(Part 2) Top products from r/BuildaCarAVForMe

I have a 2012 accord, and the 08-12 have the same body style, so I know what you need and some potential problems you might run into.

You should replace the radio because it'll make a dramatic difference in the sound quality, same with adding an amp. Also, if you want to put quality speakers in, you'll need an amp or you'll risk blowing your speakers.

Problems you'll run into:

• With a new head unit, you'll lose the function of the screen on top, but I think it's a good trade off for the sound quality
  
  
• You can't have speakers in the front doors that are too deep because it'll hit the window, but there are good shallow mount speakers to put there.
  
  
• The back deck WILL rattle, even you you put a good amount of deadener on it, deadener will still help a good amount though. To solve this problem, deaden it, put weather stripping along the back of the deck where it meets the window (I doubled it up where the brake light is back there), and I drilled two small holes from inside the trunk and zip-tied it down around the metal frame under the deck. This worked great for me and I have two 13" subs in a ported box. If you're looking for one 10", it'll definitely work. It might look a little janky, but that's the only way for it to not rattle.
  
  
• To have someone install everything, run the wires, and deaden what you need deadened (which is, at minimum, the front doors and front door panels, rear deck, trunk, trunk lid, and probably the the pillars in the back), you're probably looking at around $300-$600 for about 4-6 hours of work, depending on where you take it to. And some charge more for installing if you didn't buy the parts from them.
  
  In your other post on /r/CarAV, you said you have a couple grand to spend, so I'm going to put a complete SQ system together that you'll be able to keep for a long time and move from car to car.
  
  
• KnuKonceptz 4 gauge amp kit - $50 (they have a cheaper 4 gauge amp kit, but it doesn't have a big enough fuse on it)
  
  
• 100' KnuKonceptz speaker wire - $20
  
  
• RCA cables (need 2 more pairs) - $10 x 2
  
  
• Dash kit - $50
  
  
• Wiring harness - $12
  
• Antenna adapter - $10
  
  
• Steering wheel control interface - $80
  
  
• Kenwood excelon headunit - $260
  
  
• 6.5" Focal component speakers for the front - $250
  
  
• 6.5" JL coax speakers for the back deck - $140
  
  
• Baffles for the speakers on back deck - $8 (you need these if you want to hear these speakers because of noise cancelation from the sub)
  
  
• 10" pioneer sub - $300
  
  
• Crappy pre-fab sub box - $60
  
  
• Custom box for your car - $120 + $15 if you want a grill (They will build it to the specs of the sub, which is 1 cu.ft. sealed if you go with the pioneer)
  
  
• Kenwood excelon 5 channel amp - $500
  
  
• 25ft^2 of sound deadener - $55
  
  
• $1815-1890 + $300-$600 installation + your tax rate
  
  You probably can find some of this stuff cheaper on amazon, but they're not a registered dealer so you're SOL if something goes bad.
  
  I'd go in to the store, get two quotes, 1) just to install all of this stuff you bought online and 2) what it would cost to buy everything from them with installation and see which is cheaper. The cost for dealers on door speakers and subwoofers is literally half of what they sell for, not head units though, they have very little mark up. Chances are the store might end up being cheaper if you tell them exactly what you're looking at online and how much you're planning to spend on it. Win-Win for you and the dealer, he get's business and you get a better price and similar quality products if they can compete with the online prices. Plus you'd be supporting a local business, unless you were planning on going to best buy, car toys, or something like that (don't do that, go to a local place). And if you buy all this stuff from a dealer and have it installed there, if anything goes wrong you can take it back and have them deal with it.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Do you want it to get loud or do you care about sound quality(staging and imaging)? Aftermarket speakers will definitely sound better but you could lose midbass due to the fact that they are optimized for using an amp and the factory speakers most likely have some filtering involved to boost the bottom end. You can overcome this with an amp and also doing some sound deadening.

Component sets are definitely a better option compared to money spent on Coaxials. You can get a $500 set of components that sound great or a $200 set of components and do some treatments and have an awesome set up.

With $500 to spend I would use half for speaker and the rest on deadening. I personally like Image Dynamics or Morelyou can get great sets of those around the $200 mark. You can do a modest amp. Something like the Zapco. then spend the rest on fastrings and deadener. You dont have to go to the nth degree with deadener but adding some CLV and sealing up the holes will go along ways.

Not sure what you decided to go with but IMO if you get a sub in your trunk then your speakers will sound like they're better. Many people on this subreddit will bash this recommendation but I'll give it anyway.

$150 prebuilt subwoofer box

$55 amplifier

$15 wiring kit

$9 optional converter

The converter is needed if your radio is stock. I also think it makes the install easier regardless as it is one set less wire to run & you won't have to take apart your headunit.

I think this is the best intro level set up for a subwoofer if you're looking to spend about $220.
It will definitely impress you if you haven't heard/had bass in a car before. Also very easy to set up and you can do it in about 3 hours with no experience.

Edit: forgot this amp comes with a built in high/low converter to feed straight off the speakers. Converter may be easier but is optional.

I've done research on SQ vs SPL for the past few hours, decided that I feel SQ is the route I'd go and supplement that 1 10" with more watts to fit my needs.
I found on Imagine Dynamics site, 0.6-1.6 cu is recommended for a sealed enclosure, think this is fine?
The Imagine Dynamic 10" has great reviews, I can live with that much space to give away.
For the amp I was thinking either the Pioneer Prime 500w or the one you linked, which I feel is the better decision especially over Hifonics I was looking at. So with all this, feel this is fine enough to pull the trigger?

EDIT: Ordered, and decided on IDQ with a 2ohm so i can wire down to 1ohm.

just found all the same stuff on amazon for $100 cheaper, so the total is around $630 including all the wiring kits and stuff. should I get nicer speakers? If I do get nicer speakers should I go for the Infinity Reference 8602cfx, the Rockford Fosgate Punch P1683 or the Alpine Sps-517's? or is there something better? Looks like the Alpines would give me the most RMS wattage for that Amp at 75w each. What do you think?!

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-TSD1602R-Two-Way-Speakers-Watts/dp/B00126KB9Q


Pioneer TSD1602R 6.5 Inch Two-Way Speakers
$64

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=269-097

Rear speakers get components cuz your peeps ride in style carbon fiber for
$45


http://www.amazon.com/Cadence-FXA5000-5-5-Channel-Amplifier-Remote/dp/B00DPAIO6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382228917&sr=8-1&keywords=cadence+fxa5000.5

Ampidy amp
$160

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_60592_Pioneer-DEH-X6500BT.html

Deck

$130

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_67755_1.5-Cu-Ft-Single-12-Sealed-MDF-Subwoofer-Enclosure-Belva-MDFS1215.html

Sub box
$40

http://www.amazon.com/SD-2-12D4-Sundown-Audio-Subwoofer/dp/B005ZH3TQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1382232209&sr=1-1&keywords=sd+12+sundown

Da Bang
$146


http://www.amazon.com/KnuKonceptz-Kolossus-Gauge-Amplifier-Installation/dp/B005CIJBKK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1382231163&sr=1-1&keywords=4+Gauge+ofc+knuconceptz

Wireses
$61




Can of acoustic foam sealer
$23

http://www.amazon.com/CASCADE-VB-1S-QUIET-DAMPING-SPRAY/dp/B00067IUTK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1382231753&sr=1-1&keywords=Cascade+VB-1S+PRO


$670

Overbudget but you got a heavy duty wire kit, a serious subwoofer, bluetooth deck.. Everyone will think you dropped $500 on subs and sealing up your doors and turning on crossovers should make your doors sound pretty good. Don't be the guy with the stock front speakers/hu and $500 Kicker sub even for one day pls.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PJ1VL8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Equalizer:26$

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004TU5R1E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=A1FMHNVWMGI839

2 speakers: 46$

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004S4XNEO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_4&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Amp: 46$

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FKP7TY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Wiring: 16$


Would you mind reviewing this then? I know it's not going to make the ground shake, but it will be a lot better then an 86's stock audio, and it has room to upgrade.

Knukonceptz has better priced amp kits. Also get this to control your bass instead. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000UVWFPM?pc_redir=1405523451&robot_redir=1

Cool. Don't forget the amp wiring kit. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001F61R9Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1465058509&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=amp+wiring+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51xlATSDIHL&ref=plSrch

damn, if i knew i wouldnt have purchased 1 from amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ORMBA6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00