I'm considering dropping the following into my '05 tC.

eD 6000s v.2 Speakers up front
eD stealth Sq10 s4 in hatch
eD SoundGate LOC4.4 4 Channel LOC added to my stock HU
Nine.4 Amp to push the front speakers and the sub

I have a few questions though, anyone have an idea of how this will all sound together?

Also, I have the cardboard cover + the optional mat in my hatch, will my sq10 still sound good under these, and I'd like to place the Nine.4 under these will heat be a problem?

Finally, I would like to keep my stock HU for now. Will everything still sound good with the 4 channel LOC or is an aftermarket HU (I would buy an alpine) the only way to go?

 

i have a friend that has that exact same setup and it sounds great. the eD amps run amazingly cool and will not be a problem. you might want a little spacer to prevent the cardboard thing from hitting the sub. not hard but it'd be easy.

also an aftermarket headunit will make it sound much better but the stock will suffice. it will just make it that much better when you go aftermarket.

 

^i second that. getting a good aftermarket deck will help the sound alot since you can tune the eQ settings to your liking

especially dropping the much for a LOC, your better off saving your money and buying an aftermarket deck with good volt preouts.

 

Ok, if I replace the 4channel LOC with a $200ish Alpine or Pioneer HU with 3 preamp outputs is the nine.4 still the best way to amp the sub and front speakers?

 

absolutly the nine.4 will be the best way to pwoer your sub and speakers either way.

no matter what headunit you have you'll still need to power them and the most that you'll have to change is the gains but thast for a different time

 

Hmmm... So I'm thinking I'll step it up to a Pioneer 5900iB instead of staying with my stock HU. Too bad I don't know how to install all this, hopefully a local shop will know how to deal with eD stuff...

 

hey dude you got pm

 

dude this is very basic and you would have no problem doing this yourself

 

I think you underestimate my lack of knowledge when it comes to doing anything to my car besides driving it

 

oh its not that bad man. the deck is basically color coded :D lol as for everything else.. signal flow, signal flow, SIGNAL FLOW! . if you can follow a map you can do the install. lol. not to mention there is this huge forum thingy to help you out along the way

 

Go with an Alpine HU or better yet, get an Eclipse. It'll give you a bit better sound and better control over your sound than sticking with the stock HU

 

So would Alpine/Eclipse be a better choice than Pioneer? Remember I'm only in the range of about $200 for a HU...

 

I personally like Alpine better than Pioneer. Alpine has a crisp, clean, direct sound. Tight bass, crisp treble. Pioneer's while ok, suffer from a muddy, deep bass sound. That's how it sounds to my ears. You should go locally to a shop that sells alpine and take a listen. see for yourself.

 

i beg to differ. i like pioneer better than alpine. all the alpines ive played with dont really have good EQ and sound control. not to mention the user interface on alpines seem odd to me (push this how many times to get where?). i do admit that that on the lower end pios the sound aint that great, mainly cause the eq controls are sorta limited. but over all i stll prefer pioneer over alpine but thats just me. but alpine does have some great stuff

 

So now its up in the air lol...However, I am slowly being persuaded to attempt this install myself. So we'll see how that goes...

 

As with all audio, it's really personal taste in the end. Every head unit sounds different...so which different sounds better is up to each own's ears. However most will agree that Alpines and Eclipse are at the top. I've never found a Pioneer that sounded as rich as an Alpine or an Eclipse. Some Pioneer Elites can sound as good, but generally only the more expensive ones when compared to a cheaper Alpine/Eclipse.

Take some music you love and check out a few car shops to listen to which you like better...

Honestly you can't go wrong if you get an Alpine, Eclipse, or Pioneer head unit

 

eDesign is a great company, go for it, but you should go for a HU sooner or later!

 

Ya, it seems like sticking with a stock HU isnt the way to go. My only true reason for wanting to stick with it is because I will be leaving my car parked on campus a lot this fall, but I'll just get in the habit of taking off the faceplate...

 

or close the radio door

 

For some reason, if I were a thief, I would be more suspicious of someone with their cover down...I dont know maybe its just me.