I'm not looking to spend much alot. Besides the Kicker speakers in the sails, all speakers are stock. With a Pioneer deck. 93 TA with 8 speaker cd system originally, non monsoon year I think. The volume gets loud, but no matter how much I mess with the digital equalizer, it always sounds washed out, weak, tinny.

I figured a cheap Amp would do the trick. 2 channel or 4 channel? Is there any style or brand I should stay away from?

Also, do companies still make those tiny little equalizers? I'm an 80s kid gimme a break. Anyone know what I'm talking about here?

 

Which Kicker speakers? The early 8-speaker (actually 10-speaker) system prior to the Monsoon system still had subs in the sail panels with a small amp below the right sail panel sub which powered just the two subs... all the other speakers were powered by the head unit. If you installed full range speakers (rather than subs) in the sail panels then you would find the overall sound lacking in bass.

Adding an amp for the rest of the speakers is certainly an option, but I doubt you'll gain much in the way of better sound - just more power. You'll probably need to replace the OEM speakers to get better sound overall. If your Kickers are full range then you could move them to the doors and get a pair of 6.5" subs for the sail panels and probably end up with noticeably better sound without the rewiring an aftermarket amp would require.

To answer your other question... yes and no. There are a number of small 12V equalizers available for $50 or less, including from name brands like Blaupunkt and Clarion, but they're not nearly as small as the ones you and I remember and they're not "graphic" in that they have ***** rather than the sliders of the past.

 

Kicker ks. Is this telling?

 

Those are decent speakers at a reasonable price but they're not what should be in the sail panels. They are coaxial, full range speakers designed for treble, mid-range, and some mid-bass but they don't produce a lot of bass like a subwoofer does. Also, they are single voice coil (SVC) whereas the the factory subs are dual voice coil (DVC) so you are giving up power from the amp, which is probably part of the reason they don't sound full. Bear in mind that the 10-speaker system's amp provides low frequency signal only so you're not getting the full capabilities of those speakers either.

Kicker make 6.75" CompRT subs that are a popular choice but they're about twice as expensive at $120 each. A very popular choice is the Bazooka 6.5" 4-ohm DVC sub from Kee Audio for $110 a pair or they're also available on Amazon (listed as a 6" but are actually 6.5") for a little more ($60 each). Install a pair of those in the sail panels and move your Kicker KS speakers to the doors and I think you'll be quite satisfied with the sound.

 

Excellent idea. Would mounting them in the door panels lead to a fitment issue?

 

No, they should fit fine although the screw holes may not line up with the factory holes (not a big problem if you have a drill ).

 

What the SS65c work? Seems to have all you mentioned. I've been looking around locally at best buys, Walmarts, etc for speakers before I buy online.

 

No, using those Alpine speakers in the sail panels is no different than using the Kickers you have. They're coaxial full-range speakers (S-S65) or components (S-S65C) and you need subwoofers or at least mid-bass speakers there. If you're willing to spend $100 for those components then you should spend $110 at Kee Audio to get the Bazooka subs. He was a sponsor here, is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful with f-body sound systems, and has reasonable prices. He does this as a side gig so sometimes it might take a while to get an email response, but he is universally respected in these forums and he'll take good care of you. And you'll be happy with the sound you get with a pair of Bazooka subs in the sail panels and your Kickers in the doors.

 

I too recommend those Bazookas. I put a few of them in my sail panels and it helped the mid bass tones. I'm guessing that there is a crossover for low pass there. Do that and throw a sub box with a 10" back where the t-tops store with an amp and it will really wake up the sonics in that TA!!

 

Ok, cool. Kee Audio is his screen name on here?

Just to be clear, this is a sub woofer in name only? Then my last question is what makes a sub an actual subwoofer? Here's a couple pics I snapped of the alpines next to my kickers. Connections are definitely different and that battery thing on the Alpine, and the alpine having double connections, assuming needing to be connected to the tweeters to function, correct?

 

Sorry for the delay... I've been traveling for work.

Kee Audio is no longer a sponsor here so forum rules prevent posting a link but his website is simply keeaudio.com.

The definition of a subwoofer is somewhat fluid. Most people refer to any speaker designed to produce low frequencies as a subwoofer and this is not entirely wrong for general discussion of audio frequencies... bass, midbass, midrange, and treble. Most lump bass and midbass together as frequencies played by subwoofers but technically midbass is output through a woofer or specialized midbass speaker. They don't get quite as far into the low frequencies as a true subwoofer but they can add a bass punch without requiring as much power.

In f-bodies, the sail panel speakers are midbass which provides plenty of low frequency sound for the average user (remember, we're talking about mass produced car audio systems - the average buyer isn't an audiophile and just wants decent overall sound). Adding a subwoofer in the back will give you bass frequencies below the range of the midbass, adding that "feel it as much as hear it" sound. I'm way too old to want rattling windows so I never did that, but lots of people really like it.

The Bazookas are midbass so they match the factory configuration very nicely and will give you a nice full sound with good bass even if you don't add a true subwoofer. Adding a subwoofer with its own amp can make the sound quite impressive.

As far as the difference between your Kickers and the Alpines... the Kickers are coaxial whereas the Alpines are components. Coaxial speakers are basic full range speakers with a built-in tweeter to handle treble (high frequency) sound. They are a single speaker but with the high and mid/low frequencies split into two speaker elements. Components consist of woofers and tweeters that are actually separate speakers powered by separate channels of the system. In this case they don't really look different because the tweeter is mounted in the middle like in a coaxial speaker. But they don't have to be mounted that way... since they are separate speakers, the can be mounted in different places, like they are in the doors of a Firebird.

The Kickers have only one pair of terminals because of being coaxial - it's one speaker so only one channel and one pair of wires. The Alpines have two pairs of terminals because each component (woofer and tweeter) are separate speakers and each needs its own channel and pair of wires.

 

No worries bro. I ended up going through ebay for the bazookas. They arrived this morning. Based on what you've described I'm really looking forward to hearing them.

With the bazookas in the sails and the kickers in the doors, if I ever do the hatch what would you recommend?

 

Does it matter which side I choose? And damn, bigger than I thought <twss!

 

I wouldn't bother replacing the hatch speakers... they're just there for rear fill rather than a primary sound source. If they ever get blown or stop working then just buy the cheapest 4" speakers you can find. The tweeters back there will last basically forever unless physically damaged, so only the 4" mids are ever likely to cause problems.

No, it doesn't matter which side you install each speaker. The bigger magnet is a typical feature of subs when compared to other speakers.

 

Sorry, I meant to hook the wires up. Each bazooka has connections on both sides. Without telling a difference I just wired picked a side. I can tell a difference already with just a Steve Miller song that was on the radio.

Thankyou for your help, it's appreciated.

 

Oh sorry. But the answer is still the same - it doesn't matter which pair of terminals on the speaker get which pair of wires as long as you do them in pairs (i.e. the positive and negative from the same pair on each pair of terminals).