Speakers/Head Unit AFTERMARKET
 

I'm wondering what kind of aftermarket stereo equipment we all have in our svxes.

I'm looking to upgrade my speakers and head unit, but dont have much knowledge on the specifics. My SVX has the door speakers and dash tweeters. I was unsure of if the tweeters should remain connected after a speaker upgrade?? Or perhaps it is possible to buy tweeter upgrades as well (not that I would or would want to after a speaker upgrade, since the new speakers should be more than sufficient).

Are there certain headunit brands out there that don't fit in the SVX or that don't install properly?

What about speakers? Anyone install any decent sounding speakers from BestBuy/Circuit city or have problems installing certain speakers??

I figure I'll ask other SVXers about all this since the 'techs' at those stores most likely know jack and sh*t (and jack left town) about what works for the car and what doesnt.

Those stores are less expensive and more customer friendly (in my experiences, others probably disagree) than your privately run auto sound store, so BB/CC is where I'll be obtaining and having my stereo upgrade installed.

Most if not all new headunits will fit properly in the SVX's radio cage without modifications or kits, and don't let them try and sell you one! As for whether it gets installed "properly", well that's another story. I've always done my own work so I don't have any firsthand experience with BB or CC, but from other members and personal friends, your chances of a perfect install seems to be worse than 50/50.

As for the speakers, the stock tweeters can stay in place since the high pass filter is on the tweeter itself, but if you're going to spend the money on new door speakers, you might as well get a complete component set with tweeters and external crossover. The stock speakers are paper and if the years of heat and UV haven't turned it to dust yet, it probably won't take much more abuse to make it happen.

KuoH

I have a Rockford Fosgate H/U that works beautifully. I also put in Fosgate 6.5" in the door, and Fosgate tweeters in place of the stocks.

I actually just got back from the stereo shop. They installed 2 10" subs in the trunk.

I had a local stereo shop do all the work for the H/U and subs. They have done most of the competition Db Drag Racers in my area, so they are more then qualified. They even said that putting the H/U in was EASY. Go figure.

BTW, RDub, think you could move this to the mod board? Seems more appropriate there.

Definately...this should be in the mods section.

As for my stereo, I had it all installed for me because I wanted someone else to blame for if/when it's not working properly. :D

As for my stereo setup which really complements the car:
http://www.subarusvx.org/registry/earthworm/

(yes I know it's in my signature as well)

I had CC do the origianl install of an eXcelon HU a couple years ago...now ive switched from the original eXcelon i had put in...to an eXcelon minidisc...now to an eXcelon CD/MP3/WMA....the carriage doesnt exactly close perfectly now...(not so great install) but i have done everything since the orginal and have made it the best i possibly could have

A single or double din will go in nicely. The depth is the issue. To have a nice fit, you want to find a unit with the depth of no larger than 6.5"

Install is real easy. I have installed every single SVX that I owned myself.

Lwin

just watch out for the rear deck speakers. they're a pain in the butt.......... but well worth the effort. I've got Memphis speakers all the way around, self-installed.. worth the time, worth the money, and worth the effort..

-adam

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!
 

PUNISHER,

I have a Kenwood eXcelon H/U wich I swapped out from a Sony Xplod. They are both 50x4. That is what you want or more. Nothing less. The Sony ran me about 250$ not installed and the Kenwood ran me about 480$ installed but they wanted 600$. You can bargain these things anywhere you go. The Kenwood is much better. It has Satelite radio capabilities, an MP3 player, cd built in, you can get a changer and it has am/fm. Best stereo for the price in my opion.

Now to amps. You can amp you component system (front, rear and dash speakers). Therefor making it much louder. MB Quartz makes the best dash tweeters by far. approximately 150$ for the set not installed. But bargain, you can get them installed for that price. But don't be an ass about it because they tell you no real easy.As far as front and rear they should display all items that they have for sale. So compare sounds and prices.

They also have a small selection of amps most of wich are low quality. The usually have Sony and Rockford Fosgate. The ones they have are low end. But they do work. I would suggest, if amping front speakers go with low power. i.e. 200w/250w. But for subwoofers go with 500w per speaker 10in. amd over. If it is an 8in sub (not reccomended) go with 300w/350w per speaker.

Now as for subwoofers Kicker, Xtant, and JL audio have the best out. Kicker has a line called Solobarack and they are square. Now I know you are thinking "square subs? what the hell." But two of these with the amp turned up can blow out your windshield seal. I saw it happen to an Integra at a competition. All of Xtant's subs are good. As for JL Audio their speakers range from W-0 to W-12. The lower the number, he better and more expensive.

Now let me know if you want me to give the best set up you can get for the money you want to spend. My buddy has a computer at work that has all cars (yes the SVX too.) And if you give me the price range you can afford I can pull up a full component system with or w/o amp or a amped component system. Or a component system amped with subs, or a component system with subs and amp. And a H/U to any application you choose.

ICE

AND.......
 

I can get all the stuff real cheap if you want (NOT STOLEN). If that is the case what you should do is I'll get the list of stuff for you so you can go listen to it. Then order it and take it to have it installed. The guy who gets my stuff owns his shop so under the view off the Better Business Bureau he won't scam you like this so called Doug Rudd guy.

ICE

Re: AND.......
 

Thanks for the reply, Ice. It was quite informative. I'm thinking about getting a satellite ready head unit (i'm leaning more towards XM, since it has reportedly better audio quality). I think the Kenwoods only support Sirius radio, so I may have to go with a Sony or a Pioneer. MP3 capability would be nice, but is not a requirement. I'm also not interested in subs or an amp really. A good pair of speakers and a decent head unit with a satellite radio should definitely meet my needs.

I have to say, I wasn't really impressed with Best Buy's speaker selection. Perhaps Circuit City will have better quality stuff. I know they sell Polk audio products, which I've heard many good things about.

I'm looking to spend about $850 for the front speakers, new head unit and satellite tuner right now, and then probably another $150 on rear speakers at some point in the future.

Does your friend offer any sort of a warranty? Also, does he have any opinions on Sirius Radio vs. XM Radio?

Any luck selling the SVX?

Mine/His
 

Well he doesn't care about satellite radio at this point. It is not a big market just yet. Not big enough for him to be concerned anyway. I personally choose Sirius. Not just because I have it. But I checked it out before I bought. I can go tommorow and look at a H/U, and component system w/o dash tweeters for about a 1000$ and see what the best set up is for you. And C/C and B/B will always have cheap stuff.

ICE

Hey Ice, how much could you get a pair of 12" JL W6's for? I blew my second set of Boston Pros and now I want to get something louder that will work well in a 1 cubic foot sealed box. I have an Alpine deck (CDA-7878... mp3, xm satellite, 7 band eq, fr/r/and sub active crossover... I like it:D ) and an Alpine MRV-1507 for an amp (>900 watts rms at 14.4v bridged into 4 ohms).

Now I went to a local (one of the only ones around) high end shop and the guy suggested W3's or W6's. The W6's were a totally new model and as I recall could handle up to 450 watts rms (which would be perfect for my amp). These didn't have the big "JL" on the cone like the ones you usually see and they were dual 4 ohm voice coils instead of JL's usual dual 6 ohm. Do you know if you could get these, or have you even seen them? I haven't been able to find them anywhere else (and I'm not confusing them with the W7... which looks awesome).

-Aaron

I was told by my audio place that a single JL Audio 10W7 would be better than the 2 12W3's in my car right now. It would also cost more.

W7
 

Yeah, it should. The W7 is a really new model... and it is pretty bad ass. Take a look at www.jlaudio.com. You can check out the different products. If you know anything about speakers you'll notice that it's a hefty 30 lbs. (big magnet=better... basically). It also has a very high excursion capability while keeping a larger cone area beacause of it's unique surround design. It's definately a pretty awesome speaker... I just hate having one sub. Personal preference... but I prefer two subs, and I like 12" ones. If you get a W7 you should get a really nice amp, too.

-Aaron