Upgrading Sound System

[BIGLex]

Looking for some advice from my sound enthusiast.

Here's what I plan on purchasing:



What am I missing?
I'm running the stock 430n Nav Head Unit & I know I need an adapter to be able to use the aftermarket speakers and amp but not sure what it's called or where to get it.

What do you guys think of this set up?

I'm not looking to shatter my windows or wake up my neighbors but I am pretty tired of the weak stock stereo system so I'm going to upgrade... Just want to make sure I do it right from the beginning so I'm not regretting anything later on.

Any tips or ideas on what I should do different?

Thanks everyone, really appreciate your expertise and input.

 

[srosario]

I say just change the stock radio, u'll be limited.
It'll make a big difference in sound specially after investing that much.

 

[el_chupo_]

Not a huge fan of JL speakers, but I used the 600/6 for mids and tweeters in one of my set-ups, no complaints about the amp. Worked well in my application.
Also have had great luck with KnuKonceptz wiring, but I have only ever run solid copper wire, never tried the CCA stuff


You would need an adapter to switch the high level inputs (speaker wires) to low level (RCA) for the input side of the amp. Line out converter, or LOC is the cheapest way, or you can run something like a RF 360, or JL Cleansweep, or one of several Audio Control products. Or you can go up from there to processor units, but that would get expensive. Keep in mind you will want to find one that offers a remote turn on output for the amp as well.

 

[billallen]

I have the 2650 JLs in my jeep sound great and will sound even better when I amp them

 

[big dr]

Make sure you put some hush mat on the inside of the sound bar,, then spray in some expanding foam(small amounts at a time and let dry!!) If you don't do something to the sound bar to take the hollow plastic sound out of it the speakers will always sound like crap compared to how they could be performing.:thumb:

 

[srosario]

Make sure you put some hush mat on the inside of the sound bar,, then spray in some expanding foam(small amounts at a time and let dry!!) If you don't do something to the sound bar to take the hollow plastic sound out of it the speakers will always sound like crap compared to how they could be performing.:thumb:

Hey thats true, i ended taking mines back down because it sounded like crap. took them down and fill it with foam and dynamat. what a big difference. and i also sealed the openning around the front speakers with silicone.
Good Catch BIG DR

 

[BIGLex]

I still have the stock speakers...
But I did the filling with PolyFill from some pillows I found.
Got this idea from one of the post & what a difference... Wow!!!
Sound so much better.
I filled the sound bar and also the back of the subwoofer speaker.

I do have a question.
The cost of everything I want is over what I thought...
In the mean time, will changing the speakers in the front and sound bar make a difference in sound?
I'm thinking I can take steps.
Get the speakers first, install them with the stock radio and then in a few months get the amp and subwoofer.

What do you guys think?

 

[shortyokc]

It will make somewhat of a difference and having a 91 dB sensitivity helps a lot when running off a head unit but you will still be limited on volume until you get a amp installed. I'm a big jl fan I'm using the cp208lg-w3v3 with a mono alpine 500w bridged @ 2 ohms and sounds great and jl tr650 csi components. I plan on adding a 4 channel amp but running off a pioneer avhp8400bh head unit for now

 

[UpsideUp]

I have been doing a lot of research on this over the last couple of weeks and have come up with this...
The reason your stereo sounds horrible is 1. It's in a Jeep and it's a horrible sound stage for music and 2. The music only sounds as good as the head unit driving it.
So...what I WAS thinking of doing was exactly as you mentioned and spending $1500 or so on JL and Cleansweep with new sub but what I figured is the best bet (cheapest, easiest) is replace the head unit.
This improves the signal that you hear and might sound way better with stock stereo speakers as opposed to amplifying a crappy signal and sending it through expensive equipment.
If that doesn't provide you with improvement then start working your way back.

 

[shortyokc]

yup crappy sound stage for sure, the 2 front speakers fire at your ankles, the 2 in the sound bar point straight down to your knees. the only thing that kinda helps is the 2 tweeter pods. when i first bought my jk i was tempted to do some q-forms which might still be a option later.

 

[big dr]

I have been doing a lot of research on this over the last couple of weeks and have come up with this...
The reason your stereo sounds horrible is 1. It's in a Jeep and it's a horrible sound stage for music and 2. The music only sounds as good as the head unit driving it.
So...what I WAS thinking of doing was exactly as you mentioned and spending $1500 or so on JL and Cleansweep with new sub but what I figured is the best bet (cheapest, easiest) is replace the head unit.
This improves the signal that you hear and might sound way better with stock stereo speakers as opposed to amplifying a crappy signal and sending it through expensive equipment.
If that doesn't provide you with improvement then start working your way back.

I would respectfully disagree. Todays stock head units are not bad at all!! However, the speakers installed at the factory are crap!! Just look at the size of the magnets and the construction material in the speakers. Plus,, you can buy nice speakers for a very reasonable price; whereas a new "high end" head unit is big bucks!! For the best bang for your buck improvement,,, I'd start with speakers and sound proofing the sound bar as described above. Good luck!:thumb::beer:

Oh ya,,, your music does not sound as good as the head unit driving it,, it only sounds as good as the precise movement of the speaker back and fourth to push air to create the sound wave. But,, it is a totality of all the components abilities.

 

[srosario]

I would respectfully disagree. Todays stock head units are not bad at all!! However, the speakers installed at the factory are crap!! Just look at the size of the magnets and the construction material in the speakers. Plus,, you can buy nice speakers for a very reasonable price; whereas a new "high end" head unit is big bucks!! For the best bang for your buck improvement,,, I'd start with speakers and sound proofing the sound bar as described above. Good luck!:thumb::beer:

Oh ya,,, your music does not sound as good as the head unit driving it,, it only sounds as good as the precise movement of the speaker back and fourth to push air to create the sound wave. But,, it is a totality of all the components abilities.

"In addition to accepting your audio sources, the purpose of the in-dash receiver is to output that audio to your car's speakers via its internal amplifier. The power of this amplifier is stated in two ways: peak power and RMS. The peak power is measured in watts and is the maximum amount of power that the amplifier is capable of producing. Unless you always listen to you music at the maximum possible volume, you'll want to ignore this number, Instead take a look deeper into the list of specs for the RMS power rating, which is essentially the amount of power that the amplifier will consistently produce with regular use. The power rating will also include a number of channels that the amp is capable of outputting (usually four: front right and left, and rear right and left) and will be presented something like "25Wx4 RMS" or "52Wx4 max."
Generally, more RMS power is good, giving you more headroom for volume before reaching the limits of the amp's ability, where distortion can be an issue. However, more watts don't necessarily mean better sound; that quality is determined by a variety of factors such as the quality of your audio source, digital signal processing, equalization, the digital-analog converter, and ultimately the speakers. I find that for most stock and reasonably priced aftermarket speakers will perform well with about 25 watts RMS or about 50 watts max per channel, but you'll also want to make sure that your amp's output doesn't exceed what your speakers can handle. Drivers interested in adding external amplification, powered subwoofers, or accessories should also consider the upgradability of the receiver. Generally, this is determined by the number of A/V inputs and pre-amp outputs found on the rear panel. I like to make sure that there are at least two full-range stereo preamp outputs and award bonus points to receivers that feature a dedicated subwoofer output."

 

[Blkfenderslookbetter]

If you have the Alpine or Infinity stereo system .... google, Subwoofer mod (replacement) and go to that other forum. I did this mod, spent about $200 total, and I'm amazed at the difference it made. Not necessary to spend a wad of cash to get decent sound. And it's very easy to do.