Placement of component tweeters and more.

[Richard]

I'm trying to put together a killer (yet modest) stereo system in my Saturn. I am considering getting a set of Sony Xplod component speakers for the front and Xplod 3-ways in the rear. I have never installed separate tweeters before and I was wondering where is the best place to put them for ease of installation. Of course quality is a big concern but ease of installation is a must. I'm thinking the A pillar or the door panel but I don't know exactly where and I'm not real fond of cutting either of those pieces, but I know it must be done. I want to keep "scarring" to a minimum as well. I assume I have to run wires from the head unit the the door speaker and then from the door speaker to the tweeter? Sound right? How do I route the wires then?

Question #2: I've been looking for colored turn signal bulbs for quite some time. I want blue for the taillights(not the brake lights) and the front turn signals. I have a 2001 SL1 and according to the owner's manual the correct bulb is a "3357 NA". All I have been able to find is a "3157". Is this just a lower wattage or a different type of connector. I would like to buy these off the web as well. So please send me your links!

Any suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.

-Richard Askren

[ElwayLite]

had this setup in my truck...ran the 5.25's in the door and some 3/4 " tweets on the plastic pc that runs from the bottom of the windshield up to the top of the windshield( forget what its called) mounted em up more to the top and they sounded great, they were about head height while sitting in the seat...some comp sets come with the xovers so you run the wires in from the radio then 4 out the the mid and tweet...if you buy em without x overs then you will need to run the wire from the radio to the mid, then out to the tweet and make sure you have bass blockers in between the mid and the tweet... as far as the back, as 3 way speaker is a waste, 2 way is all you need.

[Richard]

That would be a A-pillar. How did you get the wires in there?

[Heartbeat - '95 SL2]

Try to listen to as many different sets as possible before buying, and get the one with the smoothest, transparent high-end, because component tweeters can sometimes sound tinny.

For this reason, I would definitely recommend getting a set with a separate crossover network. Generally, I think Sony is overpriced (you're paying for all their advertising), and like going with a company who is renowned for good speakers, such as MB Quart, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, MTX, and Infinity. All these companies do is make speakers and crossovers!

Another thing to keep in mind as far as the install: component tweeters usually swivel if you flush mount them, but do not if you surface mount them.

You'll need an amp to drive all the speakers, otherwise they won't sound as good as they could. The more complicated crossovers of component sets tend to "eat" more juice.

I was going to install components in my car when it was new, but went the cheap route instead. I'm envious. I was going to mount the tweeters high in the door panel, as it's sort of angled toward the main cabin. Good luck!

[ElwayLite]

well, i havent gotten to look at my sl1 ( just got i today) but in my s-10 the pillar peice was just velcroed on..so it just came right off..i ran it up the trim runnin from the floor board and up the piller...install was nice and they sounds awesome.

[Richard]

With all the negative feedback I have gotten about Sony speakers both here and other forums I guess I'll look elsewhere. I am now looking at Infinity <i>60.2 cs</i> component speakers. I have an Infinity Basslink in the trunk already and I am very impressed with its quality. The only problem I can see is that Infinity does not make a component set for 6-3/4" openings...only 6-1/2". I assume this will still work with the aid of some sort of mounting bracket? I'm ordering from Crutchfield by the way. I'll probably match the front speakers with some Infinitys for the rear fill as well.
Here's the specs on the '60.2 cs':

frequency response 50-21,000 Hz
power range 8-90 watts RMS
peak power handling 360 watts
sensitivity 89 dB
top-mount 2-7/16"
(comes with crossovers too)

For the head unit I'm still looking at the Sony Xplod lineup. They seem to be some of the highest powered head units out there (50x4 peak), a good value, and will match the red and black color scheme that I am going for.

The one I have my heart set on is the Sony ES CDX-C7050X.
It comes with all this:

fold down, detachable face 3-color display
disc naming (with compatible CD changer) CD/MD changer/TV controls
2 sets of 4-volt preamp outputs 4-volt sub output with 2-way crossover
CD Text phone attenuator
clock wireless remote included
wired remote option 19 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels
CD frequency response 10-20,000 Hz CD signal-to-noise ratio 90 dB
FM sensitivity 8 dBf 2-year warranty
(I hope all that displays correctly)

I think 50x4 should be enough to power my component set and rear speakers to fairly loud levels. I <b>do not</b> want to have a separate amp for the door speakers. All that wiring seems like a real headache...or maybe I'm just lazy.

[Richard]

BTW...anybody know anything about those bulbs???

[Abe95SC2]

I have a Sony CDX 7000x which is just one notch below the unit you are looking at. I can assure you that it's 19w EMS will NOT power your component speakers adequately. You WILL want an amp for the times that you want to "JAM". BTW what draws you to the 7050x unit? There is little difference in features and a significant difference in price.

Abe.

[Abe95SC2]

OK after reviewing the features on the sony site I am embarrased about the last post. The CDX 700 unit has more features than the supposedly better "Mobile ES" cdx 7050x unit. And the CDX 7000x unit is slightly higher in price than the 7050x unit. I like having the "D-bass" feature and having the separate subwoofer output is also a nice plus on the CDX7000.

Sorry about the screw up on the previous post :(
Abe.

[Heartbeat - '95 SL2]

Richard, although an amp is necessary to do justice with component speakers, to maximize the 50wpc of the Sony head unit (it's probably only 10wpc under 1% THD), you should choose speakers with the highest sensitivity possible. A 3dB increase in this spec is perceived as a doubling in volume. So rather than the Infinity 60.2cs with 89dB, you might want to look at the Infinity 605cs
(<a href="http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-GZ58amKQNsQ/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=410&I=108605CS&o=M&a=0)" target="_blank"><!--auto-->http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-GZ58amKQNsQ/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=410&I=108605CS&o=M&a=0)</a><!--auto-->
or the Polk EX2560
(<a href="http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-GZ58amKQNsQ/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=410&I=107EX2560&o=M&a=0)" target="_blank"><!--auto-->http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-GZ58amKQNsQ/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=410&I=107EX2560&o=M&a=0)</a><!--auto-->
Both have 92dB sensitivity, an increase of 3db. Also, I'm not sure what year your Saturn is, but 96 and earlier models have a front max depth of about 2-3/16" (Crutchfield says 2-1/8", but my car has 2-3/16" speakers and the factory rain guard cup still fits behind them). The Infinity 60.2 may be 1/4" too deep for 96 and earlier cars. The Infinity 605cs is only 1-15/16" and the Polk EX2560 is only 2-3/16".

Also, thru April 30, Crutchfield has a special where if you get the Polks, you can buy a 2nd set of Polks for the rears at 50% off. Front and rear speakers should have the same sensitivities, so that one pair is not louder than the other at any given volume. So, for only $50, you could get the Polk EX652a for the rears (<a href="http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-GZ58amKQNsQ/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=52100&I=107EX652A&o=M&a=0)." target="_blank"><!--auto-->http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-GZ58amKQNsQ/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=52100&I=107EX652A&o=M&a=0).</a><!--auto-->

As I said, I'm truly envious -- I hope you'll get back to us after the install to let us know how good it all sounds!

[Richard]

Well, I finally did it! Last night I placed my mega-order through Crutchfield.
Here's what I ended up with:

Sony ES CDX-C7050X In-dash CD
Polk EX 652a 6-3/4" 2-ways (for the rear)
Polk EX 2560 6-1/2" component set (front)
Total: $493.82

I got half off the rear speakers since I ordered two sets of Polks. According to the email confirmation, Crutchfield threw in a whole bunch of other crap..I mean stuff with my order. They really seem to have their stuff together.

So far I have spent about $900 on my stereo, which includes the Basslink that I have had for a few months already. Hopefully I'll end up with a very nice sounding system that's not too expensive. We'll have to wait and see.

Thanks to everyone who lended me input on what to get and what not to get. Without you guys I probably would have ended up mis-matching componenets and might not have been happy with the sound in the end.

[Heartbeat - '95 SL2]

Good news, Richard! Well, it's not installed <i>yet</i>, but when it is, let us know how you like it. I hope you like the sound, otherwise my credibility is shot since you ended up buying the speakers I recommended :o)

The extra stuff Crutchfield includes is instructions and wiring harnesses, which should make the installation go smoothly, without having to cut the factory wiring. That way it's easy to re-install the factory system when you sell the car.

After I save up some money, I'd like to get the same speakers (or whatever model Polk sells that fits), so be sure to post back how it all sounds!

[Richard]

Now that my stuff is on order I have more questions.

Will installation of this kit (with wire harnesses) require any soldering? I have a car audio install guide from Crutchfield and it says the installation of a head unit will require splicing wires together. Soldering the wires and then covering with shrink tubing is the best way according to them. Is this only for vehicles with cut wires?

Any tips on installing door speakers, head unit, tweeters?

[Sam96SL2]

Hey Richard on the bulbs the 3157 and 3357 are different... I do believe the 3157 has a round base and the 3357 has a flat base..you might want to check out pep boys i have seen the 3357's in there.(can't recall the price)...or you might want to check a local tuner shop thats where i picked mine up from, for $6/each..they are made by Hybrid

Do you plan on running any subs later on?

[Heartbeat - '95 SL2]

The wiring harness for the head unit should have a factory plug on one end, to plug straight into the car's harness, and bare wires on the other end. You can solder/shrink wrap the harness to your head unit on a desktop, then plug the other end into the car's harness during install.

Don't take any shortcuts when installing any of the support racks or brackets. A lot of people do this since space is tight, but proper support of the head unit is crucial, or the unit bounces around on bumps, causing CD skipping, etc.

Speaker wiring harnesses will plug into factory harness, but you'll need to attach the other end to the speaker (should be standard slide-on lug terminals). Easy for the rears, but the fronts will be going to the crossover, so you'll probably have to cut off the lug terminals to attach the wires to the crossover. Solder/tin the ends of any wires you attach to the crossovers, so the strands don't get chewed up.

Then you'll have to find a place to hide the crossover (inside the door?), and route the wiring to wherever you decided to place the tweeters. Keep in mind that the tweeters may swivel if flush mounted, but not if surface mounted.

That's all I can think of now. Crutchfield is cool, 2-day shipping. You'll be in audio heaven in no time!