# Upgrade What on Honda Pilot Audio? Suggestions?



## kmaintl

Just picked up a new Honda Pilot in the "clunkers program" and the stock system doesn't seem to get very clear high or lows. I haven't kept in touch with car audio for years, so wondering what I can upgrade to get a clearer distinct sound.







I don't listen to my contemporary jazz music too loud.


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## eggyhustles

budget?


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## kmaintl

I don't have a clue as I haven't looked in car audio for over 15 years. I'm looking for some ideas what I could do to improve the clarity of the bass and highs at lower volume and what it would take to do it.


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## mntmst




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kmaintl* /forum/post/17037202
> 
> 
> Just picked up a new Honda Pilot in the "clunkers program" and the stock system doesn't seem to get very clear high or lows. I haven't kept in touch with car audio for years, so wondering what I can upgrade to get a clearer distinct sound.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't listen to my contemporary jazz music too loud.



Welcome Piloteer.

I've got a 2008 model that I've replaced the OEM HU and Sub on.

Great site for Pilot owners. http://www.piloteers.org/ 


HU: http://www.piloteers.org/forums/show...threadid=21926 

Sub: http://www.piloteers.org/forums/show...threadid=24664 

The 2009/10 models are a redesign but stock radio's not too bad (Honda spec Pioneer) but the Alpine OEM speakers are trash. If I had $300 to spend I would upgrade the fronts to something nice. For $550 more You could also buy the stealthbox sub for your car but you would also need a amp to power it.
http://www.pasmag.com/index.php?opti...k=view&id=1311


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## kmaintl

thanks for the links to the piloteers, i'll read throught them this weekend. hopefully, i'll get enough info on what to do.


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## tdogroeder

Get a budget and get a new HU & replace the front speakers will give the best improvement on sound quality, add a sub if budget permits.


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## kmaintl




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *tdogroeder* /forum/post/17047949
> 
> 
> Get a budget and get a new HU & replace the front speakers will give the best improvement on sound quality, add a sub if budget permits.



I like the way the dash looks and the stock unit fitting perfectly within the dash. So, I'm looking to enhance the sound without replacing the stock radio. I don't have a budget, but if replacing the speakers & subwoofers would do the trick for clearer highs & lows, that's the direction I'll take.




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mntmst* /forum/post/17046003
> 
> 
> Welcome Piloteer.
> 
> The 2009/10 models are a redesign but stock radio's not too bad (Honda spec Pioneer) but the Alpine OEM speakers are trash. If I had $300 to spend I would upgrade the fronts to something nice. For $550 more You could also buy the stealthbox sub for your car but you would also need a amp to power it.
> http://www.pasmag.com/index.php?opti...k=view&id=1311



I have to agree that the 2009 stock radio is not bad, so changing the speakers would help a lot. $850 is easily within my budget if that will give me clearer highs and lows. I was looking into the amp, is the Sony XM-4S any good. I notice it is small and slim, so can fit anywhere. Also, my brother is a Sony employee and there's Sony employee sale this week. LoL


I want everything to stay looking stock as if nothing was changed, but a noticeable improvement on clarity in lower volumes.


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## eggyhustles

Yeah you def need a budget.


can't go wrong with this, though.


comps
http://www.woofersetc.com/p6201/CTX6...ker-System.htm 


2 ch amp
http://www.caraudiodeals.com/mb-quar...50-p-2253.html


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## kmaintl

Thanks for the tips, I do some more research on those. If money is no object, what would one suggest for a 2009 Honda Pilot? Doesn't have to be the best as I know that involves personal opinion, but something that will surely improve the clarity of highs and lows in lower volumes. I like my contemporary jazz, but not getting the clear highs and lows that I prefer.


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## mntmst




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kmaintl* /forum/post/17048589
> 
> 
> Thanks for the tips, I do some more research on those. If money is no object, what would one suggest for a 2009 Honda Pilot? Doesn't have to be the best as I know that involves personal opinion, but something that will surely improve the clarity of highs and lows in lower volumes. I like my contemporary jazz, but not getting the clear highs and lows that I prefer.



If money is no object you would have to gut the car to deaden the whole thing, reposition the tweeters so you can hear them, redesign the doors, use up all the rear space for sound boxes and about a million other things.










For a 1K budget you can have about 75% of that really matters.


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## kmaintl




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mntmst* /forum/post/17049867
> 
> 
> If money is no object you would have to gut the car to deaden the whole thing, reposition the tweeters so you can hear them, redesign the doors, use up all the rear space for sound boxes and about a million other things.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For a 1K budget you can have about 75% of that really matters.



Thanks for the suggestions, but it is greek to me. LoL As long as everything looks stock, I'll consider almost anything. I had a couple of quotes from local car audio shops and they're in the $3K range (include labor to install). Having a mobile car audio installer come next weekend to discuss my project. Hopefully, he's more realistic on price.


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## mntmst




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kmaintl* /forum/post/17051884
> 
> 
> Thanks for the suggestions, but it is greek to me. LoL As long as everything looks stock, I'll consider almost anything. I had a couple of quotes from local car audio shops and they're in the $3K range (include labor to install). Having a mobile car audio installer come next weekend to discuss my project. Hopefully, he's more realistic on price.



Yours sounds like 8 hours labor with about $100 extra for install parts (wire/fuse/distro block for subwoofer amp and spacers/clips for the new door speakers). So at retail for the parts plus install should be about $1500.


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## kmaintl

I thought $3K was a bit steep, one cannot have that much overhead in a store front. It was 19 hours x $90/hr or $1,710 and the speakers/amp/subwoofer were full retail. Supposedly, everything is custom made, like the subwoofer box.


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## mntmst




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kmaintl* /forum/post/17057552
> 
> 
> I thought $3K was a bit steep, one cannot have that much overhead in a store front. It was 19 hours x $90/hr or $1,710 and the speakers/amp/subwoofer were full retail. Supposedly, everything is custom made, like the subwoofer box.



Why use a custom box? Using the JL box is a 2-3 hour job. http://mobile.jlaudio.com/pdfs/16393.pdf


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## kmaintl

One shop quote me for a Pioneer TS-SW251 10" shallow mount subwoofer with custom box, it's more than the JL including labor. Kinda of crazy quote and I told him about the JL, he didn't respond.


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## kmaintl

NEW QUESTION for all who have changed their speakers:

WHAT BRAND & MODEL SPEAKERS you changed to and what do you like about your new speakers?


I was thinking about the Sony XS-GT1626A that Crutchfield's suggested as it seems to be a straight swap for 2009 Honda Pilot, 6.5" speaker. I wanted to change the door speakers first and see if it does it for me. For sure, I don't want to change how the dash looks, so will live with the stock radio. 2 car audio techs actually recommended that I install a pre-amp to give better control over the sound.


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## eggyhustles

custom box>bs prefab


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## mntmst




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *eggyhustles* /forum/post/17087835
> 
> 
> custom box>bs prefab



Custom box == waste of money (JL Audio knows how to build enclosures for the limited space inside a Honda Pilot)


Most of advice this guy has gotten from the "Car Audio Pros" has been total crap.


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