imported_prynce_qt

I'll start with my info. I have a 2002 Civic Si coupe. Still using stock speakers all around but took out the stock deck and replaced it with some old cheap deck.

Now I want to upgrade all around, or at least the front speakers (except the tweeters). I don't want to go all out, maybe $500 or less. I do not want a sub as I do need the trunk space throughout the year and don't want to deal with temporarily removing it when space is needed.

I do want MP3 playback and front aux in. My ears work, but I can't tell really tell good sound from better sound, just as long as it's clear with some decent base. I'm looking at futureshop and see most decks are 4x50 watts then I see speakers that are like 100 watts each. Would I still get good sound just hooking up the speakers straight to the deck and expect good sound or do I need an amp in there? At futureshop I was listening to some speakers and some sound good, but I'm not sure if they are just running of the decks power or an amp as well.

I will be attempting the install myself. What do you guys recommend for best bang for my buck for 2 front speakers, deck and amp if needed?

Thanks for the replies in advance and I'm sure I'll have more questions. Thanks again.

Whiplash

spend the money on a decent deck and set of coaxials..
or even better yet, components...
imo you'll over run the highs if you keep the original tweeters in AND add a set to the doors...that and you'll run the deck at an improper load (prob 2 or 8 ohm, NOT at the suggested 4ohm)
disable (coaxial set) or replace (component set) the factory tweets

it doesn't sound like you listen to it overly loud so an amp is redundant atm..

get a deck that has minimum 2 sets (front/rear...a 3rd set for subs would be better) of RCA outputs (just in case you want to upgrade furthur later) and the features you want and get the best model you can while still accounting for speaker costs

imported_prynce_qt

I'm probably going to be getting a full-range speaker combo instead component speakers as I want good sound with bass without any subwoofers. I can easily not connect the stock tweeters to solve the highs. If I get a deck with 2 rca outputs for front/rear, how would I connect them to the stock speaker wiring with new speakers? Do I do use 1 front left RCA output to the left speaker and the other to the right speaker? If so, how would I wire it since my speakers have 2 wires to connect to. Dumb question probably.

Also your recommending using RCA outs, does that mean I don't need an amp? I don't listen to music loud but I do want clear sound. If a deck says 4x50 watts, is that enough to power a speaker that says rated for say 100 watts or am I under powering them?

imported_starboy869

RCA outputs are just for amps. You just want to deal with the speaker output of the deck.

50x4 is most likely the max rating and the RMS rating would be around 20-25 or so on avg.

Look for RMS ratings instead of MAX ratings.

Which deck/speaker combo are you looking to get? You might also want to check out what ALPINE has to offer. (2001 Audio Video)

imported_SilverSleeper

500 dollars...Hmm.

I'd say grab some Infinity co-axials if you can for the front. Leave the rears stock. Spend the rest of the money on the deck. Most decks these days have MP3 capability. Just find one that has the aux in that you want and that should be what your looking far.

imported_prynce_qt

I was wondering about the RCA thing when whiplash mentioned get a deck with 2 or 3 rca outs and was a little confused on that.

I'm looking in getting some Infinity Ref speakers, deck I'm not sure of yet. I'm not sure if this has been answered yet but I'll ask again, will I need an amp to power those speakers if I was to get a deck for about $200?

imported_SilverSleeper

It your choice. You can run the speakers on either amp or deck power. With your budget I don't believe you can afford to get a amp.

imported_prynce_qt

I know my initial budget probably won't allow an amp. But its possible in the future. I was reading online and the RMS on the speakers are about 40 watts.

Will the 50watts (probably peak) from a deck be good enough or will the amp really make it so much better?

imported_SilverSleeper

It depends on how loud you listen to music and how good your ear is for SQ. Amplifiers are better from an SQ standpoint because of the clean headroom they provide. Your speakers may only be rated at 40W but if the deck is pushed to its max to play at that volume then the sound you'll hear won't be optimal. You'll hear distortion and other sound related artifacts because of it. Amps are usually rated above what most people would call "comfortable" or "useable" thus for the most part you're getting a cleaner sound to your speakers because you aren't working the amp as hard for the same volume.

That being said you probably don't need an amp for your in car speakers. The power from the deck should suffice. If you get a sub down the road, that's when ou'll need an amplifier.

imported_prynce_qt

Great thanks. I think I have decided to go with infinity ref full range for the front and leave my back stock.

I got one more question, if the speakers have built in tweeters, should I still use the tweeters that are already in the car or disconnect them?

Last, can you recommend any other speakers that are better in this price range?

imported_SilverSleeper

If you have separate tweeters then you already have a component system in your car. Going to a strict co-axial setup will be a step down instead of a step up. I'd strongly suggest that you go for a set of components if your car already has the provision for it. I'm not sure why you don't want to tackle your tweeters, they aren't very hard to put in. However, if you still set on co-axials, disconnect your tweeters. Your deck might see a funny ohm load and go kablooey, so to be on the safe side I'd disconnect them. To answer your second question, Infinity would be on the top of my list as well as lower end Polk and Alpine Type S.

imported_phuviano

I'm pretty sure you'll be fine with the ohm load, with the stock tweeters. I have an 04 si, so my stock setup is the same as yours. I've had 5 different aftermarket decks running the stock tweeters, and aftermarket 4 ohm speakers in the front, with no problems @ all. You may encounter a problem, but I've never had a problem with it, with 5 different aftermarket decks in my 7thgen. I know, I go through a lot of decks. More than 1 per year. Some of these decks were cheap, and some expensive. However, I think you'll be fine with the ohm load on your deck.

I say try leaving the tweeters as is for now. If you find the highs are too much for you, then disconnect the tweeters. If you want to disconnect your tweeters. It really easy. Its just a harness you have to unhook. You have to follow the tweeter speaker wires, and its glued to the door.

Btw, I don't have my tweeters connected in my car anymore, but my fronts are hooked up to an amp though.

imported_gleepoy

Tweeters don't change the final impedence much...so it's safe to run them with the new speakers. I'd suggest disconnecting them...but there's no harm in trying it both ways.

Don't pay too much attention to the power output specs of the head units. They're all inflated. In the end, they all put out near the same output.

If you're settled on not using an amp, when choosing a head unit, pay more attention to the ergonomics and feel of the unit. Make sure you like where the buttons are placed etc.

In terms of whether or not you should get an amp. Of course you don't need one. But without one, I'm not sure if you'd get the upgrade you're looking for.

Amplifying speakers is not all about volume...it's also about reducing distortion and increasing signal-to-noise ratio. The signal being sent to your speakers will be cleaner at any volume, not just when it's loud.

Furthermore, most amps have x-overs which limit the amount of harmful frequencies going to the speakers. This further decreases distortion and increases power handling. Thus, even though you'd be sending more power to the speakers, using an amp with x-overs will protect them more than just running them off the head unit. While head units don't have the power to thermally blow the speakers, they can drive them beyond their mechanical limits.

I understand your logic, but don't really agree. There are many advantages to using components. 2 of the biggest advantages are better materials used and better crossover design/components.

In this case, the stock components don't realise these advantages. The stock units use untreated paper cones and the crossover design is poor. The mid is not cross-over at all, the the tweeter utilizes just a single 6dB/octave cap. Most of the aftermarket 2-ways will have a similar crossover design, but the materials will be superior.

imported_SilverSleeper

Agreed, though I am not sure how much better the materials he will be getting within the context of his budget. Budget speakers especially budget co-axials I would argue are not much better. I would also submit that sending the proper frequency to the proper driver results in better sound rather than the materials involved.

Either way, good points mang.

imported_prynce_qt

I checked out ebay and can get Infinity Ref components for pretty cheap compared to retail so I think I might go that route. I do have an old crappy amp at home that I can use for now to power them up.

I do want to do they install myself, I'm a newbie but I'm technically incline so I can learn as I as well. The cross-over looks pretty big, where would you mount that thing to hide it away? Will any drilling/modification be needed to install components?

I was going to go the easy route not have components because I just swap out the speakers and the wires would be there. But not that it looks like it goes from deck to cross-over then to speakers, how would I go about doing that? Would I be splicing out the wires from the back of the deck that feed to the speakers?