Stereo Upgrade Offer

[MI2QWK4U]

I finally got my upgrade done this week. This is what I ended up with and am VERY happy...Sounds SO much better....

Front speakers - Kenwood KFC-C6879ie 6X8 2ways http://www.kenwoodusa.com/product/product.jsp?productTypeId=29&sortBy=price&pageId=2&productId=2515

Rear speakers - Kenwood KFC-6979ie 6X9 3 ways
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/product/product.jsp?productTypeId=43&sortBy=price&pageId=3&productId=2510

Replacement Subwoofer - Kenwood KFC-W1705 6 1/2 in sub
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/product/product.jsp?productTypeId=45&sortBy=price&pageId=2&productId=2398

Amp for new speakers - Directed Audio Python DEI4200 Amp
http://www.directed.com/audio/amps/amp_multichan.asp

All of these componants work well with each other. The DEI amp was needed to get more power to the 4 new speakers that sounded great, but didnt have the volume I wanted. The new Sub is a night and day difference. I added Dynomat to the doors, which added to the total, but I know the Car Audio Manager at my local ABC warehouse (Big appliance chain in Michigan and Ohio). After trying a few different speakers and setups, we settled for the Kenwoods above and the DEI amp, just sounded the best of what we tried. When I told him several Marauder owners were not happy with the stock speakers, and showed him the several lengthy posts from our forum, he was happy to help out. He said he would extend the price he gave me, $600 installed, to any Marauder owner that mentions this forum. For anyone in Southeast Michigan, its a good deal. I dont think this violates the vendor rule, I hope. This package is near cost, only thing he couldnt discount is the installation fee, they get paid per job. Anyone interested contact:
DeMacio Sneed, Car Audio Manager
ABC Warehouse
35200 Gratiot
Clinton Township, Michigan - Macomb county
586-791-1000

You have to mention that Dave refered you from the Marauder Forum. The $600 includes the front and rear Kenwood speakers, the Kenwood 6 1/2 in subwoofer, and the DEI4200 4 channel amp. The dynomat in the door added about $ 125 to my bill, but the difference is stunning. They do not stock the subwoofer and have to special order it from Kenwood, so you will have to call ahead to set it up. I have been going here for my installs for a long time and they do a good neat job, if any of you will be in Dearborn on the 28th for the Trilogy open house, you can take a listen see what you think.... I know I spent a lot of time deciding what to do about the lame sound in my Marauder, I hope some of you can take advantage of the offer....any questions, dont hesitate to shoot them my way.

Dave

[Logan]

No problems with this, sounds like a great deal!

[MI2QWK4U]

Thanks Logan, It really only applies to folks in South East Michigan. I know everyone on here, including myself, appreciates it when someone does some homework and can get a good price for the "family".

[gonzo50]

Originally posted by MI2QWK4U
I finally got my upgrade done this week. This is what I ended up with and am VERY happy...Sounds SO much better....
Rear speakers - Kenwood KFC-6979ie 6X9 3 ways
I didn't think that the 6x9's would fit in the factory housing,:confused: were there any modifications done, ie: cutting, fabricating, expediancy. Thanks.

[MI2QWK4U]

The installer said it was very minimum on the modifications for the bigger speakers in the rear, and I made sure it didnt make contact with the full size 300a spare tire...sounds wonderful.

[joflewbyu2]

I suggest using the better 6x8 Kenwood kfc-6889ie 3 ways that have the 10.1 ounce magnet in the front and rear to keep the sound stage correct. this keeps you from having to use the fader to correct the sound stage from having more efficient rear speakers. i used last years kfc-6808c w/ 10.1 ounce magnet 3 ways and could NOT have been happier.

[MI2QWK4U]

Thats a good point, but with the addition of the 4 channel amp for the new speakers, along with ditching the factory sub for the new Kenwood, there really wasnt a need to fudge with the fader. It was noticable to me that with the new speakers, the output from the factory head was lacking, hence the amp. I didnt quite buy it until they installed it, and it was that obvious. I guess its individual taste.

[SergntMac]

Decent thread, great 411. Thank you, Dave. See you on the 28th?

[MI2QWK4U]

Wouldnt miss it for the world Sarge. I think it will be a great time. When are you heading over? I know those that show up will be impressed with Trilogy having their ***** together.

[vaderv]

Dude not to hurt ur feelings but 600 us dollars is nowhere near costfor any mid level yet major retail outlet for any system you mentioned with a name like kenwood, and so on. I'll send ya the bills if ya wanna see em. Think like 1/3rd of what ya said. I dont know who will sell em anywhere near "cost" but can show ya the proof.

[MI2QWK4U]

Vaderv, You arent hurting my feelings one bit. I did some checking around, and what I paid for my upgraded gear was a good price. www.onlinecarstereo.com , www.crutchfield.com were a couple of sites I checked with. My 6x8's were $20 bucks less than crutchfields "discount" price. The 6X9's were $33 less than crutchfield. The Kenwood 6 1/2 in subwoofer was $20 less. The 4 channel amp wasnt in the original plan, but I am glad I got it, saved $65. I believe I cut $15 off the dynamat. Now when I checked local places, like best buy or circuit city, they couldnt match the price. Also worth noting is the fact that none of the electronics stores or audio shops had free installation if you werent buying a radio head unit. For me, having the stuff installed was worth it, especially the dynamat in the door. The installation added to the cost. I think its important to note also that most people in the forum replaced 4 speakers, I went a step farther and replaced the subwoofer with a better one the same size, and added the amp for more punch. I never said this was the ultimate upgrade for the sterio, rather that it is a great sounding upgrade where the componants work well together. If you want to install yourself, see what the parts alone would run you. I did the math and honestly couldnt find the parts at a better price. For my wife to actually comment about how the car sounds inside now was proof enough! Nice thing is..if you can do better than this, then I wish i would have talked to you sooner!

[looking97233]

VADERV- he got an amp too. Not just speakers.

[cyclone03]

Where is the new amp mounted?The stock one is next to the base box rite?
Did the new sub fit in the stock box?
Minor trimming?
Truthfuly my only problem with the sound is when I have rear passengers(kids) they don't want to hear my stuff I don't want theres.(they get personel CD players I fade everything forward).
Do the new fronts help fill the forward cabin better with the rear off?
Thanks for the info .

[MI2QWK4U]

They mounted the new amp on the ledge under the amp for the subwoofer. the same ledge the spare tire is mounted on. This new amp does not replace the factory amp, it adds power to the new speakers. The factory radio head doesnt make enough juice on its own. And the Kenwood subwoofer is 6.5 inches, the factory one is 6.75 inches, so the new on fits fine in the old enclosure.

[SergntMac]

Dave...

Don't let some of this "opinion" crap hold you back. I have found it to be a natural process, a "by-product" if you will, that stems from you posting your thoughts on the .net.

Some will come back at you with compliments for your effort, others will be critical of your results. Why? Well, I just don't know. Just seems to be what happens. Nonetheless, please keep posting your thoughts, and your results. Exploring the MM is what is important here, not some arm-chair quarterbacking, after the fact stuff from someone who thinks they could have done you one better, but in reality hasn't done or will not do, anything at all.

Do what you gotta do Dave, K? Many of us are listening...

[martyo]

^^^ What he said!! ^^^

[jefferson-mo]

:up:

[MI2QWK4U]

It is whats important, trying new things and letting people make a choice of whats best for them. I guess that I really appreciate a lot of the ideas here, and try to give something back and hopefully help someone with a new idea, or my favorite pastime, getting something for cheaper that imagined!

[CRUZTAKER]

2QUICK:

Questions....I understand the new amp location, and I assume they used the hi-level inputs since you were coming directly out of the stock radio.....but:

The rear speakers would be easy to cable into due to proximity, but the fronts will require a new feed to the trunk down each side of the car, what did they do to accomplish this? And did they re-cable with larger speaker wire?

As far as the sub replacement, are you saying the 6-1/2 is a direct replacement? I was of the understanding the stock was a 5-3/4. And...if it was a direct speaker only replacement, are you happy with the factory amp driving it.

Thanks, sorry for all the questions, but YOU stirred the upgrade juices!

[MI2QWK4U]

I will ask what they did to upgrade the wiring. I know the amp alone was an hour job for the installer, but he is a wizard and the finished job looks good (nothing broken like if i did it) and sounds great. That is why the package above is $600, it did take about 2 hours to install everything. I know for a fact I couldnt have gotten results like that, especially with the Dynomat in the doors. This was the first Marauder through their doors, so they actually experimented with a couple things before arriving at this setup. Not the absolute pinicle of performance or dollars spent, but the improvement is soooo noticable. I believe they did rewire the speakers from the amp with better wire.
As for the sub, factory is 6 3/4 inches. They tried to modify the box to accept an 8 inch rockford fosgate sub, but it wouldnt fit without major modification. Since I dont need to base thump all over the place....we decided to try the 6 1/2 in Kenwood....big improvement and NO modifications. And the factory amp is plenty for the Kenwood sub. They felt, and I agreed that the factory radio head didnt have enough juice to drive the new cabin speakers. They actually told me about that before installing the speakers, and they were totally correct. I am assuming any 4 channel amp will do the trick. But I am very pleased at the Kenwood cabin speaker/ subwoofer combo.

[CRUZTAKER]

Good....thanks 2Quick. I'm on my way to a new personal project.
BTW: That was a VERY quick install, it will likely take me an entire day, but sounds easy enough.

[MI2QWK4U]

I talked to DeMacio today, I guess he has had a few calls from Marauder owners that saw this post here.... It's cool to see some of you are checking into it....

[jgc61sr2002]

Dave - Sounds good and a + was a warranty on your installation.:up:

[buckyboy]

how about ft myers florida?
I finally got my upgrade done this week. This is what I ended up with and am VERY happy...Sounds SO much better....

Front speakers - Kenwood KFC-C6879ie 6X8 2ways http://www.kenwoodusa.com/product/product.jsp?productTypeId=29&sortBy=price&pageId=2&productId=2515

Rear speakers - Kenwood KFC-6979ie 6X9 3 ways
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/product/product.jsp?productTypeId=43&sortBy=price&pageId=3&productId=2510

Replacement Subwoofer - Kenwood KFC-W1705 6 1/2 in sub
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/product/product.jsp?productTypeId=45&sortBy=price&pageId=2&productId=2398

Amp for new speakers - Directed Audio Python DEI4200 Amp
http://www.directed.com/audio/amps/amp_multichan.asp

All of these componants work well with each other. The DEI amp was needed to get more power to the 4 new speakers that sounded great, but didnt have the volume I wanted. The new Sub is a night and day difference. I added Dynomat to the doors, which added to the total, but I know the Car Audio Manager at my local ABC warehouse (Big appliance chain in Michigan and Ohio). After trying a few different speakers and setups, we settled for the Kenwoods above and the DEI amp, just sounded the best of what we tried. When I told him several Marauder owners were not happy with the stock speakers, and showed him the several lengthy posts from our forum, he was happy to help out. He said he would extend the price he gave me, $600 installed, to any Marauder owner that mentions this forum. For anyone in Southeast Michigan, its a good deal. I dont think this violates the vendor rule, I hope. This package is near cost, only thing he couldnt discount is the installation fee, they get paid per job. Anyone interested contact:
DeMacio Sneed, Car Audio Manager
ABC Warehouse
35200 Gratiot
Clinton Township, Michigan - Macomb county
586-791-1000

You have to mention that Dave refered you from the Marauder Forum. The $600 includes the front and rear Kenwood speakers, the Kenwood 6 1/2 in subwoofer, and the DEI4200 4 channel amp. The dynomat in the door added about $ 125 to my bill, but the difference is stunning. They do not stock the subwoofer and have to special order it from Kenwood, so you will have to call ahead to set it up. I have been going here for my installs for a long time and they do a good neat job, if any of you will be in Dearborn on the 28th for the Trilogy open house, you can take a listen see what you think.... I know I spent a lot of time deciding what to do about the lame sound in my Marauder, I hope some of you can take advantage of the offer....any questions, dont hesitate to shoot them my way.

Dave

[martyo]

how about ft myers florida?

This is like The Night of the Living Dead.....

[BruteForce]

Its ALIVE! (http://sounds.wavcentral.com/movies/youngfrank/alive.mp3)

[MM03MOK]

One year and two days!!!!

Sorry BuckyBoy.....couldn't resist. Welcome!! Now that's doing your re"search"!

[buckyboy]

well...if the guy wasnt still in biz ....after a year or so..i guess that answers my question..huh?...ok..ok..just call me dumbass...i just figured how to look at the dates...duh..TE=MM03MOK]One year and two days!!!!

Sorry BuckyBoy.....couldn't resist. Welcome!! Now that's doing your re"search"![/QUOTE]

[joflewbyu2]

buckboy, are you looking for an installer in fort myers or do you just want to listen to an audio system from a MM that has been upgraded with speakers and new radio ?

[MM03]

MI2QWK4U, thanks for the info. I was thinking of upgrading but didn't want to go overboard with larger speakers and sub. This sounds like a good upgrade at a decent price.I'm not from your area so those part numbers will do the trick. :rock:

[buckyboy]

well both...i have been looing at polk speakers..anybody have a opinion?
buckboy, are you looking for an installer in fort myers or do you just want to listen to an audio system from a MM that has been upgraded with speakers and new radio ?

[FiveO]

Don't mean to hijack the thread...but an upgraded stereo is a wonderful thing.

12" JBL sub hidden behind the amp...

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1552930/4651240/58628167.jpg

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1552930/4651240/58628123.jpg

[Brother Mike]

Don't mean to hijack the thread...but an upgraded stereo is a wonderful thing.

12" JBL sub hidden behind the amp...

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1552930/4651240/58628167.jpg

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1552930/4651240/58628123.jpg
But where is the spare???

[FiveO]

Under the false bottom :)

Its not a full size spare...but oh well :)

[FiveO]

Just a couple pics:

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1552930/4651240/58636637.jpg

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1552930/4651240/58636630.jpg

[FiveO]

One more.


http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1552930/4651240/58636625.jpg