Audio help for a beginner?
 

Hello everyone.. lets start off with the stats i guess you could call it.
I have a 370z 40th aniv with bose, no nav.
First i would like to say the bose is OK would like some better sound though..
what would you guys recommend doing changing? (speakers, amp, sub, tweeters, in dash dd, true gauge wire? etc) what should i change for better sound/bass overall? im not familiar with audio so i need as much help as i can get..
i would put a budget but this thread could also be useful to some other people.

All of the above, if budget allows, but I would start with line out converter, Amp and speakers. unless you're going balls to the wall, then trade L.O.C for processor.

For finding the best speakers, you usually have to rely on recommendations from other people - unless you can afford to buy and swap out a bunch of drivers/enclosures until you find the "right" ones. RonRizz and the other audio gurus should be able to point you in the right direction.

For speaker wiring, there is no need for high-dollar "boutique" wire. A good-quality, multi-strand wire works great for car audio and all but the most demanding home systems. You can find charts that tell what size wire to use for a certain power level. From an electrical standpoint, the bigger the wire (the less resistance) the better but you run into problems routing the wire if you go too big.

You're never going to get true high-fidelity in a car so get whatever sounds good to your ears.

I would start by changing the HU with something that has better EQ.

Like my pioneer sounds decent even with the base speakers.

so swap out the bose amp and bose speakers?? leave the sub? also what brands and what converter, amp and speakers would you recommend?

thank you =) like i said im a complete stranger to car audio so i need as much help as i can get.

Bose subs cannot handle any power so if you plan on upgrading remove the Bose system entirely. Get a good H/U and put some good components in. Hertz, Focal, Alpine, Pioneer. Get a decent size amp, 4 channel with a minimum of 50 watts RMS and a good sub. Also replace your 3-1/2's with better ones as well. You can rock out and not spend a ton of money in the process unless you want to.

so a complete overhaul. i figured it would have to happen from what people say about bose. If its ok me asking could you make a list of everything you would recommend getting. type of speakers, amp, sub, hu, tweets,?? brand name and type aswell that way i get an idea of what would be a good system to put in?

Our ears and tastes will be different therefore go to a audio shop and start listening and pick what you like. Get the best you can afford

The main problem you will have if you keep the Bose is that it uses a lot of non-standard parts - it's designed as a complete system, not mix-and-match parts. This can cause problems (eg, impedance mismatches) when you start adding in more conventional amps, speakers, eq, &c.

As far as specific brand/model recommendations, if you stick with the major brands, it's hard to go wrong. I like Tadpole's advice - let your ears be your guide. Keep in mind that it will not sound the same if you are not listening in a Z, but you should be able to get a good idea of which components sound best to your ears. Nowadays you can get good sound in a car without spending big bucks.

yea i understand and i thank you all for the great advice. i would just like to know what you guys recommend doing and what route i should take.. if you guys recommend a certain product then i can look into that and see if its something that i would like. that way im not walking into a store completely blind..

Head units are relatively easy to demo as they are widely available for you to walk into an audio shop and play with. I would recommend looking at Kenwood and Pioneer first.

Speakers can be a much more involved process as sound quality is so subjective and no shop could possibly carry or have available to demo all of your options. My personal preference is for Hertz but good luck finding a local dealer that doesn't have to special order them for you.

Before you even choose a sub you will have to sit down and think about what you want to achieve. Are you looking for the biggest boom you could get, or perhaps you want something a little more subtle? Are you prepared to trade trunk space for a sub box, or do need something more discreet? You will have to give the logistics of this some thought. Start your search with well known brands like JL and expand from there. Sometimes there are lesser known brands that can give you just as high a level of performance (or higher!) for less money.

Your selection of amps will be in part determined by the speakers that you choose since you will want to find one that will drive your speakers appropriately.

Hope this gives you some starting points to work with. Best of luck!

I can't make any specific suggestions since I haven't kept up with car audio for a few years. I don't spend a lot of time in my car and, when I do, I don't need a system that goes to 11 - ie, something like the Bose or other "high-end" OEM system is just what I need.

In general, for a small car like the Z you don't need a lot of power. 30-50W for hi- and mid-ranges and 250-500W for the sub should be plenty.
All I can tell you about speaker selection is repeat "get what sounds good to you." The speakers (driver(s) + enclosure) will make the most difference in how the system sounds and everybody's ears are different. For most people, any of the popular brands (see recommendations on this site and check out a few car-audio related sites) should work well. If the drivers are demoed in an enclosure, make sure you get the same enclosure for the car.

Here is my deck I currently have. Im not too fond of the blue but it has hands free phone and bluetooth and an awesome equalizer setup.

Alpine CDE-W235BT CD receiver at Crutchfield.com

Here are my 6 1/2 components. These are a good entry speaker and sound pretty good amped and tuned. I will be upgrading these soon to Hertz or Focals for more clarity but these speakers get pricey.
Alpine SXE-1750S | Custom Sounds

Here is my amp. Its installed underneath the passenger seat. Do not let the wattage fool you. Your ears will bleed with this cranked up. I dont even have the gain half way up and its painful. One awesome amp. Major thumbs up from me on this one!

Alpine MRV-F300 | Custom Sounds



I will be installing these 3 1/2's tomorrow actually. I will post up later on my thoughts of these.

C2-350x - Car Audio - Evolution® - C2 - Coaxial Systems - JL Audio

I purchased the JL Audio microsub. As you can see I am starting to realize to get the sound I want and like is costing me some money. I should see this next week and will also post my thoughts after installed and tuned. I will be using velcro to keep in secured in the hatch.

CP108LG-W3v3 - Car Audio - Subwoofer Systems - MicroSub

I hope this helps and I am looking for the right set up myself still. I have a good feeling though with the JL Audio setup in the rear and upgrade the components I will be finally set. Roughly $1000 bucks in all will get you an impressive system that you will happy with. Good luck in your search and go listen and get what you like!

lol this will take some time.. instead of asking about brands and what not let me ask this.. what size speakers and tweets would fit in the z touring?

Front components are 6-1/2 to 6-3/4. Rears are 3-1/2. I own a Base model so no Bose sub for me. You should really consider this micro sub as well. I upgraded my Bose to aftermarket on my 350Z and the sub enclosure vibrated/rattled pretty bad at higher volumes with the new sub I added. That poor Bose sub popped and cut off about a quarter of volume on the deck and amp I had installed so I had pretty much no choice but to upgrade the sub. Bose systems cannot handle wattage at all so dont waste your time in keeping any part of Bose in your car if you are upgrading.

Yeah i have been doing my research and almost everyone on here says its all crap. I do like that micro sub it looks to fit an 8" sub which is plenty bass for me now what i would like to know is where would the enclosure go? In the summer i do daily my z so i need as much trunk space as possible.

A lot of good advice flying around this thread. One thing I can tell you for sure, the bose sub absolutely has to go. that poor thing can barely take the few watts the bose system throws at it.
A hint of what your looking at budget-wise will go a long way to anyone pointing you in any kind of direction. I mean, were looking at many components all of which can run from $100 to well over $1000 each.

Well if i can spend $800-$1000 max for a good system i will be a happy camper.

I'll give it some thought, and throw a couple ideas your way

ok thank you i would really appreciate it. if this helps out.. im looking for a real crisp clean sound that gives good detail. also some bass would be nice but not over powering to the point were my heart feels like its going to pop out of my chest.. also no car shaking either lol..
also i listen to all types of music but mostly rock, alternative rap hip hop.

Keeping it in your budget range...
Head Unit Pioneer AVH X2600bt Crutchfield $260 8 channel eq built in bluetooth
Amp Alpine PDR-F50 4 channel Sonicelectronix $310 85watts x4 or 85x2 and 250x1
Components Image Dynamics CTX65CS Amazon $230
Sub Alpine SBR-S8-4 Amazon $150
$950 Gets you down the road smilin'

^ What he said! Our bose system is a basic set up. Anything you swap out is an upgrade. I like Strada, Dynaudio, and Focal for speakers. Audison, Mmats, McIntosh, Zapco for amps (if you can find a pristine condition Art series PPI, Phoenix Golds, 1st gen Xtant, or HCCA Orions go for it). Choosing components is the easy part. Killing noise is the hardest.

Don't forget to add good cables to your budget.

looks like a good setup. my question is where would the enclosure go and also if im doing a complete overhaul should i put in better speaker wires?

i was thinking about the cables aswell. they probably arnt all that great maybe what 16awg?

Sub enclosure should fit nicely on the parcel shelf behind either seat.
A decent quality 4 gauge amp wiring kit should have everything you need for amp and speaker wiring. You will need to get an extra set of rca cables to run back for subwoofer channels.
Most of the newer electronics today are far less likely to leave you with noise issues like they were in the past, and even a set of rca cables at the lower end of the spectrum has adequate shielding against noise induction.

I forgot to mention.... The alpine amp will fit behind the other seat

so it should be a nice clean setup then. is there a brand or type of gauge wire/ rca wires you recommend? also do i need brackets for the speakers seeing as they are 6.5?

DB Link makes some reasonably priced 4 gauge amplifier kits,
As for RCA's, scosche, stinger, and monster all make decent sets.
Try looking at amazon.... hundreds to choose from, and many reviews to read as well.

For the short runs involved (3-4'), you can go as small as 22 ga with 4 ohm speakers (search for speaker wire sizing for details) but I usually use 14 or 12 ga where space permits. Heavy-duty lamp cord (zip cord) works well and is a lot cheaper than the stuff that is labeled "speaker wire."

ok sounds good. do i need the adapter plates for the speakers and also the tweets do those go on the doors or dash?

I'm not sure if you need adapter plates or not, but the tweeter location is kind of personal preference. I tend to not like tweeters in the doors since it makes me feel like the soundstage is lower than I'm comfortable with. I run my tweeters in the dash (for now), but if I'm not mistaken Ron runs a set of his tweeters in the doors.

I didn't have an opportunity to get around to it with this year's install but in a perfect world I would run them in the A-pillars.

Also: when looking for wiring kits beware of cheap no-name brands on Amazon and Ebay. Some of them are probably fine, but there are some companies out there that do shady things like include the wire insulation in their wire gauge.

ok and thanks for the heads up, ill look out for that.

You will need the plates, and given the fact that tweeter position does have a lot to do with preference, as well as processing abilities, I would suggest trying yours in the dash first.
I do have mine in the doors, and quite low as well, but with full processing capability, was able to overcome those inherent issues to suit my personal tastes. I did, however, add a set to my a pillars, and crossed them at 12.5k to raise my stage to satisfy a few judges ears at shows. (personally I think its more a psychological thing) but they seem to enjoy seeing them up there.
For the casual listener, the dash is typically a great spot, even though it is farther from the woofer than recommended.

ok is there a certain plate i should go with??

oh and also you didnt list speakers for the rear so i figured i would go with same brand. im guessing i will need plated for these aswell seeing as the rears are 3.5 and also if i add the 4" will it fit on the amp with sub and 2 fronts+ the tweeters Amazon.com : CTX 4 - Image Dynamics 4" 2-Way Speakers with Silk Tweeters : Vehicle Speakers : Electronics

I didn't forget....lol. I haven't used rear speakers in a car for 20+ years. Simple fact is, you don't need them. I have never been to a concert, or symphony, where there were speakers behind me. That being said, many are stuck on putting them back there, and that's their choice. I won't hate on it.... My suggestion to you is this.... When installing the head unit and amp, run 2 sets of speaker wire to the back in case you decide to put a set in there, you can run them off head unit power, and go with a direct fit 3.5" speaker. no muss, no fuss.
If you are dead set on having them back there, by all means, put them in right away, you can always control with the fader to on/off.

oh i didnt know that and to be quite honest with you i never knew there were speakers behind me untill i started reading up on it yesterday lmfao!:happydance:

Ron i also want to know i have never done anything with audio in a car so this will be my first time doing it.. do you think the install will be easy or should i just bring the car to an audio shop and have them install it? If its an easy install ill do it myself..

I'm at the shop right now getting my 3-1/2's installed. I prefer not ripping out panels myself and am getting older so it's worth it for me to pay someone to do this. If you have the ability and patience I say go for it. If you don't take it to the shop. The 3-1/2's are needing some modifications for fitment so I'm glad I did.