[steiner]

I swore to myself I did not need a sound system in my car, but about a month ago the temperature shot up to 72 degrees in the NYC area and I remembered how much fun it was rollin' around with all the windows down crankin' out the tunes. My old car had a pretty nice system that definitely added to the driving experience, especially in warmer weather. The stock system in the Mazda 3 can't even come close to what I used to have, so now I'm looking to upgrade with some Infinity Reference 6x8 components. I am planning to amp these speakers.

1. Do the tweeters need custom installation? If so, what would be the additional cost over installing 2 or 3-way speakers?
2. I listen to nothing but hip-hop and rock so I'm looking for a good deal more bass than stock, but I am strongly against getting a sub for the cost, the erosion of trunk space, and the weight. My old VW Passat had a Monsoon stereo with an aftermarket HU. There were no subs but the rear speakers put out a lot of deep bass. Will the Infinitys, properly amped, be able to match the bass of my old system (~100 watts RMS, around 25 to the wooofers)?
3. If the Infinitys by themselves aren't good for bass, please suggest some good midbass speakers for the rear doors, as I know nothing about this type of speaker. Also suggest some good damping material as my local shops only carry Dynamat which is way too expensive.

 

[Mark C]

1. Tweeters can probably be installed in-place of the stock tweeters. Shouldn't cost much at all, if anything, in addition to a 'standard' install. The crossovers make things a little trickier, but a component setup should be similar to a 2-way install.

2. Ditch the 6x8 idea, you want 6.5". They sound better. A standard midbass driver won't get you the kind of bass you want. Nothing beats a small sub. You can put a 10" sub in a 1 cuft box without adding much weight or taking up a lot of space. If you're completely against that idea, look for dedicated midbass drivers for the rear doors. Not components, not 2-ways. It won't sound as good as a sub, but there are some decent 6.5" midbass drivers that should work. Check out Vifa drivers and others that are usually marketed to the DIY installer. They usually offer a range of products.

3. I like roofing material. http://www.cofair.com/peel_seal.aspx I used that in my Prelude, seemed to work pretty well and it's dirt cheap. You may need 2 or 3 layers to be comparable to 1 layer of Dynamat, but it's cheap enough you still come out ahead.

 

[steiner]

Thanks for the post.

In the half hour since I first posted I realized getting a sub and removing the rear speakers would probably equal the same weight as getting front and rear speakers then damping all four doors. The sub setup might even be lighter. I think getting front components, a sub, and an amp is all I need.

 

[DrWebster]

I have a set of Infinity Reference 5.25" components up front, and 6x8 coaxials in back.

1. No, they don't need custom installation. The factory tweeters can unsnap from the sail panels, and the Infinity tweeters will fit in their place. They won't snap back in, but a little bit of hot glue will keep them in place.

2. For the front speakers, Mark C is right -- don't go with 6x8's, as they distort more easily. I have 5.25" in mine, others have made their own brackets and used 6.5". Also, the Infinities don't put out as much bass as the factory speakers, but what bass they put out is much tighter and cleaner. You'll want a sub.

3. I'd install a sub. I have an Infinity BassLink in my car, which doesn't take up much space, is pretty lightweight, and provides decent bass. If you really wanna pound the streets, you'll need something more powerful, but if you want to fill out the bottom end and get a little thump, the BassLink is a good choice.

DO NOT use Peel & Seal as sound dampening. It simply won't last well. I'm going to put Damplifier in my car this spring; others here like RAAMat and Dynamat. http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/ is a good site that rates various automotive sound deadening products.

 

[jflash]

i ordered a blank sail panel to put my tweeters in. my tweeters wouldnt fit in the stock panels without hacking them up.

you could go with these for the rear door. on the car audio forums guys are beating them up and they are taking it.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=264-832

with my speakers i had to trim the inside of the door panel. there are a bunch of thin triangle shaped pieces i cut back with an exacto knife.
i dont know how big the crossovers is for the infinity's but here is a pic of where i put mine.

 

[ZOOM 3]

I have Infinity Kappa’s all around (5 ¼ components front…6X8 rear) I put the crossovers in the in far bottom left (going off that pic^)

I had the stock tweeters and just cut out the mesh grill area......here's what it looks like

[quote author=DrWebster link=topic=69248.msg1200775#msg1200775 date=1171217423]
2. For the front speakers, Mark C is right -- don't go with 6x8's, as they distort more easily. I have 5.25" in mine, others have made their own brackets and used 6.5". Also, the Infinities don't put out as much bass as the factory speakers, but what bass they put out is much tighter and cleaner. You'll want a sub.
[/quote]
definitely be aware of that since you originally said about not adding a sub......looks like hopefully you've changed your mind on that though

 

[Mark C]

[quote author=DrWebster link=topic=69248.msg1200775#msg1200775 date=1171217423]
DO NOT use Peel & Seal as sound dampening. It simply won't last well.
[/quote]

I installed Peel & Seal throughout my Prelude 3 yrs ago. I put several layers on the doors and in the trunk. It still looks the same as the day I put it on. It's a black car, that spends all summer in the sun. I've seen the cabin of the car climb to ~120 F (w/ tinted windows), I'll bet the inside of a black door panel is at least as hot. Still no problems with the P&S.

 

[Alpha095]

[quote author=jflash link=topic=69248.msg1201545#msg1201545 date=1171247060]
i ordered a blank sail panel to put my tweeters in. my tweeters wouldnt fit in the stock panels without hacking them up.

you could go with these for the rear door. on the car audio forums guys are beating them up and they are taking it.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=264-832

with my speakers i had to trim the inside of the door panel. there are a bunch of thin triangle shaped pieces i cut back with an exacto knife.
i dont know how big the crossovers is for the infinity's but here is a pic of where i put mine.

[/quote]

Where did you get the 6.5 brackets?

 

[jflash]

i made them. their 1/2" mdf. just trace the stock speaker onto the wood and cut it out.

 

[willow]

Better to spend more on front splits than not, especially if you're after good mid-bass. I've listened to Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.5's and they're a nice speaker, not too dry or bright and certainly not dull. Good mid-range on them. Focal have some of the best mid-range performance going around, but they're a bright sounding speaker and not to everyone's taste. Morel are also excellent, a nice warm sounding speaker with really nice mid-range.

A few guys over here in Sydney, Australia have had custom sub ensclosures made in the boot. Check the following link to see what I mean:

http://www.ozmazdaclub.com/forums/a...ssion/20409-sub-install-pics-56k-warning.html

You can fit a 10" in this type of enclosure, but mounting depth needs to be 6" or less due to space requirements. The volume of the enclosure itself is around 0.8cf, big enough to handle an Infinity Perfect Kappa 10", or Treo SSi 10" or Image Dynamics IDQ 10"...

I'd recommend an Audison amp. Small, clean and powerful...

 

[geewhizbang]

My Focal 165A speakers put out PLENTY more very articulate bass than the stock speakers, so what again is so great about these Infinity speakers then?

 

[geewhizbang]

I agree that the Focals are a little bright, but a slight rolloff on the treble handles that fairly well.

 

[jomo]

[quote author=steiner link=topic=69248.msg1200682#msg1200682 date=1171212260]
3. If the Infinitys by themselves aren't good for bass, please suggest some good midbass speakers for the rear doors, as I know nothing about this type of speaker. Also suggest some good damping material as my local shops only carry Dynamat which is way too expensive.
[/quote]

My understanding is that the HU has undersized filtering capacitors on the rear channels of the HU amp. This significantly reduces the low frequencies to the rear channels. This won't be good if you are looking for deep bass out of the rear channels.

Good damping material for cheap........RAAMmat. You can get it for $99 a roll (just search for forum discounts and ask Rick for the discount). That comes out to $1.58/ft2. He will set you up right with some ensolite as well. Good stuff, good prices, good person.

 

[operator]

steiner. What is your budget?

 

[steiner]

[quote author=Operator link=topic=69248.msg1209080#msg1209080 date=1171547130]
steiner. What is your budget?
[/quote]

I don't want to spend more than $500 - I'm looking at the Crutchfield Infinity Basslink II/4sc sale right now. I can always upgrade the speakers later. The only thing I'm concerned about is the installation cost. How much would a Circuit City-type place charge to install a Basslink II?

 

[DrWebster]

You could install a BassLink yourself, I did mine and it took about an hour. The 3 is pretty easy to install subs in, especially if you have an ATX.

If you really don't want to install it yourself, you're looking at about $80-100 for labor, plus maybe $50 or so for the wiring kit.

 

[operator]

[quote author=DrWebster link=topic=69248.msg1209196#msg1209196 date=1171552006]
You could install a BassLink yourself, I did mine and it took about an hour. The 3 is pretty easy to install subs in, especially if you have an ATX.

If you really don't want to install it yourself, you're looking at about $80-100 for labor, plus maybe $50 or so for the wiring kit.
[/quote]

Though you could buy the kit alot cheaper (Wal-Mart). But just so I get it right. $500 for a sub, an amp, and possibly some component speakers. Also how much is saving space a big deal. i.e. do you have to have the Basslink?

 

[steiner]

[quote author=Operator link=topic=69248.msg1210278#msg1210278 date=1171575823]
[quote author=DrWebster link=topic=69248.msg1209196#msg1209196 date=1171552006]
You could install a BassLink yourself, I did mine and it took about an hour. The 3 is pretty easy to install subs in, especially if you have an ATX.

If you really don't want to install it yourself, you're looking at about $80-100 for labor, plus maybe $50 or so for the wiring kit.
[/quote]

Though you could buy the kit alot cheaper (Wal-Mart). But just so I get it right. $500 for a sub, an amp, and possibly some component speakers. Also how much is saving space a big deal. i.e. do you have to have the Basslink?
[/quote]

Saving space isn't a big deal; I just think the Basslink II + the 4sc amp for $400 shipped from Crutchfield is a pretty good deal and takes a lot of the complexity out of the equation (cheaper installation than 2 amps and a sub, no LOC necessary, etc.). That additional $50 for the wiring kit really gets me, though. Stuff like that should be included in the purchase price. That and the high installation cost are really motivating me to learn how to install my own stuff. I just don't have the time right now to do that 'cause I'm in college.

If I could get a sub, an amp plus another amp or a head unit to power my stock speakers (better speakers can come later) installed for less than $500, that would be great. If I can get a 450 watt Panasonic shelf system that sounds better than the Monsoon in my old Passat for $200, I should be able to get something decent for $500.

 

[steiner]

I got all this stuff from CarDomain.com:

Infinity Reference 311a mono amp: $144.90 http://www.cardomain.com/item/INFREF311A
InstallCard amplifier/equalizer: $79.95 http://www.cardomain.com/item/INS421003
Cheap-ass amp wiring kit (hey, my amp only has 111 watts RMS and there's no way I'm paying $50 for a bunch of wires): $6.06 http://www.cardomain.com/item/LITPK10
MTX RoadThunder 10A 10" sub-in-a-box: $84.95 http://www.cardomain.com/item/MTXRT10A
InstallCard speakers/subwoofer: $44.95 http://www.cardomain.com/item/INS421002
Pioneer DEH-1800 CD player (thank god for iPods, now CD players are real cheap): $99.95 http://www.cardomain.com/item/PIODEH1800
Scosche connecter kit for in-dash receivers: free http://www.cardomain.com/item/CARBOBAZT
Scosche in-dash receiver wiring harness: free http://www.cardomain.com/item/SCOMA03B
Scosche car stereo installation kit: free http://www.cardomain.com/item/SCOMA1536B
InstallCard car stereo: $54.95 http://www.cardomain.com/item/INS421000

Additional savings for sub amp: $30.00
Total (including shipping): $497.79

What do you guys think? Hopefully there's nothing I'm forgetting, as well as no additional nickel-and-dime fees... :x

 

[DrWebster]

Any particular reason you want a new headunit? The factory one actually sounds pretty decent with aftermarket speakers. You're wasting money if you want to buy a $100 headunit, it won't be noticeably better than the factory HU.

Around $500 is definitely doable if you install yourself. Set aside an afternoon and you can easily swap out all four speakers and add a sub.

Here's what I'm running:

Infinity Reference 5010cs components ($140)
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-OhYPBrxaSjN/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=410&I=1085010CS

Infinity Reference 6812cf 6x8 ($75)
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-OhYPBrxaSjN/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=52200&I=1086812CF

Infinity BassLink ($300)
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-OhYPBrxaSjN/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=51000&I=108BASSLIN

David Navone 2-channel LOC (to go from HU to RCAs for BassLink): $20

Add about $40-50 for a decent wiring kit (I wouldn't use a $10 kit from Wal-Mart, sorry)

Total: $575

Looks like Crutchfield is having a sale on Infinity speakers, so the prices here are a little lower than what I paid.