Sound System

[mknack]

I am looking to replace my stereo and speakers out of my 2000 xj. I would like to get a stereo unit that I can plug my ipod/iphone into and control it from the deck. I would also like it to be possibly satellite capable and be of high quality. I know that there are so many choices out there and I dont have any real background with audio electronics, so I have no idea what is best.

Second, I really want to get some great speakers. I dont know what will fit into the stock locations without too much fabrication. I know the rear speakers in the roof are pretty limited by design. Anything that has good range with some decent bass would be nice.

Any help with suggestions or setups that have worked for you would be helpful.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

I had alpine type S 5.25's in the doors and rear soundbar when my XJ still had an interior and it sounded great. the biggest thing is to not mix and match speakers unless you know what you're doing, stick with the same brand all around and run them off a decent head unit. look at the features of head units that run in the 120-150$ range and you'll be in good shape. You'll get better sound out of decent speakers by running a small 4 channel amp as well, a lot of nice speakers sound like crap if they aren't being driven hard enough by the head unit's internal amp.

 

[Doc Holliday]

x2 on Alpine, have always used their speakers and subs, price is pretty good and they sound great. I like buying my car audio from www.crutchfield.com you can plug in your vehicle and it will show you all the speakers and head units that will fit, along with possible modifications to make slightly larger speakers fit. And if you buy from them, they have excellent customer service if you run into any problems while installing.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

walmart sourced pioneer for everything.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

another spot to check is www.sonicelectronix.com , sometimes they're quite a bit cheaper than anywhere else (not always though). Between them and amazon you can get a pretty good deal. Crutchfield's customer service IS top notch, I've used them in the past. not always the cheapest though.

 

[jeepboy381]

For a head unit I highly recomend the Kenwood Excelon KDCX995, my wife and I each have this deck and it is the best one I have ever had of many decks and brands. Built in HD radio, hands free phone kit built in, bluetooth, Pandora Radio, Ipod/Iphone control, 4 volt amp preouts, and the list goes on. I had the KDCX993 before and this unit blows it out of the water!

If you want great sounding speakers you need component speakers, "tweeters mount seperatly from the woofers." You can fit 6.5 inch speakers in the front doors, and in the rear headliner speakers you can easily fit a 6.5 inch speaker or with a little more work make 6X9's even fit. It really comes down to what you want to spend. I bought my Jeep with Sony explode speakers in it and was very suprised by them. They have good bass and sound really good for a cheap speaker. I would go to your local stores and listen to what they have and pick what you like. A amp will make your system sound cleaner and play louder without distortion but if your buying cheaper coaxial speakers and no subwoofer I would run the speakers off your headunit.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

I have a MTX 4 channel amp I am not using, works great for aftermarket speakers.

 

[mknack]

Thanks for al the replies! I will definitely check out the crutchfield website. I am trying to save a little money, but customer service is always a plus to spend a little more. I am not trying to go overboard, but I really would like a nice system that sounds great. I have the Sony Xplod speakers installed now and I have not been very happy with them. There is a lot of distortion early on in the range. I know its probably due to a crappy head unit and no amp, but I am going to upgrade that too, so I figured I will go all the way and get everything done. I will keep everyone posted on how this goes.

 

[Fryphax]

Having experience working in the mobile electronics field, and years of personal experience I will also recommend Alpine products. Their head units are top notch and hold up for a long time. I know many people who are still using decks they bought 5+ years ago.

Kenwood head units are decent head units, until they die. In my experience a Kenwood unit is only good for ~2 years.

Alpine or MTX are the speaker brands that I would suggest to you as well.

Crutchfield is an excellent place to order from, especially if you are a beginner. You may pay a little more but the free installation gear and top notch customer service/installation help is worth a couple extra dollars in my opinion.

Edit: Sony Xplod is one of the worst brands in mobile electronics.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

Having experience working in the mobile electronics field, and years of personal experience I will also recommend Alpine products. Their head units are top notch and hold up for a long time. I know many people who are still using decks they bought 5+ years ago.

I'm one of them, I have an alpine CDA-9815 that I picked up used 5 years ago and it's been in 3 different vehicles including my desert xj so subject to dust and vibration, you name it. still works just as good as the day i bought it, it's now in my daily driver and I am still surprised at how well it's holding up.