A very simple question I know, but the search feature is down right now. Are they 6.5" or 5.25"? Thanks folks.

 

6.5" - or sort of - depends on the speaker you buy. Not all 6.5" speakers are the same.

Check out

www.lucidautomotive.com for recommendations - he is a site sponsor.

 

They're 6.5 with a shallow mounting depth. I believe 1 11/13" is the 'drop in' size.

 

See my webpage for dimensions...

 

MacGyver,

Nice site -- and very userful advice. Thanks for taking the time to share what you did and provide some guidance for the rest of us following your lead.

Would you still buy your clear lenses from carparts.com or would you simply buy Muz' or Rick's product?

Also, as an engineer, have you any comments on whether buying a used 2002 head unit (30x4) is a meaningful improvement over the 2001 head unit (20x4)? With the turbo, I'm not willing to spend a lot of money upgrading my sound system. Thus far, I've installed Lucid's rear speaker kit (Polk DX4s) and have ordered some front speakers (Polk EX365s). Not sure it's worth an additional $125 to buy a used 2002 head unit for the higher output, and I'm reluctant to go aftermarket, given that I want to retain the dash controls (and don't want to spend $300+).

Thanks!
CBender

 

I've thought about the sidemarker question from time to time, and considering what I went through (had to reattach one last year when the silicone starting breaking up) I think I would look for another solution. I like to flat markers, but there's something to be said for the plug-and-play solution.

Lucid's rears are a good step towards a better soundstage, but there's nothing that says you have to spend a ton of money to get good sound. If you're planning on spending $125 to begin with just for more power, I would suggest putting that money towards an aftermarket HU. You still get more power than the stock one, and have a better unit to boot. For the dash controls, pick up a PAC SWI-X from a local audio shop for $50-60 nd do the wiring yourself to save on money. Including the SWI-X, I think you could get something much better than stock for $250-300. I know that's a bit more than you wanted to spend, but why throw away $150 for a tad more power that won't make that much difference.

 

Hi MacGyver,

Thanks for the post.

Your point's a good one and it's consistent with some of the other feedback I've gotten. But doing the wiring myself's more than I want to deal with, and despite the fact that money's thus far been no object in modifying my toy, I'm reaching the limit of my willingness to shell out the bucks. Plus, with the turbo/A'PEXi N1s, it's not worth it.

So, I'm thinking that the 2002 h.u. will overcome my sole remaining complaint about the sound system -- it's clear enough and rich enough with the new speakers, but with the top down on the highway (or at WOT) I need a little more volume. It's as if I want to turn up the volume to 13, when it's only goes to 10.

In the end it comes down to the question of whether or not, "that much difference," is enough, as I'm really only trying to get a bit more volume under conditions of high ambiant noise. Hi-fidelity's beyond what I'm looking to get (or even can get with ANY equipment, with my exhaust).

Thanks, again.

By the way, I've removed my S2000 side emblems but am having trouble getting the last of the glue to come off. Any suggestions? I'm worrying at it with WD-40... :-)

Best,

 

The 10W difference is max, not RMS, so the difference in volume between the two is going to be minimal, hence my suggestion for an aftermarket HU. You may also want to consider an amp combined with a line-level converter...since you're not overly concerned with fidelity, you can keep your stock HU, your dash controls, and still get the volume you desire.

For the glue, you can try some of that organic orange oil-base stuff (can't remember the name)...it's paint friendly, and supposedly does a great job. I just spent a lot of time with WD-40.

 

I agree with MacGyver. You have to keep in mind that most headunits boast 40x4 (or whatever), but it's MAX not NOM. Alpine has the best NOM ratings when comparing to their max ratings, but a 40x4 MAX is realistically only a 19x4 NOM (for an Alpine aftermarket at least, not sure about Alpine OEM parts).

You can always take that $150 and put it toward an amp to power those speakers.

 

MacGyver and TepEvan,

Thanks for the posts, but it's now too late on the head unit. (I bought it this afternoon).

Lucid seems to think it's a reasonable compromise between doing nothing (and accepting the fact that I won't be able to hear the stereo when there's a lot of ambiant or exhaust noise) and dropping another $300 into an aftermarket deck with dash controller. His opinion's been seconded by another board member who did the same thing -- he says it helps a lot in terms of the volume but it's not a miracle cure.

In any case, if it turns out to be crap, I suspect I can sell the H.U. to someone else for $100 or so, thus not taking a huge hit. I'm paying $125, shipped, and that seems to be on the lower end of the "market" price.

I didn't know that I could buy/install a separate amp and sandwich it between the deck and the speakers. If this new H.U. doesn't silence the, "this stereo sucks," reaction, I may come back to you for some more specific guidance on my options.

I really appreciate the help and the feedback. This is yet another reason why the S2Ki community is so great.

Best,
CBender