Please, please your expert adise needed!!!

[denver173 10+ year member]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif I must admit I have been lurking around your site for the last 3 weeks and I’m addicted. I used to be in to car stereo equipment 15 yours ago, but life and more importantly $$$(or lack there of) got in the way of my passion of quality mobile sound. So as a result I ask for your guidance and expertise. There are soooo many choices and every mobile shop I got to gives me completely different opinions. Hopefully, you all will help clarify my confusion.

The Details:

2006 Honda Ridgeline SUV RTL with navigation.

What I have done so far:

Replaced the 4 factory door speakers with Infinity 6012i Coaxial

The Result:

Improvement in sound, but still short of my expectations.

My ideal expectations:

I’m a former musician and I listen to a tremendous amount of live cds. Which as you know offer very large discrepancies in recording levels. Even after replacing the factor speakers I find myself cranking the head unit all the way up all to no avail.

Budget:

I have to be honest here my goal is to spend under $1000. I plan on having the vehicle a long time so my budget is a little flexible, but certainly not unlimited. Sorry, but I’m a math teacher who has to live with in my means.

The tentative plan:

1) Keep the factory head unit. It’s an Alpine unit with a 6 disk change with touch screen navi. I want to keep it because the navi is great and it does everything I want and the steering wheel controls are nice for driving.

2) Line level converter. I’m thinking my best choice here is AUDIOCONTROL LC6i. I have looked at the JL cleansweep and Rockford 3sixity both I think are too $$. And I think overkill for my requirements. I also have been told that I could use some step-down units but I don’t know how reliable these would be. I think for around $120 the LC6i gives me a line level converters and a summing unit to give me a true front, rear, and sub feed. Your thoughts however????

3) Good 6.5 components for the front doors. My short list :

a) MB Quart QSD 216(around $300 online)

b) Diamond Audio Hex 600s (around $300 online)

I had two sets of Quarts and I loved them. I fell in love with the hex 600s when I heard them. Your thoughts however? Am I spending too much here?? Am I overlooking any good bang for the buck 6.5’s? There are so many choices I must admit I’m overwilemed!!!

4) Keep 1 set of Infinity 6012i for rear fill. Your thoughts however??

5) Good 5 channel Amp: I think this is the easiest way to go for a few reasons. It will power the fronts, rears, and a sub I hope to put behind the rear seats. I know you give some things up with going this route, but I what something easy to mount behind the rear seats as well. This is where I really, really get confused!!! Way, way too many choices:

a) Kicker 700.5 around $300

b) PPI 800.5 (closeout last year’s model) around $300

c) Alphasonic 1200A around $250

d) Hifonics 8006i around $200

I have know idea here. I had a Precision Power amp and a/d/s speakers 12 years ago and loved them, so I guess the PPI would get my vote today but this is where I would really appreciate some feedback. I have read numerous reviews but no consensus yet. The more I read the more confused I get. It seems Kicker makes a great amp. Alphasonic I don’t know much about. Hifonics seems to make a good product for the $$$$. Help !! Am I missing an outstanding 5 channel amp that would meet my needs??

6) I will replace the factory sub with a real sub. The one that’s installed is a joke; Honda should be embarrassed for calling it that, but anyway. I only want to just the space behind the rear seats, because I use need area under the seats for storage. This is not as high on my priority list. I think once I get the main speakers set up I will be able to at least enjoy my new SUV. I plan on making a sub box with 2 shallow mount subs. I got a copy from a guy on a Honda forum who made one already.

Thank you in advance for any advice at all concerning my dilemma. If I'm way off base please, please let me know. You will not hurt my feelings. All I want is my best bang for my minimal budget.

Denver173

jhawkssis@hotmail.com

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[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

1-4 sounde like good plans to me, the Diamond's are a great speaker.

as to #5, PPI was bought out by DEI a few years back and the quality has dropped off quite a bit. Alphasonik is part of the Anaba group, they are evil in my opinion //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

You'd be better off with amps from Kicker, Pioneer, JL, Alpine, Fosgate, JBL, HiFonics, US Amps, etc.

 

[acold7dusta 10+ year member]

whats the mounting depth on the subs have to be? check out image dynamics for subs

for the comps, i would choose the Q-line MBQs- heard em at a show and was blown away.

For the amp, id pick the kicker 700.5 ran off a LOC (i would bridge the speaker channels for the front comps cuz head room is good, and run the rears off the head unit)

 

[denver173 10+ year member]

Wow that was fast !! Of course I did not know that PPI changed hands, as a result your valued opinion helps me eliminate them from the list.

Thanks for the input!!! Much appreciated!

 

[xtremekustomz 10+ year member]

The tentative plan:

1) Keep the factory head unit. It’s an Alpine unit with a 6 disk change with touch screen navi. I want to keep it because the navi is great and it does everything I want and the steering wheel controls are nice for driving.

Personally I would try to get rid of the factory unit. It is probably your main cause of the sound not being right. Factory anything sucks. There are multiple companies out that make aftermarket devices to integrate things into a new system. Check out http://www.aampofamerica.com and see if they have a way to integrate a new head unit with your navigation system.

2) Line level converter. I’m thinking my best choice here is AUDIOCONTROL LC6i. I have looked at the JL cleansweep and Rockford 3sixity both I think are too $$. And I think overkill for my requirements. I also have been told that I could use some step-down units but I don’t know how reliable these would be. I think for around $120 the LC6i gives me a line level converters and a summing unit to give me a true front, rear, and sub feed. Your thoughts however????[/quote.I guess if you are going to keep the factory head unit then uset he Audiocontrol. For the money it is probably the best out.

3) Good 6.5 components for the front doors. My short list :
a) MB Quart QSD 216(around $300 online)

b) Diamond Audio Hex 600s (around $300 online)

I had two sets of Quarts and I loved them. I fell in love with the hex 600s when I heard them. Your thoughts however? Am I spending too much here?? Am I overlooking any good bang for the buck 6.5’s? There are so many choices I must admit I’m overwilemed!!!

My opinion is to go to a shop that carries some high end components and listen to them. I think you would like the Focal Kevlar series. They can be very loud. Also there is Dynaudio that is extremely loud and clean. I have a set myself. Others include Kicker SS. I also have a set of those and the 6" midbass and they are nice. Basically just go listen to some. Find what you like the most. I guess the only problem will be how the store has everything set up.

4) Keep 1 set of Infinity 6012i for rear fill. Your thoughts however??

Use what you have for the rear fill. I could care less if I have anything behind me. Musicians don't play or sing behind you.

5) Good 5 channel Amp: I think this is the easiest way to go for a few reasons. It will power the fronts, rears, and a sub I hope to put behind the rear seats. I know you give some things up with going this route, but I what something easy to mount behind the rear seats as well. This is where I really, really get confused!!! Way, way too many choices:a) Kicker 700.5 around $300

b) PPI 800.5 (closeout last year’s model) around $300

c) Alphasonic 1200A around $250

d) Hifonics 8006i around $200

I've dealt with Kicker and they have some nice product. I've just never really like the reroduction of the sound with the zx or kx amplifiers. I really like the sx but they don't make a 5 channel. If I were you I would run the rear off of the head unit and get a decent 4 channel for the front and sub.

MB Quart also makes amps and pioneer makes a decent shallow mount woofer.

 

[denver173 10+ year member]

Mounting depth has to be under 5.75 (i think) I will be honest i have not pulled out the rear seats yet. I'm going by the specs listed on the Ridgeline forum.

Wow what a great idea using my head unit to power the rears!!

 

[colgatekillaa 10+ year member]

you can always tell the teachers because of their punctuation and correct grammar, except for the $$$ simbols, come on man, unacceptable. J/K

as for the issue at hand, i assume you want SQ, you might be happier with a sealed box IMO, but i don't know what you were planning anyway. Those infinity's should suffice, however, i need at least a little more bump, so id look into the JL subs, they are nice SQ woofers, but expensive.

 

[denver173 10+ year member]

Your probably correct the factory head unit is the cause of most of the problems!

However, with my budget i dont want to go down that road if i dont have to. But I'm not ruling it out.

I will call ampsofamerica tomorrow to see what they have. I looked quick on the site but call will be made.

Thanks for the input on speakers. I have yet to hear anything from Focal, ever one keeps raving about them. I guess I should make a road trip to hear them!!

 

[denver173 10+ year member]

Well lets not get carried away, if it weren't for spell check i be in trouble. I teach math, I'm way out of my league with grammar!!!

I apologize for my ignorance, but whats IMO?

And yes you are correct i would like SQ over SPL

Do you think those Infinity's could work if i got a better amp for some real power?

I'll be honesty they sound very tinny and bright

As for the subs I had some JL subs a long time ago, but their pricey

Thanks

 

[colgatekillaa 10+ year member]

Well lets not get carried away, if it weren't for spell check i be in trouble. I teach math, I'm way out of my league with grammar!!!I apologize for my ignorance, but whats IMO?

And yes you are correct i would like SQ over SPL

Do you think those Infinity's could work if i got a better amp for some real power?

I'll be honesty they sound very tinny and bright

As for the subs I had some JL subs a long time ago, but their pricey

Thanks

IMO= in my opinion

yes jl is definately pricey, as for the infinity's, im not sure because i have never heard a pair, maybe someone else could help you there, how much power are they getting?

 

[denver173 10+ year member]

Wow that was bad, I though for sure it was some high tech sub enclosure.

As for how much power are the Infinity's getting i dont really know.

 

[joshs98runner 10+ year member]

Sounds like he is on the right track. A good filter/converter to clean up the factory signals should be your first investment if you ask me, an amp should also go along with that to put some power to your front stage. Before going out and swaping your front stage for expensive components the first step should be to sound deaden the inside and outside of the doors. I think you will see a drastic improvement with an amp on your front stage that will give you headroom for better components if you want and a good converter to clean up those factory signals along with the sound deadener. You will also have to calculate price of wireing for all of this, which isn't as cheap as it used to be.

After you get all that put in I would than worry about how much better you need your front stage to be, you already spent money on aftermarket speakers and I think you could get much better results if you just give them some juice and invest in deadening the doors. Why spend more money on speakers when you already have some, I would really invest in the install with the amp and deadener before starting over because you will need all that to get the moust out of your system anyways. That is my .02 because that's the route I am going, simple rear fill, pretty good front stage, amp for front stage, deadener and a HU to give me good SQ.

After you get the front stage how you want it the system will probably overpower the stock sub, at that point I would move your money towards bass.

 

[denver173 10+ year member]

Thanks josh98runner for your quick reply.

Any recommendations for some economical door damping material?

Some of that stuff is priced as high as gold it seems.

Also are your recommending the Audiocontrol unit or some other converter to clean up my signal???

 

[joshs98runner 10+ year member]

I am not as informed on converters and filters as some of the other guys here, but everyone preaches to put your money into install before expensive speakers because at the end of the day you could spend a thousand dollars on some sick components and not reap any of the benefits if you don't put just as much effort into all the little things that matter. Raamat is more economical in price than dynamat, there is also a company called second skin that makes good stuff...I think there is quite a few write ups on deadening etc. If you check the tech/writeup section it should be a sticky thread. I guess the message I was trying to send is someone that spends time and effort into install quality will get better results out of a $150 set of components than a person that spends more than twice or three times that amount on components and doesn't do any of the little critical things that really make the system shine. Another thing I hear people preach is quality over quantity. I am sort of a noob just like you but these are the tips I read over and over again from this site, after you put some good effort into detailing the system like that I would than worry about what component set will fit your needs.

 

[Lowjacker 10+ year member]

for subs i would go with XS-L100P5W's.....they're 10" with a relatively shallow mount....they're hard hitting and take little space.....plus they're only $60 each brand spankin' new......

the rest i'll leave up to others who have more experience with those items....

one last thing.....memphis makes great subs and amps too......