Best setup for under $1500 in my accord?

[RiceMeister]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for some advice on a new sound setup :D

I've currently got a head-unit im in love with in my accord atm, the Alpine XDA-001 i-Pod Unit and don't want or need to change this, but everything else in my car sound-wise is stock, except for a JBL sub and Clarion mono block. I'm wanting to upgrade to some big sound to fill out the car a bit more and am looking for some advice...

I was thinking some front splits, rear 6x9's and a dual sub box (quite intersted in the pro-comp Kicker dual box setup) and a couple of amps (4 channel under passenger seat up front for speakers and mono block in boot to power the subs) would suit best.

I want to buy the speakers/subs brand new, but am happy to pickup good condition secondhand amps as long as the quality is there and they can provide adequite power for the subs and clarity for the speakers.

The accords are a pretty big car so i want to have the big sound to match the size.

any brands I should look at that provide good bang-for-buck value/performance?

I was thinking that some decent quality splits would be good, perhaps a set of JL? and id want decent quality for the shelf 6x9's too.

i know that price vs quality can sometimes be a difficult one, but im happy to stretch the budget a little if needed. Amps wont be a hassle as there are a lot of decent amps out there secondhand.

hope to hear some words of wisdom from the ICE experts!

Luke

[Joe Bellissimo]

May I offer my assistance? :)

Check the signature for my site :D

[SuiJin]

yo bro just get some decent fronts and two subs, the 6x9 can be so so, they wont be heard much only by rear passengers. trust me

[pair08]

Are you going to be installing yourself?

imo 6x9 aren't needed if your going to get subs.

with a 1.5k budget no install i'd be looking at spliting the budget into something like this

$500 splits - focal, hertz, cdt, crescendos
$300 4 channel amp - jaycar, dd, clarion
$700 mono + subs

go audition some stuff at specialist audio stores near you (stylyn, hallmaster, freeway) and get what you like :)

they offer good advice tooo

[RiceMeister]

Cheers for advice guys, I think I'll look at some top notch splits first then subs afterwards, by the sounds of it I can leave 6x9 til later on. I like the way you broke it down pair08, seems like a good plan. Any specific brands or models of splits to check out?

[Joe Bellissimo]

I would definitely add AD and STEG to that list. Both available on my site.

Couple simple questions:

1. What type of music do you listen to?
2. Do you have factory tweeter locations?
3. Installing yourself or by a professional?
4. Do you want a lot of bass or is a little bit of reinforcement what you are looking for?
5. Do you need wiring?
6. What sort of time frame are you looking at for this upgrade?

Get me that info and I will recommend you a specific parts list according to what you require.

[pair08]

it all depends on the budget..

for $400-500 splits

check out
focal polyglass range, hertz hsk165, mb quart rvf-216 (if you can find them), ad6

i'd highly recommend you go audition but because you may be suprised about what you like... eg you might be happy with cheaper splits :)

[ICACHA]

the best setup for under $1500 is the one that obviously fits the budget, car and what you like the sound of, cant get any simpler than that :)

if you like i can sugar coat it? :p

[arverson]

heres some stores to check out

freeway
tower
stylyn
phatt
hektik

happy hunting!

[RiceMeister]

I would definitely add AD and STEG to that list. Both available on my site.

Couple simple questions:

1. What type of music do you listen to?
2. Do you have factory tweeter locations?
3. Installing yourself or by a professional?
4. Do you want a lot of bass or is a little bit of reinforcement what you are looking for?
5. Do you need wiring?
6. What sort of time frame are you looking at for this upgrade?

Get me that info and I will recommend you a specific parts list according to what you require.

Cheers for the help guys, here are some answers to those questions about my needs.

1. I listen to everything, from bass-heavy electronica and hiphop to classical shit, so need a versatile system with good bottom end.

2. Yep the accord has facorty tweeter locations up on the dash.

3. Will get installed by a proffesional. JB hifi have really good install rates from what ive researched.

4. I'd like a fair bit of bass without breaking mirrors haha

5. I'll need a wiring kit for everything so all i'll be paying the installer for is the labour, refuse to buy the wiring off them and watch them mark it up another 40%. ill buy it before the install date.

6. Probably want this done by march or thereabouts.

im gonna go check out some splits when I can...probably be looking in the 300ish price range.

by the way im located in melbourne so store locations and suburbs would be sweet.

cheers!

[arverson]

gave 5 quality specialist stores in my post

google em if you need further details. theyre all eastside, some of em even have 2 locations

[Joe Bellissimo]

1. Alright make sure the speaker you get has a good level of midbass so it will have the guts to accurately reproduce more types of music. For hip hop its not very important but for the others I personally think midbass is an important range that you don't want to lose important parts of the music.

2. Factory tweeter will make installation much easier, excellent.

3. Your JB must be different to the ones in Sydney with the exception of the Parramatta store up here which I have also heard good things about and know their installer.

4. With that budget I suggest a single good sub then.

5. Okay so thats taken out of the budget again.

6. Plenty of time.

Being in Melbourne is a pain since I have no demo cars down there lol!

Now on gear on its own, realistically it would seem you have around 1k to spend, which isn't that much. I'm assuming the install and wires would cost around $500 but it could be more depending on the job at hand. Then you also have to deduct sound deadening if you want to get the most out of your speakers so thats another cost.

Imho, and this is my opinion, you will need to bump up the budget a bit to get yourself some better gear.

In your situation I suggest the brand VIBE. The reasoning behind this is because you can buy loaded subwoofer enclosures with amplifiers built in and wires included. VIBE is also one of the better brands available here in Australia so I'm also confident in their quality.

I've got most of their range listed up on my site, I do appologise about missing descriptions but its a work in progress at the moment: http://www.shoppingsecure.com.au/index.php?searchStr=vibe&_a=viewCat&page=0

Heres one of the subwoofer enclosures: http://www.shoppingsecure.com.au/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=132

And a set of splits: http://www.shoppingsecure.com.au/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=52

Thats the kind of gear I think would suite your needs, theres cheaper ones available obviously but I have a tendency to go in the direction of overkill lol!

[ICACHA]

sorry joey, but there is no one speaker that does a better job at one style of music over another.

all speakers sound (voice) different, as we also sound different when we speak.

we can all sing rap crap or flip flop or even rock n roll once our voices are trained.

anyone could do it pretty good, same as a speaker installation, get that wrong and it will sound like kaka pooh pooh.

different brand decks sound different

different brand/model speakers sound different

amps sound different

every car interior has a different effect on an audio system

with the above mentioned i wonder every day why there are so many diy bunnings experts talking crap on forums about things they have no idea or understanding about.

that is all...

now who wants me to sugar coat my original post?


the best setup for under $1500 is the one that obviously fits the budget, car and what you like the sound of, cant get any simpler than that.

[Joe Bellissimo]

I don't disagree with what you said but my feelings are if a speaker doesn't have the capability of producing a good level of midbass then it becomes extremely difficult for it to accurately reproduce music which has a lot of detail in the midbass bandwidth, at least smoothly that is (captain obvious right there). When it comes down to music such as Hip Hop I don't think midbass is AS important as other types of music but indeed that is my opinion. Sure, theres about a million possible things you can get wrong and many different factors but I'm a firm believer in ensuring you have the raw materials to work with.

[pair08]

on top of that list

can see

hallmaster (in burwood)&
performance car audio

for better info you should check out the biggest australian car audio forum and just read, you'll learn heaps haha!

http://www.mobileelectronics.com.au/forums/index.php?

[ICACHA]

I don't disagree with what you said but my feelings are if a speaker doesn't have the capability of producing a good level of midbass then it becomes extremely difficult for it to accurately reproduce music which has a lot of detail in the midbass bandwidth, at least smoothly that is (captain obvious right there).

Thats why people buy expensive speakers over cheap ones if they want far better results, but speakers alone wont give you better midbass or overall tonality. Knowledge and a proper install is required to achieve magic results.


When it comes down to music such as Hip Hop I don't think midbass is AS important as other types of music but indeed that is my opinion. Sure, theres about a million possible things you can get wrong and many different factors but I'm a firm believer in ensuring you have the raw materials to work with.

Sand, Cement and water?

Joey, I can sit (or in person as you seen at the meet night) and talk day and night, but you will never know what I know unless you spend nearly 20 years in the industry of diminishing returns. People will spend big on paint, interior, wheels, suspension, etc, etc, etc, but when it comes to audio they have nothing left and want the best with nothing.

Maybe they aren't the best customer to deal with after they blow everything they saved/stole/whatever on their vehicle and have nothing for the magic that really makes them feel good. (this is not directed at any one person, its directed at all who fit this category) :)

[Joe Bellissimo]

I'll save this reply for 2028 :D

We gotta stop hijacking threads LOL

[pair08]

lol you two :P

[ICACHA]

i'm giving people food for thought as what they thought could be now gets them thinking maybe its not as easy as i thought it was.

im over telling people go listen to this brand or that brand.

these days i'll just tell people go listen to what ever is in the store and let them pick what they like in their budget. which means if they find something that they like which is more than they are willing to spend then they have to think, do i save more or buy something i dont like but is in my budget now? this is where many shoot themselves in the foot and buy what they can afford not what they like the sound of or what others want them to buy (no not you joey, i got others in mind) :)

[DC5TYPER]

You won't find your answers here. People generally are bias towards brands and usually tell you to buy what they bought because its what they think is good.

Some fellow members on this forum which are in the industry are telling you to go to shops and listen yourself.

LET YOUR EARS DO THE CHOOSING.

With a budget of $1500. Please look into your JB hifi's, Autobarn's and Strathfield's as well. Some are Great and some are NOT so great. But they usually sell brands to fit your budget and offer installation as well.

Hope this helps you,

PS - Look into Sound Deadening. This will improve you audio in your car dramatically. Accords rattle a lot around the rear shelf and boot lid.

Cheers

[pair08]

another idea if your on a budget is to do it in stages.. that always helps. then you can do it once and do it right. but +1 to above comment - GO OUT AND AUDITION :)

[ICACHA]

yeah, people should take note of my signature more often :D