Car Stereo Upgrade Recs

[William_Cannon 86]

I want to upgrade the factory speakers and add an amp in my 07 F150 Supercrew. I replaced the head unit last year to a Pioneer AVH touch panel which unfortunately has less juice than the factory unit. Does anyone have a rec for products and also for a local installer in Austin? I have no desire to DIY.

 

Thanks in advance,

WC

[dcbc 14465]

How many speakers (and are the tweeters separate).  Do you want to add a sub?

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Lemme get my custom installer connection to register over here & answer your query; he had just signed up with Shag around 1 week before we went tits up.

 

He's in San Marcos & his quality is above 99% of the shops you'll find & for a lower price - labor + required parts only, you buy the components.

[William_Cannon 86]

How many speakers (and are the tweeters separate).  Do you want to add a sub?

I currently have 4 5x7s (doors) I know the front doors have a slot for separate tweets and the arm rest has ample room for a crossover. The goal would be for components at least in the front.

I don’t have a sub since it would have to under the rear seats and that is prime storage space. I’ve heard rumors you can install a low profile box behind the seat for a small sub. With that said, I sure would love a little bass.

[dcbc 14465]

11 minutes ago, William_Cannon said:

I currently have 4 5x7s (doors) I know the front doors have a slot for separate tweets and the arm rest has ample room for a crossover. The goal would be for components at least in the front.

I don’t have a sub since it would have to under the rear seats and that is prime storage space. I’ve heard rumors you can install a low profile box behind the seat for a small sub. With that said, I sure would love a little bass.
 

At that size, I'm not sure component is an easy option without separate crossovers and disabling some 2-way speakers.  Just looking at Crutchfield for who makes a 5x7, I'm throwing out Polk for a budget line, JL if you want to spend a bit more, and Focal for you want to spend more than that. 

To a certain extent, you'll have enough road noise to cancel out too many big money benefits.  That's why I have Polk in my boat.  Spring for MM series if you like, but the DB series is good bang for the buck.  To a slightly lesser extent, unless you just want to sit in your car, there's enough excess noise to undo any slight variations in SQ when it comes to decent speakers versus SQ speakers.

[William_Cannon 86]

At that size, I'm not sure component is an easy option without separate crossovers and disabling some 2-way speakers.  Just looking at Crutchfield for who makes a 5x7...

Crutch field does sell component sets with built in crossovers. Would I need an addition crossover?


Tapa

[dcbc 14465]

2 minutes ago, William_Cannon said:

Crutch field does sell component sets with built in crossovers. Would I need an addition crossover?


Tapa

I used Crutchfield as a bit of a universal example.  I had a pair of separate tweeters in an old car that were set without a crossover, but with some weird filter.  I solved the problem by disconnecting the tweeters on the dash and installing 2-way speakers in the door.  Best to keep the tweeters closer to the midrange spekers.

No idea about specific offerings from crutchfiled.  Every component speaker I've owned has had a separate crossover.

[52-80 19147]

subs are essential for enjoyment, imo.

last time i dabbed in audio was when d-class (aka Digital) amps started to get popular.  they are ultra high in efficiency, but home audiophiles might poopoo at it for accuracy.  in an automotive application, its perfect.

i ran the Alpine PDX 4.150.  its fucking tiny, never overheated (unlike the 2 JBLs it replaced that pumped out half the power), and sounded awesome.

now Alpine makes a bunch of D-class 5-channel amplifiers.  1 unit, compact, and enough to push 4 speakers + 1 sub.  really good shit.   

[William_Cannon 86]

I used Crutchfield as a bit of a universal example.  I had a pair of separate tweeters in an old car that were set without a crossover, but with some weird filter.  I solved the problem by disconnecting the tweeters on the dash and installing 2-way speakers in the door.  Best to keep the tweeters closer to the midrange spekers.
No idea about specific offerings from crutchfiled.  Every component speaker I've owned has had a separate crossover.

Sorry I wasn’t real clear. From what I’ve seen at entry and mid level, components come with their own crossover like the one in the link.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_107DB5252/Polk-Audio-DB-5252.html?avf=Y

[William_Cannon 86]

subs are essential for enjoyment, imo.
last time i dabbed in audio was when d-class (aka Digital) amps started to get popular.  they are ultra high in efficiency, but home audiophiles might poopoo at it for accuracy.  in an automotive application, its perfect.
i ran the Alpine PDX 4.150.  its fucking tiny, never overheated (unlike the 2 JBLs it replaced that pumped out half the power), and sounded awesome.
now Alpine makes a bunch of D-class 5-channel amplifiers.  1 unit, compact, and enough to push 4 speakers + 1 sub.  really good shit.   

Thanks. Small and cool is a must. If it really stays cool, I could put it behind the head unit. There is plenty of room for a small amp but I wouldn’t want to add any heat source since the head unit itself can get warm enough to kick on its fan.

[Tommy El Gato 10]

What's a realistic budget for the rest of your system?  Do you have to have speakers in the rear doors?  

I'm running a 3-way (high/mid/sub) setup in my truck with a 5 channel Arc XDi amplifier but have also used a JL Audio HD900/5.  Both are small amplifiers that run cool with some airflow.  I have 5x7s in my mustang and have been told that some of the 6.5" components can be fitted with a little trimming of the doors.  And don't forget about insulating the doors (at the very least), even cheap speakers can sound decent with a proper installation. 

[Affordable Audio installs 3]

On 3/29/2018 at 11:20 PM, dcbc said:

At that size, I'm not sure component is an easy option without separate crossovers and disabling some 2-way speakers.  Just looking at Crutchfield for who makes a 5x7, I'm throwing out Polk for a budget line, JL if you want to spend a bit more, and Focal for you want to spend more than that. 

To a certain extent, you'll have enough road noise to cancel out too many big money benefits.  That's why I have Polk in my boat.  Spring for MM series if you like, but the DB series is good bang for the buck.  To a slightly lesser extent, unless you just want to sit in your car, there's enough excess noise to undo any slight variations in SQ when it comes to decent speakers versus SQ speakers.

Hey there. On the 07 super crew all speakers are 5x7’s. Not many companies offer a 5x7 component. JL C2 coaxial would be my reccomendation for a “normal” quality upgrade. JL c3 offers a 5x7 in a componet. I have plenty of connections for getting Audio at a slight discount and JL is one of them. 

 

You are right about your sub location option being under the seat. That will be something you will need to weigh the options. Keep in mind 80% of the “power” goes to the lower 20% of the audible octave. To put that in English, you will not be able to get awesome sound with out some form of lower octave with a sub. That being said companies make 6.5” subwoofers for that very reason. 

 

Please search on Facebook for my audio install page. There you will see my portfolio and will have a very easy way to contact me on Audio questions. Just search “Affordable Audio Installation” in the search bar. 

 

Speaker replacement alone will change the tonality of your system but will not make it any louder so keep that in mind. Full systems head to toe with some sound deadening to make the doors a better enclosure, replacement speakers all the way around and a 5ch amp plus sub and enclosure can start around 2500 and end at the end of the rainbow. Just adding a quality bass package normally starts at 1200 and again ends at the end of the rainbow. 

 

I can answer questions more quickly on my Facebook page and I will be happy to help you make realistic quotes that meet your goals. 

 

 

 

[Affordable Audio installs 3]

On 3/29/2018 at 11:20 PM, dcbc said:

At that size, I'm not sure component is an easy option without separate crossovers and disabling some 2-way speakers.  Just looking at Crutchfield for who makes a 5x7, I'm throwing out Polk for a budget line, JL if you want to spend a bit more, and Focal for you want to spend more than that. 

To a certain extent, you'll have enough road noise to cancel out too many big money benefits.  That's why I have Polk in my boat.  Spring for MM series if you like, but the DB series is good bang for the buck.  To a slightly lesser extent, unless you just want to sit in your car, there's enough excess noise to undo any slight variations in SQ when it comes to decent speakers versus SQ speakers.

While this is true, on any big install I do I always do sound deadener treatment. I prefer second skin car audio’s Products. All proven to be made in america with virgin materials. They have government contracts and many big company contracts, working on one for Tesla (yes their stuff works that good) 

 

 

that being said some sound deadening goes a long way. Proper installation helps with this also... and when you get into higher end installs where you can start playing with phase and time allignment cool things can happen- for instance in my car and many cars I do, the singer is in the center of the dash (with only a left and right speaker)  but that’s advanced stuff. 

 

Btw the Polk mm’s are great little speakers. Very bright tweeter and not a lot of midbass output but they are very efficient and don’t have a bad sound. 

[Affordable Audio installs 3]

On 3/30/2018 at 9:29 AM, William_Cannon said:

Thanks. Small and cool is a must. If it really stays cool, I could put it behind the head unit. There is plenty of room for a small amp but I wouldn’t want to add any heat source since the head unit itself can get warm enough to kick on its fan.

Plenty of options that are small and don’t run hot. Class D amps today can be as small as your hand and power all your door speakers. There is a inverse coorlation between money spent and size. The more money you spend the smaller the product can be. Size - output - price... pick 2.

 

also on that heat note quality wiring and installation helps to keep an amp running cool. When it has a poor ground or poor tuning or poor ventilation it can get hot and eventually be pushed into thermal protect. 

[William_Cannon 86]

What's a realistic budget for the rest of your system?  Do you have to have speakers in the rear doors?  
I'm running a 3-way (high/mid/sub) setup in my truck with a 5 channel Arc XDi amplifier but have also used a JL Audio HD900/5.  Both are small amplifiers that run cool with some airflow.  I have 5x7s in my mustang and have been told that some of the 6.5" components can be fitted with a little trimming of the doors.  And don't forget about insulating the doors (at the very least), even cheap speakers can sound decent with a proper installation. 

Realistic I can get away with spending $1k. Yes, there are speakers in the rear doors.

[Tommy El Gato 10]

Not sure how far from you Affordable Audio is but it might be worth some time to give him a call.  Whoever you go with, see if they think 6.5" components can be fitted in the front.  You'll have a lot more options vs 5x7s.  If you have to go with 5x7s, I like the Pioneer TS-D6802R but most shops have a demo board where you can listen to different speakers.  Bring whatever music you listen to and test them all.    

Since you aren't looking for a sub, a 4 channel amp/install and some sound deadening should eat up the rest of the budget.

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

 

[William_Cannon 86]

Plenty of options that are small and don’t run hot. Class D amps today can be as small as your hand and power all your door speakers. There is a inverse coorlation between money spent and size. The more money you spend the smaller the product can be. Size - output - price... pick 2.
 
also on that heat note quality wiring and installation helps to keep an amp running cool. When it has a poor ground or poor tuning or poor ventilation it can get hot and eventually be pushed into thermal protect. 

Do you have a website?

[ROFL BOX 6647]

8 hours ago, William_Cannon said:

Do you have a website?

He has a FB page.

 

https://www.facebook.com/AffordableAudioInstallation/

 

 

[William_Cannon 86]

He has a FB page.
 
https://www.facebook.com/AffordableAudioInstallation/
 
 

Thanks. I’m not really a Facebook user... I’ll see if I can find my password.

[Affordable Audio installs 3]

14 hours ago, William_Cannon said:

Thanks. I’m not really a Facebook user... I’ll see if I can find my password.

I only recommended my Facebook because its where I keep my full portfolio for all to see. Some people feel better when they see the quality of work they are getting. If you do not need to see my portfolio then I will be happy to meet up locally and can provide by cell phone for an alternate way of communication since Facebook isn't an option. With that budget even at full retail you can get a JL RD 400/4 and 2 pairs of JL c2 5x7's (front and rear doors) along with stinger 6000 series 4ch RCA and a matching stinger 6000 series 4ga amp kit. Along with installation by me for right at your budget. I do get some discounts on JL if you would like to save a little money or you can order from sonic electronics/crutchfield and have a easy way for any possible warranty needs as they have amazing customer service. I offer a lifetime warranty on the install that I complete but I can only warranty labor as I do not stock JL like local shops, I am simply sponsored by them in part for my competition car. 

[yoshi 137]

I have a Kicker Hideaway under the passenger side back seat of a Nissan Frontier.   It's only about the size of a mid size amp.    But it has an 8 in woofer and built in 150W amp built in.    Added a ton of bass to my truck.   A lot more than what you would think would come out of a little box like that.   I'm not going to be competing in any stereo contests, but I sure like the full sound I get from this.  

 

Pics aren't from my truck, just some I pulled off the internet...

 

 

Edited April 6, 2018 by yoshi

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Recent pics from stuff @Affordable Audio installs has done:

 

 

 

(seems to be more trouble posting pics in this thread; unsure if the image is gonna show up)

[Steel Shank 9421]

Based on ROFL BOX's recommendation, I used Affordable Audio to put in a backup camera on my truck. He did a great job, easy to get along with and a straight up fair dude. If you're nice, he might let you hear the sound system in his car. It kicks some major ass. The only thing he didn't have was a cooler full of beer for me to drink while I watched him work!

Highly recommend AAI.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

Might be for the car thread but I'll throw this here.

Looking at a 2016-2017 QX80 for the wife and she wants headrest DVD players for the kids.  I'm finding a lot without and am weighing the options to go aftermarket for them.  Bad idea jeans?  I figured somewhere in the $1500 range for this AM option.  Am I way off?  

[SDG 3319]

I'm gonna bump this thread since it's car audio related.  I bought a mini with the base audio system so I wanted a little bass upgrade but nothing special.  After some internet research I landed on buying a Bazooka tube for simplicity and quick removal.  I found one at sonic that was open box for $230.  It was the BTA10250D which is a 10" with a 250watt class D amp.  

When I arrived home on Sunday there was not one but 2 boxes blocking my front door.  

WTF have I done.  Both boxes were 30x18x16 and the mini's trunk is only about the size of a large gym bag. I wanted to add a little something but even with the gain all the way down the damn thing overpowers the other six speakers significantly.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to adjust the LOC levels but if anyone has any other suggestions I'm all ears.  

BTW what should I do with the second one they sent?  Should I send it back?  

[ChickenSandwich 9828]

Why not a low air 8in in a truck box (they make shallow throw woofers). Think like fits behind a bench seat in single cab truck. It weighs ten pounds and removal is disconnecting the speaker wire from a quick release. Use Velcro instead of screws for easier removal 

For a visual 

 

[SDG 3319]

Thx for the suggestion @ChickenSandwich but unfortunately hindsight is 2020.  I went with the bazooka tube because back in the 90's early 00's when I was working in car audio they were an easy answer for people who wanted want just a little extra.  I always wanted a lot extra back then as I went from 3 10's (JL 10w6's), to 4 12's (JL 12v4's), back to 2 12 (Rockford Fosgate P3's).  Since then I've always bought BMW's with the upgraded HK or Enhanced Premium and at my old age it's perfect.  

I was able to play with the Iine out converter gain today and it may be my problem.  The level is either very low, essentially off, or full blast.  I may try to replace it or bypass the low level outputs (I'd only be using the LOC for the audio sensing remote out) if I can't get it dialed in (Bazooka actually recommends high level inputs).  

I'm still deciding if I want to be honest and sent the second tube that was sent by mistake back.  

 

Got it in though.  

 

[NWBuck 8552]

Just remember, you don't need a quadrophonic Blaupunkt. What you need is a curveball.

[dcbc 14465]

So without reading the whole thread, one thing I can relate is that if you aren't upgrading the factory head unit, you may (depending on manufacturer) is something between the head unit and amp that will flatten out the signal.  Some manufacturers (VW cough cough) have something in the factory head units that cause the bass to be reduced as the volume is raised to protect the crappy factory speakers.  Food for thought.

[Longhorn_Fan68 33864]

thinking of spending some of my Biden Bucks on upgrading my car stereo. I have a 2015 VW Jetta with a factory stereo. No sub or anything fancy.

Here's what (I think) I know:

• I will be replacing the head unit with a touchscreen unit, replacing all 4 door speakers, and adding and amp and sub
• I think the sub will be a 10" since I mostly listen to metal so I will need faster response over booming bass (so also means a sealed sub box)

Here's what I don't know:

• Is there a good rule of thumb for sizing speakers and subs? Right now the speakers I am considering are 100rms/200max and the sub is 500rms/800max. Is that overkill?
• Do I want 2-way, 3-way, or 4-way speakers? I'm not doing components, so I need some just good door speakers. But I start to get confused when reading about the various 'ways'
• Do I need a separate amp for the speakers? as I said above, the ones I am looking at 100RMS/200Max. I don't think even the most powerful head units come close to that, so I think it's yes. But I think I could run the speakers and sub off the same amp, but someone here may tell me why that's a bad idea.
• I'm considering either a sub enclosure that mounts to the back dash in the trunk or possibly a spare tire sub. Anyone have experience with either of those? I'm thinking since I won't be requiring window-shaking bass, having the sub mounted under the back dash or in the spare tire basin would be fine. But it could also be a rattling mess and not worth it

Any other questions I should be asking?

Edited April 13, 2021 by Longhorn_Fan68

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Hey there. On the 07 super crew all speakers are 5x7’s. Not many companies offer a 5x7 component. JL C2 coaxial would be my reccomendation for a “normal” quality upgrade. JL c3 offers a 5x7 in a componet. I have plenty of connections for getting Audio at a slight discount and JL is one of them. 
 
You are right about your sub location option being under the seat. That will be something you will need to weigh the options. Keep in mind 80% of the “power” goes to the lower 20% of the audible octave. To put that in English, you will not be able to get awesome sound with out some form of lower octave with a sub. That being said companies make 6.5” subwoofers for that very reason. 
 
Please search on Facebook for my audio install page. There you will see my portfolio and will have a very easy way to contact me on Audio questions. Just search “Affordable Audio Installation” in the search bar. 
 
Speaker replacement alone will change the tonality of your system but will not make it any louder so keep that in mind. Full systems head to toe with some sound deadening to make the doors a better enclosure, replacement speakers all the way around and a 5ch amp plus sub and enclosure can start around 2500 and end at the end of the rainbow. Just adding a quality bass package normally starts at 1200 and again ends at the end of the rainbow. 
 
I can answer questions more quickly on my Facebook page and I will be happy to help you make realistic quotes that meet your goals. 
 
 
 

Search this guy out. Have him set you up.

Win.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[Longhorn_Fan68 33864]

On 4/16/2021 at 12:33 AM, ROFL BOX said:

Search this guy out. Have him set you up.

Win.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
 

well, the facebook link above doesn't work and he hasn't posted in 2 years. is he still in business?

[dcbc 14465]

thinking of spending some of my Biden Bucks on upgrading my car stereo. I have a 2015 VW Jetta with a factory stereo. No sub or anything fancy.
Here's what (I think) I know:

• I will be replacing the head unit with a touchscreen unit, replacing all 4 door speakers, and adding and amp and sub
• I think the sub will be a 10" since I mostly listen to metal so I will need faster response over booming bass (so also means a sealed sub box)

Here's what I don't know:

• Is there a good rule of thumb for sizing speakers and subs? Right now the speakers I am considering are 100rms/200max and the sub is 500rms/800max. Is that overkill?
• Do I want 2-way, 3-way, or 4-way speakers? I'm not doing components, so I need some just good door speakers. But I start to get confused when reading about the various 'ways'
• Do I need a separate amp for the speakers? as I said above, the ones I am looking at 100RMS/200Max. I don't think even the most powerful head units come close to that, so I think it's yes. But I think I could run the speakers and sub off the same amp, but someone here may tell me why that's a bad idea.
• I'm considering either a sub enclosure that mounts to the back dash in the trunk or possibly a spare tire sub. Anyone have experience with either of those? I'm thinking since I won't be requiring window-shaking bass, having the sub mounted under the back dash or in the spare tire basin would be fine. But it could also be a rattling mess and not worth it

Any other questions I should be asking?

Necrobump. Does the Jetta not have a pair of two way components in the front door? If so, are you going to ditch the factory tweeter location and put some coaxial speakers in the mid range door enclosure? That can sound good if you can aim the coaxial tweeter a bit. As for power, you want to try to match the RMS handling of the speakers to the RMS output of the amp or, in this case, the head unit. I've read your leaving some sound quality on the table by hitting speakers that can handle 100 watts RMS with a 40 watt RMS per channel head unit. Also, spend more and just replace the front door speakers. The rears aren't something you will notice.

As for sub, I decided keeping the spare tire was important. I looked at those VW specific side storage sub enclosures, but they were pretty spendy. Ultimately, I just grabbed a 10" infinity basslink. I'm not trying to rattle the windows and it filled out the low end fine and has a built in amp.

[Longhorn_Fan68 33864]

30 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Necrobump. Does the Jetta not have a pair of two way components in the front door? If so, are you going to ditch the factory tweeter location and put some coaxial speakers in the mid range door enclosure? That can sound good if you can aim the coaxial tweeter a bit. As for power, you want to try to match the RMS handling of the speakers to the RMS output of the amp or, in this case, the head unit. I've read your leaving some sound quality on the table by hitting speakers that can handle 100 watts RMS with a 40 watt RMS per channel head unit. Also, spend more and just replace the front door speakers. The rears aren't something you will notice.

As for sub, I decided keeping the spare tire was important. I looked at those VW specific side storage sub enclosures, but they were pretty spendy. Ultimately, I just grabbed a 10" infinity basslink. I'm not trying to rattle the windows and it filled out the low end fine and has a built in amp.

Badass, thanks for taking the time to respond 

[dcbc 14465]

Badass, thanks for taking the time to respond 

I've got a VW CC. From what the installer told me, they would have charged a lot more if they realized what a pain it would be to get into the doors.

I my case, I kept the stock head unit, replaced with 3way components in the front and 2 way components in the rear, added a gizmo to adjust for bass roll off, had a Polk 4 chan. amp installed upside down hanging from the deck just forward of the trunk lid (10 years and not heat disaapation issues) and just have that infinity trunk firing sideways in the trunk.

My podcasts and audiobooks sound amazing.

[Longhorn_Fan68 33864]

On 7/11/2021 at 1:04 PM, dcbc said:

I've got a VW CC. From what the installer told me, they would have charged a lot more if they realized what a pain it would be to get into the doors.

I my case, I kept the stock head unit, replaced with 3way components in the front and 2 way components in the rear, added a gizmo to adjust for bass roll off, had a Polk 4 chan. amp installed upside down hanging from the deck just forward of the trunk lid (10 years and not heat disaapation issues) and just have that infinity trunk firing sideways in the trunk.

My podcasts and audiobooks sound amazing.

we have slightly different setups, I think. I just looked again and here's what I think I have:

-Standard head unit without navigation
-Front door speakers (no separate tweeter)
-Rear door speakers with separate tweeter
Basically the configuration shown here without nav: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-c7sJ49OXCHV/learn/2011-up-volkswagen-jetta.html

[dcbc 14465]

15 hours ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

we have slightly different setups, I think. I just looked again and here's what I think I have:

-Standard head unit without navigation
-Front door speakers (no separate tweeter)
-Rear door speakers with separate tweeter
Basically the configuration shown here without nav: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-c7sJ49OXCHV/learn/2011-up-volkswagen-jetta.html

I think I went from 2-way to 3-way, but my car was the basic model with the RCD510.  I bought a used RNS510 to keep full steering wheel functionality because I liked a lot of what I had.  The good news is that the VW dash comes apart with a plastic putty spreader.  Just a few clips, 4 screws, and that head unit is out.  Super easy.

[William Wallace 106]

I've been going to Custom Sounds in Austin since I was 16 in the late 80's.  They are pretty good.

Edited July 20, 2021 by William Wallace

[William Wallace 106]

27 minutes ago, William Wallace said:

I've been going to Custom Sounds in Austin since I was 16 in the late 80's.  They are pretty good.

Maybe when I was 14, I am having flashbacks of riding my bike to it on congress.  They have always been real cool.

[Longhorn_Fan68 33864]

bumping this thread. got a nice xmas bonus, so finally gonna pull the trigger on an upgraded system. Will post chosen specs when I'm finished choosing components, but wanted to see if anyone had any updated recommendations for installation places in Austin.