For starters. im not a audio man, so i need help hehe


If ya guys can please please help im not the best when it comes to electronics and stereo but i get the gist, i have experience in engines, wheels, tires, suspension but dont know jack **** when it comes to speaker selection cuz i have no experience with them.


I have a Pioneer 6500 DEH Premier for a headunit.
50x4
Has a bass selection.
And a limited equalizer.

I needed new front speakers so i got some 100 dollar Pioneer 220W 50rms(kinda low wtf) - 4way 6 inch speakers for like 48 dollars, it was a good deal and only thing that would fit my car ( actually i had to cut out the backing for them to fit)

Here is the specs on them from http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...71753

Handles up to 220 watts peak power (50 watts RMS)
6-1/2" Aramid fiber-reinforced, foamed, injection-molded polypropylene woofer with rubber surround and ferrite magnet for rich, powerful bass
1-5/8" foamed, pearl polycarbon (PPC), balanced-dome midrange with strontium magnet for detailed mid tones
5/8" PET (silver-film) dome tweeter for clear high tones; 3/8" PET dome supertweeter for crisp high frequencies
Latex-treated conex damper and projected-pole yoke
Glass-Imide voice coil bobbin and long voice coil for higher power handling
Full-depth basket for powerful bass; top-mount depth is 2-5/16"
Redesigned basket for improved fit on oversized 6-1/2" applications
Frequency response: 30Hz - 30kHz
Sensitivity: 91dB
Impedance: 4 ohms

I thought they werent bad for the max wattage, and freq. respons and sensitivity. Just low RMS ... and they were 50 dolla heh. But i was told they are kinda junk. Anyone wanna dispute or agree with that ?

<U>1.Anyways my real question is - what should i get for back ? i heard that 6 inch are in the back 2.

2. and since im baqsically underpowering them atm is there any amp that you guys http://www.bestbuy.com sells and that is recommended ?

3. possibly to 6x9 in back?

4. sub from best buy ......</U>

 

Or if im lacking bass - which was slightly taken away i believe


JBL's 6inchers ? - http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi...avf=Y

 

<U>help?</U>

 

Well I don't know anything more about audio than you do, but I love my bazooka bass tube. I'm pretty sure that they have them at best buy. It's extremely light in weight, easy to take out of the track, dosen't take up a lot of space, and it packs a nice punch. I won't rattle your neighbors windows, or even yours for that matter, but adds a good amount of bass to your system. Good price too. Great product if your not looking to shake the entire earth.

 

If you have a GSR then you have 6.5 in the front and 6x9 in the rear.

What brands do they carry at Best Buy?

 

http://www.bestbuy.com

pioneer for the most part, jbl, some others.

Its not 6x9 in back, are you sure? im pretty sure its 6.5 inch

 

If it has to be best buy (shudders) then here's what I would do.

Keep those front speakers, get an RF501x, then get something like an RF HE2 12 with dual 2 ohm coils. Put that in the right box, add a 8 ga, 4 channel wiring kit and you should be set.

Run the 2 channels on the amp to the front speakers, run the other two channels bridged to the sub.

That's the best you can do IMO is you want a simple, cheap system.

 

Do you have a hatchback or 4door?
4door has 6x9's.

 

hatch

 

haha i work at best buy too...best setup i could piece together was these SKU's

5221949 - 234.60 (dual channel R.F. punch Amp)
5394496 - 70.26 (Dual 12" Q-logic box)
5222092 - 87.76 (12" DVC RF Punch Subs)
5221921 - 190.23 (5.1channel R.F. amp)
4530984 - 78.70 (Speaker Front)
5422205 - 34.75 (6x9 rears)
5393399 - 59.85 (1000 Capacitor)
5393335 - (4/8 gauge dual amp kit)

Mind you this is the Columbia Maryland store, so i dont know what all you have. If you take a look at the Sub display all the speakers in there are for civics...plus this is for a 4dr..so i dont know how yours differ. The front speakers are components too so i dont know if u want those or not....

thats the SKU's right come the employee discount print out i got...as far as i can tell thats the best they offer...

 

heheh nice im gonna check it when i go in next thanks


how much was the gauge kit ?

 

no problem ...too bad it totals at like 800 or 900...but if u know how to install then everythings a snap...i was hopin to get it for my car my front drivers is blown...and im just itchen to upgrade...but i gotta tint it first then get some new sparcos and then its stereo time

 

I know this defeats teh entire purpose of this thread, but I would buy as little audio equipment as you can from best buy. You will spend a little more money, but be a lot happier in the end.

 

see the thing with taht is Rockford is a good system i mean as far as main stream...and you can get em for **** cost...like what the 243.60 amp cost the consumer like 395 some dollars...so i mean if im gettin a 2500 sys tem for like 1000 hell ya ill do it

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hyjnx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">see the thing with taht is Rockford is a good system i mean as far as main stream...and you can get em for **** cost...like what the 243.60 amp cost the consumer like 395 some dollars...so i mean if im gettin a 2500 sys tem for like 1000 hell ya ill do it</TD></TR></TABLE>

Exactly take what you can get.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hyjnx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">see the thing with taht is Rockford is a good system i mean as far as main stream...and you can get em for **** cost...like what the 243.60 amp cost the consumer like 395 some dollars...so i mean if im gettin a 2500 sys tem for like 1000 hell ya ill do it</TD></TR></TABLE>

Never buy something just because it's cheap....so what happens if I can build a better system with that $1k, but I didn't "save" as much....so now what's the better option?

I can take a dump in a box, and discount it....now I guess you could "save" money, but it's still just crap.

See what I'm getting at?!?

Not everything at BB falls into this category, but for the most part, it may be smarter to look to other sources to get better gear for the same price as your discounts at BB will take you...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rcurley55 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Never buy something just because it's cheap....so what happens if I can build a better system with that $1k, but I didn't "save" as much....so now what's the better option?

I can take a dump in a box, and discount it....now I guess you could "save" money, but it's still just crap.

See what I'm getting at?!?

Not everything at BB falls into this category, but for the most part, it may be smarter to look to other sources to get better gear for the same price as your discounts at BB will take you...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Whoa whoa whoa - but we are still getting the best that they have to offer, not getting like paper cone speakers, if i feel i can get a better sub ill do it, but if i feel the RF he can do its job then i go with it.

 

I agree with the other guys. Take a pass on the discount and buy better gear. Do it once and do it right. Don't buy the cheap stuff and end up regretting it later or spending more money when you re-do the whole system later on. I was looking at BB's car audio gear the other day, and honestly wasn't really impressed. I think Circuit City has better stuff, but you'd probably get a better deal getting your stuff online.

Good luck either way you go..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chemicalviper &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Whoa whoa whoa - but we are still getting the best that they have to offer, not getting like paper cone speakers, if i feel i can get a better sub ill do it, but if i feel the RF he can do its job then i go with it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Like I said, it doesn't apply to all of BB's stuff, but even the RF they carry is not that high end. Go to the sound room, listen to it, and decide if you like it. If you do, that's great.

My only recommendation was to think about avoiding the temptation to select gear just because you are getting a discount on it, making it seem like a good deal...

good luck with your system.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rcurley55 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Like I said, it doesn't apply to all of BB's stuff, but even the RF they carry is not that high end. Go to the sound room, listen to it, and decide if you like it. If you do, that's great.

My only recommendation was to think about avoiding the temptation to select gear just because you are getting a discount on it, making it seem like a good deal...

good luck with your system.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats why i asked if my new fronts are no good... cuz ill take them back and get something else w/o a discount.

 

I'm gonna step in here and tell you guys to be helpful or shut up. Not everyone here wants to drop as much on their audio system as they did on the car itself. I understand that you pay more for quality, but not everyone here has the kind of $$$ lying around to drop on JL Audio or MB Quarts. Yeah it's good stuff. But is it really worth taking out a loan to pay for?

I've worked for several audio retailers from HiFi Buys down to (currently) Best Buy. Yeah, I'm currently working for 'Da Buy. As an employee I can tell you three important things:

1) Best Buy does not pay much. Even as a full-time installer, one of the highest pay scales in the store, I still have to work two jobs to make ends meet. We do not have the kind of cash to drop on high-end systems lying around unless our second job is drug trafficing.

2) The discount is good. We can get a LOT of stuff for a little money. The system I had in my car for a while cost me a total of $1300 and was almost $3000 retail cost. I understand that it's not much in the realm of car audio. But for a poor blue-shirt like me it was great. And it gives you an idea of why we shop there.

3) MOST IMPORTANTLY: NOT EVERYTHING AT BEST BUY IS CRAP! I'm sick and freakin' tired of everybody blowing off Best Buy as only carrying junk. I'm the first person to admit that we don't carry anything high-end and that the majority of what we stock isn't worth the box it comes in. However, a smart customer (usually employees) can put together an excellent sounding system for not much money.

If I had the money, I would have JL Audio and MB Quarts in my car. For anyone with the money, I recommend they get products along those lines as well. Since I didn't I have Rockford. It's some of the best bang-for-the-buck out there and it's far from crap. But not everyone here can afford it.

[/rant]

That having been said, my recomendation for a system from Best Buy is as follows:

H/U: The 6500 you've got is a good starting point
Front Spk: Rockford Fanatic P Component speakers in the factory locations.
Rear Spk: Rockford Fanatic 6.5" 2way coaxial speakers
Speaker Amp: Rockford 501x or Kenwood KAC-8401
Subs: Rockford HE2's. Wired at 2ohms
Sub Amp: Rockford 301m or Kenwood KAC-8101D (1 per sub), or the Rockford 601s / 801s for two subs.

Do yourself a favor though and get a box built for the subs. None of the boxes we carry sound right and if you're buying HE2's you're not doing them justice by putting them in a prefab box. If you must buy a box from 'Da Buy then just DON'T buy the Q-Logic box. They SUCK with HE2's.

whew, my $0.01. I would give $0.02 but I dont get paid enough.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by whiteboygsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
whew, my $0.01. I would give $0.02 but I dont get paid enough.</TD></TR></TABLE>


HAHA ITS SO TRUE!...i work in computers and i mean yea we sell crap...Emachines and some of the Compaqs...but seriously we have high end sonys and HP's...they are amazing machines. But as for car audio...customers dont realize HOW MUCH they acctually pay. I mean one of our car installers is the highest paid in the sorry that isnt a supervisor or a manager. 24 something an hour...i mean seriously. That might seem like a lot but its not. yes we go for what we can afford and RF is a good company. I mean if i worked at Tweeter i would definately be going JL's or Xtant and what not...but i dont i work at best buy and my blue shirt gets me great deals on car audio. As you said Da' Buy has good for what u pay...

as for the HE2's they sound good in the setup at our store...probably COULD sound better but they still hit damn hard.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chemicalviper &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Thats why i asked if my new fronts are no good... cuz ill take them back and get something else w/o a discount.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd take them back, and look at a set of components personally...I must have missed the fact that you could have returned them. If you like them, keep them, but if you can do better, why not?

 

I can't help but think that this is directed at me, so now it's my turn

Take a look at the first post I made in here...helpful or not? Let's see, trying to provide an option for someone to get better gear at a similar price... I guess that's not helpful either...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">2) The discount is good. We can get a LOT of stuff for a little money. The system I had in my car for a while cost me a total of $1300 and was almost $3000 retail cost. I understand that it's not much in the realm of car audio. But for a poor blue-shirt like me it was great. And it gives you an idea of why we shop there.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Again, I ask, what good is a "LOT" of stuff, if it's not that high quality. I like to look at pieces as investment pieces. If you invest in a good, quality pieces, start slow, you will end up with a good setup without spending a whole lot of money - the system of sku's posted above is around $775 - I never said that I wanted to spend more then that.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">3) MOST IMPORTANTLY: NOT EVERYTHING AT BEST BUY IS CRAP! I'm sick and freakin' tired of everybody blowing off Best Buy as only carrying junk. I'm the first person to admit that we don't carry anything high-end and that the majority of what we stock isn't worth the box it comes in. However, a smart customer (usually employees) can put together an excellent sounding system for not much money.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ok, you guys carry Lightning Audio F&F line and Power Acoustik - yuck - The only respectable brand in amps and subs that I can find is RF - and that's why it's been recommended. Again I'll state that I think you can do better with less equipment for the same price. From what I see on bestbuy.com - most of what you carry is crap - cheap crap with a discount, but crap. Again, read carefully most is crap, you can build a good system from some of it, but why when you can spend the same amount else where for better gear? hmmmm....

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If I had the money, I would have JL Audio and MB Quarts in my car. For anyone with the money, I recommend they get products along those lines as well. Since I didn't I have Rockford. It's some of the best bang-for-the-buck out there and it's far from crap. But not everyone here can afford it.

[/rant]

That having been said, my recomendation for a system from Best Buy is as follows:

H/U: The 6500 you've got is a good starting point
Front Spk: Rockford Fanatic P Component speakers in the factory locations.
Rear Spk: Rockford Fanatic 6.5" 2way coaxial speakers
Speaker Amp: Rockford 501x or Kenwood KAC-8401
Subs: Rockford HE2's. Wired at 2ohms
Sub Amp: Rockford 301m or Kenwood KAC-8101D (1 per sub), or the Rockford 601s / 801s for two subs.

Do yourself a favor though and get a box built for the subs. None of the boxes we carry sound right and if you're buying HE2's you're not doing them justice by putting them in a prefab box. If you must buy a box from 'Da Buy then just DON'T buy the Q-Logic box. They SUCK with HE2's.

whew, my $0.01. I would give $0.02 but I dont get paid enough.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ok, now the last sentence is pure comedy I love it...

OK, so this is what I would do instead
Keep your head unit
Return the fronts
Infinity Ref 6002 Components - 145 (after savings)
Kicker 02KX550.3 Three Channel Amp - 450
2 ID12v3 d2's - 150 for the pair (after savings)

All of the above is authorized, with warranty, from sounddomain.com There are some other good deals over at thezeb.com, but I just put this together in 5 minutes.

Add a wiring kit and the appropriate Qlogic from work and you are good to go. There's no need to add rear speakers, just run the stock ones highpassed off of the headunit's amp. If your charging system is healthy, you don't need a cap.

In addition, everyone has forgotten to add some sound deadening. I would concentrate a bit on your front doors, and the rear shelf. Some in the trunk possibly. You can do wonders with just some under carpet padding from homedepot - and if you are really sly, you can steal scraps of the stuff out of the dumpster behind a carpet shop...so long as it's dry, it will work.

I just feel that this system is simple and will provide you with better sound (IMO) then what you will get from best buy.

Hope that "helped"

 

i don't post here often so you really don't have to listen, i have been a user for a long time and all i do is just read posts, but i am no newbie to honda-tech.

i own a acura vigor and use to work as a floater in bestbuy, that means all departments, i was a computer tech tought for most of the part. at first i would never step into bestbuy for anything all i would get is stuff of the net. i had a full system which had and alpine deck, jbl speakers, 2 shitty sony mobile es amp and 2 jl audio 12.
once i started working at bestbuy i looked at some of our stuff, now i have seen what car toys sells and by far the stuff bestbuy has is better bang for the buck, only if you are an employye,
now my system consists of,
pioneer deh-6300 for $75
rockford speakers fantaics 6.5 for $70
jbl speakers 6*9 for $40, from ciruit city
4 agu wiring
1farad cap- $60
500x fosgate amp for highs and mids-$150
500s fosgate for subs-150
at first 2 12" he for 69
now i have two jvc warreng g subs for 59.9. these **** kick as even better than he2 for high and low bass. hit has as a mug.
now i no longer work for bestbuy since i own a bestwestern motel, but would always get my stuff at bestbuy.
oh and if you plan on walking into the bestbuy store to buy at retail, you must be a dumbass, you have no clue howmuch leway employees have on price when you buy a system, just say you will get the waranty and they will sell you all the **** at almost employee price.
and for the guy who recommended 2 he2 and a 500 watt amp and 8agu kit. not to dog on you but he2 need 800 watts rms for two and you should get 2agu wire.
excellent recomendation, you have but should be substituded for 2 12" he not he2 and 4agu wire.
peace out.