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I am getting very frustrated with my audio setup. No, I haven't purchased an amp yet... I have questions regarding that. Anyway, my front speakers are pretty cheap. They were thrown in with the HU deal I got from Crutchfield. They are a couple of Panasonic 6.5" with like 30RMS. Not much and it shows.

Our cars are setup horrible for proper sound! If I lower my head towards the steering wheel the sound is completely different and 100% better! I think where your head is naturally at the sound is the worst it can possibly be. I don't think Honda put any thought what-so-ever in sound.

I am about ready to throw everything away and go to a professional and get my audio setup right! Yep, I might spend $1000 but I am tired of the frustrations. I blew one speaker already and my three others ones are crap. I do have a nice HU but that's it.

Can someone help me?! What FRONT speakers will actually fit in my car? 2002 EX Sedan. 6.5" I will gladly pay the price for something that sounds good! I am tired of these little Panasonic pieces of junk. I don't want to make a spacer and all that crap. I want something that will fit or that COMES with the proper spacer!

Next...

An amp and sub. How many channels in an amp do I need if I want to power four speakers and a sub eventually. I plan to move the small junk Panasonics to the rear for added fill and once I get QUALITY front speakers I want to add an amp to them. I want two (2) 10" subs in a box too! I like hard hitting bass, not that washed out...trunk vibrating distorted junk. I am more into trance, rock, etc. Rap/Hip Hop is ok but the bass is way too loose for me.

Ok, enough said. Please tell me what type of amp to get from the stuff above. Also, can anyone on this site give me a link or some specs on a QUALITY front speaker that actually fits??? Again, I don't want to cut into my door or fabricate a spacer. I want to buy something I can install easy but still rocks!!

I just think the placement of the front speakers in our cars are horrible. Bad design. After all, I want my EARS to hear the music, not my legs! Doh! They could have tilted them upwards a little but no... they point straight ahead doing nothing for the ears.

Please tell me I can have decent sound in this car. If not, I will get something else, seriously! I'm to the point that the more I try to mod this car the more frustrated I become.

 
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Without a spacer, you are extremely limited in what you can get. Not too many speakers are as shallow as our door panels are.

 
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Most quality speakers will NEED a spacer in our cars for the easiest install. You can buy spacers, you dont really need to make them.

The moving of your head for better sound can be fixed by adjusting your sound stage with either digital adjustments in a HU or you can play with the install in kicks or door pods to adjust it.

I would suggest components, and reading up on installing to adjust a sound stage.

 
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You need tweeters

 
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If you're willing to spend $1000, you can easily afford some Kicks, they should help imaging as well, in addition to a nice set of components

 
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I saw kicks for our cars someplace before, I think it might have been Crutchfield.. not sure. I'll keep looking but I think that is the way to go. I was trying to do this cheap at first but I'm finding out you get what you pay for. You know, that pretty much sums it up. So, I need to install some kicks and some quality components, an amp and a sub. I can worry about rears later and for now might not even have any.

I still need that amp question answered. If I am going to power my comps with an amp and also my two (2) 10" subs, what channel amp should I look for?

Thanks!

 
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IMO you need an amp for those fronts. You might think differently about how "crappy" they are once you amp them. HU power and amp power can't be compared. An 30 watt amp will smoke a 30 watt HU.

For fun I just hooked up a set of Pioneer 3-way 5x7's on an amp, vs my 5x7 JL XR components in my truck. The Pioneers cost my $50 at Walmart, the JLs retail for $350. I'd give the Pioneers a 7.5 and my JLs a 9.0 (cause nothing is perfect). I was really amazed at what the cheap Pioneers could do on an amp. BTW off HU power they sucked so bad I thought they might be blown .....

Seriously, if your concerned about money, simply get a JBL 80.2 or something. Slap that on the fronts and see what you think. If your still not satisfied, then get components and kicks. You'll just already have an amp for them.

 
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[QUOTE=UltimateWarrior]
I just think the placement of the front speakers in our cars are horrible. Bad design. After all, I want my EARS to hear the music, not my legs! Doh! They could have tilted them upwards a little but no... they point straight ahead doing nothing for the ears.
QUOTE]

Just so you understand something. Your speakers are not pointing straight ahead doing nothing for the ears. They are pointed directly at the center of the car, toward center stage where they are intending to bring everything toward the center stage. If you want better speaker placement, bring the tweets closer to the mids, not the mids up closer to your ears.


J

 
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I have no tweets! My cheap Panasonics are not comps.

Anyway, I understand what you all are saying. I think I'll just get a sub and a 4-channel amp and bridge the sub and this will probably make a world of difference. I rode with a buddy of mine today and his system rocks! His sub is awesome. It's a single 12" that cost like $1500 and you can tell. He said it will get under 20Hz with no problem. It got so low sometimes it hurt! I think he also has four Alpines as well and a capasitor. His HU alone was $1200. Yes, he's an audiophile but it did sound awesome. Makes me sick when I go back into my ride and hear the cheap speakers with NO bass. My crap gives me a headache while his gave me a stomach ache! I bet with cables and all he has over $5000 invested, easy. So I know what good sound is suppose to sound like.

What does a poor boy do... Oh well...

I will build my system slowly over time, that's all I can do! I really can't afford it right now to be honest. I was just frustrated earlier.

 
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I assume that you are going to run the front speakers off two of the 4 channels? That alone will probably bring out more bass (don't know because I don't know what your speakers are like).

If you aren't planning on amping the fronts, I recommend scrapping the sub idea in favor of an amp (and new fronts, if you can afford it). Unless all you care about is hearing loud, overpowering bass.

 
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Wait, are we saying that his CRAP gives you a stomach ache?

J/K I'm glad to see you are willing to take it slow and build yourself a nice system.

Tell your buddy with the sub that if he says his sub will hit below 20hz we will all just have to take his word for it considering anything below 20hz is inaudible to the human ear !

 
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[QUOTE=J187]actually, to the best of my knowledge, having a "center sound stage" means you should hear the music coming from the front center of the car...above your head unit towards the windshield. you can achieve this type of soundstage from kick panels. also, you most likely will NOT get true imaging with rear fill so leave the rear speakers out. good luck.

 
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Yea, I know about the human ear and the 20Hz but he says when it goes under that all you do is "feel" the bass, not hear it. I was in his car today and trust me, it went waayyyy low, and almost silent sometimes with the right music. It was awesome. I've never felt that kind of quality bass before. I was impressed to say the least. And no, my stomach hurt because of the way the bass screwed with it, not because of his crap.