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Need advice on car stereos

demoncore1031

demoncore1031

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2008
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Albuquerque,NM
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I'm thinking of getting a new stereo system for my car, but don't really know what brands are good. I would greatly appreciate any help.....

I'm not interested in bass, but it would be nice to have for the 2 times a year when I listen to Eazy-E... Basically what I would need is something that will play heavy metal at very high volumes without blowing any speakers. I seem to blow the front speakers in every vehicle I have ever owned.

Thanks home skillets!

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So many different options based on what you're working with and your budget. I think you'd be best to find a local car audio store and see what they recommend. There is no way if you buy decent speakers that they should blow.
 
As far as speakers go, I've used and abused the factory installed Bose speakers in my 2011 Malibu. I'm a huge fan of their products anyway.
 
Had a full set of Kickers matched to a Sony headunit for a while. Excellent set.

Here's my theories on speakers brands: Polk is awesome sound quality, but expensive. Sony, Pioneer, Infinity are mid-tier, cost about the same, but sound differently (in my experience, Sony is bassy and loud, Pioneer is less loud but more clear in mids, and Infinity is the least loud and least bassy, but very clear for mids and crisp highs). I had a full set of Kickers 2-ways, and they did pretty well for me. Price wasn't bad, usually toward the lower end, but I liked the sound and they handled my abuse well. They hit pretty well and had good all-around sound to me (didn't really excel at anything special, but they were balanced overall). Ultimately what you want in speakers is just something that has poly-cones, not paper or other garbage. Once you have good poly speakers, you're good to go as long as you don't overload/clip them.

For head units, basically all of the name-brand units were about the same to me in terms of sound quality. Just have to watch out for wattage/RMS, and what features you need and don't need. However, I'd stay away from cheap garbage brand headunits.

All this being said, car audio is a disappearing "art", because new cars make it damn near impossible to swap out radios or other console parts anymore without causing issues elsewhere in the vehicle (interconnected computers and systems and such).
 
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I defense of the OP, I pretty much hate the crap installed in most vehicles as systems/speakers. When I was shopping for the current ride I had the upgraded sound system on my must have list. The difference between the standard Audi sound and the upgraded Bang & Olufsen is pretty dramatic. Not talking earth shattering bass, just really clean stereo with all of the the detail. With all this said the OP is going to need new speakers if he wants better sound in his ride.
 
Replacing speakers instead of the stereo might be a better option. I'm no audiophile but I had to replace the stereo in my pickup because it was garbage (old Dodge truck). I put in a cheap Pioneer (~$120) that had bluetooth and USB and that was enough to make me happy with the stereo, but I then immediately hated my speakers. Upgraded those with cheap but still improved speakers and everything was fine.
 
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You know you're from rural Iowa if you knew your friends were almost there to pick you up by vibration of the sub woofer bass in their Saturn.

The only reaoson I would buy a non-factory stereo would be to get a cheapish one with a USB port to swap with a factory that's non-USB since it's more safer and more efficient than aux. output.

Pioneer's always been reliable in that regard.
 
demoncore1031 said:
Thanks for the replies. I found a nice combo that includes two 12" kickers, an amp and all the cables any everything for under 300 bucks.

There are certain songs I just can't listen to at low volumes. I need it loud for the headbanging!
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So what are you going to use for speakers? Is the amp going to be used for the subwoofers only? Seems pretty cheap. This may be why you blow speakers.
 
If you run subs and an amp, you will likely need to get a deck that has a preout for subs. So there's another $75 or more.

Then you will want to upgrade the battery and alternator. What kind of car are you putting the system in?

Look for an OEM replacement AC Delco alternator with the highest amps. $140 or more. Whenever I do an alternator, I also do sergentine belt or belts if the A/C has it's own belt. The best belts to get are factory oem replacement directly from the manufacturer. Stock belts are one area where the factory usually gets it right. They basically have to use a quality belt because belt failure means the vehicle is completely dead.
Replace the tensioner and idler pulleys also. Less engine noise equals better audio sound.
Next, you will want to do the big 3 mod. There are vids online for the big 3 mod. $100. You need really good grounds.
Get a quality car Audio battery - $150 maybe.
With an amp, you will want a capacitor also. This will let the system keep supply to the subs. You don't want your headlights to dim during bass hits. This means the system is surging. That's hard on the system.
Replace all the facotry speakers with aftermarkets. Brand will vary based on where the speaker is located and what it's purpose is. Shop around for the speaker that fits. I usually go for higher quality sound from the fatory located speakers and rely on the subs for bass.
 
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dmclone said:
So what are you going to use for speakers? Is the amp going to be used for the subwoofers only? Seems pretty cheap. This may be why you blow speakers.
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Yeah, I gotta agree: adding subs isn't going to solve the entirety of @demoncore1031's problem. Quality speakers inside would make a world of difference more than just adding wubwub.
 
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