Hi, new member here. I have been out of the car audio scene for the better part of 20 years. My last major build was a serious Pioneer Premier ODR system back in '95.
I have a new pet project. My Prelude is fully stock low mileage and in need of some assistance in the sound department. I am thinking of replacing the head unit, door components and rear 6x9s, adding some digital amplification and a compact sub. Here is what I'm thinking:
Head Unit - Alpine CDE-HD149BT $320 ($240)
Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.
This is their top of the line unit with Bluetooth and HD. Reportedly it has decent sound quality and some decent tuning features like a 9 band EQ.
Amplifier - Alpine PDX-V9 $750 ($440)
Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.
This is a 5 channel Class D amp with decent power ratings. More than enough RMS power which should keep things from distortion - I don't play loud much anymore anyway. Very efficient which should keep current draw down. Very small. And a single amp hopefully keeps things simple.
Remote Bass Volume Knob - Alpine RUX-KNOB $40 ($30)
Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.
To tweak the sub from the front depending on music type.
Front 6.5" Component Set - Polk Audio DB6501 $200 ($124)
db6501 - Car | Polk Audio®
I needed a shallow mount set (<2" mounting depth) that performs half-decently. This, or a Rockford Fosgate solution were the best I could find. There will still likely be some modification inside the door to be done but it shouldn't interfere with the windows. This set handles power and reportedly plays very naturally.
Rear 6x9 Coaxials - Alpine SPR-69 $230 ($103)
Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.
Probably overkill since I prefer to front bias the sound and use these for rear fill. But they fit and are well reviewed.
Subwoofer - JL Audio CP108LG-W3v3 $260 ($260)
CP108LG-W3v3 - Car Audio - Subwoofer Systems - MicroSub
This little microsub gets rave reviews online and should anchor my system nicely. It is teeny tiny.
So major component cost is about $1200 online.
Alternatives
Head Unit - Pioneer DEH-80PRS
DEH-80PRS - CD Receiver with 3-Way Active Crossover Network, Auto EQ, and Auto Time Alignment | Pioneer Electronics USA
Has built-in DSP features but I'm thinking this is overkill for this build. We should be able to tune adequately with gains, filters, and EQ. Reviews on the auto time alignment and auto EQ are very mixed.
Amplifier - JL Audio XD700/5v2
JL Audio XD700/5v2 - XDv2
JL Audio XD1000/5v2
XD1000/5v2 - Car Audio - Amplifiers - XD - JL Audio
JL Audio HD900/5
HD900/5 - Car Audio - Amplifiers - HD - JL Audio
The JL Audio class D amps are very nice as well. I'm partial to the HD900/5. I went with the Alpine mainly due to price but I could be talked into one of these if there was something I'm missing lol.
Front 6.5" Component Set - Rockford Fosgate P165-S
PUNCH Speakers - P165-S - Rockford Fosgate®
Lower power ratings for the same price. This was a bit of a coin toss. Since the soundstage is very important, we may try these if not satisfied with the Polks.
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Since I've been out of things for a long while I would appreciate a sanity check on this. I'm not looking for extreme SPL or SQ. My 50+ year old ears wouldn't appreciate that lol. But I am looking for a significant improvement in volume and quality in a balanced way. The front doors are restrictive with mounting depth at 2" or less. I'm overpowered but I prefer blow my speakers with power rather than distortion - besides I don't listen at excessively loud levels anyway. The sub may be much less than many would prefer but I hear that these are impressive and I'm not after anything too extreme.
Any obvious things I am missing or should consider? TIA