of the real audiograde head units so you know the difference....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200470394558&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[bugflipper 10+ year member]

The cheapest good sounding comps I can think of are cadence or jbl gto. If you can forget about the rears and just have a front stage you may look into hertz hsk. A guy sells them for$150 or so from Maylasia on ebay. He is a verified straight shooter and they are not copies. It,s hard to find a better sounding comp for under $300.

 

[AudioDave]

Forget those too make your own comps. If you want a nice set let me know. I will tell you how to make them for 1/3 the money with cossovers. Maybe thats for experienced installers?

 

[peterguz]

ok fine, but whatever the head unit is when it says 4x50w is that the rms or max power?

im looking at something like these:

Newegg.com - Clarion SRQ1631R 6.5" 3-Way Speaker System - Pair

would they work with a 4x50w head?

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

That's max. Most head units are doing between 10 - 20 watts rms. You should be looking at 6.5" 2 or 3 way components for your front doors. Something like the Image Dynamics CXT65CS. You'll also need a nice 2 or 4 channel amplifier and some sound deadener. As far as a subwoofer is concerned, you can get really good sound from a single sub. 1,000 watts or so is usually enough for most people to start out with.

Take a look at this stuff.

components: CTX65CS - Image Dynamics 6.5" Component Speaker System

multi-channel amplifier: Audioque: Amps: AQ4X90

deadener: Damplifier Pro - Automotive Sound Deadener CLD Vibration damping mat - See what all the fuss is about

sub: SSA Shop - Incriminator Audio 12" Death Row

mono amp: Audioque: Amps: AQ1200D

 

[PrestigeSounds 10+ year member]

I disagree with the head unit post above. A cd deck is mostly the same unless your running optical or 18 bit DACs in them which you will not get unless your at a grand or more. Other than this, a head unit is a head unit. The extra money is on bells and whistles. Only thing you DO want to look for in a nice deck is a high voltage out in the RCAs, unless your running a preamp that can accomplish this for you.
This is one of the real audiograde head units so you know the difference....

RARE ALPINE 7909j Juba 18-Bit Dual DAC (Not 7909) - eBay (item 200470394558 end time May-15-10 20:03:28 PDT)

well said

 

[peterguz]

i like the set-up given buts its nearly a 1000$ and requires alot of rework on where the speakers go and a box in the back for the sub. any less pricey ideas?

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

i like the set-up given buts its nearly a 1000$ and requires alot of rework on where the speakers go and a box in the back for the sub. any less pricey ideas?

Installing component speakers isn't difficult and they'll give you WAY better results than coaxials.

If you want some help choosing decent, budget friendly equipment, shoot me a pm.

 

[AudioDave]

Whats your budget? Send me a PM