candlelit

iTrader: (21)

I will soon be installing a factory Monsoon cd player in my 98 TA.
It looks as though the previous owner installed two Diamond Audio Technology (M5 series) amps in the car. I have no idea what they are, or even if they work.

I will be buying new speakers, but I don't know whether I want aftermarket speakers or Monsoon speakers (so it'll work good with the head-unit). Can I install a couple of Alpine 6.5" speakers up front and stock Monsoon speakers on the rest? Will the sound quality be any better than having all Monsoon speakers? I assume I will be buying the stock Monsoon amp since I have no idea about those Diamond amps. If I install a mix of aftermarket speakers & Monsoon speakers, do I need to use different wiring?

candlelit

iTrader: (21)

no responses yet...

95bat

iTrader: (1)

I believe all of your questions can be answered in the FAQ and also by searching for 5 minutes

candlelit

iTrader: (21)

I believed so too, but not necessarily. Everything I have found is indirect. About the best word I have seen so far through searches is the monsoon h/u works best with it's own speakers, for quality. But, I have not heard anything about monsoon h/u with aftermarket speakers/amps.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

First of all, you're probably not getting many responses because nobody in here can believe anyone would want to rebuild a Monsoon system. Sure, the Monsoon isn't all that terrible for a factory system but if it's already been removed, it certainly isn't good enough to replace. Besides, if the wiring to the Monsoon amp has been messed up by the previous owner, you're in a world of hurt trying to put it back. Not to mention that the OEM head unit is the cause of most of the complaints about Monsoon systems - it generates an inordinate amount of distortion that kills the speakers and sounds horrible.

A little more searching might be in order. I can't recall anybody here saying the Monsoon system sounds better with factory speakers than with well-chosen aftermarket replacements. If you have the factory amp installed then you can use sail panel subs such as the eD 7kv.2 which are DVC just like the factory ones. Components for the doors are available from CDT, Infinity, and several other companies. There are links in the Monsoon FAQ sticky that discuss lots of options.

Contact KEE AUDIO and he can set you up with some great aftermarket speakers for very reasonable prices.

j-man

iTrader: (32)

i have had this 4th gen for 4 months and is the longest a bose(94)/monsoon system has been in any of my f-body's. it is usually the first thing i do to a car get with Ian (Kee audio) and he will set you up with whatever you need for your set-up. personally, i would ditch everything stock. even on a budget you can do better than the monsoon head unit/amp

jman

candlelit

iTrader: (21)

thanks for the information. that's well appreciated. I think most guys here got me all wrong though. I am not going for a "boom" system. bass and loudness is not my thing. quality & comfort is what I go for. therefore, I need nothing more than a stock headunit. I will definitely give Kee Audio a shout. thanks guys!

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Don't get me wrong...the Monsoon amp is actually pretty good. I often recommend people on a budget upgrade the head unit and speakers but retain the amp. It's just not good enough to be worth buying and installing if it's been removed - especially if the wiring has been butchered.

The factory speakers aren't bad sounding but they're made of cheap materials and don't last long. The head unit is the real problem. We're not talking about booming here. If you want clarity and reduced distortion then you really have to replace the factory head unit. Even a modest aftermarket HU will sound considerably better than the stock one. Since you don't need all the extra features of new head units, have a look at one of the Pioneer 1.5 DIN units that will fill the dash opening without requiring a mounting kit (for more of a factory appearance). They're not produced anymore but there are plenty of new ones still available on eBay and other places on the web.

KEE AUDIO

iTrader: (65)

Thanks for the shout out guys!! Almost all the systems I build are SQ (sound quality) systems. I have built some VERY loud bass systems but I generally like to do SQ systems because it is more useable and pleasant to the ears. CDT is geared toward SQ. I have some very nice, very good sounding CDT speaker upgrades for as low as $100.00, $199.00 for 2 sets and I throw in a set of X-audio tweeters to upgrade the existing stockers. Here's a link to the speakers (I was refering to the CL-E6 half way down):
https://ls1tech.com/forums/sponsor-sales-specials/780227-more-kee-audio-packages.html
Even if it's just replacing the stockers in the doors and the tweeters you can still run off your stock crossovers to make things ultra simple to wire up.
I do have a very nice radio mounting kit for a single din radio that fills in the stock opening nicely and provides a small slot to store discs. I got these through my distributor and they fit perfectly. I had a plain Jane flat front one and didn't really like it but this is in my opinion way nicer. Just another option.
Here's a picture of the mount and of it installed in my T/A:

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

Replaced my HU and it made a world of difference, even when just putting in my old pioneer 45x4W unit. Replaced the stock speakers (because as he said, they are cheap and mine were going out) and it is even better.

I think I'm lacking something though because of the monsoon amp so I may actually end up having my HU run the speakers directly (except for the 6.5" subs I don't think my HU can do that). Haven't decided yet though.

BTW I'm using Ian's dash mount and it fits great.

candlelit

iTrader: (21)

one of the reasons I was wanting to stick with the stock h/u is that I don't have to buy any adapters and rewire stuff to get a different h/u to control the steering wheel buttons. also, I recently bought an Ipod monsoon adapter kit. How much would I be looking at for an aftermarket h/u adapter for the steering wheel controls? And what about the Ipod kit? I'll definitely be looking up Kee Audio on speakers once I'm ready to buy.

KEE AUDIO

iTrader: (65)

The PAC SWI-X is the steering controls adapter your refering to. It can be had for around $40-50.00. I have a radio mount package right now that includes the mount and the harness adapter for the radio. I can get you the PAC adapter also if needed. I can get you the whole thing for $80.00. Your new HU has to have wireless remote capability for it to work. A nice HU can be had for anywhere between $150.00 to $250.00. Brands to look for are JVC, Clarion, Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, Eclipse, and a few others.