RC 350 help?

[chopstick]

Hello -

let’s be honest. i’ve tried to read and understand y’all but i just can’t get my brain to function. you’re gonna have to really use like.. dumb words for me to understand.

i recently purchased a 2016 RC 350 Fsport. i pick it up in 4 days. doesn’t have the ML sound, so i’m sure it’s going to be a lukewarm sound experience compared to my husbands dodge charger.

i want to feel vibrations in my soul. i also want my husband to be able to hear me coming up our street to not only annoy him, but embarrass him. heheh.

do i change the speakers in the doors? can i do that? i saw something about a stock speaker in the trunk? do i change that? do i get a “kicker and amp”? something about going to best buy gives me the ick. we have some audio places in OK but i don’t trust them to not take advantage of my lack of knowledge. i have trust issues.

i have not the slightest clue about any of this but someone take pity on me and help a girl out.

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[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

take advantage of my lack of knowledge

This is common practice. For upgrades most people start off replacing factory speakers. It may be enough as I have seen alot of people stop there. If you are selecting the the speakers, you want to look for a sensitivity of 90 db (decibels) and higher, and 4 Ohms resistance. They are 6.5" in diameter and looks like you will need a mounting adapter. A site named Crutchfield is very good at providing this technical information.
As for the rear shelf mounted sub, I suggest waiting until you hear how good the new speakers blend with it.

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

someone take pity on me and help a girl out.

I would suggest taking it to a shop.


Women....

 

[chopstick]

This is common practice. For upgrades most people start off replacing factory speakers. It may be enough as I have seen alot of people stop there. If you are selecting the the speakers, you want to look for a sensitivity of 90 db (decibels) and higher, and 4 Ohms resistance. They are 6.5" in diameter and looks like you will need a mounting adapter. A site named Crutchfield is very good at providing this technical information.
As for the rear shelf mounted sub, I suggest waiting until you hear how good the new speakers blend with it.

i was thinking of just doing a 10” kicker comp c in the back but i can’t figure out if i should do both or replace the factory, or do the kicker comp. which would be the most cost effective of the two if done separately?

 

[chopstick]

we have some audio places in OK but i don’t trust them to not take advantage of my lack of knowledge. i have trust issues

and i quote -

men…

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

i was thinking of just doing a 10” kicker comp c in the back but i can’t figure out if i should do both or replace the factory, or do the kicker comp. which would be the most cost effective of the two if done separately?

I see, what you are aiming for is better bass output. In that case I would suggest a bigger sub. Reason for that is trunks are not ideal for low power subs. On top of that, luxury cars tend to have better sound deadening. If you check Crutchfield, they may even offer a better sub that mounts direct where the OEM sub is. Using the subs simultaneously may be an issue for they have different properties that may cancel each other's output. If you do decide in a boxed sub, I would suggest removing the OEM sub so as to get more bass in the cabin.

 

[chopstick]

This is common practice. For upgrades most people start off replacing factory speakers. It may be enough as I have seen alot of people stop there. If you are selecting the the speakers, you want to look for a sensitivity of 90 db (decibels) and higher, and 4 Ohms resistance. They are 6.5" in diameter and looks like you will need a mounting adapter. A site named Crutchfield is very good at providing this technical information.
As for the rear shelf mounted sub, I suggest waiting until you hear how good the new speakers blend with it.

i was thinking of just doing a 10” kicker comp c in the back but i can’t figure out if i should do both or replace the factory, or do the kicker comp. which would be the most cost effective of the two if done dep

I see, what you are aiming for is better bass output. In that case I would suggest a bigger sub. Reason for that is trunks are not ideal for low power subs. On top of that, luxury cars tend to have better sound deadening. If you check Crutchfield, they may even offer a better sub that mounts direct where the OEM sub is. Using the subs simultaneously may be an issue for they have different properties that may cancel each other's output. If you do decide in a boxed sub, I would suggest removing the OEM sub so as to get more bass in the cabin.

yes!! i’ve had better sound systems in nissans and the “luxury” lexus offers.

what do you mean by bigger sub? you’re really going to have to spell things out for me.

what is considered a low power sub?
what is sound deadening?
what is the OEM sub?
where is the OEM sub?

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

if your main speakers get loud enough, add a sub and amp

max budget? really good subs start around $200. you can spend less, but you wont get much of an upgrade

fwiw, a lot of people take their rear deck speakers out to let the bass from the trunk vent into the cabin better

 

[chopstick]

if your main speakers get loud enough, add a sub and amp

max budget? really good subs start around $200. you can spend less, but you wont get much of an upgrade

fwiw, a lot of people take their rear deck speakers out to let the bass from the trunk vent into the cabin better

what does fwiw mean? what are the rear deck speakers,

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

what do you mean by bigger sub? you’re really going to have to spell things out for me.

This will only apply if you use a boxed sub in the trunk. Instead of a 10 inch sub, go for a 12" sub. The bigger sub moves more air, so it sounds louder.

what is considered a low power sub?

Low powered is 250 watts and less. In my opinion.

what is sound deadening?

Sound deadening is padding applied at different sections of the car to make it quieter. Luxury cars also have better seats that muffle sound better.

what is the OEM sub?

OEM= Original Equipment Manufacturer (factory)

what does fwiw mean

FWIW= For What It's Worth

what are the rear deck speakers,

Those are the speakers mounted on the shelf under the rear glass. That is where the OEM subwoofer should be as well.

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

you’re really going to have to spell things out for me.

When you open the trunk, look to where the courtesy light is. You will see this -->

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

i was thinking of just doing a 10” kicker comp c

I was just looking at the Kicker Comp C10 specifications. It will work well in lieu of the factory subwoofer. If you can fit the C12, it would be better.

 

[chopstick]

I was just looking at the Kicker Comp C10 specifications. It will work well in lieu of the factory subwoofer. If you can fit the C12, it would be better.

i appreciate you greatly

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

what does fwiw mean?

For What It's Worth. I think kids these days use TBH.
As much as you dislike shopping at Best Buy I'd say it might be your best option as I'm guessing you have reasonable expectations, don't want to break the bank, and don't know what mom and pop audio shops are reliable in your area.

If you stick to the big name brands like Kicker, Pioneer, Rockford Fosgate, Alpine, Kenwood, JBL/Infinity, etc. you're getting known quality product and you're not going to get any fuckery with pricing since literally every Best Buy in the country will have the same posted price for equipment and different installs AND Best Buy has deep enough pockets to make good if their installer screws something up dramatically and burns your car to the ground or something else crazy. That said, it wouldn't hurt to get a quote from Best Buy, then go to whatever local shop and tell them what they offered and get a quote from them and come back and run it by us (take a notebook so you'll remember).

Definitely doesn't sound like you're trying to do this yourself or know anybody who is comfortable with this enough to do the job for you so IMO you're going to be paying 125$ an hour give or take for shop time. By my estimation a decent car audio garage will probably need to charge a similar hourly rate to a regular mechanic if they want to stay in business.
On to what you "need", I'd agree that you might just start buy looking into a "powered subwoofer", all the brands I mentioned above should sell one and they're a box, amplifier, and subwoofer all in one package. That'll be simple to integrate with your factory system and the least invasive as far as being able to remove it easily down the road if needed. Really a 100-300W all-in-one kit like that should be the best bang for your buck as far as upgrading your sound. Start there and then report back and if you feel you're lacking something after that we can point you in the right direction.

Something like this:

JBL BassPro 12

Ported powered subwoofer with 12" sub and 150-watt amp

www.crutchfield.com

There's all different shapes, sizes and looks of this sort of thing from most of the big brand names. Generally speaking "space makes bass" so the larger diameter subwoofer and the larger the box will be louder all things equal so you'll also need to decide how much trunk space you care to sacrifice to make this all happen and at some point you may just decide you like the looks of one over another and have just the aesthetics be your deciding factor. Nothing wrong with that, and any of these things from the reputable brands should all perform about the same across their class.