Speakers.

Ok folks here is a new one.
I have an 04 TB LS with the standard 4 speakers(i think). DO u have any good speaker recommendations for me to change to(should i change?)
I am basically looking for better quality sound. I was even thinking of installing additional speakers in the rear. Not boom box or anything just maybe an extra 2 so that it amounts to 6. Sorry if i sound crazy but i am not really a modder or experienced car person i am fairly new to this. What are your t houghts and suggestions.

Thanks

it depends do u want the whole world to here you coming down the street or do u just want better quality sound or both

Good question...
I am satisfied with getting only good quality music, nothing too loud. I'd like it to be clear and crisp. In my Rendezvous with the premium sound it sounds awesome so thats why i'd like to just come close to that.

i would suggest a Component Speaker Systems and the following brands make great ones Polk Audio (http://www.cardomain.com/shoplist~b~Polk+Audio~t~Component+Speaker+Systems) i think is one of the top in my opinion Rockford Fosgate (http://www.cardomain.com/shoplist~b~Rockford+Fosgate~t~Component+Speaker+Sy stems) MTX Audio (http://www.cardomain.com/shoplist~b~MTX+Audio~t~Component+Speaker+Systems) Kicker (http://www.cardomain.com/shoplist~b~Kicker~t~Component+Speaker+Systems) JBL (http://www.cardomain.com/shoplist~b~JBL~t~Component+Speaker+Systems) Infinity (http://www.cardomain.com/shoplist~b~Infinity~t~Component+Speaker+Systems) their is more but these are the ones i like the most also if u get a component system it helps because u get the crysp sound from the tweeter (highs) and the bass (lows) from the speaker also their is this guy on here that added more spearkers to his ride it came pretty cool ill try and look for his link and post it, but what every u do if u change one set of speakers you have to change them all or it wont sound good, so dont just do the front and leave the back stock.

ps dont let the price fool you check out ebay i got mine for $60 shipped for a set of PolkA

i almost forgot, dont let a shop tell you that you need speaker adapters because you really dont all you need is butt conecters to conect you speaker wire with the after market one and thats all

I got my stock speakers replaced by Audiobahn ACS2062 ( 6.5" 2 WAY, 200 WATTS MAX). It sounds much better than the stock ones giving good sufficient amount of bass & trebile.
If you want extra sharpness, you could also add a pair of tweeters pretty good ones from Pyramid TW27. It has Motorola driver in it & sound sharp n good (cheap $ )they install easily under the dash.

thanks ginzy (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/member.php?u=290418), Audiobahn is also one of the top speakers out their how could i have forgotten oh well it happens

i was looking up on ebay and found this ...what do u think about it. Seems fairly priced to me. Pardon my igonrance on this subject, but i always thought that "component" speakers meant that i would get like about 6 speakers. Should i assume that those little things are also speakers (lol). Anyway if i do get this ( or another by your recommendation) would i order 2 sets? Your help is immensely appreciated.

Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SONY-XS-HF600G-2-WAY-CAR-STEREO-COMPONENT-SPEAKERS_W0QQitemZ5801096313QQcategoryZ32819QQrdZ1 QQcmdZViewItem

i was looking up on ebay and found this ...what do u think about it. Seems fairly priced to me. Pardon my igonrance on this subject, but i always thought that "component" speakers meant that i would get like about 6 speakers. Should i assume that those little things are also speakers (lol). Anyway if i do get this ( or another by your recommendation) would i order 2 sets? Your help is immensely appreciated.

Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SONY-XS-HF600G-2-WAY-CAR-STEREO-COMPONENT-SPEAKERS_W0QQitemZ5801096313QQcategoryZ32819QQrdZ1 QQcmdZViewItem

component speakers mean:

Component speaker systems (also called "separates") feature separate woofers, tweeters, and crossovers. Components deliver realistic sound with outstanding imaging in the car, making them the choice of serious audio enthusiasts.

those "little things" are the tweeters (highs)

sony is always a good brand, but what sort of power does you head unit put out?

So i am getting 2 sets ...right?

yes you need 2 sets one set for the front and the other set for the back

Any of the premium speakers mentioned in this thread will sound better than the factory stock speakers... if optimally driven. That's a rather big "if." I replaced all four with Infinity 6002 si, hoping to drive them off the factory head unit. That setup is only partly successful.

Premium speakers are made of superior materials. They have cones made from materials like polypropylene, polymers, and composites; rubber surrounds that allow the cone to push more air without distortion; exotic films and composites in the tweeters, etc. That's all great for making sound -- problem is, it takes more power to properly drive those materials, as opposed to what it takes to drive the lightweight paper cones in the factory speakers. I chose the 6002's because, compared to other speakers in their class, they have a high sensitivity rating and a lower low end of the RMS power range. My hope was that the factory head would output enough power to drive them directly. It drives them adequately, but not optimally. They still need more power -- not so much for sheer volume, but for the "punch" that quality speakers can deliver at any volume (if optimally driven).

So you really need to add a power booster (it's my next project -- well, maybe after those roof rack marker lights...). If you commit to doing that from the start, then you really should go for component speakers, with two or three cones and integral crossover circuits that send each different frequency range to the cone with the best physics for reproducing it. Component speakers *definitely* need a lot of power to drive properly (at any volume), so you pretty much have to add the booster.

Unfortunately, while swapping speaker is a simple task, installing a power booster and routing all the wiring is not. Not that it's terribly complicated or anything, but to do it right you might have to pull up carpet and trim pieces to route wiring around; you've got to pull the head out and access the wiring harness; etc.

Good luck. Let us know what you decide.

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while swapping speaker is a simple task, installing a power booster and routing all the wiring is not.

I forgot to mention, Crutchfield.com has a very good tutorial on installing one:
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-OVkIhHyjobE/learningcenter/car/amplifier_installation_guide.html

In general, crutchfield is an excellent source of information. Anything not on their web site, call. They know their stuff.

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Not that i want to continue this unnecessarily. However, Balboa mentioned about a power booster and i am wondering if i will do damage if i installed it after doing the speakers. As you can tell i am even more inexperienced that a rookie at this. So should i order those Sonys? or can u recommend something else? I'd like to make a final on this before Monday..

Thanks

it all depends what your budget is if you have about $600 you can change the head unit put and amp or 2 and swap the speakers heres what i fig $150 for a good head unit $250 for 2 amps and $150 for the components 2 sets now this is if you install it all if not your looking at about another $200 including parts now thats also if you take your time and look around dont rush into things for example you can buy say a head unit now then when you find a good price on amps get them then so on ones you have everything install it.

also i know that for a head unit they the shop and best buy Circuit city and almost any other shop will intall it for free also the dash kit to intall the heas unit is $10 at walmart and the wire harnes is like $50 at any stereo shop but not best buy or Circuit they sell it for like $85

it all depends what your budget is

Ah yes, that pesky little budget thing!

There is another consideration if you plan to swap the head unit -- you will lose the chimes (Thank God!) and likely OnStar, if you have it. That stuff is routed through the radio. You can buy an adapter to "capture" it and pump it into an aftermarket head unit, but that's just another expense, another box to wire up, and another failure point.

OTOH, you can pick and choose your features (multi-CDs, MP3, WMA, remote control (is the dashboard really *that* far to reach?), etc.). They also just plain make better sound (higher quality audio circuits, more oversampling, etc.). Also, most have preamp outputs, making it that much easier to wire up a power amplifier.

So, there are several price points:

Budget: Swap out the 4 speakers with good quality, non-component units (e.g., the 6002's, $50/pair on eBay), and add 2 power amps (possibly later). This will give you the cleanest sound (and plenty of volume) out of your factory head unit.

High end: See coolblink's post. You can do this in steps. I'd go head unit first, then amps and speakers later (you really don't want to do component speakers first; your factory head unit just can't drive them, and you won't be happy with the sound).

Mid-range: Find a head unit with good output power, high efficiency non-component speakers, and no amp. This will be the easiest to wire up.

Not to over-hype them (no connection or anything), but this is crutchfield's strong point. Call them up, give them a budget, and tell them what you listen to and what you want to achieve. They'll walk you through the trade-off's of spending more money here and less there, and can advise you on what you need to do now and what can wait (and what to buy now if you know what you're going to add later).

This can be confusing, particularly when you start looking at the dazzling array of options. Like all gadget purchases, if you're like me, watch out for what I call "feature creep" -- every bell and whistle you read about becomes a "must have" option, and before long you've blown your budget. The good news is that if you stick to good stuff (Kenwood, Pioneer, Infinity, Blaupunkt, etc.), once you hook it up it will almost certainly sound a lot better than the factory rig.

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