[dyohn]

Something like the CD5425E?

Good choice.

[EthanH]

Given your goals and budget, I think you should focus on cheap component speakers that will sound good off of radio power - Memphis' old PR series of components would fit the bill, or Pioneer's yellow coned components.  As far as head units go, for some reason I tend to like the sound of Clarion for the money, even though their technology is not that impressive - if you want something better that will grow with your system then I'd recommend Eclipse.

I think a nice budget system would be Clarion HU; Memphis PR components; dampening material in doors; plus maybe a used amp (old Hifonics, Phoenix Gold, Zapco, PPI, US Amps, Memphis, etc.)  and sub from a decent brand like JL or Eclipse or Memphis, etc.. 

Thanks for your input EthanH!   

So in the second paragraph, just to clarify, the amp is optional, yes?

And where would you recomend purchasing each of the various components from? Are there recognized second hand internet sites?


EDIT: Or just local shops?

Yes, in the second paragraph the amp would be needed for the sub, should you choose to run a subwoofer.

As far as where to purchase these products, you can occasionally find some very good deals on craigslist, although most of the stuff on there seems to be junk.  Maybe check out the classifieds on some car audio forums too, in addition to local shops and online retailers. 

Hope this helps.

[Reverie]

Ok, an update on the situation.

I can happily get the CD5425E from either £150 locally or £130+del on the internet so I'm thinking if people are confident about this choice (I can't seem to find any reviews on it, but then again as I said, either I'm looking horrifically in the wrong place, or car audio isn't as documented as I'd expected) I'll order it.

As for speakers, well, things are not going quite as smooth as I'd have liked.

I took a ride into town to the two car entertainment shops I know about. The first place was very helpful and was also the place that stocked the Eclipse headunit.

Anyway, this is where it gets interesting, they speculated that a W reg (2001) Fiesta would have an 'unusual' 5" x 7" Oval speaker in the front two doors. When I asked what they sold to take this, I was advised that Focal was the make they'd recommend at £90 a pair, although admitedly I neglected to take a model number, as I imagined they can't do many versions if this is an unusual slot. 

However, the second place I drove by had a very different attitude. For some reason they thought that the same car would have standard circual shaped speakers, but to be honest I got the impression they didn't really have much clarity on the issue. Either way, they stated that if it was an oval speaker (I brought what the last place said up and it seemed to through them a little) then using an 'adaptor plate' would be the best approach to increase the range of speakers I could buy. This seemed to make sense (providing there aren't other implications with doing that, but of the speakers he suggested - Fusion 13", I believe he specified the 'Reactor' range (£30/£40) - sounded pretty poor in the shop I have to say. The guy who served me in this shop appeared to have never heard of Eclipse, which was a tad unusual to say the least.

Admitedly I failed to mention the idea to them, but, none of them seemed inclined to suggest using other parts of the car for speakers (boot, under seat) etc., so I'm going to have to open up the floor and more or less beg for some creative suggestions here as I'm not getting a huge amount of direction from my local retailers. 

So I can see this is not going to be over in a hurry, but better to think these things through and have a smashing result than rush.

Also, is there somewhere I can go to get a directory of what shaped speakers are in each model/reg of car? If not I'll just open the door up, but then again, that relies on there being the correct speaker in there at present, which there should be, but still. And of course, if you think I shouldn't be using the doors anyway...it won't really matter.

[Levi]

Hi Randy,

I agree with you 100%.  I am also running a McIntosh receiver in my car.  I have auditioned top of the line Alpine, Nackamichi and Denon receivers and I always go back to the sound of McIntosh.
The McIntosh receiver and amp seems to have synergy with my car's interior and Focal K2 speakers.  I have a McIntosh CD Changer that I have yet to install.  This CD Changer is built like a tank!

Good sound dampening application sure helps a lot with the overall sound.








Cheers,
Levi

I'll throw my 2 cents out, as I'm kind of a car audio nut; my local dealer/friend/installer actually entered my ride in a national competition last Labor Day and did pretty good, especially as I've stuck with 'stock' locations for speakers.

For the front end, I probably am not a good sounding board--I run a pretty high end McIntosh HU, and have a Wadia Itransport in my car (my ride has a built in AC converter)--I pull the digi signals from my Ipod (wav/AIFF noncompressed files only), and feed it to the digi input of the McIntosh.

And then of course there is the whole world of car subs   !!


Good luck!

Randy

[mcgsxr]

Wow, that is a glorious setup in the Accord Levi, wish I lived closer, having owned that car, I would love to juxtapose the stock system to that fine install!

As for car audio speakers, personally I would be very comfortable ordering on the net.  It would not take much to open up a door panel, and sort out what stock speakers are for your car, or a deep Google search might answer that too.

It is important to understand though, that sometimes when you use the same shape and diameter speaker to replace a stock unit, you STILL need to use an adapter plate.  In my 1997 Accord, I am running a Zapco 6.5 component set.  The 6.5 woofer is considerably deeper (larger magnet, cast aluminum basket etc) than the stamped steel unit.  I used 0.75 mdf to create an adapter plate - same size as the opening, but creates the required depth for the new driver, and still fits under the stock cover on the door panel.  The crossover it attached to the inside of the door panel with industrial strength velcro, and zip ties.  The tweeters I installed on the inside of the mirror covers.

To make the speaker decision, I researched on the Net, and bought gear that I respected the brand of, and had decent reviews.

Just my idea, I love to build quality (not the best, but good) on the cheap!

That Eclipse head unit is great, that will be a wonderful heart for a good system.

[EthanH]

Any decent shop should have a computer program that lists what size speakers and what model harness and kit is appropriate for your vehicle.  I thought there used to be an online free database for this information on the Scosche website, but it's been years since I've done anything involving car audio.  

As far as your speakers are concerned, if you are limited to 5x7" speakers and don't want to go with an adaptor plate you may want to look into buying a pre-fabricated speaker enclosure for your kick panels that should increase your options and sound quality significantly, such as this:  

http://www.qlogicenclosures.com/c-4183-ql-u5001.aspx

The same company also makes vehicle specific enclosures, but the above link is to a universal enclosure that should suit your needs.  Of course, you could always look into getting something custom fabricated for your car, but the price for such custom work will likely be ridiculous.  

Good luck.

[Levi]

Thanks Mark.  I agree about the door speakers.  I had to retrofit a 6.5" bass woofer into the doors.

The best woofer synergy with the car's interior.  I can get away without using a subwoofer with this setup.  Literally.



I got lucky because all I have to do is to trim the factory panel to make clearance for the 6.5" door woofers.


How is this for the foot rest.


I then retrofited the Focal tweeter on the factory location so that the sound is not coming from the bottom.
Behold, I have imaging.

[Levi]

The Focal crossovers are huge and will not fit the door.  I also need access the controls incase I want to make adjustments.

They are now under the seats.

[Reverie]

As for car audio speakers, personally I would be very comfortable ordering on the net.  It would not take much to open up a door panel, and sort out what stock speakers are for your car, or a deep Google search might answer that too.

It is important to understand though, that sometimes when you use the same shape and diameter speaker to replace a stock unit, you STILL need to use an adapter plate.  In my 1997 Accord, I am running a Zapco 6.5 component set.  The 6.5 woofer is considerably deeper (larger magnet, cast aluminum basket etc) than the stamped steel unit.  I used 0.75 mdf to create an adapter plate - same size as the opening, but creates the required depth for the new driver, and still fits under the stock cover on the door panel.  The crossover it attached to the inside of the door panel with industrial strength velcro, and zip ties.  The tweeters I installed on the inside of the mirror covers.

To make the speaker decision, I researched on the Net, and bought gear that I respected the brand of, and had decent reviews.

Just my idea, I love to build quality (not the best, but good) on the cheap!

That Eclipse head unit is great, that will be a wonderful heart for a good system.

Hey mcgsxr! Thanks for your input!

May I ask where you went to retrieve reviews on speakers, or was that simply a google-fest? I'd love to find a suitable site for this.

Also, what are your views on using doors as speaker slots - is there much advantage to using underseat/boot fittings? I'm guessing from your approach doors are more than adaquate in your opinion?

I am currently volunteering overseas at the moment but I'll open up the car as soon as I get back to get a definitive answer on the speaker size.

I'm glad to hear you support the Eclipse head unit - I personally struggled to find reviews on it, or many head-units - but that's reassuring. One thing I did notice when it arrived was seemingly the abscence of a front fitting line-in, although that was only on a quick inspection.

Thanks again. 

[JimJ]

Also, what are your views on using doors as speaker slots - is there much advantage to using underseat/boot fittings?

What do you mean by "slots"? I think I'm having some transatlantic confusion here

[Levi]

Slots are great. I used them when I visit Las Vegas.   

[cruz123]

Just keep in mind that some a**holes going to try to steal your system at some point.   I've had three break-in's in the past 20 years and have sworn off car audio.   I concentrate on a good home system and live with whatever audio the car comes with.  Just my .02.

[mcgsxr]

I don't argue that having weasels try to boost your gear is a major threat to owning car audio.

My approach has been to drive older, less desirable cars, use aftermarket but uninspiring head units, and go for the stealth install - keep as much hidden as possible.

Lastly, no booming around where you live or work, keep the volume down around both those places.

Alarms are a very good investment.

I have never lost gear.

Yet.

[Reverie]

Also, what are your views on using doors as speaker slots - is there much advantage to using underseat/boot fittings?

What do you mean by "slots"? I think I'm having some transatlantic confusion here

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I meant the slots the speakers come in as standard, namely in the doors. Very few people seem to recomend still using that area when you upgrade, and I just wondered if you shared this opinion.

[Reverie]

After a great deal of research and consulting of various forums, I have aquired an Eclipse CD5425E which should suffice for a reasonably priced high-quality source. I now, however, need to locate some suitable speakers.

Continuing on my marathon of research, I am quite taken by the Morel Pulse 6x9 very highly reviewed here and again, albeit it with slightly less scrutiny at here. It seemed from what I had read, I was unlikely to find a more suitable sounding nor a more better value speaker for the money. While ?150 wasn't cheap, it was acceptable.

However, in my attempts to find suitable vendors, I stumbled upon some Morel 6.5 Components being sold near me used for less than the 6"-9" were new. Problem is, I am unsure whether I should go for them - they have a smaller frequency range, I cannot find any exact reviews praising them and I had been advised using door-speakers was generally a poorer-performing way to go. But yet, on the upside, they are being sold new for considerably more money, so surely they cannot be worse? Then again I don't want to make any costly assumptions, as they are of course a different style of speaker.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this situation, and any other suggestions/comments/recommendations on what I have already nabbed and what I am considering, especially on the Morel dilemna. Perhaps I could buy the used 6.5s for the front, then maybe purchase a 6x9 for the back shelf later?   

Of course, if you feel these are actually a completely overhyped product, please feel free to say so and put forward other ideas. I had heard Image Dynamics were good for components, but I am currently attempting to hunt down the link I had to a review for one of their sets.

[EthanH]

I can't view the 6.5"s and 6x9s you linked to, so I'm not sure what exact Morel models you're considering.  I have some experience with the old Phoenix Gold Titanium Elite components, however, which were essentially just re-badged Morel drivers.  Polypropylene woofers with 3" voice coils and silk dome tweeters, if I recall correctly.  I thought they sounded very good and used them myself for awhile, but recall them needing a bit of power to really open up. 

From my experience Morel car audio gear is usually pretty decent, but I'm really not familiar with the latest options being currently offered in that price bracket.  I've never heard anything from Image Dynamics apart from their subs. 

[Reverie]

I can't view the 6.5"s and 6x9s you linked to, so I'm not sure what exact Morel models you're considering.  I have some experience with the old Phoenix Gold Titanium Elite components, however, which were essentially just re-badged Morel drivers.  Polypropylene woofers with 3" voice coils and silk dome tweeters, if I recall correctly.  I thought they sounded very good and used them myself for awhile, but recall them needing a bit of power to really open up. 

From my experience Morel car audio gear is usually pretty decent, but I'm really not familiar with the latest options being currently offered in that price bracket.  I've never heard anything from Image Dynamics apart from their subs.

Sorry EthanH! Links have now been corrected so you can view the items in question. 

Thanks for your input. That all sounds pretty promising! I will also investigate these Phoenix Gold Titanium Elites...

[Levi]

Morel Pulse is the entry level speaker from Morel.  At this price range, you are just paying for the name and not for SQ.   

I would go for the Elate line. 

In addition, even if you bought the most expensive speakers out there in the market, you will not find imaging if your speakers are positioned in the original door panels.  Also rear speakers are great for rear fill/ambience.  The front speakers is the most important part of the stereo reproduction.  Treat them like your front speakers at home stereo.

[EthanH]

I've never heard the Pulse line, but if they're the entry level then yeah, they're probably not a very good value.  As for the Phoenix Golds, they were discontinued years ago, so you probably won't be able to find them.  Plus, like many decent components, they pretty much require an amp to sound good.

I am not the most knowledge person when it comes to car audio by any means, but I sort of found that companies like Pioneer that specialize in affordable gear tend to do the budget thing the best, but ymmv, as always.  Good luck.

[Reverie]

Thanks for the responses guys!

  Plus, like many decent components, they pretty much require an amp to sound good.

Is that to say, coaxials are easier driven?