Are my speakers weaksauce, or is it my HU?

[elwesso]

So in my BMW it came with what I thought was a decent sound system. Here are the specs

Sony CDX-4180 (4x40w at 4ohm)

Some pioneer 3 ways (Looks like a 2 way with a tweeter glued in the middle), i think 5x7

Some cheap 6x9s in the rear (roadmaster or something like that).

I have no idea what 40x4 is supposed to sound like, but I basically get no bass, and its not that loud.. The stock system in my Q is way better than this thing... The display also dims every time a note is hit, especially when its loud.

All I want is a sound system thats on par with the bose in my Q.

[the converted]

That setup is weaksauce. What sony means by 40x4 is more like 15x4 if even that. Decks have gotten more powerful over the last ten years and have a ton of features so if you are looking to upgrade that you can get ipod control or something like that. The front speakers might be decent, it's hard to tell without seeing exactly what you have. The rears will make a huge difference in the bass department. Take a trip to one of your area retail audio shops and take a listen to what they have, you should be able to find something pretty nice, good quality, and sounds good to you in the $100-$150 range. I say go local because you can listen to it and make sure it sounds good to you, they can install for you if you need it and warranty if there are any problems.

[elwesso]

The PO is the one that installed it... I dont think it is that old, but if this headunit is weaksauce I may just get an amp... As far as HU's go, i doubt I'm going to get much with an internal amp, so it may be best off to just get an amp.

What do you think would be sufficient? I want a decent sound system, nothing that bumps, something that might be a slight step up from a factory setup.

[the converted]

Start with the 6x9's first, that will be the best improvement.

[PoorManQ45]

Are the rear 6x9s red and 3-ways with a midrange that is ~2.5"? If so then they were the roadmasters. I've personally used these, they are pretty decent speakers for the cost.

I recommend that you get a four channel amp. 50w to 100w RMS per channel will be good as this will allow you to upgrade the front speakers to components at a later date.

DLS in the front FTW!

Side note: The Converted: How did you end up as the audio moderator? Where the hell did you come from?

[the converted]

I'm also remembering that BMW's of that era had factory amped systems. It may be worth your time to completely bypass the factory equipment if it hasn't already been done.

Poormanq45: I've been around the car audio world for over a decade and I know the right people.

[PoorManQ45]

Poormanq45: I've been around the car audio world for over a decade and I know the right people.

You suck, ive dedicated 3 years to giving nico members audio/electronics advise. How did you jump over me?

[Looneybomber]

Elwesso, are you just wanting a little extra bass? You could use your existing 6x9 holes and install some 6x9 subs in there. Combined with a 4 channel amp (for the front and rear) would really help in the bass dept.

You suck, ive dedicated 3 years to giving nico members audio/electronics advise. How did you jump over me?

Yeah, it did seem to come out of left field. This is, however, NISSAN audio and he owns two Nissans and can likely help people with Nissan specific questions as opposed to general or theoretical questions.

Hey PMQ, side note, Rythmic Audio has some old non-servo 12's (TC-1000's) for sale for I think 130. For the money, it may be a better deal than the Shiva-X. You must have to email him though as I'm not seeing anything about them on his website...or maybe they're all sold now?

[audtatious]

Sony CDX-4180 (4x40w at 4ohm)

Realize that the rating is not RMS. It's more like 8-12w. Get a dedicated amp and some used higher-end speakers (bang 4 buck) and you should be golden.

[elwesso]

Well, the HU I have in the car sucks the middle nut... Terrible FM reception (could be the antenna) and the CD changer skips all the time (cant read a CD-R worth a damn)

Are most aftermarket HU's going to have weaksauce amps internally, or might there be one I could buy that would be good...? Id assume get a decent HU that has a good amp, then I can just get new speakers.

I dont want anything fancy, I dont have an IPOD or anything, just an aux-in for my XM and a CD player.

[audtatious]

Headunits simply can't power anything worthwhile. To have anything sound really decent you will need an external amp.

I still have that Sherwood amp laying around

[PoorManQ45]

Youll need an amp.If you still want to get a new hu look for one that is XM radio ready. That way you can control everything from the HU rather then using your XM module.

[elwesso]

OK thats good to know...

Thanks, I'll start looking at new HU's... Definitely not sony.

[PoorManQ45]

Stay away from alpine. I ave one. They requirethat you purchase their addon modules for everything. Thats normal, but alpine charges $200 for each of their modules.Id recommend panosonic HUs in the $200s