do i need to rewire car
10-18-2008, 01:09 PM
#1
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do i need to rewire car hey im looking to update my stereo sys. i have a 02 ss with a monsoon factory. i was thinking of changing out the head unit plus amp and speakers. a completly new system. is this possible, is the factory wiring harness for the speakers reusable, or do i need to rewire everything. this isnt my first time hooking up equipment but it has been ahwile. plus the factory alarm and other crap they put in there. ive been reading most of posts on here i even tried a search(maybe i worded it wrong) but i didnt see the answer i was looking for. my monsoon still works ok except the sail panel speakers. thank you for any and all replies, jim
10-18-2008, 03:11 PM
#2
You can do the head unit and speakers without rewiring but if you go with an aftermarket amp you will have to rewire the entire audio system.
Replacing the head unit is easy...pick the one you like with the features you want, get a mounting kit, wiring harness adapter, and antenna adapter then just install it like you would in any other car.
The speakers will require a little more thought behind their selection if you're keeping the Monsoon amp. That's because the Monsoon speaker setup is somewhat non-standard. The doors in your Camaro have component speakers that are mounted together like a coaxial speaker. The sail panels have 2-ohm subs that only get bass signal from the amp (so you can't replace them with full range speakers). Check with Kee Audio (sponsor here) - he has some speaker kits designed specifically to work well with the Monsoon amp.
Replacing the head unit is easy...pick the one you like with the features you want, get a mounting kit, wiring harness adapter, and antenna adapter then just install it like you would in any other car.
The speakers will require a little more thought behind their selection if you're keeping the Monsoon amp. That's because the Monsoon speaker setup is somewhat non-standard. The doors in your Camaro have component speakers that are mounted together like a coaxial speaker. The sail panels have 2-ohm subs that only get bass signal from the amp (so you can't replace them with full range speakers). Check with Kee Audio (sponsor here) - he has some speaker kits designed specifically to work well with the Monsoon amp.
10-19-2008, 10:06 AM
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thank you for the reply. i guess my next question would be is it worth keeping the factory amp and replacing just the head unit and speakers. i pulled my system out of my 83 z/28 before i sold it. it was a custom box that fit in the rr well with 12 inch jl audio subs, a couple of amps. i would pick out a new head unit the one in that car is a pioneer 7000 series and it is rather outdated. when i ran a vis on my car it says it came with an 8 speaker system, i only see 6. where would the others be hiding, sorry im not trying to be lazy by not looking. after my accident its hard for me to look around the car. thanks again for all and any help
10-19-2008, 03:33 PM
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I think the reason it says 8 is because of the component style speakers in the doors. Im not possitive on this, just going by what the other reply said. They are probably counting the tweeter and woofer as two separate speakers.
10-19-2008, 04:01 PM
#6
If you are rewiring the speakers I would reccommend to rewire the car. Also of you want the quality in upgrading your speakers upgrade the amp to fit the ohms to the new speaker if want good quality sound. You did not say what type of upgrades you are doing but I rewired my car with Alpine speakers all around with subs in the rear. Used oxygen free wire 18 gauge wire for the front and rear speaker and used 4 gauge for the subs with a alpine head unit love it. Total change from the stock system.
10-19-2008, 05:13 PM
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If you are rewiring the speakers I would reccommend to rewire the car. Also of you want the quality in upgrading your speakers upgrade the amp to fit the ohms to the new speaker if want good quality sound. You did not say what type of upgrades you are doing but I rewired my car with Alpine speakers all around with subs in the rear. Used oxygen free wire 18 gauge wire for the front and rear speaker and used 4 gauge for the subs with a alpine head unit love it. Total change from the stock system.
i dont know how major you are going to go, but i ALWAYS have used at least 14 ga. to speakers and ALWAYS 12 ga. to the subs.
the cost between the difference is so minimal and if you are running anything serious (i will be running ~150 RMS x 4 in my car and ~1500 RMS to the sub. if you go with anything near what i will be pushing dont leave a single inch of stock speaker wiring.
as far as power wire, check how many amps (electrical amps, not amplifiers) your amplifiers will need. odds are you will be needing bigger than a single 4 if going with a sub and 4 channel amp.
for good deals on power wire and RCA jacks if replacing the whole system, check out knukonceptz site. good quality power wire and an awesome price.
Last edited by impaled; 10-19-2008 at 05:15 PM. Reason: left something out...
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10-20-2008, 07:11 AM
#9
Speaker (or amp) impedance has nothing to do with sound quality - it only affects power output. For example, running 4-ohm speakers on a 2-ohm stable amp will cut the power to the speaker by half which results in a 3dB drop in volume (everything else being equal). That 3dB drop is noticeable but nowhere near half the volume - it takes a power change factor of 10 to double volume. You'd have to replace 2-ohm speakers with 20-ohm speakers to cut the volume in half. And if the 4-ohm speakers are 3dB more efficient (sensitive) than the 2-ohm ones then there would be no decrease in volume.
10-20-2008, 07:17 AM
#10
The factory power is quite sufficient to run the head unit. The number of speakers connected to it is irrelevant - the internal amp in the head unit will only produce 208 watts total into whatever number of speakers you connect.
10-20-2008, 07:59 AM
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i am pretty sure that the 52 watts is a peak rating, and just shy of guarentee that the RMS wattage is 22.5-25. the peak numbers really dont mean much, its the RMS that counts during normal running/listening.
10-20-2008, 08:44 AM
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ok cool thanks for all the info. i didnt see an answer to this. what about the factory alarm are there any surprises i should look out for (this is going the total rewire route) is there any thing else tied to the factory system. as far as new equipment its been about ten years since i really looked into anything serious, i put a new stereo in my 77 vette.
10-20-2008, 10:49 AM
#13
Many newer vehicles include other functions in the head unit such as audible chimes, OnStar, alarm systems, etc. The Monsoon system has none of these. It's just a plain ordinary Delco head unit connected to an external amp and specifically matched speakers. You can replace the head unit without affecting any other system in the car (including the alarm).
10-20-2008, 02:11 PM
#14
Yes, unless you add an external amp, you would only have to rewire the speakers.
The factory power is quite sufficient to run the head unit. The number of speakers connected to it is irrelevant - the internal amp in the head unit will only produce 208 watts total into whatever number of speakers you connect.
The factory power is quite sufficient to run the head unit. The number of speakers connected to it is irrelevant - the internal amp in the head unit will only produce 208 watts total into whatever number of speakers you connect.
That means buying a 300 watt speaker is usless since i will only use 52 watt per channel. (i will be connecting my speakers direct from the head unit).
10-20-2008, 02:31 PM
#15
That's correct. Unless you plan to add external amplification sometime down the road, installing a 300W speaker will not only waste money but it will probably hurt performance. Most higher power speakers have minimum power requirements along with their higher maximums. Sony head units that produce 52W peak power per channel only produce 17W continous (RMS) per channel and it's likely that the 17W won't be enough to effectively drive a 300W speaker.
10-20-2008, 02:45 PM
#16
well for the front and middle speakers im sure i will not use an amp.
i will replace the 2 front and 2 middle speaker alonge with the HU and put in 2 sub woofers and sub amp and see how it gose.
if i felt that its not enough i will add a 6x9 3-Way speakers in the hatch alonge with an internal amp.
i will replace the 2 front and 2 middle speaker alonge with the HU and put in 2 sub woofers and sub amp and see how it gose.
if i felt that its not enough i will add a 6x9 3-Way speakers in the hatch alonge with an internal amp.
10-20-2008, 02:55 PM
#17
Oval speakers will not give the same sound quality as an equivalent round speaker, you will have to make significant modifications to make a 6x9 fit in the hatch area, and you don't want all that sound coming from behind you anyway.
You would be far better off concentrating on getting the best possible sound from the door speakers and possibly the sail panel speakers. The hatch area should be rear fill only (if installed at all).
10-20-2008, 03:41 PM
#18
Not a good idea (unless you're adding an 8-track player as well - 6x9s were very popular in the 70s).
Oval speakers will not give the same sound quality as an equivalent round speaker, you will have to make significant modifications to make a 6x9 fit in the hatch area, and you don't want all that sound coming from behind you anyway.
You would be far better off concentrating on getting the best possible sound from the door speakers and possibly the sail panel speakers. The hatch area should be rear fill only (if installed at all).
Oval speakers will not give the same sound quality as an equivalent round speaker, you will have to make significant modifications to make a 6x9 fit in the hatch area, and you don't want all that sound coming from behind you anyway.
You would be far better off concentrating on getting the best possible sound from the door speakers and possibly the sail panel speakers. The hatch area should be rear fill only (if installed at all).
wouldn`t i have loud and clear sound with my HU and some good speakes directly connected ?
10-20-2008, 03:56 PM
#19
It depends on what you mean by "loud". The head unit should power the speakers to sufficient volume for all but teenage ears. The advantage of adding an amp would be that you gain more head room - you can achieve the same level of volume without having to turn the volume control up as much and possibly starting to get distortion. If you normally listen at "normal" levels (louder than a conversation but less than the threshold of pain) then the head unit alone should be sufficient. Try it...you can always add an amp later if you find you need it.