First gen Mazda3 audio upgrade help
 

I want to upgrade my audio system in my car. I currently have the entry level stock OEM system, and it doesn't have enough bass for my liking.

From my limited knowledge in this, I think the 3 components I need are:
- head unit
- speakers
- amp

I'm not an audiophile, but I do know better quality music when I hear it. But I'm not sure if this is overkill to get all 3 things. I've read some people claiming just upgrading one of the above was already a decent upgrade. But the whole discussion seemed to be debatable, or myth vs fact, etc. But say if I only chose one, which would be the most important that would make the biggest difference?

Currently, my car has no AUX input, or USB capabilities, so once I'm done with the mods, I want to be able to have USB capabilities, or at the very least, AUX input. But the other challenge is whether or not I'll still be able to keep my steering wheel controls functioning.

I need some guidance as I really don't even know how/where to start.

headunit, amp and speakers will be a nice upgrade overall. However if your goal is mainly to get some more bass then you would probably want to add a subwoofer to your system

Your basic head unit with gps. works with steering wheel controls.

Mazda In Dash Navigation - Lightinthebox.com

kind of pricey though.

I installed one of those and it was absolute JUNK. Freezing screen, laggy ipod control, non-functioning steering wheel control and really poor quality interface and sound quality. It was terrible.

That said, even a basic deck upgrade with bluetooth, USB/Ipod will make a big difference in sound quality and options. I would then grab a subwoofer and small mono amp and you'll be set for bass. Down the road you can save a few more bucks then upgrade your front speakers. Upgrading the front speakers alone at this point will not get you any more bass than what you have right now.

is a subwoofer absolutely necessary? I didn't want to get one because trunk space is really important for me.

At this point, I could buy one thing at a time and test it out to see whether I like it before moving on to more parts.

Do you know if my steering wheel controls will still work with the deck?

If you want good bass then yes, you will need a sub. We have a very tiny 8" sub and box that will take up very little space and will give you some amazing sound. You can also remove it if need be. The amp can go under the passenger seat tucked out of the way. For Steering wheel controls there is a module that you will need to install but its definitely do-able.
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Not sure if I mentioned, I have the hatchback version. Will a tiny 8" sub get in the way if I were to pull down the rear seats when I need to "flatbed" mode the trunk? And what dimensions are considered tiny?
Also, how easily removable is a sub?

And what kind of price range should I be expecting for an audio upgrade?

Another option is to get a 4 channel amp. Run a good set of component speakers off the front two channels and install 6.5 or 8" midbass/ bass woofers in the rear doors. You would just low pass the rear woofers to be used as dedicated bass/midbass drivers. Adding a sub would be simpler and probably cheaper but this method wouldn't take up any extra space

If you want bass you're better off adding a subwoofer. They make slim subwoofer now to help reduce the size of the box.

Changing speakers may help with mid bass but it's still not the sub bass that most people are looking for.

There's some other options also but custom tends to cost quite a bit more. Really comes down to whether your budget is more important or saving space is more important.

Focal makes some sub/amp that might fit under your seat. I've done a couple in hatchbacks with decent results.

http://www.focal-america.com/speakers/ibus-20/

It's not crazy loud, but like a good stock subwoofer.

The GT trim has a sub under the driver seat stock (I've never seen, but been told). Is there a similar after market one?

edit: quick google search - proof is in the pic - http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showt...-MS3-subwoofer

That 'sub' is a lot like the stock STi sub which is pretty sad and a complete waste of money. Even the aftermarket Kenwood, Bazooka and Fusion 6" sub for under the seat are all pretty forgettable. The JL CP108 is an 8" sub in a ported box that measures 11" X 17" by only 5" deep. Like I said, its small but has an incredible output for its size. If you'd like I can demo it for you in my Fit if you're in the Coquitlam area. Its a bit too big to fit under the seat.

I don't have the GT trim. I think mines GS, but either way, I've got the most basic audio package.

I actually stumbled upon this head unit:
Eonon D5151 | Car DVD | Specific Car DVD | Car DVD for Mazda 3

It matches the rest of my dashboard and looks "OEM".
There's a bunch of features, like it can support the steering wheel controls... so I guess that's good.

Has anyone heard of this brand?

That is another junk chinese unit. Please don't waste your money on one of these! The last one I installed was so bad, my customer had me take it out a week later to replace it with a Pioneer unit. Remember that you get what you pay for!
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lol! What do you recommend for head unit upgrade? I want to focus on that first and just go from there. I figure I can deal with the amp and sub or whatever else I need at a later time.
I actually don't need all the fancy gadgets that most touchscreens come with (although it would look nice),
but I'm looking for something where I can just "plug it in and go", maintaining my steering wheel controls, and having USB (playing from my phone) capabilities.

I've been doing too much research these past few days and it's getting frustrating and it's starting to hurt my head now. haha

Pioneer and JVC are good these days. Alpine and Kenwood are not quite as good IMO. Best bang for the buck is the JVC 310 and the Pioneer Avic X950. Yes, more expensive than the Eonon but infinitely better.
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I've decided to just keep it simple and go with a deck from Futureshop (since I have a gift card).
I don't really need touch screen so that'll lower the cost.
I still haven't decided to go with single or double DIN.

I might be tackling this wrong, but I'm focusing on the "RMS" value.
Most are 20 RMS, a few are 22 RMS. How much difference do these values make?
And what is the OEM Mazda3 RMS?

OEM is about 7-8 watts. 20 watts is totally fine. 22 is better but I doubt you'll notice a difference.

Anyways, looks like you're banned. And as usual, we help you out, give you great information and you decide to go elsewhere. You should really get it installed with a quality shop unless you like 18 year olds working on your car. LOL.

Sorry, I'm not ready for the top notch stuff from your shop. :)

The price of that cheap Chinese HU already made me cringe. I was on the fence about it.
So it's beyond my budget to go for something even more expensive.

I came in here unaware how much a full system mod would be, so as the days went by,
I also learnt I'm not going to be able to afford a full system at the moment, and just a deck upgrade would suffice.

Little did I know, even a nice deck alone could break my bank too, so I'm just lowering the bar now. haha.
I have a friend that can do a simple deck install for me, if I can't figure it out myself first.

Thanks for your help.

For around $400 or less you should be able to get a double din deck with a bunch of speakers installed from a sponsor. I got a double din kenwood deck no screen/nav installed in my dads old ML500 for around that price. I wasn't expecting much but it sounds better than before.

^ for labor only right? Because there is no way it would cost $400 for parts and labour for a deck and speakers

A full basic audio setup will cost around $1000-2000 depending on which products you choose.
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So a bunch of these decks include a remote... what are they even for??
Am I supposed to duct tape them to the steering wheel or something?

:suspicious:


Should cost way more than that I'm thinking... at $400, I would jump on this offer, and /end thread.

Just a HU with install.