Hello Everyone,

I have been spending some time on this forum and really want to upgrade my sound. The stock system is really inadequate and it is really starting to bug me. I really wanted to go full bore and upgrade to all JL equipment but I need something decent in the meantime. I have a lot of noob questions so please bear with me.

I own a 2007 sedan and would like to upgrade to front components, new head unit, four channel amp, mono amp and 8" subwoofer from Alpine. Here are the list of components I am contemplating: MRP-M500, MRP-F300, SWR-843D Type-R 8", SPR-60C and Clarion Mobile Electronics CX201.

Now I have a lot of questions. Installing an new double din head unit seems to require a lot of supporting components to make the head unit fit. I have read up on a little bit of it but all the components really just blows my mind. Then comes the enclosure for the subwoofer. I am looking for a good ported enclosure and I was wondering if there is a place I can buy a box premade or would I have to get it custom made for the subwoofer? And what kind of wires will I need to connect everything? Will I also need some separate fuses and such to run the speakers?

I also saw this and was wondering if this was any good: .

I know these are very noob questions and I was just hoping to garner some advices and information to best equip my vehicle for a reasonable amount of money. I will try to do some of the installs myself but I would rather just pay a custom shop to do it all in one shot.

Please help. Thank you.

 

Firstly, why spend the money on an 8" box if you can fit a 10" in there fairly easy. I'd go with that instead, there's Sonicelectronix.com which I've found to be pretty competatively priced. As far as wiring kits goes I know Monster makes pretty respectable and sturdy equipment. Other than that I can't really help much, I had a mean system in my Jetta but haven't done much to my 05 coupe other than installing new door speakers and putting in an 10" Alpine Type R which sounds awesome even with a weaker amp.

 

So I was looking through Wrathernaut's double din post and it doesn't seem like there is an option for 2007 sedan. Correct me if I am wrong. Does this mean I am limited to the stock stereo? What are my options?

 

JL is not the end to all be.

So if you have to hold off on mid end products, you should re-evaluate your budget.

Let's just get you a good setup now. JL makes good stuff, but a chunk of that money is being spent on the name and name only.

 

I understand that now. I think I will get a lot of value for the money with the Alpine components. My only roadblock right now is that it seems to be a little difficult to find a new headunit for a 2007 sedan. I know I will have to do more research but that is the first thing I want to address. I am thinking I want to go with a Pioneer AVH-P8400BH for my head unit. Any help would be appreciated.

 

That's a good headunit to go with.

Alpine makes alright products, but there's much better bang for buck out there.

 

You're in the wrong forum again.

I moved your last post to the V36 Audio / Video to hopefully get you where people wtih more experience could give a hand.

Now, I haven't had my hands on a 2007 to play with yet, and I do not follow them closely, so understand that this stuff is all based on other knowledge and is superceded by whatever somebody more experienced has to say.
That said, for a 2007+ sedan, your only real feasible option for a new headunit is to mount it in a custom location, since the climate controls and radio are all tied into the main screen.

Adding a new radio and routing speaker wires and such from it is rather trivial, but finding a good mounting location is not.

There isn't any real space behind the trim:


Even with the main control unit removed, it looks very tight back there:


Now, given the lack of space, here's what I'd recommend:
Put a new amplifier to run the new speakers in the trunk and run a 3.5mm AUX input to your center armrest. Plug your smartphone/iPod into that and enjoy the music. Get a good mount for the smartphone/iPod that mounts it in a place that's accessible. You'll give up your steering wheel controls, but you won't have to make any drastic changes to the trim to try and fit a new headunit somewhere in the car.

 

OR

Just get a processor to take care of audio duties and not lose anything.

Food for thought, i've put some of the best setups together with the smallest of budgets.

 

Like the OP, I'm in the same boat: 2007 Sedan and chomping at the bit to upgrade the headunit and speaker components.

I contacted Metra directly and spoke to Raphael. He confirmed my (our) fear(s): Metra does NOT make a DD dash kit for the '07 (and up) sedans. Apparently, the '05-'07 coupe has a different (V35) center console\radio layout that the Metra kit (95-7605A) does accommodate; however, the '07 and higher sedans (V36)...not so much. For me, that's a show-stopper.

Yes, I could slap in some nice, high-end speakers and throw in a decent sub with a high current amp but (a major) part of my insidious plot was to upgrade the headunit with a DVD (non-NAV) system like the Alpine IVE-W535HD or your proposed Pioneer 8400 (I really like the idea of dual-zones) with some headrest monitors for rear seat passengers. But now, after confirming with Metra that it's a no-go, and JDM doesn't seem to have anything either...I just feel like, "What's the point?" Granted, the factory HU with a cleansweep might sound better but, buggar all, I wanted it to sound GREAT!!

Now, if anyone has found a solution for the '07 DD console replacement issue, please, PLEASE pipe-up and chime-in.

 

cleansweep isn't needed in that car.

Like i said earlier, get a processor.

 

Could you elaborate on what a processor is for in car audio? When I think of processor for home theater, I think pre/pro or a avr receiver.

 

Ditto to SEEKINGANSWERS. I used to do car and home stereo design and installs (about 25 years ago) and, today, when anyone throws the word "processor" out there, I invariably think of a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). If this is the case, I have no need of a DSP when I would like to replace all of my factory audio equipment with better quality components offering greater functionality. Which leads to my second question.

Perhaps I'm not completely following the term "cleansweep" as it's used today. To me, and to us years ago, when someone did a "cleansweep," of their factory audio system, that meant just what it sounds like - a complete removal of all factory components. A "clean sweep."

Have I been out of the loop that long?

 

Thought you meant the jl audio cleansweep which is a signal summing unit. It isn't needed since the signal is full range on all channels,

Since you did home audio, you'd know a car is an awful environment for a sound stage.

With a processor, you'll have active crossovers, phase, time alignment, and eq to fix and tame those issues.

 

You're correct about the environment being horrid, EGGY. Even with the best of conditions, the acoustics are horribly handicapped and severely impaired thanks to a cornucopia of conditions.

My goal would (have) be(en) to put a single 10" in the trunk, in a 5th order enclosure (always loved 5th orders, even though I cut my teeth on 3rd orders) with a 24db Burr-Brown low-pass at about 80 or 85Hz into a mono amp. For the mids\tweets, I had figured on about a 120 or 125Hz band-pass, and 1 or 2KHz high pass, for a nice set of [whatever manufacturer] drivers I finally chose - no passive crossovers whatsoever.

As for amps, I never really liked the Fosgate stuff, but I do like the compactness of the units and they do get rave reviews, so I thought I'd give them a go, this time around. I originally had an Alpine 7909 headunit (we got them for half-price, as dealers. But,even then, $600 was a chunk of change for a 20 year old!) I used to run all a/d/s/ - two AX3's run into a PQ20 (subs), PH15 (mids) and PQ8 (tweets). I (foolishly) sold everything, years ago, but have since gotten that bug to do a nice setup again, only to find out that I can't replace the factory headunit because, as I was told by Metra, "There's just not that much demand out there for kits in this year of car." Really?! From what I can see on these posts, alone, many people are nothing short of frothing at the mouth to take that step. Although, truth be told, I'd much rather have JDM than Metra.

 

I have come to terms that I would not be able to change out my stock headunit unless I went custom and willing to put out a lot of money, which isn't my goal right now.

I went ahead and bought some Alpine front components, two alpine amps, one alpine 12" type R sub and i feel that should bring my audio enjoyment in the sedan to a substantial level. I will add sound deadening sooner or later. I also realize that a car is not the ideal vehicle for a great sound stage and that spending an exorbitant amount of money will bring me face to face with the law of diminishing returns. so when I get my modest system installed for under $1,000, I believe I will be very satisfied with the sound.