So over the next year or so I'm planning to upgrade the sound system in my truck. The stats:

2004 Chevy Colorado
Ext Cab
Z71 4X4
Stock HU
2 5.25" fronts (have been removed)
2 5.25" rears (have been removed)
2 door tweeters
NO onstar, xm radio, etc.

I currently have an old 400 watt, 4-channel jensen amp pushing two 6x9's, split off the rear speaker to a line level converter. So the 2 6x9's and the 2 tweeters are all that's installed right now (the doors speakers were blown so I trashed them).

What I am looking for:

1.) New door speakers + tweeters
2.) New HU
3.) New 6x9's/small sub
4.) New Amp

I don't need anything amazing, just something that has a good full range that won't get blown so easily (I seriously have issues with blowing speakers somehow).

So what are the suggests for speakers?
- Full range or components?
- Need crossover?
- Run the 4 door speakers through the amp?
- Need for changing speaker line?
- Need sound deadening material?
- Looking to spend <$350

Suggestions for HU's?
- Would like double-din
- CD/DVD R, RW, etc playback
- iPod hookup
- 6"+ screen
- how many preouts?
- No need for nav
- Would like to spend <$450

My main concerns are quality/component matching - I'm tired of blown speakers.

5/9/2009 9:35:46 PM

why do you need double din if you dont need navigation?

5/9/2009 9:38:16 PM

1.) I hate the shelf/adapter for single din radios to into double din slots. I have yet to see one look good, much less professional.

2.) DVD capability (+ video expansion capability); not a fan of the flip-up screens

3.) From what I've seen, adding NAV doubles, or more, the price, which is completely ridiculous to me (it's not worth that to me and I already have a gps).

[Edited on May 9, 2009 at 9:44 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2009 9:41:49 PM

?

5/11/2009 6:43:26 AM

Is that $350 for speakers, or for speakers and an amp?

I think it should look like this:
$350 for front speakers
$200 for sub
$300 for amp
$450 for HU

Get a 4 channel amp and bridge the rear channels to the sub, while running the front speakers on the front channels. If you want rear speakers, run them of the HU.

[Edited on May 11, 2009 at 12:19 PM. Reason : .]

5/11/2009 12:18:26 PM

$350 for 4-door speakers.

I should have stated in the OP that the "what I am looking for list" is a long-term, ordered list - I want new speakers first, then save up to get a new HU, etc.

I'd like to keep all 4 door speakers since I don't have much room for a sub and would need to remove it often for space (I have to remove the 6x9's often for space, thus I'd be removing the sub often too).

I've got a 400-watt, 4-channel, that's why it's last on my list above.

As for door - Full range or components?
- Need crossover?
- Run the 4 door speakers through the amp?
- Need for changing speaker line?
- Need sound deadening material?speakers what should I look for?

[Edited on May 11, 2009 at 4:47 PM. Reason : .]

5/11/2009 4:47:11 PM

Components in the front, full range in the rear. Cost wise, you will be looking at $250+ for the front and $100 or less for the rears.
Components will come with crossovers, by definition.
When using the stock HU, just use the stock wiring. It is 50/50 when using an amp if I will run new wiring or keep the old wiring. In your case, I would probably do a mix of both.
You can read up on sound deadening at http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com and decide what you are interested in. It isn't really cheap, but can make a huge difference.

I think you would be amazed at where you can hide a sub so that it doesn't get in the way.

5/11/2009 4:59:33 PM

stick with full range in the front even with door tweeters? any suggestions on tweeters?

5/11/2009 5:23:27 PM

Components are a woofer and a tweeter that are matched, and the signal is sent to them through the crossover. The lows are sent through and the highs are blocked for the woofer and the opposite is done for the tweeter, all by the crossover. The crossover is sent the signal from the HU or amp output.

5/11/2009 5:46:04 PM

yeh, I got that. not sure where I got full range in the front. reading comprehension fail

5/11/2009 6:16:36 PM

crutchfield.com

5/14/2009 9:02:36 AM

well, yeh.

5/14/2009 12:30:07 PM

crutchfield.com

5/19/2009 12:17:20 PM

well, yeh.


ok, I'm going to start looking at some door speakers. any suggestions? I don't need top of the line stuff, but I'm tired of really crappy sound and blown speakers. I have the stock HU still in and I may go ahead and run the door speakers through amp...

6/7/2009 9:05:14 AM

^ if you're used to crappy factory speakers then you could probably get some of the cheapest speakers crutchfield's got and be amazed. I've always been a fan of Pioneer.

6/7/2009 11:36:34 AM

meh. i've had decent sounding systems before, so I don't want to trade shit for crap.

I'm having trouble deciding how to start now, though. I'm new to the whole system matching/building thing and it really seems that I need to decide on an HU then AMP then speakers.

Problem is, I can afford the speakers now, and need them since I'm only running 2 door tweeters and two 6x9's right now it currently sounds great... until I need to remove the 6x9's for cargo space.

when CF says "rear door" beside the speakers, does that really matter?

[Edited on June 7, 2009 at 12:17 PM. Reason : /]

[Edited on June 7, 2009 at 12:19 PM. Reason : .]

6/7/2009 12:07:48 PM

ok, this is what I'm thinking:

Fronts + Tweeters:
Infinity Reference 6020cs, 6-1/2" component speaker system @ $139.99
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1086020CS/Infinity-Reference-6020cs.html

Rear:
Infinity Reference 6022i, 6-1/2" 2-way car speakers @ $69.99


HU: (not sure yet - opinions?) either
Pioneer AVH-P4100DVD @ $549.99
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130AVHP410/Pioneer-AVH-P4100DVD.html

or

Jensen VM9223 @ $299.99
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_110VM9223/Jensen-VM9223.html

(looking for double-din, 6 preouts, ipod control (optional), dvd)

16 gauge speaker wire

I have a 400 watt-4channel Jensen amp (LXA-400) that should handle all of this just fine. I'd like to find the manual to it but can't. if anyone knows where I can find it, please let me know. I did E-mail Jensen, but I'm not sure how long that will take.

6/8/2009 9:28:12 PM

link for the 6022i
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1086022I/Infinity-Reference-6022i.html

6/9/2009 12:12:26 PM

no car audio people anymore?

6/12/2009 1:33:06 PM

I guess most of us have kinda been there done that, many times over and over. I'm still using the first head unit I got when I 16, 13 years ago. One of the amps in my Jeep I've had for nearly 12 years and the other I've had for 7. The sub (a 10w3) I've had for 9. I've had everything from 2 15s to a a trio of 10s in a ported enclosure, and while I sometimes I miss being able to modulate my passengers voices, I'm fine with the output of my single 10 in a generous sized ported enclosure. When I swapped out the front factory components I put in some cheap 7" midbasses and 1" silk dome tweets meant for home audio speakers. Total cost for those was ~$100 and other than the midbass not quite being up to my liking (due mostly to being in the door, and not in a closed box) I'm perfectly content with the sound for what I paid for it all.

I know some other folks here have it, but I'm much more interested in having access to all my tunes, video/movies, and the ability to connect to the internet than I am a bitching sound system. Road noise (unless you're driving something really sealed up) ends up swamping all the sound quality gains a high end set up has over an absolute budget setup anyway.

6/12/2009 4:26:54 PM

the Infinity References are very good speakers. All I had in my old Tacoma was 2 6.5" and they sounded great.

6/12/2009 4:57:53 PM

^thanks

^^yeh, I've done my fair share of throwing stuff together, but I'm ready to have a comprehensive, better quality system.

I'm not looking for spectacular or show style. I just want something that will let me hear good crisp tones, highs to lows, etc. I'm looking for something that is loud and doesn't sound like crap when loud or will fall apart. My stock HU/speakers are quite as hell - I can barely hear the music on the highway with the windows down. Compare that to my wrangler, which I could take the top and doors off and still hurt my ears with a shitty stock HU and old sub & amp.

6/12/2009 6:23:40 PM

i've come into the thread a few times and didn't post anything bc there wasn't really any questions. nobody has responded bc it looks like u pretty much have everything figured out.

6/12/2009 7:35:00 PM

thanks. the long posts (5 and 6 up) were meant for comments/suggestions. I'm happy with that system, but I didn't know if anyone had any other ideas/options/suggestions.

6/12/2009 7:36:40 PM

most of your picks are good stuff so feedback will be personal preference. i.e. i'd gt polk db components over the infinities bc i prefer the smoother sounding tweeter.but you may likethe brighter infinity sound. i will say get the pioneer over the jensen if u are anything less than anal about taking care of your stuff. and last the pioneer is 399 on amazon

6/12/2009 7:51:09 PM

cool, thanks. that is a good deal on the pioneer. I hate to get away from CF and all of their support though... I wished they just knock some off their price

6/12/2009 8:04:29 PM

it makes absolutely no sense to spend that much on a double din head unit that doesn't have integrated nav. a pioneer avic is the same price if not cheaper

6/13/2009 9:46:44 AM

i'll probably just go with the jensen.

I don't care to have built-in nav and the ones I've seen are $700+ which I don't want to spend

and I haven't seen the avic for cheaper...

[Edited on June 13, 2009 at 6:23 PM. Reason : .]

6/13/2009 6:22:23 PM

rampage ftw

6/20/2009 12:11:06 PM