I've been readin threads and I noticed more than once on different threads where people just unhook the rear speakers and just upgrade the fronts and maybe put an amplifier on them.

Is that common for most owners to do that? Putting an amplifier on the upgraded fronts good enough for most of you?

 

sort of answered your own question no?

 

Lol... Changing out the HU, all 4 speakers, adding 2 12s, 2 amplifiers and an extra battery wasn't good enough for me.

 

just get the two Front speakers, amp and HU. Then go from there if you want to add to 2 rear speakers, which you will have to turn up a tad higher than front to hear them.

 

@Z1, no not really.

@MODDEDZ, lol g/l with that

@hellsoldiers08, I'll probably try the front 2 speakers on an amp first with a different HU

 

I tried going fronts-only and something seemed to be missing. Added the rears and thought it sounded a lot better.

 

I think you ask a good question. There is a lot of discussion about exactly what you ask, but not a definitive answer here.

Here’s the deal on the Z’s factory CES’s (Clarion or Bose):

• Nissan went as cheap as they could when equipping the Z with a CES. The OEM Clarion setup is awful, and the OEM Bose “upgrade” isn’t much better. But, that isn’t all bad since many buyers want the car for its performance and “track-ability.” A buyer who wants performance may not want a great CES, and the cheap stock CES keeps the car less co$tly.
  
  
• Buyers interested in better sound and A/V installations prefer the Z since the OEM CES is cheap, does not add much cost to the car; and therefore, replacement is easily justified. Another Z-advantage is its plethora of cubby-slots that accommodate amps, DVD players, and even sophisticated CarPC installations.
  
  
• It is much easier to replace CES components in a Z equipped with the factory Clarion setup than the Bose “upgrade.” The OEM Bose system is proprietary, and its amps, speakers, and unique wiring get in the way when installing new components.
  
  
• If you remain with the OEM system, the rear speakers add significant sound and should not be disconnected. If you upgrade the system with better front component speakers and an external amp, you probably do not need the rear speakers. That is especially true if you add a decent SubW.
  
  
• If you upgrade the system, you probably will get better front component speakers that you drive with an external amp. This provides an enormous improvement in sound. But, you should not use the stock front speaker mounts (the stock front door mount for the midrange and the sail panel for the tweeter). When mounting new front speakers, you should go with a kick-mount or door pods. The stock door mount is lame (the door grille blocks sound making the speaker sound as though it’s “under-water”). The sail panel mount for the tweeter is positioned poorly for staging good sound.

…Just a few comments that I hope help you deciding upon a configuration.

--Spike

 

Good stuff Spike... I'll change out the front components and put an amp on them and add a sub. See how things turn out and probably move up if needed. Guess the question still relies on ppl preference, therefore it'll probably half and half

 

delete

 

The inside of the door mount - note the crescent shaped blockage of the midrange. At the frequencies of the midrange this holes are meaningless. Still I wish them gone.

 

^^ Paul… If there is one great thing about my350z.com, it is the moderators. The my350z.com moderators consistently provide wise words and go way past being just “street corner cops looking for jay walkers.” I won’t mention individuals for fear of slighting someone, but you are among the best.

Your threads (describing LCD mounts in the upper/forward cubby, using pictures to show the difference between stock amps/speakers and aftermarket amps/speakers, and now the front door speaker mount picture shown above) certainly make it very easy for anyone to understand the reason some selections are not so good and how to do things better.

For sure… a picture can be worth a thousand words. You do that wonderfully.

--Spike

 

Shucks ....

Thanks for the kind words!