[hiho-silver]

I was wondering if Melbourne members have had any audio enhancements carried out.

I would be happy to spend the money if I could find someone who knew what they were doing.

Any details would be appreciated

[2kturkey]

Hiho, after all the comments about the crap stereo we have in the S2000 I decided to lash out on some speakers which everyone assured me would make a huge difference. The speaker of choice in the US seems to be the Sony Explod 1621 XVS. Unfortunately this model is not available in Australia with the nearest equivalent being the 1620 XFS. I went down to Strathfield car radio in Mitcham and listened to about 30 different speakers of which the SONY 1635 XVS were the best ($229 per pair). The next best were the pair I bought, Kenwood KFC1677s at $119 per pair - these sounded significantly better than the SONY 1620 which had no high range and were quite muddy.

Anyway, I got the Kenwoods home and installed them last weekend.

My thoughts - a little bit clearer trebles but big loss of bass!! A BBIIGG disappointment!!

Frankly speaking, although the original speakers were quite puny I think they were the best matched units for the standard Honda stereo. This comes back to a lot of what I have been saying on this board, and that is - aftermarket stuff (including different wheels/tyres/exhausts/air filters etc.) is generally a big wank. It ends up costing you money but actually DETRACTS from what the original equipment in the vehicle did in the first place.

I am not saying that by spending enough money you cannot put in a better sound system - I am sure you can. However, I think that unless you have bottomless pockets you are probably better off leaving things alone as there is no such thing as a cheap (and quick) fix.

[brock]

Hi Guys,

HiHo - really depends on how far you want to go. I would recommend GL Pro Sound in Essendon for an excellent fit. They do quite a few of the vendor car installs ie. alpine lancer. I am considering getting them to mould a sub box for mine. Quoting approx $300 + sub.

The basic upgrade path would be to work on the speakers / amp / headunit / etc etc. Most factory stereo systems fall down on their paper coned speakers. Our headunit is an OEM'd alpine one - thus pretty good starting point.

As 2kturkey points out, putting in XXXwatt speakers without also adding the grunt to run them will not see any huge gain. Potentially even sending things backward.

For a cost effective solution I would take a close look at the Jaycar Response range of speakers. They are excellent items. I think the 6" sell for approx 70-80 each. They are a two way speaker with built in crossovers etc. Very efficient on power, and very good sound. For that investment and 30 mins labout you will be happy.

drop me a line if you want more help/info.

cheers
mike.

[AusS2000]

I've said it before, I'll say it again (and again, and again...): There is little to know point in upgrading speakers unless you upgrade the power that drives them. A bit like putting $3000 wheels and tyres on a 1970 Toyota Corolla. It ain't gunna go any better.

Here's the facts: the stock speakers suck. The stock amp sucks. As such they are perfectly balanced.

The stock head unit is ok, if you're not interested in the power output. And we do already have the CD Changer.

If you want return on investment from an audio upgrade the minimum you should do is speakers (no need to go overboard) and an amp (ditto). That's a minimum of $300 (Sony 222 amp and 1621 speakers). You'll get more bass, more highs, and more of everything in between. Or a better way to put it is that when you turn the volume up, you'll get more music, less crap (unless you're a fan of Mariah Carey :) )