951Dreams

Back in the early 90's I had a job installing car audio. So most of my vehicles have had some kind of upgraded audio. I don't go nuts, but I need more than you can normally get from stock systems. I had a 12" and a Rockford amp I used for years in most of my stuff, but in the 944 it would have simply taken too much room. I was also unhappy with the Sony stereo the PO had put in. I mean, it had all the features I needed, but I keep all my music on a USB stick and it's navigation menu just sucked.

The PO had also put in Sony explode speakers in the stock locations. They sound alright, the Sony's have always been ok for the price. But as we all know anything in the stock locations are just going to be simply lacking. They did OK when you were sitting still, but once you have road noise they just get drowned out. The treble can overcome it, but the lower mids and bass just get lost. So I knew I had to find something.

I was kicking around tubes, I've never liked them, but I also didn't want to take up more of the hatch than I had too. That's when I found this:





It's a "shallow-mount" Pioneer 10". They make 8" and 12" too, but I really never get enough from 8", and 12" was just too much. The 10" was juuusssttt right. They can run with a minimal sized box. In this case the box comes with the sub. So it's optimized already for best performance. Perfect for fitting in our cars! I really like the Pioneer design, it has little feet on it so you can install it firing down!






That's really awesome for a hatch, you can protect the sub and stack stuff on top of it! However.... when it came, I put it in the hatch to see about sizing. It was perfect. But the next day I noticed the "feet" had sunk into the deep carpet we have. And the sub was now flat on the carpet. Most trunks have that thin stuff, would be perfect for those... for ours... no so much... So I did this!




Works great! I did test firing up, and firing back. I couldn't tell any difference from firing down onto this board. I thought about just adding something to the legs to get it high enough to clear the carpet, but I didn't like the idea of that look. This works just as well. Here it is installed:







I played around with amp mounting ideas, but nothing really worked. So I just mounted it to the box. This is what I normally do, but I had really wanted to put it somewhere else. I wanted as little in the hatch as possible. This 1000W amp was really just a little too big to fit right in the wells however, so I did what I had to do. You can still close the "cover" for the hatch with this setup, so it all worked out!

The amp is rated at 480W RMS 1000W MAX. The speaker is 300W/1200W. I'm slightly worried I may burn it up, but I think it can handle it. Amps are generally overrated, and speaks are general underrated. And I used 8G vs 4G power wire, that should lower it's total power some.

With this setup, I even have room for my "catch all" tub. I use it for when I get grocery's or take out that might leak.





Total price: $200 for Amp and Speaker.
Speaker: https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/P...unt/TS-SWX2502
AMP: http://https://www.pioneerelectronic...eries/GM-A5702


While I'm at it, I'm going to rave about my new head unit. The Sony just didn't do it for me, so I decided to try something else. Normally I spend $300-$500 on a head unit. My last unit was a double din Pioneer with GPS, DVD, touch screen.. the works. But I just couldn't do all the hacking that would have been needed to make it fit. So I had to find something else. So I opted for this Pioneer:





It's a digital media player only. No CD. I don't use them anymore anyway. It also comes with a really nice app, you can control it from your phone! And it has all the normal Pioneer phone stuff, Pandora, Spotify, BT audio. It also comes with a 13 band EQ. And it's a good one too!!!

But what I really REALLY like about the better Pioneer units is the handsfree!!! Really, it just amazing! When I'm talking to people they have no idea I'm not talking directly into the phone. Pioneer has really got this handsfree stuff down. The main advantage is that it comes with a separate mic, unlike most other units that have a mic in the head unit. I always mount mine like this:







You can also mount it on the sunvisor, but I've never liked that setup. On all my cars I've mounted like this, the call quality has always been top notch!

And the best thing of all? The interface for searching through you music on a USB is awesome. Honestly the Sony sucked. And guess what?

Pioneer MVH-X580BS: $100!!!!! woot!

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_130X58...c&awug=9026059

So, since I already had new speakers in the stock positions, total cost was just $300. Best sounding $300 dollar system I've ever bought. It will thump Beastie Boys, or just give good all around sound to AC/DC or Mumford & Sons. Even at 80 MPH. Just really good all around sound! Everything sounds good!!

I'm very happy with this system!

marc abrams

Did your mom throw away your best porno mags?

curtisr

Good sound is important. Thanks for sharing.

951Dreams

You gotta fight, for your right, to ttttuuurrrrbbbbbbbooooo!

curtisr

^^^^ ^^

951Dreams

I am going to have to remove the sunroof, and see how that works out. I've never had it out of either of my cars. I hadn't thought about it before now....

Kinda afraid. Up and down seem pretty easy on the gears, from what I've read when you go to remove it is when weak gears will break most often..... But I want to see what I've been missing!!! Will report back on how it works.

dmjames

I have a slightly older version of the same Pioneer head unit in my 84, and it's been fantastic. The shallower depth of the unit is really nice for being able to get everything wedged back into the center console, too. The only complaints I have are that the voice control stuff for Android is a bit finicky, and that the buttons are a bit spongey, but maybe those are improved in the later versions. Either way, it's still a bargain at $100, and I'd absolutely use one again.

Severian

Are you experiencing any wine from the alternator coming through the subwoofer?

I installed a 10" sub in the spare tire space and I can hear a faint wine that changes in frequency as the car's rpm's increase.

I believe I may need to install a capacitor to filter it out.

951Dreams

Nope, the only whine in my car is the turbo! LOL

Arominus

I run a Modified KLA box and an alpine 8" type r that's flipped in the rear cubby, along with alpine pdx amps in the spare tire well. Running it all is the pioneer 80prs, which is the reasonable audiophile deck ($300ish). I run focal polykevlar 5.25"s in the door, which we spent time sealing with sound deadener.

Its great. The 8 could go a little deeper but the system is clean, clear and kills most others I've heard. The cubby sub means I lose no storage either so I can stab 2 mountain bikes in the hatch and still bump. It's also stealthy for the most part

951Dreams

I was at first thinking 8s in the wells, or even 10s in a baffle board type setup. But I don't want to cut my carpet, and the padding would eat a lot of the clearness and muffle the sound. I didn't look in the spare tire well, but based on how hot the amp was today when I got home, I may be pushing this amp too hard for that, thermal wise.

My rule on this 951 is no damaging anything stock. So no cutting the doors, and no chopping the dash, no cutting carpet.

I love your setup, I'll likely be doing something similar in the 87, since I have free reign on it. I'd like to see your 5.25s in the doors!!!! I've been thinking of doing the same thing in the 87. I've not liked what I've seen so far.

The one advantage of the 86 setup I posted is if you can run power wires and a RCA, it's a plug and play setup with no modifications. (Aside from getting the wire through the firewall.)

Parawhore

Bought the same sub & box when they first came out about three years ago. I love how compact it is, and it's fairly light and easy to swap in and out of the car. I'd recommend it to anyone with a small hatch like the 944.

Braymond

Thanks for the recommendation. I was looking for new head unit to replace the 80s JVC tape deck in mine. I could live with it a little longer if the cassette player actually worked.

I ordered this unit last night and started removing the old unit today.

I am replacing the four 4x6s first. Not sure about the plan for bass yet, but the KLA setup looks nice.

951Dreams

I'm still VERY happy with mine. Only two complaints. One, can't see S*** with my polarized sun glasses on (universal problem, not the units fault) Two, can't see S*** during the day even with my sun glasses off (also not the units fault. The mounting location was not conductive to viewing on these cars. All you get is glare)

The unit itself I love! I took the sunroof out for the first time this week, and then drove 60 miles at 80 MPH with the windows also down. I could turn it up enough to hear the music fine! Had to turn loudness off (or the bass was just too much) but with it off, I was getting very clear and balanced music at 80 MPH with the windows down and sunroof out. I was VERY impressed.

So even without the sub, I would have been able to hear my music fine even over all that wind noise. Pretty impressive for head unit power. I really don't feel there is any need for a 4 channel amp with this head unit.

AnthonyGS

What about door speakers? I hear these cars are a tough fit. On top of everything else my 951 will need a full audio redo.