Advice on Selected Equipment

Balthazar · Post by **Balthazar** » August 24th, 2006, 10:38 am

'93 base model with all stock system (tape deck am/fm for the win)

Looking to replace with the following:

Alpine CDA-9856
CD/MP3/WMA Player
CD-R/W playback • MP3/WMA compatible • iPod-ready • HD Radio-ready • detachable face • 18 watts RMS x 4 • Bass Engine • three sets of preamp outputs

I'll be attaching my iPod. This deck I'm pretty solid on. Co worker of mine has the 9857, and the only real functional difference is the BioLite display on the upper model, and maybe 2W per channel output (not worth the $150 in my opinion).

It's the speakers I'm up in the air about. I know some people here have put 6.5" speakers in, but the stock ports are 5-1/4". The posts I've read on this site have given me some info, but I'm still kind of confused. I really want to know if I can fit the 6.5"'s, at the very least in the back.

If I stick with 5-1/4", then I'm looking at these:

Kenwood KFC-1389ie
5-1/4" 3-way Speakers
Pearl-mica IMPP woofer • rubber surround • PEI midrange • PEI balanced-dome tweeter • power range 2-38 watts RMS
Vehicle: 1993 Mazda MX3 Hatchback
Speaker Location: Shock Towers or Side Panels

Pioneer TS-G1341R
5-1/4" 2-way Speakers
IMPP composite cone woofer • PEI film dome tweeter • power range 2-25 watts RMS
Vehicle: 1993 Mazda MX3 Hatchback
Speaker Location: Front Door

I'm not putting in an amp/sub for now, but I can always add one later. Part of the reason for these choices is I'm on a bit of a budget. I am willing to spend a little more on the 6.5" if they fit though.

EDIT:

One thing to add is my objective for the system. I'm not looking for something really loud that's gonna rattle the neighbour's windows. I want something that sounds good at mid volume, and that has a nice, non-tinny/sharp high end, and a decent, but not raunchy car vibrating low end. When I'm driving and pull next to a car and can hear his windows shaking, when the sound turns from a rumble to a sharp, tappy sound, I just shake my head. Hopefully that gives you an idea of what I'm shooting for.

mr1in6billion · Post by **mr1in6billion** » August 24th, 2006, 2:39 pm

You should put the 3ways up front and the 2's in back instead of the other way around. Sound comming from the back is just filler and you can't judge quality well, it's the sound that come from in front of you that matters.

6.5s fit. Up front you either need a mounting plate or you can just drill screws into the door. In back, just don't screw in one of the screws all the way and they'll fit. I have 6.5s and it only took a min or two to install each speaker. I was done with all of them in 15 mins.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » August 25th, 2006, 11:30 pm

mr1in6billion wrote:You should put the 3ways up front

3 ways are just ways to milk more money out of stupid consumers.

Balthazar · Post by **Balthazar** » August 26th, 2006, 2:33 am

Could you please give specific evidence or experience as oppose to a flame?

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » August 26th, 2006, 12:28 pm

Balthazar wrote:Could you please give specific evidence or experience as oppose to a flame?

A two way is more than capable of covering the full audible frequency spectrum with good sound quality and volume. How's that? 3 way and 4 way coaxials are nothing more than marketing gimmicks.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » August 26th, 2006, 1:38 pm

Balthazar wrote:Could you please give specific evidence or experience as oppose to a flame?

And what do you mean flame? Did I hurt the feelings of 3 way coaxes around the world with my insensitive comments?

mr1in6billion · Post by **mr1in6billion** » August 26th, 2006, 8:23 pm

It'll be a real boring day when lakers stops making fun of people.

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » August 26th, 2006, 10:13 pm

Balthazar wrote:Could you please give specific evidence or experience as oppose to a flame?

I believe you're asking generic stereo questions and not so much MX3 related. The ones that are MX related are already answered for you at the top of the page in the sticky. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that someone wanted to be spoonfed. I'm not sure why you don't take the time to go through the information that I provided for people like yourself. I made the effort to make things a little easier for those that need accurate and specific answers to their stereo queries. Why don't we have a look in this thread http://www.mx-3.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=53867 and take a stab at any of the links that I provided. I'm sure you'll be able to find EXACTLY what you're looking for when it comes to generic or complex stereo Q's.
http://www.elitecaraudio.com
http://www.carsound.com
http://www.caraudioforum.com
http://forum.sounddomain.com
http://www.realcaraudio.com
http://www.carstereo.com
http://www.caraudiomag.com
http://www.termpro.com
http://www.the12volt.com
http://www.talkaudio.co.uk
http://www.caraudiosecurity.com
Welcome to MX-3.com

John

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » August 26th, 2006, 10:52 pm

I think I still have the highest post count on Carsound.com still even though I haven't been there in about 3 years. So why bother when I'm here now?

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » August 26th, 2006, 11:18 pm

lakersfan1 wrote:I think I still have the highest post count on Carsound.com still even though I haven't been there in about 3 years. So why bother when I'm here now?

Hey, why not. Jump right in there LF1. Hey, maybe I'll bounce a few ideas off of you, if you don't mind.
BTW, what's your BB name there at Carsound?

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » August 27th, 2006, 1:19 pm

jschrauwen wrote:
lakersfan1 wrote:I think I still have the highest post count on Carsound.com still even though I haven't been there in about 3 years. So why bother when I'm here now?
Hey, why not. Jump right in there LF1. Hey, maybe I'll bounce a few ideas off of you, if you don't mind.
BTW, what's your BB name there at Carsound?

Lakersfan1??

One of the CarSound members started a board for expatriate CarSound.com members ot have OT conversations since they were so uptight over there.

Balthazar · Post by **Balthazar** » August 28th, 2006, 12:41 pm

The reason I was repeating the question again was because in reading (more specifically about sizes) I kept seeing: "Yes you can, no you can't, only if they are this size, that won't work, that will work, etc." I was confused by a lot of conflicting information.

Car audio is really not my forte at all, so I am a real newb when it comes to it. Ask me computer questions and I don't have an issue, everyone knows about something.

And I didn't mean to step on your toes lakers, it was just the fact that you provided an opinion with nothing to back it up. If you had made your second post originally, I wouldn't have said anything. But simply saying they're a waste without telling me why doesn't do much to sway my view.

I actually took a look at the speakers in the car this weekend for myself. The opening in the door is big enough to fit 6.5". The stock speakers are about 2" deep, so something with that depth or less would be guaranteed to not hit the window. Obviously if you're using a mounting plate, you would need to account for that, as it would give a little more room.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » August 28th, 2006, 1:17 pm

Balthazar wrote: And I didn't mean to step on your toes lakers, it was just the fact that you provided an opinion with nothing to back it up.

It wasn't an opinion. It was a fact. And my word is bond. As Salaam Alaikum. Know what I'm sayin'?

Balthazar · Post by **Balthazar** » August 28th, 2006, 1:31 pm

Word.

Vanished · Post by **Vanished** » August 29th, 2006, 9:05 pm

Redoing your rear speakers is incerdibly pointless, ESPECially if you not looking for an incredibly expensive and impressive system. Look up "rear fill" on google to see what i'm talking about. really, you shouldn't even be able to hear you rear speakers, or so you should think. New front speakers will give you the clarity that you want. The stock rear speakres won't get in the way.

Regular 6.5 or 5's are not gonna give you the sound you want alone. Your going to need to get a sub, just a 10inch in a sealed enclosure to get the sound you want. Nothing to much, but just enough that you can enjoy your music more. Try going into a sound store and listen to a pair of comps with a sub. Then turn the subwoofer off, and you'll see what i mean.

Also, you'll need an amp for your speakers no matter what. It will give them a cleaner sound, and that deck only puts out 18 rms watts per channel. Most speakers are 50watt rms or more. An MBquart speakers will sound like your stock ones if they are amplified.

Lastly, get a set of componenet speakers. You can get better speakers than the pioneer of kenwoods you listen for aroudn the same prise. MBquarts are incredibly speakres, and on ebay your looking at about 200, more or less. The alpine type X component set sells for the same, and the Type R set sells for even less.

Whats your budjet?

In summary what you want is:

Alpine CDA-9856 cd player (great deck, good choice)
one 10inch sub
one set if 6.5 or 5 component speakers
A monoblock amp for the sub
A 2-channel amp for the speakers

If you want to get the sub later, that is also fine. But seeing as your not getting a set of speakres for the rear, you can put that money into a sub and amp.