I have recently installed a new HU - Blaupunkt Pasadena CD-71 and am looking to add everything else. My local shop here (Custom Sounds) has recommended this setup:

Amp--Alpine MRV-F450 5 channel
Front components--Focal Utopia 165W
Rears in S-Pods--Eclispe Point Source 5 1/4\" 2-ways
Sub--JL Audio 10w6v2 mounted in a custom enclosure under the passenger side dash behind the blower, up close to the firewall

They quoted me a grand total of $2,015 installed with everything and the custom enclosure etc..

So what do you think of these choices? I have been out of the audio game for quite some time and am really just getting back into it now. Any opinions of the setup or experience with any of these specific items would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Dopeness bro!!!

Let me know how those Eclipses work out for you....Always wanted to hear a first hand review about em...

Good price as well.

About the HU, its great and all, but youll lose the Dash Controls....unless you get the DJ Cube option....
otherwise...great stuff.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by NFRs2000NYC
[B]Dopeness bro!!!

 

RE: Sub - May want to ask the shop to relook at the sub/amp combo's viability. The sub is "dual 4ohm only". Looks like sub works best between 140w - 300w. Your amps "5th channel" looks like it will put out 150 x ONE channel @ 4ohm. Dual voice coil with this amp may be a bit lite unless you are parked with the top up.

RE: S-Pods - Didn't see any time delay feature in your HU. Don't own s-pods yet but would seem that if you have the Eclipse/S-Pod combo that close to the back of your head and your Focals in the existing speaker mount holes for MY2002-03, things might get a bit out of synch with your sound staging and perhaps a bit mushy (technical term ). Sound stage is supposed to be in front of you and up near the top of the windshield according to car audio SQ judges. Speakers behind the head seem like they would compete and move the stage unless tempered with time delay. This is all hypothetical since I don't actually have the s-pods, so ... for what it's worth.

Price seems very fair if you are buying the equipment at the shop.

One man's opinion.

 

Thanks a lot for the advice. I will talk this all over with them more in depth and see what they say.

 

I have the same amp in my S, and I'm driving a 10" Alpine Type R sub w/2 ohm dual voice wired in series to the sub channel, and it hits pretty hard. I also have the S-pods, and I have to admit that time correction does make a big difference with this set-up. However, if you don't have time correction, you can decrease the power to your rear speakers through the amp, and use the balance control on your HU to help compensate for the close proximity of the rear speakers to the listeners ears.

Your proposed system sounds awesome, and I look forward to reading your review after the install is complete!

Good luck.......

 

Come to think of it, he did menion that the reason he chose the Eclipse 3-ways for the pods was because they are closer to my head and would be given less power. I didn't put 2+2 together but that is probably what he was talking about as far as imaging. Thanks.

 

I don't notice a problem with my S-pods. I just adjusted the balance and fade to keep the staging closer to the front.

pjk3 suggested wiring the rears in series to "mimic" surround sound. That way both rear speakers play the same thing with the fronts supplying the stereo effect. I have not tried this idea out myself, but the premise seems sound. (No pun intended.)