Need advice to fix my audio system!

[GTshenal]

Hey fellas, I am looking for some advice for fixing up my audio.

I currently own a Mazda 3 2010 GT. Have done few customizations already and now its time to change the factory made audio system to my own.

What do you guys think about the original speakers, and the radio and CD player that it has already? Can it be any better without damaging anything else?

If so, what do you guys think I should start off with? A new radio system? new speakers? an amplifier and a sub woofer? Im not looking to bombard my car with music but some descent quality audio system that will produce good sounds and hit high ranges when needed!

Also a place where I can get it fixed! Wanna learn to fix it on my own next time!

Appreciate your time guys!
Thanks

[peterm15]

IMO
this order.

HU
Speakers and amp.
Sub and amp.

You want loud? Expect to pay a few hundred just for wiring.

If you wanna go ALL OUT?

check out Dave2010gt's setup.

I didn't want to make everything look like I had a full system. So I have speakers with a built in crossover in front rather then separate tweets.

Check out the sponsors and see what they can offer.

[Jackal]

I agree with Peter. Check out our sponsors Audio Heaven or Lockdown for install help or ideas for HU, amps, subs etc. You are heading towards an expensive path. You may want to do it over a number of months unless you have some cash saved up especially for this.

[GTshenal]

Peterm 15 and Jackal Thanks for that!
and No I do not wanna go all out at once! May be a sub and four speakers first!

1. Is there any size specification for my Mazda? Or is there a unique size for every year or something?
2. Does the factory made ones at least have an output of 200W?

[Impressive]

5x7/6x8 is what is in our doors, regardless of model year.

200W? are you kidding me? try like 25 man...they're like paper once you remove them. The stock deck makes nowhere near that power either.

[sube]

5x7/6x8 is what is in our doors, regardless of model year.

200W? are you kidding me? try like 25 man...they're like paper once you remove them. The stock deck makes nowhere near that power either.

I think the stock deck is about 4 watts per channel, stock speakers are a joke, paper cones and a miniscule magnet, they need to be like this because of low output of stock deck. I originally added speakers to the stock deck and the sound was worse because the stock deck couldn't drive them. Even building a decent system isn't going to be cheap.

Pat.

[Darkice]

change the sub and HU then if its not enough then do the door speakers IMO

Peterm 15 and Jackal Thanks for that!
and No I do not wanna go all out at once! May be a sub and four speakers first!

1. Is there any size specification for my Mazda? Or is there a unique size for every year or something?
2. Does the factory made ones at least have an output of 200W?

[GTshenal]

5x7 front 6x8 rear?

what do you mean bro? 25Watt???

[GTshenal]

I think the stock deck is about 4 watts per channel, stock speakers are a joke, paper cones and a miniscule magnet, they need to be like this because of low output of stock deck. I originally added speakers to the stock deck and the sound was worse because the stock deck couldn't drive them. Even building a decent system isn't going to be cheap.

Pat.

so u mean the stock deck has to be changed as well?

[peterm15]

This order. Its your best bet. No matter what do HU first. It makes life easier while getting a great boost in sound and quality. You can also do sub BEFORE speakers that doesn't matter.

HU
Speakers and amp.
Sub and amp.

[sube]

so u mean the stock deck has to be changed as well?

The deck would be the first thing to change in my opinion, a new head unit will make even the stock speakers sound much better.

Pat.

[Cab0oze]

IMO if you want full sound just get a good quality/reasonably priced mono amp/sub (and don't bother with anything with tons of power... I've got 300W and it will shake the car if i wanted it to, which I dont). Thats all i've ever done, and my car sounds great. Nice full sound, without going overboard. Spending a 'couple hundred bucks' on wiring alone (as suggested earlier) is just crazy unless you're looking to shake the whole block.

If you're an audiophile and want amazing, top notch sound, then you're probably going to have to replace everything. Like if you upgrade the HU, your speakers will limit you. If you replace your speakers, your HU will limit you. If you replace your speakers AND HU, your wiring will limit you. If you just add a sub, you've saved like 500 bucks easily and it WILL actually make a big difference all on its own.

my .02

[GTshenal]

IMO if you want full sound just get a good quality/reasonably priced mono amp/sub (and don't bother with anything with tons of power... I've got 300W and it will shake the car if i wanted it to, which I dont). Thats all i've ever done, and my car sounds great. Nice full sound, without going overboard. Spending a 'couple hundred bucks' on wiring alone (as suggested earlier) is just crazy unless you're looking to shake the whole block.

If you're an audiophile and want amazing, top notch sound, then you're probably going to have to replace everything. Like if you upgrade the HU, your speakers will limit you. If you replace your speakers, your HU will limit you. If you replace your speakers AND HU, your wiring will limit you. If you just add a sub, you've saved like 500 bucks easily and it WILL actually make a big difference all on its own.

my .02

yea man I agree with you! Im just tired of stock sounds! Just want lil better not to bombard the car! So u just installed a amp and sub and never changed door speakers or stock deck eh? Around how much you spent on ur sub and amp and what brand you prefer? I do not want any vibration at all (I dont wanna listen to extreme loud music but top of the line quality).. and did you install them|?

[GTshenal]

really appreciate your advices

[JayJay18]

GTshenal, word off advice.
Come up with a budget, this is extremely key.
Then work out your wants, first start off with your deck.
Do you want double din? Nav, Bluetooth, Ipod, Sirius?
Once you have that solved pick a deck suitable to your wants and subtrack the price from your total. The deck is the most important component to your audio system because it delivers quality over the stock deck.
Next step is to see what budget you have left. Decent 6.5 component set of speakers with a 2 channel amp can vary from $300-600$ just a price range and a subwoofer and mono amp around the same aswell.
So if you just have 500$ budget left from the original budget then i would suggest a sub and amp prior to speakers and amp.
The aftermarket deck will provide a decent amount of improvement to your speakers enough to say thats good for now.
But first question is your budget, we can then work out your needs and a gameplan

[HavocSteve]

IMHO, Sub + Amp with the Line Output adapter. I'll be doing this shortly to my 2010 Mazdaspeed3 as I want to keep the stock look but want the extra boom in the back as the BOSE only has a crappy 8" sub. I put $500 into the amp + sub and the connector that powers the amp so I'll have to spend another $50 for wiring. Total will be $560 max.

500watt mono Alpine Amp
600watt 10" MTX Thunder Sub

Doing this alone is fairly cheap as a deck can cost you easily $1200+ and then add speakers and such. A proper set-up would cost nearly 5grand for quality (my dad paid this at custone audio in whitby). This keeps everything stock and adds a new dynamic to the sound as it will be deeper and more rich and add a little shake which you can't get with the stock BOSE stereo.

[Cab0oze]

yea man I agree with you! Im just tired of stock sounds! Just want lil better not to bombard the car! So u just installed a amp and sub and never changed door speakers or stock deck eh? Around how much you spent on ur sub and amp and what brand you prefer? I do not want any vibration at all (I dont wanna listen to extreme loud music but top of the line quality).. and did you install them|?

Originally 12 years ago i bought a rockford fosgate P1 with box on sale from futureshop for $75, and a 300 watt mono amp (not a mainstream brand, but looked awesome and is still working great in my gf's car 12 years later) for $30 from factorydirect.

So - I spent like 100 bucks and this has given me a sub/amp setup that has lasted me 12 years. Its not *amazing* but it works and is hella reliable.

So - I gave this setup to my gf a 4 years ago when I saw someone selling a 'like new' Rockford fosgate P2 (12" sub) with a box for 60 bucks. It sounds amazing. Seriously. The sound is so much richer than on the 10" sub. To go with this, since I've been having great luck with rockford fosgate, I also picked up with mono ~300W RMS amp. It looks very classy (piano black to match my interior), and has been serving me well ever since.

TLDR;
If you're looking for a good quality sub at a good price, shop around for some rockford fosgate units. Highly recommend liquidation stores for good prices, or like boxing day deals online or whatnot. If you have space, go 12", if you're limited on space, get a smaller sub and a stealthbox. IMO if you get a good deal you should be able to get a kickass sub for ~100$, a kickass amp for the same price, and then like 50 bucks on a LOC, wiring, inline fuse, etc.

[HavocSteve]

Originally 12 years ago i bought a rockford fosgate P1 with box on sale from futureshop for $75, and a 300 watt mono amp (not a mainstream brand, but looked awesome and is still working great in my gf's car 12 years later) for $30 from factorydirect.

So - I spent like 100 bucks and this has given me a sub/amp setup that has lasted me 12 years. Its not *amazing* but it works and is hella reliable.

So - I gave this setup to my gf a 4 years ago when I saw someone selling a 'like new' Rockford fosgate P2 (12" sub) with a box for 60 bucks. It sounds amazing. Seriously. The sound is so much richer than on the 10" sub. To go with this, since I've been having great luck with rockford fosgate, I also picked up with mono ~300W RMS amp. It looks very classy (piano black to match my interior), and has been serving me well ever since.

TLDR;
If you're looking for a good quality sub at a good price, shop around for some rockford fosgate units. Highly recommend liquidation stores for good prices, or like boxing day deals online or whatnot. If you have space, go 12", if you're limited on space, get a smaller sub and a stealthbox. IMO if you get a good deal you should be able to get a kickass sub for ~100$, a kickass amp for the same price, and then like 50 bucks on a LOC, wiring, inline fuse, etc.

Nice pick-ups. I like the 10" because of the punch factor when listening to rock. Where did you put the amp? I'm thinking about where to locate mine at the current moment but drawing blanks. I would love for it to be under the passenger seat for access and such as the sub will be in a box that is removable if we need to carry luggage ect.

[Cab0oze]

Nice pick-ups. I like the 10" because of the punch factor when listening to rock. Where did you put the amp? I'm thinking about where to locate mine at the current moment but drawing blanks. I would love for it to be under the passenger seat for access and such as the sub will be in a box that is removable if we need to carry luggage ect.

In all my cars I've always put it under the pax or driver seat where its in easy reach of all of the required hookups (with the exception of my gf's G5, since the battery is in the trunk, put it right above the batt lol). If you have some plywood handy, just build a little shelf to not block the floor level heater for the rear seats. (not req'd but a good idea for a clean install)
If you have a 3 with Bose (blows) take out the 2" joke-of-a-sub under the pax seat and put your amp there.

[HavocSteve]

In all my cars I've always put it under the pax or driver seat where its in easy reach of all of the required hookups (with the exception of my gf's G5, since the battery is in the trunk, put it right above the batt lol). If you have some plywood handy, just build a little shelf to not block the floor level heater for the rear seats. (not req'd but a good idea for a clean install)
If you have a 3 with Bose (blows) take out the 2" joke-of-a-sub under the pax seat and put your amp there.

Our Speed3 has the 8" BOSE sub in the trunk area and actually is removable for the spare tire. I would love to get rid of the spare and put a nice clean sub/amp in it's place but if that one day does come, I don't want to be stuck or ruin my nice summers.

[GTshenal]

Originally 12 years ago i bought a rockford fosgate P1 with box on sale from futureshop for $75, and a 300 watt mono amp (not a mainstream brand, but looked awesome and is still working great in my gf's car 12 years later) for $30 from factorydirect.

So - I spent like 100 bucks and this has given me a sub/amp setup that has lasted me 12 years. Its not *amazing* but it works and is hella reliable.

So - I gave this setup to my gf a 4 years ago when I saw someone selling a 'like new' Rockford fosgate P2 (12" sub) with a box for 60 bucks. It sounds amazing. Seriously. The sound is so much richer than on the 10" sub. To go with this, since I've been having great luck with rockford fosgate, I also picked up with mono ~300W RMS amp. It looks very classy (piano black to match my interior), and has been serving me well ever since.

TLDR;
If you're looking for a good quality sub at a good price, shop around for some rockford fosgate units. Highly recommend liquidation stores for good prices, or like boxing day deals online or whatnot. If you have space, go 12", if you're limited on space, get a smaller sub and a stealthbox. IMO if you get a good deal you should be able to get a kickass sub for ~100$, a kickass amp for the same price, and then like 50 bucks on a LOC, wiring, inline fuse, etc.

so what you saying is with a $250 - $300 budget i could get a decent audio job done! That sounds amazing. I do not want high class stuff to crash my windows. So for now I am gonna stick to something small but obviously better than factory set. Yea I show at factory direct, tech source and oxford auto sounds and they have amazing deals! I have read below replies and they all suggest replacing the factory deck.. did you do that if u did how much it cost you (an average deck)?

[GTshenal]

Wow ur replies are amazing and helped me alot! You know what, Imma save up lil bit more and get it done around march! If you guys know any places where I can get a good deal on any of the components that you guys mentioned or a cheap place for wiring and more advice please let me know! appreciate your help!!

[Cab0oze]

Keep your eyes peeled during boxing day, and you can always look for people selling things on kijiji (just make sure it works / is in good condition

[GTshenal]

alright guys, so read through all your replies and more articles and took the first baby step! I bought a 'MTX 12" Vented Subwoofer Enclosure with Amp' http://m.futureshop.ca/defaultpage.a...903&lang=en-CA
this is just for now.Not the best financially atm so this will do it for this summer since my goal is not to shake the block but to listen to some quality music (at least something better than what I have right now)
Straight to the point, since this is my first car Im not sure how to install the system. Car modification was my boys hobby but he doesn't lives pretty damn far. Went to couple of places they just tryna rip me off saying its $150 bucks just to connect my amp and sub and I totally cannot afford that right now. If you guys know a place where I can get it done for like fifty bucks lemme know. I would pay that and get it done but got school and shit to pay for man! My next boi said he would do it but Im not sure how neat of a job that would be. anyhow please drop your pros and cons on my system they really encourage me for further modifications! biggupps to all of you!

[Cab0oze]

alright guys, so read through all your replies and more articles and took the first baby step! I bought a 'MTX 12" Vented Subwoofer Enclosure with Amp' http://m.futureshop.ca/defaultpage.a...903&lang=en-CA
this is just for now.Not the best financially atm so this will do it for this summer since my goal is not to shake the block but to listen to some quality music (at least something better than what I have right now)
Straight to the point, since this is my first car Im not sure how to install the system. Car modification was my boys hobby but he doesn't lives pretty damn far. Went to couple of places they just tryna rip me off saying its $150 bucks just to connect my amp and sub and I totally cannot afford that right now. If you guys know a place where I can get it done for like fifty bucks lemme know. I would pay that and get it done but got school and shit to pay for man! My next boi said he would do it but Im not sure how neat of a job that would be. anyhow please drop your pros and cons on my system they really encourage me for further modifications! biggupps to all of you!

I'm pretty sure no place will do it for 50 bucks, its not a 2 second job. Either do it yourself (there are walkthrus) or find somebody in the club that'd do it for a case of beer