Does anyone know what the exact size is for the door speakers? Some are saying 6.5 and some are saying 5.25... I'm confused! Never had a Honda so I'm completely unfamiliar with it. Why in the world are the tweeters up where the defroster should be, facing the windshield? And how to get to them? And what the hell is up with the factory stereo next to impossible to replace? I guess I will keep the factory and get the Ipod and amp integration kits but man those are expensive! And I'm wondering if I need a line out converter? Any suggestions on the best door speakers for the best price? I'm putting Eclipse 6x9s in the back, along with my amps and Eclipse subs out of my Mustang. I like mids with good bass up front, however I really didn't want to spend the money I would normally on a good set of components.... Help! I'm open to any suggestions!!

 

The fronts in the doors are 6.5, but if you want to replace them, you need the door adapter kit to make them fit properly... it's like 15 bucks, I think.

The tweeters are actually easy to access. I think there's like one screw on each grill, just be careful not to drop the screw or clip in the hole when you open it up... I made that mistake.

As far ast the head unit, you have two real options. One is the full metra kit which replaces the entire unit and costs 150 bucks minimum. Or you can lose your lower cubby and get the $15 kit that installs there... Take at look at the pics in my album; I have this adapter.

As far as brands and installing, wait for keephopealive to answer you. He's our resident car audio guru.

Hope I helped. Welcome to the forum!

 

good questions. replacing the factory head unit may not be possible due to the integration of climate controls, it really depends on the exact model you have, but most are integrated. as such, you need some way to get the signal from the factory amp and feed external amplifiers. you'll need a 4 channel amp for your speakers and a sub amp for your subs.

Eclipse makes nice stuff, I like them. note that you can easily and quickly damage your 6x9's when you pressurize the trunk. Accord trunks are well sealed off, and any subs in the trunk will actually move the 6x9 cones to the point of distortion and damage while they are trying to play. i recommend either removing them or building enclosures for them. if you remove them, you'll get a decent amount of extra bass from the trunk when the seat is up. if you leave the arm rest down (like me) then you can just make enclosures for them.

the front speakers are component speakers. the tweeter location does two things. 1. it raises your sound stage - you want tweeters up high on or above the dash. most of us vote for apillars so we're not firing off the glass. 2. it's a convenient location for the manufacturer while sounding ok. you don't want tweeters anywhere near your doors.

you'll need a component set for the front. the reason you see different sizes is due to the depth. you'll need an adapter, i recommend making your own out of 3/4" MDF and sealing it with resin or deadener. Then use weatherstripping foam (closed cell) between the speaker and baffle, between the baffle and the door, and (most importantly) between the speaker and the factory door panel grill.

Crutchfield will include the necessary adapter, but realize that plastic is not the preferred material for speaker baffles. you want stiff, firm, non-resonant materials. notice the highest quality home speakers have amazingly stiff and reinforced cabinets. any cabinet or baffle flex will result in reduced sound quality and midbass.

by making your own adapter, you gain almost 3/4" of depth, letting you get better speakers. or you can look at thin or shallow component sets.

you start with eclipse so you get tonal balance between the speakers (assuming you have nice 6x9's and not the entry level versions). but really, you want as much of the music coming from in front of you as possible. so get the best component speakers you can afford that fit. i typically recommend that front speakers should be worth at least as much as the subs (preferably 2x) - if you do this for music and not competition SPL.

you can view my build log (link in sig) and my sticky on door speaker installation (in the A/V section).

we are here to help, ask as many questions as possible. and please provide model numbers for the amps, speakers, and subs if you would like some input on optimum configurations.

 

most importantly, listen to speakers before you invest hundreds of dollars on them. a decent component set starts around $200.

Since Eclipse is no more, anything you buy will be either used or left over inventory. You don't need Eclipse component speakers.

What is your budget?

And yes, you will need a LOC if your amps can't accept high level inputs directly.

 

Thank all of u for very informative advice. I am trying to decide on the best components for my budget. I currently have a crossfire pushing my Eclipse sub which surprisingly sounded awesome in my mustang. I have a 4 channel Rockford fosgate that I will probably replace. I bought Eclipse SA8394 6x9s for the back, so now I just need to decide on front speakers. Also does anyone know if I have to have the "Audio control" line out converter or that type as opposed to the cheaper 9.99 to 15.99 versions without compromising sound? And does the line out converter work for the ipod integration as well a the amps? I apologize for the silly questions. I only know the basics cuz I'm just a girl who likes to jam and since I had to give up the performance I'm used to, I may as well focus on my system to make me forget how much I miss my muscle cars! Thanks again for ur help!!

 

we are here to help.

the cheap line output converter (LOC) will provide sub-par sound quality. it is independent of any other oem interfaces as it just grabs the speaker wire signal and reduces it to a much lower voltage - similar to RCA outputs. it's easiest to grab this signal at the rear speakers, but you need to get the front speaker output as well. one easy location is at the tweeter or behind the factory radio. you need to disconnect the factory wiring anyway, so behind the head unit is a nice place. if you don't want to cut any wires, you can buy the Metra 70-1721 and 71-1721 to intercept the factory wiring.

if you can give me a speaker budget and amplifier budget we can offer suggestions. i hope it's above $500 for both.

i recommend getting a nice LOC with an auto turn-on. Pac-Audio and USAspec have amplifier integration units that will give you RCA outputs and a remote turn-on - all without cutting any wires.

 

thank all of u kindly 4 ur very informative feedback, although most of it sounds like a foreign language. LOL Ironically I am familiar with quality equipment as well as the basics but the really technical part confuses me. Ok so I'm thinking about going with either Diamond Audio or JL audio components. Or mb quartz, or focal, or kicker. well I've narrowed it down, LOL...I understand my components ar for mids and highs, however I like my door speakers 2 give off a good amount of quality sounding bass. Anyone have an opinion on which of the above will do that? I listen 2 it loud so is 50 RMS per speaker enough? Wut is the best lowest cost 4 channel amp for my mids & highs? One more silly question... I use 2 have a very expensive Phoenix Gold amp that was awesome, as well as high dollar Phoenix Gold RCA's etc. I always thought Phoenix Gold was high end quality, however I never knew they made speakers till recently, and they are very inexpensive. Anyone know why, or have heard them? I can't find any reviews and I'm dying 2 know!! Thanks !!

 

Phoenix Gold was bought out, they make below average equipment as of late.

The least expensive amp that is still decent quality that I would use would be a Powerbass ASA400.4x or Alpine MRP-F300.

for speakers - look at the published frequency response. that will clue you into how low they can play. remember you have limited depth and i recommend you make an appropriate baffle - that affects available depth as well.

the brands you listed make nice stuff. Also, Hybrid Audio Technologies - Imagine series is nice sound quality for only $200.