Hey all I'm looking to figure out which would improve my sound quality more. I have an 04 s2k and i'm debating which to replace first my speakers or head unit? which would help the sound quality the most because i won't be able to replace both at the same time. also can anyone recommend some brands and model types too? i'm prolly looking to spend around 200-300 for the first installment of either speakers or headunit. thanks

 

go with a headunit first. it will make you stock speakers sound twice as good! from what ive read on here, alot of people are using the alpine cda-9857.

heres my setup at the moment and its crystal clear going 80mph with topdown on the freeway.

HU: alpine cda-9856
AMP: JL 300/4 (bridged 150x2)
COMPONENTS: CDT HD-62USgold

 

did you have to make some adjustments to fit the 9856 because on best buy it says that hu won't fit the car

 

Best Buy is on crack. Too many owners have the 9856 installed for it to be an issue.

I agree with NO RIDE. Figure out what you want in the way of a system, start with the head unit, then add an amp and new speakers.

Lots of good units available for under $300, just figure out what features you want and go from there.

 

It actually does require some adjustment but only to the stock mounting clips that you bolt to the side of the aftermarket headunits. You need to remove the little tab. One the stock HU's that tab hold the mounting clip straight... there's nothing on the aftermarket HU's for those to sit in so they must be removed.

However it take 37seconds to do both with a Dremel and by no means should that cost extra! EVER!

 

thats odd... i didnt have to dremel anything. i took the mounting tabs off the stock headunit and mounted it to the new alpine hu. only thing i did was take the alpine deck out of the sleeve to expose the mounting holes to screw on the tabs.


BTW: 9856 and 9857 volume dial can be push in and out to clear the radio door.

 

I had my 9857 professionally installed. The radio door closes nicely with the volume control knob out.

Maybe that's the difference between removing the tabs that Darknight was talking about and not removing them...

 

No Ride,

That's a nice setup. Did you have any problems with clearance when installing those CDT's? I installed some CDTs in my old del sol but had to do a lot of modification to get them to fit. They sounded phenomenal, though.

 

Wait wait wait....

dremel?

All I needed to install my 56 was to take the OEM brackets and put them on the Alpine. Bolted right in. Also, the Alpine sleeve must be removed, but that takes about 3 seconds to do.

What chu guys cuttin?

 

Next HU I install in an S I will take pictures of the tabs. At least this was the case with the 2002 MY cars. It can be done without it but it fits better if you do. Look at the brackets and you'll see the little round tabs that protrude from the bracket.