[alstonlobo]

Originally Posted by quadmaniac

Yes, so for those on a budget, just upgrading the speakers (4 x 6x4 at Rs 3600) sounds like a reasonable deal to up the SQ by a fair margin (and I'm not a basshead who likes deep thumping bass... crisp neat sound is fine by me)

Polk are the best 4" x 6" you can get, I dunno if other brands come with this size of speakers. If you can up the budget a bit, it would be a tad better in sound quality if the front speakers are replaced with Pioneer or JBL 4" as they are pretty cheap in cost and definitely better than the stock speakers.

Congratulations!!
it realy looks stunning. best looking hatchback in the world..

[auto-one]

Originally Posted by pranavpp

it realy looks stunning. best looking hatchback in the world..

May not be the best, but certainly one of the best head turners among the hatches. This work of art executed by the GM designers is worth admiring. Iam really curious to know their inspiration behind this design.

[salbin]

Originally Posted by auto-one

This work of art executed by the GM designers is worth admiring. Iam really curious to know their inspiration behind this design.

As per GM the 300 platform (Beat & Cruze) design is inspired from Cheetah - stylish, aggressive and bold.

Whatever it is...Beat is definitely a head turner.

[auto-one]

Thanks Salbin, for the info. Its indeed interesting to see how a Cheetah can inspire the designers. An artist / designer gets inspiration from the envoronment / surroundings, which for others, are just another mundane things worth forgetting.

[suv100]

Could you please explain with some pics on how you installed the front and rear speakers? Is it possible to fix bigger speakers in the same spot as the originals?

[akshatverma1979]

hi alstonlobo. After much thinking, even i'm going forward with my ICE plans. Maybe first week of july. Wanted some advice from you. Are you sure 4x 6 speakers will fit in the ear speaker space? can u send some clearer snaps of the installation as that old one is not very clear. In fact my ICE shop wall had an opinion that 4 x 6 will have to go on parcel trays, so i decided to go for better polk audio 6 and 1/2 inch components[ rs 9700] on the parcel tray,With hertz 4"[Rs 4000] speakers on the front with an amplifier that gives me an option for adding a bass tube or enclosured sub (like the RF one u have) later on. But if 4 X 6[rs 5000]can be mounted, I'll have to rethink. I wanted to preserve the parcel tray too. here are links to the speakers i m planning.

Polk Audio - Mobile Monitor Series - Mobile / Marie Speakers
HERTZ by Elettromedia - Special Car Stereo {click products/energy/coax/ECX100}
Amp will be decided later.It just has to support a sub too.
The prices were negotiable i felt by the way the dealer talked. He's the only authorised dealer of hertz/polk audio/MOMO wheels etc at nagpur. I had a budget of 15000,Thats why opting out of a sub for now....will add it later if the punch from the 6 and 1/2 inch polk components is not good.
Please give your own opinions on any changes or faults in this setup.

[alstonlobo]

Originally Posted by akshatverma1979

hi alstonlobo. After much thinking, even i'm going forward with my ICE plans. Maybe first week of july. Wanted some advice from you. Are you sure 4x 6 speakers will fit in the ear speaker space? can u send some clearer snaps of the installation as that old one is not very clear. In fact my ICE shop wall had an opinion that 4 x 6 will have to go on parcel trays, so i decided to go for better polk audio 6 and 1/2 inch components[ rs 9700] on the parcel tray,With hertz 4"[Rs 4000] speakers on the front with an amplifier that gives me an option for adding a bass tube or enclosured sub (like the RF one u have) later on. But if 4 X 6[rs 5000]can be mounted, I'll have to rethink. I wanted to preserve the parcel tray too. here are links to the speakers i m planning.

Polk Audio - Mobile Monitor Series - Mobile / Marie Speakers
HERTZ by Elettromedia - Special Car Stereo {click products/energy/coax/ECX100}
Amp will be decided later.It just has to support a sub too.
The prices were negotiable i felt by the way the dealer talked. He's the only authorised dealer of hertz/polk audio/MOMO wheels etc at nagpur. I had a budget of 15000,Thats why opting out of a sub for now....will add it later if the punch from the 6 and 1/2 inch polk components is not good.
Please give your own opinions on any changes or faults in this setup.

Hi akshath, just saw your post, in fact I was not very active on tbhp recently. Glad to know your planning to upgrade the ICE.

Firstly, 4x6 DOES FIT in the stock location. The stock speakers are 4x6 itself. I went for the Polk db461 as they are 4x6 and that would mean that I would not have to tinker with the parcel tray. The sound quality is awesome and the mid bass is rich. I do not have pics of the install at the moment but will get some over for you soon.

Secondly, your choice of front speaker is awesome but the Bostons I have installed cost me 1200 bucks and they are coaxs and sound great too. I would also prefer the Hertz you have gone for, good choice indeed.

Now since the Polk 6 1/2 compos you are interested in would mean mounting them on the parcel tray, what you would get is definite better sound but non practicality of the parcel tray. Also you would shell out more money for the same. The very reason I went for the db641 is that I wanted 'quality sound without modifying stock provisions'.

Let me know which amp you have decided to get. Regarding the sub, please do not go for the bass tubes as they occupy lot of space and don't play sound worth their money either.

On another note, I wanted the Infinity Electra 4.1 compos for the front, but sadly could not get stock in Bangalore and had to settle for the Bostons. Try auditioning the Infinity if you get a chance and see if they appeal to you more than the Hertz. I would go for the Infinity anyday.

My amp is Hertz EP2 and its 190W max as I did not want neighbourhood shaking bass and wanted a decent punch in bass.

Sadly I am not able to source out the RF sub in Bangalore. Could you help me with this if its possible?


Let me know if you need any help.

Cheers,
Alston

[v1kra9]

I wanted to upgrade my speakers for my Beat too.

Is it really necessary for me to take an additional amp and sub ?

What if i want to only upgrade my speakers, what speakers would you recommend ?

I have a Beat option.

I ask you, coz you seem to have done a lot of research, and I am totally 'L' board in this

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by alstonlobo

Hey bro

- The stock speakers are 6" x 4". They are mounted by default on their plastic tray next to the parcel tray. I removed these speakers from their tray and replaced them with the Polk 6" x 4"

- Yes i did mention about the underseat sub. Had planned to get an active one but they were too pricey and do not play their money's worth. Then had a look at the Pioneer shallow series online but they did not appeal to me and they were too pricey yet again. So I weighed the pros and cons and thought how much I actually make use of the boot on a daily basis and the answer was nil. So I decided to go for a box sub with a decent quality and power, not that I wanna blow up the neighborhood but something that would deliver good quality sound to complete the setup. So the Rockford sub will be stacked in one corner of my boot.

- Well the front speakers fits easily and took only ten minutes to install. The rear ones were a little tricky. The hole positions on the plates on new and old speakers do not match. But ultimately managed to make use of three out of four holes for screw mounting for each speakers.

- Cost of Polk - 3600
Cost of Boston - 1600
Cost of Hertz amp - 6000
Cost of the RF sub - 8200
Cost of Scoshe RCA cable - 350

Total is a neat round up of 20000

Lobo m'man,
Very decent review and write up.

I thought I'd throw a few questions out there as a potential Beat owner. I went for a test drive the other day and the interiors, climate control, NVH levels, refinement and dashboard just blew me away. Thing is, with 4 people on board, I threw the car into 2nd gear and slammed the gas pedal on an open stretch of road. It didn't accelerate much at all! Did you experience this? And if yes, what are your inputs? Second of all, I'm a HUGE music fan, and am very particular about sound quality in my car. With the setup you've provided, how high can I go with music? How about heavy metal (treble and bass heavy) and hip hop (VERY bass heavy), how about trance and drum n bass?. I'm not after JUST magnitude of volume but sound quality as well. Would 20,000 ruppees cover that? Please try and address the acceleration problem, as this was the one reason I was disappointed with the Beat.

On a further note, I just loved the way the dashboard was designed. Swooping in like a super car. The steering felt so good to hold as well.

If you're interested in reading my entire write-up you can read it on my blog here: Chevrolet Beat – Test Drive Review Welkom Humans, Androids & Geeks!

Thanks and I know this is a bit old, but congrats on your setup and car.

[v1kra9]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

Lobo m'man,
Very decent review and write up.

Thing is, with 4 people on board, I threw the car into 2nd gear and slammed the gas pedal on an open stretch of road. It didn't accelerate much at all! Did you experience this? And if yes, what are your inputs?

Thanks and I know this is a bit old, but congrats on your setup and car.

You must start revving up right from 1st gear. Go till 3500 to 4000 rpm, 2nd gear 4500 rpm 3rd 4000 ... but make sure you put on your seat belts first (flying without seat belts is unsafe )

[KreativeGeek]

@alstonlobo - i had checked your ICE configuration before i got my Beat. I do not plan to install a sub, so i wanted to know would i require an amp for it?

also if i am not going with the above two components what combo would i land with in terms of price?

I like music with good bass output with clear mid tones and touch of clarity rendered by adequate treble settings.

I have being given quotations for some regular Sony / JBL and Pioneer speakers from the dealer. I had a Sony music system earlier in my car which played well. Seeking your opinion on this.

[alstonlobo]

Originally Posted by v1kra9

I wanted to upgrade my speakers for my Beat too.

Is it really necessary for me to take an additional amp and sub ?

What if i want to only upgrade my speakers, what speakers would you recommend ?

I have a Beat option.

I ask you, coz you seem to have done a lot of research, and I am totally 'L' board in this

Glad to know you would like to upgrade your speakers.

Firstly decide on the budget you want to set aside for this.

Secondly do you want to install new speakers in stock location or in additional areas

The current head unit power is enough to fill the entire cabin but if you want the whole neighborhood to hear then I would recommend an amplifier or two along with a sub, but not running an amp on the stock speaker sizes as it can blow them up.

I wanted clean and crisp sound, not too loud but just for me and the occupants of the car to hear, hence my setup.

Think about what are your requirements and let me know and we can take it up from there. Hope this helps.

Cheers

Originally Posted by ByDesign

Lobo m'man,
Very decent review and write up.

I thought I'd throw a few questions out there as a potential Beat owner. I went for a test drive the other day and the interiors, climate control, NVH levels, refinement and dashboard just blew me away. Thing is, with 4 people on board, I threw the car into 2nd gear and slammed the gas pedal on an open stretch of road. It didn't accelerate much at all! Did you experience this? And if yes, what are your inputs? Second of all, I'm a HUGE music fan, and am very particular about sound quality in my car. With the setup you've provided, how high can I go with music? How about heavy metal (treble and bass heavy) and hip hop (VERY bass heavy), how about trance and drum n bass?. I'm not after JUST magnitude of volume but sound quality as well. Would 20,000 ruppees cover that? Please try and address the acceleration problem, as this was the one reason I was disappointed with the Beat.

On a further note, I just loved the way the dashboard was designed. Swooping in like a super car. The steering felt so good to hold as well.

If you're interested in reading my entire write-up you can read it on my blog here: Chevrolet Beat – Test Drive Review Welkom Humans, Androids & Geeks!

Thanks and I know this is a bit old, but congrats on your setup and car.

Hey man, thanks and that's a real detailed review you got there, good stuff!

I am in complete agreement with you on the dashboard design and steering feel but the quality of interior plastics is something that no other small car can 'beat' is what I feel for this price.

Regarding the 2nd gear lag, you will get used to it with the passage of time but since the car is tuned for mileage its something that you would have to cope with. Working up a chunky torque on 1st gear at 3k rpm and shifting into 2nd, and opening the throttle on 2nd gear can slightly overcome this problem but yet again, this is no sports car so dont break your head too much on this issue.

My subwoofer will arrive next week most probably. Currently my speakers are the only upgrades. I listen to all sort of music except classical and jazz. Overall the sound quality in my setup I would define as 'crystal clear'. No jarring at all even on higher volumes but would need to lower the Bass a bit when blasting. The very reason I am installing a subwoofer is to complement the overall sound no matter what volume I keep the music on. For the setup I have installed, its perfectly enough for those seated inside the car to hear and not the ones who are out 20000 bucks is doing full justice to that.

[alstonlobo]

Originally Posted by KreativeGeek

@alstonlobo - i had checked your ICE configuration before i got my Beat. I do not plan to install a sub, so i wanted to know would i require an amp for it?

also if i am not going with the above two components what combo would i land with in terms of price?

I like music with good bass output with clear mid tones and touch of clarity rendered by adequate treble settings.

I have being given quotations for some regular Sony / JBL and Pioneer speakers from the dealer. I had a Sony music system earlier in my car which played well. Seeking your opinion on this.

Since you do not wanna install a sub you would not need an amp for the stock size speakers as the head unit is capable enough to power them fully.

Price of two pairs of speakers would only be known once you decide on which brand of speakers you want.

As you know the front speakers are 4 inchers and cheapest ones like Pioneer or JVC start from 800 rupees onwards.

I dont even blink for Sony as their systems are not worth it. Xplod is a total waste of money. You can check on the forum and see that hardly a few have Sony music systems in their rides. JBL and Pioneer are respectable brands and they have come up with pretty good models.

I would suggest you go for Polk audio but before that do you intend to fix your speakers in stock locations or want to mount them on the parcel tray just like everybody else?

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by alstonlobo

Hey man, thanks and that's a real detailed review you got there, good stuff!

Working up a chunky torque on 1st gear at 3k rpm and shifting into 2nd, and opening the throttle on 2nd gear can slightly overcome this problem but yet again, this is no sports car so dont break your head too much on this issue.

My subwoofer will arrive next week most probably. Currently my speakers are the only upgrades. I listen to all sort of music except classical and jazz. Overall the sound quality in my setup I would define as 'crystal clear'. No jarring at all even on higher volumes but would need to lower the Bass a bit when blasting. The very reason I am installing a subwoofer is to complement the overall sound no matter what volume I keep the music on. For the setup I have installed, its perfectly enough for those seated inside the car to hear and not the ones who are out 20000 bucks is doing full justice to that.

Thanks for the comment and quick reply
Ok, the thing is, I don't expect the acceleration to be earth shattering, but as an owner (family car) of an i10 1.2L Kappa, the different in acceleration is pretty huge. In second gear I can push my i10 to around 70-80kmph, in third it shoots to close to a 100kmph. That engine is really a beast, and I manage to get a FE of around 14 in the city with good careful driving. So my comment was with regard to that. I'm very happy the beat offers a chunky 4 cylinder engine instead of a smaller 3 pot one but that should mean slightly better power.

But I'm willing to compromise on that for city driving. It's extremely comfy to drive in traffic, clutch release is so smooth! Furthermore, from what people say, the car is slung too low, and visibility is bad. I have to disagree! The swooping, supercar feel dashboard and visibility is just so good and accurate! The low slung cockpit makes you feel closer to the ground for accurate steering and driving.

Just my take on the situation!

And thanks for the sound updates. I want to be able to play metal loud and not hear the speakers vibrate and tear at louder volumes. Same with the bass. I usually have to go into the bass settings and turn it a lot lower.

I'm hoping to book a car in september, perhaps october. Still in researching mode. Wish me luck.