Does anyone know much about the 2006 Civic stereo system? I will likely be buying an EX w/ Nav very soon but need to figure something out first. I can't order the Si model's 350W 7 speaker system in the sedan, so want to upgrade the 160W one it comes with. I assume the head unit has to stay as it appears to be part of the DVD Nav system which would be fine, so long as there are pre-outs on the stock system. The dealer can't tell me this. I also really want to stay away from the quality issues of line converters. Is there any other way if there's no pre-outs?
I will install speakers matched to whatever come of the head unit power situation and b-quiet as well.

Oh, also want to install a 10" or 12" sub but haven't found any hide-away enclosures for it yet. I have an Audiobahn 12" in a standard box w/ 900W RMS amp for the meantime but don't want that trunk hog of a box forever.

My bro already bought his '06 w/ nav and having trouble trying to find an upgrade solution as well.
TIA for any input!
b

 

To put it bluntly stock sucks.

Your stock stereo will not come with preouts and you only choice will be Hi Lo converters or high level inputs. Both do suck very very very much.

My advice is save your money and buy everything aftermarket, including the nav. Pioneer Avic N2 comes with Nav and you can watch movies all for about 2k. It is also an aftermarket deck so you will have all the 3 preouts and sepperate sub control.

Aftermarket stuff is at least 10X better then any OEM stuff made. this includes any Bose, Infiniti, anything.

I have been installing for over 7 years now. Turst me I know.

 

You know poo poo.

Rip off one of your speaker grills and splice some speaker wire from the stock wires. Then cut a RCA cable in half and seperate the wires inside of it. Then tape the speaker wire to the RCA wires and plug it into your amp. No problem.

 

^Bad idea...

Find me the exact max RMS output for the stereo for each channel, and the exact max RMS input for the amp and I'll design you a device you can use to do what sniper said, with stuff you can get at radio shack and build yourself.

 

That will work but wont sound to great. Speaker wires carry a high level audible sound. RCAs carry a low level sound that is much cleaner and can be amplified to a cleaner, more crisp, louder sound. If you connect RCAs directly to speaker levels you will only be ampifing the crappy high levels the stock unit puts out. Plus the gains will need to be cranked all the way down cause its gonna be loud, amplifing high level to an even higher level.

 

Thanks guys. I hear ya LEVIII, that's what I was afraid of for quality issues. Having used them in the past, I am not a fan of line converters, tho it'd work in worst case scenario. There's a couple things about going aftermarket though.
1) the non-nav audio system appears to be integrated into the dash, not a conventional DIN type opening. it's pretty funky, not sure how you'd replace something like that.
2) for what i'll pay it will only be $1350 more for the nav system, i saw a good review of that nav system (my bro loves it too), it'd be under warranty, and would be integrated into the dash.

 

Holy hell. I was being sarcastic.

Even though I have done that before back in my younger/broke years.