I have a 98 mitsu spyder that I bought about a couple months ago. I'm looking to upgrade the infinity audio to something louder (mainly because I just blew out two of my speakers, apparently from playing them too loud). I'm a beginner so bear with me... I have a few questions.

What is the best configuration to get some loud sound out of a spyder as far as size, wattage, etc? There is very little space for me to work with it seems. Is the upgraded infinity amp decent enough to carry better larger speakers or will I need to replace the amp too?

Is putting a subwoofer in my trunk a viable option? The trunk is so tiny and it is completely shut off from the rest of the car, so would it even sound right or would it be one big muffle if I tried?

I'm not going to be entering any competitions or anything, so I would rather not do anything too complicated like removing the backseats and what not. I just want to get some killer sound going... something loud enough that it will make people's heads turn.

And last thing... How difficult is speaker installation on a 2g eclipse? I was outside today trying to pop the speaker cover off like in my old car, but it didn't budge. I didn't try too hard in fear of breaking something. Would a new speakers installation be something that a beginner like me could handle or should I just bite the bullet and take it to some audio shop?

Wow.. Where to begin?? Speakers all come down to preference bud. Best suggestion as for that is goto Best Buy or Circuit City, listen to different stuff and see what you like best and what your budget allows.

As for the Infinity amp, yea its ok but you are just better off replacing it and getting an aftermarket headunit. If you want a really good sounding stereo one of the most important things is the headunit. A good headunit can make a difference, a great headunit can make a greater difference. The stock headunit will not be good enough to tune the equipment you are looking into putting in your car.

A Subwoofer is a viable option if you like bass. Just because its closed off doesnt mean you are not going to hear it. Since you dont want to go into competion stereo I would suggest a single 12" sub or 1 10" or 2 10" subs in a sealed box. The sealed box will give you good bass and clarity. This is more my personal prefference and I think I understand what you are looking for.

If you really want some help putting together a decent system let me know and I will help you as best as I can. I love helping people out with audio setups its an exciting project and can be lots of fun.

Hope this helps you out bud.

Glad to see my pleathra of information has helped you :thumbsup

Fuckin Newbs.. disapearing

Originally posted by EclipseTenzoR
Glad to see my pleathra of information has helped you :thumbsup Fuckin Newbs.. disapearing

This is exactly why I didn't even bother with this thread. How hard is it to upgrade audio systems? Geez :rolleyes

Originally posted by EclipseTenzoR Glad to see my pleathra of information has helped you :thumbsup Fuckin Newbs.. disapearing

Perhaps he got electrocuted installing the 2 10" subs in a sealed box that you had suggested? :shrug





:P

I never told anyone to install 2 10" subs anywhere, what are you quoting me for? :)

Originally posted by a_miller_76
I never told anyone to install 2 10" subs anywhere, what are you quoting me for? :)

Bad quoting job. Hey, I can't be a master at everything... ;)

Originally posted by Jen

Originally posted by a_miller_76 I never told anyone to install 2 10" subs anywhere, what are you quoting me for? :)

Bad quoting job. Hey, I can't be a master at everything... ;)

You're lucky you're a hot chick, therefore you're forgiven :)

Geez...

Yeah, I am a newb to this stuff but I didn't dissappear. I was actually planning on taking my car to some custom audio shop for the last couple days for some more input, but it has been raining like cats and dogs all week. I was gonna ask you for some additional help but wanted to come back with a little something to work off of instead of just saying "What should I do...?"

Not to mention my top started leaking and my I'm getting water all in my car. Its been to the dealer and an upohlstery shops trying to get it fixed all week. I've been real busy. Needless to say, I'm having to have my top replaced which is gonna cost me $1500. So, that has kinda put a dent in my budget for now.

I'm thankful for the information. Sorry that I offended you however I did.

Originally posted by diabolic
Sorry that I offended you however I did.

I don't think you offended anyone. We're all just a bunch of pricks at times.

BTW, I have the same problem you do :) Spyder with no convenient place to put a speaker box...

The speaker covers in the back are much harder to pop off on a Spyder than they are on a coupe, but they will come off. Use something slim (nail file imo) and slide it around between cover and panel. Feel for the clips and pry the cover off. Just be gentle and you won't break it.

Did you get a GS or GS-t?

May I also suggest stay away from audio shops. I would only go there if you can get a really good deal or if you know someone who wont fuck you over. I know alot of audio shops around my way that have dicked over my friends. It is not hard to install a system, and it can be a really fun project. I just suggest you read up on here and ask some questions, none of us will have a problem helping you out as long as you are serious and dont waste our time.

I think it's great that you guys are willing to help. I'd love to try to do the install myself... it can't be too hard. I just don't wanna fuck something up.

Its just a gs. Yeah, its slow, but it only had 50000 miles and looked as if it had never been used. I couldn't really resist :p

No one will look down upon you here for having a NT, hence the forum name. And installing car audio is a piece of cake. Worse case scenario most of the time is you blow a fuse or two during install, but as long as you do it correctly that should'nt even happen.

Originally posted by EclipseTenzoR
No one will look down upon you here for having a NT, hence the forum name. And installing car audio is a piece of cake. Worse case scenario most of the time is you blow a fuse or two during install, but as long as you do it correctly that should'nt even happen.

Actually worse case scenario is you start a car fire but that's rare and usually involves old cars. Also be careful taking panels off. Look for all screws and don't just "pull harder" if a panel won't come off.

Ok... I finally took some time to hop over to Best Buy today. Please forgive my newbness. This is the first full audio install that I'm going to attempt myself, so I have a lot of questions. Here is what I am looking at buying:

Pair of Kenwood 6 1/2 speakers 4ohm 40rms (for the front)
Pair of Kenwood 6x9 Speakers 4ohm 50rms (for the back)
2 Rockford 12" 8ohm (each) 400rms subs (trunk I guess *shrug)

Ok, so from what little I know about car audio, I'm pretty certain there is no way that the premium infinity amplifier can handle the subs (please correct me of I'm wrong). I'm sure I'm off somewhere, but I think the ohm rating is the speaker load, and the rms is the wattage pulled per load. So in order for me to run the entire system off of one amplifier, I would need an amp capable of pushing about 500watt x1 @ 2ohm? Would I need more than that? Could do I go with less?

At what point will my car reach its limit as far as power goes? Can I safely beef up my system with what I'm mentioning above without worrying about a new alternator, baterry, etc? Will the 6 x9's fit in the back with 2 3/4 in depth?

3rdly, I really really really really don't want to replace my stock headunit yet. I'm planning on buying an in-dash monitor at some point in the future, so buying something cheaper for it now would just be waste and I kinda like the stock look. Will I be ok with the stock headunit running all of this?

And lastly, I stopped at Circuit city on my way home and they had a pair of Dual 12" subwoofers 1200watt 4ohm. Statistically they appeared far superior to the Rockfords that I'm buying but they were only $150 for the set, yet the Rockford are gonna run $500. Are Dual just sucky quality or something? Hell, I'd go for the cheap stuff if it's halfway decent. I also undestarstand that the lower ohm pack more punch, yet I want to be able to run my whole system on one amp so the 8ohm on the Rockford was attractive. Am I making a mistake? Any advice is appreciated :)

Your speaker choices look good. As far as the subs they look good also and yes you cant run them off of the stock Infinity amp. The stock amp pushs hardly anything. Truthfully it puts out less power than an aftermarket headunit does. Also the thing is if you decide to keep the stock headunit you will need a special box to tap into your speakers. Its called a line out converter. I will try and explain what this does before I go any further

The stock headunit does not have pre-outs to plug an external amp in for the subs. A line out converter is spliced into say.. your rear speaker wires. And what it does it convert the audio signal into RCA outputs. That way you plug your amp into the line out converter to obtain the audio signal to power the subs. This is going to be very tricky if you wish to keep the stock headunit, and if you are a newb you will need a bit of help with all of this. As far as a remote turn on lead etc. (Which you could just tap that into the power antennae wire)

I highly suggest you just find an aftermarket headunit because its better in the long run and just toss the stock Infinity amp because it will be worthless.

Also your car should be fine electronically only thing I would suggest if you are paranoid is to get a capacitor as a precautionary measure. And when you make your ground for your amp make sure you ground it good. I have a friend where his ground came lose and it surged through the car and messed up his alternator. It was quite funny because the Alternator hummed like a supercharger when he accelerated. lol

The Amp

You will need a amp a little more powerful than that, and I don't know if you will be able to wire those subs down to 2ohms. Subs have a limit to the indepence they can go down to. If you go to low you risk damaging the sub. Let me know what model subs they are and me or one of the other guys will try and suggest a good amp for you and suggest how you should wire them whether it be series or parallel circuit. I know this info may be a little hard to swallow since you are in experienced but just read up and we will try our best to help you from here.

Edit: Just noticed your last bit of info on Dual. I would just stay away from them, yes they are cheap subs but you get what you pay for. I am an audio freak and if I had the money I would do it rite.. Trust me and others will say it to.. You get what you pay for so just do it rite the first time. If you are in Circuit City may I suggest looking at Infinitys that is what I will be getting next they are really good for the money also. Rockford has good stuff, but for some reason I never really been a fan of their stuff especially considering I have seen numerous friends blow them out to often. Anyway I am rambling. Let us know what kind of price range you wish to stay in, and we will try and help you with some quality stuff.

1. Get the Fosgates. Just because a sub says it can handle 4billion watts doesn't make it better than a quality name brand. There is no regulation on wattage claims in the US. That's why Jensen amps say "1500 watts" on the side but really put out only about 150.

2. You really need a 4 channel amp and a mono block sub amp, or a 5 channel amp.

3. Running a 5 channel set-up off the factory head unit sucks ass. You can do it with a line-converter but they are the most noise inducing pieces of shit ever.

4. Your math is wrong on the 500 X 1 @2ohms statement. Doesn't work that way. When you're running 4 speakers in stereo front and rear you have to have a 4 channel amp to balance it all out correctly and an independent sub amp for the subs. A good 4 X 50 @ 4ohm amp for your surrounds would be fine, and since you're looking at 8ohm subs you can run 2 off a 4ohm stable amp as long as you wire them in parallel, but don't get a 500 watt amp, get a 250. Lower end Fosgate subs don't handle as much wattage as they advertise.

A Miller suggested a 4 channel amp for your surrounds. This is another option and obviouslly better than powering speakers off of the headunit. I bought a 4 Channel Clarion amp pretty cheap. It is nothing fancy but I noticed a big difference from getting the speakers off of my headunit. The music is alot louder and is not drowned out by the subs anymore.

The Link below is the amp I am currently using.

? http://store.yahoo.com/baystereo/clap40caram4.html

Thanks... that all helped a lot. This is actually exactly what I was planning on picking up as far as the subs go:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6302976&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03081&id=1074787610050

Now that I've shopped around more though, I think I actually might get this instead:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Audiobahn-Dual-Subwoofer-Bandpass-System-ABP122T-/sem/rpsm/oid/77173/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
Seems like a better deal, and I've read good things about audiobahn from people on these forums.

I figured it would be easier for me to just buy something already in an enclosure so I could just drop it in, but I'd be willing to buy stuff seperately if that's turns out ot be a better route... just looking at price vs ease of installation :p. I'm trying to keep my budget to under $800 total, but I'd be willing to go up to $1000 if I have to. Would this 6 channel amp be able to power all of the speakers in my car AND the subs? It's really pushing my budget, but if I can avoid multiple amps it may be worth it.
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Infinity-6-Channel-Amplifier-5760A-/sem/rpsm/oid/109909/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
I'm thinking if I have to use multiple amps and all of that, I might be biting off more than I can chew. And from what I'm reading, you are saying that an option is to use the stock infinity amp to power the speakers and seperate amp with a converter to power the subs but it will just sound like crap?

The big concern is, since this is new to me I was going to do everything piece by piece.
Drop in new speakers... Make sure it all works.
Drop in amp... Make sure it all works.
Drop in subs... Make sure it all works.
Replace Headunit... Make sure it all works.
If I scrap the whole system will I still be able to use the wires that are mounted underneath the seat for the amp and everything else or am I gonna have to yank it all out and start from scratch?

Yank it all and start from scratch. Skip the audiobahn subs, stick with the Fosgates. Remember you need an amp wiring kit, put the fuse 18" from the battery, make sure you grommet the hole you use to put it through the firewall. If you try to run it through the door jam I will hunt you down and beat you.

If you get the adapters for the door/rear speakers they're basically plug and play. You can even keep the head unit playing while you swap speakers.

Originally posted by a_miller_76
Yank it all and start from scratch.

YES! Exactly what you need to do. Should have been stated from the beginging

Skip the audiobahn subs, stick with the Fosgates.

All down to preference, what did you think sounded better.

If you try to run it through the door jam I will hunt you down and beat you.

I will beat your ass too if you do this!

Also, I really just suggest you get a new headunit and scrap the Infinity. I had an aftermarket system, then I had this crazy of idea of how cool it would be just to keep everything looking stock for theft purposes and maintain my Alpines and everything in the trunk still. I thoroughly researched this and it would have just really turned out to be a headache trying to tweak the sound because that headunit is not a good unit for controlling your audio. I suggest getting a Pioneer or an Alpine headunit. If you look around Ebay or SoundDomain.com in their forums you can find some really good stuff in good condition at a low price. I bought a Pioneer- DEH-8600MP for $230 and it was in near good condition. You goto Bestbuy or Circuit City yoru gonna pay $500 for this headunit. Just letting you know you can save alot of money online. A good online retailer that sells stuff brand new is etronics.com

Also that Infinity amp would get the job done for you, subs may not be all that loud, but it would simplify your install if your uncomfortable with running more than one amp.

Cool, thanks for all of the help. This is gonna more complicated than I had anticipated, but I'm gonna give it a go. I'll probably end up buying some stuff from pawn shops or ebay due to my scrawny budget. I'll most likely yank everything next week when my top is installed.

I'll let you know how it turns out. If I I don't blow myself up that is...haha

Ebay:

Alpine MRV0F450 5 Channel Amp $289

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39740&item=5757001279&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Alpine SPS-171A Type S 6.5" Components $89

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32819&item=5757019859&rd=1

Alpine SPS-690A Type-S 6X9's $55

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14942&item=5756489028&rd=1

Alpine SWR-1041D 10" Type R Sub in Tube Enclosure (long cary for getting through your trunk area) $170

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32823&item=5757289201&rd=1

Alpine CDA-9820XM Cd Player $265

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39750&item=5757804131&rd=1



Harness to plug into your car $10

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32812&item=5756200287&rd=1

Stinger 4gauge amp wiring kit $50

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=71528&item=5759931147&rd=1

20 Ft. Stinger 4 Channel RCA's $27

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32809&item=5756346853&rd=1

Totals before shipping $905. This is a damn good "starter" set-up for less than a grand (aside from shipping) and it covers 100% of what you need without trying to half-ass anything.

good list a miller. Only thing I would change is the components.. Get the type-r components. Pay a little extra money and you deffintley hear the difference. I could the R's were much cleaner and crisp. I dont like that sub box much either.

Originally posted by EclipseTenzoR
good list a miller. Only thing I would change is the components.. Get the type-r components. Pay a little extra money and you deffintley hear the difference. I could the R's were much cleaner and crisp. I dont like that sub box much either.

Well I'd get all Type X stuff over the Type R, but I was trying to keep him under 1000. No matter the difference between the S, R and X series they're all waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than stock.

And that box may look shady to someone with a hatch, I personally wouldn't get it either, but that box is going to produce a long wave length boom which is what he'll need to get through that trunk wall and convertible top compartment. Remember we're talking about a whole different animal than what you and I would do concerning subs.

ok very true arron havent really been paying attention to that this is a convertible. I guess this is all we can suggest to you man until you feed us some more info on what you would like to do.