Help...car audio idiot story

Alright guys, so people say its good to admit your mistakes - here's mine:

I bought Polk Audio dxi650 speakers for the doors (front and rear) without hearing them.

 

In my defense: I've had plenty of polk audio speakers in my cars before and LOVED them. I even have a polk audio set up at home for the sorround sound.

 

I installed them and now my car has no bass, almost no mid range. The equalizer in the factory radio is set at 0/0/0 (flat) as it was before. I was hoping for a more crisp sound, and now it sounds like a tin can.

 

Any solutions?

Not sure I can return them, checking into that tonight.

Might be more the fact that the stock head unit doesn't have enough juice/amps to power them properly.

Replace your aftermarket speakers with OEM or replace the OEM H/U ...or add a DSP like the MS8 or Bit One.

 

If you're cheap like me & don't want to drop $500 on a DSP or JDM dash kit, then add a single din where the cigarette whatever goes. If you smoke, just quit. It'll be worth it.

I wish I could easily swap out the radio. I have the one intagrated into the heat/ac controls. The factory speakers are gone (wife threw them away) and I have until today to return the polk speakers I bought. Considered adding a 4 channel amp to the factory system but can't seem to find any installs of that on the forums. Not sure how complicated it may be.

Any ideas? Do you know of anyone (link/thread) who's done this?

If you're cheap like me & don't want to drop $500 on a DSP or JDM dash kit, then add a single din where the cigarette whatever goes. If you smoke, just quit. It'll be worth it.

 

I'm about as good as you're going to get on this forum.

 

No one cars about audio on this forum. All they care about is who can turn their LGT into a WRX the fastest. Did you see the guy who gutted his interior? Look dad, a WRX! ...lmao

 

 

 

 

 

 

Considered adding a 4 channel amplifier? Either purchase an amplifier that accepts high level OR buy a LOC.

 

Your choice. In my opinion, both will sound like trash w/ your OEM H/U.

 

 

 

 

 

 

...bypass that damn OEM H/U & toss a single din where your cigarette whatever goes. I know it's ghetto, but putting in the above compartment looks worse.

 

Otherwise just drop $500 on a JDM dash kit & another couple hundo on a H/U. You could always purchase a DSP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go ahead & bump this thread. This is all you can. Oh! I forgot about the H/U in the glove compartment.

 

 

I've spent the last 4 years on Diyma, CACO, & gearslutz. But go ahead & bump it anyways!

 

 

SVDX or SVX has your harnesses that you WILL need. I'd PM him.

There is a simple solution called CleanSweep made by JL Audio. If you search the classifieds there were a few up for sale last fall. Its a processor that connects to your factory H/U and allows you to hook up amps. Its NOT $500.00. I'll try to find a couple threads. This is something that is doable, you dont have to hack up your interior or make things Ghetto, and it doesnt have to cost an arm and a leg.

 

Heres an old thread I responded to:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/cleansweep-questioniii-194248.html

That simple solution is nothing more than a fancy LOC.

 

Calling the cleansweep a DSP? Lmao, never mind.

 

Don't let the cleansweep thread fool you into thinking it's the only option. Maybe JL paid .com to post it, but they're missing the MS-8, Bit One, Bit Ten, 3Sixty 1, 2, & 3, PXA-H800, PXE-H650 & H660, ...& so on & so forth. Hell, PPI even makes one now.

 

Now those ^^^ are DSP's

 

The cleansweep will get the job done. In all honesty, you are paying for a fancy LOC

 

An aftermarket H/U will still sound better, hehe

I'm definitely not an expert so thanks for the excellent info. I have amps , a sub, and some components sitting in my basement from my last car aching to be put into the Subie but want to figure out the lowest cost way of doing it, and all I have done is read on this forum about clean sweeps. Every other car I have owned has been a piece of cake to get a dash kit and throw a single or double din in it. Please help the noobies! What does LOC stand for? And what is the most affordable way of hooking all this up and having it sound decent?

Line Output Converter: Converts a H/U's speaker outputs into a signal suitable to drive the preamp inputs of an amplifier

 

In short, you can't just take the "speaker wire" from your OEM H/U & splice them into an RCA ...to be fed into an amplifier.

 

You can get around this by using an amplifier that accepts high level inputs. With high level inputs, there is no need for an external LOC. Just run the "speaker wire" from your OEM H/U directly to the amplifier.

 

Example of an amplifier with high level inputs,

 

http://i.imgur.com/nZEoKV0.jpg

 

^See where the RCA inputs are? Now look to the sides. See those white molex plugs?

 

Now look at this picture,

 

http://i.imgur.com/5amOWzg.jpg

 

^I'm sure you get the idea, but these can then be ran directly to the "speaker wires" from your OEM H/U.

 

*I forget to mention that most (if not all) amplifiers that accept high level input will have the option of RCA

 

 

If the above images don't work, check this link here http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_68788_Precision-Power-i320.4.html

 

 

 

 

To be completely honest, I'm not sure what will work best for you ...which kind of sucks.

 

If you are absolutely dead set on retaining your OEM H/U & can't afford a DSP like an MS-8, then I'll give you two options

 

1) Skip on the Cleansweep & purchase an amplifier that accepts high level inputs. Just run your "speaker wires" from your OEM H/U to the amplifier's high level inputs, & bam, you're done. It's a matter of hooking + to + & - to -

 

2) Cleansweep route.

 

 

 

 

Can't be that easy though. Thing is, if you head with option 1, you'll be stuck with the OEM EQ curve. See, that's what the cleansweep does. It "cleans" up the signal (flattens it basically)

 

I can't tell you whether you will like one or the other better.

 

 

Me?

 

I can't stand the OEM EQ curve, but I'd rather listen to shania twain live than go 0-60 in 5 seconds (I'm guessing at that figure. I don't belong here)

 

Anyways, I retained my OEM HU & used the MS-8. I'm a student & I'm broke. I sold the Ms-8 to pay for a class.

 

The MS-8 module is the best bang for your buck. It will do 85% of the tuning for you. You can pick one up off of http://www.diyma.com for around $350 used. $300 if you're really lucky.

 

 

I'm using the MiniDSP now. Let's forget that though.

 

I've exhausted all the options. I miss Alpine's user face & will be swapping out the cigarette ash tray.

 

I can live with this. The way I look at it is the ash tray part is CHEAP. You don't like it, go to the salvage yard & pick up another one up for $25. It'll take you all of 2 hours to go back to stock. -Just a matter of cutting a few wires & popping out a few clips.

 

I laughed when I first saw someone bypass their OEM H/U & stuck an aftermarket single din in the cubby (above OEM H/U). I still think that looks ghetto, but I can live with the ash tray install. I can't afford to drop another few hundred on another DSP, but I have too much money stuck into the rest of my chain (amplifiers, drivers, etc) to retain the OEM H/U

 

no no

 

 

Sorry for my dickish responses earlier. Call my a hypocrite, but I'm not fond of the community here at all.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/13/e4a7e9yd.jpg

 

So my amps have high level inputs. Where do I find connectors for them? And so I know I am understanding, this basically replaces RCAs, right? What would be the best way to then hook up a sub as well?

Sorry for the thread jack OP. hopefully this is helpful for others. Thanks teh ricer!

Yes.

 

Give me the model number of the amplifier on the bottom. Yes, the high level inputs replace the RCA's.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200496&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-Internal+Power+Cables-_-N82E16812200496&gclid=CKKtp9ir4LcCFezm7AodrkAAlw

 

http://www.short-circuit.com/product/p4-atx.html

 

 

Figured you could do this -As far as the one on top, just use spade connectors. Wally World carries them. Actually, just about any store does. Home Depot, Menards, Runnings, Fleet Of Farm, Lowes, ANY auto parts store, & so on...

 

*Go take a picture of that molex plug that runs into your OEM H/U ...this is the one from your dedicated under-seat sub-woofer. I assume this is high level & you may be able to tap into it without having to purchase a LOC

I don't think I have the OEM sub. I'll have to check tomorrow.

Okay,

 

Know where I can purchase the oil return tube online?

Fred beans is where most get OEM stuff on here. I haven't gotten anything from them though so I don't have a review to provide.

You know, when I first heard that (fred beans), I thought it was a joke.

 

No one cars about audio on this forum. All they care about is who can turn their LGT into a WRX the fastest. Did you see the guy who gutted his interior? Look dad, a WRX! ...lmao

 

 

So, what about using traditional high level/low level converters? Whats your opinion on those? My buddy that used to manage a car audio shop said that hooking up directly to the High level inputs tends to be more suceptible to feedback. Thoughts?

hey guys, just an update. I have been searching all over and found some Sony Xplod 6.5" speakers that I thought Id try. I figured worst case scenario I return them. I just got them put in and they actually sound pretty good. As good as a full custom audio set up? NOPE. But better then it was with the stock speakers and no need for extra install time and pulling the dash apart. In my younger days with more free time I wouldve already pulled it all apart and replaced/upgraded everything I could touch but on my limited time this will have to do. Thanks for your help everyone.

hey guys, just an update. I have been searching all over and found some Sony Xplod 6.5" speakers that I thought Id try. I figured worst case scenario I return them. I just got them put in and they actually sound pretty good. As good as a full custom audio set up? NOPE. But better then it was with the stock speakers and no need for extra install time and pulling the dash apart. In my younger days with more free time I wouldve already pulled it all apart and replaced/upgraded everything I could touch but on my limited time this will have to do. Thanks for your help everyone.

 

Good to hear.

 

Check your local CL.

I was in the same boat as you and took the dive this past week.

 

I had polk db6501? I had gotten them like 1.5 years ago but never got around to installing them. so I decided to look for rear speakers and do it them all at some point. Got around Yest for the front speakers

 

I went the crutchfield and ran into this:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Pa3ZoDL3dNe/p_158XDPM110/Sony-XDP-MU110-Digital-Link-Sound-System.html

 

A dsp on clearance. I didn't even know what a dsp was but the reviews sounded great . So i got the dsp and mtx coaxials for the rear. I installed the polks yesterday cause thats all I had time for and they sound terrible off the stock hu. And I figured, the 125w rms rating doesn't help. The stock speakers sounded better! But im not discouraged cause I had infinity kappas in my old car and off the hu it sucked so bad and once I put an amp to it, it sounded amazing! The bass went from night to day. So if the dsp doesn't make it sound better, I might get an amp for the front speakers to handle the 300w peak of the polks. I prob won't be able to install the Sony for another few weeks but for 50 , you might be able to afford it and tell me how you like it before I go thru the hassle of trying to install it haha.

 

Ita funny because I ran into this thread to see how ppl mounted their crossovers

 

Oh yeah scosch makes a double din face kit for our subarus. On cruthfield its 40 bucks...beats the jdm double din option...