ok, i need to plop down the muulah and do this audio thing. my biggest concerns are

1. replacing the tweeters

2. replacing the front speakers

3. adding 1 or 2 10" subs to the back that can be removable



ONE - w/ the tweeters im gonna either go infinity or JBL, i believe those are two discussed on E boards that have proven to be a good solution and this greatly improves tweeter quality, considering Honda's are sh!t.

TWO - i have found that my favorite rock cds (i've been way too into electronic music lately) that i have been replaying sound horrible on what i thought was a decent factory system. Somebody called it right....way too much bass and high cymbal/drum sounds and not enough mid-range (mostly just the sound of guitar chords). So my rockin cds now sound like sh!t.

the reason why i am primarily focused on the front speakers is b/c i have messed w/ the audio settings and w/ the speakers on C - Center from back to front i feel that all the sound is coming from the front speakers (or all that i can hear). Does anyone agree? I have put the sound to be on R2 or R3 for powering the rear more so i have more of a "surround" sound going...but then I feel like the sound quality and energy from the factory system is lost and im definitely not impressed. So what's a good midrange sound speaker?

THREE - the last part is just my dream to have sub up front and one in the back. I want it and the xtra amp to be removable so that i can take it out if i need the space and still use the factory system w/ the few upgrades. But i will forego this operation if i can make some necessary improvements up front on the sound...which is all i need anyways b/c who am i trying to impress w/ this gear but myself (in the drivers seat)

any feedback is appreciated, any dont forget i dont know step 1 when it comes to car audio.

- Mike

I completely agree on the midrange/guitar issue. From what I've gathered, a good solution would be to replace the front speakers and tweeters with a component/tweeter set (it looks like Infinity makes a good set) and the rears with an integrated speaker/tweeter. Does this sound correct?

can you post a link to the 2/3 sets of speakers you're referring to? I'm not sure what you mean by component tweeter and integrated tweeter. i thought i would just be replacing the tweeters, and the 4 door speakers would just be standard 6 1/2" speakers by a good audio mfr. Now you're saying that the door speakers should have a tweeter built into them? consider me retarded. But i will do this install myself!

- Mike

There are two types of speaker systems. With component systems you usually have two separate speakers, a tweeter to handle the high notes and a mid range to handle the rest. The tweeter and the mid are mounted separately. In the element you'd put your tweeter in the A pillar and the mid in the door. The second type of system is sometimes called a full-range or a Co-axial. They've really just mounted the tweeter directly to the front of the mid so you're only dealing with one piece. In the element you'd probably put these in the rear. The practical differences between the two types is that you usually get better sound from components, they cost more and usually need more power. That isn't to say that you can't buy a good co-ax that's better than a lower quality component system. The most important thing is to go out and listen to different systems. It's hard to make direct comparisons but you'll figure out what you like after a while. There's a huge variation in how speakers sound. You might like something different than your buddies. It's just a matter of preference.

About speakers in the front vs. the rear - You will probably want to focus your efforts on the front speakers. When these sound good, the whole system sounds good. Think of going to a concert. The sound comes from in front of you. Use the same approach in your car. In a lot of higher-end systems the rear speakers are called "rear fill". That's what they do, they're just there to fill out the sound a bit, usually in the lower ranges so your attention is toward the front.

Don't rush into installing amps and subs for a bit. You'll make much better choices as you do some research and a lot of listening. There's a real good thread here someplace on what to replace in your Element's audio system and in what order.

I'm going to recommend the same thing eMass recommended to me - use the search function because a lot of the information you need has already been posted. You'll end up reading an awful lot of stuff and it does take some time but, trust me, it's well worth it. When I went through this exercise I ended up learning a lot more than I could have with someone feeding me bits and pieces in response to my questions.

Best of luck,

Steve

thanks steve, very helpful reply.

- Mike

I have the Infinity components (I think the 605 cs). The tweeters can get a little "tinny" at times. A silk tweeter may give you a little less of that. I balanced the pronounced highs with a 8" sub. This tends to balance the system well between the lows-mid-high ranges. I do prefer great clear highs. I have Klipsch speakers (with horn tweeters) for my home system. I've heard the Polks for the car and they sound awesome also. I want to hear crashing cymbals, hand screaches on acoustic guitars, etc... clearly and accurately.