"Budget" ICE

[Saracen]

Whats your obsession with alpine? They're good for headunits but no better than ok for speakers, there's better available for the money.

Also, if we're talking "top quality", then for amps I'd start thinking Genesis, Audison, etc, but "top quality" and "budget ice" don't normally go together well in the same sentence.

[dave87]

Alpine are a head above the other mainstream stuff on the market, hence the recommendation. Sony stuff I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, others were more expensive for little or no improvement.

[Vimeous]

The Civic's standard fit Pioneer was ok.
When the backlights eventually died I was thinking new speakers, sub, amp etc etc etc.
Bought a top whack JVC headunit at a hefty reduction (£300 down from £700) and the difference has been sublime. All thoughts of other components bit the dust as totally unnecessary.

Whatever you do please please please do not buy a sub unless you make sure the car is properly screwed together. There is nothing more embarrasing than wide-boy biggin'-up 'iz tunes innit while the car rattles and farts around him.

The best audio kit gives as much detail at the lowest volumes as it does at the top.

Recommend: Full (not partial) DAB compatibility; Memory card slot - no jumping CD's when you crank it up!

[smellybumlove]

Alpine are a head above the other mainstream stuff on the market, hence the recommendation. Sony stuff I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, others were more expensive for little or no improvement.

bang on the money.

my manager at work has a new audi and it has B & O audio system, speakers raise out of the dash!.
after a min or 2 with listening i was dissapointed, sure it sounded good at low levels but it sounded just meh at high ones.

all the other makes rainbow, boston acoustics etc. are very good but it costs a LOT more for very little gain.

for the untrained ear a good alpine system will sound fantastic.

also:

the best c.d player ever full stop. was in fact the very first alpine c.d player released in 1990, there were 2 versions one for export and the other made in japan, it used the highest quality componants and was hand made, they go for mega bucks on ebay. begins with a 7 if i remember right.

[mycarsavw]

Before you jump into all of this, why not upgrade just the HU and see how the factory speakers hold up for a few weeks.

The weakest part of most factory systems is the HU.

[DaKid]

For all the sound, expert advice on this thread, that last one might allow to me retain my bank balance in the black long enough, and might just give me the boost I need. I can always upgrade the rest of the system later