For us DIY guys, upgrading the head unit is the first thing to do for several reasons. The first is because it’s often the easiest thing to do and you see, hear and use the results immediately. A new radio in an older car will give you the incentive to do even more upgrades. The second is because the new radio will make it a lot easier to do future upgrades, for example, it’s easier and more straightforward to use RCAs for a subwoofer than tapping into stock wiring or using various converters or harnesses.
Yeah, for newish modern cars with a screen audio visual systems, I can understand not needing to, but for older cars, Head Unit is definitely the first step, and improved audio quality through factory speakers is noticeable.
@@reesestalls2950 yes, it is the thing on the very right for most of the video, in the white pioneer box. Now the usually are like screens. They open up room for the future, mainly by including rca ports that the stock radio usually doesn't
So I installed a loc to factory head unit but I also have an aftermarket one I’m going to install and I’m wondering how I should go about that or what I can do. I used the T taps to hook it up
HU, Sub + Amp + Sound Deadener for the trunk, Speakers + Amp + Sound Deadener for the doors, then Electronic Crossover + EQ or DSP. I usually buy everything piece by piece, then install everything at the sametime.
I agree. I would do HU 1st due to connections needed for everything else and better sound quality to start. Otherwise I would follow the same order you listed.
On a budget $100 amp 2 channel or mono with 8" 10" sub most people don't need all the fancy DSP tools or amplifiers on door speakers get powerful enough head unit add subwoofer an amplifier if you like your hearing think about it
For years i would go for headunit amp an subs leaving doors an door amp last but in recent times i still go that way but leave installing subs an that amp last now i get all my highs an mids right then go with the big bang
Certainly there are many variables, affecting this choice. Taking my son's car as an example, I'm going to recommend he begin with the head unit. This gives him the ability to integrate with his phone, and provides line output, eliminating the need for a converter. Next will depend on whether really clean, and distinct details are more important than sub. Personally, I was never able to make it to the sub. I only ever had a head unit, small-ish amp and a REALLY nice set of MB Quart mids and tweets. I still use those speakers today, roughly 30 years later.
I'm with you on this one. I find the non-presence of super low frequencies to be on the order of a small annoyance at most that doesn't significantly detract from my enjoyment - as long as the other elements are present and tuned properly. I find the notion that we need massive, massively loud subwoofers puzzling to say the least, particularly when many of us do not listen to things like rap or EDM. In my current build, I'm planning to go with an 8" infinite baffle subwoofer that won't require any sort of boxed enclosure and thus won't take up any room in my trunk.
I agree 100%. If done right, a good set of components will sound amazing and be a big improvement over stock bass. Then down the line you can add a sub. I've had subs in multiple cars, Lightning Audio, MB Quartz, Rockford Fosgate P3s, Kenwoods. The biggest pain to me was taking up much wanted space and every time I ultimately went back to taking them out and running mids that were designed for lower frequencies.
In my opinion, sound clarity is 10x more important than bass. I’ve been in cars with just expensive subs in them (everything else stock) and they sound like dog shit.
@@chuckschillingvideos My suv comes with a “subwoofer” in the back. Small. But it’s hidden. I wonder if a shop will put in a sun in there, I think you can fit a 10 inch speaker I don’t need to knock the block down with bass. But sometimes that stock sub comes up short. The rest of the sound system is fine. ( apparently it’s the highest trim system for a gmc terrain )
In my case I'd say: sound treatment first! It really teaches you a lot. So, I had an old 1999 Micra with an old 1-DIN head unit (no auxiliary!) and 1-way speaker system. Also, little experience with car audio - just one basic build in the past. That's why I went in a completely different direction and I can recommend this approach - I was trying to make sure my install is good enough to handle higher power, and also to benefit from better speakers in the future. So: I started with quite solid sound treatment of the front door + 100 EUR Kenwood head unit (importantly, with 6 preamps and basic DSP functions, active 3-way crossovers) + 100 EUR Steg component speaker set. I took my time to sound-treat 75% of the outer door skin with single layers of: 2mm alubutyl + 9mm closed-cell foam, and then added hydrotreated 35mm egg crate foam directly behind the speaker. What made probably the biggest difference was covering all holes in the inner door skin with treated MDF (I might swap for ABS later, this is a proof of concept). For this tip thanks Mark. Then I covered 75% of the inner door skin with alubutyl. This gave me really nice, flat, deep bass even without the amplifier, however at times I crank up te volume to 30dB out of 35 available (even though this is a very small car), so I should make sure your head unit isn't clipping. What I don't really love right now is how distored guitar solos perform, however it's not so tragic, and any electronic music sounds... well, really freakin' good.
Just recently upgraded my car, as it is daily driver, it should have been done in steps, to keep the car available. Most audible difference came from sound treatment. No sub for this build as available car space is at premium here. No head unit swap either for safety/stealth reasons, realisticly who would want to steal original radio from an old Focus. Found the space for amp behind glove box, reasonably close to connect to head unit, easy to route amp power wires. My expierence: 1. swapped speakers - kinda better, head unit clips, not much of a difference. 2. done sound treatment - got bass, quieter car, owerall this was bigest difference 3. installed amp - another big upgrade, worth saying without sound treatment most power would be lost. Result: not measured with proper cal mic, sounds nice, feels nice too, rear view mirror acts as decibel indicator now, I guess that small crack in windshield have to be fixed sooner now, because it is geting bigger increasingly faster, go figure why... Low notes could benefit from DSP if going without sub, maby in future, probably not.
I did a head unit first mostly because it was critical to get better functionality to use my phone as a source. That's just because my car is fairly old and the stock head unit was really trash. I did a subwoofer and sub amp second and would absolutely agree it was a massive upgrade for sound. The stock speakers simply don't produce low frequencies, so adding a sub really improved the overall experience. Upgrading the other speakers and adding an amp is my next objective, but I'm fairly happy with where I'm at now.
I just did a whole audio upgrade in my car recently and I will be the first to say for the average person, avoid dsp headaches. For one you gotta learn what they do and how to make them work which is a pretty daunting task for beginners but also in my case they created noise in my system. After weeks of trouble shooting and trying different DSPs I’ve finally got my system in a nice state. I would say stick with adding a sub and amp. That gets you the most quality increase! Only change out stock speakers if you’re feeling cheeky or they’re damaged. It starts to get hectic the deeper you go and the type of vehicle mixed with what the stock audio looks like causes so many different options for so many people so it’s hard to narrow issues down sometimes. Good Luck Everyone!
Most folks aren't DIY'ing, so a competent install shop can easily get you to a good tune. You can then take your time to learn how to adjust your own tune later on.
1. HU for getting the features you need like hands free, Streaming and so on. 2. Sound deathning for speakers. To give them a cabinets to play in. 3. a good subwoofer in a good cabinet with matching amp. 4. Sound deathning for of the trunk and other parts. 5. amp for speakers. 6. Speakers
Great topic! But I think your vehicle plays a huge role as to what you do first. As a teen in the late 90's, we drove trucks from the 80's and early 90's. Buying a new deck was always the first thing, usually followed by new 6x9s in the doors, and then subs. The stock head units and speakers were complete garbage back then, so we didn't have much choice. You would never get away with doing a sub and amp first. Alot different today with stock head units controlling temp. controls and big touch screens. My 2016 ram is a good example, lots of guys just do the subs under the rear seat, and leave the rest as is. I did JL c1 6.5" components in the front, 3way 6x9s in the rear, ran off a Hertz 4ch and Audiocontrol LC7 i first, and did the subs last.
My cheap route - Start with a 4ch amp and a sub.. 2 channels to power stock front speakers, and bridge 3/4 channels to power the sub (leave rear speakers on deck power). This gets you bump to start AND a bit better speaker power. Next up, headunit for control. Then replace speakers to take advantage of the amps power. Finally get a second, dedicated mono amp to give the sub more power while then allowing to unbridge the 3/4 channels for the rear speakers. -- Or a 5 channel + sub cuts out some steps.
The timing on this video is amazing. Got my drivers license last week and looking to buy my first car right now. I do want some good sound in it, so this channel is a heaven!! :)
In my experience, it’s always best to start off with a sub upgrade and evaluate what you want to do next. The couple of times I’ve just went with a head unit, mostly for functionality gains (CarPlay, Navigation, etc.), I always felt the sounds quality suffered. It forced me to do a full system upgrade very soon after. My F150 with the base audio system sounded terrible. I started with am amp and stealth box & wow was their an improvement. I actually considered leaving as is but ultimately ended up going all out with speakers, amps, DSP and even eventually upgraded at a 10 inch head unit (took almost a year before there was an option to upgrade head unit.
Underrated comment. I'm going through this right now and while I love my head unit, even after a full speaker upgrade I'm finding I don't really enjoy the sound at any settings using the 5-band EQ. Can't get the compatible software to work to use the 7 or 9 Band tuning and I don't have a DSP, but I'm kind of curious how much I should really invest in a full do-over since I've already sank about half of the cars value into parts and accessories. Finding out the hard way patience is a virtue, but it stinks living in an age where by the time you settle on a product, something better gets released. But if you buy the new product first, in my experience, you end up having previously unheard of problems with it. I think anything over $3000 is overkill for the value of my vehicle and my lifestyle. Besides, I like good sound in the vehicle but I also need to hear my powetrain when the stereo is off since I drive a shitbox tuner, so I don't like the idea of soundproofing.
The problem with doing subs first on modern cars is the bass cut as you turn up the volume on a stock head unit. So not only are you spending on an LOC, but you need to pay the additional cost for one with bass restoration like what Audio Control offers. By doing radio first, you can save a fair bit in the long run by not needing an LOC to begin with when time to add the sub. That's assuming you're doing this in stages. If you can only do one thing and no future upgrades, then I can see a sub being a very valid choice.
I did speakers first and went with high sensitivity for the same reason you mentioned, factory unit not very strong lol It worked out well for me!! Sounds way way way better. I also added sound deadening.
If you have a newer vehicle you're upgrading I'd say start with a good sub/amp combo, along with your line converter. Then upgrade your factory speakers, and add in a nice amp to bring them to life. If you're able to without losing losing other features of your car, I'd say upgrade your head unit at this time also. Next step would be a DSP. On this same note, this brings me to a question. Myself I've never ran a DSP. But I do see the advantage of them! When planning out these upgrades, would you make a " hub" for these additional pieces "amplifiers, LOCs, DSPs" . I've always built racks for my amplifiers when I had the space. But that's not always the case depending on the vehicle and the equipment. What do you do in those situations??
1.) HU 2.) Speakers 3.) Subs & Amp. After these are done, I would do DSP’s and other things later as need. I also would upgrade my stock battery until I route my setup to its own battery. I know the numbers more clearly as I can hear their performance. If I want to go more audiophile, then that’s what I can see more clearly.
I would typically agree with this assessment for the average daily driver short commuter. I drive 1 hour and 45 minutes each way to work and the benefits of a new head unit in a 2009 Forester will make the driver much better. Haven’t researched much on the quality of speakers that came in this car but I will also be replacing the doors speakers before adding an amplifier to power them.
head unit, speakers, sub and amp. in that order. a good head unit means you don't have to deal with a line out converter. it will also make stock speakers sound better. speakers next because stock won't hold up for long with a new deck. amp and sub at the same time because subs are no good without an amp. if we're talking budget systems, that's it. you're done. DSP/EQ and other additional batteries, accessories, etc. are really expensive icing.
I upgraded the door speakers first with Morels, then the processor/ multichannel amp(PP82DSP) and the sub amp(JL Audio RD500/1). Then I upgraded all other speakers. The speakers were definitely a huge upgrade even without the amp or sub.
For my install, I went for HU first, as the foundation and establishing available connections with tidying up all wiring looms (my car was secondhand), then sub amp, amp with wiring, then speaker amp and then door mid and high speakers with fast rings and sound deadening at least in the door panels. This is to enable the focusing of sound into the cabin. For my install, I have skipped a DSP, as it is not necessary for my level of build.
I’m happy with my passive 2 way front stage. I love my Fi Neo 3.5 12 inch sub and Sony Mobile ES speakers, and my Sony XM GS4 and PG Ti3 1300.1. Very smooth clean sound the low bass is very buttery smooth and tight and punchy despite ported enclosure, the mids and highs are as crisp as an apple and very vibrant and smooth. I also like my pioneer AVH 1550 NEX. I also have Killmat and stinger fast rings which helps.
Mark- I've been reviewing AND enjoying the hell out of your how-to videos for several years, and I've got to say your presentations lack the usual bias so many car audio videos are prone to suffer from. Brand allegiance, for many enthusiasts, is simply based on what the creator has taken the time to install in their own ride. This can, and HAS, confused so many beginners to the point of giving up on their own ideas and copying an IMO based on this self flagellating & ego boosting nonsense. You present builds backed by specific build requirements and preferences. You offer top notch advice and step by step instruction for amazingly high quality builds, and you don't make the instructions mysterious to keep the finish look personal for yourself. I hope you never stop creating videos, and remember: "F#@% the naysayers, they don't mean a thing!"
After doing a few upgrades it's always been stunning the additional range of tones that a good HU adds. Doing the HU first will get your motivation going. Doing speakers first may give you bragging rights but your ears will be happier with the HU.
I would often do say the headunit first depending on the car. Especially in an older car where a DIN style unit is bolt in. Not only do they get the speakers a bit of extra umph, but those cars often lack connectivity for phones etc, and you will usually get the outputs for hooking up a sub without needing additional devices. Personally, in my current van i'm probably gonna do it like this tho: -Sound treatment -5 channel amp and sub -Speakers -Headunit Might change the last two around. But that is because i have the amp, and sub, just need the enclosure, and i want to reduce the noisefloor in the van anyways, and my headunit has some integration so i would need a quite expensive one to be happy with an upgrade.
I completely agree with your order with the exception of I would put the head unit first and then the sub and amp. Especially in an older car we’re heading units are pretty trash
I'm getting far into this car audio hobby, and so far, I've done it like this in my current car: 1st: head unit, subwoofer and wires that was capable of running the sub 2nd: component speakers in the front doors with a compact amp and it's own bad wires for a short term upgrade 3rd: replaced power wires with a thinker power cable from battery to trunk, added power distribution block with fuses in the trunk, added way better amp for the doors located in the trunk, added a high quality (quad shielded) 4-channel RCA cable to the new amp, and added short term speaker cables from amp to front doors next up, as I'm going to do it: 4th: component speakers in rear doors, add permanent speaker cables to all doors 5th: either sound deadening or add DSP 6th: do what wasn't done at #5, and tune the system I will get a better head unit as well before the DSP, but idk when, it all depends on money, ofc, and because I need a car to drive pretty much all the time, I must have a car available during the whole process, which results in sound deadening to be late in the build, even tho I know it will improve the sound a lot :/ might do the sound deadening step-by-step, so starting with just doors, then trunk, and do the rest later, but idk. maybe the roof as well because I know it's really soft, it's so soft that pushing with a few finger on top of the car, it will flex
Hey Mark, first, thank you for the stellar information. My dad got me into Crutchfield when I was ten, and doing the teenager thing in ‘92 he helped me build an isobaric clamshell with two 8”s. Very cool. My dad worked for AMP for 40 years, connectors and oscilloscopes and circuit boards fill my childhood memories. I’m now wanting another system and your channel is all we really need for advice. My dad has superior work ethic and the way you build is very much like his. Good job. So what I’m wanting to do first is, yes in stages as it’s on a damn budget, get a pair of coaxial 6.5”s for the front doors. Ones with a 93hz sensitivity. The JBL stadiums. I just want more clarity first. I think two sets of coaxial a for all four doors and the a pair of the Hertz Cento tweeters in the dash, and then a good 8” sub is all I want. Yes to proper amps and DSP as well. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing what a DSP can do. Great channel.
95% of people don't need most of these components. Putting a good 2-way speaker set in the front doors, a replacement head unit and a 50-100w per channel amp (5 channel if you want an amp) and you'll have $400-700 and it will be massively better and be good enough for most people. The holy grail is a dedicated amp. It produces so much cleaner sound.
It's totally different for everybody, but me what I'm doing always, first head unit, then save go for amp something like 4 channel amp if you are on the budget with component speakers for front door, and also sound deadening for front door, then you have good front scene, never started with sub, maybe only if it's only thing that's coming to system, but sub goes last then you polish sound get used to quality, then you kinda how big you want and what enclosure and tuning for box, in my opinion that's the correct way to start with audio 😊
There are many opinions on this subject and mine doesn’t need to be thrown in also. Mark, as far as I’m concerned, your recommendations are spot on. Plenty may disagree with them, but they make sense. There are no provisions for this in my present vehicle, but it is ancient and throwing good money after it would be comparable to tossing hundreds into a fire pit! It would be different if I was keeping it, but it is worth less than a sub and amp combo. I can wait till I get a newer vehicle since that would be worth the upgrade. Your recommendations are sound about sound deadening and wire upgrades which also are very necessary when upgrading components. Look forward to your next video! Stay safe mates!😊😷👍🏻
Having seen a few of your informative videos, i will like to propose a video to use car audio components and strategy for home-theatre with passive bookshelf speakers(4-8ohms) and 2x active car subwoofers(2-4ohms). Most people will need = connections to external DVD-bluray player, CD-player, Computer, Game-console, mobile-phone = pre-amp level summing-mixing (avoid electromagnetic interferance) = gain controls, some basic EQ and delay for left-right and 2x subwoofer It will be great to have inputs on shopping and wiring for a 2.2 setup.
I think replacing the factory speakers should be first. Sometimes throwing a set of NVX N-series speakers gives people enough sound quality improvement for their needs. My wife was amazed what 4 6x9s did to her classical music and kpop in her 2012 Camry! Oh yeah, I also modified the dash slightly to accommodate 4” Infinity Reference speakers and bass blockers for 6x9s. I haven’t gotten around to wiring in the amp for her 2 ohm Kicker L7 12” truck box, yet. 🤣
I disagree, I just replaced 4pcs of 25W @4 OEM speaker on my FORD with 45W @4 after market speakers without change HU or add an external amp, the sound quality is almost the same, the volume output was even sounds weaker compared to OEM speaker. Apparently the factory head unit uses built-in amp IC which can't provide enough power to drive upgraded 45W speaker, now Im consider to sell those after market speakers and get a decent amp instead.
I apologize, but I'm a complete amateur. Could you provide a link to the exact speakers you purchased? I primarily listen to classical music and have a 2014 Toyota Corolla, so I think the speakers your wife got would be perfect for my needs. I know you mentioned NVX N-series, but I just want to make sure I pick the exact same speakers.
@@CmAektP2jxrGAb7 when replacing these speakers u shouldve went with 3ohm set or even a 2 ohm set.. with high impedance.. ive had some helix/focal/blam speakers that are high impedence and easy to install.. dont know about availability in us though.
Thanks Mark for making and taking the time time make the videos. Very helpful info. I check back weekly for New vids and at times find older ones that I have not seen yet. Thank You.
I upgraded factory tape deck to modern head unit. Then blew 2 speakers so bought front and rear kicker DS when I could save up. Then got a 12" mtx sub, mono amp and 4 channel amp for 200 bucks. Haven't hooked up the 4 channel yet but overall sounds great over stock.
been upgrading a 2005 camry with the gf. did head unit first that was fun adding blutoth and usb drive for songs, then we did speakers and it was very noticible improvment. next we purchased sub and amp and just waiting on wires. woohoo
Replaced head unit after 0:51 20 years stock everything. Replacing that head unit with a full screen unit inspired me to upgrade speakers and wire all speakers directly to unit bypassing the old factory wire harness. All starts with radio radio radio
I start out by saying i have always loved car audio and showing my age installed my 1st system at 16 in the mud 90's. I pride myself on learning as much as I can car audio and new install techniques which is why I watch and subscribe to your channel I lot of it I do know and you have also given me new ideas and ways that have turned out a Lil easier then I have been doing it so thank you. Tou channel is one that when I see a notification I make sure I watch it as I have time. This one is one we differ on which not say either of us is wrong just different thought processes. I feel the HU when possible should be done first just do to better sound output quality as well as better then stock ability to to fine tune sound like with the pioneer Nex series with 13 bar digital eq hpf and lpf as well as slope. I would then move to the stock speaker replacement if you have the ability donthe ampnat the same time if not then shortly after. Now if unable to change out the factory head unit or the replacement is say a 2010-15 f150 where you will be upgrading the factory integrated radio to a vertical tesla that will give you Android auto capability and also incorporate factory integrated control and costing 800.00 then go speakers first followed by line output converter and amp. At that point the sub can be added. I guess this is just personal preference because I feel factory speakers lack the quality sound and the factory amp setting are over attenuated. I also don't feel factory speakers are equipped to not be over powered by a after market sub. But that's just my 2 cents. Love the content I'm off my soap box now
For my latest daily work driver car, just a car to get to work and back, I already had my tried and true to form 2 Memphis 12s in a ported box, paired with my Kicker 600 watt monoblock amp, threw that in the trunk, then bought a pioneer hu from 2015 online used for 30 bucks, swapped out the head unit, and my setup even with leaving the 4 car speakers stock sounds incredibly good for a 2004 model car. If you can afford it, I'd recommend doing the trifecta first in any car, head unit - sub amp - 1 or 2 subs in box that is always a guarantee for better sound.
Personally, I think if you have a vehicle with a easily enough removable headunit... the radio should always be first. I'd love to avoid the LOC sub installs as much as possible. Just no control or tuning and unless you have a nice new touch screen like I'm newer cars then replacing the head unit will do a world of difference! I had a 2016 impala and Wired in amp and sub but used amp was blown. So I ended up ordering amp, while waiting I put my pioneer head unit in the place of my old 9th Gen impala headunit.. and lemme tell yall what! Made my car sound like an ENTIRE new system quality wise just with a new head unit.. no other changes at that time!
I go: Head unit Amp(s) Door/Panel speakers Sound deadening Subs My 6 1/2 image dynamics coaxial put out enough bass to create rattles. So I don’t push them half of what they are capable. I don’t really need subs at all. (But that’s what I’m doing next). That’s how much bass a good pair of coaxils with high power handling and a good amp can put out. I agree with upgrading amp before factory speakers tho. They might be good enough for you that you don’t need to replace them.
To add to his list, a headunit with built in cross overs if your not using an amp can make a lot of difference. Set rears at 40Hz and front at 140-180Hz
In my Tacoma Gen3 4dr, after reading some comments, I replaced the dash speakers with Subaru factory speakers, which are plug and play made by Kicker. UnBElievable what a difference those made. Piano, cymbals, etc all of sudden came alive! The next thing I did was sound deadening.. Again, what a difference! Both pair of doors, and the back wall of the cab, gave me a 7db drop in road noise. I can now have a normal living rm level conversation at highway speeds. The required listening volume level, on the head unit, dropped by about 35 to 40 percent. The next items on the list is 4ch amp/DSP and a light sub. I like bass to be lightly felt and heard, not 3 blocks away. More like a concert hall.. I do like occasionally cranking up a rock song or two.. since I was in college in the 70s.
I recently put in a dual 10" Memphis Audio subwoofer in my 2013 Mercedes C300 (stock system, no Harman Kardon). The subs were a solid upgrade. Although the factory speakers are not completely TERRIBLE, I do want a little more clarity out of the door speakers. Here's my upgrade path: Subwoofer/mono amp (already done), front speakers with high input sensitivity (JL C1/C2 or Hertz Cento/Mille), 4-channel amplifier, rear speakers. After reading some forums, aftermarket head units will mess with the functionality of things like steering wheel controls, and the Audio20 factory head unit apparently sends 25W rms to each channel. My signal is also kind of scuffed because it's going from usb-c on my phone, to a DAC dongle, to a proprietary connection to the car (MMS). I REALLY rather not mess with the head unit if I can help it though. I think swapping out the head unit can even DEVALUE the car. I'd like to know what others' opinions are.
$80 amp 600 watts mono works. Cheap install kit $30. 12 inch sub 🔊 in a box that goes with it $150. Output converter $40. Total will be about $300 to start.
My upgrade path is an amp with DSP built in at the same time as speakers. See how that improves things. May upgrade the head unit later on or even upgrade the speakers again since the first round of speakers will be relatively cheap in the scheme of things. I'm not that interested in subs, but that's just me.
2013 Ford Focus Titanium Sedan... Plan is JL C2 speakers first front&rear, along with replacing MFT with Sync3 v3.4 (or newer), then replace the factory DSP with an AudioControl LC6.1200, and finally replace the factory sub. At some point along the way, the entire shell will be wrapped with sound deadener, headliner will be thermally and acoustically treated, and rattles sorted. Realistically, Im going to do the soundproofing last. Once everything is installed, and I don't have to pull the interior apart anymore, then sound deaden, replace the fasteners, etc, so that its entirely rattle free.
If you can't change your radio for some reason you can consider putting the aftermarket radio in your glovebox . I had to do that in my honda fit to get the amp connected. Works great .
I did sound deadening first, then bought all the products that I installed. Then I built my enclosure, then the wiring was installed, then the amp rack, amps, and then the speakers.
I just upgraded my dodge caliber stock radio to a JVC single din 5v pre out. HUGEEEE difference anyone who hasn't upgraded anything in an old car PLEASE do the head unit first It sounds so much clearer and crisp
Agree with a lot of the comments, upgrade factory radio, but with a caveat. You should know your long term goals and buy the head unit you’ll need for the future. Taking a note from PC building, you’re buying into a platform even if you’re not buying all the components up front.
Nowadays no need to swap head units usually so if your planning a basic "higher" end system i would start with the d series amps from audio control. The d-5.1300 would be perfect for 80% of people. If you want more base get the d-4.800 or the d-6.1200 depending on your vehicle speaker count as these have a dsp built in and can tune an output channel to your sub amp for whatever you plan to run. My upgrade path was HU, agm batteries, sound deadening, d-6.1200 + speakers, ho alternator, lc-1.1500 + subs, 500 farad cap bank (I more or less got everything at 1 time though, but preperation is key lol) I am limited on space unless i put a camper on my truck lol if you aren't planning on doing a large system i would just spend the extra money and buy a d series amp from audio control you actually save money in the end since you dont to buy a HU or an LOC and a dsp. You could actually buy the HU last in this case if you want to. Unless you want a crazy multi amp high wattage system theres no need to buy the dm dsp im running 12 sets of components of my d-6.1200 and works perfect clear and loud just do your prep work first
The first thing to upgrade definitely depends on the vehicle. I’ve had older cars where the first thing I did was upgrade the head unit to get Bluetooth and equalizer adjustments. Now I have a newer truck and the sound system is decent but there no bass, so I would add in a sub/amp as the first mod.
Make sure to look into your cars factory amplification. Many cars actually have pre amp outputs from the stock head unit that can be tapped into, eliminating the need for a LOC. This is what I did with my car and it works like a charm. Look for pinouts for wiring harnesses online
in my opinion for an upgrade path I would go for Head Unit first, better door speakers with amplifier second, third would be electrical upgrade to handle the next part, subwoofer fourth, lastly if wanted lighting foir the system.
Heres how my upgrade path went, I bought a 10” kicker, it blew, I got a 12” alpine it was good but not enough, I now have a 12” WDX 12G1.4 Next I swapped out the head unit for an apple car play one The very next day I swapped all 6 of my speakers 2 6x9’s 2 6.5’s and 2 3/4” Tweeters Now Im looking to add an amp to my speakers!
In my opinion, if you have a pre 2010 vehicle, and plan to upgrade your system, or even if you're dipping your toes into the car audio world, i would absolutely recommend you start with a head unit... High or low end, itll help you get a feel for the interior of your vehicle, and how your amenities ultimately function... On top of bluetooth/aux (and depending on your choice of head unit, navigation) capabilities! Absolutely beneficial if youre installing your first amplifier.
I have a 2014 hyundai and it has an integrated head unit with the navigation system and that on it. Would I be better off starting with speakers or amp first?
i really love listening to loud music in my car when im going anywhere even if its only few minutes drive BUT i literally know nothing about car sound system stuff (only cuz i have no money) but when i get the chance to ubgrade my system this will be my go to video thank u man
I feel if you are going to go with a big bass set-up I feel it would be ideal to upgrade your interior speakers first otherwise the big bass will drown out the stock junk. I would say head unit, speakers, 4/6 channel amp, subs/amp, DSP.
So I started off my build with cheap speakers that could handle a little more power because I had a extra head unit laying around. So I just got some cheap $100 kicker speakers. My next upgrade was a mono amp and sub woofer. And I was okay with that build for about a year maybe year and a half. And now. I am going back into upgrading. I just bought a Alpine ilx F-509. Going to be leaving the subwoofers (2 12” Kicker subs. Powered by a 800 watt mono kicker amp) But adding another kicker amp. This one being a 75W x 4 channel. And I plan on upgrading speakers. I want to get components in the front haven’t quite decided what I’d like however, I think where I am at right now. All 5x7 kicker speakers with 2 12” subs and a brand new radio Im extremely happy with the how it sounds and definitely way better than I planned it ever sounding for a first car.
My radio only had AM/FM radio. Not even a cassete deck to attatch an aux cord to. It was also intergrated with my climate controls. I had to find an aftermarket stereo with compatibility with a din slot, hard to find and very hard to install but it worked. That one step made me want to install everything else
I have a stock head unit. Upgraded everything, door speakers and tweeters. Along with sub. Have mono block amp for sub and 4 channel for the tweeters and door speakers. I also have a lc7i to get a clear signal from the stock head unit. My head unit is really expensive to replace because the after market dash kit is touch screen climate control, plus upgrading the head unit would cost a lot too, I’d say around $1200 not including installation. So I think I did a good choice on just getting the lc7i on it to save money. Sometimes you gotta cut some corners with this music stuff, but the stock head unit Sounds really nice with the lc7i in my humble opinion.
I totally agree on upgrading the amplifier over the speakers. I have a 2016 Scion tC with 3 way components which is run off a factory amplifier. After installing my pioneer 1300nex head unit, my door speakers sound dull, and maybe a touch louder. Only thing I can come up with is that the factory amp used a speaker level input which my new deck was over driving. Oddly the rear speakers got louder and sounded cleaner since they took the direct output from the new deck.
I added jl audio tweeters as well an amp and ten inch subwoofer. I used the kicker converter and I am happy with it because it has the audio sensitivity to turn on the remote wire. My car does turn down the highs and not the bass when in high volume.
I feel strange commenting on this, because I haven't been in the car audio business for a long time and Mark is an extremely knowledgeable professional guy. That said, I don't agree that a sub should be your first upgrade. Maybe in a newer car with a premium sound system, yeah... but if you're on a budget, odds are you aren't driving a newer vehicle. The first thing that degrades in a vehicle sound system is the speakers, and the best of factory speakers won't typically sound as good as a moderate aftermarket speaker even when new. Through my years installing and selling mobile electronics, the biggest and most noticeable improvement in a car's sound system was ALWAYS replacing the factory speakers. I've seen people just add a sub to a factory system many times, and it always ends the same - muddy sound with more bass. It's pretty underwhelming. But I've seen people light up with a big smile every single time they hear the difference between their old factory speakers and the capable aftermarket speakers they replaced them with. It's like night and day. If all you're wanting is to BUMP, then by all means go for that sub upgrade first. But if you really care about sound quality, dump those stock speakers for some decent Pioneer, JBL, or Infinity speakers. And, as he said, don't forget the sound treatment, at least around the speakers.
Right now I have a subwoofer, a set of 6x9’s an 5 channel amp and a nice 1din headunit with bluetooth, 3x rca out etc. And ofcourse I already have all the materials like the wiring. The only thing I have to buy when I get my first car is a set of speakers for the front doors because I dont know wich size they will be yet.😀 I bought all this when I had money that I could miss in a span of around 3,5 years. Hope to get my first car in a few months now!
I upgraded my factory 368W radio with a aftermarket 200W radio. The sound is more chirp but did I mess up⁉️ Should I of went with a higher wattage radio⁉️
Always start head unit first. Whether diy or professional it will be cheaper in the long run. Also if you can afford it at the same time head and speakers should be a tandem so you can match the performance without needing an amp. Always buy subs and amp as a tandem so you again can match the performance. If you buy separate you run the risk of not enough or to much power coming from your amp which will result in underperformance or blown subs. It also would make sense to get an enclosure before the subs so you can make sure it fits, nothing worse than getting subs only to find out you cannot fit an enclosure for their size.
...ur the expert, so ill refer to ur knowledge base... but years past ive always upgraded the head unit first... but i deal with older antique & vintage era cars & im usually lookin to go from an 8 track or a cassette to somethin with a cd player & bluetooth... thanx man, always enjoy ur videos
I just did some sound upgrades to my car, sub + amp, the lc2 and alpine speakers for my doors and rear deck. I doubt I'll ever change the head unit in my car because of how integrated it is to my car but ill switch the dash speakers eventually
for me 1st think to upgrade your head unit.. choose HU that you need, how much channel, power input/output.. then the second is amplifier and subwoofer, after that you can combine the speakers
i usually buy speakers and sound deadening first because its the first thing you notice before any amps or subs. even then i rarely do amps and subs as i usually have sold the vehicle by then. headunits i do last because: technology can date by the time the headunit comes into the project and i like the latest features.
little sound system upgrade for my honda civic fb 2.0 2014 : from first and last : 1. monoblok amplifier taramps bass 3k. 2. single 12" subwoofer jbl stadium 1224. 3. 9" android head unit. 4. speaker set 4pc 6.5" ( power on HU only, without amp ). 5. parametric equalizer ( pre-amp 7band. just using a sub output channel to control my sub output or gain my mono amp because my monoblock doest have a bass knob ). 6. big3 & all wiring upgrade with 1/0awg power cable.
I would also add how long you plan on having the vehicle. I run a three year lease on my company vehicle but put a lot of miles on and like a crisper sound than stock. I really don't want to go through all the trouble of wiring in an amplifier (not to mention the cost). So my thoughts are to upgrade mids and tweets. Have had luck with this in the past with a Jeep Wrangler Sport by upgrading the mids to RF. Made a huge difference in sound quality. Just my two cents here.
Well I made it to the end of the video. Run it like this 1. Head Unit 2. Amp & Sub 3. Amp & Speaker (At this point you can bang it at your own risk) 4. Electrical Upgrades! 5. Dynomate everything!
I 100% agree that a subwoofer and subwoofer amplifier should be first. That's pretty common for newer vehicles to have stock premium sound systems that are Way beyond the capabilities of your stereos from 15 years ago. My Chevy has seven speaker premium sound including a three and a half on the dash. I don't really see the need for me to upgrade.
I'm in the process of buying gear slowly and just not proceeding to the install until I have all the equipment purchased. That allows me to take advantage of periodic sales and not to have to double-spend as I upgrade piecemeal. I'm not sure I agree that the first thing to do is to replace/upgrade the subwoofer. To me, that depends on your personal taste. If you aren't all that fanatic about bass, the optimal path might be to upgrade your factory speakers with aftermarket speakers first. If nothing else, that will incur a minimum of rework. Another thing to consider is that there are many in the car audio community (particularly those focused on sound quality), who will tell you that with a properly tuned DSP, the rear speakers in most vehicles are, at best, unnecessary - and at worst, detract greatly from the overall quality of the sound. If you're definitely going to use a DSP in your system, it would be a shame to spend a lot of money acquiring and having to have someone reinstall rear speakers/upgrades only to find that they are of no benefit to you. And you may find you save a lot of money on the amp you choose because not using rear speakers frees up two channels you can use for another purpose - such as going with an active crossover in your front speakers.
The most important part of a car audio build is always the subwoofer enclosure & making sure it is properly designed just for the subwoofer being mounted into it.
mine is the same order but at first i wanted to do the head unit first but since my car has all those controlls u need build into the factory one its very costly to do a proper head unit upgrade in my car like over 1000$ and that for a cheap one, but i did manage to get 2 12s and amp and a line out converter for less than 300$ on sale at ebay so that was nice. i plan on trying to install it myself this week and ive never done it before so wish me luck
Personally i always upgrade the speakers first as it sets the tone. Every brand of speaker has its own taste or style of sound. I like JBLs because they have this big bold sound that other speakers cant match. Everything else sounds tinny and weak, after that i add an amp to really dial them in and see what kind of bass i need. If they handle mid bass well then i can undersize and go with a 300 watts rms sub. If they play loud and strong then ill get a bigger sub to match the sound. I just hate when they integrate the settings into the stock radio so replacing it is impossible without losing important car setting
i work only on old cars thats my normal way 1. Head unit (some DSP can use as BT reciver, if you only run BT and google maps than is it a other case) 2. Subwoofer + amp 3. new amps for stock speaker (the amp can better handle the speaker i have test it, if you have luck and good speekers it will blow you) with sound treatment 3,5. speaker replacement 4 DSP on my Car 1.Headunit (it work very well for years, i have nice stock speaker) 2. no sub i need my trunk 3. install tweeter, BI amping, DSP 4,5. alternator upgrade if needed, but i run the system not as a SPL more SQ so maybe it will be fine 4.maybe front and reverse cam with 170 degree view for driving if i can't look at the road. because a VAN blocks my view
Generally I'd go head unit before subs.. multiple reasons. The upgraded head unit will not just improve your overall capability for entertainment, it also will most likely have dedicated sub outputs. Means you dont have to buy the LOC, and it's an upgrade you'd be doing anyways. Adding the sub after after allows you to directly feed the amp from the head unit, and you can use whatever you saved on the LOC for upgraded materials for the install (wire, fuse boxes, maybe a slightly larger budget on components you get later.. hey, 50-100 extra for your door speakers can make a difference. That and you're not tapping into wires to run it, etc... I feel like it's just easier to go head unit then sub.. instead of LOC with sub and then head unit (where I'd rip the LOC out and use the 5v outputs from the head unit to the amp, so I"m not ripping out all of the wiring and the LOC after putting it in...)
I actually came here for the sole purpose of hearing about the DSP’s. I have 6x8 3 Way rockford fosgate punch series door speakers in all 4 door, and a set of rockford fosgate tweeters with crossovers up front by the a frame. Only think i obviously need to fix is to upgrade from a 4 channel amp to a 6 or 8 channel amp to run the tweeters correctly. I also have the 10” Rockford Fosgate powered sub in the back. My vehicle is a 2014 Ford Edge and i bought the Metra dash kit that integrated the climate controls to its own touch screen and left me with a 2 din slot where i have my Pioneer AVH-P2400BT head unit. My door speakers are powered off of a 4 channel JL Audio 75WPC Amp. It wasnt cheap. It sounds pretty good but i still feel like it could get better. My wifes got a 2020 F150 with a B&O system, it sounds phenomenal but lacks the power i need for the way i listen to my music. What i am looking for is sound quality like the B&O system but with the power and volume of the system i have in my edge. My sources are CDs, and usb cord to my phone to play lossless files. I find myself needing to touch the EQ too much. Im more of a home audio guy and 99.99% of the time on the home systems all my controls are set to flat, no EQ at all. Same with her truck. Any ideas? I was thinking about going with JL speakers too instead of the Rockfords. Any input would be much appreciated. My music is almost 100% classic rock too if that helps.
My upgrade path is based on budget....as head units are fairly inexpensive that's my first upgrade followed by speakers as they can be inexpensive too. Followed by the more expensive gear in order of personal affordability
I think if all of this is in your future, I would get a kicker KEY set (4 channel and mono) DSP amplifier and see how that sounds with stock speakers and a small ported sub. That would probably do a lot of people just fine and you get all the benefits from an upgraded system with DSP without the whole DSP customization confusion of better DSP's.
You don't need a line converter if you have a head unit with line outs. I just replaced stock speakers that were falling apart and wanted an amp. Unfortunately there's a hiss from the speaker level to line level conversion. It's white noise and not really that noticeable unless I'm listening to dynamic music... Kronos Quartet has some really quiet moments. Just too many variables to answer this question. Do you want a head unit that can play FLAC files off of an SSD you've plugged into the USB? Do you have a blown speaker? Do you listen to music that doesn't really benefit from a sub? Can you control the crossover for different styles of music on your FLAC filled hard drive. Great video if only because it's important to think of this before you buy.
Just got a new truck and I'm planning on installing a sub first. Has anyone messed with Rockville 12" powered sub box? I'm not looking for anything crazy and they have good prices. Also compact for an extended cab.
For us DIY guys, upgrading the head unit is the first thing to do for several reasons. The first is because it’s often the easiest thing to do and you see, hear and use the results immediately. A new radio in an older car will give you the incentive to do even more upgrades. The second is because the new radio will make it a lot easier to do future upgrades, for example, it’s easier and more straightforward to use RCAs for a subwoofer than tapping into stock wiring or using various converters or harnesses.
I have to do the head unit first or i can't listen to all my 8 tracks
Yeah, for newish modern cars with a screen audio visual systems, I can understand not needing to, but for older cars, Head Unit is definitely the first step, and improved audio quality through factory speakers is noticeable.
@@Gerald5000 is head unit like the actual radio
@@reesestalls2950 yes, it is the thing on the very right for most of the video, in the white pioneer box. Now the usually are like screens. They open up room for the future, mainly by including rca ports that the stock radio usually doesn't
So I installed a loc to factory head unit but I also have an aftermarket one I’m going to install and I’m wondering how I should go about that or what I can do. I used the T taps to hook it up
HU, Sub + Amp + Sound Deadener for the trunk, Speakers + Amp + Sound Deadener for the doors, then Electronic Crossover + EQ or DSP. I usually buy everything piece by piece, then install everything at the sametime.
I agree. I would do HU 1st due to connections needed for everything else and better sound quality to start. Otherwise I would follow the same order you listed.
On a budget $100 amp 2 channel or mono with 8" 10" sub most people don't need all the fancy DSP tools or amplifiers on door speakers get powerful enough head unit add subwoofer an amplifier if you like your hearing think about it
For years i would go for headunit amp an subs leaving doors an door amp last but in recent times i still go that way but leave installing subs an that amp last now i get all my highs an mids right then go with the big bang
There is always placement of these components id rather sound good then just have big bass rattling my car
1ST THING YOU DO IS GET AN AFTERMARKET CAR SECURITY SYSTEM!!!
Certainly there are many variables, affecting this choice. Taking my son's car as an example, I'm going to recommend he begin with the head unit. This gives him the ability to integrate with his phone, and provides line output, eliminating the need for a converter. Next will depend on whether really clean, and distinct details are more important than sub. Personally, I was never able to make it to the sub. I only ever had a head unit, small-ish amp and a REALLY nice set of MB Quart mids and tweets. I still use those speakers today, roughly 30 years later.
I'm with you on this one. I find the non-presence of super low frequencies to be on the order of a small annoyance at most that doesn't significantly detract from my enjoyment - as long as the other elements are present and tuned properly. I find the notion that we need massive, massively loud subwoofers puzzling to say the least, particularly when many of us do not listen to things like rap or EDM. In my current build, I'm planning to go with an 8" infinite baffle subwoofer that won't require any sort of boxed enclosure and thus won't take up any room in my trunk.
@Thirteen Thirteen don’t misunderstand. I would LOVE to have the sub. I just also have 50 other hobbies, and very little money for any of them.
I agree 100%. If done right, a good set of components will sound amazing and be a big improvement over stock bass. Then down the line you can add a sub.
I've had subs in multiple cars, Lightning Audio, MB Quartz, Rockford Fosgate P3s, Kenwoods. The biggest pain to me was taking up much wanted space and every time I ultimately went back to taking them out and running mids that were designed for lower frequencies.
In my opinion, sound clarity is 10x more important than bass. I’ve been in cars with just expensive subs in them (everything else stock) and they sound like dog shit.
@@chuckschillingvideos My suv comes with a “subwoofer” in the back. Small. But it’s hidden. I wonder if a shop will put in a sun in there, I think you can fit a 10 inch speaker
I don’t need to knock the block down with bass. But sometimes that stock sub comes up short. The rest of the sound system is fine. ( apparently it’s the highest trim system for a gmc terrain )
I could never get sick of these videos
Glad to see Audio Control is still making high quality stuff. Crazy to see how far it’s come.
I know! I used their stuff long long ago before UA-cam even existed and it was awesome then. Even better now!
In my case I'd say: sound treatment first! It really teaches you a lot.
So, I had an old 1999 Micra with an old 1-DIN head unit (no auxiliary!) and 1-way speaker system. Also, little experience with car audio - just one basic build in the past.
That's why I went in a completely different direction and I can recommend this approach - I was trying to make sure my install is good enough to handle higher power, and also to benefit from better speakers in the future.
So: I started with quite solid sound treatment of the front door + 100 EUR Kenwood head unit (importantly, with 6 preamps and basic DSP functions, active 3-way crossovers) + 100 EUR Steg component speaker set. I took my time to sound-treat 75% of the outer door skin with single layers of: 2mm alubutyl + 9mm closed-cell foam, and then added hydrotreated 35mm egg crate foam directly behind the speaker.
What made probably the biggest difference was covering all holes in the inner door skin with treated MDF (I might swap for ABS later, this is a proof of concept). For this tip thanks Mark.
Then I covered 75% of the inner door skin with alubutyl.
This gave me really nice, flat, deep bass even without the amplifier, however at times I crank up te volume to 30dB out of 35 available (even though this is a very small car), so I should make sure your head unit isn't clipping.
What I don't really love right now is how distored guitar solos perform, however it's not so tragic, and any electronic music sounds... well, really freakin' good.
Just recently upgraded my car, as it is daily driver, it should have been done in steps, to keep the car available. Most audible difference came from sound treatment. No sub for this build as available car space is at premium here. No head unit swap either for safety/stealth reasons, realisticly who would want to steal original radio from an old Focus. Found the space for amp behind glove box, reasonably close to connect to head unit, easy to route amp power wires. My expierence: 1. swapped speakers - kinda better, head unit clips, not much of a difference. 2. done sound treatment - got bass, quieter car, owerall this was bigest difference 3. installed amp - another big upgrade, worth saying without sound treatment most power would be lost. Result: not measured with proper cal mic, sounds nice, feels nice too, rear view mirror acts as decibel indicator now, I guess that small crack in windshield have to be fixed sooner now, because it is geting bigger increasingly faster, go figure why... Low notes could benefit from DSP if going without sub, maby in future, probably not.
I did a head unit first mostly because it was critical to get better functionality to use my phone as a source. That's just because my car is fairly old and the stock head unit was really trash.
I did a subwoofer and sub amp second and would absolutely agree it was a massive upgrade for sound. The stock speakers simply don't produce low frequencies, so adding a sub really improved the overall experience.
Upgrading the other speakers and adding an amp is my next objective, but I'm fairly happy with where I'm at now.
How much did everything cost and how much they charge you to install it?
@@elpucho3444 ever found out?
I just did a whole audio upgrade in my car recently and I will be the first to say for the average person, avoid dsp headaches. For one you gotta learn what they do and how to make them work which is a pretty daunting task for beginners but also in my case they created noise in my system. After weeks of trouble shooting and trying different DSPs I’ve finally got my system in a nice state.
I would say stick with adding a sub and amp. That gets you the most quality increase! Only change out stock speakers if you’re feeling cheeky or they’re damaged. It starts to get hectic the deeper you go and the type of vehicle mixed with what the stock audio looks like causes so many different options for so many people so it’s hard to narrow issues down sometimes.
Good Luck Everyone!
Most folks aren't DIY'ing, so a competent install shop can easily get you to a good tune. You can then take your time to learn how to adjust your own tune later on.
Should always replace the stock speakers it sounds so much cleaner 🤷♂️
I'm gonna say radio first for me because... my car doesn't have one
Lol same
I only got one speaker in my van😭 no radio i wanna put a custom sound system in this bad boy. 91 dodge ram b250 with a 318 under the hood.
@@Penguinnoly lmao bro uses a bluetooth speaker ive been there
1. HU for getting the features you need like hands free, Streaming and so on.
2. Sound deathning for speakers. To give them a cabinets to play in.
3. a good subwoofer in a good cabinet with matching amp.
4. Sound deathning for of the trunk and other parts.
5. amp for speakers.
6. Speakers
I’m not even close to being considered a pro, but I can say with absolute certainty your path to an ideal sound system is flawless.
Great topic! But I think your vehicle plays a huge role as to what you do first. As a teen in the late 90's, we drove trucks from the 80's and early 90's. Buying a new deck was always the first thing, usually followed by new 6x9s in the doors, and then subs. The stock head units and speakers were complete garbage back then, so we didn't have much choice. You would never get away with doing a sub and amp first. Alot different today with stock head units controlling temp. controls and big touch screens. My 2016 ram is a good example, lots of guys just do the subs under the rear seat, and leave the rest as is. I did JL c1 6.5" components in the front, 3way 6x9s in the rear, ran off a Hertz 4ch and Audiocontrol LC7 i first, and did the subs last.
My cheap route - Start with a 4ch amp and a sub.. 2 channels to power stock front speakers, and bridge 3/4 channels to power the sub (leave rear speakers on deck power). This gets you bump to start AND a bit better speaker power. Next up, headunit for control. Then replace speakers to take advantage of the amps power. Finally get a second, dedicated mono amp to give the sub more power while then allowing to unbridge the 3/4 channels for the rear speakers. -- Or a 5 channel + sub cuts out some steps.
@@jamievandalen nice
Pretty much the Crutchfield approach.
The timing on this video is amazing. Got my drivers license last week and looking to buy my first car right now. I do want some good sound in it, so this channel is a heaven!! :)
Lots of stuff here I think you will like! Thanks for tuning in!
You're gonna have so much fun dude! goodluck!
Shoot! Buy radio then an 4x100 amp to explode those dusty paper speakers!😢😂😂
In my experience, it’s always best to start off with a sub upgrade and evaluate what you want to do next. The couple of times I’ve just went with a head unit, mostly for functionality gains (CarPlay, Navigation, etc.), I always felt the sounds quality suffered. It forced me to do a full system upgrade very soon after.
My F150 with the base audio system sounded terrible. I started with am amp and stealth box & wow was their an improvement. I actually considered leaving as is but ultimately ended up going all out with speakers, amps, DSP and even eventually upgraded at a 10 inch head unit (took almost a year before there was an option to upgrade head unit.
Underrated comment. I'm going through this right now and while I love my head unit, even after a full speaker upgrade I'm finding I don't really enjoy the sound at any settings using the 5-band EQ. Can't get the compatible software to work to use the 7 or 9 Band tuning and I don't have a DSP, but I'm kind of curious how much I should really invest in a full do-over since I've already sank about half of the cars value into parts and accessories. Finding out the hard way patience is a virtue, but it stinks living in an age where by the time you settle on a product, something better gets released. But if you buy the new product first, in my experience, you end up having previously unheard of problems with it. I think anything over $3000 is overkill for the value of my vehicle and my lifestyle. Besides, I like good sound in the vehicle but I also need to hear my powetrain when the stereo is off since I drive a shitbox tuner, so I don't like the idea of soundproofing.
@@athenasblueprint Ive got a 2016 crv and Im not sure if its worth changing the head unit
imo u should do ur speakers first cuz some stock speakers are not good and could get blown out by the subs
The problem with doing subs first on modern cars is the bass cut as you turn up the volume on a stock head unit. So not only are you spending on an LOC, but you need to pay the additional cost for one with bass restoration like what Audio Control offers. By doing radio first, you can save a fair bit in the long run by not needing an LOC to begin with when time to add the sub.
That's assuming you're doing this in stages. If you can only do one thing and no future upgrades, then I can see a sub being a very valid choice.
I did speakers first and went with high sensitivity for the same reason you mentioned, factory unit not very strong lol
It worked out well for me!! Sounds way way way better. I also added sound deadening.
If you have a newer vehicle you're upgrading I'd say start with a good sub/amp combo, along with your line converter. Then upgrade your factory speakers, and add in a nice amp to bring them to life. If you're able to without losing losing other features of your car, I'd say upgrade your head unit at this time also. Next step would be a DSP. On this same note, this brings me to a question. Myself I've never ran a DSP. But I do see the advantage of them! When planning out these upgrades, would you make a " hub" for these additional pieces "amplifiers, LOCs, DSPs" . I've always built racks for my amplifiers when I had the space. But that's not always the case depending on the vehicle and the equipment. What do you do in those situations??
1.) HU
2.) Speakers
3.) Subs & Amp.
After these are done, I would do DSP’s and other things later as need. I also would upgrade my stock battery until I route my setup to its own battery. I know the numbers more clearly as I can hear their performance. If I want to go more audiophile, then that’s what I can see more clearly.
I would typically agree with this assessment for the average daily driver short commuter. I drive 1 hour and 45 minutes each way to work and the benefits of a new head unit in a 2009 Forester will make the driver much better. Haven’t researched much on the quality of speakers that came in this car but I will also be replacing the doors speakers before adding an amplifier to power them.
That is a hell of a commute man holy shit
That commute is wild. Your boss better be hot & give you a toss job every day.
This channel is packed with so much useful info! Love the content!
head unit, speakers, sub and amp. in that order. a good head unit means you don't have to deal with a line out converter. it will also make stock speakers sound better. speakers next because stock won't hold up for long with a new deck. amp and sub at the same time because subs are no good without an amp. if we're talking budget systems, that's it. you're done. DSP/EQ and other additional batteries, accessories, etc. are really expensive icing.
I upgraded the door speakers first with Morels, then the processor/ multichannel amp(PP82DSP) and the sub amp(JL Audio RD500/1). Then I upgraded all other speakers. The speakers were definitely a huge upgrade even without the amp or sub.
For my install, I went for HU first, as the foundation and establishing available connections with tidying up all wiring looms (my car was secondhand), then sub amp, amp with wiring, then speaker amp and then door mid and high speakers with fast rings and sound deadening at least in the door panels. This is to enable the focusing of sound into the cabin. For my install, I have skipped a DSP, as it is not necessary for my level of build.
I’m happy with my passive 2 way front stage. I love my Fi Neo 3.5 12 inch sub and Sony Mobile ES speakers, and my Sony XM GS4 and PG Ti3 1300.1. Very smooth clean sound the low bass is very buttery smooth and tight and punchy despite ported enclosure, the mids and highs are as crisp as an apple and very vibrant and smooth. I also like my pioneer AVH 1550 NEX. I also have Killmat and stinger fast rings which helps.
Mark- I've been reviewing AND enjoying the hell out of your how-to videos for several years, and I've got to say your presentations lack the usual bias so many car audio videos are prone to suffer from.
Brand allegiance, for many enthusiasts, is simply based on what the creator has taken the time to install in their own ride. This can, and HAS, confused so many beginners to the point of giving up on their own ideas and copying an IMO based on this self flagellating & ego boosting nonsense.
You present builds backed by specific build requirements and preferences. You offer top notch advice and step by step instruction for amazingly high quality builds, and you don't make the instructions mysterious to keep the finish look personal for yourself.
I hope you never stop creating videos, and remember: "F#@% the naysayers, they don't mean a thing!"
That last bit of advise sounds like a quote from 311!
@@spiders0420 yes it does, and it is!
Thanks for your videos man. I've been watching you for over 4 years. I love what you do. Don't ever stop.
That's awesome! Thanks for following along! Any cool projects going on?
After doing a few upgrades it's always been stunning the additional range of tones that a good HU adds. Doing the HU first will get your motivation going. Doing speakers first may give you bragging rights but your ears will be happier with the HU.
@@CarAudioFabrication cant believe he never replied to you but ME im installing my old aftermarket head unit and sub from my old car in my corolla 🤓
I would often do say the headunit first depending on the car.
Especially in an older car where a DIN style unit is bolt in. Not only do they get the speakers a bit of extra umph, but those cars often lack connectivity for phones etc, and you will usually get the outputs for hooking up a sub without needing additional devices.
Personally, in my current van i'm probably gonna do it like this tho:
-Sound treatment
-5 channel amp and sub
-Speakers
-Headunit
Might change the last two around.
But that is because i have the amp, and sub, just need the enclosure, and i want to reduce the noisefloor in the van anyways, and my headunit has some integration so i would need a quite expensive one to be happy with an upgrade.
I completely agree with your order with the exception of I would put the head unit first and then the sub and amp. Especially in an older car we’re heading units are pretty trash
I'm getting far into this car audio hobby, and so far, I've done it like this in my current car:
1st: head unit, subwoofer and wires that was capable of running the sub
2nd: component speakers in the front doors with a compact amp and it's own bad wires for a short term upgrade
3rd: replaced power wires with a thinker power cable from battery to trunk, added power distribution block with fuses in the trunk, added way better amp for the doors located in the trunk, added a high quality (quad shielded) 4-channel RCA cable to the new amp, and added short term speaker cables from amp to front doors
next up, as I'm going to do it:
4th: component speakers in rear doors, add permanent speaker cables to all doors
5th: either sound deadening or add DSP
6th: do what wasn't done at #5, and tune the system
I will get a better head unit as well before the DSP, but idk when, it all depends on money, ofc, and because I need a car to drive pretty much all the time, I must have a car available during the whole process, which results in sound deadening to be late in the build, even tho I know it will improve the sound a lot :/ might do the sound deadening step-by-step, so starting with just doors, then trunk, and do the rest later, but idk. maybe the roof as well because I know it's really soft, it's so soft that pushing with a few finger on top of the car, it will flex
Hey Mark, first, thank you for the stellar information. My dad got me into Crutchfield when I was ten, and doing the teenager thing in ‘92 he helped me build an isobaric clamshell with two 8”s. Very cool. My dad worked for AMP for 40 years, connectors and oscilloscopes and circuit boards fill my childhood memories. I’m now wanting another system and your channel is all we really need for advice. My dad has superior work ethic and the way you build is very much like his. Good job.
So what I’m wanting to do first is, yes in stages as it’s on a damn budget, get a pair of coaxial 6.5”s for the front doors. Ones with a 93hz sensitivity. The JBL stadiums. I just want more clarity first.
I think two sets of coaxial a for all four doors and the a pair of the Hertz Cento tweeters in the dash, and then a good 8” sub is all I want. Yes to proper amps and DSP as well. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing what a DSP can do.
Great channel.
95% of people don't need most of these components. Putting a good 2-way speaker set in the front doors, a replacement head unit and a 50-100w per channel amp (5 channel if you want an amp) and you'll have $400-700 and it will be massively better and be good enough for most people. The holy grail is a dedicated amp. It produces so much cleaner sound.
Exactly. The head unit alone solves most people's issues.
Depends on the car. Most new cars don't have the option to replace headunit. In that case DSP is #1, then amp, then speakers.
@@KRev-nb7gc head unit doesn't do anything ?!?
@@snowfall1771a head unit makes a big difference. But in some cars I don't think it's worth the trouble or even an option.
@@KRev-nb7gc I installed touch screen in my 01 an don't notice any difference
It's totally different for everybody, but me what I'm doing always, first head unit, then save go for amp something like 4 channel amp if you are on the budget with component speakers for front door, and also sound deadening for front door, then you have good front scene, never started with sub, maybe only if it's only thing that's coming to system, but sub goes last then you polish sound get used to quality, then you kinda how big you want and what enclosure and tuning for box, in my opinion that's the correct way to start with audio 😊
There are many opinions on this subject and mine doesn’t need to be thrown in also. Mark, as far as I’m concerned, your recommendations are spot on. Plenty may disagree with them, but they make sense. There are no provisions for this in my present vehicle, but it is ancient and throwing good money after it would be comparable to tossing hundreds into a fire pit! It would be different if I was keeping it, but it is worth less than a sub and amp combo. I can wait till I get a newer vehicle since that would be worth the upgrade. Your recommendations are sound about sound deadening and wire upgrades which also are very necessary when upgrading components. Look forward to your next video! Stay safe mates!😊😷👍🏻
Having seen a few of your informative videos, i will like to propose a video to use car audio components and strategy for home-theatre with passive bookshelf speakers(4-8ohms) and 2x active car subwoofers(2-4ohms).
Most people will need
= connections to external DVD-bluray player, CD-player, Computer, Game-console, mobile-phone
= pre-amp level summing-mixing (avoid electromagnetic interferance)
= gain controls, some basic EQ and delay for left-right and 2x subwoofer
It will be great to have inputs on shopping and wiring for a 2.2 setup.
I think replacing the factory speakers should be first. Sometimes throwing a set of NVX N-series speakers gives people enough sound quality improvement for their needs.
My wife was amazed what 4 6x9s did to her classical music and kpop in her 2012 Camry!
Oh yeah, I also modified the dash slightly to accommodate 4” Infinity Reference speakers and bass blockers for 6x9s.
I haven’t gotten around to wiring in the amp for her 2 ohm Kicker L7 12” truck box, yet. 🤣
I disagree, I just replaced 4pcs of 25W @4 OEM speaker on my FORD with 45W @4 after market speakers without change HU or add an external amp, the sound quality is almost the same, the volume output was even sounds weaker compared to OEM speaker. Apparently the factory head unit uses built-in amp IC which can't provide enough power to drive upgraded 45W speaker, now Im consider to sell those after market speakers and get a decent amp instead.
I apologize, but I'm a complete amateur. Could you provide a link to the exact speakers you purchased? I primarily listen to classical music and have a 2014 Toyota Corolla, so I think the speakers your wife got would be perfect for my needs. I know you mentioned NVX N-series, but I just want to make sure I pick the exact same speakers.
@@CmAektP2jxrGAb7 i experienced the same thing. Do you think adding an amp will better power the aftermarket speakers?
@@CmAektP2jxrGAb7 when replacing these speakers u shouldve went with 3ohm set or even a 2 ohm set.. with high impedance.. ive had some helix/focal/blam speakers that are high impedence and easy to install.. dont know about availability in us though.
@@hawaiianhonu97 Yes. Adding even a small 25Wx4 or 50Wx4 amplifier will provide cleaner power for your aftermarket speakers.
Thanks Mark for making and taking the time time make the videos. Very helpful info. I check back weekly for New vids and at times find older ones that I have not seen yet. Thank You.
I upgraded factory tape deck to modern head unit. Then blew 2 speakers so bought front and rear kicker DS when I could save up. Then got a 12" mtx sub, mono amp and 4 channel amp for 200 bucks. Haven't hooked up the 4 channel yet but overall sounds great over stock.
been upgrading a 2005 camry with the gf. did head unit first that was fun adding blutoth and usb drive for songs, then we did speakers and it was very noticible improvment. next we purchased sub and amp and just waiting on wires. woohoo
Replaced head unit after 0:51 20 years stock everything. Replacing that head unit with a full screen unit inspired me to upgrade speakers and wire all speakers directly to unit bypassing the old factory wire harness. All starts with radio radio radio
I start out by saying i have always loved car audio and showing my age installed my 1st system at 16 in the mud 90's. I pride myself on learning as much as I can car audio and new install techniques which is why I watch and subscribe to your channel I lot of it I do know and you have also given me new ideas and ways that have turned out a Lil easier then I have been doing it so thank you. Tou channel is one that when I see a notification I make sure I watch it as I have time. This one is one we differ on which not say either of us is wrong just different thought processes. I feel the HU when possible should be done first just do to better sound output quality as well as better then stock ability to to fine tune sound like with the pioneer Nex series with 13 bar digital eq hpf and lpf as well as slope. I would then move to the stock speaker replacement if you have the ability donthe ampnat the same time if not then shortly after. Now if unable to change out the factory head unit or the replacement is say a 2010-15 f150 where you will be upgrading the factory integrated radio to a vertical tesla that will give you Android auto capability and also incorporate factory integrated control and costing 800.00 then go speakers first followed by line output converter and amp. At that point the sub can be added. I guess this is just personal preference because I feel factory speakers lack the quality sound and the factory amp setting are over attenuated. I also don't feel factory speakers are equipped to not be over powered by a after market sub. But that's just my 2 cents. Love the content I'm off my soap box now
For my latest daily work driver car, just a car to get to work and back, I already had my tried and true to form 2 Memphis 12s in a ported box, paired with my Kicker 600 watt monoblock amp, threw that in the trunk, then bought a pioneer hu from 2015 online used for 30 bucks, swapped out the head unit, and my setup even with leaving the 4 car speakers stock sounds incredibly good for a 2004 model car. If you can afford it, I'd recommend doing the trifecta first in any car, head unit - sub amp - 1 or 2 subs in box that is always a guarantee for better sound.
Personally, I think if you have a vehicle with a easily enough removable headunit... the radio should always be first. I'd love to avoid the LOC sub installs as much as possible. Just no control or tuning and unless you have a nice new touch screen like I'm newer cars then replacing the head unit will do a world of difference! I had a 2016 impala and Wired in amp and sub but used amp was blown. So I ended up ordering amp, while waiting I put my pioneer head unit in the place of my old 9th Gen impala headunit.. and lemme tell yall what! Made my car sound like an ENTIRE new system quality wise just with a new head unit.. no other changes at that time!
I go:
Head unit
Amp(s)
Door/Panel speakers
Sound deadening
Subs
My 6 1/2 image dynamics coaxial put out enough bass to create rattles. So I don’t push them half of what they are capable. I don’t really need subs at all. (But that’s what I’m doing next). That’s how much bass a good pair of coaxils with high power handling and a good amp can put out.
I agree with upgrading amp before factory speakers tho. They might be good enough for you that you don’t need to replace them.
To add to his list, a headunit with built in cross overs if your not using an amp can make a lot of difference. Set rears at 40Hz and front at 140-180Hz
Same, I have mine set to 50hz on the front, 100hz on the rear, and 100hz for subs(stock system, dual 12in subs powered by a 200w rms amp)
🤦🏼 read the box it will tell you what the lowest hz is... set it 10 above
In my Tacoma Gen3 4dr, after reading some comments, I replaced the dash speakers with Subaru factory speakers, which are plug and play made by Kicker.
UnBElievable what a difference those made. Piano, cymbals, etc all of sudden came alive! The next thing I did was sound deadening.. Again, what a difference! Both pair of doors, and the back wall of the cab, gave me a 7db drop in road noise. I can now have a normal living rm level conversation at highway speeds. The required listening volume level, on the head unit, dropped by about 35 to 40 percent. The next items on the list is 4ch amp/DSP and a light sub. I like bass to be lightly felt and heard, not 3 blocks away.
More like a concert hall.. I do like occasionally cranking up a rock song or two.. since I was in college in the 70s.
I recently put in a dual 10" Memphis Audio subwoofer in my 2013 Mercedes C300 (stock system, no Harman Kardon). The subs were a solid upgrade. Although the factory speakers are not completely TERRIBLE, I do want a little more clarity out of the door speakers. Here's my upgrade path: Subwoofer/mono amp (already done), front speakers with high input sensitivity (JL C1/C2 or Hertz Cento/Mille), 4-channel amplifier, rear speakers. After reading some forums, aftermarket head units will mess with the functionality of things like steering wheel controls, and the Audio20 factory head unit apparently sends 25W rms to each channel. My signal is also kind of scuffed because it's going from usb-c on my phone, to a DAC dongle, to a proprietary connection to the car (MMS). I REALLY rather not mess with the head unit if I can help it though. I think swapping out the head unit can even DEVALUE the car. I'd like to know what others' opinions are.
$80 amp 600 watts mono works. Cheap install kit $30. 12 inch sub 🔊 in a box that goes with it $150. Output converter $40. Total will be about $300 to start.
My upgrade path is an amp with DSP built in at the same time as speakers. See how that improves things. May upgrade the head unit later on or even upgrade the speakers again since the first round of speakers will be relatively cheap in the scheme of things. I'm not that interested in subs, but that's just me.
2013 Ford Focus Titanium Sedan... Plan is JL C2 speakers first front&rear, along with replacing MFT with Sync3 v3.4 (or newer), then replace the factory DSP with an AudioControl LC6.1200, and finally replace the factory sub. At some point along the way, the entire shell will be wrapped with sound deadener, headliner will be thermally and acoustically treated, and rattles sorted.
Realistically, Im going to do the soundproofing last. Once everything is installed, and I don't have to pull the interior apart anymore, then sound deaden, replace the fasteners, etc, so that its entirely rattle free.
If you can't change your radio for some reason you can consider putting the aftermarket radio in your glovebox . I had to do that in my honda fit to get the amp connected. Works great .
I did sound deadening first, then bought all the products that I installed. Then I built my enclosure, then the wiring was installed, then the amp rack, amps, and then the speakers.
I just upgraded my dodge caliber stock radio to a JVC single din 5v pre out.
HUGEEEE difference
anyone who hasn't upgraded anything in an old car PLEASE do the head unit first
It sounds so much clearer and crisp
Agree with a lot of the comments, upgrade factory radio, but with a caveat. You should know your long term goals and buy the head unit you’ll need for the future. Taking a note from PC building, you’re buying into a platform even if you’re not buying all the components up front.
Nowadays no need to swap head units usually so if your planning a basic "higher" end system i would start with the d series amps from audio control. The d-5.1300 would be perfect for 80% of people. If you want more base get the d-4.800 or the d-6.1200 depending on your vehicle speaker count as these have a dsp built in and can tune an output channel to your sub amp for whatever you plan to run. My upgrade path was
HU, agm batteries, sound deadening, d-6.1200 + speakers, ho alternator, lc-1.1500 + subs, 500 farad cap bank
(I more or less got everything at 1 time though, but preperation is key lol)
I am limited on space unless i put a camper on my truck lol if you aren't planning on doing a large system i would just spend the extra money and buy a d series amp from audio control you actually save money in the end since you dont to buy a HU or an LOC and a dsp. You could actually buy the HU last in this case if you want to. Unless you want a crazy multi amp high wattage system theres no need to buy the dm dsp im running 12 sets of components of my d-6.1200 and works perfect clear and loud just do your prep work first
Thank you!!! Hours of research and this is what I was looking for but didn’t even know it!
The first thing to upgrade definitely depends on the vehicle. I’ve had older cars where the first thing I did was upgrade the head unit to get Bluetooth and equalizer adjustments. Now I have a newer truck and the sound system is decent but there no bass, so I would add in a sub/amp as the first mod.
Make sure to look into your cars factory amplification. Many cars actually have pre amp outputs from the stock head unit that can be tapped into, eliminating the need for a LOC. This is what I did with my car and it works like a charm. Look for pinouts for wiring harnesses online
in my opinion for an upgrade path I would go for Head Unit first, better door speakers with amplifier second, third would be electrical upgrade to handle the next part, subwoofer fourth, lastly if wanted lighting foir the system.
Heres how my upgrade path went, I bought a 10” kicker, it blew, I got a 12” alpine it was good but not enough, I now have a 12” WDX 12G1.4
Next I swapped out the head unit for an apple car play one
The very next day I swapped all 6 of my speakers 2 6x9’s 2 6.5’s and 2 3/4” Tweeters
Now Im looking to add an amp to my speakers!
In my opinion, if you have a pre 2010 vehicle, and plan to upgrade your system, or even if you're dipping your toes into the car audio world, i would absolutely recommend you start with a head unit...
High or low end, itll help you get a feel for the interior of your vehicle, and how your amenities ultimately function... On top of bluetooth/aux (and depending on your choice of head unit, navigation) capabilities!
Absolutely beneficial if youre installing your first amplifier.
I have a 2014 hyundai and it has an integrated head unit with the navigation system and that on it. Would I be better off starting with speakers or amp first?
i really love listening to loud music in my car when im going anywhere even if its only few minutes drive BUT i literally know nothing about car sound system stuff (only cuz i have no money)
but when i get the chance to ubgrade my system this will be my go to video
thank u man
Imo 1. Stereo 2. Speakers 3. Sound treatment 4. Big 3 wire upgrade 5. Sub+amp 6. 4-channel amp&upgrade wire to speakers.
I feel if you are going to go with a big bass set-up I feel it would be ideal to upgrade your interior speakers first otherwise the big bass will drown out the stock junk.
I would say head unit, speakers, 4/6 channel amp, subs/amp, DSP.
Exactly 💯% . Been bumping for 30+ years.👍
Lol, I remember people putting big ole floor speakers in their cars.
@@bigboycombo6342 Yup Cerwin Vega Floor speakers 😆
So I started off my build with cheap speakers that could handle a little more power because I had a extra head unit laying around. So I just got some cheap $100 kicker speakers. My next upgrade was a mono amp and sub woofer. And I was okay with that build for about a year maybe year and a half. And now. I am going back into upgrading. I just bought a Alpine ilx F-509. Going to be leaving the subwoofers (2 12” Kicker subs. Powered by a 800 watt mono kicker amp) But adding another kicker amp. This one being a 75W x 4 channel. And I plan on upgrading speakers. I want to get components in the front haven’t quite decided what I’d like however, I think where I am at right now. All 5x7 kicker speakers with 2 12” subs and a brand new radio Im extremely happy with the how it sounds and definitely way better than I planned it ever sounding for a first car.
My radio only had AM/FM radio. Not even a cassete deck to attatch an aux cord to. It was also intergrated with my climate controls. I had to find an aftermarket stereo with compatibility with a din slot, hard to find and very hard to install but it worked. That one step made me want to install everything else
I have a stock head unit. Upgraded everything, door speakers and tweeters. Along with sub. Have mono block amp for sub and 4 channel for the tweeters and door speakers. I also have a lc7i to get a clear signal from the stock head unit. My head unit is really expensive to replace because the after market dash kit is touch screen climate control, plus upgrading the head unit would cost a lot too, I’d say around $1200 not including installation. So I think I did a good choice on just getting the lc7i on it to save money. Sometimes you gotta cut some corners with this music stuff, but the stock head unit Sounds really nice with the lc7i in my humble opinion.
I totally agree on upgrading the amplifier over the speakers. I have a 2016 Scion tC with 3 way components which is run off a factory amplifier. After installing my pioneer 1300nex head unit, my door speakers sound dull, and maybe a touch louder. Only thing I can come up with is that the factory amp used a speaker level input which my new deck was over driving. Oddly the rear speakers got louder and sounded cleaner since they took the direct output from the new deck.
I added jl audio tweeters as well an amp and ten inch subwoofer. I used the kicker converter and I am happy with it because it has the audio sensitivity to turn on the remote wire.
My car does turn down the highs and not the bass when in high volume.
I feel strange commenting on this, because I haven't been in the car audio business for a long time and Mark is an extremely knowledgeable professional guy. That said, I don't agree that a sub should be your first upgrade. Maybe in a newer car with a premium sound system, yeah... but if you're on a budget, odds are you aren't driving a newer vehicle. The first thing that degrades in a vehicle sound system is the speakers, and the best of factory speakers won't typically sound as good as a moderate aftermarket speaker even when new. Through my years installing and selling mobile electronics, the biggest and most noticeable improvement in a car's sound system was ALWAYS replacing the factory speakers. I've seen people just add a sub to a factory system many times, and it always ends the same - muddy sound with more bass. It's pretty underwhelming. But I've seen people light up with a big smile every single time they hear the difference between their old factory speakers and the capable aftermarket speakers they replaced them with. It's like night and day. If all you're wanting is to BUMP, then by all means go for that sub upgrade first. But if you really care about sound quality, dump those stock speakers for some decent Pioneer, JBL, or Infinity speakers. And, as he said, don't forget the sound treatment, at least around the speakers.
Right now I have a subwoofer, a set of 6x9’s an 5 channel amp and a nice 1din headunit with bluetooth, 3x rca out etc. And ofcourse I already have all the materials like the wiring. The only thing I have to buy when I get my first car is a set of speakers for the front doors because I dont know wich size they will be yet.😀 I bought all this when I had money that I could miss in a span of around 3,5 years. Hope to get my first car in a few months now!
I upgraded my factory 368W radio with a aftermarket 200W radio. The sound is more chirp but did I mess up⁉️ Should I of went with a higher wattage radio⁉️
Just bought a mid 2000’s Hyundai and I am goin in he order of radio, subwoofer and amp as one. Speaker is fine still.
Always start head unit first. Whether diy or professional it will be cheaper in the long run. Also if you can afford it at the same time head and speakers should be a tandem so you can match the performance without needing an amp. Always buy subs and amp as a tandem so you again can match the performance. If you buy separate you run the risk of not enough or to much power coming from your amp which will result in underperformance or blown subs. It also would make sense to get an enclosure before the subs so you can make sure it fits, nothing worse than getting subs only to find out you cannot fit an enclosure for their size.
...ur the expert, so ill refer to ur knowledge base... but years past ive always upgraded the head unit first... but i deal with older antique & vintage era cars & im usually lookin to go from an 8 track or a cassette to somethin with a cd player & bluetooth... thanx man, always enjoy ur videos
I am more than happy with my factory speakers powered by the Audio Control DSP Amp.
Of course the Sub and Amp was my first upgrade.
I just did some sound upgrades to my car, sub + amp, the lc2 and alpine speakers for my doors and rear deck. I doubt I'll ever change the head unit in my car because of how integrated it is to my car but ill switch the dash speakers eventually
This list is accurate, i normally buy these in parts but i put them in storage until i get everything and do one big install
for me 1st think to upgrade your head unit.. choose HU that you need, how much channel, power input/output..
then the second is amplifier and subwoofer, after that you can combine the speakers
i usually buy speakers and sound deadening first because its the first thing you notice before any amps or subs.
even then i rarely do amps and subs as i usually have sold the vehicle by then.
headunits i do last because: technology can date by the time the headunit comes into the project and i like the latest features.
little sound system upgrade for my honda civic fb 2.0 2014 :
from first and last :
1. monoblok amplifier taramps bass 3k.
2. single 12" subwoofer jbl stadium 1224.
3. 9" android head unit.
4. speaker set 4pc 6.5" ( power on HU only, without amp ).
5. parametric equalizer ( pre-amp 7band. just using a sub output channel to control my sub output or gain my mono amp because my monoblock doest have a bass knob ).
6. big3 & all wiring upgrade with 1/0awg power cable.
I would also add how long you plan on having the vehicle. I run a three year lease on my company vehicle but put a lot of miles on and like a crisper sound than stock. I really don't want to go through all the trouble of wiring in an amplifier (not to mention the cost). So my thoughts are to upgrade mids and tweets. Have had luck with this in the past with a Jeep Wrangler Sport by upgrading the mids to RF. Made a huge difference in sound quality. Just my two cents here.
even before watching the vid i would agree the sub makes a huge difference, most stock sound systems lack the lowend, even the premium ones
Well I made it to the end of the video. Run it like this
1. Head Unit
2. Amp & Sub
3. Amp & Speaker
(At this point you can bang it at your own risk)
4. Electrical Upgrades!
5. Dynomate everything!
I 100% agree that a subwoofer and subwoofer amplifier should be first. That's pretty common for newer vehicles to have stock premium sound systems that are Way beyond the capabilities of your stereos from 15 years ago. My Chevy has seven speaker premium sound including a three and a half on the dash. I don't really see the need for me to upgrade.
I'm in the process of buying gear slowly and just not proceeding to the install until I have all the equipment purchased. That allows me to take advantage of periodic sales and not to have to double-spend as I upgrade piecemeal. I'm not sure I agree that the first thing to do is to replace/upgrade the subwoofer. To me, that depends on your personal taste. If you aren't all that fanatic about bass, the optimal path might be to upgrade your factory speakers with aftermarket speakers first. If nothing else, that will incur a minimum of rework.
Another thing to consider is that there are many in the car audio community (particularly those focused on sound quality), who will tell you that with a properly tuned DSP, the rear speakers in most vehicles are, at best, unnecessary - and at worst, detract greatly from the overall quality of the sound. If you're definitely going to use a DSP in your system, it would be a shame to spend a lot of money acquiring and having to have someone reinstall rear speakers/upgrades only to find that they are of no benefit to you. And you may find you save a lot of money on the amp you choose because not using rear speakers frees up two channels you can use for another purpose - such as going with an active crossover in your front speakers.
The most important part of a car audio build is always the subwoofer enclosure & making sure it is properly designed just for the subwoofer being mounted into it.
Personal opinion, head unit, sound treatment, electrical, sub and amp, mids and highs, 4 channel for mids and highs, and finally a dsp.
Can you add 2 subs and an amplifier to a basic aftermarket radio with stock door 6x9s?
I feel that a big one to upgrade first is the car's electrical system, by doing the Big 3 and then start with a sub and monoblock amp.
mine is the same order but at first i wanted to do the head unit first but since my car has all those controlls u need build into the factory one its very costly to do a proper head unit upgrade in my car like over 1000$ and that for a cheap one, but i did manage to get 2 12s and amp and a line out converter for less than 300$ on sale at ebay so that was nice. i plan on trying to install it myself this week and ive never done it before so wish me luck
Personally i always upgrade the speakers first as it sets the tone. Every brand of speaker has its own taste or style of sound. I like JBLs because they have this big bold sound that other speakers cant match. Everything else sounds tinny and weak, after that i add an amp to really dial them in and see what kind of bass i need. If they handle mid bass well then i can undersize and go with a 300 watts rms sub. If they play loud and strong then ill get a bigger sub to match the sound. I just hate when they integrate the settings into the stock radio so replacing it is impossible without losing important car setting
i work only on old cars thats my normal way
1. Head unit (some DSP can use as BT reciver, if you only run BT and google maps than is it a other case)
2. Subwoofer + amp
3. new amps for stock speaker (the amp can better handle the speaker i have test it, if you have luck and good speekers it will blow you) with sound treatment
3,5. speaker replacement
4 DSP
on my Car
1.Headunit (it work very well for years, i have nice stock speaker)
2. no sub i need my trunk
3. install tweeter, BI amping, DSP
4,5. alternator upgrade if needed, but i run the system not as a SPL more SQ so maybe it will be fine
4.maybe front and reverse cam with 170 degree view for driving if i can't look at the road. because a VAN blocks my view
I’m trying to do my Prius so for me it would be a HU then a 5 channel amp to run speakers and sub all at once 👍🏼
Generally I'd go head unit before subs.. multiple reasons. The upgraded head unit will not just improve your overall capability for entertainment, it also will most likely have dedicated sub outputs. Means you dont have to buy the LOC, and it's an upgrade you'd be doing anyways. Adding the sub after after allows you to directly feed the amp from the head unit, and you can use whatever you saved on the LOC for upgraded materials for the install (wire, fuse boxes, maybe a slightly larger budget on components you get later.. hey, 50-100 extra for your door speakers can make a difference. That and you're not tapping into wires to run it, etc... I feel like it's just easier to go head unit then sub.. instead of LOC with sub and then head unit (where I'd rip the LOC out and use the 5v outputs from the head unit to the amp, so I"m not ripping out all of the wiring and the LOC after putting it in...)
I actually came here for the sole purpose of hearing about the DSP’s. I have 6x8 3 Way rockford fosgate punch series door speakers in all 4 door, and a set of rockford fosgate tweeters with crossovers up front by the a frame. Only think i obviously need to fix is to upgrade from a 4 channel amp to a 6 or 8 channel amp to run the tweeters correctly. I also have the 10” Rockford Fosgate powered sub in the back. My vehicle is a 2014 Ford Edge and i bought the Metra dash kit that integrated the climate controls to its own touch screen and left me with a 2 din slot where i have my Pioneer AVH-P2400BT head unit. My door speakers are powered off of a 4 channel JL Audio 75WPC Amp. It wasnt cheap. It sounds pretty good but i still feel like it could get better. My wifes got a 2020 F150 with a B&O system, it sounds phenomenal but lacks the power i need for the way i listen to my music. What i am looking for is sound quality like the B&O system but with the power and volume of the system i have in my edge. My sources are CDs, and usb cord to my phone to play lossless files. I find myself needing to touch the EQ too much. Im more of a home audio guy and 99.99% of the time on the home systems all my controls are set to flat, no EQ at all. Same with her truck. Any ideas? I was thinking about going with JL speakers too instead of the Rockfords. Any input would be much appreciated. My music is almost 100% classic rock too if that helps.
My upgrade path is based on budget....as head units are fairly inexpensive that's my first upgrade followed by speakers as they can be inexpensive too. Followed by the more expensive gear in order of personal affordability
I think if all of this is in your future, I would get a kicker KEY set (4 channel and mono) DSP amplifier and see how that sounds with stock speakers and a small ported sub. That would probably do a lot of people just fine and you get all the benefits from an upgraded system with DSP without the whole DSP customization confusion of better DSP's.
You don't need a line converter if you have a head unit with line outs. I just replaced stock speakers that were falling apart and wanted an amp. Unfortunately there's a hiss from the speaker level to line level conversion. It's white noise and not really that noticeable unless I'm listening to dynamic music... Kronos Quartet has some really quiet moments. Just too many variables to answer this question. Do you want a head unit that can play FLAC files off of an SSD you've plugged into the USB? Do you have a blown speaker? Do you listen to music that doesn't really benefit from a sub? Can you control the crossover for different styles of music on your FLAC filled hard drive. Great video if only because it's important to think of this before you buy.
The man himself 🔥 I always learn something new when I watch your videos ✌️
Just got a new truck and I'm planning on installing a sub first. Has anyone messed with Rockville 12" powered sub box? I'm not looking for anything crazy and they have good prices. Also compact for an extended cab.