Upgrading Head Unit & Speakers

Ok so I'm about to start an endeavor on replacing my head unit and speakers. I am going to pass on a subwoofer because I do not listen to the kind of music that requires a lot of base ( 99% of what I listen to is country). I am thinking about going with a mild amp such as an Alpine MRP-F300 50W RMSx4, but I want to just try a speaker and head unit upgrade first then go from there.

For my head unit I have it narrowed down to either a Pioneer AVH-X2500BT or a Kenwood Excelon DDX790. I am going for the all in one here but mainly want the Bluetooth call and music control.

Speakers is where I am in a bit of a pickle. I kinda want to keep my 6x9 up front to retain some bass output, while going with 6.5s in the rear of course. I've read on here and it seems that Hertz, Focal, and Hybrid Audio are all popular. I've researched on Crutchfield and I really like the reviews the Polk Audio speakers have gotten, even though they seem to have mixed reviews on here. Pretty much, I'm looking for a speaker that will give me great output even at high levels but will have the RMS wattage to sustain a mild amp if I decide to upgrade in the future.

basically, how's this setup? any suggestions or advice?

 

I think you have a good plan. The brands you mentioned are all generally accepted as good brands. My suggestion to you would be to go to several car audio stores and listen to speakers made by those brands as well as any others that are comparable. Even if you end up listening to the same speakers at different stores, the speakers might end up sounding a little different because of the amps used at the stores, room acoustics, etc. Just make sure you buy what you think sounds best, not what the salesperson says is the best.

 

My problem is there is only one place around here that has sets of speakers I can go test, it's Best Buy. I have been in talks with Marv on here, if I can convince the old lady to let me drop the money, I think I am going to drop the hammer on the Stage 2 Imagine series speakers. From what I have read, these speakers are top notch both in quality and sound quality.

I have decided to go with the Pioneer head unit, it has the built-in Bluetooth while the Kenwood is an add on more or less. Though I do like how the Kenwood has an RMS output of 22W compared to the 14W RMS of the Pioneer. I would like to have more RMS but oh well.

My only other thing to really look at is sound deadening, I need to read around and see how much of what everyone is putting on their doors. I will be ordering from RAAMAUDIO though.

 

That's kind of a bummer you can't go to several car audio stores. But if there are lots of people saying that the Stage 2 Imagine Series are good, then you're probably pretty safe.

Are you still planning on doing that Alpine amp? If you are, then the RMS of the Pioneer doesn't matter since you won't be using the Pioneer's internal amp.

That Pioneer you picked out seems like a good one. And for the price, I'm not sure you could do much better. I actually looked into both of the units you're looking at when I was shopping around last year. I ended up with a Sony XAV-601BT because if fit my needs a little better plus it has a detachable face.

A lot of us (me included ) tend to go overboard on the sound deadening. Talk to the RAAM Audio guy and to Marv about how much to buy. I would imagine they will have a pretty solid idea of how much coverage you need. Another member on TW bought this package and had enough material to cover the doors and back wall of his double cab.

 

I have the Hybrid Imagine 6x9's, a Kenwood KDC-X996 and recently added the Alpine MRP-F300 amp and a JL 8" sub. I'm happy with the setup, especially for what I have in it, and I'd do the same again.

Before the amp, it was good and I was pretty happy, but it's a slippery slope, right? Having had a system with a sub and amps before, I wanted that again.

Before the amp and sub, the Hybrids put out really good bass for a 6x9 for sure. Enough so that even with deadening the doors with RAAMmat and ensolite, I still had some vibrations from the window. It was a huge improvement over stock, especially with a new headunit that got rid of the factory EQ limitations. I definitely recommend sound deadening in the doors, it makes a big difference

After the amp, and crossing over the Hybrids, the doors dont rattle, and the highs are even better with a little more power, and of course the sub adds some better low end.

If you can swing it, do it all at once, and only tear your interior apart one time. Not a big deal, it's easy to do, but I'm definitely happier with an amp.

 

FWIW, I'm running that same Alpine amp and am happy with it. Good amplifier for the money.

 

Man I've read nothing but great things about HAT speakers. I've read mixed reviews about every other speaker brand, but HAT reviews say they are worth every penny no matter what you're looking to get out of em.

Yeah this is what sucks about WV. There's not many shops around here. There is a couple small audio shops but they don't even display speakers to listen to. And quite frankly they haven't earned a reputation worthy of me spending my money there when I can do it on my own. I am preparing for an amp, but hoping not to need one. I just want better sound quality and louder music. I listen to country, and as we all know you can have your iTunes cranked up to max volume through your aux port and can't hear the words when driving down the highway windows down. I want to fix that. Bass and subs ain't an issue for me. So I'm hoping to squeak by without an amp and just plug in some new speakers and a new HU and be happy.

I might check your Sony HU out. I like the detachable front like you have. I know RMS output isn't an issue if your getting an amp, but like I said I'm planning not to get one so I want to get the most out of what I'm getting.

I actually read your posts in another theead and they helped a lot since your setup is much like what I'm going with. I will definitely be deadening my doors. I'm just really hoping I can get by without an amp but have a feeling I will end up wanting one. But I'll still get less first and go from there instead of buying more than needed.

I've read really good reviews about that amp. Will definitely be going with it if I go with an amp.

 

There's a good chance you'll be very happy without an amp. A HU with decent output and a good EQ will make a huge difference. I ran the Hybrid's off the stock HU for a while, and the difference a new HU made was night and day.

If you decide you want an amp, and you're set on the Alpine MRP-F300, drop me a line, I may be interested in selling it to upgrade. ( But that probably won't be until next year)

 

Sounds good, I'm in no rush anyway. If you still want to sell and I haven't bought one yet I'm sure we can work out a deal!

 

I recommend at least checking the Sony out. Its a little bit more than the Kenwood though. I'm just running the stock speakers off of it and it sounds waaaaay better than with the stock HU. I have a sub too, so that probably helps. Anyway, the Sony I have is much better than the Sonys of previous years. Sony used to make an Xplode series that, in terms of sound quality, was not very good. This new line of Sonys has much better sound quality. They have a seven band equalizer with presets or you can customize it. When I was shopping around I went to a bunch of car audio stores and two store owners had this exact model in their own cars because they liked it so much in terms of sound quality and usability. Okay, sales pitch over.

You might also think about just upgrading the HU to see if you're okay with the sound at that point. And then if you want to upgrade more, get some speakers a little ways down the road. I'm just thinking it might save you some money.

 

I'm getting ready to check the HU out now. I think I will still upgrade my speakers considering I usually run the volume cranked all the way up and I'm still not satisfied. Hoping to order from Marv soon!

 

update, I like that SCony HU! Kinda has me rethinking now lol!

 

Ha, sorry to give you more options. If you have an iPhone, then disregard all of the MirrorLink stuff on that Sony. In fact, the only phone I know that works with the MirrorLink is the Samsung Galaxy. There could be others too that I just don't know about.

The only downside for you in going with the Sony over the Pioneer or Kenwood is the price. I basically chose the Sony over other HUs because of the detachable face and I was willing to spend more to get it. But, it is a great deck and I'm still happy with it one year later!