jikman01

I have the non-bose system

1) I installed a new Alpine 9813 deck and kept the factory speakers. Sounded pretty good, but not much noticable difference from the stock HU. I did notice that some CDs put out better sound with the stock HU than with the Alpine. I understand you can tweek the settings on the Alpine HU, but I played with them and it was comparable to the stock HU. Again, not much difference.

2) I replaced the fronts with Infinity Kappa 2-ways (62.5i's I believe). The sound is not good in my opinion. It sounded MUCH better with the stock speakers. Much more mid-bass. The Kappas have better highs, but no mid-bass at all. I mounted them onto the factory spacers after I destroyed the fatory speakers. They fit perfectly.

3) This weekend I was going to mount the back two Kappa's but now I'm not so excited any more.

I figure that the stock speakers even though crappier speakers were designed for the doors etc, so that's why the higher end Kappas don't sound as good.

I wired the speakers correctly in the front (red +, blue -).

What can I do that won't cost more $$$?

the doc

I think Infinity's require amplified power to really sound good. A four channel amp would definitely help.

I installed the Alpine 7893 which is running my factory 6.5's. It sounds somewhat better than with the factory HU, but it's not an amazing improvement.

chia

iTrader: (1)

I just put in my alpine-9813 last weekend...

for sure it sounds better and I have stock speakers, the highs sound much better and with that extra power the 9813 has (27 watts rms) I turn the volume up higher before they sound like crap.

I have 2 pairs of Alpine 6 1/2 S type speakers that I am planning on putting in. Although the speakers recommend up to 40 watts RMS, i'm sure that the HU will improve the overall sound.

I am wondering if i should'nt replace the back speakers cuz i've heared that people have replaced them and they still sound like ****, just like the factory ones. So i just might not waste my time installing the ones in the back. Can't hear them anyways!

jikman01

I agree that the factory speakers did sound better with the new Aplpine 9813 HU because they had a bit more wattage going to them 27X4 versus, whatever they were getting before.

I think the problem with the Kappas is that now these speakers need more power 75watts RMS to make them sound good. With only 27watts, that probably explains why the sound from the stock speakers was better than the Kappas.

So, now I'm wondering if the back speakers are even worth changing or not. Will it even make a difference? Is it worth the effort?

I think I need an amp.

peptidbond

iTrader: (2)

WAIT!

First, speakers take some time to break in. The spider and the diaphram need to loosen up some. When I installed my kickers, I was really disappointed. Now, two weeks later, they sound leagues better. Just play them alot and don't push the volume too high.

Second, an amp is not likely to help and I will explain why. Lets say that the kappas have a sensitivity of 90 dB. This means that 1 watt of power will produce 90dB of sound at 1 meter. The speakers are about one meter from your ears and 90 dB is certainly rather loud. To gain another 3 dB, you only need to add another 1 watt. However, from this point on, you have to double the power to gain another 3 dB, and so on. Yes, a good strong amp can clean things up and improve the sound, but this is normally for other reasons. The fact of the matter is, most of us listen at normal listening levels and this uses very little power (10-15 watts). Yes, having a good stong amp will help keep things clean, but for your needs I do not think that it will help.

I take it that you are trying to get good sound without spending a lot of money or getting involved in a huge install. Stick with the Kappas on the Alpine HU. If the HU has a crossover setting, set it to 50 Hz high pass with a 12dB/octave slope. This will take the bass out of the speakers and clean up the sound. Next, consider adding a sub. The sub will fill in for the low bass you removed from the speakers with the crossover setting. With an Infinity Basslink, you can get good bass for cheap. After a couple weeks of break-in, you should be much, much happier without breaking the bank.

jtree007

That's Exactly Right......

jikman01

Thanks Pep,

I adjusted my HU to set the HP filter to 25Hz and a slope of -24db/oct. It sounds cleaner. The speakers were bottoming out. So, if I find that they are still bottoming out then should I bump the filter up to say 50Hz?

Also, what is the Level setting for, do you know? I have slope, cut-off frequency and level. The level goes from 0 to -12 dB, but I have no idea what that does.

Thanks again for the tip. I belive that what I need to do to suit my needs is add a sub and I think I will go with the Infinity Basslink. It's relatively inexpensive. Only issue is where to mount it. I think that will fill the void that I'm missing.

Also will be paying attention to see if the speakers sound better after playing them for a week.

liljerk

I also installed an alpine 9813 and got some kappa 63.5s for the doors. I, too, was a little disappointed. Now I'm thinking of building a box for the factory sub location, or maybe going the basslink route.

I need to have room in the back for 2 sets of golf clubs, and my spare tire has to stay in since I do a lot of highway driving and don't want to get stranded out in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma without a tire. So my options for sub placement are limited....

jikman01

If I would have known this is how it was going to sound, I would have waited to install until I had some bass.

Oh, well.

Now I need to find an inexpensive solution.

I'm wondering if the Basslink is the way to go or if I should get a Bazooka tube (10" powered).

Not sure.

Basslink takes up less room.

jtree007

Baselink is much better IMO

peptidbond

iTrader: (2)

The basslink will fit behind the driver in the stock location (hidden plus keeps more room in the trunk). This is the path that I will be taking in a couple weeks. I just finished the b-quiet (dynamat equivalent) install on my car and I am now ready for the Basslink. The only issue is that the compartment behind the driver is not flat which makes mounting the Basslink a little difficult. Search this forum for more information on mounting the Basslink.

Jikman01, I think you are on the right path now. I know you do not need to add an amp. Give the system a little time and let it settle in. As for the Level setting, I am not sure what it is but it might set the level for your sub pre-outs. This is only a guess. Turning it up would raise the sub level if you had one connected. I would take a look at the manual. I am sure it is in there.

jikman01

The level setting seems to be the adjustable output level ranging from -12 to 0dB.

Cool, I'm learning!!!

I don't know if it's just me or what, but somehow I seem to think that it is sounding better. Strange....

Perhaps it is setting in as you said Peptibond!

I don't think I will need an amp to get the sound I want. I will need to get the sub.

This guy I work with put a 10" bazooka in his hatch. Takes up lots of room, but boy does that thing THUMP!!. It was a non-amplified one and he had a Fosgate amp (not sure on the wattage driving it).

Does anybody know if the Basslink produces that kind of bass?

Also, as for installing it in the factory sub location, that would probably be out of my abilities without destroying the car!

I would probably go for the rear hatch area.

peptidbond

iTrader: (2)

Simply put, the Basslink is better, way better. Not to mention more powerful (depending on what you use to drive a passive Bazooka).

Non-sense on the install. Really, put it behind the driver. You might have to pay someone to avoid the headache, but it would be worth it. As for the sound after the basslink, get ready for some serious rattles. The plastic pieces that cover the hump behind the driver are inherently lose and do not take well to bass. However, 10 sq. ft. of dynamat solves the problem with ease. Trust me, I just finished dynamatting (actually B-Quiet) my entire car and it makes a big difference.

max350

This is why I'm reluctant to switch the sound system. A few years back I replaced stock speakers on my old 95 Maxima and lost mid bass. Although stockers were cheap Panasonic paper speakers, they had better mid bass than the components I put in. It would seem like the stock speakers have a wider range. Is there an aftermarket speaker set that can match the stock set in terms of mid bass?

jikman01

This is exactly what I was wondering myself.

I already bought my speakers, so I'm not going to go out and try and find some that have a better range than the ones I have now, but I would be interested to know if this is the reason why the factory ones had more mid bass.

I can tell you that the sound is MUCH clearer and crisp. Once I add the Basslink I'm sure I'll be a happy camper!!

zxsaint

Going the same route here as well. I'm in between the Alpine 9813 and the 9815, but I haven't really been able to find a significant difference between the two HU's. Tho I do wish they had a color setting for amber, like the older models.

As for the basslink, i'm probably going to end up mounting it in the back. Having done quite a few audio systems a while ago, this would provide for better sound, IMO.

toykilla

iTrader: (1)

i dont feel like reading this long thread but here is my opinion:

infinity speakers are top notch.. i have the kappa perfect component set in my car and it sounds rediculously amazing. I am however running them off an amp.. they DO want more power than any headunit will provide.

you are confusing distortion with bass/midbass.. factory speakers are mostly made out of cheapass paper and this provides alot of low vibrations that to the untrained ear SOUND like bass.. but this is not the case.

my infinity speakers provide some sick midbass.. but again i am pushing about 80watts RMS to each. .. your headunit MAYBE is pushing 25watts RMS to each.

Tuning is key... you can spend 500$ and have a beautiful sounding system if tuned right.. even better than some guy that blows 4k$ and doesnt know how to tune the stuff..

good luck

jikman01

Not that much difference other than price between the 9815 and the 9813

The 9815 had a blue-ish display vs. Green, it has two lines of display in a dot-matix type format (more versatility) vs. 1 line of display (not dot-matrix) in the 9813.

Then there's the i-personalize feature, which isn't that big of a deal. Basically you go to Alpine's website and set your sound settings (EQ, time correction, crossover) then burn them on a disk and load this into the deck vs doing the settings on the deck.

Hope that helps.

Let me know when you get the Basslink in. How are you going to secure it to the rear area?

I think it will sound better there also.

zxsaint

I was thinking about this today. Either i'll screw it through the factory carpet into a board (minor damage the carpet), or go with some heavy duty velcro. I had velcro on the bottom of my JL Stealthbox in my 300Z and it did the job quite well.

Thanks for the HU comparison, that helps.

Splurt

Hey guys,
Sorry im gonna go a lil off topic, but I installed the Alpine cda-9815 HU and running stock speakers. I notice it sounds better, but all my friends that has sat in my car says I need to adjust it or reconfigure it. I gotta admit, I know nothing of how to do that. I went to the alpine website and tried, but I failed horribly. Any advice? I appreciate it, thanks