New car, new stereo. I need some help!

[jgonino 10+ year member]

I just purchased a 08 Mazdaspeed 3. It has the standard stereo, with a single CD, and 6 speakers. 4 6x9's (1 in each door), and 2 tweeters in the front.

I want to get some decent sound out of this thing, but I cannot get rid of the stock head unit. It has a display that controls the auto A/C, so I need to keep it.

I currently have some the sub package from my old car just sitting in my trunk, and I am unsure if I should keep it, or sell it and get better equipment.

Here are the specs of my current subs:

-Two (2) 12" Phoenix Gold Xenon 12D2 dual voice-coil subs

-Polk audio sub grills

-Matching Phoenix Gold Xenon 600.1 watt mono class D amp.

-Custom 3/4" MDF enclosure with gray carpet and the amp mounted on the rear.

-Tsunami 1 farad cap.

-Heavy duty 4-6 gauge wiring throughout

I want recommendations for what I can do to this car without removing the stock head unit. I listen to Metal, so I think a single 10" sub would be better.

Click to read more...

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

get rid of the system, and get high end 6x9's or replace them with 6.5's....amp them generously...you will enjoy the sound and the lack of 300lbs in the trunk to hold your 2.3L 263hp down

 

[jgonino 10+ year member]

Actually, I have been driving around with them in the trunk, and I didn't even notice them.

Any Idea what I can get for my gear?

 

[Electrodynamic 10+ year member]

^ What he said. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Plus, ditch the capacitor, box, and subs. Keep the amp and wiring and get a different single subwoofer. Build an enclosure out of 0.5" birch plywood and retain 90% of the strength of 0.75" MDF and have 40% less weight (let alone a smaller box so it affords you more hatch/trunk space). Subwoofers have come a long way in the past few years and there are a lot of smaller, lighter, offerings that will provide equal/more SPL than you currently have with a much smaller enclosure. Not to mention the sound quality that some of them have to offer. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[jgonino 10+ year member]

Sounds like a plan. Could you just tell me what speakers an sub to get? I am willing to just buy what people on here tell me to get, becuase I know you guys are smart.

I know Focal makes some really good speakers, what about them?

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

Sounds like a plan. Could you just tell me what speakers an sub to get? I am willing to just buy what people on here tell me to get, becuase I know you guys are smart.
I know Focal makes some really good speakers, what about them?

you need to make the decision if you want to stick with the 6x9's or not.....do some research, and make a decision

then we can make some recommendations

 

[Electrodynamic 10+ year member]

To save on weight you might want to look into a single 12" shallow sub. There are plenty of them out there, but I would look for the sub that requires the smallest enclosure and is able to offer the most of what you want (sound quality, loudness, or a mix of the two). Concerning products that are out right now, RE's shallow sub might be a good option.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

for your music type, a single 10 sealed would be fine....if you liked the pg's look at the rsd's or rsdc's

 

[youngcoke]

buy some good 6x9 and amp them

 

[jgonino 10+ year member]

Ah. I should also mention I am all about sound quality. I do not want a big booming mess.

As for the 6x9's, why would the size matter? I suppose I would like to keep the larger speakers because of the better frequency response.

I know a fair bit about home audio, as I am a member of head-fi.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

Ah. I should also mention I am all about sound quality. I do not want a big booming mess.
As for the 6x9's, why would the size matter? I suppose I would like to keep the larger speakers because of the better frequency response.

I know a fair bit about home audio, as I am a member of head-fi.

IMO you can get some 6.5" comps for the front that will have better sq than 6x9's and be able to put lots of power on

i say start with the comps up front and no sub....get the midbass/mids/highs up to snuff, and then if you want more add a sub

 

[DejaWiz 5,000+ posts]

You could go crazy and do the following:

1. Get a sound processor like the RF 3Sixty.2

2. Replace the front speakers with some nice comps and amp them.

3. Get some CDT M6+ 6.5's to use as subs (they'll respond very low... well into the mid to upper 20Hz arena, make small fiberglass boxes that fit in the rear speaker locations, and amp them with a clean 120-200w rms each.

4. Deaden and seal the living sh!t out of the everything.

Dunno, just an idea.

Hint: There's some CDT dealers on here that would love to help you out.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

You could go crazy and do the following:
1. Get a sound processor like the RF 3Sixty.2

2. Replace the front speakers with some nice comps and amp them.

3. Get some CDT M6+ 6.5's to use as subs (they'll respond very low... well into the mid to upper 20Hz arena, make small fiberglass boxes that fit in the rear speaker locations, and amp them.

Dunno, just an idea.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/drool.gif.b5e863e893038027711d4402f340dad0.gif what i was saying with way more detail

 

[jgonino 10+ year member]

I have been looking at the 3sixty, and I think it would be good for me. Does the bluetooth work with an iphone?

Looks like I need some 6.5's in front, 6x9's in the back, and a 10" inch sub in the rear.

Should I even bother replacing the stock tweeters?

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

I have been looking at the 3sixty, and I think it would be good for me. Does the bluetooth work with an iphone?
Looks like I need some 6.5's in front, 6x9's in the back, and a 10" inch sub in the rear.

Should I even bother replacing the stock tweeters?

replace them with whatever the comps come with

edit: the tweeters that is