How much money for sound system upgrade??
09-05-2003, 10:13 AM
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How much money for sound system upgrade??
I am looking to upgrade my sound system in my s2k. I have gone around to local shops to get some quotes. I am trying to figure out if the prices I have received are fair. The plan:
upgrade door speakers, tweeters, head unit, amp.
I figure I will go with mediocre equipment, not the top of the line, but not the cheappy stuff either.
I am looking for estimated costs all together installed. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
upgrade door speakers, tweeters, head unit, amp.
I figure I will go with mediocre equipment, not the top of the line, but not the cheappy stuff either.
I am looking for estimated costs all together installed. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
09-05-2003, 11:26 AM
#2
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Whats up bro....
Youre gonna get 100 different opinions on this....so here is one.
If you dont want/need a sub, you should be able to get away with the system for under 700-800 bucks. That however would be a nice system. Im talking about B level components, HU and amp. Also, if you dont mind buying online, you can probly get it all for like 500-600 bucks. Let me know if you need any help selecting equipment. Hope it helps.....
_-Dave
Youre gonna get 100 different opinions on this....so here is one.
If you dont want/need a sub, you should be able to get away with the system for under 700-800 bucks. That however would be a nice system. Im talking about B level components, HU and amp. Also, if you dont mind buying online, you can probly get it all for like 500-600 bucks. Let me know if you need any help selecting equipment. Hope it helps.....
_-Dave
09-05-2003, 11:29 AM
#3
The price they charge is highly dependant on how much you are willing to spend.
The point of course is that you can do this without spending a lot of money, depending on what YOU consider a lot.
Speakers are highly subjective. Listen to speakers and decide from that, not price point. Once the shop reccomends some options (and prices) go online to pricegrabber.com and search for the best prices on these units. Take these prices back to the shop and use it to negotiate a better price. Keep in mind a few things.
1. They make most of their money off install labor. They could lower the price on the equipment, then raise the cost of the labor on the back end. Get a quote for the labor. Don't let them charge you by the hour.
2. Be flexable. You may not get them to match the price exactly, but you should be able to get fairly close. If you bring in your own equipment, they will charge you more to install it. It is USUALLY (not always) better to buy from the shop if you are going to have them do the work.
3. MOST IMPORTANT: Make sure the installer has done MORE than one S2000 before. Not just that the SHOP has done more than one, that your individual installer has done more than one. It IS a tricky car the first time.
4. Consider doing something to retain your dash controls. Check out http://www.lucidautomotive.com (board sponser) for options to retain your dash controls with Alpine, Sony, Eclipse or possible even other brands of HU.
5. Look around this forum for a WHILE there is a TON of great information and ideas out here for you. You will find suggestions and creative solutions that you can bring to your installer to help save time, effort and money.
The point of course is that you can do this without spending a lot of money, depending on what YOU consider a lot.
Speakers are highly subjective. Listen to speakers and decide from that, not price point. Once the shop reccomends some options (and prices) go online to pricegrabber.com and search for the best prices on these units. Take these prices back to the shop and use it to negotiate a better price. Keep in mind a few things.
1. They make most of their money off install labor. They could lower the price on the equipment, then raise the cost of the labor on the back end. Get a quote for the labor. Don't let them charge you by the hour.
2. Be flexable. You may not get them to match the price exactly, but you should be able to get fairly close. If you bring in your own equipment, they will charge you more to install it. It is USUALLY (not always) better to buy from the shop if you are going to have them do the work.
3. MOST IMPORTANT: Make sure the installer has done MORE than one S2000 before. Not just that the SHOP has done more than one, that your individual installer has done more than one. It IS a tricky car the first time.
4. Consider doing something to retain your dash controls. Check out http://www.lucidautomotive.com (board sponser) for options to retain your dash controls with Alpine, Sony, Eclipse or possible even other brands of HU.
5. Look around this forum for a WHILE there is a TON of great information and ideas out here for you. You will find suggestions and creative solutions that you can bring to your installer to help save time, effort and money.
09-05-2003, 02:04 PM
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ok, maybe I should approach this a different way, and thanks for the suggestions thus far. I am willing to spend about 1000 bucks for a HU and whatever else is needed to make my car's audio sound better.
This is what they recommended:
(forgive me if some of the stock numbers or terms are not exact, I know very little about all this electronic stuff and I took awful notes at the shops I went to)
DEHP650 Pioneer Premier HU (279.59)
1-MBQX (339.95)
1-3515 Rockford Fosgate amp (249.95)
Wires (30.00)
Labor (160.00)
Other [which I am not sure what this is, extra labor or something, can't really remember] (88.00)
This is what they recommended:
(forgive me if some of the stock numbers or terms are not exact, I know very little about all this electronic stuff and I took awful notes at the shops I went to)
DEHP650 Pioneer Premier HU (279.59)
1-MBQX (339.95)
1-3515 Rockford Fosgate amp (249.95)
Wires (30.00)
Labor (160.00)
Other [which I am not sure what this is, extra labor or something, can't really remember] (88.00)
09-06-2003, 04:11 AM
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Are you willing to do the install yourself? I (and my friends) started messing with stereos way back in high-school, it's not rocket science. If you order from Crutchfield they have some awesome tech support and will step you through most everything you could think of. My thoughts on this is 1) I don't like having other people messing with my car and 2) this usually leaves more money for stereo equip.
Example: my Bro-In-Law just a couple of weeks ago called me up, was at Circuit City, he was about to spend $500 on a new HU, a satellite reciever and installation. We did some shopping, ended up getting him a nice Kenwood HU, the Sat. Rcvr, new Infinity Components for the front doors, and new Kenwood Co-Ax for the rear doors. All for less than the $500 he was about to plunk down at CC. This did take us pretty much all of a Sunday to install (ran into a snag as always happens but that's another story) but the sound in his car is incredible now. The Satellite Radio rocks! I've found the only thing so far that looks better w/ the '04 S.
All advice that any of us can give is based on our own ears/tastes/budgets, you will have to base decisions when it comes to car audio on your's. I'm an incrimental mod kinda guy, I do one thing, till I'm used to it and start to need more, then add to it. Some folks don't want to keep having to opening things up to install new components, or just want the whole ball of wax for the cool factor right from the start.
I assume from your list above that they are only selling you a HU, a pair of MB Quart component speakers?!, and an amp? May I suggest a HU, (and a DCI so your dash controls still work) and new rear speakers and see how it sounds to you? If you have an '02 or '03 you have decent speakers (for low power) in your stock fronts, a new HU will power those even better/cleaner and adding the rear speakers will really fill out the sound.
Good Luck, Travis (not an extremeist, your results will vary
)
Example: my Bro-In-Law just a couple of weeks ago called me up, was at Circuit City, he was about to spend $500 on a new HU, a satellite reciever and installation. We did some shopping, ended up getting him a nice Kenwood HU, the Sat. Rcvr, new Infinity Components for the front doors, and new Kenwood Co-Ax for the rear doors. All for less than the $500 he was about to plunk down at CC. This did take us pretty much all of a Sunday to install (ran into a snag as always happens but that's another story) but the sound in his car is incredible now. The Satellite Radio rocks! I've found the only thing so far that looks better w/ the '04 S.
All advice that any of us can give is based on our own ears/tastes/budgets, you will have to base decisions when it comes to car audio on your's. I'm an incrimental mod kinda guy, I do one thing, till I'm used to it and start to need more, then add to it. Some folks don't want to keep having to opening things up to install new components, or just want the whole ball of wax for the cool factor right from the start.
I assume from your list above that they are only selling you a HU, a pair of MB Quart component speakers?!, and an amp? May I suggest a HU, (and a DCI so your dash controls still work) and new rear speakers and see how it sounds to you? If you have an '02 or '03 you have decent speakers (for low power) in your stock fronts, a new HU will power those even better/cleaner and adding the rear speakers will really fill out the sound.
Good Luck, Travis (not an extremeist, your results will vary
)
09-06-2003, 10:07 AM
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$1000's a lot of money.
If I had that much, I'd get an Eclipse MP3 deck ($250), the CDT Audio CL-61's ($150), a US Acoustics 4-channel amp ($175), and either an RE8 or a Tangband W8-704S ($35 each)
Plan on spending about $50 on wiring and other install parts, $100 for the DCI, and $175 for one of WLaurent's enclosures.
If I had that much, I'd get an Eclipse MP3 deck ($250), the CDT Audio CL-61's ($150), a US Acoustics 4-channel amp ($175), and either an RE8 or a Tangband W8-704S ($35 each)
Plan on spending about $50 on wiring and other install parts, $100 for the DCI, and $175 for one of WLaurent's enclosures.
09-06-2003, 10:42 AM
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I considered many options for upgrading the system but decided to keep it simple because I realized the S2000 is not acoustically friendly and thus required a lot more of an investment to obtain the sound quality of a closed car. I don't really pump up the jams at 80 mph so as long as I could hear something decent at lower speeds, I was satisfied. My system consists of the stock head unit, lucid rear speaker kit and harness ($200), and the Kenwood WooX powered subwoofer ($150) that I placed underneath the carpet of the passenger footwell. To me it sounds just about right with the rears providing the "fill" and the Kenwood providing a surprising but balanced amount of bass. The Kenwood has a remote control so you can adjust its volume, crossover, and phase if you need to. Overall I'm happy with it. I also ordered a PIE auxiliary input converter for $50 so I can add my portable MP3 player to it or future Pocket PC GPS system. So for a grand total of $400, I have a decent sounding and flexible system that fits my needs. Good luck with yours!
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09-06-2003, 11:36 AM
#8
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I would get another pair of speakers tho....the MB's are ok at best and for that money, they pretty much suck....300 bucks buys some great speakers now a days and getting mid-low level MB's isnt the best Idea.....also...
I highly recommend going audiobahn over rockford fosgate.....
Many will disagree, but the new fosgate amps are nothing to brag about, whereas the audiobahns sound great, look great, inexpensive and perform.
(The only fosgate amps I loved were the waffle iron amps back in the day )
I highly recommend going audiobahn over rockford fosgate.....
Many will disagree, but the new fosgate amps are nothing to brag about, whereas the audiobahns sound great, look great, inexpensive and perform.
(The only fosgate amps I loved were the waffle iron amps back in the day
)
09-06-2003, 01:56 PM
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thanx for all of the info! This is so much to take in. I really still have no idea what I am going to do. So far though, this is my plan: Buy the rear speaker kit from lucidautomotive. Definitely either buy all the equipment online, like ruexp67 suggested, or atleast use those numbers to negotiate better deals at my local shop. I am still unsure what HU, amp and speakers to go with though.
09-06-2003, 11:37 PM
#10
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Ive said it before and ill say it again.....DO NOT BUY REAR SPEAKERS......for now....
Spend as much money as possible on the fronts....if you have 500 bucks to spend on speakers, GET them.....there is no replacement for SQ. Rears are just fill.......You wont be sorry...and I bet you if you get great front speakers you wont need rears......
just a thought.....
Spend as much money as possible on the fronts....if you have 500 bucks to spend on speakers, GET them.....there is no replacement for SQ. Rears are just fill.......You wont be sorry...and I bet you if you get great front speakers you wont need rears......
just a thought.....