Audio Upgrade Options

[Xenon]

I have begun researching my options for upgrading the audio in my 3 Hatch.

I have visited Future Shop and Besy Buy and was quite unimpressed. I did find a place in Oakville that has won numerous awards in ausio competitons so I decided to check this out. Please give me your opinion on this audio setup and price:

Front, Rear Speakers - Phoenix Gold (supposedly better than Infinity\'s)
Amp - Ultimate (ya, that\'s the brand name)
10\" Woofer - Phoenix Gold again, box included
All necessary wiring and Labour included.

Price: $1200 + tax

Supposedly the quality of Phoenix Gold brand is extremely good, but I have had no experience with the brand, so I\'m still skeptical. They recommended drilling the amp into the back seats. I remember the white hatch that showed up to Meet #3 had the amp in the underfloor storage compartment of his hatch. I was told that doing this would result in heat build up from the amp and could seriously damage the amp and/or shorten the life of it. so I guess in order for the amp to be open air, I have to drill it somewhere. Labour will take about 6 hours.

I did try to go to Cockpit Car Audio on the corner of Dundas & Winston Churchill in Mississauga, but they have apparently moved.

Is this overpriced? What kind of Audio Setup and price did other TM3 members pay? I\'m interested to know what price range I\'m looking at.

[bluntman]

PG has been around for a while and a lot of their stuff is pretty good, but look around first, don\'t buy your stuff right away. Bring a CD that you are familiar with and test it out on their \"sound board\" with different amps and speakers.

I thought you didn\'t have any money! :D

There are quite a few car audio stores on Dundas west of the 427, if you are willing to go \"that far east\".

Also, check out the forums at Sounddomain.com (www.sounddomain.com) for recommendations on components. I lurked around those forums for a while after stumbling upon several recommendations on Alpine\'s Type-X speakers and their Type-R sub.

I have both of my amps mounted to the back of my rear seats. The crossovers for the front speakers are mounted in the trunk as well because they are rather large and wouldn\'t fit in the doors (and they are quite nice to look at too).

[billyfo]

many people say do not go to FS or BB to buy or install you car audio, cause the so call staff don\'t know a thing.

[bluntman]

And their selection isn\'t that great either. Of all the speakers that they have for sale, I only saw one pair of components on their sound board, everything else was either a coaxial or triaxial speaker.

[fat mike]

Just to add on to this topic as well it has been reported that The Phat Box Music system will be available in the fall for Mazda\'s. They have partnered up wiht mazda to bring it to the line up as an option. :)

[Xenon]

I went to Kromer Radio...

No service whatsoever.. I almost just walked out, but anyways...

4 Boston Speakers, Alpine Amp and a Boston 10\" woofer, labour and installation..

A WOPPING $3000.... The hell with that. $1500 is my limit.... unless a speaker swap, wofofer and amp really are $3000... I hightly doubt that tho...

[Xenon]

What kind of speakers/amps/woofers do you people have?

How much did you pay including installation, labour and stuff?

[bluntman]

I have Alpine all around, probably because I was felling lazy and wanted everything in ASAP. I did luck out on the front speakers though as they are from the 2003 line and got them from Kromer for $400 versus $550 to $600 for the 2004 model.

front speakers - SPX-177a (6.5\" components)
rear speakers - SPR-134a (6.5\" coaxials)
subwoofer - 10\" Type-R (in a sealed box...the only way to go)
main amp - MRP-F240 4 channel amp
sub amp - MRD-M301 1 channel amp

I was thinking of upgrading the main amp to an MRV-F340 to match the look of the MRD-M301. Since I have a 4 channel LOC, this should be rather simple.

I don\'t even want to think about how much I paid for all components, taxes and installation...I\'d say somewhere in the area of $2200 to $2600.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Xenon


I went to Kromer Radio...

No service whatsoever.. I almost just walked out, but anyways...

4 Boston Speakers, Alpine Amp and a Boston 10\" woofer, labour and installation..

A WOPPING $3000.... The hell with that. $1500 is my limit.... unless a speaker swap, wofofer and amp really are $3000... I hightly doubt that tho...

kromer isn\'t interested in serving \"kids\". i went there when i was 21 (but looked 17) and was largely ignored and, when asking about alarms, they were ripping me off. needless to say, i got the same alarm installed at KHF for 2/3rds the price.

in any case, Boston speakers are high end stuff, so $3000 from kromer doesn\'t surprise me.

[Xenon]

I heard Boston was crap... only as good as the Sony X=ploids, which I know are entry level speakers.

[Xenon]

Originally posted by bluntman


I thought you didn\'t have any money! :D

Researching... I\'m getting a new Audio System sometime Spring/Summer 2005

[Xenon]

I did go to Autossey in Mississauga...

Orion 6.5\" component speakers in the front
Orion 6.5\" in the back
Orion 10\" woofer in the back
Orion Amp
Full install
Labour

$2000 even, taxes incl if I pay cash... sounds like the best deal so far... too bad I have to wait for the money to roll in first.

[bluntman]

I don\'t know how good Orion components, let alone their speakers are, but let your ears to the deciding for you. IMO, the Boston Acoustics Pro Series are pretty good speakers.

If you are willing to make the trek all the way out to Scarborough, I would also recommend Kennedy Hi-Fi (KHF).

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Xenon


I heard Boston was crap... only as good as the Sony X=ploids, which I know are entry level speakers.

you\'ve heard wrong.

comparing the Boston\'s to sony x-plods is like comparing your mazda to a yugo.

[mikespike]

the system i\'m getting in a couple of weeks is audiogods 2 ch amp 400 watts (true ,power) and 1 12\" PYLE BAND PASS SUB FOR 300 CASH. this is just for now.

[dredd2099]

Autossey does good work




you\'ve heard wrong. comparing the Boston\'s to sony x-plods is like comparing your mazda to a yugo

werd
the xplods are the low end (hence theyr in FS/BB)

if possible, stay away from alpine speakers
alpine heads, x-overs, amps, etc are all worth their price (high end and expensive)
but not their speakers (no offence mr blunt)
i mean, theyr good but not at their price point

Phoenix Gold, Xenon line (newest and highest end), looks good, sounds good
and as mr blunt said
better way is to bring ur own cd and listen to the product itself
best if u got another 3 w/ stuff u want installed in it and hear from inside the car (hardest)

reccommendation to check out Sounddomain, i 2nd that

oh yeah, PYLE is good too

its just choosing between SQ or SPL or maybe a combo of both
id rather stay w/ a sealed box for tight bass albeit not as loud as the ported,band-pass, etc box can dole out (which coincidentally might sound scattered)

one more thing mr xenon
sound deadening, this is what people mostly forget and ignore
its actually what u need to do first or together w/ a audio package ur going to get
cant stress it enuff

:D

[bluntman]

alpine heads, x-overs, amps, etc are all worth their price (high end and expensive)

Like I said, I was lazy and somewhat impatient. :)

[midnightfxgt]

Originally posted by Xenon


I did go to Autossey in Mississauga...

Orion 6.5\" component speakers in the front
Orion 6.5\" in the back
Orion 10\" woofer in the back
Orion Amp
Full install
Labour

$2000 even, taxes incl if I pay cash... sounds like the best deal so far... too bad I have to wait for the money to roll in first.

OUCH!! Thats a bit high.. I had my system completed today..

Fiberglass Jack box - $100CDN
8\" Eclipse Subwoofer - $100CDN
Phoenix Gold 5.0:4 Amp - $300CDN
Phoenix Gold Octane-R 6\" Componants - $100CDN
Labour and Parts - $370
----------------------------------------
TOTAL: $970

Thats including LOC (x2), Fuse Holder, RCAs, and adapter plates being made for the fronts.

[wtom]

Originally posted by midnightfxgt

OUCH!! Thats a bit high.. I had my system completed today..

Fiberglass Jack box - $100CDN
8\" Eclipse Subwoofer - $100CDN
Phoenix Gold 5.0:4 Amp - $300CDN
Phoenix Gold Octane-R 6\" Componants - $100CDN
Labour and Parts - $370
----------------------------------------
TOTAL: $970

Thats including LOC (x2), Fuse Holder, RCAs, and adapter plates being made for the fronts.



Holy crap, just for an 8\" sub???

I need almost all the cargo space available but I do want more bass... hell no I won\'t spend nine bills... :~(

[midnightfxgt]

wtom - obviously most of the cost is an amp and the labour. Dont forget that you can get a 10\" or 12\" for not much more than an 8\". You can get 12 subs for like $129 if you really want. So add $30 and get a 10\" if you want. you cant really build a QUALITY setup NEW for much under that price. What did you have in mind?

~JOHN

[wtom]

Hi midnightfxgt, thx for the explaination. I had no idea about pricing for this so I didn\'t expect so many bills for extra bass. I listen to trance mostly so the bass is pretty much a requirement, but for almost a grand... I think I\'ll pass. It\'s too much for me to invest in losing partial hearing ability. :D

What if I changed only the stock speakers, no amp, no head unit... just four (?) new speakers? I could possibly get better bass, correct?

Sorry, Xenon, to hijack your post... again... :p

[midnightfxgt]

wtom - you will get more midbass, but nothing deep. And isnt deep bass what trance is all about?! :)

You can add a 10\" Sub, box and a 250W amp for minimal cash, and has decent bass.

~JOHN

[snipez]

Originally posted by Xenon


What kind of speakers/amps/woofers do you people have?

How much did you pay including installation, labour and stuff?

well im going to be put\'n my system in my 3
some of this stuff i have had for the last year and half
current inventory
Head Unit - Alpine (cant remember model)
Sub Amp - Pioneer GM-D500m
Speaker Amp - Ample A410
Power Acoustik - crossover C-3184
Power Capasitor - Brax 1.000.000 Super Cap
Subwoofer - mmats Pro 12\"

hope\'n to add to the system
Head Unit - Pioneer DVH-P5000MP to replace Alpine
Multimidia - 2 x 7\" lcd screens
Subwoofer - Kicker 03CVR10-4 to replace mmats pro 12
Speakers Front & Rear - May just pick up set from FS or BB only cuz i can get AMAZING DEALS(my source hasnt failed me yet) on Fosgate Infinity and JBL or save up and get JL or MB quarts

i havent checked yet but you guyz/galz know what the specs on the stock door speakers are?

[midnightfxgt]

All 4 door speakers are 5x7\". You can use other speakers, but naturally they will require an adapter plate in order to fit. :)

~JOHN

[snipez]

uh yay can ya say more custom work!!!!
heard of 6 x9 possibly fitting and some 6.5\" yay or nay???

[midnightfxgt]

6x9s wont fit without cutting.

~JOHN

[bubba1983]

actually all 4 doors are 6x8 speakers..

[midnightfxgt]

i think the doors are called 5x7 from the factory. 5x7/6x8... they are the same size in audio stores.

~JOHN

[ZOOM ON 3]

Don\'t even bother putting 5x7/6x8 components in the front. Just buy 6.5\" or 5.25\" components instead. I went with high end components up front with a four channel amp and a 10\" sub in a sealed box. Nice and clean with enough punch for bass. I prefer a tighter more responsive bass than deep bass. That\'s my personal preference, but everyone is different. I\'m not running any speakers in the back doors. It throws off your staging. Spend the money on really good components for up front instead of wasting your money on the back door coaxial speakers.
I\'ve heard good things about Phoenix Gold, especially their Tantrum series. Their newer stuff is not as good as the Tantrum series that they\'ve had. If you can get your hands on the Tantrum series then go for it.

[mEtH]

the speaker is 5x7 and the mounting is 6x8.

Why does everyone go with 6.5\", is for cost savings or is there a better sound that comes out of them?

[MazdaTree]

more money but sounds richer

[bluntman]

Just to resurrect this thread...

What do you guys think of this HU?

http://www.audiocubes.com/images/f_alpine_mdaw915j.jpg

[wtom]

WOW... looks nice! MP3/WMA player I assume?

Question on speakers; any kinda components that i can get to get more bass in the door panel speaker locations? I\'m really not able to give up cargo space in my hatch for amp and sub but if a nice improvement in bass can be made by purchasing component speakers to fit in the door panels, i may go that route instead. TIA

[bluntman]

I like that HU too, to bad it\'s only availabe in Japan or through Audiocubes.com. They go for $650 and because Japan uses different FM frequencies for their FM radio stations, you\'ll need to buy an FM frequency converter (their FM radio stations range from 76 to 90MHz unlike our 88 to 108MHz).

As for you bass dilemma, you might want to look into getting one of these (http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/reviews/20040413/bass_reviews.html) or something similar.

[wtom]

Thanks bluntman, I haven\'t started looking for pricing but damn, both products look like perfect matches for my need for cargo space and bass!

[midnightfxgt]

Warren, Dont forget about a setup like mine :)

~JOHN

[majic]

Originally posted by bluntman


I like that HU too, to bad it\'s only availabe in Japan or through Audiocubes.com. They go for $650 and because Japan uses different FM frequencies for their FM radio stations, you\'ll need to buy an FM frequency converter (their FM radio stations range from 76 to 90MHz unlike our 88 to 108MHz).

As for you bass dilemma, you might want to look into getting one of these (http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/reviews/20040413/bass_reviews.html) or something similar.

alternatively you can go this route (http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/530288/2) (what i hope to accomplish maybe next summer) .. check out page 2 and 3.. it\'s a lotta play but hey.. custom is custom :p and u don\'t sacrifice space at all

[bluntman]

Last I heard Phil was developing something similar but for a 10\" sub instead of his current 8\" sub.

[midnightfxgt]

you got it Bluntman... my box is from Phil. Good product and for under $100CAD, NO shop will make the enclosure! :D Thats why Phil rocks

~JOHN

[bluntman]

I have a memory like an elephant. :D

[majic]

Originally posted by bluntman


I have a memory like an elephant. :D

don;t think i\'ve heard that saying.. do elephants have a good memory? didnt know that :p

[bluntman]

I guess you\'re too young to know that one.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by bluntman


I guess you\'re too young to know that one.

ageing yourself again eh :D

[chaser]

Originally posted by midnightfxgt


you got it Bluntman... my box is from Phil. Good product and for under $100CAD, NO shop will make the enclosure! :D Thats why Phil rocks

~JOHN

midnightfxft, how did you get the sub enclosure from Phil?

[majic]

and is he still making them (if you know) and how long did u have to wait?

[Airman Jack]

Bluntman, I really liked that HU, it looks like it would fill up a lot of the space on our center consoles if you pulled out the existing audio controls. Not to mention the colours are already matched!

[bluntman]

Originally posted by Airman Jack


Bluntman, I really liked that HU, it looks like it would fill up a lot of the space on our center consoles if you pulled out the existing audio controls. Not to mention the colours are already matched!

You can buy it at Audiocubes.com (http://www.audiocubes.com/product/Alpine_MDA-W915J_CD,MP3,WMA,NetMD_receiver.html)

[sherlock]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN
Originally posted by Xenon I heard Boston was crap... only as good as the Sony X=ploids, which I know are entry level speakers. you\'ve heard wrong. comparing the Boston\'s to sony x-plods is like comparing your mazda to a yugo.

Yes I agree, very wrong! Boston\'s ProSeries are amazing speakers.

[sherlock]

Originally posted by majic
Originally posted by bluntman I like that HU too, to bad it\'s only availabe in Japan or through Audiocubes.com. They go for $650 and because Japan uses different FM frequencies for their FM radio stations, you\'ll need to buy an FM frequency converter (their FM radio stations range from 76 to 90MHz unlike our 88 to 108MHz). As for you bass dilemma, you might want to look into getting one of these (http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/reviews/20040413/bass_reviews.html) or something similar. alternatively you can go this route (http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/530288/2) (what i hope to accomplish maybe next summer) .. check out page 2 and 3.. it\'s a lotta play but hey.. custom is custom :p and u don\'t sacrifice space at all

I really wanted to do that, since I have an 8\" sub as well, but I found positioning of the sub to be very important. Was really weird, I had my sub placed on the passenger side facing the driver side, to take up the least space. The sound was great, but then one day, my brother came over and wanted to drive it, so I was in the passenger seat and I noticed a really big difference in sound. So now I have it up against the back seat facing the hatch and both seats sound consistent. I found that to be really weird.

[TheProfessor]

It\'s common knowledge that if you fire the sub(s) towards the hatch/back end it will \"pronounce\" the sound. I\'m surprised that nobody has mentioned JL Audio components yet. Both my wife and I have full JL systems in our cars and for the money we spent, the sound is incredible. I hope to transfer over everything from our P5 to the MZ3 with the exception of the sub (gonna downgrade from a 12\" to a 10\").

[SoopaBanana]

I\'m planning to upgrade the audio components but I\'m having a hard time finding information about brand reputation and sound quality. Does anyone here know anything about Phoenix Gold? Another thing, how much would you spend on your audio system if you\'re not planning to upgrade the headunit?

[MazdaTree]

PG is a really good brand. Its really up there and also reallly expencive$$$

[SoopaBanana]

I see... Would it be worthwhile to go for PG with OEM headunit?

Btw which one would be a better brand, Eclipse or PG?

[TheProfessor]

I find it too difficult to make a recommendation between two brands without knowing which \"line\" of products you are comparing. For instance, Alpine Type S speakers are crap, whereas their Type X line is quite good. So to say which is better, Alpine or PG for instance, is too hard a call to make without more info. As for doing a system with the factory head unit, that is what I have done in my 6. I can say that the sound quality suffers a bit from the stock Bose deck not being as good as a nice Alpine unit, but it\'s not too noticable unless you are an audiophile type guy. If you want to do some homework on brands and whatnot, try visiting www.canadiancaraudio.com, and check out the forums. The site is run by a staff member of PAS mag, and there is some pretty good info there.

[MazdaTree]

i changed everything in my car except the head unit and its all good:)

maybe in the future i mite change but not anytime soon

[bubba1983]

^^ ditto

[SoopaBanana]

Alright here\'s the setup that I am planning to get...

Phoenix Gold ZR 12\" Drivers
Phoenix Gold Xenon X600.1
Phoenix ZR Octane 6.5\" Component Set
Phoenix Octane R 6x9
Phoenix Xenon 100.4 4ch amplifier
Custom Enclosure

Any suggestions?

[MazdaTree]

Originally posted by SoopaBanana


Alright here\'s the setup that I am planning to get...

Phoenix Gold ZR 12\" Drivers
Phoenix Gold Xenon X600.1
Phoenix ZR Octane 6.5\" Component Set
Phoenix Octane R 6x9
Phoenix Xenon 100.4 4ch amplifier
Custom Enclosure

Any suggestions?

maybe a cap

[sherlock]

Where do you plan on putting the 6x9\'s?

[Titanum-3]

No one wants to buy my system for the mazda 3 hatch?
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/542000-542999/542663_17_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/542000-542999/542663_25_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/542000-542999/542663_37_full.jpg
Includes 3 10\" subs, two grills, custom sub box, amp rack and cover, sub amp, cap and cap cover and a set of 6x8-5x7 speakers.

The subs are 10\" audiobahn natural excursion AW102T subwoofers rated at 450 rms per sub.

The amp is a cadence A7HC that can put out around 1400 watts rms at 1 ohm. It also has a remote sub control.

The box consists of 3 individually sealed chambers of about 1.2 cuft each. You can wire the subs to 1.3ohms.

The speakers are ample audio 6x8\" coaxiles rated at 50 watts rms.

I am asking $1000obo. (The amp itself has an msrp of $899 american!) I will also sell just the box and subs and grills for $550 obo. The box should fit in larger cars/wagons and suvs. The box is 39.5\" wide by 17\" tall.