I really need some advice :(

[GuysIGotThis]

Hey guys, first off let me say that this site is really awesome. I've been a lurker for a while and I've finally registered because I'm looking to get a descent setup in my new car. I can appreciate an awesome setup and I've seen some pretty crazy ones on this forum I'm just warning you that my setup isn't too crazy.

I'm had some experience with car audio stuff, I've installed a few setups but I've never dealt with separate tweeters and such.

I just bought a 2007 Honda Civic Ex coupe. It comes stock with a 7 speaker system and I'm looking to do a descent upgrade for it.

Here's what I have so far:

Head unit: I wanted all the gadgets in one so I found this on ebay. I think it suits my needs but I can't find any reviews on it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Link: 3G WiFi 1080p Indash Radio DVD GPS Navigation Stereo for Honda Civic 2006 2011 | eBay

Speakers: Rockford T165-S. I'm debating whether I should go with the T165-S which have the crossovers and separate tweeters or just running T165 2 way speakers all way round. My biggest fear is I go through the effort of wiring everything and then blowing a tweeter. I also find it hard to find reviews on these speakers because some people say the tweeters are amazing and others say they are harsh and crackly (my guess is the people who wrote that review are not amping them).

Link T165-S: Rockford Fosgate Power T165 S 6 5" 2 WAY T1 Power Series Component CAR Audio SPE | eBay

Link T165: http://www.amazon.ca/Rockford-Fosgate-6-5-Inch-Coaxial-Full-Range/dp/B0088Y0USM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396205384&sr=8-1&keywords=rockford+t165

Mid range speaker: My car comes stock with a 8" sub, instead I was thinking of throwing another speaker in there, again I went Rockford.

Link: Rockford Fosgate PPS4 8 8" Midrange Speaker 4 OHM Voice Coil NEW PPS48 780687340469 | eBay

Amp for the five speakers: I believe that this amp will power my speakers, but again I'm not quite sure I got the amperage right. Let me know what you guys think.

Link: Rockford Fosgate R600X5 600W RMS 5 Channel Class AB D Prime Series Amplifier NEW | eBay

The subs and amp for that I am taking out of my old car so I don't really need help for that.

They are just two 12" Rockford punch HE subs. And I have a Kenwood amp powering them. I don't have the model number for the amp but I can get it within the next few days.

I really just want to throw some nice crisp speakers in my car and have a system I never have to touch again. I went with Rockford because i've always been impressed with the quality and the sound of their products.

I appreciate anyone who made it through this novel and I look forward to all the advice.

Ps: I'm not sure if I have this posted in the right thread.

Click to read more...

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

We here or the discussion area will be fine. If here we want pics of the build. And way. The deck. I'd pass for that money. You can get a pioneer. Kenwood or clarion everything else is fine if you like fosgate there is better for the money but that also depends I. Your budget to. What are your goals here ?

 

[bbeljefe]

↑ What he said.

Plus... why are you afraid you'll blow a separate tweeter but not one mounted on a coaxial post? If you use the crossovers provided or set them up correctly in an active arrangement, you won't blow them. But, you will get a better sounding front stage from a pair of components.

Also, I wouldn't install a PA mid in the factory subwoofer location. That's a midwoofer designed to play half of a stereo signal and putting it in a subwoofer location will either destroy your stereo imaging if you run it on the frequencies it's designed for or destroy it if you run a sub bass signal to it.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

First of all I'd highly recommend avoiding off-brand head units. They crank out a million of them in the far east and for the most part they perform poorly, don't look nearly as nice as the stock pictures when you have them in hand, will fail quickly, and warranty support may or may not exist when they fail prematurely.

Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer are the go-to head unit manufacturers. JVC is pretty solid and I've had good luck with Jensen (they perform nicely but seem to fall apart faster than the other brands listed). A few other companies may still make a good HU (Exlipse, or Clarion) but I haven't used either in ages so I can't speak to current quality or availability.

Also about the only RF products that are worth a **** in my book are the high end amps which are priced way beyond their worth at MSRP. Personally for off-the-shelf component kits I'm a big fan of JBL/Harmon/Infinity components or coaxials. Components are generally better quality but coaxials have the benefit of ease of install and eliminating phase issues since the sound source points are together, components generally are a bit higher quality and have better power handling.

I'd advise you to forget rears entirely and focus your energy on proper deadening in the front, good locations in the front and buying something good quality. If you aren't trying to listen to movies in 5.1 surround there's absolutely no reason to have component speakers behind you. I assure you, you will not have the processing power to make that anything other than an acoustic nighmare.

Also Rockford Fosgate hasn't put their name on a good subwoofer since they stopped having things built by TC Sounds (TRF and LA Storm). As far as big box store brands that make a decent subwoofer for the money, the Alpine Type R is a proven performer and good value and the JBL wGTI is highly regarded (if they still even make them). If you're not opposed to buying used you can do far better checking FS sections of these forums or just starting a WTB thread and seeing what's out there.

 

[GuysIGotThis]

Hey guys! Thanks for the quick replies. My budget would be around 1500, and my goals are to just have a really nice clear system. I do enjoy listening to music pretty loud but it doesn't have to be too crazy because I know my budget is pretty low.

The only reason I wanted that head unit is because it had everything (bluetooth, gps, back up cam, all the fun stuff) It seemed like a descent price just because it included the dash kit ($100) and the steering wheel control adapter for my car ($60) but if you guys say it's a bad idea then I will for sure believe you guys. Although i'm not sure if I can find a head unit that does everything for around that price.

As far as the speakers go, I wasn't going to do separate tweeters in the back I was just thinking some full range speakers. Perhaps the T165 was a poor choice for the back.

The subs I have from my old setup so I was just going to run with those at the moment until I have more money to replace them. I do have some Alpine Type R's I can probably get a hold of so I will more than likely do that.

So what head unit / speaker combo do you guys think I should go for? Because clearly I have no idea haha.

 

[GuysIGotThis]

Would something like this be a better speaker choice?

Amazon.com: Infinity Reference 6030cs 6.5-Inch 270-Watt Two-Way Component System: Car Electronics

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Hey guys! Thanks for the quick replies. My budget would be around 1500, and my goals are to just have a really nice clear system. I do enjoy listening to music pretty loud but it doesn't have to be too crazy because I know my budget is pretty low.
The only reason I wanted that head unit is because it had everything (bluetooth, gps, back up cam, all the fun stuff) It seemed like a descent price just because it included the dash kit ($100) and the steering wheel control adapter for my car ($60) but if you guys say it's a bad idea then I will for sure believe you guys. Although i'm not sure if I can find a head unit that does everything for around that price.

As far as the speakers go, I wasn't going to do separate tweeters in the back I was just thinking some full range speakers. Perhaps the T165 was a poor choice for the back.

The subs I have from my old setup so I was just going to run with those at the moment until I have more money to replace them. I do have some Alpine Type R's I can probably get a hold of so I will more than likely do that.

So what head unit / speaker combo do you guys think I should go for? Because clearly I have no idea haha.

If you're a gambling man and are buying from a shop with a very good return policy go ahead and gamble with the off brand head unit and post a review here. I'd say it's a big gamble though as opposed to proven products.

A few years back I did an in dash DVD/multimedia player with 5.1 surround for a friend for under 1600$ all in for the equipment. There's no reason you can't have good sound for that price, particularly if you have the sub(s) already.

I really don't know much about entry level components. A good rule of thumb when buying any car audio is to avoid the entry level of anything. Generally the low end is poor, the top end is rarely worth the premium in MSRP and you'll find the best value and better quality in the middle somewhere. For example, the Alpine type S is pretty much garbage, but the Type R is quite nice and a good value. The type X was amazing (not sure if they're the same anymore) but they were priced crazy high. Recently there was a set of JBL components that was really cheap for what they were (Around 225$ ish IIRC). They were a big forum boner for a while. I bought some from a vendor here for a friend's Tundra and they're really great for the money.