Hey there...<br>I would like to do 6 new speakers, two in the dash and the rest in the doors, no fancy subs and then add an amp to step up what the stock head unit puts out.<br><br>I am not a real audio buff so need some help understanding the components I should use.<br>I am just looking for the same or better sound that came from my 02 Ram QC Infinity.<br>My current system in the 03 is just a 4 speaker non infinity.<br><br>I have been told my Standard CD player is the same as the Infinity's but I am concerned about the Radio portion because I listen to 80% FM and 20% CD's. Don't want to drop allot of bucks on components only to learn that the Radio still won't sound as good as my 02 Infinity did.<br><br>Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

I've never heard the Infinity, but I'm well pleased with what I did to mine. I put in a Pioneer cd player and an amp and subs under the back seat. I thought the four factory speakers would need to be upgraded, but the stereo store said the factory ones in these trucks really aren't that bad. The Pioneer stereo has a built in crossover which allows you to take the bass out of the factory speakers. Taking the bass out really helps the factory speakers come alive. An RCA cable goes to the amp and the subs now handle the bass. <br><br>The Pioneer also has an equalizer, so you have infinite settings to make the sound the way you want it. The Pioneer also came with a remote which I velcroed to the top of my console. I just lay my hand on it and never have to reach for the stereo controls.<br><br>This is just my 2 cents worth. I'm sure there's lots of other opinions on here. A reputable stereo shop can show you all the new options like mp3, satelitte, etc. Aftermarket stereos offer a lot of options.<br><br>Good luck!

 

Start by throwing out the factory head unit it doesn't make enough clean power to run a good component set. Get yourself a good component set and mount it in the doors. When I say good you get what you pay for. Stick to JL/Focal/Audiobahn/blaupunkt/alpine/pioneer. Then get a 2 way set for the rear. Now find a head unit make sure you get a good one here as well the more features ususally the better tuneable to your liking. <br><br>On a side not Im selling my personal head unit. Posted is a pic<br>its an alpine CVA1005 with MP3/CD changer.<br>

 

I took out all the Infinity stuff and basically abandoned that system in place. I installed a Pioneer deck, two Pioneer 160 watt 6x9's in the front doors, 2 Pioneer 120 watt 6 1/2's in the rear doors, hooked up the stock Infiniy tweeters through a base blocker, installed an 8 disc CD changer under the driver seat, a 10 inch DVC bandpass on the back seat, and a Crossfire 400 watt to drive the four and a Crossfire 300 watt to drive the DVC. The amps are both under the passenger seat. Anyone that has heard mine says it rocks. It won't vibrate the truck across the parking lot like some of those little rice rockets will but the sound quality is superb I think.<br><br>OOPS, sorry, I just remembered you didn't want to do all of this. I tried the pieces parts thing and was never satisfied so I went all the way. There is a pic of my amps in my photo album in dieseldue4x4's pics and hobbies.<br><br>DD4X4

 

I ripped the stock infinity stuff out. My setup is....<br><br>Stock head unit<br>Infinity Kappa 6x9 2ways in the front doors.<br>Infinity 6.5 reference seperates in the rear doors.<br>Driven by a nice Eclipse amp.<br><br>Sounds good to me.

 

[quote author=StakeMan link=board=10;threadid=16233;start=0#152495 date=1056402608]<br>I ripped the stock infinity stuff out. My setup is....<br><br>Stock head unit<br>Infinity Kappa 6x9 2ways in the front doors.<br>Infinity 6.5 reference seperates in the rear doors.<br>Driven by a nice Eclipse amp.<br><br>Sounds good to me.<br>[/quote]<br><br>Sounds like my speed, did you do it yourself?

 

Jamie Attridge, dieseldude4x4 and tishmael …. Sounds like awesome systems, thanks for the info, don’t think I will go all that far with my truck though- who knows??

 

Thats cool. There's a place out there called Crutchfields if I remember right. They are very good to talk to and are willing to help you design whatever you want. They know what it takes to mix the old and the new to get a good system.<br><br>DD4X4

 

yep. Pulled new speaker wire too. The stock wire is to weak.

 

[quote author=StakeMan link=board=10;threadid=16233;start=0#152661 date=1056432079]<br>yep. Pulled new speaker wire too. The stock wire is to weak.<br>[/quote] What about the amp, was that a pretty straight forward cut &amp; splice at the Head unit or are there aftermarket amps that have plug-n-play connectors too!?

 

[quote author=dieseldude4x4 link=board=10;threadid=16233;start=0#152648 date=1056429468]
Thats cool. There's a place out there called Crutchfields if I remember right. They are very good to talk to and are willing to help you design whatever you want. They know what it takes to mix the old and the new to get a good system.

DD4X4
[/quote]Thanks for the info once again, I did a search on that name and found
www.crutchfield.com
Lots of good info there!

 

Yep, that's them. They are one of the few places that will take the time to talk to you whether you want to buy a wire connector or a $2000 stereo set up. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.<br><br>DD4X4

 

For starters, I've heard DD4X4's sound system and it does Rock. It's a little much for me but way cool none the less.<br><br>I bought my head unit from Crutchfields as well and was super happy with them. The day I installed it I couldn't get any sound, called thier Tech line and within 5 minutes had it rockin. They are really great to deal with and the prices aren't bad either. 8) I'm still listening to the factory Infinity crap speakers, but soon I want to get some nice 6X9's and some 6 1/2 inchers for the door, and a little amp to push them all, and Crutchfield is where I'm going. <br><br>I wish I wouldn't have paid the extra $650 for that junk factory setup and done it all when I bought the truck. :<br><br>DB

 

I never understood buying the factory hi end systems (had the infinty gold system in my 96 intrepid ........replaced it all)<br><br>for 650 dollars I could buy a decent head unit and 2 pairs of decent coax's run em off the deck and thery'd sound better than the infinity system <br><br>

 

Here's what I think is some good advice.<br><br>Speakers: Before you buy any speakers, go somewhere and listen to them. Specs on a page can only tell you so much, and everyone's ears are different. I have Polk DX3065's in the front of my truck, they're a 6 1/2&quot; component set, with silk dome tweeters that retailed when new for about $300. I listened to some of the other higher-end brands like MB Quart, Diamond Audio, Memphis, and some others that were in the range of $300-$350/pair, and to me many of them sounded like crap. Many of these manufacturers are now using aluminum tweeters which give a new meaning to the word &quot;bright.&quot; To my ears, harsh and grating would be a better description. Since the speakers produce the sound you listen to, they are by far the most important and personal choice. <br><br>Ampifiers: It's not necessary to have thousands of watts of amplifier power to push your speakers if you choose wisely. Most speaker manufacturers publish a sensitivity rating that tells you the sound pressure level at a certain distance at a certain power. The higher the rating, the more efficient the speaker, and the less power required to produce acceptable sound from it. My system has 3 amps with ~300 watts worth of amplication. ~50w/ch on the front, 20w/ch on the rear, 150w mono on the sub. Not much compared to what some people run, but I'll guarantee that it's loud enough to be uncomfortable in the cab if I turn it all the way up.