Zeferint

iTrader: (2)

Table of Contents: (Yeah, theres a lot of stuff here)
- INTRODUCTION
- SECTION 1: Why do I need aftermarket car audio?
- SECTION 2: Vocabulary
- SECTION 3: Amplifiers
o Introduction
o Channels
o Classes
o Bridging
o Impedance
o Installing an Amp
- SECTION 4: Head Units
- SECTION 5: Speakers
- SECTION 6: Subwoofers
o Introduction
o Size
o Concept
o DVC/SVC/Shallow Mount
o Box (Enclosures)
- SECTION 7: Will it fit?
o Speaker sizes for all 1-8th gen Honda's
- SECTION 8: Where to buy?
- CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION:
With sdaidoji making all of these reference threads and (major) contributions to the civicforum community (and as I sit here extremely bored in history class) I felt compelled to contribute my own knowledge from my experience with car audio (which I have undoubtedly the most hands on experience with). I scrolled through a few pages of this section of the forum (before and after the moderators consolidated sections) and I've seen a lot of questions regarding amplifiers and speakers, particularly installing them and "which should I choose?"

Nothing is better than being able to crank your favorite music as loud as you want, and car audio (can be) the easiest modification that you can do to improve your ride. This thread will attempt to answer common beginner questions and install techniques. I'm not a physics major so some of the advanced concepts won't be covered here, unless they're contributed.

Some of this stuff came from me and my own experience, some came from other sources (sometimes directly) and have been cited accordingly see the works cited at the end to see where I got my information, many of these links contain a gold mine worth of information that is worth looking in to if you need more information

As with other references, I ask that only contributions be made in this thread. If you have a question that this thread does not address, please make a new thread in this section of the forum, or better yet look into the links which I have cited.

SECTION 1: Why do I need aftermarket car audio?

Whenever you log onto any website looking for modifications to your car (or even your house) the question always is.."what should I get?" I mean seriously, is it really necessary to have 13+ different brands of car audio equipment?

The answer to this question is, quite comically, "what are you looking for?" this encompasses two important points:

- How much are you willing to spend?

What you often find with most car modifications, it's generally "all or nothing". I mean, seriously, you can't just buy coilovers. Soon you'll need to replace all sorts of parts because of the stress that your new, fancy stiff suspension is putting on your car. With car audio, it's quite different. You don't need to go all out; it's unnecessary. Though you may want to maybe get a more involved system eventually, even just a set of aftermarket speakers with your stock radio will dramatically increase your sound quality, and won't run you more than $100. Obviously, the more money you spend, the better, but car audio is unique because you don't need to spend a lot of money to get great results.

- What kind of music do you listen to?

While this is a slightly irrelevant question, it can come into play. If you enjoy bass-thumping music, you may want to consider investing in a subwoofer, which would require a significantly larger investment. Also, some speakers are better equipped for bass than others. Commonly you may find that a person will rate a speaker poorly because it lacks bass. This shouldn't always be a deciding factor on whether a speaker is "good" or not, because the speaker may not have been built for that. If you want to shake the mirrors on the car next to you, get a subwoofer.

SECTION 2: Vocabulary (IMPORTANT)

Think to yourself for a minute, and just ask yourself the question, "what do I want?" Once you have that in mind, it will make the selecting process much easier. The next thing you should need to know is some vocabulary.

RMS: RMS is an abbreviation that stands for "Root Mean Squared," and is a formula that is used to calculate an approximate average for the power an amplifier can continuously create. [1] Notice the word "average"; this is aboutthe amount of power that your amplifier will generate. If you're looking at speakers (or subwoofers), the RMS rating is just the amount of power that it can handle from the amplifier. Note that because RMS is an average, you don't have to perfectly match the RMS rating from the amp to the speaker (or subwoofer). The speaker can handle anywhere from 1 watt to the peak wattage, but note that as you go higher above the RMS rating the more stress you put on the speaker.

Peak Power: Self-evidently, the maximum amount of power that a speaker or subwoofer can handle, likewise, it's the maximum amount of power that an amplifier can generate. If you run your audio equipment close to this threshold, the shorter their life will be. It's always best to stay in the RMS range.

Sensitivity: The sensitivity figure on a speaker will tell you how loud a speaker can get given a specified input [2]. Essentially, if a speaker at 89dB and a speaker at 92dB were played at the same volume, hooked up to the same amplifier through the same means, the speaker with the 92dB rating would sound louder. There are a lot of things that can affect sensitivity levels. To understand this concept better, there's a fantastic link that I found here that will help you understand it better.

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/1/130011.html

But on a basic level, just understand that sensitivity is just how loud the speaker will play at a given volume at a given power.

Top mount depth (usually in inches): The speaker's mounting depth when it's installed as a top-mount. Your vehicle will need this much clearance in order for the speaker to fit properly. This is an important dimension to consider if you're installing your new speakers in a non-factory speaker location. If you're installing a subwoofer in a box, you'll need to make sure there is this much clearance between the outside of the box opening and the opposing inside surface.

Frequency Response: The range of frequencies the speaker will reproduce (lowest frequency to the highest).

For full-range speakers, the wider the range, the better. Optimal is 20 - 20,000 Hz, the range of human hearing. For subwoofers, the actual range you'll hear can vary depending upon the type of box, crossover point, and the vehicle the sub is installed in. [3]

Woofer Composition: Materials the woofer is made of. To operate efficiently, a woofer cone should be made of material that is stiff, yet lightweight. Poly cones provide excellent sound, and stand up to the heat, cold and moisture that car speakers face daily. Paper cones treated for moisture resistance also do an excellent job, and are usually very efficient.

"Poly" refers to Polypropylene, thermoplastic plastics or fibers that are polymers of propylene. "IMPP" is Injection Molded Polypropylene, a common material and process used in car speaker cone manufacture.

"Pulp" refers to processed wood products, or paper.

Woofer Surround: The flexible ring around the edge of the woofer cone. Surrounds are usually made of cloth, foam or rubber. Rubber and composites tend to last longer and hold up better in harsh environments

Tweeter Design: Type of the tweeter. Common designs are cone, dome, semi-dome, balanced dome, and whizzer. Cone tweeters are efficient and the most economical. Dome tweeters, the type found in most home speakers, sound smoother and more accurate [4]. A semi-dome driver is one with a dome placed inside a cone. "Balanced dome" drivers are semi-domes with equal reproduction area given the cone and dome portions of the driver.
A "whizzer" tweeter is a separate tweeter cone driven by the woofer's voice coil.

Impedance (Ohms): The load value (in ohms) that the speakers present to the amplifier - the amount of resistance to the current flow. My brain wants to just scream and leak out of my head when I try to understand this concept more fully, but if anyone is able to explain this better or in human English I'd appreciate it!

Design: There are a number of different speaker designs that you may come across. For starters, the most basic (and, in my opinion, the most practical) type is the "two-way" speaker. what this means is that there are two "drivers" in the speaker, a woofer and a tweeter. "three-way" speakers are better quality (but more expensive) because they include a mid-range. There are also "four-way" speakers, which can include an additional mid-range or tweeter, but I believe to be the most unpractical.

There are also a type of speaker called a "component" speaker, which is like a normal speaker except it includes a "crossover" which acts as a sort of an external high-pass filter. Also, these speakers are unique because the tweeter can be mounted outside of the speaker, giving better sound quality especially if you mount the tweeter such that it faces you when you're seated in your vehicle. These are often for the audio enthusiast and are much more difficult to install, and can include drilling to make the tweeter fit. If you don't know anyone that can professionally install this for you, I would recommend staying away from these unless you're willing to spend the extra time and money.

While there is more terminology to be covered, most of it is specific. Let's move on to amplifiers.

SECTION 3: AMPLIFIERS:

- INTRODUCTION
Amplifiers are a necessity to a great sound system. Believe it or not, your stock radios (and aftermarket ones) include an amplifier, but usually produce anywhere from 5-20 watts of RMS, which is barely adequate to feed your speakers. Ever try cranking your music but can't because of the distortion at higher volume levels? Amplifiers eliminate that by supplying a constant power, which give the power your speakers demand.
There are a number of amplifiers and even today they are becoming ever more fancy and complicated and it would be impossible to explain each unique feature of each type of amp. Choosing your amp is much like choosing your speakers, it depends on what you want to pay. It often helps to see what other people have liked and disliked by simply googling a given amp for reviews. There are 5 basic types of amplifiers, explained below:

- "CHANNELS"
5/4/3/2/1 Channel(s): Quite literally, these are the amount of channels that an amplifier contains. Each channel has a positive and negative terminal, which will go to the positive and negative terminal of the speaker (or subwoofer).
A Mono amp (1 channel) offers maximum bang per buck for driving subwoofers. They deliver more power at lower impedances, so you get more flexibility in setting up and expanding your system.
A 2 channel can power a set of speakers, or switch to mono mode to drive a sub.
A 4-channel amp can be used to power your front and rear speakers, or switch to 3-channel mode to run a set of speakers and a sub.
An all-in-one 5-channel amp powers your entire system, with four channels for your front and rear speakers, along with a separate mono channel for your subwoofer.

- "CLASSES" [5]
An amplifier's circuit design determines its class of operation. Class A amplifiers are desirable for the high quality of their sound, but the design is not particularly suited to car applications because of inefficiency and high heat production. Car amplifiers that boast Class A design are usually a Class A/Class AB hybrids. The Class AB design is most commonly used for car amplifiers because it combines reasonable efficiency, low distortion, and reliability.
Class D amplifiers ("D" does not stand for "digital") boast higher efficiency, produce less heat, and draw less current than traditional Class AB designs, but they tend to have more distortion. Since low-frequency distortion is almost impossible to detect, compact Class D amps rule the bass kingdom. Class T amplifiers combine characteristics of conventional Class AB and cutting-edge Class D designs for great power, compact size, and minimal production of heat

- "BRIDGING": [6]
Bridging combines two of an amplifier's channels into one channel, in order to get more power. For example, a 2-channel amp that puts out 75 watts RMS per channel at 4 ohms may be able to put out as much as 200 watts RMS at 4 ohms into one channel when bridged, which could be great for running a subwoofer. There are no formulas for determining how much power you gain when you bridge an amp's channels %u2014 every amp is different. Most 2- and 4-channel amplifiers have the capability of being bridged so they can conveniently be used in a variety of situations and systems. Another example might be using a 4-channel amp to drive your left and right speakers with two of its channels, while driving a sub with its other two channels bridged together, saving you the need to buy a separate sub amp. A disadvantage in bridging amplifiers is that you must be careful not to hook up too low of an impedance load, or you could damage the amp. Amps that work with loads as low as 2 ohms per channel usually can safely drive loads only as low as 4 ohms when bridged. The danger in driving an amplifier with an impedance load that's too low is that the amp could overheat and burn out. You should always check the bridged minimum impedance specification before connecting a bridged amplifier to a low impedance sub or speaker system.


- IMPEDENCE: [7]
Impedance is the load value that your speakers present to your power source--the amount of resistance they provide to the current flowing from your amplifier. While it's convenient to refer to a speaker's impedance as being a fixed value (say, 4 ohms) over a speaker's entire frequency range, the impedance typically varies with the frequency of the input signal. So when we say a speaker is a 4-ohm speaker, think of this rating as a useful approximation.

The key things to know about impedance are your speakers' ratings, your amplifier's ratings, and whether they match. That's enough to keep you out of trouble, and even let you get a little creative when you're designing your system.

In the car audio world, the typical stereo amplifier is stable down to 2 ohms in stereo, or 4 ohms in mono (or "bridged") operation. Most car audio speakers are rated at 4 ohms, but 2-ohm, 8-ohm, and dual voice coil subwoofers are increasingly common. Car audiophiles know that they can actually make their systems hit harder by combining higher-impedance woofers.

Bridging a stereo amplifier down to a single channel is a great way to maximize power to a single speaker. You could use this single channel to drive a single 4-ohm woofer. But some fans of aggressive bass prefer to hook up two parallel-wired 8-ohm woofers to the subwoofers' total impedance remains the same but the overall surface area is increased, raising the system's sound pressure level. If you've invested in an amplifier that's stable down to 2-ohm mono (1-ohm stereo), you can further raise the stakes in this game by introducing up to four parallel-wired woofers to your bridged amp. You'll get more bass from the increased surface area, and more power output as well.

But before you rush out to run your car audio amplifier at the minimum impedance it can handle, bear in mind that there are trade-offs involved. As you decrease the impedance your amplifier sees, the amplifier's distortion spec will rise. On the other hand, some people claim that, in the hard-thumping arena of car audio subwoofers, such changes are inaudible and insignificant.

So what's the bottom line? Make sure you know your speakers' impedance ratings, as well as the minimum impedance of your amplifier in bridged and stereo modes. Then experiment carefully and go with what sounds right.

- INSTALLING AN AMP:
Finding a place to install your amp is, well, important to say the least. Note that amplifiers generate heat to some degree, and some amps generate more heat than others. Make sure the area is well ventilated, or at least leave a few inches around the amp to keep it as cool as possible. I've installed an amp in the trunk and even underneath my driver seat, but note that if an amp overheats, you%u2019ll be shopping for another.
Of course you can't just buy an amp, you need a wiring kit. A wiring kit consists of a power cable (4 gauge at least (maybe 8 gauge if it's a less powerful amp like an MRP-F240) a turn on lead, RCA cables and a ground cable (which should be the same size as your power cable). Some tips if you are installing the amplifier yourself:
- Run the RCA cables + turn on lead on opposite sides of the vehicle as the power cable, this will reduce interference and improve sound quality.
- When making a ground, make sure the metal is bare. If it's painted or greasy, sand it down. Use a self-tapping screw to drill (be careful where you're drilling) to secure the wire. Put the end of the wire through a grommet so when you screw it down its tight and secure. You can use a pre-existing bolt/screw on the chassis of the vehicle, but again make sure the area is sanded down to the bare metal. This will give you a stronger current and overall better results. I've always been taught the "3 feet rule" for ground cables (which essentially means that your ground wire can't be longer than 3 feet from your amp) but if you aren't able to establish a good ground connection near the location of your amp, either relocate your amp, or, you can run a ground wire straight to the battery.
- The turn on lead is responsible for turning on your amp when you turn on the car. If you have an aftermarket radio, you need to splice the turn on lead with the remote wire ( which is often blue, but check your radio manual for clarification).
- The RCA's go from the back of your amp to the back of your head unit. If you have an aftermarket radio and it doesn't have enough preamp inputs, you can use a Y-connector. If you plan on getting an amplifier for your system and you haven't bought your head unit yet, I recommend buying one with 3 preamp level inputs. I will cover head units later in this post. Essentially, the function of the RCA cables is to establish an analog signal connection from the head unit to the amplifier.


Just so we're clear, let's do a quick recap on the wiring of an amp:
- Speaker wires go from the speaker directly to the amplifier, correctly matching polarity
- RCA cables g o from the back of the amplifier to the back of your head unit, and should be run on the opposite side of the vehicle as the power cable. There are varying quality of RCA cables, so beware when you're buying inexpensive kits, because they more than likely suck major royal ***.
- Putting the power cable through your firewall can be a royal pain, and is often the longest and most frustrating part of the installation. Some cars have a designated hole in the firewall, but other vehicles don%u2019t and require drilling. If you do drill a hole through your firewall, protect the hole with some form of rubber grommet or stop to prevent rusting, corroding, etc.
- The turn on lead goes from the amp (often labeled "REM") to the back of the head unit. Splice it to the "remote" wire on the back of the head unit. Make sure to protect the splice with a cap or electrical tape to ensure that it doesn't come off.
- Make sure that when you're wiring your power cable, that the side with the fuse goes near the battery. This is incredibly important.
- Wire your ground either straight to the battery or no more than 3 feet from your amp. Make sure the location is sanded down to the bare metal to ensure a full connection. For best results use a self-tapping screw. Make sure the ground is the same size as your power wire.

For more specific questions on amplifiers, see the Crutchfield FAQ for Amplifiers (see "works cited")

SECTION 4: HEAD UNITS
One of the biggest and most popular upgrades to a car audio system is the head unit, or "car receiver." These fancy pieces of technology often offer better quality sound than factory radios due to features including built-in digital-to-analog converters that remove distortion from playing music directly off your iPod. They also offer different options, including Bluetooth, HD radio and even navigation. They come in two different types, single-din and double-din. Single-din radios are less expensive and usually offer less options then double-dins but are the most practical. They are half the size of a double-din (hence, single din) and can fit in just about any vehicle. Some single-din radios have a flip up screen and others have just a faceplate. Double-din radios are much more expensive and offer an enormous amount of features (including a back-up camera!) They are a full screen radio that vary in size and often require modification to fit your vehicle.

An aftermarket radio is an excellent first start when building your system, because they offer "preamp" inputs which are important for installing your amp (these are what the RCA cables plug into). The features that they provide can be useful and (can be) very inexpensive. Some of the best brands of head units include Alpine, Pioneer and Kenwood.

SECTION 5: SPEAKERS
Most of the information here is repeated from the vocabulary section, as most of the stuff you need to know regarding speakers can be found there. This section is just to help you choose what speakers you actually want to buy.

Speakers are obviously important. They are the heart of your system. They play the music that you scream at the top of your lungs, whether you're stopped at a red light with people looking at you like you're crazy or on the highway. Let's just say, they matter. But what to choose? Well, I'll go back to my previous question, what are you looking for?

In the vocabulary section I reviewed the different designs of a speaker and the different types as well as various qualities of a speaker. If this doesn't help you narrow your search, visit some authorized dealer websites (Crutchfield, most notably) and see what other customers have liked. Compare and contrast different qualities of different speakers. I promise eventually something will click. The more you get involved and the more digging you do, the more you will enjoy the process, the more confident you will be of your purchase and the more you will enjoy your product. You may say to yourself, It's all the same stuff, but it truly isn't. Otherwise there wouldn't be 10+ different brands of car audio if it was.

SECTION 6: SUBWOOFERS

INTRODUCTION
Lookin' for that "Boom, Boom, Pow"? Then a subwoofer is definitely a more than adequate choice. You've probably seen minivans and trucks with 4+ subs in them, but realistically your hearing is a fairly important sense, and is worth keeping. This section is to give you a brief overview of what a subwoofer is and to help you choose one. Like speakers, you're probably looking at the list of 100+ subwoofers for sale on a website and just going...wtf? For starters, let's start with size.


- SIZE
Obviously, with subwoofers, size matters. The bigger the sub the bigger the punch, but with a bigger punch requires more power, and more power requires a more powerful amp. This all sounds very expensive, and you're right, it is. There's a thousand different ways to wire a sub (see amplifier section) and you can start to get really creative, but understand that buying a subwoofer is a fairly big investment in your system setup. Subwoofers can also be vary bulky so prepared to lose a lot, if not all of your trunk space.
- CONCEPT
Understand that a subwoofer moves air, and should be kept in a place like your trunk where it's in a relatively tight, enclosed space. The smaller the space the bigger the punch. Imagine trying to push water in a bathtub and then pushing water in the ocean. You get the idea.
- DVC vs. SVC vs. SHALLOW MOUNT
Next, you have various types of subwoofers. The three most popular types of subs are shallow mount, dual voice coil and single voice coil
- Shallow mount subs are meant for tighter spaces where a regular mount sub would be too big. Check depth size to see if you need one or not. If you're putting your sub in the trunk, chances are you're not going to need one.
- Dual voice coil subs offer a different series of wiring setups, including parallel, series and independent. This flexibility for wiring is making them increasingly popular, and overall superior to single voice coil subs: [8]
o Parallel: A dual 4-ohm voice coil subwoofer with its coils wired in parallel presents a 2-ohm load to your amplifier. Since an amplifier produces more wattage at a lower impedance, the parallel connection ensures you'll get the most output from your amp. In the same fashion, if you have a stereo amplifier and two DVC [DVC = Dual Voice Coil] subs, wire both subs for 2-ohm impedance (one per channel) for maximum output.
o Series: Series wiring lets you configure multiple woofers to one amplifier at acceptable impedance. Wire both coils in series for an 8-ohm impedance, and then wire two 8-ohm subs together in parallel for 4-ohm total impedance (perfect for most 2-channel amps bridged to mono operation). Another example: if you have a high-powered 2-channel amplifier, wire four 8-ohm subs per channel (each channel sees a 2-ohm load).
o Independent: You can wire each voice coil to a separate channel of your amplifier, if you prefer not to bridge your amp. Independent wiring is a nice option if you're wiring two DVC subs to a 4-channel amplifier %u2014 one voice coil per channel.
- BOX (ENCLOSURE)
Finally, you have the box which the sub get's mounted in. There's two types of boxes: ported and sealed. Vented boxes give more of a boom and more forceful bass. Ported boxes use a vent (called a port) to reinforce low bass response. You get more output than you would from a sealed box at any given amplifier wattage. Some people prefer the sound of ported boxes for rock, heavy metal, or any hard-driving music. Ported boxes can deliver deeper bass than sealed boxes, though they need to be much larger than sealed enclosures to accomplish that. [9] Sealed boxes give a tighter, deeper more precise punch. Make sure the box you buy (or make) is within the recommended size range according to the dealer. Another alternative is buying a slightly smaller box and stuffing it with polyester fiber stuffing (available at crutchfield).
How to build a box: http://www.crutchfield.com/Learn/lea..._building.html
Other links:
How to tune your sub:
http://www.crutchfield.com/Learn/car...rs/tuning.html
http://www.crutchfield.com/Learn/blo...em-part-2.aspx


SECTION 7: Will it fit?

Now that you are familiar with some terminology, you next want to find out what exactly fits your car. Websites like sonicelectronix and crutchfield will ask you for your car's year, make and model to assist you in choosing something that fit's, but these can sometimes be misleading. It's best to know the measurements off-hand, and many car audio websites will sort their speakers based on their measurements.

SPEAKER SIZES (in inches): [9]

4th Gen 88-91
Hatch
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 6.5
CRX
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 6.5
Sedan
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 6.5 or 5.25
Wagon
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 6.5

5th Gen 92-95
Hatch
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 5.25
Coupe
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 5.25
Sedan
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 6.5

6th Gen 96-00
Hatch
F: 6.5
R: 6x9 or 5.25 or 6.5
Coupe
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 5.25
Sedan
F: 6.5
R: 6x9 or 5.25 or 6.5

7th Gen 01-up
Hatch
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 6.5 or 5.25
Coupe
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 6x9 or 5.25 or 6.5
Sedan
F: 6.5 or 5.25
R: 6.5 or 5.25

Note that fitting 5.25 speakers in 6.5 mouting holes will often require smaller adapter brackets. Often these will be provided to you if you buy them from an authorized dealer. Also note that this does not take into account mounting depth. I haven't had any problems with space in my 6th gen civic sedan, but be sure to measure the top mount depth (see definition) before buying a certain speaker to make sure it fits. You could buy spacers as an alternative to help make speakers fit if they're too deep.

Note for mounting an amp, you can get a little more creative. To see about mounting an amp, see the amplifier section.

SECTION 8: Where do I buy?
Ok -- now you know the terminology, you know what sizes to look for, you know how much you're willing to spend, now you need to know where to get your equipment. Remember: you get what you pay for.

Buy from an authorized dealer. If you're a craiglist/eBay fanatic, note that if you buy this stuff used, you lose out on a number of important features that you'd be privileged to if you bought it from an authorized dealer:

Customer Support
Warranty
Proper Mounting Equipment (adapter brackets, etc)
Owners Manual
Instructions

While this can be more expensive, being able to call somebody 7 days a week to ask for help is an invaluable resource. I had a problem with my system a few weeks ago and Crutchfield was able to help me fix the problem even though I bought these products 2 1/2 years ago!! Not all authorized dealers will have customer support, but will always include detailed information on their product. Definitely avoid buying audio equipment from franchises like Wal-Mart. I had a friend buy a set of speakers and when he opened the box one of the speakers was dented because whoever was looking at it must've dropped it and put it back without telling anyone.

CONCLUSION:
I hoped that this answered at least some of your questions. Again, I am not an electrical engineer nor do I have "competition level experience", but my goal here was to contribute something to the civicforum community that has given me so much as far as learning more about my car and the help that you all have given me. I hope this contribution will continue to be helpful, and again if you have any questions that this post does not address post a thread on it and I'm sure any one of the members here will help you answer it.
If you have any disagreements or point out any inaccuracies please PM me, don't post. I will fix it and give you the appropriate credit. Of course any contributions are welcome to post and credit will also be given accordingly.

WORKS CITED:
[1]: (http://www.ehow.com/facts_4899035_wh...-speakers.html)
[2]: (http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/1/132151.html).
[3]: (http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/1/130011.html)
[4-8]: (http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Tab/Learn.aspx).
[9]: (http://www.clubcivic.com/board/showthread.php?t=62185)

Sticky please?

MindBomber

That earns sticky and rep. Very well done!

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

niiicely done. unfortunately i cannot rep you for a while...

electric130

iTrader: (44)

nice write up. might want to add some clarification on the independent DVC to state that you never want to power only one coil. you can wire them independently, but you need to connect both coils no matter what. from JL's website:

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

Good write up, a lot of useful information here

Oddly similar to the one I did a bit back:
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...dio-guide.html

Haha, its all good though, maybe we could probably integrate the whole thing into 1 thread

2002ExCivic

iTrader: (1)

both of you forgot diy with pictures.... there is only one other diy and it has no pictures plus its not very well written haha. i need that bad but i still have time to wait since i have soo much work and school in the next few days..... instead of giving my box one whole day to completely dry im giving it 6 xD

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

Its just information, not a DIY guide lol, speaker installation is so straight forward, you honestly don't need a DIY.
I just tackled it myself

2002ExCivic

iTrader: (1)

im about to "tackle it myself" but some directional pictures would be nice =P i never pulled apart the inside of my car so its all new to me.

Ocala-Beater

I'm about to swap speakers on my 98 Civic DX sedan. Question is does anyone know what color wire is positive and which one is negative for the respectivew speakers? Obviously I am removing the stock speakers and they have connectors that must be cut off.
thanks

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

to all that are asking questions: read the 3rd post above...

Zeferint

iTrader: (2)

Yeah I liked yours alot--in fact you pretty much inspired me to write this. I just wanted the 6th gen guys to have something too since a lot of the great info on this forum is exclusively for 7th gen guys. Though it's all the same it's just easier to find the right information when it's generation specific.

Thanks man I will definitely add that. +1

sameer71992

I haven't changed my civic's stock speakers yet, but in my previous car, I did. Any smart manufacturer would color code red as positive and black as negative. However, some cars just have two black or two red wires. Honestly, the easiest way is to guess and check. Hold the speaker to the wires with some electrical tape, and turn on the radio very low. if you hear sound, you're good. Turn the car off and permanently attach the wires to the speaker. Another method is by using a multimeter. remember, use this method with each individual speaker. Don't do it all at once.

Zeferint

iTrader: (2)

^^ Truth. Occasionally they might use white with a black line for negative. Regardless, any manufacturer worth their salt will note which is which. Grab a couple of quick connects from wal-mart, radioshack, advanced auto parts etc and you're good to go. Way easier than using the ones you gotta clamp.

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

Back of stock speaker tells you pos or neg, just follow the adapter and wires and you should know which is which

NAcaRice

This could certainly help those who are challenged with car audio. But yea it is pretty easy. The hardest part would just be getting behind places to hide wires etc...

mgaines9

Im looking at front speakers and an amp for my 04 Civic Ex Coupe. Can i get advice on whether or not my amp and and speaker combo are right for each other. I want to get Kicker KS6.2 6.5" front speakers and a Kicker 11DX300.2 2 Channel Amp. Will my amp have enough power to push my front speakers?

NAcaRice

It should have enough power. If you ever end up wanting to add more you will need another. That amp can do 300 watts 1-channel and max 150 watts 2-channel. So that will cover your 2 speakers unless you ever add tweeters or rear speakers or a subwoofer.

Hoped that helped. If you need sound system help, I'm happy to help