I need help with my Monsoon stereo system

**doc2B** · 04-25-2006, 07:33 AM

Hey.

I'm a newbie

to the forum, so I am sorry if this topic has been thoroughly reviewed in thr past.

I have a 2001 Z28 Convertible. The Monsoon system is crap, I know; but the replacement system I want (Alpine HU w/ nav and every option for hook-in (iPod, etc); new speakers all the way around; amp; sub; etc) will cost me around $3000...which is completely unacceptable to the wife

, who is supporting the family while I go to med school.

So...I need to somehow make the BEST of what I've got, as inexpensively as possible.

What started it all is the factory 12-disk CD changer went out. It wouldn't play CDs, and then it started eating the magazine. Then, both front speakers blew-out. I've been listening to talk radio through only the rear speakers for the past 6 months, and now I'm sick of it.

Also, I am a novice as far as installing these types of components, but am a quick learner with a little help.

What can I do to keep costs down while bringing out what I can from the Monsoon system?

I am planning on simply replacing the CD changer with the exact same model (CDX-M12 zg) to make install easy. Although it took me an hour or so, I figured out how to remove and replace the front door panels and rear sail panels so I could replace the speakers, which I intend to do. I found "new" factory front speakers, for this system, on ebay yeterday and they are on their way.

The seller states that these speakers are a better quality than the originals. Should I also change out the rear speakers too?

I thought this was a "premium" sound system with 8 speakers? Where are they all?

When I had a Jeep Wrangler, I installed a factory subwoofer (it had a built-in amp and was designed to fit nicely behind the rear seat) to the factory HU and speaker system and it made a HUGE difference. Is there such a quick and easy fix with this system?

Does Delco have an amp and sub that will work with this HU without any wiring headaches? I can install myself via plug n play; anything more than that will probably cause more trouble for me than its worth...I'll probably break something or mess something else up.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

.

Sorry for the long post!

**ScrapMaker** · 04-26-2006, 02:50 PM

well... it may be different for the vert... but my t-top 2000 ws6 has 10 "speakers"

2 tweeters in doors
2 woofers in doors
2 subwoofers in sail panels
2 woofers in hatch
2 tweeters in hatch

you need to make sure that these replacement speakers are EXACTLY the same as the original, ohm-wise... otherwise you will run into problems.

and yes, they make special harnesses, I believe, that allow you to drive a subwoofer amplifier from the stock headunit... just like they make harnesses to control ipods and all sorts of goodies... PAC makes most, if not all of them.

also, once you get your new speakers in, make sure you keep the volume down, if you are having distortion, (which you are,) then you blow the speakers...

a good upgrade path would be to buy a decent deck and have a shop wire it for you... apparently the monsoon amplifier is looking for a 6-volt speaker output, and somehow most shops are able to utilize the RCA outputs of the headunit, which results in MUCH LESS distortion... letting your front woofers, and sub-woofers play much louder without distorting/damaging them...

the front tweeters, and rear component sets will still run off the headunit power... but since the aftermarket deck will probably have more power, you'll be set.

look into the Pioneer P80MP... it claims something like 30-watts RMS per channel... which will be much more powerful than your run-of-the-mill headunit... Alpine and Panasonic both make similar units though...

**doc2B** · 04-26-2006, 02:57 PM

Thanks for the advice ScrapMaker.

**willstoyz** · 04-26-2006, 03:17 PM

Hi Doc, I too have a 2001 'vert SS. Someone had hacked all the speakers front and rear. The stock speakers are coaxials. The front are mids and tweeters and the rears are woofers and tweeters. I bought GM replacements for the rear and aftermarket for the front. I then bought a 10" wedge sub box and put a $29 sub from Best Buy and a $69 300 watt amp. I wedged the box in the trunk well and it sounds great!

**doc2B** · 04-26-2006, 03:22 PM

Willstoyz:

Did you use an OEM1 to wire-in the sub and amp?

The amp was for the sub...it didn't screw-up the Monsoon amp, right?

**doc2B** · 04-26-2006, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

well... and yes, they make special harnesses, I believe, that allow you to drive a subwoofer amplifier from the stock headunit... just like they make harnesses to control ipods and all sorts of goodies... PAC makes most, if not all of them ...

OEM1...right?

Does anybody know how to install these things? Do they go behind the HU? Speaking of that, is getting at the HU as easy as it looks...popping off the black plastic that frames the center part of the front dash (the HU, top 2 AC vents and AC controls)?

Let me know.

Thanks.

**willstoyz** · 04-26-2006, 04:00 PM

You can use the adapter, radio access is very easy as you described. I wired the amp directly off the monsoon amp in the trunk, and no, it did not mess up the stock amp.

**doc2B** · 04-26-2006, 04:10 PM

The monsoon amp is in the trunk? Where, exactly? I have a cable harness that I will plug-in to my replacement CD changer, and I have the convertible pump that sits in the rear drivers' siode trunk corner. That is all I've seen in the trunk area.

As far as the speakers; the tweeters are actually a part of the front and rear speakers, right? I did not pull the drivers' side sail panel cover off all the way...just enough to peek inside...all I saw was the sail panel speaker...no separate tweeter or sub components. Is there something missed? If so, what was it and how do I get to it?

Also, although easy, do you need to worry about being really careful pulling the front HU trim off (breaking some fragile factory plastic clips or something)? I was somewhat paranoid about breaking those plastic clips on the back side of the door panel.

Thanks for the help.

**willstoyz** · 04-26-2006, 04:16 PM

The amp is behind and forward of the spare tire. You will need to remove the spare to access the amp wiring harness. It is not necessary to remove the amp as the harness can be unplugged easily. The stock speakers are coaxial speakers (2 in 1) I think calling it an 8 speaker system, although technically correct, is misleading.

**ScrapMaker** · 04-27-2006, 06:17 AM

does the harness for adding an aftermarket amplifier plug in between the headunit and the stock harness, or between the monsoon amp and it's harness? either way should probably work, but I've never actually used it...

**mikeaford** · 04-27-2006, 10:05 AM

Or to add another amp you can take a convertor that they sell at most stereo stores - 25 - 35 dollars and tap into the speaker wires int he back that gives you a set of RCA plugs for an amp. That's how I did my sub amp. This is coming up but the amp I have now has RCA outputs to connect other amps. I replaced the front speakers and subs in the passenger seat area and ran new speaker wire to the trunk where the new 6 channel amp is going to be located. I'll let you know how it sounds as soon as the amp arrives - unsure right now how to do the speakers in the very back??? Nothing really to hold good speakers in there from what I see. maybe some 4" alpines with the level turned down low - but not sure now if it will be worth it so far I have spent - 200 on sub amp XtantA6001, 180 for used stealthbox off ebay with 10W4V2 sub, 250 on front rear speakers - alpines type S seperates in front components in mid deck at tweeter that were on sale, 300 on JL audio E6450 6 channel amp - still in shipping, plus 100 on all wiring for amps / speakers - already wired!

**t/a for life** · 04-27-2006, 09:09 PM

do you know the size of the the 2 back panel speakers that are like right behind you, i have a 99 t/a and all i have there is cardboard what you think i should put there? your opinon

**mikeaford** · 04-28-2006, 12:26 AM

in the mid section I have 6.5'' components.

**t/a for life** · 04-28-2006, 06:40 AM

are they ready to go with all the wires there or do you have to run your own stuff cuz i was going to just buy the speakers to put them in what all you think i will need, to put them in?

**mikeaford** · 04-28-2006, 07:48 AM

If you are not using proper impedence aftermarket speakers to run off of your stock amp. I would highly suggest that you run new wires this all depends on where you mount the amp? figure the distance from the doors to the trunk and give yourself enough length to run it through the wire rubber conduit leading from the cab to the door plus enough length to put it under the carpet etc. I averaged about 75-80 " of wire plus the proper terminals. Again more "experienced" people on here might give you a better answer but this is mine.

**ScrapMaker** · 04-28-2006, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by t/a for life

do you know the size of the the 2 back panel speakers that are like right behind you, i have a 99 t/a and all i have there is cardboard what you think i should put there? your opinon

no doubt about it... go with these.

Eu-700s

they are cheaper than the stock subwoofer, work PERFECTLY fine on the stock amp, and are somewhere between 10-100x bettter...

if you put regular components in the 'sails' then your image will be pulled behind you... just like in the thirdgens....

now, in the hatch area, you have a 4" woofer, and a 1" tweeter...

**doc2B** · 04-28-2006, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

no doubt about it... go with these.

Eu-700s

they are cheaper than the stock subwoofer, work PERFECTLY fine on the stock amp, and are somewhere between 10-100x bettter...

if you put regular components in the 'sails' then your image will be pulled behind you... just like in the thirdgens....

now, in the hatch area, you have a 4" woofer, and a 1" tweeter...

Are you saying to replace the sail panel speakers with these? If so, it looks to me as though the need for a separate sub and amp in the trunk (convertible) is eliminated...right?

If this is all correct, do these speakers come ready to be plugged-in to the existing sail panel speaker wires? If not, how do they need to be wired?

If these are NOT supposed to replace the need for a separate sub and amp in the trunk, can someone help me design an enclosure that will work for that sub (2 of them?) and fit in the deeper well of the trunk without coming up and out of that area (the above website looks good...still don't know enough to know exactly what I will need though).

If I do need to use these as a separate sub in the trunk, what amp should I choose? Will I just hook the amp directly into the existing harness?

You all have been a great help so far...I feel like I am nearly ready to tackle this project. My replacement 12 disk changer is on the way, as are my replacement front speakers. I bought "new" factory speakers off ebay that were advertised to be better able to "handle the 500 W of the Monsoon system"...don't know if I should believe it or not...but I can just take them out of the box and plug 'em in...which is worth something to me. Are the better speakers for the front that will work with the Monsoon system without the need for any hardwiring? If so, maybe I should re-sell the ones coming and buy better ones.

I am not opposed to spending some money, as long as I get the highest quality I can for the money; everything is plug n play; it will all work with my factory Monsoon HU; and I max-out at around $600 to $800.

Any advice?

**ScrapMaker** · 04-29-2006, 11:23 AM

well supposedly the EU-700s will sound much better than the stock woofers... but they won't REPLACE 12" subwoofers...

I would recommend starting off with a new headunit, because you may be content with the stock sound for a little while longer... you will notice a considerable improvement if you wire in the new deck correctly...

if your long-term goal is to replace every speaker, then you will probably end up scrapping the monsoon system completely...

my plan is to install new components in the doors, new components in the hatch, and the eu-700s in the sails, all externally-amplified, and a high-end headunit..