Printer Friendly Forum Posts - 95 Geo Metro new system w/ upgrade capability

Hi,
I am looking to install a new system. I have a 95 Geo Metro LXI. I am looking for sound quality and was hoping to get some feedback on the following components.

(1)Pioneer DEH-P560MP
(2) Front speakers : Kenwood eXcelon KFC-X138
(3) Rear speakers: Kenwood eXcelon KFC-X168
(4) in 6 to 12 months I am planning on upgrading with a JL 300/4 amp

I don't have a lot of cash right now and my POS factory unit is shot. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or changes that would improve my system, short of pouring more cash into it. posted_image

Thanks,
Stormshadow

OOOPS.... Actually it's a 95 Geo Prism LXI, it's been a long day. posted_image

Thanks,
Stormshadow

Start with a good head unit work your way to some good componets or 2 way speakers then climb to a amp with a sub. Then branch out from there

A pebble rolling down a hill turns into a ball then a huge snowball that will run you over. Same goes with car audio start with good foundation build up to something good.

I like the choice of deck, however I would like to know why you picked that one instead of one of the lower line pioneers. Even if you go with the 460mp you could save some cash and buy a set of components for the front and keep the 2 ways for the back. I would like to throw out the idea of mabye buying some reference infinty speakers instead of the excelon. I know the excelon are good speakers but I have sold both and can honestly say the infinities sound better and should be in the same price range. Upgrading to an amp latter is a good plan to. Are you using it just for the speakers or for subs as well?

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

First, thanks for the replys. posted_image

Hi Ravendarat.

I chose the 460mp because I like the flexablility it affords. I drove a " bar bus " to and from hockey games last winter and it had a 760mp. I loved the features and sound it provided but I don't want to spend the extra cash for the organic display.
I like infinity, I will go and take a 2nd look. Since it may be a little while before I can get a good amp, then subs, I wanted a little better low end response in the speakers I buy now. The excelon's are rated at 28 Hz to 40 KHz response. I am going to take a look at the infinity series today.

Thanks,
Stormshadow

Listen to different spekaers and buy the ones you like the sound of. If you are happy with the Pioneer that is a great choice, in my opinion (not knocking FS or Ravendarat) I would choose a superior Eclipse cd player. May not be pretty but it will school most others in the same price range.

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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

I will never say that pioneer sounds better than eclipse. I know better than that. However I do believe that some people are happier with the extra options they get on the pioneer and would not benifit from the eclipse deck. I personally love pioneer decks but am looking at eclipse decks right know because I am redoing my car to SQ and want the cleaner source. But for 90% of the population the loss of SQ is ok because they get all the cool toys which alot of people like. Also it kinda comes down to if you never had it you wont miss it. What I mean by that is if you put the pioneer deck in your car its a good chance you will love the sound and since you never had the eclipse deck in the car you wont know what your missing and hence wont care. Thats why everyone who is spending 400 bucks on a deck doesnt go out and buy an eclipse or Nak. Different strokes for different folks I guess. And BTW Im pretty hard to offend and bashing FS really wont do much to stir me up unless I feel its uneducated bullsh*t or a blanket statement that make me look bad.

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

stormshadow wrote:

I wanted a little better low end response in the speakers I buy now. The excelon's are rated at 28 Hz to 40 KHz response

Your front components have to sound good to you in frequencies starting at about 50-55 Hz and up. Some manufacturers will list freq's down to 35 Hz or so but that doesn't mean much, just that those lower freqs fall under the manufacturer's published specs (supposedly). I've noticed a lot of higher end components don't even play that, and publish data at 55 Hz and above. It's how they sound to your ears that is important. You'll get about the same (quantity) midbass from most speakers of a given size.

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

I chose the 560MP over the 460MP due in part to the 3 RCA preout's on the 560MP vs the 2 on the 460. I also liked the built in crossover network.
I went to take a look at the speakers today, but there was too much background noise in the shop, and they didn't have my head unit hooked up. I was wondering if the low frequency response, 28Hz seems pretty low for a 5.25" speaker, is accurate or if there just trying to drum up the numbers? Will I really get a better low end response out of a 5.25 with a low end of 28Hz vs 40Hz, or doesn't it really matter?
I looked at the Ecipse head units and, I must say, they are pretty impressive. The only problem with the Eclipse is that the CD opening is exposed. I park my car where there is constant dust and construction, no matter what you do it ends up everywhere in the car. posted_image

The fact that the Pioneer covers the CD slot will, I believe, afford some measure of protection against the dust.

Thanks again for the great info.

Stormshadow

The best way to tell about those lows is to bring in your own CD with passages you know to have freqs in that range. And if you can get a good sales help to hook up comparison speakers with the same system, you can tell. Personally, I don't see how a 5" speaker can show 28Hz on the same graph as its 70 hz. That graph line has to be swooping down in a mean dive. Meaning, OK it makes it, but is it audible?

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

" Your front components have to sound good to you in frequencies starting at about 50-55 Hz and up. Some manufacturers will list freq's down to 35 Hz or so but that doesn't mean much, just that those lower freqs fall under the manufacturer's published specs (supposedly). I've noticed a lot of higher end components don't even play that, and publish data at 55 Hz and above. It's how they sound to your ears that is important. You'll get about the same (quantity) midbass from most speakers of a given size."

Thanks stevdart,

I must have been working on my post when you posted. That clears things up a bit, it's tough to get a feel for how the speakers will sound in my car, especially low frequency, when I'm standing in a sound shop.

Thank's a million,
Stormshadow

Also, please keep in mind that I am upgrading from a Geo Prism factory sound system. To my ears everything I listen to is sounding outstanding right now, like having driven a Yugo for 15 years then test driving a Porsche and a Farrari then trying to decide which one I sould buy. posted_image

I think that's part of what is making this decision so tough. I keep thinking to myself that in a couple of month's my ears will be more attuned to the details of each speaker and I'll be kicking myself for not having bought speaker "X" over speaker "Z".
Well anyhoot, I have pretty much ruled out components. I don't think I could place them without some modding and with 14 hour days at work that's not realistic, they would just sit in the box untill Winter.

Thanks and I greatly appreciate all the outstanding info I have gotten. I am leaning now toward the infinity Kappa 52.5i, although the Alpine SPR-134A speakers also sounded great.

Thank you,
Stormshadow

Personally, I'd skip upgrading the speakers for now, buy the amp, and a good 10" sub. Assuming your factory speakers aren't blown you might hear a fantastic difference from them once you hook up your new deck. The sub will add low frequency sounds you simply can't hear w/ a 5.25 speaker. You simply won't hear much below 50hz w/ a 5.25" speaker. The specs lie and/or aren't standard. A lot of expensive subs won't hit 28hz before rolling off 3-6db. Don't use your 5.25" as a substitute for a sub - if you like bass at all you won't be happy. My advice is always to get a quality component you -don't- have before replacing something.

kfr

Um, I have to point out that a flip down face does very little to help keep out dust. More dust gets in through the slots on the sides and back of the deck then the front. most from slots have a special brush on the slot to keep out the dust and crap. I wouldnt let that affect your desision to much. But your reasons for the 560 instead of the 460 makes sense to me. I just wanted to see what your reasons were

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

Thanks for the replys and great advice. I spent about 2 hours in the sound shop, actually I had to go to 2 different places. After listening to the infinity, Kenwood's and several others, I went with the Alpine R series. I bought the SPR-174's for the back and the SPR-134A's for the front.
My front speakers are blown and the back speakers are on their way out the door, so waiting on new speakers wasn't really an option.
I lisen to all sorts of differnt music, but most of the time it's vocals, blues and jazz. The Alpine speakers just seemed to have the best sound. It may be some time before I get arround to putting in a sub, I just don't have the cash to get the quality amp and sub that I would want. I also purchased the 560MP head unit, sounded great. I paid $400 for the head unit and 4 speakers, should arrive next week.

Ravendarat,
Thanks, I didn't think about the side venting on the unit. I did like the sound of the Eclipse head unit, to be honest I couldn't hear that much difference from the 560MP though. I am not saying there isn't one, just that it was not noticable to me. I like the features and layout of the 560MP and I expect I will be very happy with it.

Thanks again for all the terrific help.

Stormshadow

Im happy your happy. By any chance were the alpines the last set of speakers you listened to?

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

Err... I'm not happy just yet, my system won't be here for a week. posted_image

I hope I am happy with the system, especially since I'm outta cash. With reference to the Alpine speaker's, they were not the last one's I heard, nor the first. They were the 3rd pair in one shop and 5th pair in the second shop. I didn't go looking for a set of Alpine speakers, rather I planned on buying the Infinity or the Kenwood's. This was actually my reason for going to the second shop, that and I'd spent so much time in the 1st shop that the sales staff was starting to look at me like I should be stocking boxes in the back. posted_image

I thought the Alpine's might just sound better due to the room layout, reverb, ect. so I went to the 2nd shop to do anouther comparison and they were still the best sounding pair of speakers. I think that if I mated the speakers with a good sub during the comparison I might get different results.

Thanks again for the great input. This forum, and the knowelgeable people here, helped more than you could know.

Kindest regards,
Stormshadow