Teach me about car audio

[idreamidrive]

I know nothing about car audio.

My stock head unit wasn't powering the rear speakers and eneded up buying an aftermarket HU, pioneer MVH-X380BT
click . This fixed the rear speakers issue, but my wife is complaining about the shitty audio quality. It has always had shitty quality, even after replacing the front speakers.

Would somebody guide me to everything I need? I would rather buy a transmission rebuild, but the wife has been asking for the stereo upgrade since I got the car and should probably make her happy. What would you stick in? I am fine with replacing the HU. I just don't understand amps, crossovers, subs, etc and how they all work together.

 

[gvr4ever]

I know enough not to start a electric fire....

What car?

What speakers did you buy?

Rear speakers could still be trash. If you didn't solder the speaker wire, you could have a bad connection.

Unless you have a really quiet high end car, I've never been a huge fan of throwing lots of money at car audio.

I've always let the head unit power speakers and than use a RCA sub out to a sub amp and subwoofer.

Only oddity I've ever seen is my first car 92 Escort GT, seemed to share the same ground wire for all the speakers. I ended up rewiring everything.

 

[thomcasey]

The car type will definitely make the advice more accurate.

In 1025, I have the earlier year model deck you have w/SiriusXM. I am running (with the deck):

Rockford Fosgate 3.5" coaxials in the dash, running off the deck power
Pioneer 5.25" coaxials in the doors (powered off a Pioneer 200 watt, 4-way amp, xover set @ 80hz
Sound Ordinance 6.5"/1" tweeter separates in the rear deck, off the above amp.
Single 10" Kicker Comp sub in a .6cuft sealed box in the trunk (powered by an MB Quart 600 watt amp)

This gives me good front stage, I can hear it with the windows down @ 70, and has a nice kick when the music demands it.

I used a Metra kit for the wiring harness connection.

 

[idreamidrive]

Sorry for not making it clear, but this is for the gvr4.

Rear speakers are stock.
Front have been replaced with some pioneers that I got from chucklesas' old car. No idea what model they are. Originally put the speakers in with stock head unit and still sounded "off," and it didn't change with the aftermarket HU, except for now the rear speakers work.

I can't describe what the audio sounds like, besides off. The treble and bass just don't seem to work well together. What also doesn't help is that the car is loud during hwy cruising. I am thinking some sound deadening material on the roof would help there.

 

[gvr4ever]

Maybe someone else can confirm. It's been a long time since my car had stock speakers, but they might have been 6ohm. As far as I know, all aftermarket car speakers are 4ohm. Some subs can be 2ohm. The stock unit might not have liked 4ohm speakers. Maybe.

Depending on the exhaust on your car, the HWY drone can kill ALL bass. Does it sound normal with the engine off?

You can play with the fader, bass, treble. As long as everything is hooked up correctly, it should sound ok.

I'd add a sub before sound deadening material. Both will add weight, but I think a sub will help out more. That recommendation is specifically for the Galant VR4 with a exhaust, cause I know what my stereo sounded like, or didn't sound like until I added a sub.

 

[thomcasey]

If you have the factory speakers, you can be rest assured that the paper cones and surround are toast, sound will be bad.

 

[idreamidrive]

Quoting gvr4ever:
Maybe someone else can confirm. It's been a long time since my car had stock speakers, but they might have been 6ohm. As far as I know, all aftermarket car speakers are 4ohm. Some subs can be 2ohm. The stock unit might not have liked 4ohm speakers. Maybe.

Depending on the exhaust on your car, the HWY drone can kill ALL bass. Does it sound normal with the engine off?

You can play with the fader, bass, treble. As long as everything is hooked up correctly, it should sound ok.

I'd add a sub before sound deadening material. Both will add weight, but I think a sub will help out more. That recommendation is specifically for the Galant VR4 with a exhaust, cause I know what my stereo sounded like, or didn't sound like until I added a sub.


Stock exhaust.
Found the rear speakers I never installed. They are Pioneer TS-A1670R, 3-way coaxial, full range, max 180w, 35w nominal. They look like the exact same type as the ones I installed up front. So the fronts probably have the same specs.
I was just listening to the system with the engine off an it seems like I really just need a sub, at least for low speed cruising. Does the sub have to go in the trunk? Or can I rig up a under the passenger seat sub? Use a OE under the seat sub like in a Subaru outback?

 

[gvr4ever]

I have not used under the seat subs before, but I'd image they would work. You will get more gain from the trunk. I have a simple sealed 10" sub in a goldwood box. Nothing fancy, but it works. I've thought about trying a slim sub in my Celica cause I don't want to add much weight or loose trunk space.

You can go smaller, but you lose efficiency. Dayton makes a 6.5 and 8" sub with matching passive radiators if you can make your own box. They also make a slim 10" sub if you could fashion a box mounted to the rear deck so you don't lose as much trunk space. Tang Bang make some nice mini subs too. click

 

[thomcasey]

They make subs for under the seats, you may have to go to an audio store and test them. Since our cars have heat vents under the seats, you will want to ensure you can isolate the airflow, otherwise you will overheat the powered unit (if used) or introduce some noise if the airflow is restricted. I placed my sub in the trunk due to the ease of installation. You can either build yourself a box or you can go with something like a Bazooka, Alpine or MTX tube. They are fairly small and load the corners they are aimed at to enhance the bass.

 

[FlyingEagle]

There are many very competitive car audio components that can be had for really low prices, with the right know how and searching. This site will awaken you to the world of car audio DIY, and has very VERY tech savvy members to boot. Figure out your budget, and see what used components are being offered and the go hunting. There are tweeters in the $29 range that will sound nearly as good as $200 tweeters to most peoples ears, and with a great head unit (CD or digital audio or both), will get you into those heavenly sounds that area usually only associated with home audio. You can get a car sounding great with little work other than proper placement, good equipment and some tweaking of the crossovers (going active). I have only installed my tweeters and 6.5" mid bass speakers, using the source signal of a Pioneer Carrozeria P-01 JDM head unit to the P01 JDM six channel single din amp in a stacked formation, and I am already in auditory heaven. I still have 2.5" mid range speakers waiting to be installed to take over the middle spread and open up the top end the 6.5" speakers weren't meant to complete deal with but are doing an admirable job considering positioning down low. In the trunk should be a giant fuzzy, reinforced box housing one 12" sub. This sound system is strictly for SQ and not SPL. I have spent nearly a year dealing with acquisition and prep, and build and then installation. I have had my lower dash apart for the last 2 months. This is in a car that is different from the Galant, but as the guys have said, remove the drone, dampen a little, get rid of rattles with anti-squeak tape sticky backed foam tape from 3m, and so on. The more quiet your car is to start with, the less you have to overcome with audio, and the rest will shine with a little tweaking. If you add more volume to compensate for the exhaust and lack of interior damping, you start the viscous circle.

click

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