Daniel Massaad

Hi All!

I’m looking to upgrade the sound in my 25th Anniversary TA. I know it’s similar to the monsoon setup but I’m not sure the slight differences.

Im looking to upgrade all the speakers including the HU. I know KEE Audio used to sell CDT replacement package. Anything out there like that anymore?

If not what would you recommend for the fronts, sails and hatch? I don’t really have a budget but I also don’t need a comp setup. I read the other thread discussing the sails but the only kicker comps I could find were 6.75 I know the factory are 6.5 so I was unsure the fit.

Any help would greatly be appreciated

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

The 10-speaker premium system used in 93-96 Firebirds is much the same as the Monsoon system used in later models. The biggest difference is that the amp is used to power only the sail panel subs whereas the Monsoon amp powers all speakers except the front and rear tweeters. The older system amp is located in the right sail panel below the right side sub while the Monsoon amp is located under the hatch trim panel next to the spare tire. Other than that, the two systems are nearly identical.

To get the most sound improvement with either system, replace the head unit with a good aftermarket one. The factory HU produces a lot of distortion even at moderate volume levels and that kills speakers.

Kee Audio is still in business although they don't sponsor these forums anymore. The same speakers they sell for Monsoon systems will work in your 10-speaker system. The sail panel subs are the only unusual speakers in the system - they're dual voice coil - otherwise the rest of the speakers are fairly standard component pieces.

Daniel Massaad

Awesome info thanks for the reply! I will probably go with KEE audio.

One question on the front components. Since it is already is setup with components would I just use the existing wiring harness or use the new cross over as well?

Thanks again

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

You should use the factory wiring. It already has a high pass filter inline in the tweeter wiring. You could use a crossover but you'd have to change the factory wiring a little to add connections from the crossover to the speakers. That's not particularly difficult but why bother when you already have existing wiring and filtering to do the job? If it was a high powered, high fidelity sound system I might be tempted to go with the crossover which is presumably matched to the speaker elements... but with only head unit power (and not the greatest sound quality output at that), it hardly seems worth it.

Daniel Massaad

Makes sense! I really appreciate your help and direction with this.

PeterGriffin

Sorry for the necrothread revive but I'm in a similar boat with my '94; I've already replaced the head unit with an Alpine single DIN HU and prompted shredded at least one of my door speakers which I figured was likely with an almost 25 year old speaker...! I was looking at the Kee audio upgrades but wasn't sure if they'd work with a non-Monsoon system so I appreciate the info WhiteBird00! My concern at this point is if using that 25-year old amp with brand new speakers is a good idea, or if I should just bypass it and run a separate amp off my new Alpine HU with "traditional" speakers...

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Whether to continue with the factory amp or aftermarket equipment is a decision you should make based on what you want out of your stereo system and how much of a budget you have. The factory amp will handle new speakers without any problems so if you're happy with the sound then that would be the way to go. In fact, the new speakers will improve the sound quality noticeably. That and the Alpine aftermarket head unit should make a significant difference in sound quality over the factory system.

On the other hand, these cars really take aftermarket sound systems well so if you want more from your sound system then the only limit is your budget. The shape of the hatch really boosts bass so even a modest subwoofer can produce big bass. Plus amplifying the other speakers (besides the sail panels) will give you bigger sound. It's all a matter of how much you want to spend.

I would try the new speakers with the factory amp first and see if you like the sound or if you want more. The speakers can still be used if you decide to upgrade to an aftermarket system so it's not a wasted purchase.

PeterGriffin

Thanks for your response WhiteBird00, I appreciate it! One of my biggest concerns over using the factory amps is how the signal is split with low frequency, etc. and didn't wanna throw what Crutchfield told me to in each speaker location just because they fit, which is why I figured the Kee system would work best with those (although I'm somewhat nervous about their responsiveness to emails and that they're banned from here honestly). I'm way older now than the 20-something year old kid I was when this car was new and with that being said I'm not looking for earth shaking bass, just clear/tight and the ability to go a lil loud is fine with me. I'd prefer to just replace the speakers for around $400 +/- and be done with it. My musical "taste" is rather eclectic and all over the place but these days I listen to podcasts as much as actually music and I'd rather spend my mod money on wheels/tires, suspension and building out the motor/transmission!

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Don't worry about the banned status - that's just the way that the forum handles former sponsors who are no longer paying to sponsor the forum. It's to keep a forum sponsor from continuing to promote their products without paying for the privilege to do so. It is no reflection on their behavior or reliability. Kee Audio is a sole proprietor who has a full time job and a family and does the audio stuff in his spare time so it can sometimes take a while to get a response. But if you look around this section, you will find that Ian Kee is almost universally respected for his knowledge and customer service. And once you get a hold of him, he will take all the time you need to explain and make sure you get the best equipment for your needs.

As far as the speaker configuration, really the only oddball is the dual voice coil subs in the sail panels. The doors are rather standard 6.5" component sets and the hatch area is just smaller separate components. If Crutchfield is recommending anything other than DVC subs for the sail panels then they are wrong but otherwise they are generally a good source of information.

NOTE: Any Camaro owners reading this should know that the Camaro system is quite different. The Camaro Monsoon system uses different speaker configurations and the earlier (93-96) premium system was Bose with completely different equipment.

PeterGriffin

Understood and I meant no disrespect to Ian whatsoever; I've done a bit of research and I was feeling pretty confident that he has the best solution to getting the most for your money out of these systems where Crutchfield (who I've done quite a bit of business with not so coincidentally) is more of "if it fits it'll work" solution which is not as an effective use of my hard earned money!

PeterGriffin

I fired off an email to Ian who got right back to me and apparently my non-Monsoon 10-speaker system is identical to what the Camaros use. Apparently there's a small amp for the sail panel subwoofers only and in my case the Kee Camaro level 2 system sounds (pun intended!) like what I'm looking for.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Well, yes and no. I think what he meant is that both the Camaro and Firebird can use the speaker sets he sells (he planned them that way) but they are nowhere near identical. For example, Firebirds have dual voice coil 4-ohm subs in the sail panel while Camaro Monsoon systems have single voice coil 2-ohm subs there. Fortunately, 4-ohm DVC subs can be wired with the voice coils in parallel to produce a net 2-ohm impedance so the same speaker can be used in either vehicle by just wiring differently. Similarly, the door speakers on a Camaro are components that have the tweeter mounted coaxially in the middle of the woofer. Ian sells "convertible" component speakers in his kit that allow the tweeter to be mounted coaxially for use in Camaros or independently for use in Firebirds. It's a very elegant solution for covering both models.

PeterGriffin

Gotcha! Thanks for expounding on that and clearing it up...