sup all, noob here. i recently bought a honda del sol, and it needs The Treatment. it came with some old pioneers all around and i put in a cheap alpine unit in just so i can get ipod input, but i'm looking to overhaul the system hopefully by mid summer. i'm not sure if i'm justified in my doubts, but i'd like to hear some input from anyone who's ever owned a sol or worked on t-tops before on how i should go about this. my thoughts are kind of all over the place on this, so here it is bulleted:
i've also been recommended tinting my windows to make it harder for thieves to peek in on what i've got. i've heard a hundred different opinions on legality/accepted percentage of tints in nyc, so i'm avoiding doing so until i get a better answer. i get harassed enough as it is having a small, "sporty looking" red honda with new york plates, i don't need them giving me **** for my tints too.
i guess i'm asking for two suggestions - stock locations (sub excepted) and a an overhauled suggestion. i don't have an exorbitant amount of funds so i'm aiming for upper mid range - lower high range. i was looking into doing an all-focal system with the lower end of their range before i decided to look into what the rest of the market had to offer. don't flame me too hard if i sound retarded in what i'm asking, but all this is honestly what i'm trying to go for. thanks in advance for any input!
- i know a lot of people swear by front stage only, but it feels like something's missing to me. when i drive with the top off, forget it, it sounds even weirder not to mention the sound loss. i know optimal sound is with the cabin sealed, but this car's made for driving with the top down in the warmer seasons and i'd like to be able to hear my music while doing so.
- i drive mostly city but i do make road trips every few months and driving 80+ opened up isn't unusual (i know, unsafe/illegal, don't judge me
) so i'd like to be able to retain as much sound quality as i can even at those speeds.
- i'm not afraid to relocate the speakers if need be but only if it's really necessary as it is my daily and i may not have the time to let the car sit if i can't finish it in time for work.
- this car IS parked on the street, so a stealth/factory looking system (even with relocation) would be best to deter average passerby, and even if i don't do it right away, i'm not terribly afraid of buying a second dash or new door panels to modify and re-cover if optimal speaker relocation requires it.
- one of the biggest problems i've yet to figure out is optimal sub selection and placement. conventional knowledge says the trunk but the power rear window might fudge up the sound, or at the least have a really annoying rattle when retracted. there's no rear deck and there's only the 12"-wide area between the personal trunks behind the seats to place a sub. i realize i could get rid of those, but i'm low on usable storage space as it is so i'd rather not. i'm currently looking at focal's 6" (or was it 5"?) sub, or under-seat bass plates but haven't researched them yet. i also travel often so i'd really, really like to avoid putting a box in the small-ish trunk. the strut bar is killing me as it is.
- the doors do not currently have tweeters, but in japan the factory location for tweeters was on the door. i'm not entirely sure if it's really the optimal location in this car or not.
- i listen to almost every genre of music out there, but i focus mainly on metal, rock and techno with occasional asian pop (don't judge me lol). i particularly listen to death metal, hardstyle, hardcore techno. recently drum n bass and dubstep have entered the mix. accuracy and quality of sound is equally as important as loudness and depth of bass.
- separate from overall sq and spl, i've never put a sub in a car before so i don't know if i can have bass accuracy as well as that deep drop i desire for dubstep. it's a small cabin so i don't need a huge driver or extreme bass if a smaller driver will do the job. i guess i should note efficiency in use of space is paramount since i don't have much room to play with or place gear.
- if the trunk really is the best place regardless of the other factors, i was considering molding fiberglass over the spare tire and use the well to maximize my usable trunk space. but it may be pointless since i usually have a crate in there for work gear and luggage when i'm traveling.
i've also been recommended tinting my windows to make it harder for thieves to peek in on what i've got. i've heard a hundred different opinions on legality/accepted percentage of tints in nyc, so i'm avoiding doing so until i get a better answer. i get harassed enough as it is having a small, "sporty looking" red honda with new york plates, i don't need them giving me **** for my tints too.
i guess i'm asking for two suggestions - stock locations (sub excepted) and a an overhauled suggestion. i don't have an exorbitant amount of funds so i'm aiming for upper mid range - lower high range. i was looking into doing an all-focal system with the lower end of their range before i decided to look into what the rest of the market had to offer. don't flame me too hard if i sound retarded in what i'm asking, but all this is honestly what i'm trying to go for. thanks in advance for any input!
