Looking to upgrade the OEM stereo in my 00 EK hatch 100% stock at the moment.

Looking for a recommendation on a complete system that will not weigh too much as this is my "toy" car that sees a decent amount of track time. The current Audio system its a bit inadequate at higher levels, and is very picky about playing burnt CD's or any MP3's. If you feel an amplifier is necessary I would like to keep it to one unit, as well as a smaller lightweight bass driver. I am not looking for show winning SPL's or quality, just better than average simple set-up.

 

If this is a tracked car, I would replace the radio with a better unit. One that supports burnt CD-Rs and maybe has an aux/ipod input.

Get some descent speakers to replace your factory ones, and power them with a modest 4-channel amp. Be sure to try and match the RMS of the amp, with the RMS of the speakers to get the best results.

My recommendations would be an Alpine head unit, some Infinity Kappa components in the front, with a set of Infinity Kappa point source speakers in the rear.


Good luck.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Natural Aspirations &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Good Basic Jam system (Natural Aspirations) </TD></TR></TABLE>


Mmm... Jam...

 

If its a tracked car...

Middle range headunit - from any reputable manufacturer.... some things to consider if for your head unit, is how many preouts does it have, if you plan on only running a sub then one preout is good enough.... but if you want to run a second amp for the front components 2 preouts is alot nicer. Also a built in high pass filter, is nice.. it stops the bass from going to your main speakers.. reducing distortion.. and cleaning up the sound. the alpine CDA-9885 has 3 sets of pre outs, front, rear, and sub, and a built in hpf....Also other things to consider is how well does the unit support an ipod, if you own an ipod...

All you really need is a good front stage. You do not need rear speakers.

If its track, to keep the weight down, find a set of components that have a very good efficiency, and a lower rms operating range.. that way you can run them off of the headunit's internal amp, and still get pretty good sound.

If you want more bass, then a small 8-10" sub hooked up to a corresponding monoblock amp.. put into a sealed fiberglassed box in the spare tire well... without the spare... should be good enough for your needs, and light enough for the track.

If the sound is still not loud enough for you, then running an outboard amp for your fronts is what you are going to have to do... this can either be a 2 channel or 4 channel amp, depending on your budget... but i highly doubt you will need to run an outboard amp for your front stage, if you choose the right speakers.

placement of the sub and amp is important, you want to keep the weight as low as possible, and as close to the rear axle as possible.... which is why i recommended to remove the spare.. and fiberglass the entire box into that well. a sub and amp can add 10 to 25 lbs or more depending on how big you go... and u can sorta make it work like ballast, and it might actually help you balance out the weight.. but i highly doubt it...

 

Sounds like Alpine is a popular choice, never owned an alpine the "look" never appealed to me although I know that its whats inside that counts.
Anyone sure on the size of the rear speakers in the hatch, crutchfield states 6x9 but i thought they were smaller (5x7?). I would like the rear speakers for fill.
A spare tire enclosure with a 10" sub woofer would be excellent, No chance of anything "off the shelf" being of decent quality? My fiberglass skills are nonexistent.

 

rear fill is overrated.

plus its extra weight!

if you go with a premade box, you will be adding more weight than a fiberglassed tub with a mdf lid.

You can go with any headunit from any manufacturer, they all basically have the same features.. just look through them...

Some have more features than others... but really just look through your choices...

To fiberglass the spare tire tub.. it doesn't look too hard... been reading up on it..

There is a thread, here on making a fiberglass tub.. but i'm short on time, and i can't search it for you..

But it just involves lining the tub with masking tape or a trash bag, and then laying a thin coat of resin, and fiberglass mat, till its thick and hard enough to pull the tub out of the car...then u can strengthen the tub working outside of the car...

i've seen it done, where you make a wooden frame around the tub, and have the fiberglass attach to that frame.... that way you have a frame to secure themdf lid to..

 

Here's another option. Get a fairly powerful 4 channel amp, such as an mrvf345, run the front two channels to a component set in the front doors, and bridge the rears to run a small 8" or 10" sub.

I can give you examples of what I'd buy in your shoes too, if you'd like.

Oh, and if weight is a huge concern, just use a quick disconnect system for the speaker wires going to your sub. A trailer plug is a good example of that.

 

FYI: Update

Went with
ALPINE CDA-9886
MB QUART EKA116 6.5"
MB QUART ETA169 6"x9"