Audio in a FC: Should I swap
 

out the factory wires? I am going to be putting in a nice stereo in my FC as soon as I find an rx7. I don't know a lot about audio and was wondering if it would be a good idea to replace all the speaker wire and related stuff. Cuz the car is going to be 14+ years old and I'm thinking that the old wire may make my good audio stuff sound bad. Is this necessary and how much do u think an audio shop would charge?

If you have done stereo installs before and know what your doing, then yes, replace all the wires. Most guys just use the existing wiring harness for their decks/speakers, but RX-7's are notorious for having shitty electrical systems that glitch and stuff, plus the car is 14 yrs old like you said.

Replace them all. The extra 30 minutes of time spent is definitely worth the reliability of new wiring, and the feeling of KNOWING it won't mess up. Also, you get a chance to put better quality wires in, with the proper gauge of thickness for your application.

If you are just putting in a cd player, but nothing else, then don't bother. If you are putting in speakers and/or amps/subs, then definitely replace them all.

I'd say go with the stock wiring. I recommend you check out www.crutchfield.com as there quality is EXCELLENT. They sell the harness adapters, proper radio mounting kit, spacers for the rear to fit 6.5" or 8" speakers, foam bezzles for any "open air" applications (under dash, rear shock towers), and the oddball sized 4" under dash speakers. They have all the sizing info you need. Just be sure they verify which speakers will fit in your door speaker pods, and if you'll need a spacer.

If your planning to add a sub, weight should be on your mind. Try getting a competition grade 8" kicker solobarix and matching box (sp??). I think that will give you good SPL (bass volume), small size, effeciency, and low weight.

Those boxes mount in the hatch corner so nicely.

BTW - get crutchfield's free quarterly catalogs. They ARE SWEET!!! and free.

The front speakers have inline amps. If you put in a 'high-power' head unit, you may risk frying the amps/speakers. You have to bypass the amps completely. Depending on the model RX7, you can have seperate amps for the rear speakers, door speakers, and headrest speakers.

there's no need to bypass the preamps that came with the car. my car had the preamps on the front and read speakers, and i wired my speakers right into them. they are only 10 watts or something like that, and ive had them hooked up for about 4 years with no problem. My head unit puts out 52 watts per channel, plus each of the 10 watt preamps, running into Sony Xplod 6 1/2 three way speakers, both in the front and back. I also have a 600 watt Kenwood amp that is used strictly to power a 12 inch JL W0 sub. I still used all the original wires and everything. I can assure you, my stereo is very balanced, and louder than shit.

hey, those of you that have subs... where did you mount what kind of box in the back? i'm thinking i want a sub, but i don't know where to put it... i've seen a box put between the shock towers, but i don't want one there... the thing i'm thinking about is putting subs in where the storage bins are... but then, i don't get to use the bins... so where do you guys have your subs??

depends on how much "stuff" your putting in. a basic reference is this....you could compare your wires to plumbing/pipes..the sound being the water..and the wires are what carries this..if you are going to be pushing alot of power then those old rusted up pipes wont be good at all..lots of corrosion and stuff could be going on..but if your just putting in a new head unit and some speakers that are lower quality to mid quality...then the wires will do. best bet though is if youve spent hundreds on your sound..why push it through those tiny old wires? spend another couple of dollars and get some good wires..at higher volumes it will be noticeable.

i got a reallllllllllllllly big stereo, because i like my shit to be LOUD!! i got a pioneer headunit, pioneer DSP (digital signal processor), pioneer 6.5's in the doors, infinity kappa's in the towers ( soon to be replaced with pioneer's) and JBL GT 4's under the dash...plus 4 1" pioneer tweeters, and 3 pioneer 10" dvc subs in a sealed box...this all is run by a soundstream rubicon 405 amp...it sounds AMAZING!! every wire has been ripped out and replaced...but then again, you might not be going as extensive as me ;)

I'm not sure where you have your subs mounted, but I'd suggest you fire them rearward, leaving only a couple inches between the woofers and your spare tire compartment. I gained a good 3-6 DB this way over facing them forward, with minimal SQ loss. I found wiring the subs out-of-phase to be helpful as well.

Also, You might want to try running without the rears. When I had my rears in, I got huge sound cancellation with the front speakers. Also, the little 4"s pointing at my knees didn't do much, either--so I got rid of those, too.

Just be careful, sometimes adding more isn't necessarly better. Did you play around with it at all? What'd you find?

edit:
About replacing wires--I did it, and you might as well, if only for future possibilities. I suggest you steer yourself toward http://www.partsexpress.com to find some good wire. I got 50' of 12 gauge speaker wire for $20-25. They sell a good deal of quality, inexpensive stuff, and shipping has always been very quick.

Eric

you can put subs in the storage bins, after sealing them and putting some plexiglass or something over them. you probably need to use free air subs though. I have one 12" in a sealed box, which is mounted between the shock towers all the way in the back. Doenst really get in the way of much, and it sounds good. I havent seen anyone put subs in the bins, i know people have though. i wanted to do it, but this solution was much easier at the time.

anyone know offhand if an Infinity Basslink will fit in the rear storage compartment?

Go run outside, and measure your storage compartment. Then look here to see if the basslink will fit:

http://www.infinitysystems.com/carau...er=BSL&Cat=SUB

Eric

anyone have pics of subs in the storage bins??

http://www.onr.com/user/rgault/rx-sub.htm

There's a good writeup on mounting subs in your storage bins for anyone who is interested!

actually, my subs are facing rearward about 6 inches from the spare :) but yes, i have everythign set almost PERFECTLY with my DSP (digital signal processor)...when going big or going for QUALITY i would def recommend a dsp...*hugs his dsp* :grin:

if i rewired should i just rip out the factory preamps?

how did you fit 6.5 inches in the FRONT and back?
Do 8"fit in the back as well?

I think everyone puts larger speakers(5.25", 6.5") in the doors up front.