Hi,

I've searched the threads for an answer to the above question to find quite a few conflicting answers. Just wondering if I could ask for a more clear answer.

I have a 2000 reg 1.4 fabia and would like to upgrade the sound system to something more refined. Have a budget of say £100 and would like to know where to put that money? IN the speakers, HU or both? are the stock any good? Any recommendations as to a model?

I've readquite alot about this with regard to the VRS, but didn't know whether mine would have the same setup i.e. speaker size? output etc? If they are I'll just take the advce about them.

Thanks, and if iive missed a thread already talking about this please let me know.

Tim

I'd go with the HU first , bear in mind you will need a facia adaptor and a wiring fitting kit so budget for those as well (sorry , offhand I cant quote you prices , but they are sold at Halfords). Im still soldiering on with the old MS402 Rad/cass at the minute though!

What model is your fabia BTW? The classic has only 4 front speakers (2 mids in the door and 2 tweets in the dash) whereas the Comfort and Elegance have an extra 2 tweets in the rear door and another 2 mids either side of the parcel shelf.

if the stereo set up is the same or worse than the poor effort in my vrs,then it all needs junking and replacing with quality items,or am i just a spoiled bugger:rofl:

I'd change the HU first then see what you think...

That's all I did in mine and it sounded much better

ITs the elegence model so i gues that would make speaker upgrades more expensive as there are more of them. Maybe ill just go for the HU. ANy pointers about power, spec etc?

A HU with 4x50w is more than enough for the stock speakers.

As for spec I would go for something that will play MP3 cd's at least.

I work with high quality audio equipment, and for OEM stuff, the Fabia kit isn't bad, certainly better than OEM stuff of 5 years ago (in my previous VW Lupo)

I think that the Symphony HU's quite reasonable although I know that there're a number of people here who will disagree.

IMHO, regardless of your opinion of the OEM HU, you're going to struggle to find one which is better than it if your budget is £100.

I would always upgrade speakers before a HU as the harmonic distortion in cheap speakers is massive compared to that of a cheap HU - are you sure that you're going to notice the difference though?

Why not spend your money on a Ice Link cable so that you can play your iPod though it instead?

i have the dennison ipod link for my vrs and it is so slow and dimm witted it is painful to use,then it gets confused and freezes,not a good way to spend what ever rip off price the stealers are wanting for them,i'm glad i got it for free,i would have been upset if i had paid for it:thumbdwn:

You dont need to upgrade the rear speakers, you should have most of your sound faded to the front for the best sound quality

As for hu's producing 4x50w's in reality they produce 4x12ws ifs your lucky

The distortion through my front speakers is awful even at volume level 8 when I play certain CD's (the new Megadeth album is pretty bass heavy and the speakers buzz like a swarm of angry wasps whenever I play it...). Does my dome in! Gonna have to upgrade the speakers before anything else I think... or leave off the Megadeth!

it's not the speakers buzzing... it's the doorcards/glass lol

and leave off the Megadeath anyway

You dont need to upgrade the rear speakers, you should have most of your sound faded to the front for the best sound quality

As for hu's producing 4x50w's in reality they produce 4x12ws ifs your lucky

Which is still more than enough for the stock speakers :P:D

The distortion through my front speakers is awful even at volume level 8 when I play certain CD's (the new Megadeth album is pretty bass heavy and the speakers buzz like a swarm of angry wasps whenever I play it...). Does my dome in! Gonna have to upgrade the speakers before anything else I think... or leave off the Megadeth!

I thought the same until I swapped the HU out, then they produce a much better bass, really does make a big difference just putting a better HU in.

You'll probably improve the sound a lot if you put some sound deadening into the doors e.g. brown bread.

Hello Mate,

I have a 2001 Elegance.. I might be wrong (as this thread seems to suggest otherwise) but I thought the elegance gained tweeters all round over the classics 4 x mid range (2 front 2 back).. in the Haynes it discribes how the tweetes are just a blanking panel in the front of a classic so I think i could be right, coulda read it wrong though, anyways..

I work in a Mastering studio.. It's my JOB to know what sounds good.. I mean.. I'm the guy that makes the CD sound the way it does in the first place... I have an elegance with 8 speakers.. the OEM mid/bass and tweeters..

I chnaged my head unit from the MS402 and was amazed at the difference just chaing what was effectily the AMP made.. Unless your after super deep bass, that.. lets be honest.. will shake ya door cards off.. I don;t see much point in up grading the speakers.. they sound ok to me..

however.. I do always find myself wondering what an upgrade to decent crossovers would do as the stock speakers use a capaciter to cut the feed to the tweeter.. I do have some kenweed passive crossovers and keep meaning to install them.. but this'd prob only be a difference someone as rear ended as myself could hear..

Rob..

yes, lol.. kenweed!

Thanks for this informed reply! INcidentally, what hu did u replace it with?

cheers

t

Hello Mate,

I have a 2001 Elegance.. I might be wrong (as this thread seems to suggest otherwise) but I thought the elegance gained tweeters all round over the classics 4 x mid range (2 front 2 back).. in the Haynes it discribes how the tweetes are just a blanking panel in the front of a classic so I think i could be right, coulda read it wrong though, anyways..

I work in a Mastering studio.. It's my JOB to know what sounds good.. I mean.. I'm the guy that makes the CD sound the way it does in the first place... I have an elegance with 8 speakers.. the OEM mid/bass and tweeters..

I chnaged my head unit from the MS402 and was amazed at the difference just chaing what was effectily the AMP made.. Unless your after super deep bass, that.. lets be honest.. will shake ya door cards off.. I don;t see much point in up grading the speakers.. they sound ok to me..

however.. I do always find myself wondering what an upgrade to decent crossovers would do as the stock speakers use a capaciter to cut the feed to the tweeter.. I do have some kenweed passive crossovers and keep meaning to install them.. but this'd prob only be a difference someone as rear ended as myself could hear..

Rob..

Sorry, I only just checked back on here...

I installed a Kenwood KDC-W3537

Thing about this model is you can get exactly the same headunit for less with a different model number.. the reason i spent a little more is because you can use an optional iPod box with this one and skip tracks/playlists and have the display scroll track or album titles.

The box allows the HU to connect to the iPod through it's dock connector which greatly improves the sound vs. taking the feed from the headphone socket.. not sure how much you know about this stuff but the dock output is "line level" and the headphone socket, is well.. phones level.. they have different levels of impedance. The sound from a line level feeding into an amp will always be fuller, richer and deeper, though.. that said... its a car stereo and not a NAD hifi were talking about.. again, prob for someone only as rear ended as myself to hear.. lol.

However.. If you are planning to use an iPod, the new model range of kenwoods (i Believe) allow you to operate the whole iPod menu as if you were actually using the iPod it's self.. I wanted this.. but then realized i only ever stick the thing on random anyway.. and I can't see myself pulling over to find that one track I really want to hear. I never did in my Escort and I had a Harmon Kardon Play + drive installed in that.. but never used it, just shuffle.. lol.

one last point... cheapest place I found for all car audio online was Low Cost Car Audio.. honestly.. you'll be hard to find cheaper.

Rob :-)