Hey so ive had the Z for going on 2 months now and i just HATE the factory sound system so im thinking about upgrading. I know upgrading the HU would be the best first step, but i had some questions regarding that...

The HU im looking at is the dnx5120, question is that i dont think ill need the navigation, which is good because it will cut the cost down, but if i ever decided to add it on later, is the external navigation brain any different from having it already built in? (besides the obvious space differences). And will the navigation add-on work just as fast/good as if i were to get the built in one?

Next question, speakers, im not too sure how well the stock speakers are (from what i found from searching theyre clarions) but i may want to upgade. Im not looking to be in any sound competitions so just a decent speaker upgrade should suffice, but im not sure which ones to go to. I had rockfords on my old civic which were alright, but im starting to like infinity a little bit more now, how well do their speakers perform? (generally of course since diff models will perform differently)

And last of all, the sub. I have a 10" Rockford P3 from my civic, and from my understanding the stock sub is 10" as well, would it be a problem to replace the stock one with the P3? I also have a Rockford 2 channel amp that would power it just fine.

Any input would be appreciated, except the typical "search" reply. I did search, but i still had questions about my specific situation, so if ur gonna say search...gtfo (now i know the first person on he is gonna say search haha)

Oh yea, speaker recommendations welcome (cheaper the better)

 

^^ The Z’s OEM Clarion CES and the Bose “upgrade” are only in the car to provide a minimal system to listen to a radio and CD’s. Nissan recognized that the 350Z appealed to people who wanted a “driver’s car” but were on a limited budget. To provide a great driving vehicle with a favorable price, Nissan chose to skimp on the car’s CES. That’s why you notice how awful the OEM system sounds.


Notice that the stock Clarion front component speaker handles very little power.

If you want a decent CES, you are supposed to replace the entire OEM system. It sounds as though you have the stock Clarion setup. In fact that is good news since replacing the Clarion system is easier than swapping out the Bose “upgrade.”

--Spike

 

Thanks for the input, yea when i got the car i knew the stock system is going to suck, hence the upgrade itch but that aside, new speakers it is. The infinity's i was looking at are the Infinity Reference 6022si 6.5" (although can the 6 3/4 fit as well?) Theyre less than 100 so cost wouldnt be too much, any thoughts? I plan on running these both on the front and back.

Oh and any input on the subwoofer question about using my p3 in place of the stock one?

 

^^ Go with good components in the front (6.5 is the size you want). Forget about the rears (they are mostly a marketing effort so that Nissan can say the car has X-number of speakers). Spend more $$ on the fronts.

SubW selection is difficult in the Z if you are determined to use the stock position behind the driver’s seat. It’s not the best position for a SubW, but it’s possible. If you go this route, you need to check with a Vendor on our Forum for the best way to do this.

--Spike

 

alright ill def look into maybe higher end speakers for the fronts and i may just leave the rears alone, if anything i may upgrade them with lower end speakers.

And does anyone make custom fit boxes that go under the rear tower? or would i have to fab something up myself?

Oh and will the stock speaker wires suffice for upgraded speakers? or would i have to change them out

 

just get on ebay and search 350z sub boxes you will find hundreds of options.
Def. dont get any rears spend the extra money on the front components. Spike is right rears are basically so they can say x speaker soundsystem etc.

 

So will getting the HU without the navigation and perform just as fast with the navigation add on as it would if it were built in already?

 

just as fast as what? stock? all in one double din? explain your question a little more.

 

If i get the HU w/o the navigation, then add the navigaton on later (with the seperate brain), will it perform just as well (the navigation feature) as if i were to get the HU with the navigation already built in in the first place

 

The way that new DVD/Nav systems are priced nowadays, it just makes sense to get an all-in-one unit that does everything. They can be had for under $1000 nowadays. Alpine has a DVD screen where you can add-on the blackbird Navigation but the pricing on those units is pretty 'up there'. A few years ago Navigation was an option you could add to existing screens. Pricing was insane even a few years ago. Now its cheap and we all win!

 

true story, i got my f90bt for <$600