Car audio - I'm dizzy

For the Accord

I think the thing has 5 1/4" front speakers and 6.5" rear speakers

http://www.3geez.com/forum/interior-exterior-care/44809-speaker-size.html

The old head unit I have (a decade old but never used Pioneer) does not have an aux in like I thought it did.

How do I REALLY cheaply get four speakers and a bluetooth capable head unit. Not like "Wow, $200 is a steal", but like "I can't believe you got JBL speakers and a new headunit for $45"?

Nope, it has 6.5" speakers up front, but it takes a shallow mount speaker. The vast majority of 5.25" speakers are shallow enough to fit without issue.

If you're shopping new, you're going to be spending in the $200 range for a full set of speakers and a head unit. You can shop on eBay, but that doesn't always save you much.

These cars don't use a dash kit to install, just the wiring harness for the stereo itself. There aren't any adapter rings to buy, nor any funky speaker harnesses. Just 2 spade plugs. Using Crutchfield just because those are freebies doesn't really apply in this scenario.

Like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KFC-1665S-Coaxial-Speakers-Stereo/dp/B00JKVYVS2/ref=sr_1_31?m=A2L77EE7U53NWQ&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1439958488&sr=1-31&refinements=p_n_size_browse-bin%3A1293701011%2Cp_72%3A1248862011

Yup, those look shallow enough. While you probably don't plan on it, don't expect to put them on a real amp at some point. Just run those off of the deck.

If you don't need to play CDs, just get one of the many media players out there. They have bluetooth, aux in, and USB, which is all I use in my car these days. Mine has a CD player, but it was only $125 new. I want to say the one without the CD player was only $99.

I did it for under $150 for Muffin's sound system. All components were either used or new old stock, from eBay, Boston 5.25 coaxials, Alpine 6.5 coaxials, and a '12 model Kenwood Excelon single DIN Bluetooth head unit.

I set up some saved searches on eBay with a max price limit, so I wouldn't get notifications for anything over a certain price, and spent about a month placing low ball bids until I actually won stuff.

Ive built a few stereos from pullapart.

My thoughts go to grabbing the $28 head unit from the other thread, and see if the speakers you have now work. If they don't, go wander around the chevy section at the junkyard. Lots of them used shallow 6.5 in the doors. Rear speakers are optional in most cases. Dont have any in the elky, and they are turned off in the mazda and duster.

Before you drop $$$, some older head units may be able to patch in an Aux cable through the CD Changer serial bus terminal. I have an old Alpine that I bought around 2000 that was like that. Cable was like $5 on eBay.

For speakers, look in the boneyard for cars that may have been owned by a kid or are poorly modded. one of the first things people do is replace the speakers. If you are going to buy new and cheap, take a look at Kicker stuff. In my 2nd WRX, I ended up getting the cheapest Kicker 6.5's all around, and they sounded great! Pretty much anything made by the big brands would be an upgrade, though.

SilverFleet wrote: Before you drop $$$, some older head units may be able to patch in an Aux cable through the CD Changer serial bus terminal. I have an old Alpine that I bought around 2000 that was like that. Cable was like $5 on eBay. For speakers, look in the boneyard for cars that may have been owned by a kid or are poorly modded. one of the first things people do is replace the speakers. If you are going to buy new and cheap, take a look at Kicker stuff. In my 2nd WRX, I ended up getting the cheapest Kicker 6.5's all around, and they sounded great! Pretty much anything made by the big brands would be an upgrade, though.

No dice on the CD changer, I was surprised too!

Thanks for the speaker advice!

If you can wait a couple months, Wally World has a Christmas doorbuster special with a Pioneer media player (aux-in, no CD player, no bluetooth) for $40. I bought one last year, it's in my truck. Sounds a lot better than stock. I think about $90-100 is as cheap as you'll find a name-brand bluetooth media player. Pyle or Boss with bluetooth can be had for $40-$50, but I don't know how they'll sound or if they'll last.

Serious answer: Skip the headunit. Get a small amp capable of driving the speakers, plug aux input straight from an audio device (smartphone?) into amp.

In reply to ProDarwin:

I used one of these in my Miata with good results.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-CH-500W-Car-Audio-Amplifier-Motorcycle-AMP-ATV-MP3-Amplifier-MITZU-MIT-75R-RED-/221843632386?hash=item33a6e93102&vxp=mtr

I did the lepai amp for a motorcycle in a Catalina station wagon driving a pair of 6x9 in the back. Worked fine.

does it have no speakers in it now?

is this the DD car?

Yes DD.

Speakers in it now are expected to be blown, though I will find out for sure when I install the head unit that I don't really want after a few days of waiting for shipping of the harness.

I would really like FM radio as well as everything else, an amp won't do that, right?

Not unless you have a walkman or something.

So with fm requirement, motorcycle amp is pretty much out.

I have had great service and product from woofersetc.com. They have blemished, reman, factory closeout stuff for dirt cheap. I've bought several amps, a few head units, and lots of speakers from them and they are all as-new, no DOA. Customer service is great.

I promise, not a canoe. Just an honest recommendation for a vendor that has treated me well

tuna55 wrote: ...but like "I can't believe you got JBL speakers and a new headunit for $45"?

I would think swap meets and yard sales would be your haunts.

In reply to foxtrapper:

Swap meets RULE for this stuff. I usually go to one every year that's the biggest in the area, and they always have cheap car audio stuff. I bought a sweet late 80's pull-out Yamaha cassette deck (didn't even know they ever made car audio)this year for $2. I saw recent Alpine and Pioneer stuff going from $25-100. The one I coveted a few years back when I bought my last Alpine (it was originally $300+) was popping up for around $50-75. It's still a solid deck, and Bluetooth-capable with an expansion module.

look at it this way, tuna. the 2 biggest online vendors are Crutchfield and Sonicelectronix. they both give you an install kit on headunits above 90$

any headunit less, you'll have to spend $15 on the install kit and 5$ on a wire harness anyways.

There is no install kit needed for a single DIN unit in this car, just the wiring harness. Honda used a standard DIN sized opening in those cars.

Old Pioneer CD player installed with $7 connector. The speakers sound. That is to say, they all make sound. As I mentioned in another thread, I am getting stern looks for the $7 connector spend, so it's good n' uff for now!

In reply to tuna55:

Ah, I see your mistake. When you bought the connector you should have told your wife "Don't give me that look woman! I am the Patriarch of this house!"

Ojala wrote: In reply to tuna55: Ah, I see your mistake. When you bought the connector you should have told your wife "Don't give me that look woman! I am the Patriarch of this house!"

Have you done this and survived? What sort of martial art did you employ?

tuna55 wrote: Old Pioneer CD player installed with $7 connector. The speakers sound. That is to say, they all make sound. As I mentioned in another thread, I am getting stern looks for the $7 connector spend, so it's good n' uff for now!

OK wow those speakers are terrible. All blown. Talk radio is doable, but music is out of the question.

tuna55 wrote:

Ojala wrote: In reply to tuna55: Ah, I see your mistake. When you bought the connector you should have told your wife "Don't give me that look woman! I am the Patriarch of this house!"

Have you done this and survived? What sort of martial art did you employ?

Ha! Just say "Ephesians 5:22"

Then drop the mic and walk out of the room...

Or giggle and run like you have the devil at your heels, its your choice, but I disavow all knowledge