Car Stereo for Dummies

[MSHardeman]

My head unit (aftermarket Kenwood) went out about a week ago, so I've been driving around in silence for a while. It's good in that I think I've answered most of life's questions (you get a lot of deep thinking time driving for three hours with no tunes), but now I'm starting to go stir crazy.

I went into a stereo shop the other day (BIG mistake) and now I've got the bug. I knew the VX needed some bass, but hearing the systems really drove that fact home.

My problem is that I am completely clueless when it comes to car stereos, but I would like to do this myself. I'm not looking for a system as crazy as biju's, but I would like something that will have a nice round sound and still look mostly stock. As a starting point, I found an identical head unit to the one that went out in my VX on Ebay. It's a two year old Kenwood KDC-X869.

I know many of you here can help me out, but I would also like to know if there is a book or website out there that I can go to to start reading up on this stuff. Sort of like a "Car Stereo for Dummies." Eventually I would like to replace the stock speakers and build a sub-box to fit behind the back seats. I'll also have to find a place to hide and amp or two.

Any suggestions (or is that a dumb question)?

[nfpgasmask]

Hey, I'm in the same position. I want to install an amp and new speakers soon. And while I can't really guide you with that (I'm still learning myself) I would say you should look at some of the newer head units out there. There are several that have a lot of nice features (like GIGA MP3 for instance) and AUX/USB ports. I'm not sure if you are MP3 saavy, but its nice to have boat loads of music in your VX at all times.

Check out Crutchfields site for info on different head units. I would not buy from them however, unless you want to pay full price.

http://www.crutchfield.com

Bart

[etlsport]

I'm working on upgrading my audio, for bass i think im going to start by increasing the size of the stock speakers (6-1/2 up front and 6x9 in the rear is the goal)

from my experience a good pair of 6x9s in the rear will curb my craving for bass without taking up my cargo room like a sub/amp would, and would continue to look 100% stock

i usually find my audio stuff on www.sounddomain.com then shop around to find the best price on what i find i want.. right now it looks like im probably getting MTX or Rockford Fosgate speakers to replace the stockers

[biju]

Mark,

Glad to help with any question you might have.

There's quite a few sites out there, but here's a few that I found helpful were:

bcae1.com, caraudiohelp.com, the12volt.com

The high-end (mids/tweets) is a slam dunk as far as keeping the look stock. But the sub(s) w/ amp(s) might be more of a challenge depending on what you're looking for. Although, there's a lot to be said for the whole 'less is more' point of view...

Some questions to ponder:

You looking for just 'some' bass to compliment the high end?
Or would you like a little more muscle in the sub area?
Will you be playing this at loud volumes for long periods of time?
What's your budget? - any favorite brands?
Do you want the system to be expandable? Or is this a one shot deal?

Anyhow - hit me back.

-biju.

[rowhard]

I too want to improve my existing system but am not the least bit interested in shaking the emblems off of my VX or annoying the people next to me in traffic. It's for my listening pleasure, not theirs. Besides, I'm to old for that S@#T!

Have been talking to a local audio shop owner about this, and he said I would be amazed how well my existing speakers (there not blown or rattling) would sound with just some simple amplification. We also talked about adding a 6 inch woofer built into the spare tire area strapped to the spare with its own enclosure.

I'm thinking 3 smallish amps with an active 3-way crossover. Placement won't be an issue since I plan on removing the rear seat and using the space more effectively

Maybe a little sound damping to knock down some of the road noise.

The 3 sites suggested by biju look well worth bookmarking and here is another that will give you just a brief outline of the different components.

http://www.carstereos101.com/

Good luck and good listening

[morgan-tec]

MS, just cruse up here to me and i will walk you through everything you want to do. I will also help you build your sub, amp box we talked about last year. Call me at 970-690-6856 and we can set something up.