2004 accord ex w/navi, advice on system
 

Hello this is my first post in this forum, so here I go;
I recently bought a black 04 EX sedan w/navigation, and the stereo sounds good but I'm wanting better! Now I would like to build something on somewhat of a budget but willing to pay for quality.
first of all I'm not sure if there is even an aftermarket stereo available to replace the stock one, at least I have not seen one! I also want to be able to use my I phone and USB.
I am wanting to build a system that sounds clean, balanced, and of course hits hard. I am open to a variety of subs from a 2 10's, 12's or even a single 13" W7 but that might be a bit more than I want to spend....maybe!
I think I can save money by doing the labor myself and finding bargain deals. I know there are some of you here that have some good recipes for what I am looking for. my budget is around 1500/2000$ can anyone help?

Thanks in advance
Richard

welcome to HAF. your budget can get you what you want. figure $500-600 for two amps, $300 for sub(s), $300-500 for speakers, $200+ for materials, and $200 for interface.

you'll want good 6.5" components for the front (stock locations are ok). sound deadening on the front doors at a minimum, as well as custom speaker baffles (see sticky in this section). rear speakers are negotiable depending on your expectations, but 6.5" midrange is fine for the rear (no rear tweeters necessary). rear speakers should be enclosed to prevent issus with the sub in the trunk.

sub selection/sizes/quanty depends on your expectations. if you want clean, balanced sound then a single 10 can give you that. the focus should be on sub location, enclosure, and quality. the rear corner of the sedan offers the best location to minimize phase interference while giving you your trunk space.

amps are very important, and for your case they should offer some OEM integration features such as high level inputs and auto turn-on - or you can buy an OEM integration piece separate.

the stock head unit will remain as climate controls are integrated. Pac-Audio has OEM interface units for both ipod control and amplifier add-ons. there is also a pocket kit for those who want an aftermarket head unit that will be in addition to the factory radio. Metra sells the pocket mounting kit.

check out my build log (link in sig) for other ideas. you can get great gear used if you want to save some money while buying nice stuff. used amps are a safe bet.

Thanks Hope, I was hoping you would chime in:)
I was wanting to get something that just an upgrade but I know that I would want to add on later so I'm trying to find a happy medium. I want something that will sound great and hit hard. Just a couple of questions;
what is the exact purpose of the baffles in the doors?
how do you suggest enclosing the rear speakers? do you have any pics of examples?
do you suggest a preamp or paragraphic? or will the adjustments on the stock HU suffice?
should I go with a custom enclosure or pre fabricated? hopefully the latter and which sub and prefab works well together?
Any recipes you recommend would be help.

Thanks in advance

Richard.

the baffles on the doors serve several purposes and are required. first, the factory speaker is a different shape, with mounts that are not common for aftermarket speakers. so you need a mounting adapter anyway. plastic adapters are too flimsy and plastic is never a good idea for mounting a speaker, especially a woofer. the speaker needs a very rigid surface for mounting - one that doesn't flex. second, the baffle gives you a rigid mounting surface. and third - it faciliates additional mounting depth and makes creating a seal against the door panel easier.

enclosing rear speakers is tricky. mainly because the torsion bars are in the way, the seat belt retainer on the passenger side is in the way. the best method is with fiberglass - you could easily secure some fabric to the bottom, seal and stiffen with resin, and reinforce with fiberglass. a less permanant method would be to make one out of wood, but due to the torsion bars you'll need to use 5.25" speakers so you have adequate clearances.

an EQ or processor is a great idea - there are some amazing OEM integration processors from Alpine, JBL, Audison, JL Audio, MTX, Audio Control, etc. I have a very flexible processor that i use, and i fully utilize it.

the best prefab or vehicle specific enclosures from MTX or JL Audio, but they don't make one for an accord. the other option is finding a company that makes fiberglass enclosures that look like these:
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