DJFriar

I'm planning out my stereo install so I can get it installed when the car gets here. THis is what I have in mind, and what I'm still unsure of.

HU: Eclipse CD8445
Amp: JL Audio 500/5
Sub: JL Audio 10" Stealthbox
Speakers Front: UNSURE
Speakers Rear: UNSURE
Misc: Aux Input for iPod, Sirius Satellite Radio
Wires: UNSURE

Ok, that's the hardware, onto the questions:

1) What wires to you guys reccomend running? My home theater is all Monster Cable, but I've heard their car audio stuff isn't as good. I am intending to run audio and power down seperate sides of the car, unless the cables used don't care.

2) Which speakers do you guys reccomend? I listen to all types of music, but Punk/Ska and Rap are the most prominent, followed by Country. I want it to be very clear, even at speed and top down. I'm thiking Infinity Kappa's like in my Jeep, but I'm told there are better speakers for the money, and since the HU is certainly a good quality, I'd prefer some speakers that are up to the task. If possible I'd rather use the stock locations, unless someone can make a really good argument for doing something more custom.

3) What size speakers are the rears? Is it worth swapping them out?

darkknight1999

Well I don't think Monster car products are bad... we just boycott them here. Get yourself some Stinger, or knukoncepts. Either one will be fine.


You should go listen to some in the store but look at MB Quarts, you may like them, but they tend to be bright. You can look at a Alpine SPX series(I have these and love them), Diamond Audio.. and many others.

Tiny one inches tweeters... and you have 4 of them 2 at each seat. We've just started talking about replacment options for these. The stock ones are 8ohms wired in parallel to give a 4ohm load, as far as we can tell anyway. I'm working on a solution but its still in the works. So it might not be worth swapping them out yet.

DJFriar

SOunds good .. I'll hold off on the rear replacements. Using the 500/5 amp, can I still wire the rears in, or should I feed them off the new HU for now?

Also, what's the general opinion on S-Pods???

darkknight1999

Feed them off the HU if you amp them I would bet they'll just blow out... almost right away. They're most likely only rated for 5-7watts. If you dump 50-75watts to them they're just gonna nuke. Fun to watch but then they'll be junk Depending on how tall you are. You can either get S-pods or rear panel speakers. They'll sound about the same due to the fact the 06 seats are different and don't have the helmet hole in them.

bimmer convert

When you get a honda wire harness, just make sure to get one that includes the rear speaker wires and run those off the HU. Also, make sure that eclipse has some sort of high pass filtering ability. I'm running them off a Alpine 9855 right now, and I had to set them to -8db with a 200Hz HPF and they're STILL straining at louder volume levels. If I turn the HPF off, they distort even at medium volume levels. Definitely dont run them off of the 500/5 or you'll have little tweeter bits all over the cabin :-)

What's funny is that at crossed off and running at moderate volume leves of the new HU, they're suprisingly not bad. They play down into the upper midrange (guitars, etc) and have a longer throw than one would associate with a tweeter... an odd little speaker indeed. Even have their own little sealed enclosures.

They're better than nothing back there untill someone (cough darkknight cough) figures out something better.

darkknight1999

I have a plan in the works All I need to do is get my hands on a set of 06 roll hoops...

NFRs2000NYC

Wanna talk about nuking.....

take an old sub, slice of a 5 foot section of an extension cord, take the wire end, tie it to you coils, plug the other end into the wall. OOOOOoodles of fun!

darkknight1999

Been there done that Tons of fun ... doesn't work so well with the stock 6.5's though

DJFriar

The Eclipse has an adjustable crossover and parametic EQ for each channel, as well as adjustable delays, so I htink I'll be able to dial it down enough to keep from nuking them. The headunit is 50Wx4 Max, but the RMS is only 14Wx4, so I don't think they will overpower them too much. From what I've learned, underpowering tends to do more damage then overpowering. I figure I can cut the crossovers and the levels, and then also just give it some front fader bias, and it should be ok.

NFRs2000NYC

I have some lying around, I use one as an ashtray, another two I have saved, just in case someone ever needs em. They are brand new, dont wanna kill em.