Stereo System

[M34ME]

Has anyone istalled a sub and an amp to their factory head unit? I want to do this but my friend told me not to bother. I know you can buy an adapter tha will give you RCA\'s out of your stock head unit. But will it still sound clear and loud? :) I want to put a 12\" in in a sealed box with a big amp. (maybe a 4 or 5 channel amp so I can amplify the car speakers, anyway anyone have any suggestions that dont involve changing the head unit? Anyone maybe in the brampton area have a system installed I could come listen to? I miss my old stereo (but I do love all that trunk space). Anyway thanks for your help in advance.

[SoopaBanana]

If you don\'t mind waiting you can check out my system at the next official meet...

[mazda3boss]

ok i just recently did this

bought a 12\" inch rockford fosgate sub
MTX 4-channel amp

in order for it to work i needed the RCA, from where i got it since the speakers are on the doors in the back they had to give me some otehr kidn of RCA, right now i dont get good sound from teh speakers from my point of view lol although i am gonna buy another amp to power the sub alone and use this mtx one to power the 4 speakers, but even right now it sounds good, just need a bit more power from teh speakers thast all:p

if ur attending that meetin u can check it out, but theres no point in switching the head unit

[bluntman]

Originally posted by M34ME


Has anyone istalled a sub and an amp to their factory head unit? I want to do this but my friend told me not to bother. I know you can buy an adapter tha will give you RCA\'s out of your stock head unit. But will it still sound clear and loud? :) I want to put a 12\" in in a sealed box with a big amp. (maybe a 4 or 5 channel amp so I can amplify the car speakers, anyway anyone have any suggestions that dont involve changing the head unit? Anyone maybe in the brampton area have a system installed I could come listen to? I miss my old stereo (but I do love all that trunk space). Anyway thanks for your help in advance.

Loud - yes
Clear - no

The stock speakers are less than OK as stock speakers go. I don\'t know, maybe it\'s the amplification of the stock headunit, but the front stage sounds really muffled and the highs are non-existant. Adding a powered sub to the stock front speakers will just added to the muffled sounding nature of the system.

At the very least, change the front speakers where you are at it. The rear speakers are only there for the rear passenger\'s enjoyment but all of the critical listening is done up front. Adding an amp to the front speakers will be even better.

I\'ve kept the factory headunit to keep the OEM look, as well as to be able to keep use of the factory steering wheel controls. But I\'ve changed everything after that...I\'ve added 2 amps (a 4 channel and a 1 channel), a powered 10\" sub, component speakers in the front and coaxials in the rear.

[bubba1983]

i also have attached a sub and amp with teh stock head unit...and all is good to my ears!!

[mazda3boss]

ya bluntman, i find the speakers not clear, so i am gonna power them up, i\'ll probably switch them later on but right now i\'ll just hook them up to an amp

[cookie]

I installed a new 12\" sub and amp. Two channel. Makes a difference. But I don\'t like the stock speakers.

[MazdaTree]

the stock speakers do sound more clean with an amp
but changing them would be the best thing to do

cuz after a while with high power to the stock speakers they blow
but i mean high high power:p

[mazda3boss]

coo, i\'ma change them i just noticed my moms sentra gxe has better speakers than me lol, sounds like they are powered with an amp but they arent

[TheProfessor]

You\'ll find that many of today\'s factory \"decks\" actually filter out certain highs and lows in order to protect the factory speakers. A few companies such as Alpine and JL Audio are releasing products that correct this and put out a very neutral/flat response. An aftermarket deck is always going to sound better than a factory one, period. Replacing the speakers will help, but they still won\'t sound as good as if you had replaced the deck.

[mazda3boss]

see i dont want to replace my deack, i wanna keep the same look, and not have to pay to customize the whole pannel lol, but i understand what u are saying, i guess i\'ll just power them up with an amp

[TheProfessor]

I agree, I don\'t want to swap out the stock deck either, but just know that the stock deck will make the overall sound quality suffer. In my 6 I am running the stock deck to a Navone LOC, from there the signal passes onto a JL 5 channel amp, all speakers are JL and I have a single JL 12\" sub and it sounds great. However, I do notice that it is not quite as clean as when I had a similar system all being run off an Alpine, but what are you gonna do?

I have already purchased the system to go into my wife\'s 3.....it will just copy what I have done in my 6:

- Stock deck with 6 disc changer
- JL 6 channel amp
- JL speakers all around
- 10\" JL sub

I\'m really hoping that the signal the stock deck puts out is just as good (or bad?) as the one in my 6, cause both my wife and I find it to be acceptable.

[mazda3boss]

ahhh nicely done man, good luck with that

[TheProfessor]

Thanks, I\'ll hopefully post the pics of the install and final product, can\'t wait.

[M34ME]

I heard you can put caps on your stock speakers to filter out the bass so that they wont distorte as easy, all the bass will come out of the sub, I was thinking of doing this, and still probably amplify the speakers off a seperate amp.

[TheProfessor]

Yes, you can install capacitors to filter out bass notes, but I wouldn\'t do it to your stock speakers cause there\'s no point. The stock deck is already likely cutting off some of those low frequencies. If you plan on adding an amp, don\'t keep the stock speakers, you\'ll likely blow them even with caps installed.

[mazda3boss]

see since i have a mtx 4 chan amp i am gonna put that hooked ot my speakers, then gonna buy a rockford or infinity 2 chan amp to power my sub, so eitehr way i\'ll HEAR MUSIC :p lol

[TheProfessor]

With that set-up, you will definately hear music:p

[Flagrum_3]

Originally posted by bluntman



Originally posted by M34ME


Has anyone istalled a sub and an amp to their factory head unit? I want to do this but my friend told me not to bother. I know you can buy an adapter tha will give you RCA\'s out of your stock head unit. But will it still sound clear and loud? :) I want to put a 12\" in in a sealed box with a big amp. (maybe a 4 or 5 channel amp so I can amplify the car speakers, anyway anyone have any suggestions that dont involve changing the head unit? Anyone maybe in the brampton area have a system installed I could come listen to? I miss my old stereo (but I do love all that trunk space). Anyway thanks for your help in advance.

Loud - yes
Clear - no

The stock speakers are less than OK as stock speakers go. I don\'t know, maybe it\'s the amplification of the stock headunit, but the front stage sounds really muffled and the highs are non-existant. Adding a powered sub to the stock front speakers will just added to the muffled sounding nature of the system.

At the very least, change the front speakers where you are at it. The rear speakers are only there for the rear passenger\'s enjoyment but all of the critical listening is done up front. Adding an amp to the front speakers will be even better.

I\'ve kept the factory headunit to keep the OEM look, as well as to be able to keep use of the factory steering wheel controls. But I\'ve changed everything after that...I\'ve added 2 amps (a 4 channel and a 1 channel), a powered 10\" sub, component speakers in the front and coaxials in the rear.

Hey Bluntman, new member here, and a few of questions for you.

1. What brand and power are your amps and speakers?
2. What did you use to connect the 2 amps to the HU?
3. Any pics of your set-up.

Thanks


.
:) :)

[bluntman]

Originally posted by Flagrum_3


Hey Bluntman, new member here, and a few of questions for you.

1. What brand and power are your amps and speakers?
2. What did you use to connect the 2 amps to the HU?
3. Any pics of your set-up.

Thanks


.
:) :)

1 - Alpine
2 - a 4 channel Soundgate LOC
3 - no pix, it looks stock but doesn\'t sound stock :D

[Flagrum_3]

Originally posted by bluntman



Originally posted by Flagrum_3


Hey Bluntman, new member here, and a few of questions for you.

1. What brand and power are your amps and speakers?
2. What did you use to connect the 2 amps to the HU?
3. Any pics of your set-up.

Thanks


.
:) :)

1 - Alpine
2 - a 4 channel Soundgate LOC
3 - no pix, it looks stock but doesn\'t sound stock :D


Thanks for the quick answer Bluntman, but I have a couple more questions if you don\'t mind.

Where did you purchase the Soundgate LOC and how much?


Thanks again. :)






_3

.

[Flagrum_3]

Hey Bluntman never mind I found where to get the LOC, but by the way what did you pay for it?

And to M34ME and the original post question,...here\'s a suggestion get your 4ch amp, 12\" sub and a pair of speakers for the front...don\'t even use your rears as they will screw up your sound stage and you can power speakers and sub from the one amp.


_3


.

[bluntman]

Originally posted by Flagrum_3


Hey Bluntman never mind I found where to get the LOC, but by the way what did you pay for it?

_3


.

Kromer Radio picked it out of their catalog since I was having most of my system installed through them. From what I recall I paid too much, close to $200 just for the LOC.

[Flagrum_3]

Originally posted by bluntman



Originally posted by Flagrum_3


Hey Bluntman never mind I found where to get the LOC, but by the way what did you pay for it?

_3


.

Kromer Radio picked it out of their catalog since I was having most of my system installed through them. From what I recall I paid too much, close to $200 just for the LOC.

Woo that is quite a bit, Lockdown quoted me $150 which I still think is high since they sell in the U.S @ $80.But I think I\'m going to order the Navrone 4ch Loc anyways now after doing some research.


_3


.

[TheProfessor]

I have the Navone 4 channel unit in my 6 and it is great. The fit and finish in terms of quality is below a Soundgate, but it is not bad in any way. I lucked out and just scored another one off of ebay for $30CAD shipped to my door for my wife\'s 3. Gonna install it this week-end, I hope it makes a noticable difference over the high level inputs.

[TheProfessor]

Sorry, one more thing......if anyone is dead set on getting the Soundgate units......Chase Audio Video quoted me $130 for it and that was without any type of bargaining on my part.

[PPI_MAN]

I have a friend who work at Moblie Dynamics in Richmond Hill name David Gatenby. I was looking at a soundgate LOC 4.4 unit and keep it stock he advise not to. If you upgrade to an aftermarket unit you lose volume control on the steering wheel only, but can purchase a special remote control unit that will give you the volume control again. It will sound like sh*t purcahse an after makret headunit and you are fine.

PPI_MAN

[McGuyver_3]

i had the adapter installed ont he stock H/U but it sucked because it was rally a pain in the ass working on it and tuning it so i baught a adapter so i could get an aftermarket radio in. (it took 3 weeks to find the thing because its so rare) But now my system sounds amazing with stock speakers