Hey all,
Just picked up a 2001 Camaro yesterday, my first one ever. So far I'm in love, but the stereo leaves a lot to be desired.

It's equipped with the factory Monsoon system with just the factory single CD head unit (I didn't see a changer). The owner did upgrade the speakers to Infinity References in the front door panels and rear seats, with Kenwoods in the rear hatch location.

Right now I need to have the Bass **** turned all the way down for the stereo to sound okay. The speakers in the rear really sound terrible, so I'm assuming they're blown.

I read through a few threads here, and even took a look at the Monsoon FAQ, but was hoping to get a few opinions from people who have modified the system:

First: I like the look and fit of the stock head unit. I know you can put double Din stereos in, but I don't feel like completely emptying my wallet off the bat. I was divided between a new head unit or just adding an iPod adaptor on. I figure a head unit is the way to go, given most mid-end units can be had for just a few bucks more than an iPod adaptor... Anybody have a recommendation for a head unit that fits well, and works well?

Second: Do most of you keep the Factory monsoon amp if you change out the head unit?

Third: Most speakers out there that fit in the rear-seat holds seem to be component setups, with a tweeter. Are there any decent woofer-only speakers that could replace what I currently have?


It's been a while since I've been in the Car Audio arena. I'm a bit rusty with what's available, and what's worth purchasing.

 

First: There isn't an aftermarket head unit that will fit the dash opening like the factory one. The factory HU is 1.5 DIN and all currently available aftermarket head units are either single DIN or double DIN. There used to be 1.5 DIN models available from Pioneer but they've been discontinued for years.

Second: That's a personal choice based on budget and what you want out of your sound system. The Monsoon system is not bad with the proper speakers and a decent head unit but you can always do better with additional upgrades.

Third: Check with our sponsors Kee Audio and Double D Mods for proper subwoofers for the sail panels. That alone will probably make a world of difference because it seems like the previous owner installed the wrong kind of speakers there (Infinity speakers in the sail panels is NOT an upgrade in a Monsoon system).

 

what you is a midbass driver for the "backseat speakers" (SAIL PANEL SPEAKERS is the proper term FYI) that match the original ohm and number of voice coils as the factory setup, there are speaker packages from Kee Audio and maybe a few other sponsors that many here swear by, I haven't tried them personally also you most definitely want to replace your factory HU, they SUCK and when looking at HU's try to find one that has seperate front and rear HPF's, with that you will be able to cut the speaker rattling bass from your front doors and not the sail panels (where you want the bass to go) if you went with a HU that used a universal HPF on all channels you will end up with little to no sound from the sails (which are basically small subs in a monsoon system) as for the rear hatch speakers you could keep them for now but most eliminate them when they change out the monsoon amp, all they do is pull the sound back behind you.

 

[QUOTE=Daniel Richards;17561442]what you is a midbass driver for the "backseat speakers" (SAIL PANEL SPEAKERS is the proper term FYI) that match the original ohm and number of voice coils as the factory setup, there are speaker packages from Kee Audio and maybe a few other sponsors that many here swear by, I haven't tried them personally also you most definitely want to replace your factory HU, they SUCK and when looking at HU's try to find one that has seperate front and rear HPF's, with that you will be able to cut the speaker rattling bass from your front doors and not the sail panels (where you want the bass to go) if you went with a HU that used a universal HPF on all channels you will end up with little to no sound from the sails (which are basically small subs in a monsoon system) as for the rear hatch speakers you could keep them for now but most eliminate them when they change out the monsoon amp, all they do is pull the sound back behind you.[/QU. Here is what I've done so far and I'm not even out that much money. For starters I installed the Sony 57up. For an entry level Deck it is very good and I got it for $69 eith free shipping. I also ordered a wiring harness and a kit to install in factory location. I also ordered a set of 6.5 inch Audiopipes subwoofers for the cell panels. Youre not going to win any bass competitions with those but they do supply a decent amount of midbass from the sail panels. But be warned. If you like to turn the bass up you will get quite a bit of vibration sound from the sails. I think a good set of dynamat in the sails could help that out a lot. Something tells me had GM set those sails up where they were sealed compartments then the bass response would be better. I've also replaced the front door speakers with a set of middle grade MB Quartz. They scream with the factory Monsoon amp. Actually the tweeter is powered by the deck. Now my stereo can actually be enjoyable. And I'm only out $260 thus far. Now all I need is some good punchy bass. There are many options but what I've decided to go with is a sealed box in the cubby for 2 12s. The subs will be a set of Kenwood 3013w

 

Kenwood kfc 3013ps. Box and speakers combined are $218. Speakers will be powered by my trusy Rockford Fosgate 801S amp. Amp was birthsheet at 983 watts and both speakers combined 800 watts rms. Should slam pretty well. Thus far I will be out a total of $478 not including the $250 I paid for that amp about 6 years ago. A decent system for such a small budget.

 

And sorry for any typos. I typed this from a smartphone. I'll clean it up later.

 

So I may try and get by without replacing the head unit just now. I started looking at the DoubleDin setups here, and sort of got an itch for a full DoubleDin stereo...

At the very least, however, I'd like to replace the speakers: I contacted Ian at Kee Audio, and he reached out to me, providing a good amount of info. He recommends the CDT woofers for the sail panel (got it right this time!), but I'm confused about which one would be proper: I know the stock woofer is a SVC 2ohm setup (Camaro), but he offers the woofer in a DVC 4ohm setup, or a SVC 4ohm setup. I know I could wire the DVC 4ohm setup down to 2ohms, but would that be appropriate for the stock Monsoon Amp?


And are there any other options out there besides the CDT Woofers?

 

The Monsoon amp (or any amp for that matter) can't tell the difference between a single voice coil 2-ohm speaker and a dual voice coil 4-ohm speaker wired in parallel to produce a 2-ohm load.

There are several other DVC 4-ohm subs such as Bazooka and Audiopipe.