Opinions wanted on sound upgrade

[Ardan]

Hello! I have a 1994 Cutlass Ciera S (3.1L V6) here that has just hit 130,000 miles on it and it is doing great, minus the transmission. I'm going to eventually buy a new car, but not for another year (at least a year). I've always thought the sound coming out of it with my JVC head unit was decent, but the lows and mids have been lacking. What I'm planning on doing is leaving the front speakers intact (the high notes it produces are good) but replacing the rear 6x9 speakers and amplifying them. I won't do a sub woofer based solely on personal opinion. I have a Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 for my PC here, and the home theater system is great but I just, personally, don't want a sub in my car.

I'm going to break these things up and not do them all at once so that I can get some decent components. I plan to get some good speakers and a good amp (possibly a new head unit too) for the purpose of taking them out and installing them in a new car when I get one (that way I don't get stuck with crap sound). I'm sure i'll have to look at the front speakers at that point in time, but thats fine.

I saw the ratings of speaker brands, but I had questions about specific models. I am leaning towards buying them off of Crutchfield.com, too (friends have had good experiences with them). If someone wants to see just what i'm looking at as far as selection goes, the car choice would be a '1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera' as can be found up at the top of this post. These stuck out in my head, especially since i've heard one of them:

Pioneer TS-A6991R 5-Way 6" x 9"
JBL Power P953 3-Way 6 x 9
Infinity Kappa 693.7i 3-Way 6 x 9

The two I haven't heard are the JBL P953 and the Infinity Kappa 693.7i speakers. The Infinity kappas seem to get some positive mentions when I tell people I'm going to replace those speakers. I saw those infinity speakers are ~$250 on Crutchfield, which is okay with me. I have heard someone discussing some Polk 'DB690' speakers, which are on that list too. Anyone have any opinions on these? It seems that everyone in that 'customer reviews' section seem to like those Infinity speakers.

I'm hazy on the amp though. I won't get the amp right away with the speakers, so I have time to think of that one. I don't want some super-ultra-mega amplifier, just a good one that will get the job done. I can see the power range goes up to 110W for them. Any ideas on what amps you think I should lean towards (2-channel, 4-channel, etc)?

I was planning this earlier, but the transmission had troubles! Slippage, doesn't really go in reverse, etc. Turns out there was a problem with a term that someone kind of mumbled to me (I wasn't around to hear the explanation), but basically it got hot enough to slightly MELT 2 of the clutches. It is going to cost $500 (mostly for all the parts they need to swap out and put back in it) but i'm sure it would have cost a lot more if we didn't pull the transmission out ourselves. Doesn't need a new transmission...phew! Now I can get back to the audio part.

[PlayStation3]

do you not want a sub becuase of the space becuase elemental designs make a 6.5 subwoofer/driver also i wouldn't get 6 by 9 for 10 bucks you can get brackets that will 6.5 fit like a glove. also when you see more then 2 way speakers that are coaxials then think distortation )sp) the more ways the worst the distortion is. so what i would do is get a good pair on compenots for the front and amplify them . then get the elemental design 6.5 ( Eu 700 is the product name) and amplfy them then you got a pretty decent set up for not hard hitting bass but just a good overall daily system.

[Ardan]

No, its not because of the space. I just simply don't need a sub in my car. There's nothing wrong with putting an appropriately-sized sub in a car, its just that I simply can't justify buying one for my car. The low range notes of good speakers (even the stock ones, in some genres) is okay with me. I also usually never found the 'thumping bass' from subwoofers in cars i've been in to be particularly appealing to my ears. Like I said, its just a personal preference .

I think i'd have to think over a decision on component speakers. I'm not entirely sure i'd like to do that, but I do recognize the sound advantage you mention. Because, after all, i'm just looking for a decent sound upgrade in back and generally don't want to do anything to the front, at least not now.

[BigBL87]

If you're just looking for a little more bass, then the Pioneer 6x9's will do the job. That's what I have in the rear in my Grand Prix. They get the job done at a decent price. Mine, though, are 3 way, so if you're just going for a little more bass, I'd go with those instead. Both cheaper, and less distortion.

As for subs, just cause you put them in, you won't neccesarily be thumping. I'm putting two 10" subs in my car. I'm not looking for thumping bass (although I'm sure I'll thump it on occasion), it's basically to complete the sound range, cuz I want just a little more than my 6x9's can give me. I'd rather have put one sub in, but I had two and it just looked better to have a dual box over a single. Really, I'd go with Playstation on the idea of getting a small sub, just makes more sense to me.

[Ardan]

Originally Posted by BigBL87

If you're just looking for a little more bass, then the Pioneer 6x9's will do the job. That's what I have in the rear in my Grand Prix. They get the job done at a decent price. Mine, though, are 3 way, so if you're just going for a little more bass, I'd go with those instead. Both cheaper, and less distortion.

As for subs, just cause you put them in, you won't neccesarily be thumping. I'm putting two 10" subs in my car. I'm not looking for thumping bass (although I'm sure I'll thump it on occasion), it's basically to complete the sound range, cuz I want just a little more than my 6x9's can give me. I'd rather have put one sub in, but I had two and it just looked better to have a dual box over a single. Really, I'd go with Playstation on the idea of getting a small sub, just makes more sense to me.

Thanks. Someone else said to go with Pioneer 6x9s or the Infinity Kappa 693.7i ones for a decent upgrade, so I'll do that probably. I also plan to update my head unit a bit and go with JVC's KD-HDR1. Most of that is because of the multicast-ready HD Tuner it has in it, because all but one of the radio stations in my area utilize that in HD Radio broadcasts. The other reason is my current deck is giving me issues, and I have the money to just replace it. I hear you on the subwoofer completing the sound range.

I'm open to the idea of getting a small sub, at least eventually if I decide on it. So you mean to say that, aside from 6x9 replacements and an amplifier, getting a subwoofer? I probably wouldn't get a very big one, though, since I am concerned about space and it isn't viewed by me as an essential component of my car's audio system. Its just simply that good speakers that are amplified just simply sound acceptable to me without a sub. I also need to watch how much I spend, and leaving out a sub is a good idea. However, I can always buy one down the road if I want to.

[BigBL87]

I hear you on watching the spending. I've been having to deal with that, which is why my subs aren't up and running yet. I have to get a job and replace my HU, buy an amp, and then get it all hooked up. I'll probably be replacing my front speakers too, if I get the money. So far, with the exception of my subs, I've gone or am going all Pioneer, pretty much becuase it's decent for the cost (which is great for a poor college student).

[drew300]

This is my 2nd try, incase the 1st shows up....
In my van, I wanted "a little extra" without going overboard.
I think there's 5" or 6" in the doors, with 6X9's in the back.
I added a cheap sub with a 6" speaker and a claimed 60 W. It fits under the seat. With its volume control, I adjusted it to add to the sound, not add that 1 note boom that seems so popular. and it will probably fit in my next vehicle too.
It sounds fine, and it's cheap.

[Ardan]

Speaking of updates, it turns out my JVC head unit is acting a little quirky. What someone didn't mention before we took out the engine and transmission (the 2nd clutch drum had issues that screwed other stuff up...but a new transmission wasn't needed!), that I just learned tonight, was that it wouldn't play or eject a CD that was inside the deck. They turned the deck off and then when they hit the CD eject button while the engine was off, the deck turned on to eject but, instead of ejecting and turning off again, it just immediately turned off again. It plays the radio just fine, but CD use is out of the question apparently.

Since I'm spending money, I might as well swap that out. How do you guys feel about satellite radio? I always hear people talk about the content, but nobody ever talks about quality. I figure that, with all the channels they're trying to cram in, the sound quality isn't terribly amazing. Am I wrong? Most of the radio stations around here are really good HD radio broadcasters too. Besides, I really should get an iPod adapter anyways. I'll certainly go with the JVC KD-HDR1, especially considering it already has a built-in HD tuner. How about the satellite radio, though? If someone has sat radio, can they comment on the quality? If i'm mistaken about the quality, please elaborate why!

[PaulD]

You are exactly right about sat radio ... the mega channels has degraded the sound quality because of the fixed bandwidth.

[Ardan]

Originally Posted by PaulD

You are exactly right about sat radio ... the mega channels has degraded the sound quality because of the fixed bandwidth.

Thats a shame. HD Radio it is!

[Galuple]

Not to mention, sat radio has the monthly rates... best to just get a new head unit that plays CDs and carry a fat CD wallet with you at all times.

[Ardan]

Originally Posted by Galuple

Not to mention, sat radio has the monthly rates... best to just get a new head unit that plays CDs and carry a fat CD wallet with you at all times.

Well I do have an iPod that is quite loaded. I'll install an adapter with whatever deck I choose (with that option), too! That way, I can eliminate the fat CD wallet and just simply carry a fat wallet, period!

[PaulD]

if you are considering MP3 then the sat radio won't be that bad