Cost effective sound upgrade
 

Hey guys - i'm planning on upgrading my sound system with the goal of making it sound like that of bmw or lexus sound system. Nothing too crazy - don't need huge rumble or anything. i do listen to a variety of music from dance to rock to hip hop and pop - the whole gambit really.

i'm wondering what your thoughts are would be in terms of the most cost effective way of upgrading.

I"m thinking switching the stock BA amp. Would there be any recommendations with regards to amp?

how about for sub? and does it need its own designated amp or maybe best to get an amp that is powerful enough to power sub and all speakers?

any other recommendations?

if you could, to throw in links to website of equipment so that i can order direct.

thanks everyone!

I would start by replacing the stock amp with the JL Audio XD600/6. Also, get some Dynamat, Focal BAM, or other sound deadening.

Amazon
Crutchfield
SonicElectronix

When wiring up the XD600/6, disconnect the center channel up front.
Channels 1 & 2 you run to your front component speakers.
Channels 3 & 4 you run to your rear tweeters.
Channels 5 & 6 you run to your rear woofers.

The rear woofers can put out a decent amount of bass if the deck has proper sound deadening. This is a start, but I would highly recommend a processor (like the JBL MS-8) to go with the amp, but the project will really start to snowball once you put in a processor. The factory Boston speakers aren't that bad, but the stock amp is really terrible.

darkrider01,

Can you make a similar recommendation for people with non-BA systems?

I'm undecided between adding an amp and:

1) replacing just the front speakers and adding a sub.
2) replacing front speakers and back but with no aub, hoping that better rear speakers will give me the bass I need.

Also, the entire wiring difficulty and variety of harnesses has me overwhelmed - there seems to be no one clear guide on what should hook up to what.

Thanks!

I've always put sound deadener in the doors of my vehicles. Makes a big difference in speaker sound.

Will the XD600/6 fit on a ******** mounting board in the stock location? It's less expensive than the XD700/5.

The non-BA system is a little more complicated, but it can still be done. I would say that the best bet for a budget build would be a nice component set up front, a sub in the rear, and a big (powerful) 4 channel amp to run it all. You would run channels 1 & 2 to the front components, and bridge channels 3 & 4 to the sub. You could leave the rear 6x9 speakers connected to the stock head unit for a little rear fill if you're into that. If you did a big amp like the Orion HCCA10004 - that should provide plenty of power for a front component set and have plenty for a sub.

You would have to connect the amp to the front channels of the head unit, so you would need a Line Output Converter (LOC) for that. The more I think about it, you could do that pretty cheap (around $1K).

Amp - $500 (Orion HCCA10004)
LOC - $20 (any 2 channel will do)
Sub - $130 (Orion XTRPRO104 10" for around $130)
Sub Box - $40 (Basic 10" box from Sonic is $40 shipped)
Front components - $140 (Infinity Reference 6030cs for around $140)
Misc. Wiring - $100
Total: $930

Obviously the total is based on whether you do it yourself or take it to a shop. I'd bet that little system would sound awesome. Hope that helps!

I'm not 100% sure it will work, but it could. The ******** Factory Fit Amp Board (5G-FFA) has an effective mounting area of 7-3/4" x 10-1/2" and the JL Audio XD600/6 Dimensions are 7-1/16" x 10-1/4", so it will fit on the board. The issue with the XD600/6 in that location is that the inputs and outputs are on the bottom of the amp. If you used RCA cables with right angle connectors, it could probably work. That would be a pretty slick install.

Darkrider,

Do you recommend the JL Audio XD600/6 over the XD400/4? I was going to get the 400/4 for the amp replacement for BA speakers. I have a kicker zx750.1 I was going to power a single JL W3v3 with from my old car in a ******** stealth box.

Do you know the RMS wattage of the BA speakers offhand? I'm worried these JL amps could blow them.

The stock 6.5" Boston speakers are 2 ohm, 50W. Same for the 6x9 woofers in the rear. The front tweeters are 4 ohm, 20W. The rear tweeters are probably the same as the fronts, but I haven't tested them. You will only overpower the speakers if you blast it at full volume or send a clipped signal to them. If you listen responsibly (basically looking for SQ type listening) and give them good clean power, then putting a lot of power to the speakers will just provide additional dynamic headroom for the speakers. In other words, you'll let the amp operate within it's comfort zone instead of pushing it to its limits.

The reason I was suggesting the XD600/6 is because in the Boston system, the factory amp is 7 channels. You have front left and right (2), front center (1), rear right and left highs (2), and rear right and left lows/woofers (2). If you disconnect/discard the center channel, you would be connecting back 1 for 1. Does that make sense?

Cool - thanks! So no need for a sub! Cool.

With this amp, can it power a sub too or do I need a separate sub?

Finally, are recommending dynamat if I use the stock woofers for base but not need dynamat if I have a stealthbox or similar setup?

Many thanks, Darkrider. You're the man! :headbang:

Great info!! Thanks! :thumbsup:

You can forego a sub if you're looking more for sound quality and less for teeth rattling bass. The woofers in the stock 6x9's have very good range and will do well with good power and some sound deadening.

Dynamat is never a bad idea. If you're looking for BMW-like performance, you're going to need to add Dynamat or BAM everywhere you can afford it. GM put very little sound deadening (almost none) in these cars, presumably to keep the weight down.

If you went with a stealthbox and it was your primary source of sub bass, then you could possibly get away without any dynamat. However, with the sub being in the rear of the trunk, you'd probably have to have it turned up to get any effect from it. Once you start pumping more bass in your trunk, rattles almost always show up. Hell, they will probably show up anyway. The rear deck is only slightly thicker than an aluminum can.

Great feedback! I don't think it can get any more cost effective than just adding a better amp!

Now, next question - do I need that harness for the upgraded amp? Anything else?