Need a new sound system.

[kellyyysayss]

I have a 2000 2.0, and for Christmas I'm looking to get new speakers/tweeters/head unit...the whole kit and caboodle.

Need suggestions. Not looking for anything extremely pricey or something that's going to stress my alternator.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

You interested in an updated Factory system? Your head will interchange with the '05 Monsoon CD SAT with Factory iPod connection that will also receive trunk mount 6cd Changer w/ cartridges OR console mount (if you have the right console) 6cd (internal storage) Changer. Possibly earlier models, but I'm not sure. I think the '06 on incorporated some type of design change and will not work. With so many ppl doing aftermarket (why?), or aftermarket with GPS or Video, you should be able to pick up the entire system, used, very reasonable. Maybe even new for not a lot! OEM Heads and CD Changers are going cheap all over the web. Let me know if your considering OEM upgrade and I'll keep an out! If you go aftermarket your on your own (I don't like or do them), just don't give up your factory head unit. It may be important to a future buyer. Or you may want to put it back in when you sell and keep what you bought! Unless of course you simply upgrade OEM.

[kellyyysayss]

Originally Posted by MyOtherRidesAVette

You interested in an updated Factory system? Your head will interchange with the '05 Monsoon CD SAT with Factory iPod connection that will also receive trunk mount 6cd Changer w/ cartridges OR console mount (if you have the right console) 6cd (internal storage) Changer. Possibly earlier models, but I'm not sure. I think the '06 on incorporated some type of design change and will not work. With so many ppl doing aftermarket (why?), or aftermarket with GPS or Video, you should be able to pick up the entire system, used, very reasonable. Maybe even new for not a lot! OEM Heads and CD Changers are going cheap all over the web. Let me know if your considering OEM upgrade and I'll keep an out! If you go aftermarket your on your own (I don't like or do them), just don't give up your factory head unit. It may be important to a future buyer. Or you may want to put it back in when you sell and keep what you bought! Unless of course you simply upgrade OEM.

I was looking at something non-VW. For example, sony, JVC, etc. Not saying those are the good brands, but different companies.

I don't mind doing OEM '05 or whatever. My main priority is new speakers and tweeters because mine are so rotted out and rattling.

I have a 6 CD changer in the trunk. It half-works (only reads disc 3 slot as disc 6).

I do want something to actually fit in that oddly shaped slot though.

I don't plan on selling my original head unit.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

I can easily find you a new 6cd Changer for your trunk, very reasonable. Is your existing unit a Monsoon? With the trunk changer, I'm betting it is. If so lets find you new speakers for now, you can always upgrade the head unit later.

Since the irregular faced VW is still what is referred to as a 1 DIN unit, any aftermarket one 1 DIN unit should work, and they will have adapters available to fit the VW dash, also wiring adapters to make it p&p. I have just found p&p OEM upgrades to be far superior to aftermarkets unless you want to start looking at upper 3 figure $ units. All manufacturers' OEM upgraded units are pretty high quality. Monsoon, Bose, etc. and most have an external amplifier, same as your going to need with a higher end aftermarket.

[Zann]

This is a example of such sales for christmas:

Best Buy linkie

Go and play with a few head units and take your own cd in and listen to a few pairs of speakers and narrow down what you want. With the holidays, stereo & speaker bundles will be available everywhere. The particular radio in this sale is very cool as it has a usb plug right on the front so you can have a several gig thumb drive with thousands of songs right at your finger tips. No need for cds or changers.

[sean_fabanich]

for those people that dont understand y others like to upgrade to an aftermarket system....its cause the factory one sucks...control, signal to noise ratio, and wattage output for aftermarket speakers is far lower then what is needed...and why spend money on crappy paper cone speakers. or radios with no audio control? i guess if you dont care about sound quality then just go with factory replacement, althou youll spend nearly the same money as you would by improving sound quality with aftermarket.

i guess you can imagine my suggestion for replacing the headunit and speakers.

there are many threads on here similar to this...so take a look. but if you put up a dollar amount that youd consider spending then i can help more.

if you just looking for a radio for how it looks then simply buy what you like the look of.

however if you want it for better sound and easier control over things like an ipod...then look into the kenwood kdc-x794, kenwood kdc x994 decks...they both play cds, and can read highspeed files from an ipod or zune or even thumbdrive. if playing cds isnt important..then check out the kenwood kiv-700 or kiv-bt900. basically the same unit. with 3 inch video screen. and no cd player. will actually read mp3s and such from and ipod zune thumbdrive or even harddrive.

as i mentioned any of those decks will play mp3 format music off of a thumbdrive. go out and pick up an 8 or 16 gig drive for next to nothing and load it up with mp3s...as long as you follow the directions for folders and such that kenwood lays out...its very easy to use the deck to navigate the music. plus it has an onboar 24bit digital to analog converter...which simply means...its gonna make your digital media sound damn good.

all of those models have awesome sound control and features which can drastically improve the sound of your radio and speakers. features like cabin setting, speaker placements, time correction, speakers sizes, and so on. no other radio for the price offers these options. i think on crutchfield the lowest price model starts at 220. the next step up would give you the ability to change the deck button and screen colors to match the bugs dash colors. i think you can get it for 300 and it includes a parrot bluetooth capability. so you can talk more safely while you drive using ur car radio.

alpine also makes some nice units...the cda 117 unit is great, as is the cda 9887, but if your looking to make the radio look new yet almost stock then the kenwoods are a better option. these two brands offer the most powerful onboard amps as well. ud be getting 23 or so watts rms (constant wattage) to your speakers, where as with pioneer youd see about 17 and 14 with sony, jvc, and clarion.

pioneer hus are very popular, as walmart carries them, and while they are a quality built product, they usually lack in some of the fine tuning capabilty, and one thing most people suffer from is a bit of static or white noise, its drives me nuts, some people it doesnt, but for the same price you get less control then you would with a kenwood. i guess in the end it all depends on what you want out of your radio. but a great radio with incredible sound control can be had for as lil as 220. or maybe less.

speakers wise, it sounds as thou you dont want to run an amp, so id suggest going with a set of speakers that doesnt need all to much power. something rated at less then 55 watts rms probably. i think boston makes some speakers that would work. you need 2 sets of 6.5s if yuou just had the regular factory system. make one of them a component set and replace the front tweeters. althou for improved sound you may want to consider mounting them in a different location...or at least surface mount them where the factory location is...but angle them into the glass or into the vehicle. other brands to consider would be jl audio tr or c2 series, pioneer tsc or tsd series, kenwood excelon, alpine type s. better speakers can be had, but theyd need to be externally amped. youll also need 2 sets of speaker spacers.

hope this is a bit of help.

let me know if i can help anymore, and good luck

[4SEVEN3]

Check out the radio I got for my NB (my thread is in the NB pics). Its a Sony and has a slide out try for a iPod, or you can throw music on a USB drive. No CD player pure digital! Head unit was only $150

The headunit alone will make a HUGE difference! That factory radio is really, really weak.

Go to Crutchfield: LCD TV, Car Stereo, Home Theater, Speakers, Digital Cameras and put in your vehicle spec's. Itll show you everything that will fit your car. They have good deals and youll get install instructions, the adaptor plate for the radio, the wire harness adaptor and antenna adaptor/booster for free! No I dont work for them....just a satisfied customer! (they also have the same radio I got from Best Buy)

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by sean_fabanich

for those people that dont understand y others like to upgrade to an aftermarket system....its cause the factory one sucks...

Most standard factory radios, yes! I have Bose in a couple of my GMs and couldn't be more satisfied. I think the Monsoon in the Bug exceeds the quality of the car.

Now, if your trying to play your unit at a gazillion decibals thats another story! But it seems to be very age relevant! Sorry!

Edit: Just like wheels, I know ppl who have spent more on either than their car was worth. Not a sensible investment!

[kellyyysayss]

Thanks for all of the replies, and a special thanks to sean for the detail.

I'll be more specific: I'm not looking for anything detail oriented in relationship to sound. I don't want to stress the alternator so I don't want anything too high in wattage or amps I suppose.

I usually connect my iPhone through a tape deck. It'd be nice to have a simple jack-to-jack, or bluetooth.

I'd like a cd player IN the dash if at all possible. If not, it's whatever. I have the 6 changer in my trunk.

I don't need a screen besides a small display. I have GPS and whatnot in my phone.

I'll have to go into BestBuy to see what I like. Do the tweeters come separately (the tiny speakers near the dash)?

I understand most VW speakers need adapters, true?

EDIT: There were two more posts after I started typing! Jeeze.
I prefer Bose or Boston. I currently have factory Monsoon.

[Zann]

Asking us about car audio is like asking someone who the best baseball team is. The opinions will be all over the map.

I think if you go to best buy with your own music and work a few radios and listen to a few speakers and discuss it with the rep there you will walk away with much more info than 5 pages of posts here. The one good thing about Best Buy is the reps are paid hourly and not commission based.

The car takes 6 1/2 inch speakers and yes some come with separate tweeters for the A pillars but I personally wouldn't bother. I'd get four 6 1/2s and a head unit and go from there.

If I were local I'd happily go with you and offer my feedback

[4SEVEN3]

Youll need 2 adapters, one that will wire into the radio wiring harness and adapt it to the factory wiring harness. Youll also need a antenna adapter. The Best Buy here didnt have either and I had to order mine from Crutchfield.

If your still running CD's you can easily get a headunit that has a CD player and either a USB input, or a 3mm jack that you can patch a phone or MP3 player into.

I dont think youll be able to keep the function of the factory CD changer while using a aftermarket headunit.

With that Monsoon system, without getting all crazy, Id buy good quality speaker that you like the sound of and will fill the holes. I would do the 2 speakers in the doors and the 2 speakers in the back and see how it sounds, maybe replace the ones in the dash that face the windshield. You can easily get a lot of money wrapped up in stereo equipment. With the headunit ($150), 4 nice speakers ($200) and the 2 adaptors ($40) you should be able to keep it below the $500 mark, and youll be just fine with power.

You dont have to worry about stressing about the cars electrical system until you start getting all crazy with amps, subs, and multiple channel amps. the last "BIG" system I had used 4 car batteries and had 1700 watts of clean power....I started having power issues.

[sean_fabanich]

theres no in dash radio that i know of that will put a strain on your alternator. so dont worry about that. just steer clear of external amps. in which case. get the highest rms output on a radio possible. the amps built into the alpine and kenwoods are just the most efficient (which also means coolest in temp...which is nice for the tight confines of the radio housing area) all radios will have about the same drain on the battery, its just how efficient and clean the internal amp is. alpines and kenwood for new units stand alone in that category. at least for new radios. older eclipse models were great, but their new product...not so much.

also, switching from a factory normal system to a monsoon system would be very difficult and expensive unless youd be doing everything yourself. id strongly urge you not to go that route.

anyways, having a radio with a good digital to analog converter built in will be key. you dont want to use a headphone jack unless you absolutely have to...as i beleive most mp3 players, and phones have a 4 bit digital to analog converter built in. basically youd be amping an amped signal, and for quality sound, and also protecting your speakers, thatd be a poor way to go. basically speakers blow usually when they are playing unclean signal, not when they are are overpower or underpowered (althou that can do it too). basically a sound wave is a sinusoidal wave, it should be smooth and have rounded curves, any time you use a 3.5 mm jack you are using the onboard headphone amp of the device (ur iphone) and then amping it again in the radio....thats never a good way to protect your speakers, in fact its the easiest way to blow speakers. so even if a radio has that connection, id stear clear from using it long term.

for you id say the kenwood kdc x794 or x994 would be perfect, the latter gives you color matching ability and bluetooth for both phone calls and blutooth music. both are cd players. and both have a usb pigtail which i ran into my glove box. there i plug in my ipod, and someday when it dies ill just use a thumbdrive. u can easily run that cable anywhwere...so itd be easier to plug in and charge your iphone and play music off it too. the radio itself has controls just like an ipod. so while you can pic your music by using the iphone, you can also just use the intuitive buttons and wheel to select your music using the same menu system as on the ipod. its probably a lil safer then picking up your phone to change music constantly.

as far as speakers go. get a set of comonent speakers, which would be a mid range speaker to go in the door, a cross over which splits signal between the tweeter and the door speaker, and the tweeter. like i said ive found that the original location is good if you surface mount it and change the direction in which it plays.... anywyas...get a component set for the front, and a coaxial set for the rear panels. try to match them up in rated wattage so they both respond to the volume know in a similar fashion. (a coaxial set is a midrange speaker with a tweeter mounted in the middle of it) it would be called a coaxial two way speaker...you can probably find a three way coaxial..whch would have 2 tweeters inside the middle of the speaker...but probably isnt needed in the beetle.

in my personal opinion silk dome tweeters sound way better then aluminum or metal tweeters in the beetle. the medal ones will be much harsher.

id say if you can find the polk db series 6.5 inch coaxials and components that would be the way to go...as far as matching up with the power youll have to run them, and over all quality and build of speaker...probably the best for the buck...that or alpine type s, or kenwood excelon. (higher end speakers will require power that you wont have...so avoid them)

keep in mind when you go somewhere to demo speakers, they are usually externally amped on the sound boards, so they wont sound the same as when they are in the bug running of just the headunit. that and airspace is very difficult to seal off in the bug, so speakers will sound very different, youll get limited bass response,. esp in the front doors. so get a speaker that sounds smooth and full...dont judge by overall bass...and take into consideration the sound of the tweeters.

also. with any aftermarket radio, your am reception will suffer...but im guessing you really dont care.

heres some links to the stuff i mentioned. again...good luck

Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X994 (kdcx994) CD/MP3 Car Stereo w/ Bluetooth

Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X794 (kdcx794) CD/MP3 Car Stereo Receiver

both of those radios from kenwood also offer a 2 year warantee.

Polk Audio db6501 6.5" 2-way Component Car Speakers System (db 6501)

Polk Audio db651 6.5" 2-way Car Speakers (also Marine Certified)

those speakers are marine certified too...which means that in your front door...as your seals begin to leak water...these speakers will hold up the best.

will you be doing the install?

[kellyyysayss]

To clarify: I have a Monsoon in there already (when I purchased the car from the old man previous owner, lol)

Sean: You're the best. Props to you.

I'm following what you're saying, and I like the KDC-X994 the best.

I'm a little confused about the speaker links. I understand one comes with solely speakers, and the other comes with speakers, tweeters, and 2 mini subs?

Where would the mini subs go? Would that strain anything power-wise? I assume the two links are to go together: so I have 4 speakers and 2 tweets. But what about the subs?

You rock. <3

[sean_fabanich]

hey,

i dont recall the speaker sizes on the monsoon sound system. there should be the normal set in the doors and the rear panels...and then a set in the actual dash.

im not sure thou. id need someone to clarify.

anyways, in a non monsoon system....or if you bypassed the amp. then you mount the mini sub(which is just a mid range speaker)...as you put it... in the door. they would run off the deck. and again its nothing to fear as far as power draw goes.


just think of a component system as this...take your normal speaker...with big cone and tweeter in the middle....and simply take the tweeter out and put it up higher in the car. thats all a component set is...its seperating the tweeter from the woofer. so youd have a set of tweeters in the dash, a set of midrange woofers in the door...and a set of midrange woofers with tweeter in it in the rear panel. the crossover is just a junction for wiring the woofer and tweeter when they are in different parts of the car, and typically a cross over has higher grade electrical parts which will distribute the right frequencies to the midrange or tweeter..there fore improving sound quality.

this raises the sound stage. and helps the highs get to your ears. bass frequencys are non directional...if your leg is in front of them next to the door u can still here bass frequencys....but if you had a tweeter in the door...and your leg was in the way...it would block all of the sound it creates.

if it were me id probably bypass the monsoon amp and just use the kenwood deck to power the speakers. reason being is that many monsoon and factory amps in general wear out as time goes by. ur amp is essentially 11 years old....id bet it would go sooner then later...and easily and probably would take a speaker or speakers with it. bypassing it is not a complicated procedure. althou it would add about an hour install time for a pro. or maybe 3 hours for a tinkerer.

id definetly make sure you at least put tweeters in the dash thou...as the music they play will be inaudible if you ever have the windows down and are going 50 plus and are mounted in the door behind your leg.

the monsoon system was good thou. i have a hard time telling you to bypass it...but if you dont youll wanna replace all your speakers...which would mean one more set i think. and then if your amp dies on you...you wont be able to run all the speakers off the deck alone(which means wasted money on a set of speakers). so if it were me...id just bypass the amp...put a component set in the front...(midrange woofer in door, tweeter in dash) and use the crossover.) and then mount new rear (two way...meaning a tweeter and a midrange in one)speakers. if you arent happy with that sound output then a small sub can be added...at no real detriment to your charging system. but id cross that bridge when you come to it. the radio youre considering has all the control you could ever want for a more basic system...to a system with multiple amps, subs and the like.

basically going this route will give you the best chances for a successful install...but also be a great foundation if you decided you wanna go a lil crazy with audio

again...good luck

[kellyyysayss]

It's the same system set up, monsoon and standard. For some reason, it's "better" is what I'm told.

I don't plan on doing the install myself. My brother (who does electronics for a living) or another professional would do it.

I know the system is on it's way out, so that's why I wanted to do the whole system. I also had water come through my passenger door one a month or so ago. Ugh. Took care of that, but it is what it is. They're rotted out with age.

Do those speakers need special fittings/mountings or will they just pop in? I saw in a few threads that people have had issues with the mounting bracket.

I'll have to find adapters, but I didn't know if that's the only mod I'd have to put in.

[sean_fabanich]

i guess the speaker set up didnt change until later model years.

i assume you just have speakers in the door. rear panels. and a tweeter in the sail panel. or "a" frame pillar going from the dash to the roof?

if this is so. id again need someone to verify. cause the only monsoon system ive dealt with in the beetle was on a newer model. but the amp was in the rear bumper...driver side i think...pull back the carpet and see if you see something there. if its there...and you end up going with a quality radio like that kenwood...id just go ahead and bypass the factory amp. basically youd have whoever mount the radio in the pocket. when doing so i have some experience doing these radios...so get in contact with me then. i have a few extra steps that i do to ensure an easy and good fit. i know it sounds crazy....but it definetly helps and only adds about 10 minutes to the install...and might just make it go quicker. anyways. when your ready to do the install....pm me...and ill give you step by step directions... i have done numerous installs on beetles...somethings i can help save your installer tons of time on. unless theyve done a bunch of nb themselves.

anyways. if they have the ability to make mdf (medium density fiberboard) spacers rings then that will work...just wait til you get the speaker and make them. other wise i think somoene makes spacers for this too....metra maybe. or maybe its best kits.

anyways. in the rear panely you might not need the spacer...bt up front you def will...the only down fall to using mdf is it will absorb moisture...so if you use them...have them cut...then resin them to make them waterproof.

the front speaker def need drilled out...as they are rivoted in place.

all in all its not that terrible of an install if you know what your getting into. if you like your bass thou you should know now that you wont have alot of bass....so consider adding a small amp and sub. id say anything less then 500 watts rms wont effect your charging system at all....i say this because i currently have a 700 watt system in my car. and had a 1200 watt system with only a capacitor.

long story short...you could easily put an awesome small sub...like the jl 8w3 sub enclourse...its about the size of a big shoe box. and you could get a amp like a jl audio 2 channel class d amp. 200 watts. and the class d is about 90 percent effecient...so it wouldnt use hardly any power...again....from my experience...it wouldnt effect your charging system at all...unless you battery is on the verge of dying.

im sure most people will tell you an 8 wont add much bass....but trust me...it can.....and does. most people think i have a 10 or 12. no one has guessed an 8 yet.

of course in parts cost, adding the sub will about double your cost. as the sub and box are 280. amp is around 300 and youd need rcas and and 8 guage amp kit....but its always a good idea to understand what you might wanna add later. and still have plenty of trunk space.

heres the amp and sub links...althou its probably something that you might add down the road...if ever

JL Audio XD200/2 Amplifiers - Car Audio Amps & Amplifiers

JL Audio CP108LG-W3v3 Subwoofer systems

as far as the speaker space link...i think i ended up retro fitting a 6.5 inch spacer for maybe a neon....at least before i made my mdf spacer rings

again. good luck

[kellyyysayss]

Yes. One in each door panel, one tweeter in each A line, and two rear speakers.

I'm not interested in modding the bass just yet. When I actually have the speaker set (by christmas I hope) in hand, I'll be sure to send you a PM for directions.

I really appreciate your help.

[sean_fabanich]

always glad to help.

let me know if you need anyother suggestions.

[kellyyysayss]

This is what my brother emailed me back about this thread. He's been doing car electronics over over 15 years, so....

"The 2ways won't work (called separates bc separate woofer and tweeter) they are rated at 100 w a side and the head unit is 50 a side... U should find 40-50 watt speakers for that head unit (otherwise Ull blow them quick)

Also when that head unit is installed power may have to be tapped from the steering column or battery (any head unit over 35 watts) bc vws harness is meant for a 25ish watt stereo x4 *(power wires too thin)


Rule of thumb for speakers is either have them rated the same per channel as the head unit or LESS (50 watt x 4 head unit needs 50 watt or 40 watt max speakers)

hope that helps*

Good speakers are Pyle eclipse jbl infinity (cappas are awesome) Never Sony .... *And pioneer kenwood is acceptable as long as not paper cone*


When picking speakers look for the best frequency response in the specs

40hz to 22khz is well rounded *but this is better and cheaper and wont blow

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_20032_Pioneer+TS-G1643R.html"

[Zann]

Sounds like your brother needs to use his know how and possible discounts to buy you a stereo system for Christmas.