Car Audio Advice

[collkid]

Long story short, I have a new vehicle. 1999 Honda Accord. Simple beater/DD that was my fathers.

Anyway. I put in decent speakers to replace the stock ones and it sounds pretty decent with the stock head unit.

The problem is the system just isn't loud enough.

So, I'm trying to figure out how to get more volume out of it.

Which would be a better way to achieve this..

A) keep the stock deck and get a 4 channel amp.
or
B) Get a new head unit.


Is it even possible to add a 4 channel amp to a stock stereo to bring more power?
For What Its Worth, I kind of like the stock stereo.
Getting tired of throwing in head units that have their own lights/buttons/90's look.
I don't need any bluetooth, touch screen, blah blah blah and the stock stereo does connect to my phone already.

Would a new Head Unit make the system louder?


Since this is a free car to me, I'm trying to do the most cost effective option.

 

[SolarBell]

Re: Car Audio Avice

I'm an audio nerd, so this is purely my personal opinion. If people disagree, ok.

I'd go with a different head unit. Doesn't have to be flashy, and you can typically pick up decent units used. Typical stock head units only put out around 10 watts / channel. Most aftermarket head units are upwards of 45 watts / channel.

An amplifier boosts everything including the noise and oddities of the stock unit, especially if the stock unit doesn't have line outputs since it will have to convert speaker level signals.

 

[DutchVDub]

Re: Car Audio Avice

I typically leave stereo's alone. Stock speakers and head units are generally good enough for me. That said, I've found a decent amp will clean up the sound of a stock head unit while producing more volume. It won't perform as well as an aftermarket head unit coupled to the same amp, but its a much cleaner install as it retains the factory look of the dash. I really dislike how most aftermarket head units fit in the dash.

 

[collkid]

Re: Car Audio Avice

I'm an audio nerd, so this is purely my personal opinion. If people disagree, ok.

I'd go with a different head unit. Doesn't have to be flashy, and you can typically pick up decent units used. Typical stock head units only put out around 10 watts / channel. Most aftermarket head units are upwards of 45 watts / channel.

An amplifier boosts everything including the noise and oddities of the stock unit, especially if the stock unit doesn't have line outputs since it will have to convert speaker level signals.

is that true?! Gosh that's a difference!

 

[SolarBell]

Re: Car Audio Avice

is that true?! Gosh that's a difference!

Like I said, that's my understanding.

I did a quick looking and it appears that the max output from a typical aftermarket head unit cannot really exceed 20 watts RMS / channel in true measurements on a single 20A circuit. I still think most stock units put out about 1/2 to 1/3 of typical aftermarket units, but everything varies tremendously.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Re: Car Audio Avice

I'm with Jeremy on this. I have not liked any one of the multitude of aftermarket head units I've had in my cars. The OEM Mopar CD player head unit with the joystick balance control and large button pre-sets has been my favorite and I'd love to go back to that one in the Dakota, so yeah, if there's a way to boost power from that head unit to the higher performing speakers already in the truck, I'd be all over that.

Using the pre-sets and tuning on these head units while driving is rediculous....... ya can't see the buttons and all controls are so small you end up pushing buttons of features you didn't intend to.

 

[UnlimitedMatt]

Re: Car Audio Avice

... ya can't see the buttons and all controls are so small you end up pushing buttons of features you didn't intend to.

You make yourself sound like a 90 year old man. Let me guess: your VCR is blinking 12:00. :gag:

 

[collkid]

Re: Car Audio Avice

I'm with Jeremy on this. I have not liked any one of the multitude of aftermarket head units I've had in my cars. The OEM Mopar CD player head unit with the joystick balance control and large button pre-sets has been my favorite and I'd love to go back to that one in the Dakota, so yeah, if there's a way to boost power from that head unit to the higher performing speakers already in the truck, I'd be all over that.

Using the pre-sets and tuning on these head units while driving is rediculous....... ya can't see the buttons and all controls are so small you end up pushing buttons of features you didn't intend to.

Yeah so can you just hook up a 4 channel amp to achieve this?

You make yourself sound like a 90 year old man. Let me guess: your VCR is blinking 12:00. :gag:

There might be some truth to this, but really, stock head units dim with the rest of the interior... that alone is worth keeping it.

 

[DutchVDub]

Re: Car Audio Avice

I'm with Jeremy on this.

Jeremy?


In terms of volume and sound clarity with an amp and stock head unit I can tell you from personal experience that on my Victory it was a night and day difference. Its a motorcycle so it only came with two 5.5" speakers in the fairing and has to compete with a lot of engine and wind noise. I blew the stock speakers within a week or two of owning the bike. Once at interstate speeds I had to turn the volume to nearly max (max setting is 30 and I was in the upper 20's) in order to hear the music. At those volumes the sound was really tinny and distorted.

I first replaced the stock speakers with some 5.5" Alpine SPS's and while the sound was a little better I was still having to turn the radio up really high to be able to hear anything. On long trips I just went with a pair of earbuds and my ipod.

I then installed a Rockford Fosgate amp and some adapter rings to swap out to 6.5" speakers. Between the amp and bigger speakers I now leave my radio volume at 6-8 and only bump it up to 10 or 11 when on the interstate. I can hear the music very well and its not all distorted. I actually find that it can be a bit too loud on longer trips and will find myself turning it back down to 8 after a while. It really did make a huge difference in the "performance" of my factory stereo.

 

[collkid]

Re: Car Audio Avice

Jeremy?


In terms of volume and sound clarity with an amp and stock head unit I can tell you from personal experience that on my Victory it was a night and day difference. Its a motorcycle so it only came with two 5.5" speakers in the fairing and has to compete with a lot of engine and wind noise. I blew the stock speakers within a week or two of owning the bike. Once at interstate speeds I had to turn the volume to nearly max (max setting is 30 and I was in the upper 20's) in order to hear the music. At those volumes the sound was really tinny and distorted.

I first replaced the stock speakers with some 5.5" Alpine SPS's and while the sound was a little better I was still having to turn the radio up really high to be able to hear anything. On long trips I just went with a pair of earbuds and my ipod.

I then installed a Rockford Fosgate amp and some adapter rings to swap out to 6.5" speakers. Between the amp and bigger speakers I now leave my radio volume at 6-8 and only bump it up to 10 or 11 when on the interstate. I can hear the music very well and its not all distorted. I actually find that it can be a bit too loud on longer trips and will find myself turning it back down to 8 after a while. It really did make a huge difference in the "performance" of my factory stereo.

Hi. I'm Jeremy. :roll:


Interesting. Maybe the 4 channel amp is the way to go then!

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Re: Car Audio Avice

....... Let me guess: your VCR is blinking 12:00. :gag:

LOL....... Crock still brinking......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVt_6ctN7yA



And no, it doesn't make me sound old. It reinforces the fact that I'm a driver, not an audiophile. I don't need my car stereo to have some fancy display going crazy and turning colors and whatnot. It just needs to play music. I don't need a removable face plate as no one will want to steal my OEM unit. I don't need some secondary device to store my songs on and distract me from driving just to change music files...... I tend to like to listen to the sweet song of the supercharger or turbo in my vehicles..... I won't mind if the stereo display just sits there flashing 12:00....... lol.

 

[Hypoid]

The problem is the system just isn't loud enough.

YOU'LL HAVE TO TYPE LOUDER SONNY! BACK IN '95 I WAS ROCKING OUT AFTER WORK AND THE MUSIC WASN'T LOUD ENOUGH.
SO, I TURNED IT UP!!!!!!!! WHEN I WENT TO BED, MY EARS WAS RINGIN', WHICH WAS NOTHING NEW.

WHEN I WOKE UP, THEY WAS STILL RINGIN', AND HAVE BEEN EVER SINCE.

 

[xj-grin]

Re: Car Audio Avice

You make yourself sound like a 90 year old man. Let me guess: your VCR is blinking 12:00. :gag:

He does.... no matter what he says. BUT, yella has been cruising in late model vehicles, and factory sound systems have improved exponentially in the last 15 years. In a '99 Accord, not so much. You can go with a 4 channel amp, and it will make it louder, but as said, it is highly unlikely your Honda has line outputs, so you will be using speaker level output (input to the amp), which really decreases sound quality. So you'll be able to hear it, but you might not like what you hear.

I'd go with an aftermarket deck in that Honda, as I did in my 2001 Dakota - which FWIW had a factory Infinity system... which sounded like poo, even with the speakers switched out. The Titan, and the new Tacoma, however, rock... no need for aftermarket stuff, and the touch-screen is the bomb for fat fingers on cranky old guys.

 

[collkid]

Re: Car Audio Avice

He does.... no matter what he says. BUT, yella has been cruising in late model vehicles, and factory sound systems have improved exponentially in the last 15 years. In a '99 Accord, not so much. You can go with a 4 channel amp, and it will make it louder, but as said, it is highly unlikely your Honda has line outputs, so you will be using speaker level output (input to the amp), which really decreases sound quality. So you'll be able to hear it, but you might not like what you hear.

I'd go with an aftermarket deck in that Honda, as I did in my 2001 Dakota - which FWIW had a factory Infinity system... which sounded like poo, even with the speakers switched out. The Titan, and the new Tacoma, however, rock... no need for aftermarket stuff, and the touch-screen is the bomb for fat fingers on cranky old guys.

After some research on amps, I was afraid of that.

Dang it, looks like I'll have to replace the unit.

 

[DutchVDub]

I don't know man. I'm far from an expert, or even and educated amateur, on stereos. However, through personal experience on my Victory and on my 98 XJ (old one, not current one) I've had great results with a stock head unit and amp with upgraded speakers. With an amp you're getting more volume pushed out at lower levels, so you're no longer maxing out the sound output of the factory stereo. At lower levels the signal from the stock stereo is still relatively "clean" so combined with decent speakers you'll get good sound and you'll have more volume even though you aren't turning the knob up as high as before. I can't remember on the 98 XJ is it had separate line outputs or not but on the Victory its the speaker outs going into the amp.

Changing out the head unit will allow for more peak power, but like the stock unit you're still limited on how much you're able to push out before the signal gets distorted. Either way you'll probably want an amp, so I'd start there. If that isn't enough then a head unit is a simpler/cheaper install later down the road.

 

[xj-grin]

Amps are cheap, maybe give one a run and if you don't like the sound quality, add an upgraded deck with line-outs... I'm guessing the difference in sound quality on a motorcycle from line/speaker level input is minimal, with all the wind and stuff, and I'd say its minimal in a Jeep too, since you're usually cranking it to get the volume over the mudder tire drone. I used to be an audio geek, so maybe I'm just a cranky old guy on the opposite end of Yella's spectrum. :eyes:

 

[DutchVDub]

Here is how I understand it. Say you have a head unit with a 50 watt rating. That's absolute peak output from the head unit, so what it'll deliver on peak or high notes of song. Its really only operating at 20-25 watts continuously. When you turn the volume knob up higher you'll start to get distortions in the sound as you're exceeding the capabilities of the head unit to maintain consistent power throughout the sound range of the music. An amplifier on the other hand is rated at its continuous power output. A 50 watt amp is always putting out 50 watts. Because its also larger and has bigger/better internal parts that 50 watts is cleaner than what the receiver is putting out. So now instead of having to turn the volume knob up on the head unit to get to desired output (leading to distortion in the sound) you're getting the same higher volume output with the head unit sitting nice and low in its operating range, allowing it to adjust output for the range of the song without exceeding its abilities and causing distortion.

 

[DutchVDub]

Saw this while fact checking myself. It pretty much says what I did, but with fancy terms and what-not.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-DqIBhrnkFmT/learn/reviews/20030722/power-power_comparison.html

Pretty much says that you will get an improvement out of an aftermarket head unit but you'll still have the same limitations in sound quality without an amp to keep things clean and well within the range of the head units capabilities. It also points out that once an amp is added in the head unit is no longer having to power the speakers themselves as the amp is providing that power. That means you're able to use more of the head units watt range for sound.

 

[collkid]

But without some kind of output from the stock deck, how do I even and an amp?

Obviously, take the 4 (+/-) from the back of the deck to the amp, but what about some kind of RCA?

 

[DutchVDub]

You're using the speaker outputs from the head unit to send that sound signal to the amp. Then running your outputs from the amp to the speakers themselves.