help on speakers!

[SPTNSX]

I love listening to music while driving so I want the best sounding speakers I can buy. I'm not going to lie, but I love the BMW Harmon/Kardon speakers. I love the mid range sound and the clarity that it produces... My friend owns a 2004 M3 and when I first heard his speakers, i fell in love. I was wondering is there any speakers that sounds just like the Harmon/Kardon with the mid range sounds. My installer recommended Rockford Fosgate P142 (4" speakers) and a 6" for the the subwoofer. Anyone got any suggestions or advises? I would love to hear and learn from you guys. Thanks a lot in advance :smile:
- Scott T.

 

[etang789]

I love listening to music while driving so I want the best sounding speakers I can buy. I'm not going to lie, but I love the BMW Harmon/Kardon speakers. I love the mid range sound and the clarity that it produces... My friend owns a 2004 M3 and when I first heard his speakers, i fell in love. I was wondering is there any speakers that sounds just like the Harmon/Kardon with the mid range sounds. My installer recommended Rockford Fosgate P142 (4" speakers) and a 6" for the the subwoofer. Anyone got any suggestions or advises? I would love to hear and learn from you guys. Thanks a lot in advance :smile:
- Scott T.

I havent heard that E46 Harmon/Kardon in years so I do not exactly remember how it sounded like...

Getting a Rockford Fosgate P142 would be hard to beat the Harmon/Kardon in mid range since the E46 do have bigger stock speakers to start with...

E46 speaker size
Front Midbass - 6.25"
Front Midrange - 2.5"
Front Tweeter - 5/8"

Rear Midrange - 2.5"
Rear Midbass - 6.25"

Are you building a sound system for your NSX? If so I would get bigger size speakers... The Science of Speed package is a good place to start looking http://scienceofspeed.com/products/interior_performance_products/NSX/ScienceofSpeed/ProFormance_Audiophile/

But if you are talking about the best you can buy I would look into (but of course theres always something better in the HiFi world)
Morel ELATE 6
HAT Legatia

matched with some amps like
Audisons
Genesis Series 3
DLS
Mosconi AS Series

Whats your budget?

 

[Hapa88]

I love listening to music while driving so I want the best sounding speakers I can buy. I'm not going to lie, but I love the BMW Harmon/Kardon speakers. I love the mid range sound and the clarity that it produces... My friend owns a 2004 M3 and when I first heard his speakers, i fell in love. I was wondering is there any speakers that sounds just like the Harmon/Kardon with the mid range sounds. My installer recommended Rockford Fosgate P142 (4" speakers) and a 6" for the the subwoofer. Anyone got any suggestions or advises? I would love to hear and learn from you guys. Thanks a lot in advance :smile:
- Scott T.

The Rockford Fosgate P142 is a $50-$80 a pair coaxial speaker. Hardly the best sounding speakers you can buy. These are pretty much an entry level speaker.

The aftermarket NSX door sizes are between 5 1/2" to 6 3/4". A Zetoolbox or Angus subwoofer enclosure will house a 10" sub in the passanger footwell.

That being said, the NSX cabin IMO, is probably one of the worst car audio listen environments there is. The cabin is loud and subjected to lots of outside noise, the speaker mounting positions are less than ideal, and the subwoofer box sizes must remain small to fit inside the cabin.

But if you want the "best sounding speakers you can buy", you definitely shouldn't sell yourself short! Check out the Focal Utopia Be No. 7 Components! A bargain at only $5,499.99 a pair!!
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-IKKI0eW5b35/p_091NO7/Focal-Utopia-Be-No-7.html


Also keep in mind that you can't just replace the speakers in the NSX. This is because of the design of the factory Bose speakers which house the amplifiers inside of the speaker housings. The headunit does not power any of the speakers.

 

[TURBO2GO]

I love listening to music while driving so I want the best sounding speakers I can buy. I'm not going to lie, but I love the BMW Harmon/Kardon speakers. I love the mid range sound and the clarity that it produces... My friend owns a 2004 M3 and when I first heard his speakers, i fell in love. I was wondering is there any speakers that sounds just like the Harmon/Kardon with the mid range sounds. My installer recommended Rockford Fosgate P142 (4" speakers) and a 6" for the the subwoofer. Anyone got any suggestions or advises? I would love to hear and learn from you guys. Thanks a lot in advance :smile:
- Scott T.

Your installer does not know what he is talking about. His recommendations are bad. He does not understand the NSX system. If you want good sound the whole Bose system needs to go, you can't just swap speakers in the nsx. You will need amps and if you want to use the factory radio you will need adapters. Placement and preparation, installation, have as much to do with sound if not more than the kind of speaker you use. You don't need to go nuts on the speaker but you need to make sure it is installed properly and placed correctly. What are you using as your source? iPod/iPhone? CD's? A lot f radio? What?

 

[SPTNSX]

I havent heard that E46 Harmon/Kardon in years so I do not exactly remember how it sounded like...

Getting a Rockford Fosgate P142 would be hard to beat the Harmon/Kardon in mid range since the E46 do have bigger stock speakers to start with...

Are you building a sound system for your NSX? If so I would get bigger size speakers... The Science of Speed package is a good place to start looking http://scienceofspeed.com/products/interior_performance_products/NSX/ScienceofSpeed/ProFormance_Audiophile/

But if you are talking about the best you can buy I would look into (but of course theres always something better in the HiFi world)
Morel ELATE 6
HAT Legatia

matched with some amps like
Audisons
Genesis Series 3
DLS
Mosconi AS Series

Whats your budget?

Wow that's a lot of interesting information, thanks! IMO i think the 4" speakers are way too small and that it would sound as good as a 5" or 6 1/2. My budget is about $1200 and below

 

[SPTNSX]

The Rockford Fosgate P142 is a $50-$80 a pair coaxial speaker. Hardly the best sounding speakers you can buy. These are pretty much an entry level speaker.

The aftermarket NSX door sizes are between 5 1/2" to 6 3/4". A Zetoolbox or Angus subwoofer enclosure will house a 10" sub in the passanger footwell.

That being said, the NSX cabin IMO, is probably one of the worst car audio listen environments there is. The cabin is loud and subjected to lots of outside noise, the speaker mounting positions are less than ideal, and the subwoofer box sizes must remain small to fit inside the cabin.

But if you want the "best sounding speakers you can buy", you definitely shouldn't sell yourself short! Check out the Focal Utopia Be No. 7 Components! A bargain at only $5,499.99 a pair!!
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-IKKI0eW5b35/p_091NO7/Focal-Utopia-Be-No-7.html


Also keep in mind that you can't just replace the speakers in the NSX. This is because of the design of the factory Bose speakers which house the amplifiers inside of the speaker housings. The headunit does not power any of the speakers.

HAHAHA wow I had no idea that there are such expensive speakers... Mind blowing

 

[SPTNSX]

Your installer does not know what he is talking about. His recommendations are bad. He does not understand the NSX system. If you want good sound the whole Bose system needs to go, you can't just swap speakers in the nsx. You will need amps and if you want to use the factory radio you will need adapters. Placement and preparation, installation, have as much to do with sound if not more than the kind of speaker you use. You don't need to go nuts on the speaker but you need to make sure it is installed properly and placed correctly. What are you using as your source? iPod/iPhone? CD's? A lot f radio? What?

I was thinking that I would need an amp... I'm using the stock NSX unit for now but later on i will upgrade to a double din but that's not for awhile. I listen to CDs and nothing else hahahah

 

[TURBO2GO]

Get yourself some of the SOS door plates, a digital 4 channel amplifier (class D), and spend about $300 on a good set of separates. Buy a Ztoolman sub enclosure ($200) and a flat sub of some type, I'd get a flat 10" from parts express like the tang band ($140). Add in a JBL MS-2 and let it auto-EQ your car ($200). You'll be under $1200 and you'll have terrific sound. Oh and you'll need an adapter from SOS to hook up the factory radio. Hand these to your installer.

 

[SPTNSX]

Get yourself some of the SOS door plates, a digital 4 channel amplifier (class D), and spend about $300 on a good set of separates. Buy a Ztoolman sub enclosure ($200) and a flat sub of some type, I'd get a flat 10" from parts express like the tang band ($140). Add in a JBL MS-2 and let it auto-EQ your car ($200). You'll be under $1200 and you'll have terrific sound. Oh and you'll need an adapter from SOS to hook up the factory radio. Hand these to your installer.

thanks for advise. Im looking into it :smile:

 

[etang789]

I was thinking that I would need an amp... I'm using the stock NSX unit for now but later on i will upgrade to a double din but that's not for awhile. I listen to CDs and nothing else hahahah

Yes you would need an amp if this route, but would you need a subwoofer?

Alpine PDX-F4 $375.00 (or JL Audio HD600/4$679.99)
Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine I61-2 $249.99 (or Alpine SPX-17PRO $379.00 or CDT HD62 $379.99 or Hertz HSK-165 or HAT Clarus C61-2 $549.99)
ScienceofSpeed Door Speaker Panel Kit$69.50
ScienceofSpeed Trunk Mounting Panel$89.50
wire harness (factory head unit - aftermarket amplifier & speakers)$29.50
Amp Wiring kit$78.90
Some car speaker wires $15
Total $907.39 + Labor

If you need subwoofer then I would look add a used Ztoolman Subwoofer Enclosure like http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158531 or a AP-X NSX Custom subwoofer enclosure

 

[ekhonda87]

FYI- the previous owner of my nsx had new speakers and amps installed by a "professional". He paid thousands to have this done, and it sounds like crap, Significantly worse than the factory bose speakers.

 

[SPTNSX]

Yes you would need an amp if this route, but would you need a subwoofer?

Alpine PDX-F4 $375.00 (or JL Audio HD600/4$679.99)
Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine I61-2 $249.99 (or Alpine SPX-17PRO $379.00 or CDT HD62 $379.99 or Hertz HSK-165 or HAT Clarus C61-2 $549.99)
ScienceofSpeed Door Speaker Panel Kit$69.50
ScienceofSpeed Trunk Mounting Panel$89.50
wire harness (factory head unit - aftermarket amplifier & speakers)$29.50
Amp Wiring kit$78.90
Some car speaker wires $15
Total $907.39 + Labor

If you need subwoofer then I would look add a used Ztoolman Subwoofer Enclosure like http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158531 or a AP-X NSX Custom subwoofer enclosure

i dont really want a subwoofer cause i dont know where to put it. on the other side, i hate hearing a certain song that has big bass and the speakers can handle it and starts rattling and the sound gets distorted. i called Al and Ed autosound and they said that they can install a 10" subwoofer under the carpet of the passenger. never seen it done before hahahah. the person i was talking to also recommended Hertz speakers for the most mid range sound and great clarity

 

[SPTNSX]

FYI- the previous owner of my nsx had new speakers and amps installed by a "professional". He paid thousands to have this done, and it sounds like crap, Significantly worse than the factory bose speakers.

exactly, thats why im doing my research before i decide to put anything in. not cheap to do so i want to do it once and get it right hahahah

 

[TURBO2GO]

i dont really want a subwoofer cause i dont know where to put it. on the other side, i hate hearing a certain song that has big bass and the speakers can handle it and starts rattling and the sound gets distorted. i called Al and Ed autosound and they said that they can install a 10" subwoofer under the carpet of the passenger. never seen it done before hahahah. the person i was talking to also recommended Hertz speakers for the most mid range sound and great clarity

There is a factory sub already under the passenger footwell, and all the recommendations to you for the sub box and sub are for that exact location. If you don't want to hear distortion then you need to get a proper subwoofer and amplifier. Ztoolman V3 is my recommendation for something that doesn't stick out further than factory AND has enough air space to give good bass. Determine tweeter locations before you allow anyone to cut. The JBL MS-2 I recommended to you is critical and will make a night and day difference. You don't need to spend more than $300 on your main speakers. Between the alpine and the JL, get the Alpine. The JL HD is not worth the extra within your budget. If you want more power step up to the F6, as it is same size, same weight, and significantly more power.

 

[SWIFTVISION]

JBL MS-2:

Do you have to leave this plugged in all the time? How does it modify anything once it's removed? How can it add DSP to a factory radio?

 

[TURBO2GO]

JBL MS-2:

Do you have to leave this plugged in all the time? How does it modify anything once it's removed? How can it add DSP to a factory radio?

Yes plugged in all the time. Inline between source and amplifier.

 

[SWIFTVISION]

Yes plugged in all the time. Inline between source and amplifier.

Do you hide it after you do the setup (which I assume you locate the device in the center of the car)?

 

[TURBO2GO]

Do you hide it after you do the setup (which I assume you locate the device in the center of the car)?

Yes hard wire it and put it away. But I leave it in a spot where I can reboot it if necessary. It never loses its memory until you re-tune. Even on a reboot. The old ones would lock up once every few months. The issue has since been resolved. It's worth it the unit does wonders even on the factory bose system

 

[ediddynsx]

I have Boston Acoustics for my doors and tweeters, zetool man sub ver 3, and old zapco competition amp, an eq, usa spec ipod adapter, sos door mounting plates and sos trunk mounting panel for the amp. Ta dah! or you can use Dave's set up which is probably pretty nice/better than my set up.

 

[TURBO2GO]

If you want to get good bass response and keep it light, I like the Rockford T3652S. But there are a ton of good door speakers. What you need is proper installation. most of the deficiencies in placement and acoustics of the car, the JBL can take care of.

 

[ediddynsx]

Forgot to mention on the version 1 and 2 zetoolman subs he was using JL 10" and ver 3, used the earthquake sub since the magnet was smaller/shorter to fit in the last version that does not lose any legroom....it still thumps though.

 

[TURBO2GO]

The NSX cabin is so small you really don't need a lot of subwoofer. In fact IMO an 8" is a better fit than a 10 and I think angus even did a 12. While you may get more boom at higher frequencies, you will lose some depth and extension and it'll be a slightly tougher blend with the door speakers. I feel a high excursion 8 will have more air space and go deeper in that size cabinet. I know lots of people here rave about their 10 and even 12's and think bigger is better but in the nsx application I think an 8 is ideal. Thing is Ztoolman and angus already built around a 10" so might as well go with that. Last thing is a smaller driver is also a bit lighter.

I'm going to really build my door 6.5's and throw a lot of power into them and if I get enough bass I will forget the sub and just save the weight. The MS2 can really EQ the low end anyway. I have to try it and see.

 

[etang789]

i dont really want a subwoofer cause i dont know where to put it. on the other side, i hate hearing a certain song that has big bass and the speakers can handle it and starts rattling and the sound gets distorted. i called Al and Ed autosound and they said that they can install a 10" subwoofer under the carpet of the passenger. never seen it done before hahahah. the person i was talking to also recommended Hertz speakers for the most mid range sound and great clarity

If you do not want a subwoofer, then I would suggest look for a component speakers set thats 6.5" or up with strong mid bass; Hertz and Hybrid Audio Technologies are known for their strong mid bass. I would go either HSK 165XL or Clarus C61-2 , if you are on budget then HAT Imagines.

 

[ediddynsx]

Damn you Dave you got me looking at getting the The JBL MS-2 and its discontinued :frown: now what?

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-UPD9hSeHimj/p_109MS2/JBL-MS-2-Car-Audio-Optimizer.html

 

[TURBO2GO]

Damn you Dave you got me looking at getting the The JBL MS-2 and its discontinued :frown: now what?

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-UPD9hSeHimj/p_109MS2/JBL-MS-2-Car-Audio-Optimizer.html

I think it's just discontinued at crutchfield? Did you try elsewhere? This is not an ideal piece, it is designed for a portable but it does have fantastic electronics built in. We will see more stuff like this soon. But at $180 this is the most bang for the buck improvement you can make. Mine does still lock up once in a while I hope they have fixed this issue because it's a PITA.