How to improve on new honda city audio

[dearsorab]

Hi guys,

I m a novice to car audio systems and wish to improve / enhance audio quality of my New Honda city 2015 model (top variant). My knowledge is very limited to amps and woofers only. Pls advise if adding only amp and / or woofer would suffice. And if yes then how many channels amp and what rated woofer shall I get installed to get a decent audio and bass. And could there be any compatibility issues with the existing car audio system which I dunno wish to remove.

Thnx a ton.

 

[mshifi]

You can upgrade by using the same Headunit by changing the amp, speakers and could add a subwoofer. Ready systems are avaiable in the market today from Jbl/ infinity, pioneer, boston etc.

 

[aashish351]

If the head unit has the desired features you need, then leave it there. I think you should put an amplifier first and see the improvement with stock speakers. If you feel that the OEM speakers are not up to the mark, you should change those next (most probably you will want to change the stock speakers also after putting an amplifier and this might happen during your same visit to the installer itself).

Next, if you feel that you want more bass, a separate amp and subwoofer would be the way to go. If you reach this stage, then, I have a used JBL 12" Subwoofer in box enclosure and a Sony Xplod 1100 watt mono subwoofer amp for sale on hifiads.com here in gurgaon. Here is the link Sony Monoblock Amplifier + JBL Subwoofer - HiFiADS.com.

If you like the mid and high level sound of your existing car setup and only miss bass, then jump straight to the mono amp and sub addition step.

 

[Ghostrider]

I have the same new model and overall effect is too good, but as its ur taste to enhance the music, just add the amplifier first, as per my discussion with honda guy, stock speakers are good and with amp it will improve, also ensure in overall process you don't let cut the wires in between which will void the warranty.

 

[venki7744]

My .002 cents. First and foremost thing is to find a good reputed installer.

If you want to retain stock features. Go for amp with hi level inputs and add front components. Stock speakers may be too efficient and low powered for it to be driven from an amp. Invest in good interconnects (RCA) and speaker wires. Damping doors should take care of the vibration and back wave. If you are still not satisfied get a subwoofer (not the Sony/Pioneer ones please) and connect it to two channels of the amp in bridge configuration (assuming that you are going for a 4 channel amp). Be careful in buying stuff online as some of the Manufactures do not owner warranty of parts purchased online. Also keep in mind that most of the new cars have some of the other kind of Canbus interface, tapping a acc wire for the amp might be tricky. Please do some research on your vehicle before going forward with the mods.

Cheers,
Venki

 

[shuv]

The stock head unit is ALWAYS the weakest link. 4 channel amplifier (line level ins) + front components + sub (bridged 2 channels from the amplifier) is the cheapest option. Proper wiring is a must. The stock speakers these days are hilarious. No idea how to take the sub out in this case though

If willing to splurge, get a DSP and take it forward from there. Or, get an aftermarket head unit.

 

[venki7744]

The stock head unit is ALWAYS the weakest link. No idea how to take the sub out in this case though

You can bridge the other 2 channels and set the x-over in the amp to LPF (say 80Hz to begin with).

 

[alpha1]

The weakest link in the car audio is the increased noise floor caused by engine/tyre/road/traffic.

If you can cut that out - your existing system will automatically start sounding 100 times better.

 

[nayagra1]

thanks so much

 

[piyush608]

I would suggest , change the stock speaker with good pair of components first to get the sound stage ...up front buy rainbow/ focal / hertz / morel etc but buy good ones say approx 9k 10k range . Then see the difference . If not found satisfactory then u can always go for 4 channel amp then damping of doors followed by head unit change and subwoofer . U can proceed in this order

 

[PGY]

+ 1 to Piyush

Find a good reputed installer who has a good sense of music and good experience in low to high end audio.

Change the stock Speaker with good pair of components in the front doors, Feel the difference. Change it in the rear doors and check how it looks. Then if you feel that you need more bass

Then Try with a mono Block Amp with a nice 10" or 12" subwoofer. If you feel still something is missing, i would recommend you to do damping on the doors that will make a huge difference. IMO Honda city car doors are little bit different when compared to other cars. ( it means the car door will just look like a skull when you remove the door panels )

Later you can add a 4 channel amp to powerup your front and rear speakers.

One thing to remember is, dont try to complete these things in a singleshot take your time change one by one and complete the setup, if you consider completing the setup by compromising quality in the speakers or amp, one or other way you will feel it would have been better

 

[venki7744]

Change the stock Speaker with good pair of components in the front doors, Feel the difference.
>> IMO if you are going to do this without adding an amp, you would need to look out for components with higher efficiency. Adding an amp to this would definitely give a better value.

Change it in the rear doors and check how it looks. Then if you feel that you need more bass

>> Dont think you need to invest of rear speaker unless you always travel with rear seat occupied. I have an Ertiga and I have not wired my rear speakers. Still rear seat passengers are ok probably due to the fact that I have a Quasi Active 3-way

Then Try with a mono Block Amp with a nice 10" or 12" subwoofer. If you feel still something is missing, i would recommend you to do damping on the doors that will make a huge difference. IMO Honda city car doors are little bit different when compared to other cars. ( it means the car door will just look like a skull when you remove the door panels )

Later you can add a 4 channel amp to powerup your front and rear speakers.

One thing to remember is, dont try to complete these things in a singleshot take your time change one by one and complete the setup, if you consider completing the setup by compromising quality in the speakers or amp, one or other way you will feel it would have been better

The order in which I would upgrade would be:

* Front Components with Amp (4-channel for future upgrades)
* Damping Front Doors (IMO the current gen Honda city metal is more thin
* Sub wired on the other two channels of the the amp (if you need more bass)
OR/And
* Better Headunit
* If you still have money left
* DSP
* 3-Way Active on the fronts (which would require another Amp)
* Seperate Monoblock for Sub if you want more Powwweer.

Again this is just IMO...