Hey everyone,

I'm looking to upgrade my non-bose R1 sound system with something a bit crisper sounding. After switching from a monster titanium catback to the more mellow RB duals, I find that I can now enjoy music while driving the FD. So, which speakers/head unit/sound equipment would you guys recommend? The car came equipped with Infinity Kappa separates (I dont know what this means) but it looks like there's are two extra speakers (tweeter sized) right near the top of the door. Also, the head unit (Blaupunkt) skips often because of the bumpy ride (coilovers, springs).

I'm not looking to blow down some doors with my overwhelming sound system, I just want something enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing. I'm looking to spend about $600 (+/- $100) on my sound system, so this is by no means crystal-clear sound. But music has been apart of my life (I play 2 instruments, music minor - hopefully), so I do have a discriminant ear.

Well, thanks for reading the long spiel. Throw those suggestions out on the table!

Chris

 

In a nutshell, "separates" (aka component speakers) means that the tweeter is "separated" from the woofer as opposed to them being integrated as with your typical coaxial speaker. The signal is split by a crossover (usually mounted in the door or under the dash) with high frequencies going to the tweeter, and the mid-bass and lows going to the woofer.

As for a source unit recommendation, IMO you shouldn't even bother as they ALL will skip with a stiff coilover suspension. But if you're looking to upgrade and want a clean, "aesthetically pleasing" deck, look into a Nakamichi CD-45 for about $300. The rest of your budget I would put into an amp for your separates, running at least 75x2 to really make them sing. Good inexpensive amp brands are Planet Audio, Crossfire, U.S. Acoustics, and ESX.