Stereo & Electronics - Finally decided to ditch Monsoon n get a real system

I am having a lot of trouble with the monsoon system. Static, lcd display, partially blown speakers it seems. It seems to cut the bass off when turned and my subs just arent getting a good signal.

I want a nice clean headunit that plays cds, has a wired input, possibly dvd player. I absolutely want to retain my hand controls.

So far I have:
-2 12'' JL Audio 12-w3's in a trunk box w/ a class D amp. this is installed
-2 Infinity Kappa 652.5i (these are sitting around, ive used them in the past and they sound pretty good so i am considering using them in the doors if they fit)

Should I use the kappas?
What would be a good match for rear speakers and amp for these speakers?
I don't want to spend a fortune as I just want a clear stereo that sounds good and I know that its doable without spending tons.
What is suggested for a headunit?

Personally I wouldn't go Infinity. They're weak on bass and having as much bass up front is good.

Personally I wouldn't go Infinity. They're weak on bass and having as much bass up front is good.
Is that really a problem with 2 12'' JL Audio 12-w3's in the trunk? ..unless you were just implying that they are "brighter" overall...

I say try the Infinity speakers... you have them, why not see how they sound?

The more bass that your fronts can do, the better, subwoofer or not. I dunno about you guys but I can localize bass below 80Hz. Maybe down to 60.

I would agree with having good bass coming from the doors as well. This also bridges the gap between the front and rear bass frequencies so it doesn't sound like all the bass is coming from the back of the car. With the use of good midbass speakers you can blend everything better for good overall SQ. IMO.

Ive had the kappa installed in a car with just a headunit and no amp, they had fair amount of bass. I will most likely be amping my new setup so there shouldnt be a problem.

What do you recommend for the pillar speakers to add some mids and bass?

What would a good value 4 channel amp be? I want a good reputable brand and dont want to spend a fortune.

Whatever system you put in the car and whatever speakers, it cannot ever sound like the monsoon. The monsoon is the best for our cars..

Will my sub output improve? It seems like the monsoon stops adding bass after a certain point when you turn it up like its got some sort of bass limitation. I have it wired to one of the rear speakers at the moment for an input.

Whatever system you put in the car and whatever speakers, it cannot ever sound like the monsoon. The monsoon is the best for our cars..

:confused: Really... that is quite a statement.

I think when people talk about bass and front speakers I think they are talking about midbass...

Whatever system you put in the car and whatever speakers, it cannot ever sound like the monsoon. The monsoon is the best for our cars..

Are you kidding me? Do you want to listen to my system?

I only have front component speakers and disconnected my rear speakers and sail panel "subs"

I HATE having sound come from behind me. I'm all about only having an amazing front stage (front speakers.) Let me ask you this: when you go to a concert to you stand backwards so you back is towards the stage and all the music comes from behind you? Didn't think so.

I have some PG Elites 6.5s (made by morel israel with a crossover that is a masterpiece) that are taking 360 watts RMS PER SIDE. Yup, I'm sending 700 watts rms to my front speakers alone.

It's brilliant.

Stop comparing everything to concerts. I'm sure it would be very stupid to have all the band members spread out around the room playing a different instrument. At a concert, sure, the sound comes from infront of you.. But anywhere else, it feels more filling having the sound immerse you. As long as everything is setup properly, it'll always be better to have rears as well, in my opinion. Fills in the space, less noticable gaps and such in the music in the case of somebody FEET in the way of the speakers, for instance. It doesn't leave an obvious dead spot in the music. Plus lets your passengers hear it too

I feel rears are pointless the money is much better spent on better comps

I have a JVC KD-AVX33 H/U with everything else stock. It sounds amazingly good and without any distortion I can turn it up almost all the way, while with other speakers I couldn't do that. I also have 2 12" subs in the back Punch He2s. Mine sounds fine to me. I had changed once to aftermarket and hated it. So I bought new stock speakers. But that is just my opinion. :engarde:

I feel rears are pointless the money is much better spent on better comps

I agree.. if you're on a budget, spend the money you'd otherwise spend on F&R's, and just get better front's.

For casual listening, I do like the sound that a tiny bit of rear fill can provide, but with a 5-channel amp, I'd rather run the fronts in an active configuration and ditch the rear fill.

Maybe I'll just run the 6W0's that came in the sail panels off the head unit :barf: and let the rest of the system play off the amp...

I have a JVC KD-AVX33 H/U with everything else stock. It sounds amazingly good and without any distortion I can turn it up almost all the way, while with other speakers I couldn't do that. I also have 2 12" subs in the back Punch He2s. Mine sounds fine to me. I had changed once to aftermarket and hated it. So I bought new stock speakers. But that is just my opinion. :engarde:That's a different thing then saying nothing is better than the Monsoon. The factory head unit is a distortion machine and replacing it is the first and most important step in improving sound quality.

For the rest, there is nothing really wrong with the factory speakers except that they are made from cheap materials so they don't last very well and they are somewhat inefficient. The Monsoon amp is actually quite good for a low power amp.

However, the overall sound can be vastly improved by selective replacement of the factory speakers. That means putting subs (or at the very least, good midbass) in the sail panels and the proper component (not coaxial) speakers in the doors. For example, I have an aftermarket HU, eD 7kv.2 DVC subs in the sail panels, and CDT components in the doors but still use the Monsoon amp. The lows are not as muddy and the highs are much crisper than with the factory speakers and I can turn it up until I find it uncomfortably loud without distortion. I'm not one to rattle windows with music so the 200 watts RMS of the Monsoon amp is plenty for my needs.

I HATE having sound come from behind me. I'm all about only having an amazing front stage (front speakers.) Let me ask you this: when you go to a concert to you stand backwards so you back is towards the stage and all the music comes from behind you? Didn't think so.


while this is true, and i hate how all the sound comes mostly from the back, it doesnt make much sense to disconnect the sail and the rear speakers. id still leave them hooked up just because.

as far as a head unit goes, i roll with a sony. most people hate it, but i like mine wayy more than the pioneers or JVCs people tell me i should have gotten.

Stop comparing everything to concerts. I'm sure it would be very stupid to have all the band members spread out around the room playing a different instrument. At a concert, sure, the sound comes from infront of you.. But anywhere else, it feels more filling having the sound immerse you. As long as everything is setup properly, it'll always be better to have rears as well, in my opinion. Fills in the space, less noticable gaps and such in the music in the case of somebody FEET in the way of the speakers, for instance. It doesn't leave an obvious dead spot in the music. Plus lets your passengers hear it too
I agree. I hate the concert comparison for that reason. Also, of course you wouldn't turn around and listen to music at a concert...that is completely irrelevant. Movie theatres, surround systems, etc. have sound from more angles than the front and they immerse you in sound - sure it isn't all music - but it still creates a different feeling.

I'm 100% happy with only front components currently, but wouldn't mind some rear fill... It's advisable if you do to use just enough so that you can detect their presence... but it all comes down to personal preference anyway. No reason to try to convince people out of what they prefer.

Personally I wouldn't go Infinity. They're weak on bass and having as much bass up front is good.

i definetely agree with you. i have infinity's running thru 4 channel amp... no base :bang:

Won't it be fine to use the kappa's since i got the 12'' jl 12-w3's in back to make up for them?

The more bass that your fronts can do, the better, subwoofer or not. I dunno about you guys but I can localize bass below 80Hz. Maybe down to 60.

So you HPF your front components (or whatever you have there) at 60Hz? Kinda low IMO (depending on application I guess)

So you HPF your front components (or whatever you have there) at 60Hz? Kinda low IMO (depending on application I guess)

He very well might.. If your mid-bass driver can handle it, it will sound better..

Two of the best cars I've ever heard was a BMW 5-series where the subs were in the front kick panels, and a F-body with a sub in the floorboard and the midbass units were 8" drivers.. The more sound you can get close together and up front, the better.

But back in the real world where we don't spend $15k on a mobile audio system, if the system you put in sounds good to you, then go for it.. Just don't ever listen to a real high-end system, it gets expensive after that... :devil:

F-body with a sub in the floorboard

How was that accomplished?

Anyways -- yea, I know I wish I had more midbass - might add some sails later for this. I would just be afraid to HPF your average component speaker that low...but then again, I guess you usually wouldn't (that's why I said depending on the application). If I had comps that could handle rated power (or at least whatever volume I'm looking for) with the extra range, I would...that and if I took the time to completely deaden the doors..

I have a JVC KD-AVX33 H/U with everything else stock. It sounds amazingly good and without any distortion I can turn it up almost all the way, while with other speakers I couldn't do that. I also have 2 12" subs in the back Punch He2s. Mine sounds fine to me. I had changed once to aftermarket and hated it. So I bought new stock speakers. But that is just my opinion. :engarde:
Just out of curiousity what did you change to as far as aftermarket speakers? That could've had alot to do with it. Not everything works well in an F-body...especially with the Monsoon when you start switching stuff out.

How was that accomplished?

Many hours of fabrication by some excellent stereo guys.. it was trick, but that's what you get for $10k+.. that f-body won soooo many comp's in the late 90's..

Just out of curiousity what did you change to as far as aftermarket speakers? That could've had alot to do with it. Not everything works well in an F-body...especially with the Monsoon when you start switching stuff out.

I actually had some Kenwood speakers in the front and in the sail panels. In the rear I had also Kenwood 6x9s with a Kenwood amp. Don't ask me what they were, cuz that was 5 years ago, I don't remember any models or anything. I had a Kenwood H/U with all that. I just know that the speakers were the most expensive ones that Kenwood had to offer.

So you HPF your front components (or whatever you have there) at 60Hz? Kinda low IMO (depending on application I guess)

Depends on the speakers. I use about 75. I'd like to go lower though.