K10 Car Speakers..

C

Chrisjm

Although I've seen many topics about this, I thought I'd make my own :wasntme:

Ok, I only have the standard passenger side footwell speaker + standard stereo from the my 1992 K10.

I want to update it with some sort of speaker system, I'm going to Wellesbourne (sp?) tomorow where I know there's lots of speaker sellers etc. Now basically, I don't want to get ripped off.

Questions:
1) I've read about the holes in the door which fit 13cm speakers, does halford fit this, or could a local mechanic.
2) Will the set up of just having 2 speakers on either front door be adequate sound (a subwoofer does appear a bit over the top for my needs)
3) Will I need any conversion kit/wiring accessories to give to a mechanic/whoever fits my stuff?
4) Does any standard stereo fit? And also, which one would you recommend?
5) In terms of speakers, whats good in terms or W? eg/ like I've seen 180W etc.
Also, if you have any recommendations for what to buy when I see tomorow (cheap) and what prices to buy for, then please do say.
6) Most 2 speakers sets seem to come with 'tweeters' could anyone explain what these are and where they're fitted?

Finally, does anyone know Wellesbourne market (sp?) and if so does anyone there do fitting for a reasonable price?
 
in my k10 i have the following set up.

5 1/4 inch alpine components with tweeters on my dash (these are 1 inch speakers that are dedicated to trebble) up front
gh281288

these are 40 rms 210 watts max

and i have vibe sek 6x9s in the parcel shelf
gh281288

these are 80w rms 500 max.

yet to get a small 2/4 channel amp but this set up saounds amazing.

the fronts were fairly easy to fit, has to get a spacer ring and make the hole a fraction larger but a hammer will do this and they will fit behind standard grille.

hardest part was running the wire to the tweeters as the grommets are hard to locate but a lenth of fairly stiff wire will help.

hope this helps
 
Installing a stereo into a K10 is fairly easy. I didn't have a clue what i was doing when i first started and you should see what i've got in there now! You should be able to do it yourself, and you'l get a big sense of achievement as a result.

To fit aftermarket headunits, you'l need an ISO wiring block. Halfords sell these, and you can also get them on ebay too.

in my car, i've got 55w amplified speakers up the front. They sound great! but they're 17cm on custom baffles. You could still get some decent ones in 13cm

Everything sounds better amplified though, so make sure the head unit you get has preouts. The more, the better! Mine has three. Front, Rear and Subs.
 
5) whats your budget?

6) tweeters are for high end notes... like a chime or something... which you couldnt get or hear from a larger speaker... they are mostly placed at ear level and make a world of difference.. so most people tend to mount them on the pillars... I mounted mine in the top right corner of each door... and it still sounded good.
 
I went out on Saturday and bought the following:

Vibe Slick 50's (70 RMS)
Vibe Slick 69^3's (160 RMS)

Panasonic CQ-C3303N Head unit (Front Aux in - 50W*4)

I'm hoping that'll be enough for general usage. I may at a later stage get a 4 Channel Amp + a Sub but for a K10 I think that might be too much :wasntme:

I'm just goner run the Vibe's off the Head Unit. Do you lot rekon that'll be enough for me just listening to music (not boy racer crank it up drum n' bass)?
:k10:
 
yep that'll do you fine

would be worth amping at a later stage.. not so you crank it up but it has other purposes like improving sound..

anyway hope you enjoy it
 
Gurpreet said:
yep that'll do you fine

would be worth amping at a later stage.. not so you crank it up but it has other purposes like improving sound..

anyway hope you enjoy it
Click to expand...

Great! :glance: I've been looking at the Vibe Amps and Subs, they're pretty nice! Any you'd recommend? Also, if I install this set up now, it's not goner be too much hassle to add a Amp + Sub is it? Me = lazy :blush:
 
6x9s tend not to sound too great in a set up with a sub... its a small car so you could get away with speakers at the front where the sound is.. and a sub in the back for some low end.. so its a question of 6x9 versus sub in my opinion...

An amp and sub wont be much of a hassle.. the main hassle is if you want to run the speakers on a 4 channel amp then you need to have the front speaker wires run to the back where the amp will be...

plenty of amp installation threads here.. have a search
 
Ok, thanx for the info. Well, I kinda went for the 6x9s just because I felt a Sub wasn't really what I was looking for...Will the 6x9s and the 5 1/4s still sound good together? I just wanted to try and achieve a normal car stereo feel. (Plus my girlfriend frowned at the site of a Sub lol)

I'm seeing your point that maybe I just need a Amp to improve sound quality...You think I should? I've looked at the Vibe ones, how many channels would I need?

Hopefully I haven't made a bad choice investing in 6x9s, but I think it'll suit me more :wasntme:
 
You're right.. save the boot space and it can be unsightly... the 6x9's are fine... they will add a bit of a surround sound feel to the car... amp them and they will sound even better with oodles of mid-bass...

You'll need a 2 channel amp if you just want the 6x9s amped... or a 4 channel if you want the fronts amped too... However, you can buy 2/3/4 channel combination amps. which as the numbers suggest let you use them for 2 or 4 channels etc... there are some decently priced and great sounding amps out there e.g.

http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/2911.html

^That one can be used as a 2, 3 or 4...

I think amping the 6x9's would be sufficient...
Then it is just a matter of adjusting the balance to your needs i.e. if it (sound) all sounds like it is at the back then turning the amp gain down or fading the sound to the front from the head unit.

Hope that helps.
 
Great, thanx for your help :) I'll probably end up doing that.
One question, If I amp the 6x9s should I just put the fronts through the Aux in plugs in the head unit?
 
Dont buy vibe subs unless you just want people to hear you! They're crap on sound quality.

I also disagree with the 6x9's sound crap with a sub statement, as i've got them in the rear of mine, along with 2 subs. As long as they're set up correctly, not just thrown in, they can sound great and make a difference! 6x9's are definitly not worth having on there own though. i used to think they were everything, like others do, until i combined them with the subs.

The head unit will only do about 4x15w RMS so if just using it as a slight upgrade for your stereo, with standard sound, it should be ok. If you crank it up, you'l probably do more harm than good, so get an amp.

You could always get an amp capable of powering the fronts and rears if your head unit only has one set of pre outs. I'd personally avoid using the car's standard iso wiring to power uprated front speakers.
 
Arnold said:
6x9's are definitly not worth having on there own though. i used to think they were everything, like others do, until i combined them with the subs.
Click to expand...

That is 99% right. Most 6x9's aren't worth having on their own. My brother has some Pioneer 6x9's that cost him a **** load.
When I first got in his car I thought maybe he had an 8 inch sub or something, they really kicked.
It does sound better with a sub in but was fine without it as the bass wasn't too extreme - perfect for the older generation, that don't wanna be heard miles away.
 
Okies, I'm following so far.. I think, this is my first time :blush:

Ok, so Arnold:
Right. I get your point about the subs + the 6x9s. If I amped the fronts and rears with say something like this: http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/2911.html
In your opinion, would that sound good?
I'm still not sure whether to get the Sub or not, what do you define as 'crank it up' Lotsa bass and boy racer style? I'm just looking for a good upgrade to my current standard K10 system. Are you suggesting that if I wanted to 'crank it up' I'd have to buy a Sub for it to sound half decent?

And to olly:
Here's a link to the 6x9s I bought:
http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/5650.html
And the 5 1/4s:
http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/vibe-slick-p-5400.html
These may not be as good as your brother's pioneers but what do you think they'll sound like?

At the moment I'm planning to get the 6x9s and 5 1/4s linked up straight to the head unit unamplified with no Sub. IF I seriuosly need to consider a £90 Amp or w/e or even a Sub then I will.
I look forward to some more expert opinions :glance:
Thanx
 
That should be a good setup, if you keep all your audio equipment with one make you know they will compliment each other.
A sub is not always necessary but good to re-enforce the bass notes and let you feel your music.
A sub smaller than 10 inches isn't worth it as there isn't enough cone area to produce the low frequencies.
 
Ok, here'es my head unit:
http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/4597.html

Without hearing what it's like from the head unit set up I'm not sure whether to invest in a amp or not..I think the subs a little overboard for my needs, I know bass is good but I just really wanted a car stereo (as the K10s standard one is much of one) I'll probably turn it up quite loud, but not crazy levels with drum n bass..What you rekon, Amp or no amp? Sub or no sub? :laugh:
 
I'd just wire it up without amps. If it doesn't do what you want it to, then go from there. having one preout does limit your options a bit
 
If you only have one pre-out and want to have 6 amp channels (Front, Rear and Bridged sub) get a booster/ splitter for the phonos. they are cheap enough.
I agree with Arnold, get an amp and build from there if necessary
 
You can use the original ISO wiring but im not sure if this is recommended for upgraded speakers. Having the RCA just makes it so much easier to amp the speakers
 
Ok I can see you are horribly confused.
You can power the four speakers off your standard head unit wiring and your new head unit.
The RCA pre-out is only necessary if you are going to connect an amplifier for a subwoofer or the speakers.
So, at the moment all you need is your head unit and your 4 speakers until you decide to do more.
 
Ok. One final question before I try this all out.
My current head unit. With only one pre-out. If I do decide to buy an Amp, to Amp ONLY the 4 speakers I have (not a sub) will it:
A) Be capable of this
B) Sound good.

I only ask as if this head unit is a piece of crap I may as well try and get my money back and buy something with more pre-outs. I'm learning at this, thanks for bearing with me :wasntme: I got brains...but just no common sense with cars :sleepy:
 
You'd need a 4 channel amp if you wanted to amp the speakers.

As you only have 1 pre-out (this is 2 channels) you would need a signal splitter or 'y-cable'.

Your head unit is capable of this but I feel you will be happy with the head unit powering the speakers.

The only reason I think you will need the pre-outs is if you decide to get a sub, in that case you will only need 1 pre-out

Ask if you have any more questions.
 
Ok great thanks. I hope the splitting of channels will not cause too much loss in quality...but who I am to say on the subject :wasntme: .
I'll get this set up with the speakers and the head unit.
Oh, and I understand your point about the Sub, using the pre-out to Amp it; I think I may be understanding this stuff :grinning:...

No doubt I'll be back with news of what I think of the sound.
I'm guessing it'll be enough. The only reason I wondered is I saw my mates (really badly, wire cutting techniqued) system and when he put the 5 1/4s loud with bass they sounded crap...I'd just seen a lot of talk about Amps improving sound qaulity which is what I'd look for not for loud tunes.

Anyway,
Thanks to everyone who helped.
 
adding a sub makes a huge difference, i recently bought the new rockford fosgate punch stage 3, with the p4004 amp and it is awsome! pricey but really worth it. i'm hoping to get a mono amp eventualy and run component speakers of the p4004. :)
 
Well...thought I'd update this. I got the speakers fitted today and the sound was just what I needed. At half volume ( keeping it at a low level for the first few hours - as recommended by seller) it seemed pretty dam loud to me. Anyway, the 6x9's gave some sexual bass out and I'm pretty sure that's enough. The whole Sub + Amp thing is a whole different kettle of fish, and something I don't think I need for now! Anyway, thanks to all those that responded.
Cheers, Chris
 

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