Mobile Audio Question

[donparsons]

A kid at work wants to put a new head unit and some new speakers in his 2002 Ford Ranger. His budget is $500. I suggested getting some pretty good speakers and a basic head unit with 14 watts as a place to start. If he wants to make it nice later, he can add separate amps and a sub woofer. I suggested this because it will be a pretty easy job and he has no experience with this type of thing.

What would you guys recommend for speakers in the $150 a pair range? He has 6"x8" and 5 1/4" in the front and back. Also where is a good place to buy online?

DP

[envisionelec]

A kid at work wants to put a new head unit and some new speakers in his 2002 Ford Ranger. His budget is $500. I suggested getting some pretty good speakers and a basic head unit with 14 watts as a place to start. If he wants to make it nice later, he can add separate amps and a sub woofer. I suggested this because it will be a pretty easy job and he has no experience with this type of thing.

What would you guys recommend for speakers in the $150 a pair range? He has 6"x8" and 5 1/4" in the front and back. Also where is a good place to buy online?

DP

As I'm sure you're aware, people have differing opinions about what is best for the $500. It is easy to spend $500 on top of the line equipment and get a few things or spend that on middle-of-the-road stuff and get a number of very decent items.
A good DIY place for beginners is Crutchfield, bar none. They will walk your co-worker through the installation and their customer service is top notch. I recommend sending him the catalog so he can pick the features he could use best. Most headunits have some form of MP3/iPod compatibility these days, and nearly all have excellent sound quality. The choice comes down to fit and finish.

http://www.crutchfield.com

[trevorg]

Im not a big fan of car audio speakers. But you cant go wrong with a Pioneer deck, spend the extra $ and opt for one with active crossovers built into the deck, he wont be disapointed...

[neildavis]

A good DIY place for beginners is Crutchfield, bar none. They will walk your co-worker through the installation and their customer service is top notch.
http://www.crutchfield.com

As Aaron said, Crutchfield is great if you need assistance. For rock bottom prices without service I've had good experience with Techronics and Etronics.

The reason I'm responding to this post is that I feel very strongly about getting integrated Bluetooth in the car, and you should recommend this to your friend. This allows hands-free cell phone operation without any fumbling to answer while driving. I've got the Sony MEX-BT5000 in my car and my wife has the Sony MEX-BT2500. The BT5000 lets you dial favorite numbers by pressing the preset keys; the BT2500 doesn't. Both will automatically answer the phone, mute the radio and route the audio through the car speakers. The echo cancellation isn't perfect, so people on the other end may not hear you that well, but the audio in the car is very good.

I think that all of the major head unit makers have a Bluetooth add-on, but Pioneer and Sony offer integrated versions that are easier to deal with and result in lower overall cost. I believe that the Pioneer units have an "external" microphone that you can mount on the sun visor to minimize the echo problem--on the Sony the mic is behind the front panel door to the CD slot. I like the Sony's but I would probably switch to Pioneer if I had to buy another one. Looks like their entry model is about $130.

[donparsons]

As Aaron said, Crutchfield is great if you need assistance. For rock bottom prices without service I've had good experience with Techronics and Etronics.

The reason I'm responding to this post is that I feel very strongly about getting integrated Bluetooth in the car, and you should recommend this to your friend. This allows hands-free cell phone operation without any fumbling to answer while driving. I've got the Sony MEX-BT5000 in my car and my wife has the Sony MEX-BT2500. The BT5000 lets you dial favorite numbers by pressing the preset keys; the BT2500 doesn't. Both will automatically answer the phone, mute the radio and route the audio through the car speakers. The echo cancellation isn't perfect, so people on the other end may not hear you that well, but the audio in the car is very good.

I think that all of the major head unit makers have a Bluetooth add-on, but Pioneer and Sony offer integrated versions that are easier to deal with and result in lower overall cost. I believe that the Pioneer units have an "external" microphone that you can mount on the sun visor to minimize the echo problem--on the Sony the mic is behind the front panel door to the CD slot. I like the Sony's but I would probably switch to Pioneer if I had to buy another one. Looks like their entry model is about $130.

I had gone to crutchfield already. I know that they have excellent customer service, but I also wanted to find out if there was someplace else people shop.

As far as the bluetooth, I will report to him on that feature. There will be a law in California that requires hands free phone in autos.

Thanks,

[Brian Steele]

The reason I'm responding to this post is that I feel very strongly about getting integrated Bluetooth in the car, and you should recommend this to your friend.

I will second this recommendation. Also, look for a deck with USB and iPod interfaces - CDs are so passe :-).

Pioneer decks are ok (I've got the Premier 980BT), but I've seen some concerns raised about noise problems on their RCA outputs. I hear a slight hi-pitched whine on my own every now and then, but I'm not sure if it's the deck or the amp that's causing it.

[Brian Steele]

I had gone to crutchfield already. I know that they have excellent customer service, but I also wanted to find out if there was someplace else people shop.

I use www.sonicelectronix.com - unlike P.E., they actually accept my Visa credit card...

[JustinG]

I will second this recommendation. Also, look for a deck with USB and iPod interfaces - CDs are so passe :-).

Pioneer decks are ok (I've got the Premier 980BT), but I've seen some concerns raised about noise problems on their RCA outputs. I hear a slight hi-pitched whine on my own every now and then, but I'm not sure if it's the deck or the amp that's causing it.

Yeah I have that same problem with my Premier 740 I have no head-unit fade now, both channels are running off of the same channel that doesn't have the hum and I just mess with the gains on the amps to a point where I like the front to back balance. I also have had a problem with turn on thump with my sub out... granted the thing is 4 years old. I have loved it, (lots of features and good interface) but it is showing its age.

[denton]

I'll be the odd man out. Avoid the lower level Sony and the lower level Pioneer stuff. Buy an Alpine. Be sure to consider USB drive capability in addition to possible iPod control and bluetooth options already mentioned. I would 'assume' any model he'll consider will have crossovers on board and suitable RCA outs to add a sub later.

For speakers I'm fond of Eclipse "Point Source" coaxials which have a real crossover behind and around the magnet. (*Note that some may have a separate crossover. Check Eclipse' web site for details.) Depth can be an issue. Look at them at ikesound.com and woofersetc.com for cheaper prices... and no factory warranty.