n00b question about upgrading the speakers...

[chamade]

Hello, so I have a base 3.5SE Coupe with the horrible sounding stock sound system...yes, horrible, after listening to some upgraded systems in other cars.

Keeping in mind that I know next to nothing about car audio, what is it that I would need to add and replace in order to improve sound quality?

amp and sub? would I have to replace the stock radio? what about the stock speakers?As far as installation (wireing etc), is this usually left to the 'pros'?

thanks!
Modified by chamade at 1:47 PM 12/12/2007

[generic808]

dash: 3.5"front door: 6.5"rear deck: 6x9"

Keep in mind though, the factory speakers are a 2 ohm impedence so if you're replacing speakers without amplifying, it would be smart to get a 2 ohm load speaker. If you don't, your sound volume will suffer severely.

Also, the front door speakers are 6.5" but a standard 6.5" speaker will not fit. The factory speaker is a Blaupunkt which has it's own custom bracket/cup which is much larger in diameter. You will have to drill new holes to fit speakers up front. Don't listen to Crutchfield if they tell you they have a bracket because the one they send out will not fit the Altima's.

[alphapig]

I actually kept my stock speakers, and just added a 12 inch Alpine sub. Adding a sub, I think, improves sound quality the most. After that, if you are still not satisfied, you can replace the speakers...

As for the stock radio, you can actually keep it. They apparently use a high-low converter (or something like that) to link up the amp and sub to your stock deck. The sub is then controlled through the stock "bass" tuner.

I chose to keep my stock deck because 1: it matches the car better than any aftermarket one and 2: I didn't want to have to worry about the steering wheel controls messing up.

It's also a lot cheaper!

Goodluck with your sound system, and keep us updated!

[generic808]

I did the same thing and added an amp/sub to my factory head unit. This is the first car that I didn't change out the deck in because I really liked the factory look. Unfortunately, the factory system has a bass defeat which lowers the bass with higher volumes to prevent from blowing out your speakers, so sound is definitely sacrificed. I'd start with a better set of seperates or coaxials first, and if you're not happy with the sound, you can always add a amp/sub.

[rjdmmfl1]

I actually kept my stock speakers, and just added a 12 inch Alpine sub. Adding a sub, I think, improves sound quality the most. After that, if you are still not satisfied, you can replace the speakers...

As for the stock radio, you can actually keep it. They apparently use a high-low converter (or something like that) to link up the amp and sub to your stock deck. The sub is then controlled through the stock "bass" tuner.

I chose to keep my stock deck because 1: it matches the car better than any aftermarket one and 2: I didn't want to have to worry about the steering wheel controls messing up.

It's also a lot cheaper!

Goodluck with your sound system, and keep us updated!

Everything you said is true, however IMHO as an audiophile, the stock deck is a POS, especially with the non bose setup! (I have the stock deck in my 07 sedan, and I hate it)

Chamade, for an accurate assessment, I think you'll have to tell us what you're looking for in terms of sound. Also, what type of music do you listen to most. These answers will really determine what you should do.

1st and foremost, I would get rid of the stock stereo. As are most stock decks, its pretty awful. You'll notice that as soon as you replace your stock deck with an aftermarket deck, your sound quality will improve. This is because most good aftermarket decks have a built in amplifier. This allows for richer, clearer sounds, especially at higher vollumes

2nd, if you like bass, then you should get a subwoofer. BUt if you don't like bass, then subs are a waste. I'm a bass guru (Had 2x Rockford Fosgate 12" T1's in my trunk with a custom trunk enclosure and a T1001bd amp pushing them. It literally shook buildings) But now, with my aftermarket stereo and the bose system, it has all the power I need. I'm seriously considering NOT getting a sub. Now I'm not saying that the bose system shakes buildings, I'm just saying the aftermarket deck (Pioneer Avic D3) sounds a hell of a lot better than the stock deck with the same speakers.

Also, as Eric stated, the speakers themselves WILL make a huge difference. Some nice 2 ohm, infinity kappas or reference 6 x 9's and 6.5's will bring the sound out tremendously, even more so if you ditch the factory deck.

Now, the last question of amps, well that's part of the reason that the Bose system sounds better than the stock system (part, not all of the reason) Most people think of amps as powering the woofers, but amps are also used to power the inside speakers as well. (Such is the case of the Bose setups in the Altimas with premium package)

Actually, since you are a true noob to this, if you respond with a price range of where you are trying to stay, what type of music you listen to (rap, rock , pop, country). and whether or not you like bass, I'll get you links on some of the best sounding equipments for a great price giving you the sound that YOU want. Good luck!

[generic808]

You know, this is the first vehicle that I didn't fully upgrade the stereo, only because I like the look of the OEM deck. I think it looks very, very clean and sleek. I didn't want to take away from that with an aftermarket, but, I'm still up in the air about it. I changed out all my speakers, added a 200w RF amp and a RF 10" P1L and I'm still not satisfied. I was thinking about going with a DVD player since there is no need for NAV in Hawaii, but like I said, I'm still debating. I really do like the look of the OEM.

Chamade, are you an audiophile or bass-head? If so, you should change out your deck. If you just want better, cleaner sound, a speaker upgrade will do you good. Like Robert said, give a price range and we'll be able to give you some suggestions.

[chamade]

thanks for the help...it helps !

I don't consider myself an audiophile but definitely enjoy good sound. At homeand at work I use sennheiser HD-595/shure E4 headphones so I am used to "rich" sound. I listen to rock/classic rock mostly with pop/r&b here and thereand I do like good bass but the highs and mids also need to be clear.As far as money, I am looking to spend ~500$. Maybe more in the future.Adding/replacing what would give me the most bang for the buck in what I am looking for (clear/rich highs, mids, lows...not the garbled sound from the stock system)?

Also, do you guys do the wireing yourself?
Modified by chamade at 10:45 PM 12/12/2007

[generic808]

Since your budget is around $500, I'd personally go with speakers all the way around. The newer Infiniti Reference (I have the Ref series) or Kappa's are both 2 ohm speakers. Look to spend around $250 for front and backs. If you can do the install yourself--which isn't very hard--you'll save enough money to perhaps add a small amp and sub. Or to stay within your budget, maybe a powered subwoofer like the Infiniti Basslink http://www.crutchfield.com/App...p=114

The only reason I'm recommending the Infiniti line is because of the 2 ohm impedence. In all my past systems, I've always ran "higher" end gear because I love great sound in my car and at home. But like I posted earlier, I really wanted to keep the factory look for once. Just to let you know though, the Infiniti speakers surpassed my expectations. They are good sounding speakers for their price range.

Another option is to change out your factory head-unit for an aftermarket one and keep your factory speakers--the Bluapunkt's aren't that bad of a speaker at lower volumes, but the Infiniti's are much more clear and accurate, without the distortion the Blau's put out at higher volumes. Typically, aftermarket units will give you 35-45w per channel as opposed to your standard OEM stereo which will usually pump out a whopping 10-15w. And after doing this, you could always add a seperate amp and sub with the remaining funds.

Taking all of this into consideration and if you want to keep the factory look, I'd suggest you go with Infiniti Ref or Kappa's and then add a seperate powered subwoofer and that'll keep you right at your budget. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[rjdmmfl1]

I won't add a lot to Eric's post... I think he hit it on the head... except for that part about 45w with aftermarket units... even the best units are only doing about 20 - 25w RMS.... That 45w is max, which doesn't mean much in the real world setting.

[generic808]

LOL yeah, so true, but I just listed what the manufacturers do And besides, anything is more powerful than stock. Just upping to an aftermarket HU will give you much better sound quality than the factory doo-doo

[rjdmmfl1]

LOL yeah, so true, but I just listed what the manufacturers do And besides, anything is more powerful than stock. Just upping to an aftermarket HU will give you much better sound quality than the factory doo-doo

[chamade]

Cool, I'll be looking to buy some new speakers and add a sub as well.If I buy a powered sub then I can't amp the other speakers right?Would buying a separate amp and sub increase the sound quality a lot, as it would power the other speakers as well?

[generic808]

You could get a seperate amp for the sub, but then the price will jump up. What I listed was just a suggestion based on your budget. Of course you could always get two amps, a mono to power the sub and a 4-channel to power your coaxials. Or you could go with a 4+1 amp, 5-channel amp, or a 6-channel amp and bridge two channels to power the sub and the other 4 channels for your speakers. There are many options available, but with your budget, you're very limited as to what you can do.