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So my sister just gave me her old Alpine stereo...
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500CDM9...ures_and_specs

It is not exactly what I had planned on getting, but its free and sounds much better than the factory stereo, so I can't complain. I have been planning on upgrading everything for a while, but just have not had the money, the free head unit has made it possible so here I am to ask for some speaker advice.

Crutchfield says I can fit 6.5s in the front and the back, but what I don't really know is how powerful a speaker should I be looking for? The stereo is 180W, 4x45W peak output, so should I then be looking for 45W RMS speakers? Will something more powerful be bottlenecked if I don't get a seperate amp? And would something less powerful, like say 35W RMS be too weak? I am completely new to car audio so I don't even know where to start.

The way I see it is anything I buy is probably going to be a significant upgrade over the factory speakers I am using now, so it's pointless to pay for more speaker than my stereo can handle.

I have looked at some Polks:
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...io+db651s.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...dio+db651.html

The reviews looked good and they are in my price range. I was thinking of going with the shallow-mounts in the doors and the normal version in the back, the thing is they are rated at 55 and 60 watts RMS respectively , is 45W enough to make them operate to their fullest potential? Or would I be better served buying something that needs less power?

I really just want to make a safe purchase, something that will work well with what I already have. Any speaker suggestions or advice would be really appreciated.

 
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Hi, and welcome to the forums

Okay, first off, I would suggest you to look at some of the recent ICE threads in CivicForums
We've been talking a lot about decks and speakers recently

Second off, Even though you got your deck for free, trash that, it's not even worth putting in your car, those decks don't even have AUX input

however, if you're going to stick with that HU, I can almost guarantee you will never get any good quality music with any type of speakers

With that said, speakers
I personally have those Polk db651s slim mounts that you showed, and I can completely vouch for their quality. They are also marine grade so very durable to weather and dust

Your current head unit produces 4x45 PEAK output, in reality, it's about 11RMS. (RMS is continuous music)
So you will never reach full potential of any aftermarket speaker without an external amp

There isnt much harm in getting a powerful speaker without an external amp, but you wouldn't be able to hear the quality of the speakers

I would suggest getting slim mounts for both rear and front's because i noticed when i removed the stock speakers, there is a huge metal pole right by where the speaker is, so a full depth speaker may not exactly fit. but that was for my coupe, so I can't be exactly certain about sedans, you may want to measure the depth before tackling a speaker choice.


Any other speaker suggestion?
Try not to buy speakers you can get off the shelf at bestbuy/walmart
If you have any other questions feel free to ask away

 
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I simply agree with kennykid.

 
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What if I went with some lower powered 5.25s? Just something better than the factory speakers, can anyone make a suggestion? I don't want anything fancy, just an improvement over the factory speakers that will work well with my HU.

 
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If you are keen on leaving that HU and not worried about quality, go to walmart and buy yourself any set of 6.5 speakers

6.5's are the ones that fits in your car

 
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I have normal depth speakers (infinty kappas) in my sedan and they fit just fine. Buy good speakers now. Buy an amp that will power those speakers to their potential later. Upgrade head unit whenever you get the chance.

 
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Ok, here is something that I just came across and it seems like a good deal, let me know what you think.

I found a bundle deal that includes a JCV head unit and 4 6.5 speakers for about $160. The head unit seems to have been well recieved, but I don't know much about the quality of the speakers.

The head unit: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_105KDHD...ures_and_specs

The speakers: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...+CS-XM620.html

From what I have gathered, the speakers look fairly basic, but I would think they have to be better than the factory speakers I am using now. The head unit however seems to be pretty nice and has some good reviews. So for $160, would this make more sense?

 
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My honest personal opinion?
The deck looks cheap, no preset buttons, I dont like front loading CD decks, they look cluttered, and the LCD screen seems very cluttered and small
Though, the specs looks decent
JVC speakers....from my experience, JVC speakers are loud, but not clear, and painful to listen to for a prolonged time. They actually hurt my ears after a while.

For 160, id rather add $40 more or so, and get a better deck for 150, and speakers for 50

 
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I had a feeling, I will see what else I can dig up.

 
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Let me make it easier for you

Deck
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...X-GT640UI.html
$119
+
Speakers
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...h+P1S652+.html
$49_____
$170

Deal? lol

 
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Can't say anything bad about a Sony HU. They're relatively inexpensive and even the cheapest models sound half decent and still give you options to upgrade or change your configuration later down the road.

Speakers... If you can, hunt around Best Buy for open boxes... The JBLs they carry are decent sounding and have great value.

 
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the output on your Alpine CDM 9801 is actually going to be 22w/rms x 4. If you want to, keep that head unit until you can afford something that you cant right now, front loading isnt really bad and everyone's opinion you'll hear on this forum to give you an idea but the only real choice is gonna be your own if you like it, keep it, if not sell it. Anyways, so the Polk db651's are a great speaker i can vouche with kennykid on them, good price, great sound. As for the headunit powering the speakers, for now thats ok, and you'll actually notice a big difference over the stock speakers (Pioneers) than what you had before. In the future get an amp (4 or 5 channel).

My recommendations (although i had polks):

http://www.amazon.com/MB-Quart-DSH21...7772036&sr=1-2

^Front Speakers

http://www.amazon.com/MB-Quart-DKH11...7772153&sr=1-5

^Rear Speakers


I am going to have to disagree with you honda hater, Sony everything car audio is Sh&t, thats no IMO its the truth. Rockford Fosgate is known for their subwoofers, not their amps, not their speakers.

 
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That's common misconception because their speakers suck

Sony electronics, meaning their headunits are great products

I've seen a lot of sony applications in cars, and never had any bad reviews from those who have them installed

They are cheap, reliable, and very strong sounding, not to mention their EQ system is very customizable.

I can't say they are the best, because obviously i am lying, but they are awesome starter decks that are not cheap, and great bang for the buck

 
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Hi, don't really want to steal the thread but would this Pioneer headunit/speaker combo be any good? They would be just under $100 with combo code 52CZ99KC.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZDO2LM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KOME7G

Or $127 with this headunit instead.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035VFWNG

Thanks for any help.

 
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First deck looks generic and cheap

Speakers are decent,

Get the second deck

 
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I've played with and listened to both of those stereos and speakers. Pioneer in my opinion makes the best headunits next to alpine. You won'g go wrong with either head unit just keep in mind that if you plan on having subwoofers you wouldn't want the first one. It doesn't have much for you to play with the settings on adjusting your amp. If you do plan on having subwoofers definitely go with the second headunit (more expensive one) because you will be able to adjust the EQ, HPF, bass boost, and you'll also have two different subwoofer EQ's.

The speakers on the other hand should be pretty nice. They are the better quality pioneer's. I would take them over kenwood.

 
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Thank you both. I'm not planning on getting subwoofers, but I went with the DEH-3200UB anyway. I'm not getting an amp either, but hopefully the headunit's amp will be fine for the Pioneer speakers.

 
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I love my Memphis Audio speakers. They are newer and not as well know, but very good quality and made in the USA.

 
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Mad, believe it or not, Memphis are competition audio.
They are a really good brand.