I just finished my install of the components I've listed below. I figured some people would be interested in how the whole setup sounds. I'll be posting the HOW later on when I'm not so damned tired. I spent most of my 8 hours of work fiddling with trying to find connectors and chasing tools that I misplaced, so proper preparation is definitely a good thing!
What I added:
sub, amp, another amp and 2 6x9's
all using high level inputs on the amps and the highest possible gain
I wanted to add the 6x9's to fill in the soundspace as the rear door speakers are kind of a joke. I tapped the front L/R for these. I tapped rear L/R for the sub.
The sound is vastly improved - I can now hear sound swell around me as opposed to mostly just from the front, and the bass is improved and strengthened. Other people may want to take some care in arranging as bass cancellation seems to happen easily if things aren't arranged right. Frequencies below 80hz seem to be progressively attenuated by the factory deck, as I feared. You just can't get the low UNGH chest hitting bass out of the factory system. Not unless you use some consumer EQ flattening device I'm not aware of (like Cleansweep?).
Also, even if you crank the gain on your amps to the highest possible setting, they will only be as loud as what the other speakers are doing - which makes the ones you put in seem quieter by comparison, as they are farther away (cargo area for me). A line driver or adjustable LOC used to boost the signal might be required.
I'm a little bummed that I can't get the proper 20-80hz thuds I crave out of this setup, but otherwise it definitely sounds about 300% better with the additional equipment in the car. However if you're looking for that gasp-inducing threshold of sound nirvana, you'll just have to replace the entire 2 ohm factory system including deck and speakers.
One last tip - use proper connectors behind the deck to splice your wires out. Wiretaps and vampire leads and all that junk - to hell with it, you're better off using some electric tape and bare wire. I put in 3 of those press-in taps and I broke them all open and started again. When I tested on a closed loop from a spare battery, I barely heard any music out of the test speaker and mostly just noise, and frequent on/off disconnects. Once I stripped the wires and twisted the strands together, and used crimp on connectors with some good tools, the connection went thumbs-up and the sound was loud and clear.
What I added:
sub, amp, another amp and 2 6x9's
all using high level inputs on the amps and the highest possible gain
I wanted to add the 6x9's to fill in the soundspace as the rear door speakers are kind of a joke. I tapped the front L/R for these. I tapped rear L/R for the sub.
The sound is vastly improved - I can now hear sound swell around me as opposed to mostly just from the front, and the bass is improved and strengthened. Other people may want to take some care in arranging as bass cancellation seems to happen easily if things aren't arranged right. Frequencies below 80hz seem to be progressively attenuated by the factory deck, as I feared. You just can't get the low UNGH chest hitting bass out of the factory system. Not unless you use some consumer EQ flattening device I'm not aware of (like Cleansweep?).
Also, even if you crank the gain on your amps to the highest possible setting, they will only be as loud as what the other speakers are doing - which makes the ones you put in seem quieter by comparison, as they are farther away (cargo area for me). A line driver or adjustable LOC used to boost the signal might be required.
I'm a little bummed that I can't get the proper 20-80hz thuds I crave out of this setup, but otherwise it definitely sounds about 300% better with the additional equipment in the car. However if you're looking for that gasp-inducing threshold of sound nirvana, you'll just have to replace the entire 2 ohm factory system including deck and speakers.
One last tip - use proper connectors behind the deck to splice your wires out. Wiretaps and vampire leads and all that junk - to hell with it, you're better off using some electric tape and bare wire. I put in 3 of those press-in taps and I broke them all open and started again. When I tested on a closed loop from a spare battery, I barely heard any music out of the test speaker and mostly just noise, and frequent on/off disconnects. Once I stripped the wires and twisted the strands together, and used crimp on connectors with some good tools, the connection went thumbs-up and the sound was loud and clear.
