Upgraded Sound System w/o changing head unit

[smokedcal]

Hello all, 

I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I own a 2003 MK6 Fiesta Zetec which I fitted a Parrot MK1900i bluetooth system to the car. I use the bluetooth system for all my calls and for playing my audio making my Ford 4500 radio completely redundant. Anyway, i want to upgrade my stock Speakers however i've been advised that in doing so i will have  to upgrade my head unit. I'd rather not do this because it wouldn't get used and would overall be a waste of money. I was wondering whether theres a way i can upgrade the Speakers and possibly install a subwoofer without changing the stock radio? 

 

Any help would be appreciated, thanks 

smokecal

[Lenny]

On Wednesday, August 31, 2016 at 2:13 PM, smokedcal said:

Hello all, 

I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I own a 2003 MK6 Fiesta Zetec which I fitted a Parrot MK1900i bluetooth system to the car. I use the bluetooth system for all my calls and for playing my audio making my Ford 4500 radio completely redundant. Anyway, i want to upgrade my stock speakers however i've been advised that in doing so i will have  to upgrade my head unit. I'd rather not do this because it wouldn't get used and would overall be a waste of money. I was wondering whether theres a way i can upgrade the speakers and possibly install a subwoofer without changing the stock radio?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks 

smokecal

Hi,

Any good audio specialist will tell you to upgrade your headunit to one there currently selling but reality is; you don't need to you can upgrade the existing Speakers and install a sub without changing the factory headunit atall.

For the mono amplifier you need RCA outputs, this is possible via the use of an adaptor 

link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111736711930 

Fits by tapping in to the audio cables which feeds the front Speakers then filters the low frequencies; sending them to the mono amplifier via RCA cable 

You wont be able to adjust the bass level via the factory headunit; so When choosing your amplifier you will need to purchase an "inline controller" it plugs in to the amplifier via RJ11 connection and basically allows you to control the intensity of bass, that come with 5 metres of cable so can be mounted on dashboard or somewhere discreet quite easily.

link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201112230175 

Some sub install kits come with everything required but if you choose to create your own setup I highly recommend the Vibe 4AWG wiring kit

Link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VIBE-2000W-Slick-4AWG-Complete-Car-Amplifier-AMP-Power-Wiring-Kit-4Gauge-AWG-/350863659289?hash=item51b11a9119:g:m2cAAOxySFJSHNxx 

Having chosen an amplifier and cable; it is important to match the fuse amperage to ensure the fuse trips if things go wrong.

generally fuse is 1amp - 10watts 

so a 400w amplifier takes a 40amp fuse, 

I prefer to use trip switch type as there very easy to reset aswell as terminating power

Heres a Link to example: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142035908514 

Speaker adaptor brackets 

factory Speakers are rivited to the doors and vary in shapes from oval to square, 

When going aftermarket; you need to purchase some speaker adaptor rings which are model specific to your vehicle and can be different for front and rear speakers they ensure the cone of your aftermarket speaker doesn't obstruct the window when opened.

the size of speaker these adaptors accept; also determines the size of aftermarket speakers you can fit.

I generally search eBay for aftermarket speaker adaptors they will say 13cm or 6.5" 

this means they replace the factory speakers with 13cm or 6.5" aftermarket speakers.

here's a set of adaptors for your front speakers in the fiesta Link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SAK-1514-Ford-Fiesta-2002-2008-Front-Door-13cm-5-25-130mm-Car-Speaker-Adaptor-/181445368239?hash=item2a3efc99af:g:FNYAAOSwo8hTp1W- 

This means your looking for aftermarket 13cm coaxial speakers to replace your factory ones.

here's a set of speakers selling along with the adaptors as a kit

Front: 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-FIESTA-MK6-02-08-Front-Car-Speakers-Speaker-Adaptors-SAK-1514-13cm-/182254189137?hash=item2a6f323a51:g:pKAAAOxyd8NSa9rj 

Rear: 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-FIESTA-MK6-02-08-Rear-Car-Speakers-Speaker-Adaptors-SAK-1514-13cm-/182254195417?hash=item2a6f3252d9:g:UykAAOxyM89Sa9pr 

optional speaker baffles

there are speaker baffle cups available which aid bass response, prevent door rattle aswell as protecting the speaker from moisture,

There available in differen sizes here's 13cm sold in pairs of two

Link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DEI-BOOM-MAT-SPEAKER-BAFFLES-5-1-4-5-25-ROUND-SLIM-PAIR-IMPROVES-SOUND-050321-/311672003927?hash=item4891195d57:g:-bIAAMXQlgtS1ptg 

Have you fitted a sub before or do you need advice on that?

What size of amplifier are you expecting to fit? 🙉

So you want loud bass or deep bass? 

The two types come from different enclosures you see. 

Loud bass comes from a ported enclosure does vibrate a bit but only at high output levels can be heard from considerable distances👌

Deep base comes from a sealed enclosure can't hear it as much as you feel it in your chest and chassis😁

 

Anything over 1000watts needs a capacitor to prevent your lights dimming 😁