Non-monsoon Help
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Teching In
Joined: Jun 2006
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Non-monsoon Help I cant seem to find this info anywhere on here. I have a 96 trans am that does NOT have the monsoon radio in it. I have the 10 speaker setup that has a power booster for the sail panel subs. I am wanting to know as much info as possible on the setup. I know the monsoon drives a series of 2 and 4 ohm speakers, but in my case the door speakers are driven right from the head unit. are they all 4 ohm? anybody know the output rating for the head unit itself?
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Champaign/Chicagoland
They are all 4 ohm (I beleive) as you thought (the odd mix didn't start until Monsoon) -- but everything is not powered by your HU -- you still have a smaller amp. (I'm not positive, but this is why I assume they're all 4 ohms -- because if the amp/HU power diff. speakers and they don't have the odd impedance mix, it is likely 4 ohm (since HU powers some)......
Either way - you have a smaller amp (not sure exactly if it powers all besides the tweeters like Monsoon systems).
Either way - you have a smaller amp (not sure exactly if it powers all besides the tweeters like Monsoon systems).
My car also didnt have the monsoon system in it, (it only had 6 speakers being a convertible. 2 tweeters, 2 in doors, 2 beside backseat) but i have since replaced all the factory speakers with aftermarket.
I noticed when i took the factory ones out(including the door speakers) that they all said "4ohm" on the magnet on the back of the speakers. So im assuming if you dont have monsoon you have 4ohm output from headunit, and all 4ohm speakers. my car is a 98 if that helps.
try this. take off your door panel.YOU MUST DO THIS TRUST ME haha...found out the hard way! (dont try to get the speaker out by just removing the grille, it wont work, and dont try to pry the speaker pod off either, cause it wont go back on) unscrew the speaker and unsnap the wire connector. flip the speaker over and look at the back of it. It should say on it what it is 2 or 4. all mine did... then youll have your answer
I noticed when i took the factory ones out(including the door speakers) that they all said "4ohm" on the magnet on the back of the speakers. So im assuming if you dont have monsoon you have 4ohm output from headunit, and all 4ohm speakers. my car is a 98 if that helps.
try this. take off your door panel.YOU MUST DO THIS TRUST ME haha...found out the hard way! (dont try to get the speaker out by just removing the grille, it wont work, and dont try to pry the speaker pod off either, cause it wont go back on) unscrew the speaker and unsnap the wire connector. flip the speaker over and look at the back of it. It should say on it what it is 2 or 4. all mine did... then youll have your answer
You really tried to get the speaker out through the grill?? Is there anything left of the door...lol!! My 98 didn't say Monsoon either but it was. Supposedly they had a 250watt version and a 500watt version. Apparently they all sounded the same. Easiest way to check (non-vert cars)...regardless of the speakers is to take out the rear plastic in the hatch on the passenger side (Just turn the plastic screws with a quarter/wide flat head and pop it out). You will see where the wheel hump is next to your spare going toward your sail panel. Up there on the hump is a plastic mount. Facing away from you will be an amp if you have a Monsoon. It has a big bundle of wires going into it with one big connector. As far as verts go I haven't messed with one so I am not sure of the location on that. Earlier systems just didn't say Monsoon on the HU but looked the same with the same number of EQ, presets, etc. If you had 10 speakers you had a version of the Monsoon. That's inclusive of the tweeters (doors/hatch).
Nah i just assumed it came out that way until i took it off and actually realized the hole is like 5inchs wide for a 6.5" speaker...hahah.. but i did proceed to pull one of the tabs out of the door panel that holds the speaker pod on there. until i finally accepted the fact that i was going to have to remove the door panel to change a lousy speaker... Those things are a bitch to get back on! if you get the top tabs in the bottom are out and vice versa!!!
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2006
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thanks guys, I know it is the 10 speaker system but didnt think monsoon started till 98. It has the "power booster" located under the pass sail panel speaker. that just powers the two sail panel subs. the door and hatch speakers are powered by the head unit. I verified this by unplugging the wire harness to the power booster. The guy I bought the car from replaced the speakers in the door so I never had a chance to find out what the factory rating was. I have the 7 band eq cd player that looks exactly like the monsoon....so maybe it is the same radio just without the extra amp
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Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Actually, the Monsoon system started in 97 although early versions didn't have the Monsoon name plate. Prior to that the premium 10-speaker system in Firebirds had a small booster amp mounted in the right sail panel below the speaker there and next to the seat. The amp powered only the subs in the sail panels unlike the Monsoon which powered everything except the tweeters in the doors and hatch. I'm not 100% sure on this but I think the door mids were 10-ohm since that was a common GM setup in their "premium" sound systems (the tweeters are all 4-ohm). However, the head units are all 4-ohm stable so you can use 4-ohm aftermarket speakers without problems.
Camaros were completely different. The premium sound system in pre-97 Camaros was the Bose system which was available in 3-speaker and 5-speaker configurations.
Camaros were completely different. The premium sound system in pre-97 Camaros was the Bose system which was available in 3-speaker and 5-speaker configurations.
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