Good simple car audio upgrade
 

I have a 2007 Honda civic Lx 2door coup and I haven't added anything to my car yet. I have searched around the web for a cheap simple way to boost my car audio but haven't found anything that seems that great. I've seen people talk about adding a self powered subwoofer but not convinced if that is a good idea or not.
A few things i am wondering about as well is if I can keep my stock headunit and still hook up a amp and sub, or anything that can give me some extra quality in sound?

Overall what im trying to ask is if someone could provide me with the easiest way to get better sound in my car and giving it some bass. Like what components should i upgrade first or add (deck, speakers, or add sub and amp) preferably not changing the head unit since id have to get a new dash piece to make DIN sockets.

I understand that you can only get as good of quality as you spend but I just wanted to see if anyone knows some cheap tricks to get the most with very little. Like part time pay little =P but big ideas are always welcome for future investments!
THANKS in advance to all who can shoot me some solid ideas!

Hit up craigslist for a little amp/sub. $200 can get you a nice little upgrade in the bass deparment. I assume you will need a shop to install which is usually 125-150 I believe. I forget if that includes a wiring kit. You will also need a line out converter to be able to use your oem deck.
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What kind of sub and amp should i look for (like amp specs ect.) and is there a specific type of line out converter i should look for? (srry just want to be sure)
What are the downfalls of using that kind of set up? or is it not that noticeable?
Thanks for the reply btw!!

The most gratifying first upgrade you can make to a factory sound system in most any car is a subwoofer.

1. Get a new (or good used) high powered mp3 deck. 50Wx4 ... I have Alpine and highly recommend it. Note: not the cheaper 18Wx4 deck. Visions sometimes have them on sale for less than $200 installed. Pick one that has a sub out for future plans, just in case. Keep stock speakers to see if you like the improvement in sound. I couldn't believe the difference a high powered deck made with stock speakers. I have rear 6x9's as stock speakers though and I'm surprised how much bass I can get with those paper cone rear factory speakers. If you have 6.5's you may or may not notice the difference.
2. If you are still not satisfied, then switch out front stock speakers with brand name ones ... keep your eyes open for good used. See if you can find components for the fronts. Don't bother changing the rears.
3. If you're still not satisfied and need a bit more bass, get a sub in a box with an amp mounted on the back (CL has tons for less than $150). Run wiring and power to trunk. Let your deck power your front components, turn off the rears (fader or disconnect), and get that sub setup in the back. You will be a happy camper by now.

That should do the trick. You asked for 'simple'. Of course, if you have unlimited cash we can talk about custom, 4 channel amp, focal, etc. but for 'simple', do the above because you can add things one at a time and see if you like the improvement.

I'm in the "add a sub" category too. As an IASCA sound quality judge, I've heard many things to improve your sound from stock. The sub set-up is the biggest bang for your buck in my professional opinion.
There are many great deals out there. Just make sure that you get to listen to it first to make sure that it works properly or buy new for a few more $ and get a warranty.

there's a lot of different options that you can go with but first things first:
how much are you willing to spend?

Remember, Craigslist can be cheap...but often unreliable. If you buy new then you will be bale to take advantage of warranty, service and expert advice on any given product. Just a thought.

My question to you is, how serious are you with listening to music?

Are you looking for quality or wanting to blow people away with shit loads of bass?

I would go with deck first. A deck that will meet your needs now and well into the future as you build a system. With an aftermarket deck, you get clean, decent power and connectivity (iPod, nav, satellite radio, A/V, etc.). You can upgrade with external amps, better speakers, processors, etc. later with ease.

Yes, there are plenty of upgrade options available that will integrate your stock system to all kinds of aftermarket equipment, but in the end, you will still be limited.

I always think weakest link. If you purchase really good speakers, and run crappy stock deck signal to it, it'll sound crappy. If you have stock shitty speakers, but run clean, distortion free power from a decent aftermarket deck to it, it will improve the sound. You will eventually want more dynamic sound. That's when you upgrade to external amps, crossovers, and better speakers.

All depends on your taste and budget.

People like to keep that stock look, but in the hands of a great installer, integration of an aftermarket deck into your car is totally possible.


just some random suggestions.

Thank you all for your help!!! I have some awesome Ideas now and I think I'm going to with the New deck (have to find out where to buy civic dash trim though) and see if i can snagg my uncles sub and amp he has in his garage.

Now that I have an Idea of what I want.. Any suggestions on what gear to get? Like deck, amp, sub specs. Even recommended brands!

Thanks!!

Stay away from Alpine if you are in any way interested in adding a nav. The decks themselves are good, but their nav units are pieces of crap.

Since you are going to use your uncle's sub and amp, go with a deck with the features you want. Do your research and take your time. If sound quality is important to you, look for a deck with features that are geared toward that. I would also concentrate on ergonomics. How easy is it to adjust things. Some people like large volume control, while others don't. I had an el cheapo Alpine deck that was installed on my beater. Everytime I went for the volume control, my finger would hit the source select button, which was ridiculously close. Stupid design. Good thing it was a 75 dollar investment, LOLOLOL.

Look at the voltage of the preamp section. Most decks are, or at least used to be, 2 volts out. Higher end decks have 5 or more volts out. May or may not be in your budget or even important to you. Go not to one place, but everywhere humanly possible to try out various decks. Most reputable shops will invite you to try and listen to decks installed in a car. Give you "real life" idea of what the deck feels like and is capable of doing - afterall, you are going to build as you go. Might as well see the unit all decked out (pun intended).

I know you are on a budget and money is an issue, but resist buying used or getting shit on-line. You'd be pleasantly surprised at what kind of prices you can get stuff for locally. Not only that, the service and support you get is worth its weight in gold. I, personally, have never bought shit on-line. Not worth it in the long run. Warranty is another thing to consider. Just my two bits...............

BTW, I'm not affiliated with any shops. I'm just a car audio fanatic that's been at it for a long time.

Oh, don't forget to visit all the sponsors here on Revscene. All of them are good guys. I shit you not. If you are going to attempt to install it yourself, because you are interested in getting into car audio and have some skills, cool. These shops can give you lots of advice. If you would rather have it done professionally, because you'd rather spend your time doing more important things and for the peace of mind, then the sponsors here at RS are among the best.

If you do decide to go for it and do it yourself, ask here for help. This section of Revscene IS about getting help on car audio.

It's a one stop shop... :whistle:

http://www.soundsgoodauto.com/

I suggest Clarion or Alpine head unit, remember try to look for a high power head unit (50Wx4). I have no idea about Nav system on Alpine units ... why anyone would want to put a Nav system into their head unit when they are like < $100 at futureshop and you can move a portable one to your other car or bring it with you when you travel ... I'll never know.

If you get an AV unit, a nav through the screen is awesome. None of this lame little screen hanging off of some shitty windshield mount crap. God $100.00 one to boot, LOLOLOLOL. How ghetto is that?

That's fine, you don't have to be a jerk about your preference nor do I want to debate you on the merit of a portable one vs. Nav system installed into your head unit in your car. Not the point of this thread. OP did begin with words 'simple car audio upgrade'. I'd say a Nav system is more than 'simple', wouldn't you?

So btw, have you been able to bring your Nav System in your head unit with you if you flew to Florida, Toronto, NY, or LA for work or vacation? Or would you have to rent a 'little screen hanging off a shitty windshield mount' one from car rental company for $10/day? Some GPS are like 5" ... that's pretty damn big enough for me. And your head unit is usually lower in the dash so you have to look down whereas a mounted portable one can be in your visual line. Anyhow, more power to you if you want a Nav system ... there are very good reasons why someone would prefer a portable/'ghetto' one. No need to be so down on us who are simple and 'ghetto'.

kettle is black?


get over it.

I love my Pioneer Nav in my car. Its accurate, detailed and very easy to use. I also have a Tomtom that I bring with me on vacation when I rent a car because its cheap and I don't want to spend the $10 a day on a rental unit that sucks. If I had the Tomtom in my own car I would slit my wrists. Nothing beats my Pioneer for Nav!

I'm so jelly. Alas, I cannot get rid of the W505. Too many AiNet peripherals to get rid of, too.

So Pioneer nav is based on Garmin?

My 2 cents

By a 4 channel amp.
Run 2 channels to some new front speakers.
Bridge the other 2 channels and run it to a sub.

You can keep the stock deck or buy a new one.
If you buy an aftermarket beck by one with a 3 way xover so you want more bass and better sound quality down the road you can run all 4 channels to your front speakers and get a separate amp for your sub(s).

With all due respect, if you buy a 4 ch amp with stock deck, you're going to have to get the signal from the speaker wire into your 4 ch amp which now becomes a high level input with noise already introduced (by crappy stock head unit) vs. RCA pre-out input from an aftermarket deck. I'm 99% sure no car audio shop would recommend this as 1st addition.

Why not get a half decent deck with good cleaner power (50Wx4) and 2 sets of pre-outs and try that with stock speakers first? Then add amp if necessary and/or sub?

Hmmm I agree with getting a new deck first, Anyone know where you can get dash trim to fit din sockets for a 2007 honda civic? I dont need the full shebang of dash trim, just the part that covers the head unit

Don't worry about that, let your installer take care of it and get you the dash fit kit.

The place you get your deck from can get you the trim kit. If they don't have it in stock, it's usually a day away from the distributor.

There are three colour options for your dash. we keep the most popular one in stock and the others are a day away.