00 Accord Coupe
05-04-2005, 07:54 PM
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00 Accord Coupe
Hello:
Looking to upgrade our stock audio system in 2000 Accord Coupe EX V-6. However, don't even know where to begin. I'd like a deep, rich sound, but I'm not looking for something that thumps and you can hear down the street.
I have a Klipsch THX system on my home PC and _love_ it! It has two satelites and one sub that makes a great sound. If I could find something like this, I'd be thrilled; however, b/c of my ignorance I'm concerned this would cost an arm and a leg to put into a car.
So where do I begin? When is an amp needed? What can I get for $500? Is the stuff at Best Buy going to be more than enough for what I'm looking for, or is that junk?
Is self-install easy to do? I can do wire and electrical work at home no problem, but the acoustics in audio seem much more specific. Is audio install something I could take on, or is it best to take to a shop?
Looking forward to your replies!
Looking to upgrade our stock audio system in 2000 Accord Coupe EX V-6. However, don't even know where to begin. I'd like a deep, rich sound, but I'm not looking for something that thumps and you can hear down the street.
I have a Klipsch THX system on my home PC and _love_ it! It has two satelites and one sub that makes a great sound. If I could find something like this, I'd be thrilled; however, b/c of my ignorance I'm concerned this would cost an arm and a leg to put into a car.
So where do I begin? When is an amp needed? What can I get for $500? Is the stuff at Best Buy going to be more than enough for what I'm looking for, or is that junk?
Is self-install easy to do? I can do wire and electrical work at home no problem, but the acoustics in audio seem much more specific. Is audio install something I could take on, or is it best to take to a shop?
Looking forward to your replies!
05-05-2005, 05:45 AM
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Q. So where do I begin?
Common starting point is the radio itself. Your budget will determine what brand you should look at. Best bang for the buck is Pioneer. It's a terrific brand with great features. Alpine has absolute top quality and innovative features.
By changing the radio, you will instantly change the sound of your car for the better.
Soon after the radio swap, replace your front and rear speakers. The sound from the headunit is only as good as your speakers. Becareful of the mounting depth of the locations though. You can't get these massive speakers because the mounting locations can't accomidate for the massive magnets on the high end models.
Q. When is an amp needed?
An amp is only needed when you want to run some massive power to your interior speakers or drop a subwoofer in the trunk. If you purchase a new radio with a strong internal amp (4 speakers by 20W RMS is the standard), then you won't need an amp for the front and rear speakers.
If you purchase component speakers (the kinds with the seperated door mount tweeter and woofer), then you'll need to amp your internal speakers.
If you want to run a subwoofer, then you want to match the power of the amp to the RMS of the subwoofer you want to purchase. Under powered amp to a huge woofer isn't the way to go. Over powered amp to a weak subwoofer isn't optimal either.
Also, take into account that if you start matching brands (Alpine radio to Alpine amp, Kenwood radio to Kenwood amp), you get some extra control features.
Also, buying the most massive amp on the market isn't good either. It's quite a strain on the alternator and electrical upgrades come into the picture. 400W to 500W is a safe limit to run on a stock electrical system.
Q. What can I get for $500?
Total? Speakers, Radio, Amp, and woofer? That's a tough one. I'll see if I can piece together something decent for that price ... get back to you on that one in a later post.
Q. Is the stuff at Best Buy going to be more than enough for what I'm looking for, or is that junk?
Best Buy carries all the popular brands like Kenwood, Alpine, and Pioneer. It's a good place to play and test out component combinations, but not to actually purchase. They're quite expensive.
Common starting point is the radio itself. Your budget will determine what brand you should look at. Best bang for the buck is Pioneer. It's a terrific brand with great features. Alpine has absolute top quality and innovative features.
By changing the radio, you will instantly change the sound of your car for the better.
Soon after the radio swap, replace your front and rear speakers. The sound from the headunit is only as good as your speakers. Becareful of the mounting depth of the locations though. You can't get these massive speakers because the mounting locations can't accomidate for the massive magnets on the high end models.
Q. When is an amp needed?
An amp is only needed when you want to run some massive power to your interior speakers or drop a subwoofer in the trunk. If you purchase a new radio with a strong internal amp (4 speakers by 20W RMS is the standard), then you won't need an amp for the front and rear speakers.
If you purchase component speakers (the kinds with the seperated door mount tweeter and woofer), then you'll need to amp your internal speakers.
If you want to run a subwoofer, then you want to match the power of the amp to the RMS of the subwoofer you want to purchase. Under powered amp to a huge woofer isn't the way to go. Over powered amp to a weak subwoofer isn't optimal either.
Also, take into account that if you start matching brands (Alpine radio to Alpine amp, Kenwood radio to Kenwood amp), you get some extra control features.
Also, buying the most massive amp on the market isn't good either. It's quite a strain on the alternator and electrical upgrades come into the picture. 400W to 500W is a safe limit to run on a stock electrical system.
Q. What can I get for $500?
Total? Speakers, Radio, Amp, and woofer? That's a tough one. I'll see if I can piece together something decent for that price ... get back to you on that one in a later post.
Q. Is the stuff at Best Buy going to be more than enough for what I'm looking for, or is that junk?
Best Buy carries all the popular brands like Kenwood, Alpine, and Pioneer. It's a good place to play and test out component combinations, but not to actually purchase. They're quite expensive.
Last edited by e3NiNe; 05-05-2005 at 05:50 AM.
05-05-2005, 06:46 AM
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I like this setup ...
Pioneer In-Dash CD Player (DEH-P7700MP) - $230
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ....do?oid=116335
Pioneer 6 1/2" 3-Way Speakers (TS-A1671R) (front) - $61 (with package discount)
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ....do?oid=117834
Pioneer 6" x 9" Speakers (TSA6970R) - 95.00
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ...l.do?oid=69874
Pioneer Mono Subwoofer Amplifier (GM7100M) - $169.99
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ....do?oid=117832
*turn down the "gain" on it to limit the power draw
SUBTOTAL: $555.77
*no subwoofer, subwoofer box, amp wiring, speaker harnesses, or radio harness purchased
Pioneer In-Dash CD Player (DEH-P7700MP) - $230
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ....do?oid=116335
Pioneer 6 1/2" 3-Way Speakers (TS-A1671R) (front) - $61 (with package discount)
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ....do?oid=117834
Pioneer 6" x 9" Speakers (TSA6970R) - 95.00
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ...l.do?oid=69874
Pioneer Mono Subwoofer Amplifier (GM7100M) - $169.99
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ....do?oid=117832
*turn down the "gain" on it to limit the power draw
SUBTOTAL: $555.77
*no subwoofer, subwoofer box, amp wiring, speaker harnesses, or radio harness purchased
05-05-2005, 06:52 AM
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One thing bothered me about the install in my daughter's '98 Accord Coupe EX V6 was the fact that the car has tweeters in the dash. I replaced the door speakers with Kenwood coax speakers I had from a previous install... I used the factory wiring, so the dash tweeters and the Kenwood coaxes are both being powered by the mid/high amp. Thus the highs tend to be a little harsh. Also, I'm thinking that the resulting resistance of the Kenwoods and the factory tweeters seems to be reducing the output of the front speakers. The mid/high 4-channel amp also powers some Kenwood 6x9's in the back shelf. To compensate for the stronger rear sound I tend to want to fade toward the front, but that's when the harshness of the front gets to be a little tiresome at times.
For bass, I have an old JL Audio enclosure that seems to give the system a pretty full low end, but it isn't very punchy. I've offered to swap out the JL vented enclosure with one 10-inch woofer for a sealed JL enclosure with two 10's... but she hasn't shown any interest in making the change or even just giving it a listen.
Another thing you'll have to consider is are you willing to give up the steering wheel controls? Going with an aftermarket headunit will require you to buy a device from PAC that changes the signal from the steering wheel controls in to an infared signal to control the new deck if you get one that is remote capable. The original deck we installed in her car was a Kenwood KDC-MP522... it worked with the PAC box, but then promptly died. I happened to have an older Kenwood KDC- MP8017 deck laying around so we went ahead and installed it in place of her dead deck. I had owned the KDC-MP8017 deck for a few years, so it was no real surprise when it died a few months later. I just replaced the second dead Kenwood with a used Alpine CDA-7995... which I may replace with a CDA-7897 with the Fantom Face.
If price were no option, I'd love to power her system with a JL Audio 500/5 instead of the two Kenwood amps we're running.
Overall, the 6th gen (?) Accord Coupe is not a bad vehicle for stereo install. The panels in the dash surrounding the stereo remove pretty easily. Running a good sized cable from the battery to the trunk is a bit more work. Replacing the rear deck speakers is not as easy as one would think, the grills have to be removed... and if I remember correctly, 4 screws from the underside of each speaker aren't the only thing holding the grills in place. Once the grills are removed, you them have to remove screws from the top... the rear window tends to get in the way.
Also, swapping out the door speakers requires removing the door panel, nto just the grill. I never attempted getting to the dash tweeters... way too much work.
Ooh, almost forgot... if you're pulling the stock (double DIN) radio out and replacing it with an aftermarket (single DIN) unit, you'll need something to cover the space below the new radio. I haven't looked at any install kits for this, I just bought a pocket with a door to go below the radio. It all bolted into the brackets behind the dash... no need to use the DIN chassis mounting sleeve.
Sorry for such a long post...
JD
For bass, I have an old JL Audio enclosure that seems to give the system a pretty full low end, but it isn't very punchy. I've offered to swap out the JL vented enclosure with one 10-inch woofer for a sealed JL enclosure with two 10's... but she hasn't shown any interest in making the change or even just giving it a listen.
Another thing you'll have to consider is are you willing to give up the steering wheel controls? Going with an aftermarket headunit will require you to buy a device from PAC that changes the signal from the steering wheel controls in to an infared signal to control the new deck if you get one that is remote capable. The original deck we installed in her car was a Kenwood KDC-MP522... it worked with the PAC box, but then promptly died. I happened to have an older Kenwood KDC- MP8017 deck laying around so we went ahead and installed it in place of her dead deck. I had owned the KDC-MP8017 deck for a few years, so it was no real surprise when it died a few months later. I just replaced the second dead Kenwood with a used Alpine CDA-7995... which I may replace with a CDA-7897 with the Fantom Face.
If price were no option, I'd love to power her system with a JL Audio 500/5 instead of the two Kenwood amps we're running.
Overall, the 6th gen (?) Accord Coupe is not a bad vehicle for stereo install. The panels in the dash surrounding the stereo remove pretty easily. Running a good sized cable from the battery to the trunk is a bit more work. Replacing the rear deck speakers is not as easy as one would think, the grills have to be removed... and if I remember correctly, 4 screws from the underside of each speaker aren't the only thing holding the grills in place. Once the grills are removed, you them have to remove screws from the top... the rear window tends to get in the way.
Also, swapping out the door speakers requires removing the door panel, nto just the grill. I never attempted getting to the dash tweeters... way too much work.
Ooh, almost forgot... if you're pulling the stock (double DIN) radio out and replacing it with an aftermarket (single DIN) unit, you'll need something to cover the space below the new radio. I haven't looked at any install kits for this, I just bought a pocket with a door to go below the radio. It all bolted into the brackets behind the dash... no need to use the DIN chassis mounting sleeve.
Sorry for such a long post...
JD