[RobertR]

just bought a 2004 alero :really wanted a v6 altima but i got the alero for 5k less and have come to like it. ( both had same sticker price)
anyway the head unit isnt bad even has a cassette with the cd and ive been enjoying my vintage cassettes which sound great since I recorded them years ago on a high end technics deck.
I just replaced the rear deck speakers with 6x9 polks good bass but they need more power.
The factory unit would be difficult to replace and i dont think it would have a line out for good amp.
Bottom line any suggestions what i can do to get better sound. I can spend part of the 5k I saved.

 

[clarke68]

Most car amps these days have speaker-level inputs, so don't require a line out.

You could go with a sub with a built-in amp, like the Bazooka (I think its got speaker-level inputs). It'll give you pretty bloated, flabby bass but I don't know how much that matters to you while you're driving. They're maybe around $300.

How much of that $5k do you want to spend?

 

[RobertR]

I thought about a self powered woofer. could it be placed in the trunk and would I need to keep the lows out of the rear 6x9 polks. Parts express.com has bass stoppers for limiting low end.
I could spend another 1k on upgrade and what about replacing door speakers although they sound pretty good.
I think Im spoiled by listening to hi end phones on my home syustem.

 

[clarke68]

You could do awesome for $1000...I spent $2000, but that was a package for 2 vehicles including a video system in the van (dvd player & 2 headrest monitors) and a complete Alpine/JL Audio system for the car (4 speakers, 6-channel amp, sub, and a head unit).

Try to find a local place (not a chain like Good Guys), sometimes the smaller shops will throw in the installation/cables/etc. free when you buy everything else from them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertR I thought about a self powered woofer. could it be placed in the trunk

That seems to be where people put them...I've got a wagon, so the sub's in the "trunk", but it's the same air space as the rest of the car...

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertR what about replacing door speakers although they sound pretty good

Good idea. Speakers (or headphones) should always be your highest priority. With car audio the best speakers require amplification, so there's your next thing. Of course there's your source, but I've got a pretty nice Alpine unit and it pretty much sucks by audiophile standards (fine for the car, tho)...you must have to spend *a lot* (Nakamichi? McIntosh?) to get a head unit that's anywhere close to what the guys on this forum talk about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertR I think Im spoiled by listening to hi end phones on my home syustem.

Good quality automotive subwoofers aren't that expensive, maybe $100-$150 for the speaker plus $50 or so for the cabinet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertR I need to keep the lows out of the rear 6x9 polks. Parts express.com has bass stoppers for limiting low end.

Passive crossovers are cheap, but multi-channel amps have them built-in. Lots of ways to do it, but for example you could get something like this to drive your rears and your sub, and then, say, a two-channel version of the same thing for the fronts...should leave you enough money to replace your front speakers and a couple of Bass Mekanik cds to irritate your neighbors!

Unless we start talking about replacing your head unit, this thread should probably be moved to the "Accessories" forum...

 

[kentamcolin]

A sub done right will really make a big difference in sound. I have an 11 wpc Nakamichi haed unit with Boston Acoustic front speakers and stock rears, an Infinity Beta 10" sub and 100 wpc Harmon Kardon mono amp (25 years old!). Not a lot invested and it sounds very nice. I might consider soon a JL Audo amp that delivers 50 watts to the speakers and 250 to the sub all in one package. The amount of power sent to the sub can be varied so you can properly balance the system. Right now the bass in my system is tight and musical, and I turned the bass to the speakers to the (-) a few notches to reduce the load on the small head unit amp. I've heard much louder systems but not many that sound as sweet.

 

[clarke68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kentamcolin I've heard much louder systems but not many that sound as sweet.

Yup, that's right where I'm at as well.

I have the JL Audio e6450 amp (a 6-channel job) with two channels bridged to the subwoofer. That only gives the sub around 150 watts (they recommend 250 for my sub, the 12w3) but for what I listen to its perfect. Not loud enough to bother people in the car next to me at the stop light but it delivers a rich, well-balanced sound, and can still shake the seats a bit when I want it to!

The key is having a dedicated subwoofer line out your head unit that you can control. I keep it to around +8 most of the time (jazz, reggae, classical) but have the option to crank it as high as +15 for hip hop, electronica, rock, etc. The bass boost on my amp (which can be controlled with an optional remote, I just leave it off) only boosts the signal at around 40Hz...fine for rattling your fillings but not necessarily for accurate frequency response.