What type of audio system should i get??

[Githbyte]

Hey everyone im a newbie to here and to car auido. I have a 1996 Chevy Corsica.

And i was wondering is there really a limit to the type of speakers your car can handle??

If so does any one know what type of speakers my car can handle?

Also what else will i need for those speakers to work properly?

And what are some good reliable speakers?

And should i even bother putting new speakers in that type of car?


Thanks for your help

[sr20de4evr]

"Hey everyone im a newbie to here and to car auido. I have a 1996 Chevy Corsica. I was wondering is there really a limit to the type of speakers your car can handle??"
There is a size limit but I'm not sure what it is on that particular car. Chances are you have 6.5" in the door and 6x9 in the rear. The owners manual would probably say, or you could go to www.crutchfield.com and put in your car specs and it should tell you.

"If so does any one know what type of speakers my car can handle?"
Whatever size it takes

"Also what else will i need for those speakers to work properly?"
Do you have any kind of premium sound package or Bose setup or anything in there now? If not then replacing the speakers is as simple as unscrewing the old ones, wiring up the new ones, and screwing them in. However, if you get any decent speakers they will need more power than the 10 watts or so that your headunit puts out, and you would need either a new headunit that puts out more, or an external amp.

"And what are some good reliable speakers?"
Depends completely on your price range.

"And should i even bother putting new speakers in that type of car?"
Sure, you can put speakers in anything. If you feel you need/want to, then go for it.

[Githbyte]

I dont have a sound package. So what would be a good package to get?
And do u know any sights that would have it? And is the head unit included in the package? if not what kind of head unit should i get?

[sr20de4evr]

By a sound package I meant a stock one (you know when you go get a car you can get the $2k upgraded stereo system that just sounds less bad than the lower one). The upgraded systems generally have everything wired up ghetto as hell, and it makes upgrading a bitch. When you upgrade a system you don't just get a package, unless you fall for one of those Lightning Audio or Pyramid setups. You buy your speakers, amps, headunit, etc all seperate. It will take a lot of research (I researched my last setup for a good 3 months until I finally got the money to get it, then I didn't like it and I replaced it 2 months later).

I guess we should start off with the most important question of all, what do you want to spend?

[Githbyte]

right now im just trying to figure a price range.

what type of features should i look for in speakers?

is the kick panel for the front of the car?

and what brand speakers would u recommend?


Thanks for your time

[sr20de4evr]

The price range has to come first before recommendations can be made. A new system can EASILY range from under $300 to well over $6000, the brands you get depend on how much you're willing to spend.

Before you look at the features in a set of speakers you also have to know whether you plan on using an external amp or not. If so then you want something with a high power handling, but of course "high" is subjective and also depends on your budget. If you don't plan on using an external amp then you want something with a high sensitivity (around 92dB+). Frequency response is important, but you can't look at the numbers the manufacturer provides because they all rate on their own scales. You can get a set of speakers that are rated down to 45Hz and they can't even play 90Hz without getting muddy or distorted. Then you turn around and get a set that is rated down to 60Hz and they have 10x more midbass than the first set.

Kickpanels are optional, if you get a set of speakers that won't fit in the door, or if you want to improve the midbass response or imaging of your car then you can stick the components in kickpanels. They're basically just a small sealed or ported enclosure for your speakers that you hide down by your feet.