Honda Accord 2002 - A nice sound system advice?
#1
05-20-2010, 10:18 PM
Honda Accord 2002 - A nice sound system advice?
I have a Honda Accord 2002 Sedan. Like everyone, I like my music loud. The car has a stock everything right now. Stock sound system. I want to maybe replace the speakers and definitely get a new CD receiver. I got a question though, if I get a nice CD receiver for around 100-150 bucks, and replace my speakers (just the rear deck, 6 x 9 or maybe the back and the front too) will I need a amplifier? I'm not getting any subs or anything and I dont really kno alot about car speakers or sound systems or amplifiers. Any useful info, links, advices is welcome.
#2
05-20-2010, 10:57 PM
well i have an accord coupe 1998
and i replaced all of my speakers and tweeters and added a sub and an amp by myself
so if your budget is 150
you can change both front and back just dont go to car toys its a rip off and its overpriced just install by yourself
go to crutchfield.com or sonicelectronics. and buy kicker, jvl, mtx or alpine speakers they are not to expensive and have good quality
for speakers you dont need an amp, the amp on the stock head unit is powerful enough
the front speakers are 6.5 inches and the rear ones are 6x9 inches
if you need help to know how to install the speakers i will tell you
and i replaced all of my speakers and tweeters and added a sub and an amp by myself
so if your budget is 150
you can change both front and back just dont go to car toys its a rip off and its overpriced just install by yourself
go to crutchfield.com or sonicelectronics. and buy kicker, jvl, mtx or alpine speakers they are not to expensive and have good quality
for speakers you dont need an amp, the amp on the stock head unit is powerful enough
the front speakers are 6.5 inches and the rear ones are 6x9 inches
if you need help to know how to install the speakers i will tell you
#3
05-21-2010, 01:12 PM
you can get a good idea of what is possible by looking at the build log linked in my sig.
i can go into a bit more detail this evening.
i can go into a bit more detail this evening.
#4
05-21-2010, 01:13 PM
you can change both front and back just dont go to car toys its a rip off and its overpriced just install by yourself
go to crutchfield.com or sonicelectronics. and buy kicker, jvl, mtx or alpine speakers they are not to expensive and have good quality
for speakers you dont need an amp, the amp on the stock head unit is powerful enough
go to crutchfield.com or sonicelectronics. and buy kicker, jvl, mtx or alpine speakers they are not to expensive and have good quality
for speakers you dont need an amp, the amp on the stock head unit is powerful enough
I disagree with most of this, especially the power on the stock head unit. i'll explain later today.
#5
05-21-2010, 01:47 PM
I'm sure KHA will elaborate more on this, but I'll give my two cents. I used the stock Headunit in my car for a few years, and got new front and rear speakers. This really isn't a good way to start. The EQ built into a stock HU is awful to say the least, and your aftermarket speakers really won't sound any better (and could actually end up sounding worse) than stock.
If I could go back and do it again, I would get a new HU first, then replace the speakers afterward. You will have so much better control over your sound with a new HU. Rather than just the Honda "Bass" and "Treble" you will have an actual EQ to mess around with, and other options such as HPF and LPF (if you add a sub, this will be useful.)
But yeah, I would say get a new headunit as your first upgrade.
If I could go back and do it again, I would get a new HU first, then replace the speakers afterward. You will have so much better control over your sound with a new HU. Rather than just the Honda "Bass" and "Treble" you will have an actual EQ to mess around with, and other options such as HPF and LPF (if you add a sub, this will be useful.)
But yeah, I would say get a new headunit as your first upgrade.
Last edited by Briggz; 05-21-2010 at 01:48 PM. Reason: spelling :)
#6
05-21-2010, 05:53 PM
Agreed. Get a good HU and leave the stock speakers if that's all you can afford. Buy a nicer used HU if you can't spend enough for a good one. Heck, I just picked up a mint condition Alpine CDA-9833 for $100 that includes 6-channel T/A, crossover, 5-band parametric EQ, V-Drive internal amplifier, etc. My 2002 Camry has had stock speakers and aftermarket HU's ever since we got it (mostly because all my time is in the Accord). 
The CDA-9833 gives me extra control in that car... however aftermarket component speakers are planned very shortly (just sitting on a shelf anyway). that car will have front and rear because our children like to have music also, but we use our fader as needed to control levels.
The installation of aftermarket speakers requires extensive effort in order to achieve proper results. This includes fabricating baffles, sound deadening, foams, etc. as i've outlined in a sticky in this section.
Speakers should always be upgraded front first. the front speakers are what you hear the most, music should come front in front of you. You're going to want a component set and you can start by locating the new tweeter in the factory dash location, or move it to a location you like more (like the apillars).
Rear speakers are for low end or rear fill only. They should not be the dominant source of music. Most manufacturers use larger 6x9's in rear for bass only - there aren't tweeters back there for a reason. tweeters behind you are pointless. Upgrade your rear speakers only after you're happy with the front sound quality.
No stock head unit will adequately power aftermarket speakers. Factory speakers are very efficent, aftermarket speakers are not. Factory amplifiers are very small with high distortion. Many people are happy after a simple HU upgrade. Your 2002 has the same factory system as mine did, and as my build log shows, i'm very familiar with the vehicle. I did use the factory HU to feed a signal to an audio control EQL then to an xtant amp which ran my front components and a sub. That was an acceptable system.
If you can't afford amplifiers AND speakers, your best bet is a new head unit. you can power aftermarket speakers from an aftermarket head unit. you can power factory speakers from an aftermarket head unit. i NEVER recommend powering aftermarket speakers from a factory head unit. if you must retain the factory HU, add an amp and LOC to power the speakers. There are a lot of factory integration pieces out there to facilitate this with integrated head units. the 2002 is not integrated and easy to remove.
That said, the only way to get true performance from aftermarket speakers is with a quality amplifier and a rock solid installation. the difference is amazing, and only those who have experience it (with above average equipment) can actually comment on the benefits.
Alpine, JVC, MTX, Rockford are all mid-grade equipment. Hybrid Audio Technologies, Hertz, JL Audio, Focal, Morel, all make good "entry-level" speakers, but "entry-level" for them is well above average from your everyday BestBuy brands.
sonicelectronix is not an authorized seller of most of their brands (except they are for Powerbass). Crutchfield is an authorized seller and they will help with install kits, wiring harnesses, instructions, etc. for the newcomer. But before you buy online, look at local shops, talk to installers/sales, etc.
For new head units, Pioneer, Kenwood eXcelon, Alpine have good budget units. Personally, I think the CDA-105 is a nice starting piece, as is the Kenwood KDC-X794. Make sure to review each unit with the desired adapters you want (ipod, sat radio, HD radio, USB, Bluetooth, etc.) to verify if you need to buy extra peices to acheive your goals.
The CDA-9833 gives me extra control in that car... however aftermarket component speakers are planned very shortly (just sitting on a shelf anyway). that car will have front and rear because our children like to have music also, but we use our fader as needed to control levels.The installation of aftermarket speakers requires extensive effort in order to achieve proper results. This includes fabricating baffles, sound deadening, foams, etc. as i've outlined in a sticky in this section.
Speakers should always be upgraded front first. the front speakers are what you hear the most, music should come front in front of you. You're going to want a component set and you can start by locating the new tweeter in the factory dash location, or move it to a location you like more (like the apillars).
Rear speakers are for low end or rear fill only. They should not be the dominant source of music. Most manufacturers use larger 6x9's in rear for bass only - there aren't tweeters back there for a reason. tweeters behind you are pointless. Upgrade your rear speakers only after you're happy with the front sound quality.
No stock head unit will adequately power aftermarket speakers. Factory speakers are very efficent, aftermarket speakers are not. Factory amplifiers are very small with high distortion. Many people are happy after a simple HU upgrade. Your 2002 has the same factory system as mine did, and as my build log shows, i'm very familiar with the vehicle. I did use the factory HU to feed a signal to an audio control EQL then to an xtant amp which ran my front components and a sub. That was an acceptable system.
If you can't afford amplifiers AND speakers, your best bet is a new head unit. you can power aftermarket speakers from an aftermarket head unit. you can power factory speakers from an aftermarket head unit. i NEVER recommend powering aftermarket speakers from a factory head unit. if you must retain the factory HU, add an amp and LOC to power the speakers. There are a lot of factory integration pieces out there to facilitate this with integrated head units. the 2002 is not integrated and easy to remove.
That said, the only way to get true performance from aftermarket speakers is with a quality amplifier and a rock solid installation. the difference is amazing, and only those who have experience it (with above average equipment) can actually comment on the benefits.
Alpine, JVC, MTX, Rockford are all mid-grade equipment. Hybrid Audio Technologies, Hertz, JL Audio, Focal, Morel, all make good "entry-level" speakers, but "entry-level" for them is well above average from your everyday BestBuy brands.
sonicelectronix is not an authorized seller of most of their brands (except they are for Powerbass). Crutchfield is an authorized seller and they will help with install kits, wiring harnesses, instructions, etc. for the newcomer. But before you buy online, look at local shops, talk to installers/sales, etc.
For new head units, Pioneer, Kenwood eXcelon, Alpine have good budget units. Personally, I think the CDA-105 is a nice starting piece, as is the Kenwood KDC-X794. Make sure to review each unit with the desired adapters you want (ipod, sat radio, HD radio, USB, Bluetooth, etc.) to verify if you need to buy extra peices to acheive your goals.
#7
05-21-2010, 06:14 PM
Yea i had the same idea in my mind. First, im getting a nice HU so I can have a nice EQ options and other stuff. And then like someone said, replace my front speakers and if it works out pretty good, i might change the rear ones too. thanks for the great ideas and i will check out those links you provided me with.
#8
05-21-2010, 09:04 PM
that's a good rule of thumb for "older" cars without integrated head units - replace the HU first.
this is the build log (still in progress but with some milestones - i'm on the 3rd generation)
http://forum.sounddomain.com/ubbthre...page/1/fpart/1
this is the build log (still in progress but with some milestones - i'm on the 3rd generation)
http://forum.sounddomain.com/ubbthre...page/1/fpart/1
#9
05-22-2010, 06:16 PM
kk couple questions. if i get these http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1086022...i.html?o=p&c=3 speakers, how would i install them. is it easy to install it, if no if i take it to a pro, how much will it be to get it professionally install it. and since Honda's front speakers look like this (picture below) that rhombus shape cover would stay there or what? because the speakers have their own covers and i really dont care if it does stay like that, i just care about the quality.
im also thinking about getting this, http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Pioneer+...&skuId=9760788 tell me the max watts of speakers i can get for the front to work with that HU with out an amp.
im also thinking about getting this, http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Pioneer+...&skuId=9760788 tell me the max watts of speakers i can get for the front to work with that HU with out an amp.
#10
05-22-2010, 09:02 PM
don't get those speakers, or any coaxial speakers. get component speakers. your factory system has tweeters in the dash - that is where you'll locate the new component tweeters. like these:
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1086030...eference&ssi=0
the factory grill stays put. you just make or buy a mounting adapter and use weatherstripping foam (closed cell) around the new speaker to seal against the factory grill.
that HU, like many others, only does 15-25W RMS. RMS wattage is what you care about. ANY speaker available can handle that power, but note that most of the distortion you hear is from the head unit's amplifier, not the speaker.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1086030...eference&ssi=0
the factory grill stays put. you just make or buy a mounting adapter and use weatherstripping foam (closed cell) around the new speaker to seal against the factory grill.
that HU, like many others, only does 15-25W RMS. RMS wattage is what you care about. ANY speaker available can handle that power, but note that most of the distortion you hear is from the head unit's amplifier, not the speaker.
