Sandman....xterra nerds..stereo

[GreenCloud]

my girlfriend has an xterrs...really woudl liek as bit more sound in it..


would love to keep the in dash cd changer...


did you change yours at all??

i need a sub in back..then need to replace door speakers ..both additions will require amps

[Sandman]

Mine did not have the in-dash changer. It's an XE.

As for the changers in general, I don't see the point these days. If you buy a CD player that supports MP3, you can fit as many as 6-10 albums on a single disk.

I highly recommend buying the unit from Crutchfield. You'll get the installation instructions and all the cables and mounts you need to simply plug and play. Crutchfield can tell you what fits in the vehicle and they can do it right on the web site.

If you have questions, call them up or use their online chat or email. They are VERY responsive, knowledgeable and helpful.

[RightF00T]

Second on the crutchfield...you may pay a bit more, but their initial installation instructions and depth of technical support is amazing.  They also have available everything you need for an install.  

Also, I hope you plan on replacing the front speakers before anything.  If you're getting a sub, fronts are all you need for imaging, be sure you get an amp powerful enough to prevent clipping.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

In car audio it's imperative to get a player that sports DSP. It's the only way you can get proper stereo imaging in a car.

[bj229r]

I also have an Xterra with the in-dash-- it isn't capable of reading mp3's, has little bass, and less volume--- can the sterring-wheel controls be retained with an after-market?..and where WOULD you put bigger speakers (assuming that is required)

[Gunslinger]

mixing OEM with aftermarket in car audio is not that easy to do.  You could add a base tube to the back that get's its audio feed from the back speakers and is self powered.  That's about the easiest thing to do.  

OEM car stereo equipment does not follow industry standards.  Alot of the speakers do not have the same impedence (4ohms) as the aftermarket stuff and are usually wired really weird like (series, or series paralell)

Secondly to keep in the indash you need a low level audio output from it.  This usually comes in the form of "rca jacks" in aftermarket.  I have yet to see an OEM stereo have this.  Basically OEM stuff isn't all that modular.  It's really hard to mix and match speakers, especially if they are self powered.

My advice would be this: (kinda same as sandy's)

Replace all for interior speakers with some decent sounding ones (almost any name brand around $100 will do the trick)

Replace the indash with a aftermarket CD player that can read MP3 Cds  (this has been a godsend to me.  I can load up my entire music collection on just a few disks and not have to worry about any CDs getting stolen.  This would have saved me litterally thousands of dollars as a young adult)  Use this unit to run the four interior speakers.

Get a self contained bass box such as a tube or even a packaged deal that includes the amp.

you will now have a VERY decent sounding system that has the capability to expand.  Some aftermarket stereos now have jacks that allow you to plug in your ipod or mp3 player directly.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

As previously said the OEM players aren't worth the plastic theyre made from. Get a proper player with DSP functionality.

One example.