I want better sound quality

nails

Advanced Member
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236
In my car currently is an alpine bluetooth headunit, this pairs fine with my phone and also has the mic installed so works fine for hands free calls. So although the head unit is a few years old, it can probably stay for the time being.

The issue is the speakers, there is absolutely no bass. The speakers are aftermarket, fitted in Japan, no idea what they are but the tweeters have been stuck to the pillars and not put where the factory ones were.

My thinking was either an amp, with a decent set of components and a little bit of sound deadening in the doors or an under seat sub. I guess I could even do both.

I won't be doing any of this myself as I will just break stuff, so will get a mobile audio fitter to come out to me. Having done a search it seems that I need 5.25 inch speakers up front, is anybody running these? Do they fit and are they any good? http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/speakers/component-systems/rainbow-dl-c5-2-5-25-2-way-component-set

What amp would people recommend to pair with those speakers?

Like I said, I am not expecting miracles but I do like my music so want something half decent.

Thanks
 

kyle'87

Advanced Member
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389
Rainbows natural sound profile is brighter than most. If you want something with more bass without a sub maybe go down the JBL route. Just my 2 cents.

As Chris said, you'll definitely need some dynamat to get the most bass from the comps and seal up the large gaps in the door frame for a subo subbox setup.
 

nails

Advanced Member
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236
Thanks guys. I am happy to spend up to say £350-£400 on some speakers and an amp, as long as it is going to be a decent improvement on what is there. I don't expect mind blowing bass, just more than what is there currently. I don't want to load the car with significant amount of sound deadening or a huge sub as it sort of defeats the point of the car :xgrin:
 

subtronics

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Messages
209
I got some decent Focal speakers in a sale, should have been 300-400ish. They run through a Alpine amp, and sound really well. With a bit of butchering I managed to fit 6.5 inch speakers in the front doors, so they have a decent kick. I am going to put some Dynomat in the doors which should really help the sound quality and when I get chance, and some 5.25 speakers in the rears. :)
 

kyle'87

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Messages
389
nails said:
Thanks guys. I am happy to spend up to say £350-£400 on some speakers and an amp, as long as it is going to be a decent improvement on what is there. I don't expect mind blowing bass, just more than what is there currently. I don't want to load the car with significant amount of sound deadening or a huge sub as it sort of defeats the point of the car :xgrin:
That is a decent budget for a nice setup. You could get a 4 gauge wiring kit, front comps, 2 channel amp and some dynamat just to close up the holes in the door frame.

If you have the skill, you'd also want to make some solid MDF mounts for the speakers because that will help massively. Or you can always buy some plastic moulds instead.

If you want to do some research, check out the car audio forums. You will find lots of good information.

If you're looking for a decent amp, check out the Genesis profile two series.

Also, just because the speaker fits the diameter doesn't mean it will in depth. Check that dimension as well.
 

nails

Advanced Member
Messages
236
kyle'87 said:
That is a decent budget for a nice setup. You could get a 4 gauge wiring kit, front comps, 2 channel amp and some dynamat just to close up the holes in the door frame.

If you have the skill, you'd also want to make some solid MDF mounts for the speakers because that will help massively. Or you can always buy some plastic moulds instead.

If you want to do some research, check out the car audio forums. You will find lots of good information.

If you're looking for a decent amp, check out the Genesis profile two series.

Also, just because the speaker fits the diameter doesn't mean it will in depth. Check that dimension as well.
Thanks Kyle, that's why I was hoping a few people would tell me what speakers they have so I will know what will actually fit :xhappy:

I am not mechanically inclined so will probably get a professional audio installer to do this job.
 

kyle'87

Advanced Member
Messages
389
You'll find on most decent audio sites they will give you the full dimensions of the speaker. That is fine, you just need to remember that the speaker is mounted in a baffle (or not) so this will effect how it sits in the door.

I've done quite a few audio setups and it can be very time consuming, especially when you want to do the cables as neat and tidy. Leaving it to the professionals is a good idea if you've not had any "lesser" cars to practice on prior.

Also, consider your battery when you do upgrade. I am not sure if the oem smaller jap bats take well to higher pull from audio equipment.
 

MrRy

Advanced Member
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528
From what I gather, crap to mediocre speakers with the right environment will sound better than awesome speakers in a crap environment. Essentially what I'm saying is, dynamat or similar, budget speakers and good positioning/location will do a lot more than new mid/high end speakers will alone.

Never been in a dc2, ek9, ep3 or dc5 with good sound. Fn2s are slightly better.
 

nails

Advanced Member
Messages
236
Still trying to decide what to do here. What are peoples opinions on the under seat subs to get a little bit of bass instead? It seems that would work out cheaper than buying speakers and an amp.
 

carl hammond

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3,737
I was going to get an under seat sub but am just dealing with it for now, some days I want more others I think stuff it and deal with it and enjoy the cars noise :)

Will still consider it but cant be bothered with changing the speakers, I do have some infinity 6.5 reference series 2-way speakers sitting at home I was going to fit (that I brought and removed form the DC2) but not sure I can be bothered to fit them so may just sell them.
 

Midnight

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Messages
847
Swapping to and from cars really highlights the poor sound quality the DC5 offers. Although not sure Honda were notorious for 'great' sound.

When I drive brothers A4 with Bang & Olufsen or the BMW with Harmon Kardon you can tell. Not that either of those are superb but the sound quality especially in the Audi can be heard. I'm guessing the build (doors) helps though as they feel a lot more compact and refined compared to the lighter DC5 doors.

What you gain in sound quality you'd gain in weight so it's a hard decision. Not sure there is such a thing as happy medium when it comes to sound in a car that you drive spiritedly 🤔
 

carl hammond

Advanced Member
Messages
3,737
Swapping to and from cars really highlights the poor sound quality the DC5 offers. Although not sure Honda were notorious for 'great' sound.

When I drive brothers A4 with Bang & Olufsen or the BMW with Harmon Kardon you can tell. Not that either of those are superb but the sound quality especially in the Audi can be heard. I'm guessing the build (doors) helps though as they feel a lot more compact and refined compared to the lighter DC5 doors.

What you gain in sound quality you'd gain in weight so it's a hard decision. Not sure there is such a thing as happy medium when it comes to sound in a car that you drive spiritedly
Yeah I know what you mean, my other half drives a Juke and the sounds great in that compared to my car so I could imagine it compared to the likes of what you mention. But for me I hardly drive it anyway so not the worst thing or top of the list but I do like music and think if I keep the car I should address it somehow some day :)
 

nails

Advanced Member
Messages
236
Yeah I definitely don't want to break the bank on this, but the current total absence of bass is just wrong.
 

H_5hum

Advanced Member
Messages
153
Here is a thought though, My Brothers CRZ has an optional factory sub woofer fitted which is moulded to one of the corners in the boot.

I cant imagine it would be too difficult to fit one into the Teg? - just an idea - its quite compact, (if it isn't a 10", it is just slightly smaller) and provides good bass.

Then again, the CRZ structure is completely different as it has a massive Battery under the boot with lots of panels/trim/lining.
 
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