Noobie EP3 Owner Interested in Audio

Hey guys. Just got my first EP3! I love the car and want to do something with it audio wise. I'm a complete noobie with this
stuff and don't know much about it.

I'm wondering what a good receiver would be and which one would fit inside of my dash. I have no experience installing a receiver and I assume I have to buy some sort of wiring harness for it. And will any receiver fit in our dash?

Also, what's a good speaker / sub / amp set up that won't totally break my bank but sound decent. My budget is probably
$600 for everything.

Is this stuff pretty hard to do for a new guy? My buddy is a master tech at a dealership he said he could probably figure it out.

Thanks in advance!

I will post a quick reply as to what head unit I prefer. I too recently purchased an EP3, back in September, and NEEDED to upgrade my radio. I went to the local store and had an idea as to what I wanted. Was gonna get an Alpine, but after messing around with it, I turned away from it. Mostly because the colors of the buttons could not come any close to matching the stock Honda orange. Ended up going with a Kenwood KDC-BT555U. I have to say I love it. For around $140 I got USB, Bluetooth, AUX on front, 2 inputs in back, a mic for a Bluetooth phone, and an orange color close to factory. After a few months I still love it, and the sound quality was a noticeable increase upon first use.

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3c17beaa.jpg

As for installing you will need a wiring harness. Most all retailers will sell one along with the deck. Wiring it is quite simple, match colors and crimp your wires properly. And as for mounting it, you can go on Amazon and source up a dash kit by Metra for like $15 and use that. Installation is pretty much the reverse of removal and you can find a few nice videos on Youtube showing how to. That is what I did.

Hope this helps!

Thanks a lot man! I plan on buying that receiver.

Is this the right wiring harness ? http://www.amazon.com/Metra-70-1721-...nda+civic+2003

And is this the right dash kit? Which one are you using? I like the black one because I'm getting the OEM Carbon Fiber-like center console piece.

http://www.amazon.com/Metra-99-7860-...h+kit+civic+si


Thanks so much!

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_142HA15...er-reviews-tab

Or this one and just paint it? Just found out about this website it's pretty amazing and I get free 2 day shipping.

I got my car in December, but have already dove into upgrading the audio. I started with a Kenwood DDX470. I like it, it's not as good as the Pioneer AVIC-X930BT I have in my Tundra but it works. Just picked up some speakers too but have not installed them yet. I got Polk DB6501 components for the front and DB651's for the rear. I know for certain that there will be modifications needed to fit the front speakers. The rears should be fairly easy.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...se736aafa.jpeg

Hey guys decided to go with the http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113KDCX...-KDC-X597.html

Came with a free wiring kit and dash kit which is pretty nifty...

Did some research on the front speaker installation and seems like a pain in the ass.
Might leave that up to the guys at the local car stereo place to mess with lol.

Thanks again guys! Btw nice receivers!

thats a good unit... installing front speakers is really easy.. if u know how to use a screwdriver there shouldn't be a problem

The only thing I found to be annoying about installing my head unit is that the very bottom of the display is not very readable because of teh angle of the head unit in the dash. Not really a huge problem but just one thing I noticed after installing my stuff.

http://www.civicforums.com/forums/11...ll-w-pics.html

This looks like a pain in the ass to me, lol. Once I start seeing doors being taken off and making wooden panels that's not how I envision a way
to spend my day off. There has to be an easier / cheaper way then going to the local car stereo people.

Who knows might not even get speakers if this head unit is good enough might just stick with the OEM's and get a sub / amp later on down the road...

That's an awful job on that install. Especially with that cross over attached to the door?!!

I'm a total audio car noobie and after doing some research I shouldn't install new car stereo speakers without running them through an amp. Apparently the OEM power thingy (lol) cant handle more than 30-40 ohms or something like that and might melt some stuff lol.

Seems like I'll just let the local car audio guys take care of this one... Amp / sub / speakers shouldn't be more than $500

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Switchsl

The only thing I found to be annoying about installing my head unit is that the very bottom of the display is not very readable because of teh angle of the head unit in the dash. Not really a huge problem but just one thing I noticed after installing my stuff.

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If you get a single DIN, you can always move the pocket to the top. I did that once and I thought it helped. It also made it easier to mess with the radio while I kept my hand on the shifter.

It all depends, on what your preference is. I personally like a double din in my car, but you sacrafice the pocket:mcry:. I have a pioneer avh-4500, with and alpine pdx 1001.1, and a fosgate 200 watt amp for my mids and highs.( im currently looking for an alpine 4 channel amp). I personally like alpine as my sound system. im still using the stock speakers, and a Type R 10" sub. I ran everything my self, honestly it is not that hard. for install. as long as you have all the materials you need. the amps, deck and sub i bought off craigslist. so all together im at about 350.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by usedep3

If you get a single DIN, you can always move the pocket to the top. I did that once and I thought it helped. It also made it easier to mess with the radio while I kept my hand on the shifter.

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That is a very good idea. I think once it gets a little warmer up here I am going to take my setup apart and see if I can do this. Thanks!

Wow thanks for the replys! Best community ever! Can't wait to start posting pictures of my new changes in the member's ride section.

http://columbia.craigslist.org/ele/4352253320.html what do you guys think about this?

Anyone have a link to a good DIY video or an explanation on how to hook up an amp and a subwoofer? I'll try to do some google research and keep
an eye on craigslist.

Thanks!!!