Hi everyone. I've desided on this head unit for my new Fit: The Pioneer AVIC-Z1. My question is this. When shopping for speakers do i look at the RMS? the Max power? Both? I love the JL audio's in my Infiniti G35 coupe, so i'm leaning toward that name brand. Here are the specs of the head unit for my fit:
Technical Specification

• Satellite Radio Ready: Yes
• RMS Power Output: 22 Watts
• Subwoofer Preamp Outputs: Yes
• Maximum Power: 50 Watts
• DIN: 2
• Changer Control: Yes
• CD Text: Yes
• Detachable Face: No

Features

• In-dash DVD player/navigation system with built-in amplifier (22 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)
• Fits double-sized dash openings
• Motorized 7" video screen with touch-panel controls
• Turn-by-turn map and voice guidance
• Built-in 30GB hard drive performs all navigation functions
• Stores up to 10GB of music files
• Voice command capability; microphone included
• Text-to-speech technology announces the names of most roads
• Learning capability: remembers frequently traveled roads and suggests familiar routes
• Smart routing algorithm takes data such as posted speed limits and number of turns into account to suggest the most efficient route possible
• Plays DVDs, DVD-R/RWs, DVD+R/RWS, CDs, CD-R/RWs, and MP3/WMA discs
• Navigation antenna included
• Nearly 11 million points of interest
• Roadside Assistance display
• 64MB internal memory
• 3-band parametric EQ
• XM and SIRIUS Satellite Radio-ready (subscription also required)
• Compatible with Pioneer's iPod interface adapter, Bluetooth adapter, and DVD/CD changer
• Audio/video input
• Rear-view camera input
• Front, rear, and subwoofer preamp outputs
• Tri-zone capable
• Supertuner IIID AM/FM tuner
• 18 FM/6 AM presets
• Designed for use with "Region 1" coded DVDs

Any help would be greatly appriciated.
Thank you.

 

do you want to play SQ or SPL? or maybe in-car Theatre.. it's All different characteristic.

basically, the RMS power used to see how much the amplifiers can give it's power continuously.. i think it's enough with Max. 200 watts like ur headunit. see also points from ur D/A Converter, Good sound quality on 24bit.

 

Hey Luxury...let me know what you finally decided on. I too am thinking about going with the AVIC-Z1. If it's already installed how's it working for you?

 

Did you also go with the Audiobahn?

 

Generally try to use the RMS but remember that the rating on head units is normally at 14.4V. Most stock car electrical systems cannot put out 14.4V consistantly. This is why high end external amp manufacturers rate at a more realistic 12V or 12.5V. One of the other elements is THD (Total Harmonic Distortion). Again good external amp manufacturers rate at 0.02% while head units are rated often at 5% or more. This means if you rerate a 22W RMS per channel headunit its lucky to really be 8W-12W RMS per channel and unlike an external amp you can't bridge the channels to increase the output.

Now when you try to push 50W or 75W RMS speakers with 8W of power you don't get much volume or control. So you end up cranking the volume to get something out of them driving the amp / head unit into clipping and destroying the speakers. Contray to popular myth having more power than the speakers can handle does not damage speakers unless the person turning the volume knob does something stupid. Even this can be mitigated by correctly setting gains on the amps. A big amp running lazy doesn't heat up and provides better control of the speakers its driving resulting in better SQ.

 

LOL! I'm still waiting on the Fit, (which i ordered back on September 15th). I was recently given a delivery date of October 23, but they just told me there is no sign of the car in the pipe-in, so I suspect it'll be at least early to mid November before i see this car.

I did speak with a local car audio shop concerning the Pioneer Z1.
They very much recomended the 6.5" JL-Audio VR-650 CXI as a 'perfect' outlet for that specific head unit. They are priced at $135. per pair, (which i think is extremely inexpensive for quality speakers).
The VR-650 made allot of sence to me becuase I use a VERY similar
speaker in my Ininiti G35 coupe. Needless to say the system in my G is outstanding. Hope all this helps.

 

For front speakers in a FIT, look for efficient speakers then 22 Watts of clean power will be fine.

5.25 to 6.25" two way or component speakers will fit the doors.

Infinity Reference 5010CS from $179.99
5-1/4" Plus One polypropylene woofer with rubber surround • 1" silk dome tweeters • 2-way crossovers • frequency response 67-21,000 Hz • power range 2-75 watts RMS

Polk Audio db5250 from $179.99
5-1/4" polymer/mica woofers • 1" liquid-cooled silk/polymer tweeters • 2-way crossovers • frequency response 53-25,000 Hz • power range 10-100 watts RMS • certified for marine use

Boston Acoustics SX60 from $249.99
6-1/2" copolymer woofers • adapter rings for 6-3/4" openings • 3/4" Kortec tweeters • 2-way crossovers • frequency response 55-20,000 Hz • power range 2-65 watts RMS

Polk Audio MMC6500 from $269.99
6-1/2" woven carbon fiber woofers • aluminum baskets • 1" liquid-cooled silk/polymer dome tweeters • 2-way crossovers • ABS grilles • frequency response 43-25,000 Hz • power range 10-125 watts RMS • certified for marine use

Infinity Kappa 50.7cs from $279.99
Plus One+ 5-1/4" woven-glass-fiber woofers with hi-roll rubber surrounds • 1" M.M.D. dome tweeters • 2-way crossovers • Starfish™ tweeter mounting bracket • frequency response 55-25,000 Hz • power range 2-85 watts RMS

With many of these speakers you can later add an amp for better sound.

Rear speakers are only for fill in. You can use the stock ones.

Dynamat or similar sound deadening applied to the insides of the front doors will help the overall sound, keep road noise out, and give a more solid thunk to the doors when closed.

 

Infinity kappa 50.7cs are 2 ohm components. It will blow your HU internal amp. U need an amp that can handle a 2 ohm load to use those speakers. I have the Kappa 60.7CS and its good enough in the Fit because of its shallow magnet. Mid and high range is spot on. Midbass is non existent though(once again bcos of the shallow magnet). Then I soundproofed the doors and added close cell foam on the back and made sure it was airtight. It pounds now.

Tweeters located in the same position as vividjazz's setup (thanks for the idea!) and mids in the factory position. Using the swivel mount of the Kappas, passenger side tweet aimed at my nose and driver side aimed inwards and up. Driver side mid out of phase. Turned the balance one notch to the passenger side and I had spot on imaging(left right center) with a flat stage, height of main vocals on top of dash.

NO depth though but good enough for me. A bit of a rainbow effect at the sides when the midrange sounds come. Will be adding auxillary tweets on the corners of the dash next.

Imaging on the passenger side? Non existent lol. But I paid for the system. They want good sound they buy their own. Sounds better in the rear seats but best in the driver seat.

Tip though: I played with the angles of the tweets with the mids in factory locations and in phase and there were two places where imaging was almost right on both front seats. One is right above the mid close to knee location with the tweeter facing inwards (off axis). The other is down at the kicks, as low as u can get it and facing almost upwards. Driver side tweet facing my nose and passenger side tweet facing passenger's nose.

The reason i didn't choose these locations are because respectively:
a)I didn't want to cut a huge 2 inch hole in my door panel
b)The kick panel's mounting plugs are located low behind the kicks so I didn't want to cut into them. So I chose the same location on the kicks to mount the tweets as vivdjazz did. It was horrible (i almost went to the yard to get another set of kick panels) until I turned the driver side mid out of phase. Then it was heaven.

 

Ok Mini-Fit and Jaoquinz Both of you bring up great points.

Personally I have a Alpine CDA-9884 HU
Running to a Profile A400 which are pushing a set of Infinity Reference 6020S Love these speakers because of the mounting was so easy removing the factory and replacing with these They are componet and the Crossovers are mounted under the seats
and a Profile A600 Pushing a Infinity Reference 1050W
I dynamatted EVERYTHING X2

Rear speakers as stated by Mini-Fit are for fill I don't even have rear speakers cause noone rides in the back of the car everyone sits in the passenger seat I'm going to go with a 4 channel amp and put 2 6X9 Infinity Series in the trunk

As you can Tell I love Infinity speakers

When I put my HU on 15 its so loud I can barely hear my cell phone ring

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IF YOU ARE REPLACING THE HEAD UNIT GET A AMP AND PUT A GOOD SET OF SPEAKERS IN THE FRONT I like Infitity but thats me the best thing you can do is walk into a speaker shop and go audition speakers then you will see what you like