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NSX radio solution

Joined
11 December 2001
Messages
217
Location
Raleigh, NC, USA
My solution to the problem of a seriously crappy radio in the NSX.......
I got mine with an aftermarket Pioneer system in it that SUCKED. It was wired wrong and sounded very tinny and unable to handle much bass at all. Went through the whole system, aftermarket amps and all, and still could not get a decent sound out of the car. I have found my solution, detailed below:

One original(didn't switch out units after I bought the car) Pioneer single disk unit (too lazy to change disks in the trunk when I can just change them while I am driving) a 45 watt amp for the front door speakers (the reciever is a 40x2 so I probably don't need it, but I had it laying around and I have always heard that amplified power is better than factory) and a 250 bridgeable to 400 for the sub. My reciever has front, rear, and sub outputs, and all I am using are the fronts and the sub outputs. After much gnashing of teeth, I gave up on the center speaker, and it is now there for added weight only,
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The front speakers were MB Quart Separates that I am guessing that you could get for under 150(really old, with a non electric crossover), and I put an 8" passive bazooka tube ($237 with 3 yr up "blow it and we replace it" warranty) underneath the front passenger seat, and since most of my passengers are over 5'5", their feet and legs go over the tube. The small amp is running the fronts and the larger amp is bridged to run the single sub. It is a 1000% difference, and one that I would not change for ANYTHING.....Then again, I just love my car and don't care that it takes 35 sec to get to 150
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My guess is that you could get the reciever for less than 200, the speakers used for less than $150, and the sub for $230, warranty included. I have been asked to be in a competition or two, but since my only goal is to be deaf by 50, I have declined.
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I looked at the $600 sub enclosure through the shop in Atlanta, but just could not justify it. I have spent a total of about $300 and I have a stereo that will rival 85% of the pro stuff, at least from inside the car.

Can I get a "hell yeah" and a "HUH????What did you say?????"

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I'm sure your system sounds great and even better that you really enjoy it, thats what's most important, but comparing it to "pro" systems (ie, IASCA Pro class competition) falls into the same catagory of comparing NSX acceleration to rice rockets.

- Rob, ex-IASCA AMA 301-600 competitor and ex-ZX7R owner
 
Originally posted by robr:
I'm sure your system sounds great and even better that you really enjoy it, thats what's most important, but comparing it to "pro" systems (ie, IASCA Pro class competition) falls into the same catagory of comparing NSX acceleration to rice rockets.

I wouldn't even count IASCA as pro to much politics in their voting process. I have seen them give the deciding vote from two very close cars to the person they knew. They even admitted that they liked the other car better but they knew the winner for a long time.

There are a lot of rice rockets that can out accelerate an NSX.

originall posted by tomc92bb000059:
After much gnashing of teeth, I gave up on the center speaker, and it is now there for added weight only,

I am curious as to why you gave up. I am basically going to be installing the same set up. 6.5 MB Qaurtz in the doors and a 10 inch Illusion Audio in the floor, in a custom fiberglass enclosure. I haven't decided what to do with the center speaker yet.


[This message has been edited by nsxxtreme (edited 26 June 2002).]
 
you'll get no argument from me, the politics is one of the reasons i dont compete anymore. doesn't change my statement though, a bazooka tube and one amp simply have about as much hope as competing with an IASCA pro car as a neon ACR does with a formula 1 car on the track (see, at least i didn't say a stock yugo
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). regardless of who won what in IASCA, the pro/expert vehicles are amazing. even discounting the install, the soundstage, imaging and tonal balance ... well you'd have to listen to it to understand (as i'm sure some here have).
 
i think you missed the other thread the drunken author of this one started yesterday, where he says why would anyone want an NSX for speed, they are slow no matter what and you shouldn't even try to claim they are fast regardless of what mods you do because a bike will kill them. thus my comment
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.

why did i quit? ive been doing car audio competition since before IASCA even existed (back to CAN [car audio nationals]). it just got to be too frustrating, time consuming, expensive and really wasn't fun for me anymore and that was the key. no point dealing with the rest when you simply aren't having fun with it.

i started out in the mid 80s with a home made system in a plymouth laser turbo (house speakers in the hatch), and ended a few years back and probably 12 systems later with a far too expensive system in a 300zxtt.

it really hit home when i pulled the system out of the 300zx and realized what i was left with. a car that had so many interior panels cut and modified that it basically couldn't be sold (and the interior color on that car was only made for one year in very limited qty so the expensive replacement parts werent even available).

i decided henceforth any system i did in the future would be a fairly straightforward install and anything i did needed to be reversable or cheaply and easily replaced and that i just wanted something that sounded great, and frankly cant be seen at all.

ps, pics of the 300zx system are at the links below. keep in mind this is the sort of system that has become common at LOCAL events in the Amateur and Novice classes. Forget pro and expert, it's a full time job to build a vehicle to compete in that arena and if you don't do the work yourself, you could buy a house with the money it would cost to have someone else do a competitive install.
http://www.nema.com/nsx/caraudio http://www.nema.com/nsx/doors
 
WOOO Robr, a fellow 300ZX competitor! I too used to be an IASCA competitor. 50-100 PRO class with my personal vehicle and also SPL with Lanzar Audio (the company). (Worked with Chris "The Grizz" on designing 2 of their world competition vans before he moved to senior designer at MTX and I moved on to other things, he's also one of my best friends) ..

I agree with the judging, its total BS .. which is why I quit as well. Even if you tune your car with a full SPA setup knowing you're dead accurate and what they're looking for, you can still be sidelined by a "known" name or face, if the sound is "too close" for judgement.

Glad to see ex-competitors... the world is a small place
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-B
 
ah ha! that explains your good taste in component selection
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. actually it doesn't, that's always been a (hopefully) friendly rivalry around the regional and national circuit. i would use PG stuff, the guy next to might use xtant, some other guy PPI, id use dynaudio, another guy would use focal or morel and it would always be "man, your gear sucks!! why aren't you using XXXX?"
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. it wasnt so friendly with some of the less ... professional guys. so given that, its actually somewhat humorous that we're both choosing fairly similar components
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. im just trying to figure out how the hell to fit two PG zpa 0.5's, an eq 232, a zpx2 and a tbat2 into the car without taking up room
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. i had decided to trade all that gear in for something like an xtant 603 as its completely overkill in the NSX, but to be honest, its GREAT F*&@#(G gear, and i already have it, so i'm torn
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. IASCA... such silly power classes... everyone and their cheater amps
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. im glad thats all behind me, now i can build a system to please myself and not their biased judges.
 
Actually wasn't that hammered yet when I got to ranting last night....
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I DID mistype the 85% thing earlier, which seemed to confuse even myself, upon today's review. What I meant was that my stuff performs at about 85% of a pro system, not that mine is as good as 85% of the pro stuff out there. Hope that clears some of the hate mail up.
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I gave up on the center due to the fact that I could not get everything balanced properly, and the center was either too loud, or I couldn't hear it. It would be nice with the windows rolled down, but as I just wanted a nice cheap loud stereo, I am content. The Quarts sound really good as long as you are not putting any bass through them. Before I got the sub and turned off the low end they really didn't sound great and distorted at fairly low volumes.

Good luck!
 
IASCA... such silly power classes... everyone and their cheater amps

What cheater amps
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I still have my Soundstream 10.2 25x2
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and Picasso 25x4
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. I am trying to figure out where to put them. Way overkill for the NSX but like you said I already have it.
 
man, the 10.2, one of the greatest cheater amps ever made... 50w IASCA rating with 1kW output at 1 ohm... stable to 0.25 ohms..... nice damn amp.
 
best thing you can do is stay in that small little world, once you hear a stereo that actually sounds decent, say goodbye to the contents of your wallet
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. i wish i could feel that way about the complete pile of $(*&# NSX stock stereo system but it's far too late
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I just finished the NSX stereo upgrade. All but one of my cheap Sh*t Bose amps had gone south. I refused to put more money into this trash. The "subwoofer" is the same 4" paper garbage speaker as in the doors.

Unfortunately, there is no way to do a system cheap if you need someone to do the install. It requires some skill and custom work.

Head Unit--Despite the limited NSX head unit; no aftermarket unit will look as good as stock. The stock unit has a class look that integrates with the AC controls above. My install also required no cutting of interior trim.


AMP--Xtant A4004 $405
This will handle an input as low as 100mV and therefore works with the very low output stock head unit (I think the output to the bose amps is <1v)The amp was mounted behind the passenger seat with a custom bracket mounted to the rear passenger seat mounts. The xtant fitted perfectly behing the seat with no loss of space. I considered mounting the Amp in the area used for the NSX tools (my spare tire and tools have been removed); however, my RM muffler heats that space WAY too much. It the sheet metal becomes too hot to touch. Further a trunk mount requires running the cables past all the electronics in the rear firewall--potential for noise.The downside to my amp location is it will limit options on a future harness bar install.

Speakers--WB Quart PSD 216 components $380.
Used existing bose enclosure backing and cut exact fitting MDF board to mount the Quart mid-range and crossovers. This used the existing mounting screws for both the enclosure and to mount to the door.
Tweeters were glued inside the door air vent and angled up. This gets the highs out of my feet and to my ears.

Subwoofer
JBL 8" speaker $80
The stock bose base was cut to fit the JBL. A resin cover was made so the unit will fit in the stock passenger floor location. I lost no foot room.

Total hardware, wiring, misc--$1047
Total labor 23 hours @45/hr---$1057
Total w/tax $2305

Night and day compared to the stock system, but not cheap. The labor killed me, but the install was very clean.
 
jsg, question on the xtant 4004... i was just rereading your post and it occured to me youre using a 4 channel amp but only listed 3 speaker channels. i didnt think this amp would do 3 channel (ie bridge 1 pair of channels). am i missing something or is there a 4th channel of this amp you arent even using?
 
If you are interested in a wiring harness, I have one which is less than a year old. It will be coming out of the car soon.
 
brick no biggie, i just wanted to make sure i was buying the correct part. its only $4 and its something i'll be needing within the next week or two. if yours will be out within that timeframe, great, i'll take it s i know i'm getting the correct one, if not then if i dont get a confirmation, i'll just order this one and cross my fingers
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. thanks for the offer!

cheers, rob
 
ah ha! apparently the xtant amp JSG used CAN be run in three channel mode. JSG, please!!! i want to see how you mounted this thing, i'm going to go with the same amp. seems perfect for my needs.
 
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