Car AudioCar audio related questions and helpful hints for building the best sound system for your car or getting the most out of what you have.
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My brother is looking to moderately upgrade the system in his fourth gen (i know, i know. what can you do?) and doesn't want any major mods, boxes, or inconveniences. Plus he has a pretty tight budget.
Now I just read Old One Eye's 2001 CES report and found out that there are a few companies that offer 6.5" subs (no, NOT component woofers). Are these worthwhile (and affordable)? I was considering 8" woofers, but he wasn't too thrilled about the idea of modifying his car. 6.5" woofers would fit in the stock rear speaker mounts. On paper, it seems like the perfect solution for him.
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well i've never had experience with 6.5" subs, but I have heard 6.5" component speakers. I wouldnt expect much bass from a 6.5 in the 6x9 location, there would be no enclosure for them to move air. some companies do make home audio components that have dual 6.5" subs in a special enclosure that sound really nice, but thats because of the enclosure they are in. if you want to add some bass but you dont want to fill the hatch with subs, look into the JL Audio microsubs. They are 8" subs in mini enclosures that can fit in really small spaces. I've held them up close and they are very small!! They come in single 8's, double 8's, or tripple 8's configurations. Maybe demo a 8.2 (2 8's) or a 8.3 (3 8's) right behind the rear seats (where the pull shade thing is). that way you can still have the 6x9's for the midrange sound and the 8's for bass. or you can always try aura bass shakers (but i think those r lame). hope that helps. latez
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--- Current Daily Driver ---
Maroon 1989 Camaro RS - Crappy 305 TBI / Auto
Hypertech Stage 2 Chip (and 160/ThermoStat), 2.5" Pipes,
No Cat, Flowmasters (Dual), GT Grant Wheel, 5% Tint all around,
50% on windshield, GTO Blackouts, Fixing rust and painting soon
I used to have a pair of 6.5" kicker free air subs, not sure if they were true subs or not but did kick a lil bass out of them. They were pretty monsterious looking speaker for 6.5"
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If its not a camaro or corvette then what is it really?
The problem with any 8" sub is that they'd have to fit in the original speaker mount area (for a fourth gen. no 6x9's) and they'd most likely require an enclosure, as you said. Not much room. I was just thinking that I could somehow pull it off with 6.5" subs.
The Kicker free air 6.5" ones sound interesting... Do they still make them? I'd rather not have to build a makeshift box for such a small enclosure.
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by TrueBlue91RS:
The Kicker free air 6.5" ones sound interesting... Do they still make them? I'd rather not have to build a makeshift box for such a small enclosure.</font>
Yes, we still make them in a 4 and 8 ohm, called the F65C4 or F65C8.
You may want to look at JL's web site. They have a few custom enclosures that fit in the side of the cargo area of the 4th Gen., and they take up no room at all. They fit in that little cubby hole just below the factory 6x9 in the rear.
They don't even get in the way of the factory T-top brackets that are in the well.
They're factory 4" holes, not 6x9s...I have the good ol' JL Audio Stealth box you are referring to
Its a great idea, and stays away from the t-top area entirely. And you know what?? It sounds even better when you get rid of the JL and put in a 10" Aluminum like I did
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Jason E
'89 Camaro RS
-Medium Grey Metallic
-2.8, A4, T-tops, 95k miles
-Hypertech chip, Accel 8.8MM wires and coil
-K&Ns with gutted airbox
-Alpine 60x4 with Boston 746s and RX97s
'97 Z28
-30th Anniversary package (white with orange stripes)
-LT1, M6, t-tops, 46k miles
-Xtant 403a 50x4 + 300x1 powering a 10" Eclipse Aluminum in a JL Stealth box, Boston RM6 fronts, Monsoon rears (temporary!!), Eclipse 5341R CD, All Monster's goodies...
Speed Kills...Wanna live forever? Drive a Ford.
Long Live #3...
If I had the cash and wanted to goof off, I would make myself a microsub with some of the 6w0 for ****s and giggles (for those not in the know, the microsub looks a long "D" with the woofers mounted on the flat part. They make a 1, 2 and 3 woofer model (all 8" woofers). A 6" model would be cool I think if you can use the bracket. Just a though.
Juan
[This message has been edited by OldOneEye (edited October 25, 2001).]
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Jason E: They're factory 4" holes, not 6x9s... </font>
I had a 94 Z28 and the Bose (crap) system had 1, count 'em, 1 - 6x9 in the back left panel right above the location shown for the Stealth box. That was the only rear speaker. The whole system consisted of two front door speakers and one 6x9 in that rear panel. That's what I was talking about.
If you ever had/ or if you have a earlier 4th gen with the Bose system then you would have known what I was talking about.
My apologies I agree, you are correct that '94 Bose's had the 1 random 6x9 in the trunk...my buddy used to have a '94 Z.
To rephrase, it's the '97-up Monsoon systems that have the 4" in the trunk...that's what happens when you order new cars all day...you tend to forget what the older stuff had
not familiar with the bose setups, but if he has the monsoon, just forget it. The amp is a major pos, and you not get better sound without upgrading the amp.
I agree...besides, I think the only thing you can even change with Monsoon is the head unit, unless you bypass the entire system like I did. The front speakers are DVC...if you want to change the speakers then you need to change the amp too I tried running my RMs with the factory amp temporarily, got everything unhooked then realized that the factory 6.5s were DVC, and my RM6s aren't. However, Monsoon rears are not. I am using them with my Xtant amp...only reason I am doing this for the rears is because right now I am feeling cheap
Plus, not ALL aftermarket CD players are compatible with Monsoon. When I bought my car, it had a POS but brand-new Pioneer in it, and I swapped my Alpine in shortly thereafter. Both of these worked. I then swapped in the Eclipse because I knew that head unit would be the end result for the system I was building, and the damn stereo stopped working!! Why? The Eclipse head unit was sensing resistance from the Monsoon amp and going into protection mode!!
Moral of the story: If Monsoon isn't good enough for you, you're gonna need to change every damn thing to make sure the end result works right. You can leave the factory head unit in and hook an amp to it, but then you're left with limited adjustability, and an overall-****ty CD player. If he wants to upgrade the sound without putting an amp and speakers in it, then he's outta luck...he isn't gonna get better sound by merely upgrading the rear speaker(s).
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Jason E
'89 Camaro RS
-Medium Grey Metallic
-2.8, A4, T-tops, 95k miles
-Hypertech chip, Accel 8.8MM wires and coil
-K&Ns with gutted airbox
-Alpine 60x4 with Boston 746s and RX97s
'97 Z28
-30th Anniversary package (white with orange stripes)
-LT1, M6, t-tops, 46k miles
-Xtant 403a 50x4 + 300x1 powering a 10" Eclipse Aluminum in a JL Stealth box, Boston RM6 fronts, Monsoon rears (temporary!!), Eclipse 5341R CD, All Monster's goodies...
Speed Kills...Wanna live forever? Drive a Ford.
Long Live #3...
[This message has been edited by Jason E (edited October 26, 2001).]
I used my factry Bose system. I was limited 'cause it's like the Monsoon system that yer talkin' 'bout. You can't add or change one thing.
All I did was add an Alpine 35x2 amp bridged into two 8ohm, 8" SAS Bazookas runnin' parallel. I used one of them there converters that switches low level input to high and all that good stuff. I jumped into the wires off that there single woofer in da back.
Sounded pretty gosh darn good if I so say so myself. "So myself." There, I said it.
from my experience, the smaller the sub, the more punchier effect. the larger the sub, the more deep bass you can get out of it. so it really depends on what type of sound your looking for, IMO.
Yeah, my brother's got the Bose system, otherwise I don't think that it would be an issue. He'd probably be alright with the monsoon setup. But even then, I think changing it over with a new head unit, amp, new speakers, and some sort of sub in the back would be a considerable upgrade. Not to knock monsoon or anything.
Took a look at the JL site and saw the custom fit sub. Man, they really did squeeze that thing in there perfectly!! MTX makes one as well, but I prefer JL anyway. If price wasn't as much of an issue, that would easily be the best solution. Maybe if one comes up on ebay sometime....
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by DJSexay: By all means, knock monsoon. It is the most distorted, crappy sounding POS excuse for a 'premium' sound system I have ever heard in my life. </font>
shhhh! you know, and I know...
Naw, I just don't want to step on anybody's toes. I've had people come up to me all proud of their "sweet" monsoon system. I don't have the heart to break it to them if they ask my opinion. If they like it....
Anyway, thanks for the URL. You literally read my mind. I was just going to ask where I could find a decent fourth gen site, and I was thinking: who better to ask than a hardcore audio guy working on his Firehawk?
I tried running my RMs with the factory amp temporarily, got everything unhooked then realized that the factory 6.5s were DVC, and my RM6s aren't. However, Monsoon rears are not. I am using them with my Xtant amp...only reason I am doing this for the rears is because right now I am feeling cheap 
