Need advice on improving system in Honda Del Sol

[Ecky]

When I bought my car early this year, all 4 stock speakers were crackling and fuzzy. I got a set (4x) of Rockford Fosgate R1653's off a friend in return for some computer help and replaced the stock speakers. I don't remember what size the stock speakers were, but I had to make some modifications to the mounting brackets to get them to fit. In the front, they're no longer mounted to the frame of the door but to the plastic (I think) panel. There's a little bit of isolation but the panel is not stiff at all. In the rear, they're basically open-air, behind a plastic mesh.

The head unit was already aftermarket when I got the car - a Panasonic CQ-RX200U.

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My problem - I need to max the bass output on the head unit before there's any low-end at all, and doing this causes the speakers to distort at an inadequate volume. At first, I was thinking of getting a small amp since the speakers are definitely underpowered, and that might improve the bass response a little, but I'm thinking now of building a small sub box behind the seats. The speakers sound fine as long as I'm not maxing out the bass on the head unit.

I'm not looking to rattle the cars next to me, I just want full range sound, and I'd prefer not to dump money into it. I'm hoping to use something like a 6 or 8" woofer in a sealed box with a small dedicated amp... should I get an amp for my other speakers as well? What's the best way to wire it?

The head unit has a sub output in the back, with a digital crossover you can set to 60hz / 80hz / 100hz / 200hz, and I've played with it a bit with a computer sub hooked up to it but it sounded pretty crappy, should I avoid this and just use a real crossover? Maybe put the sub+amp on on the head unit's rear channels and the 4 speakers with a small amp on the front channel?

Are open-air/boxless car subs any good? It would definitely be a space saver.

What do you guys think?

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[JoshC 10+ year member]

A sealed 8 wouldnt take up barley any room in the first place. A sundown SA8 in a pored box would probably be a good bet, wouldnt take alot of power or space. Would be decently loud. As for your highs HU's only put out 18watts rms, thats why ure speakers distort so fast. A lil 50x4 amp would solve that, audio pipe has a mini 4 channel that would work well. There like 100bucks i think

Amazon.com: AUDIOPIPE APSM-4050 640W 4 Channel Car MINI Amplifier: Car Electronics

SSA Store - Sundown Audio SA-8 Subwoofer

Ull have to have somone make you a box for this woofer, wont be alot since its small. Your going to wanna have someone make the box for your woofer no matter what, prefab boxes are worthless. Probably 70bucks for a custom

 

[Ecky]

Thanks! That about fits my budget. I suppose I'll try adding the amp first and see how much bass response improves before I add a sub. Any other amps in that price range I'd want to consider?

Someone suggested I might want to try isolating the speakers with some mdf, do you think if I put some in the door panels and made some small enclosures (or at least moved them off of flimsy plastic) for the rear speakers, I'd get better sound?

Images of the car: http://imageshack.us/g/822/img20111006145457.jpg/

The front speakers are attached to the plastic panel, rather than to the frame of the door, since the frame will only hold a 5.25" speaker. The rears are too deep to fit in the stock brackets so they're actually held on by zip ties xD and have no isolation at all, which probably doesn't help.

 

[Rudy 10+ year member]

I'd do everything possible get the speakers mounted to the door frames. It can absolutely be done. You may need to build mounting plates. Putting a sub in that trunk is probably not going to yield any kind of decent sound because of the way it is sealed off from the passenger compartment.

 

[benchambers80]

you should try to high pass the speakers and give bass reproduction to a sub.. an 8 like they said, get a small 4 chan and bridge the rear for the sub and front chans for the front 2 speakers.. eventually you can get at better front stage and youll be set.

their is a rt4220 in classifieds i bet you could get down to a low price

 

[Ecky]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what does bolting the speakers to the frame benefit over bolting them to the plastic panel? Am I trying to get a (semi)sealed enclosure for them, or simply have a stiff location for mounting?

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

sounds like you need a good equalizer

 

[Rudy 10+ year member]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what does bolting the speakers to the frame benefit over bolting them to the plastic panel? Am I trying to get a (semi)sealed enclosure for them, or simply have a stiff location for mounting?

Both, really. Solid mounting is very important. It's also less about creating an enclosure than it is giving yourself an opportunity to seal and acoustically reinforce the baffle to isolate the front and back waves from the speaker. As you've implied, doors don't make much of an enclosure.

 

[southernboom88 10+ year member]

those RF speakers deff need an amplifier to sound better, i'd start with that before investing in a sub and amp as well. but i'm sure eventually you will sub it up too.

 

[Ecky]

Normally I'd avoid companies like BOSS, but what do you guys think about this amp as a small step over the head unit?

Amazon.com: Boss Audio R1004 4-Channel Mosfet Power Amplifier with Remote Subwoofer Level Control: Car Electronics

Google'd reviews and people are saying it does generally put out it's rated 50w x4 RMS @ 4ohms. Would it be significantly worse than the Audiopipe?

I'm willing to spend about $100 but cheaper is better.

 

[Ecky]

I ended up picking up a Kenwood amp off the classifieds, now I need to figure out what I'm going to do with the speaker mounts.