First of all hello to all of you other Xboxers out there.


This is my first EVER car lol and im finding myself overwhelemd with happiness but then theres something deep and dark stirring in the pit of my pocket book.between the first payment 3/28 i also have this yearing to upgrade the sound system in my car.. The "premium" sound system sounds so flat that it makes the 98 avalon in the garage look like nicholas cages career around the time of con air.

i wanted to know what the cheapest way to get the best sound out of the scion would be.. Im craigslisting every single day looking for deals and on top of that im constantly (for the last 3 days) hearing from my brothers and friends and even my girlfriend >.> that my stereo sucks! i was listening to dubstep.. and my brother actually asked me.. to turn it down.. because it was embarassing


now that you have your taste of my embarassment lol im wondering if you guys can help me. should i upgrade to a double din? or get a single din.. do i just upgrade the stock speakers? or go with a 12" that takes up a good portion of the trunk. whats the cheapest way for me to get my car sounding like it looks?

 

i know what you mean xD i tried listening to dubstep and it was crap in the xb.. Dx

 

for dubstep youll also want to get some sort of sound deadening. i listen to a lot of that and everything vibrates.

 

i could barely hear the dubstep in the car -___- i have to turn it up to hear it... too much highs in the car imo...

 

Go the Ebay route. Find high quality things. I am using 2 pioneer shallow well 12s that punch with a class D amp from alpine. Find a good mix. I spent for my amp and 2 subs I believe around 400 but also you will never truely hear your system right without new door speakers. I recently upgraded my doors to pioneer 3 way as well and it had a dramatic change. I would recommend a new headunit as well but its not important. It did however make a large difference in sound quality. Start with the subs, and work from there. Make sure you have a good amp, if you do it right the first time it will be cheaper and sound better.

 

First i wanted to say Thank you for the rapid replies!~

I'm going to start off with the 12" and a JBL 1k Watt amp. and the pioneer 3 way i have a Sony single din ill have to use until i can afford the double din ( i dont really want to run a single for long. i want to maintain a nice uniform look you know? the dash in the scion is a bit large and that small pocket under the HU always slightly annoys me.. partially because it makes me want to fill it with something other than spare dollar bills from the restaurants and things i goto lol. im also looking for seat covers.. i have a siberian husky and his fur is just... all over the place.. within the first five minutes from the dealer to home. he got fur on the back seats which floated to the front >.> then i hit the breaks for a light. and he smeared drool across the side window lol. im trying to take care of this car ._. its my lifeline.. and (on my credit lol)

 

Forget the sound system! Invest in cases of lint remover rolls! My friend had a Siberian and it loved to "talk story" to you and then use you as a couch. Not to mind, as it was a very sweet dog.

I have to disagree about starting with the subs. Though subs do add to your low end power, it's really only a couple notes that are playing. Having a 1Kw amp thumping the subs and only a measly 20w from the HU for the fronts (which plays everything else) is going to sound disappointing, even with the Pioneer 3-ways. The subs won't sound powerful and hit unless you have a strong mid-bass to back them up, and mid-bass will come from your fronts. There's no way getting around having a good front speakers and amp combination first, then add the subs. Besides, you'll need to run the wires for the amps. Seen too many systems which the owner started with subs first and only ran heavy enough wire for the sub amp, with no reserve for a mains amp. They either had to run more power wire (and find new holes for them in the firewall) or tear out the old wire and run new heavier wire (a cost they never thought of).

Take it from an old (well, 40 plus shipping and handling) car audio tech:
1. Design on paper the system you want. HU, front/rear speakers, subs, amps, etc.
2. Make a simple plan drawing of the car, showing where you'll put all this stuff. This means getting on hands and knees and taking measurements.
3. Figure out what you'll need for things you haven't thought of yet. Things like power cable, signal cable, speaker cable, fuse holders, terminal blocks, wire loom, wire ties, wire tie anchors and wire lables. Go in the car with a dress makers measuring tape and measure your wire runs (easier than using a carpenters tape measure).
4. Buy the above stuff.
5. Plan your installation step by step and review it in the car. Work out any install bugs now.
6. Install the cabling first, then the hardware. Tape off any unused cable ends for equipment not yet purchased.

Take your time doing this, set no time limit. Work only in well lit areas. Wear knee pads when installing the wires and amps (trust me on this one). Stretch your back often, take Tylenol before 7pm to help your sore back. If you get tired or stuck, STOP. You'll make less mistakes if you do. Take your time. Quality installs shows, so do rushed installs.