I appreciate good audio, but I'm not an audiophile by any means. If I didn't have my plate full with other interests and hobbies, I certainly would be.
So, I'm looking for the guidance of those who are more passionate and knowledgable in the area than I am. I would appreciate such input to get me pointed in the right direction.
I just bought a legend-lime 2006 Ford Mustang and the first thing I intend to do is improve the audio system. The stock system (Shaker 500) sounds great, but I know it can be a lot better. You really feel all the "oomph" where your legs are, but nothing significant behind your seat.
As a semi-novice, I'll have any advanced work done by a local shop. Especially since I live in an apartment on a golf course where I barely have room to wash and wax it, much less whip out the tools.
So, what would you suggest in such a car to improve such a system? I definitely need more bass. If this was your car and system, what would you consider doing on a $1,000 budget and is that a reasonable budget? If I can do a lot more for just a few hundred over that, I'm fine with raising it. I just put the $1,000 limit down because I have this habit of breaking the bank to get the biggest and best of everything (for example, I went to buy a new monitor and walked out with a $3,200 30" Cinema Display... argh).
I'd also appreciate any primers / orientations / tutorials that might be useful. I'm a software engineer and a hardcore geek, so I can get up to speed where necessary. I'm just looking for the place to start and it is clear to me that the audio world is easy to get lost in and go down the wrong path.
If I've placed this in the wrong place, I apologize. I read through what FAQs and rules I found and this seemed appropriate, but as a new member I'll gladly accept whatever chastisement might come.
Thank you for your time and I will definitely appreciate anyone who shares their expertise.
I haven't been able to find details on what components are in the Shaker 500 system, so I'm not sure what the speakers actually are (I just know that there are six of them - nine in the Shaker 1000). I have no complaints about them so far as they seem to have a full range of strong and crisp sound.
At the moment, it really just feels like the sound system isn't balanced when it comes to the subs. You feel it all at the knees and feet, but that's it. So I was planning on finding a good set of subs for the trunk (and if I had to, throw the amp back there and even batteries if it came to that).
One thing I'm curious about is - what is overkill? If I throw a set of 2,000 watt subs into the car that currently has a 500 watt system, will the subs drown out the speakers like a dummer can drown out the vocals on a poorly tuned system at a concert? And what about those guys at audio shows who, for example, throw in a set of Holees (which I think are 8,000 watts each). Is there even a POINT to that?!
While my first desire is to bump the subs up a bit (well, a LOT), I also want to improve my system over all (though I will still keep all the replaced stuff so that I can return it to stock if I resell the car).
Perhaps what I might need to do is run the car to a local Mustang shop or a good car audio store (if I find one - I only moved to Colorado recently) and just ask them to tell me what they would do with the system if it belonged to them.
I don't want to improve it where it isn't necessary, but I don't want to throw the experience out of balance with inexperienced improvements, either.
I'm one of those guys that really takes to anything I have resources to learn from, but when it comes to car audio stuff, there seems to be a scarcity of reliable tutorials, howtos and such. And when it comes to something as general as "I want something that sounds better" . . . I suppose that's a hard concept to pin down for anyone but yourself.
I hope I've provided enough extra info here to give a better idea. I think I'm mostly just asking "If you're familiar with the Shaker 500 in the new mustangs - what would you do to improve them?"
And for the life of me, I still can't find details on the components of the Shaker 500 system. I understand it's a proprietary design by Ford, but . . . it must be out there somewhere.
Shaker 500 is considered to be an 8 speaker system, 1000 is the same, but adds two subwoofers in the rear of the car. If you're happy with the factory stuff and you like sticking to that, a dealer could probably upgrade your current system to Shaker 1000 specification, but I'm not sure.
A better option is a self powered unit such as the Infinity Basslink. It puts out sufficient bass for a stock system and is relatively small, SQ is good as well.
The Shaker 500 in itself, I think (NOT sure, though) contains either 7" or 8" midbass drivers up front, with an additional 3" midrange driver (possibly a coaxial). You won't really benefit as much from upgrades there unless you plan to change out the factory head unit and amplifiers.
Of course, your last option is to try to add a subwoofer, box, and amplifier. It's going to be a squeeze in the trunk of the car, but you can fit a healthy 10" in there. Something along the lines of an Image Dynamics IDQ would be up your alley, sufficient output, excellent sound quality, small enclosure requirement, and doesn't need a ton of power.