Y33 sound setups

I'm doing research on how I'm gonna upgrade my Qs stereo.  I'd appreciate any feedback that will help me make some good decisions about this.  I've never been a car stereo person. I  usually just upgraded my headunits....but now I'm looking to do something more serious.  

Let me know any ideas you have for this without compromising the basic setup.  I don't want to cut on the rear deck and I need trunk space for car seats and maybe air sus in the future.    pics of truck setups for Y33s would be appreciated.

I know 3 of us have the Pioneer AVIC D3 with the stock Bose speakers, sounds great too, much better than with the stock HU.  I think to get around the Bose self-amped speakers, you actually use the RCA outs for the speakers.  I may be wrong though, I'm clueless when it comes to electronics.

Use the stock HU......use hi/lo convertors off of the output of the stock amp...add amps and speakers and your good....IMO aftermarket HU look out of place in a lux car.

[QUOTE=DEE;110788]Use the stock HU......use hi/lo convertors off of the output of the stock amp...add amps and speakers and your good....IMO aftermarket HU look out of place in a lux car.[/QUOTE]

I agree....not to mention to do it right you'd probably have to go with a double din or 6+ inch dvd/cd/nav combo....all of which i wouldn't mind....but i'd rather spend my time and money getting as good a sound out of the speakers and subs with enough power to make it reliable and clean sounding.

Wheres the best place to source converters. I'm starting to stack parts so I can make this as financially painless as possible. Right now I'm looking and JL 6w3 for subs and ARC audio speakers for the doors and tweeters. not sure what I'm gonna use to power it all yet. But I do think I wanna run a six channel so i can conserve space in the trunk.

i put the convertors($3 a piece) maybe 10" from the stock amp....which i believe is on the right side of the gas tank(looking from the trunk). D/L the FSM and you could get the wire diags and pinouts of the stock amp because I think theres one plug coming out of the stock amp and it has inputs and outputs and also the power inputs ,so it can can get confusing. For my install I ran 2 hi/lo convertors, added 2 female "Y" splitters on the rear channels for subs and rear speakers and still be able to fade from f/b. I'm running the rear deck and rear door speakers in parallel paired up by side( left door,left rear) and the fronts have their own channel.

The Pioneer D3 is double din, DVD with Nav. Fills the void perfectly, and gives an updated look. Only costs about 1g too.  If that's too much, Autobacs has a sale on refurb Eclipse double din DVD/NAV for only $500 installed with 1 year Autobacs warranty! That's a bargain IMO.

Dee what speakers are you using....and how are they mounted.  do you have trunk subs or anything going on in the trunk?  anyone tried to put 8" subs in the rear tray?

Diamond HEX 6.5 with the silk tweers and 150rms each side up front in the stock locations.... mb quart reference 6.5 and the rear doors and rear deck with 75wrms each...pushing strictly mids...had to make baffles to fit 6.5 in the rear doors and rear deck...I have a single 15(adire tumult) 2.5 tuned to 30hz in the trunk with only 300w going to that.... I didn't want my ride to rattle apart. I'm using 4guage shared with my compressors no prob at all no engine noise either.... with or without the compressors running....I also ran all new wire to all speakers.........forgot to mention...I don't have a trunk lol

If u want to upgrade... you need to install a complete system. I mean running new power and speaker wire. replace speakers, amp, HU, etc. The stock system is good... well better than most stock systems but to me thats the only route to go. I would go with an ECLIPSE hu. they make really good decks, 5V pre-amps and run two external amps. thats the route im going once my funds allow me to!

If you heard my set-up .....I bet you wouldn't get a new HU

can't go wrong with eclipse, but the avic-d3 as well as the jvc double din (cheaper and packed with features, no nav) are nice too.
 
as for speakers i like cdt (woofersetc.com, authorized dealer with nice prices, cl-61 is a great value) but have also been curious about rainbows lately (gd on maxima.org for new series).
 
amps: i like sundown audio. i was also checking out stetson (super compact POWER) made in brazil. jl or memphis is cool if you don't mind overpaying.
 
subs: i would recommend doing at least a 10" and you can do a lot better than jl for cheaper. fi and image dynamics are the 2 i'd take a close look at.
 
you can get by without changing your hu, but it will not compare to a full aftermarket system PERIOD. caraudio.com and soundsolutionsaudio.com are 2 of my favorite resources.

here's a setup we did for falken's q45

^^^^^^
THE BEST I SEEN IN A Q!!!!!! :biggthumpup: 
And I'm not just being bias
that shit is soooo clean and simple!

The trunk looks great, but I don't like flip up screens at all.  The way they cover the other controls is lame IMO. What if I want to change the temp, gotta fold the screen out of the way? Double DIN is the only way to go.

[quote=F.L.S.;111218]The trunk looks great, but I don't like flip up screens at all. The way they cover the other controls is lame IMO. What if I want to change the temp, gotta fold the screen out of the way? Double DIN is the only way to go.[/quote]
 
:werd2:

[QUOTE=F.L.S.;111218]The trunk looks great, but I don't like flip up screens at all.  The way they cover the other controls is lame IMO. What if I want to change the temp, gotta fold the screen out of the way? Double DIN is the only way to go.[/QUOTE]

he went with the single din cause the eclipse double din at the time was having issues.  also there's a quick fold down button on the top corner that just folds it enough to get to the conrols.  which isn't all the bad cause i'm sure everyone touches their radio more than their climate controls.

[quote=BLACKonBLACK98;111066]
 
you can get by without changing your hu, but it will not compare to a full aftermarket system PERIOD.[/quote]
 
 
I've installed my fair share of systems...over 10 years worth...and my lastest (using stock HU) is the simplist and my best sq system yet..the only thing is the lack of equlization .... but thats where having quality drivers and amps come in....

i really do like the idea of keeping my stock HU....I've been doing a little research and I think with the JL subs and the ARC audio Amps and components I'll be good to go.   Any other decent 6.5 inch subs out there?

[quote=DEE;111306]I've installed my fair share of systems...over 10 years worth...and my lastest (using stock HU) is the simplist and my best sq system yet..the only thing is the lack of equlization .... but thats where having quality drivers and amps come in....[/quote]
the bose is no doubt a good system, but i mean come on... it might be the best YOU'VE heard but you know it's not the best (not meant as disrespectfully as it may read). i have never added aftermarket speakers to a bose because its always been accepted as something not to do (something about flat signal and high voltage due to the super low resistance of the speakers) so i can't really say it won't turn out well. what i can say 100% is it could definitely be better.
 
the op stated that he wanted to take it a little further, and a good hu is the base of a great system.

Change the headunit. it all starts with a good source....like everthing else in life :biggthumpup: 
 
My advice is to focus on signal strength with nice components and center channel. Dont use splitters or any converters that reduce sound quality. 
 
There is no 'best' [I]this and that[/I] because it all depends on the users taste and the type of music he/she listens to.  SPL,house music,classical,R&B,Rap and hiphop,country, etc, etc 
 
My SL had Rainbow components...but the BMW sounds better (to me) with Alpine type X....When the rainbows cost as much as an S13 on a good day. :smiley-rofl: 
 
different box styles to fit the type of music. Subs are like enigines ;) most will just throw in any ole box or whatever 'looks' good with no focus on tuning. 
 
It's kinda like asking someone to build u a fast car. What do u consider "Fast"? and how much are u willing to invest to get "fast"????

ok, HU, get whatever you want from a good company, choose youself, do you want dvd nav mp3 avi? the more preout is better, the higher output signal(in volts) is better, I would recommend D3(it's around 700) and it has a lot, but the bad part is only one disc slot, so if you want to play dvd and use navigation, you have to pick one. Or go like my friend did, D2+DVD changer(more like 1000) 
next step is not amps or speakers, but I would say deadening. Edead, Brown Bread, Raamat, Second Skin, is a few companies that make deadening materials, Dynamat is good but WAY TOO OVERPRICED. 
Then amps. Amps don't sound! They power speakers up, and the cleaner the signal, the better theoretical sound you should get(depends if your speakers are able to play cleaner) This is where choices are endless, there are so many companies that make car audio stuff, that you can go different routes any day. I prefer Phoenix Gold, older models, like Ti, ZX, MS, but their new series called RSD is shocking good too. If that's too expensve, there is always stuff like Alpine, Kicker, RF, MMats, etc. I prefer to choose speakers first and then pick amps for them, usually, if 2 amps, I go matching style. When picking amp, go on some car audio forums, there are a lot of them, and read reviews about some amps, that will give you idea on whats good and whats not. 
Speakers and sub. On Y33, as I understand, front is 6.5, rear doors are 5.25 and rear deck is 6.5's what you do is get good powerful front stage speakers. coaxials in the back doors, 5.25 is good enough size, and take out the speakers in the deck, throw them out or put them on your fridge. front stage is also rich on choices, Expensive are AVI, Morel, Focal Utopias, Image Dynamics, DLS... in the middle there are DEI, Diamond, Focal, Rainbow, Crystal, JL, Alpine... On budget there are lower models of those brands, that are pretty good. But lately, a LOT, and I mean A LOT of people went with PG RSD65CS, because they sound just amazing, like a lot of $300-500 sets, and have price tag of $87, which is almost unbeatable. And although they recomend 60W, speakers love to see about 150W. That's what I would recommend. Subs. What do you want? SQ (sound quality) SPL (sound pressure level) or SQL (both) basically if you want clean sounding sub(s) that will hit every note for not much money, go with IDQ12, JL W3 or Infinity Perfect (and a lot more) if you want just really loud sub(s) to puch a lot of air, and disturb the piece, go with Kicker L7, MT, DD(some models) RE(some models) and if you want somewhere in between, go with IDMAX, Fi Q, TC-9, SI Magnum, JL W6, W7, RE XXX...(shit load of them)
 
My choice on the budget would be D3, PG RSD65CS for front, PG RSD5 in the back doors, one RSD12D or 2 RSD10 and PG RSD500.4 for speakers and PS RSd1200.1 for sub(s) I know I am PG fan and their RSD line is really good, almost as good as thier old stuff, but since they make them in Asia now, their quality remains(quality control) and prices drop down.

some good advice, some not so good.
 
the avic-d3 pre-outs are weak (~2v), but thats not necessarly a problem. the problem is you won't know if it's a problem until it becomes a problem. eclipse is known for having high voltage preouts (as well as a good all around product) and the jvc kw-avx800 has 5v (this is honestly what i would probably get if i wasn't doing 5.1) as well as some others.
 
sound deadening: second skin PERIOD. check this out: [URL]http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com[/URL]
 
amps: to many to name but i'll say this: if i wasn't going 5.1 i'd go with sundown. they're making a name for themselves in sq and spl.
 
speakers: i like cdt all the way across the board. matter of fact if you want some high end components for your front-stage i have some bnib cdt hd-62/m6 (cost ~$600) that i'm not gonna use (once again 5.1). i'm gonna be using rainbow (heard a lot of good things about them) coaxials because of my low power situation.
 
subs: between fi and image dynamics i think you can find something to meet any needs.
 
quality affordable system:
jvc kw-avx800 hu
sundown 100.4 front stage amp
cdt cl-61 componets ran active
sundown sae-1000d mono amp
fi q dual 2 sub

heard a lot about sundown, never tried one, but look interesting. 
 
With a signal processor, any preout problem will be gone, something like Audiocontrol 6xs or three.1. Also if you do go with active setup, you most probably will need one. 
 
CDT is good company, but not everybody can afford their good sets.

yeah, a line driver will fix low output issues. a lot of amps that are out now have  bandpass filters so you can run active with only an amp. the cdt cl-61 can be had for well under $200, and are considered a good entry-level set.

[quote=BLACKonBLACK98;111467]the bose is no doubt a good system, but i mean come on... it might be the best YOU'VE heard but you know it's not the best (not meant as disrespectfully as it may read). i have never added aftermarket speakers to a bose because its always been accepted as something not to do (something about flat signal and high voltage due to the super low resistance of the speakers) so i can't really say it won't turn out well. what i can say 100% is it could definitely be better.
 
the op stated that he wanted to take it a little further, and a good hu is the base of a great system.[/quote]
 
I'm not backing up bose.....which I think is mediocre....I'm just saying that a stock HU can give you very good sq..... I've used very expensive HU's and the only thing you really gain is the ability to control alot of different ways of manipulating your sound
(i.e. timing...equalization...etc.) also....i'm all about high output voltages.....the lower the voltage the more susceptable you are to noise...also you have to remember....im taking the output of the amplifier and coverting it down to a low-volt input....so I'm pretty sure the output is most likely in the range of 4-6 volts....if not more........I'm just saying using your stock HU is no different than using a decent aftermarket without all the goodies...for example.....I can take a $1000 HU and mess with the eq and the timing....and the system will sound like straight hot garbage....Also if you run a 16Khz signal through a 1000 dollar HU and through the stock HU...they will both output a 16Khz signal...what would the difference be?? you gotta remeber...with sound your are just reproducing what was recorded(fidelity)....not anything more not anything less....you feel me???? also to me 5.1 is for watching movies...not reprducing music.....

yeah i feel you. i think stock bose is cool, but the op said he wanted to take it further. theres also a lot more people running factory/aftermarket mix these days i've noticed. like i said, i've never done it because i just accepted it as the thing not to do. you're making good points on the low end of the spectrum, but the adjustment of a quality hu is meant to make the sound better not dumb it down to factory levels. the difference is all about the ability to tune to the users liking. a frequency is a frequency, but how you want that frequency reproduced is the key.
 
as far as the 5.1 thing, it's just a cool little feature i want to add. the only difference between 5.1 and a regular stereo set-up is a mono center channel. i don't know why everybody is making such a huge deal about this (on 4 forums). i mean, you listen to music on your home system right? not only that, but the processor will allow me to turn off the center channel output just in case i want to be like everybody else. :smiley: 
 
btw, i just noticed the wheels in your sig. they're not sp-1s are they? doesn't look like a step-lip in the pic. either way they're nice!

no they're old trafficstars...thanks]

noise can be an issue w/ hot output headunits.  so it might be a good idea to buy amps that have a built in noise gate.  the only amps that i know of that have noise gates are the higher end xtant amps but i'm sure there are other if you search around.

really quick thing bout factory systems.....there usually nothing wrong with the signals factory systems push.......it's just that they usually use very very cheap drivers...alot of times just changing them out will make a world of difference for the casual music listener....also few good tips to help avoid noise are to keep your grounds short as possible(use the same guage wire or bigger as your input)......have clean contact points... and to keep power wires seperate from your speaker wires, rca's, video wires....etc.......most of times when people get engine noise/static on tv's is because they bundle everything together.

You can do the following:

1) Replace only the HU with an aftermarket piece you like.  The BOSE amplifier inputs can be modified to accept RCA outputs from the aftermarket headunit.  I'd do this if there are features you really want, but don't have with your current BOSE system.

2) Keep the BOSE headunit, and replace everything after that.  I'd do this if I was worried about my car for security reasons.  I personally like the look of most factory systems, and would prefer this because it looks simple.  SQ can still be at a high level if you are using the right components.  JL Audio, JBL, and Audio Control make some really nifty units that allow you to use the stock headunit in a high-end car audio setup.

3) Replace EVERYTHING.  This is sometimes hit or miss, and will generally be the most expensive option out of the three.  Speaker and amplifier installation can run you quite a bit, and your budget will be the main limiting factor on how creative you want the system to look and sound.  BOSE generally isn't too bad when it comes to mid-bass, and sometimes your new aftermarket system will lack this if it isn't planned out correctly.  The high-end and low-end of your music is easier to reproduce than accurate mid-bass.



My suggestion?  It would depend on my mood, my wallet, and who my installer is.  Alot of the equipment differences will not have much of an audible difference from brand to brand so personal preference will play a part in your decision.  Keep asking questions and I'm sure you'll get enough collective information to make an informed decision.

what up, i took your opinion BLACKonBLACK98 and picked up some CDT i picked up the lower model the cl50 because i didnt need anything that strong. than wooferetc upgraded me to the cl51a how nice hehe :]. i cant wait to hook them up in my ls400. i was just curious though where you picked up your sundown multi channel amp. would you recommend kicker for a multi channel amp too. because they are a little bit on the cheaper side and give me the power i need. since these speakers are at 4ohm. its either that or pickin up a rockford fosgate punch amp. since i have one in my car right now which i likieee hehe.

I'd like to the elemental designs out there as an option... I've used and loved their subs and amps plus they're an authorized online retailer for DLS and I LOVE the DLS M6A's. they sound fantastic.

eD has a Nine.5 which is about 100Wx4 + 600Wx1.... its a huge amp but it looks sexy and it will run your whole system off one amp which is convenient.

just my 2 cents.

if you dont like the look of an aftermarket headunit, you can do one better with a carpc and touch panel molded into the dash. It can "look" very factory until you turn it on.

I recently put the software together for one, so that when it was booted it would display the nissan logo, and boot right into a skinned roadrunner front end (main menu with buttons). You could not tell it was running windows at all.