A&Q about 350Z
Q:
Hey guys, I have a base 2003 which has pretty much the crapiest sound system on the face on the earth. I've been reading other links w/ people in my same situation and they have said changing the head unit makes a HUGE difference. So i have since bought an Alpine CDA9853 (not installed yet) and am now thinking about the speakers.
Question#1 - Will just changing the head unit make a big difference? Or should I replace all my speakers?
Question#2 - On Nissan Courtesy Parts, I see parts for a sub enclosure & bracket for behind the drivers seat. How does this sound on your Z ? I am going to put a sub in my car, but should I go this route or should I go with one 10" bypass in the trunk?
I am not a very young guy (33), so I dont need to have it boomin down the local high schools. But at the same time I would like a decent system with a little oomf - hence just a 10".
What do you guys think?
Post Edited (Dec 10, 4:56pm)
A:
WR_350Z:
I would most definitely replace the speakers when you add the Alpine.
I have a Touring model that came with the 10" Sub. It is pretty nice.
It is out of the way and leaves the room you have for carrying stuff.
-Zanioed '03 Le Mans Sunset Coupe w/ Nav.
A:
when i added the sub to my 2003 enthusiast i thought i would need the mounting bracket you mentioned above. i ordered one through local dealer and when it came time to do the actual install i removed the cover over the area behind the drivers seat only to find the bracket was already there. took the ordered bracket back for a refund.
A:
WR,
I agree 100 percent on replacing the speakers. I have a Track model and replaced all the speakers but still have the factory radio. It improved the sound quality quite a bit. Also, replace the back speakers first. They are really cheap. FYI: To access the back speakers, you remove a lot of the plastic housing. It's not to bad but DON'T try and pop the grills out from in front of the speakers. The don't come out. Search my350z.com for good removal pics and instructions. Good Luck.
Thrust - 03 DB Track (still less then 10k miles)
A:
umm you don't want to replace the back speaker first, that's for rear fill if you need it
you want most of your sound coming from the front, get a dedicated front stage...components 2 way or 3 way your choice
the cda 9853 is a fine choice, could've done worse, but you didn't do too bad at all hehehe,
get some good componenets and an amp, either 4 chan or 2 channel depending on if you want to upgrade the back speakers as well or not...
1993 Red TT
A:
hey! the base hed unit on the z is not the worst... just get an 03 Bose and you will know... anyways...
generally an aftermarket HU will not only improve sound quality, but also features better pre amp output watts... usually around 20watts per channel... i know most of them say 50X4 or whatever but i've been told by a professional stereo shop that truthfully they really only get around 10-20... but that is still significant over the usual stock 7-9watts... wich is pathetic especially when you want to hook up a highpowered system in your car...
I had the shop wire up and configure my 1200watt Kicker Solo Baric setup... and this is where all my info comes from... i ran NOTHING BUT competition components from some of the most respected names in audio... Stinger, Hooker, and Kicker... but unfortunatly couldn't replace the HU at the time... and sound quality is really not as expected...
I also do some of my own modifications on boxes and wiring configurations... so i did a few things differently than what i got from them and am just waiting to try it out cause my amp is just a little fried... so i gotta get a new one...
but if you're not looking for that head pounding thump a simple 10" (and i don't recommend the factory 10) with no more than 500watts will more than satisfy that... you could mount it in the factory location however... honestly i wouldn't know how that would sound but i would imagine that it wouldn't sound bad... just make sure that the enclosure behind the seat is completely sealed... (cone control)
also i would suggest that you run 2 amps... one can be a mono block amp just for the sub and another 4 channel amp for all your speakers... this IMO would be the most efficient setup for any audiophile... a 4 channel will give you the adjustable options for the output and frequency ranges for all the speakers (they usually have built in crossovers) but if you purchase what they call a component systme they usually include their own crosovers too... not to mention if you only wanted the fronts for now but found it necessary later to replace the backs as well... you wouldn't need to buy another amp... that would suck...
oh, damn... so sorry for the long post... i just love my music...
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Chrome Silver '03 Touring -MT-
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