Hi all,

I'm sure you must get tons of these questions, but I've done some research and I just need some clarifications:

I'm trying to build a system that sounds rich and clear, and has a bit of power to back it up. Emphasis is for SQ, with SPL second. This is just an everyday system, not competition or anything.

The car (stock):
Dodge Neon, with 2 6x9s in the back, 2 6.75" in the front (that's right, 6.75), and 2 2.5" semi-tweeters in the dash (again, a size that noone seems to make--no one but the best and brightest at Dodge, that is)

So far:
I've replaced the stock head unit with a Sony FFX7705 (might be a couple of misplaced Fs or Xs in that) MP3/CD deck, with 3 4V preouts

The plan is:
Get a decent 4-way amp, something like this
Get decent 6.5" 2-way front speakers (for the kickpanel), something like Infinity 6002i
Disconnect the 2.5" things in the dash (I think they're connected to the 6.75" in the kickpanel anyway)
Make an adapter and get 2-way 5.25" speakers for the back (from what I read they make better SQ than 6x9s, and I won't need the bass), something like Infinity 5002I here
get a decent mono amp, such as an Alpine MRD-M500
get a decent 12" sub, such as the Infinity 1230w and put it in a sealed box

Would all this sound good? My main concern is that the front speakers might be too low (kick panel). Maybe I should get those speakers that can have the tweeters point on any angle within 120 degrees? This way I could point them up towards the listeners. Would this be necessary?

Note that I'd like not to hack up my dash or kick panels, as I'd like to put the car completely back to stock whenever I sell it.

Any thoughts would be welcome,
molo

ditch coaxials - get components man.

it sounds like you have some good ideas so far, now its time to head out and audition some front speakers, celica gts makes a good point, you will likely get far better sound from your front speakers if you were to use a coaxial, here is my list of how to prioritize your purchases, keep in mind this is only an opinion
1)front speakers
2)amplifier
3)cd player, which youve already done
4)crossover, 3,4 can be swapped depending on the cd player used ,it may have really good x-overs in it, if 3 dosent have a x-over, insert 4 in 3's spot
5)subwoofer
6)rear speakers, if demmed necessary
now you are ready to begin the long process of intalling this gear, the install will deterine the overall quality of you stereo, great gear can sound really poor if misapplied, yet the same can be said for middle of the road gear, it can sound great if applied properly

I would avoid the MRDM500, as it is not the most powerful mono amp in it's class. Check out MTX 801d or JL 2501.
The rest should sound good, go with components, and mount them in the kicks.

__________________
--------------------<br /><a href="http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/594762/" target="_blank"> my Nissan </a><br />--------------------

maybe the mrdm500 isnt the most powerfull amp out there, you would be hard pressed to find and amp that sounds as good as that amp does

why do you say that Dave?
If an amp has more power for the same price, wouldn't it 'sound' better?

__________________
--------------------<br /><a href="http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/594762/" target="_blank"> my Nissan </a><br />--------------------

more power doesnt mean better sound, if that were the case we would all use those ma audio amps, they truly can put out lots of power, some of them at least, but sound like a$$, i guess my point is not all power is created equally

Hmm... so what you guys are saying is that I'm better off going with 5.25" components than 6.5" coaxials in the front kickpanels? Because of size restrictions, etc, 6.5" components are not an option, I'm afraid.

Another question for the experienced... do components generally come with crossover circuitry that sends the right frequencies to the tweeter, or do I need to get that separately?

Thanks for all the replies,
molo

yeah the components will be better i think, but id wait for others with more experience to help you make the final say.

question defro, whats ur opinion on my putting 2 15" type r's to an m1000? sealed fiberglass.

[ June 04, 2004, 11:23 PM: Message edited by: '90 Alpine Celica GTS ]

there were some pretty serioius technical difficulties with the mrdm1000's, i wont get into it here but pm me if you want more info, all in all the 1000's is a great amp and the type r 15's can be friggin mental is applied right

the x-overs that come with many component speakers absolutely reek, in many cases building your own or going electronic, my advice, are far superior to many passives x-overs that come with components