Okay, so this is my first install, so don't be too critical of dumb questions Right now everything is working, but was installed very quickly, as I wanted something working before I went away to college. Sometime over the next 3 months or so I will try to finish the installation properly, which includes all the standard things like sound deadening, upgrading power cables in the engine compartment, mounting the amplifiers out of the way, etc. My equipment is as follows
98 acura integra premier 860mp 2 JL 300/2 amplifiers JL 10w3 subwoofer in a basic sealed enclosure focal 165v2 speakers* plus all the cables/fuses/etc.
my question is where should I put the speakers. There are stock mounting locations for the tweeters and midbass drivers, the tweeters are at the top front of the door, but are about 10" above the midbass drivers. I don't know if these would actually sound reasonable. Some people recommend making a custom kick panel box, but I really don't know how to do that. What is my best option for getting really good sound, without redoing the whole interior of my car? My general goal is to get my car as close as possible to a competition level SQ setup, without going to an extreme amount of effort.
*I know there are some focal haters here, but please try to leave off the "you are an idiot, you should have bought brand x" comments, at least for now.
Nah, you don't find too many focal haters here, or anywhere really. For a first system, those are like 10^7 notches above average. Speaker placement is one of those age old dilemmas, no solution is right for every install. The best thing you can do is to try them in as many locations as possible. For me, my comps. didn't really come to life until I tried them on the A-pillars (post between your window and the windshield) Kick pods are popular, but yes, they're a lot of work, and a good job will cost you. Also try the stock locations, if it works well, you'll have a nice stealth install, if thats something that appeals to you. You did pick out good equiptment across the board, so spend the time to get the most out of it. best of luck, and welcome to the forum.
Right now everything is working, but was installed very quickly, as I wanted something working before I went away to college. Sometime over the next 3 months or so I will try to finish the installation properly, which includes all the standard things like sound deadening, upgrading power cables in the engine compartment, mounting the amplifiers out of the way, etc. My equipment is as follows