Mach 460 or aftermarket

The wattage isn't about volume; it's about presence and clarity, and yes, the

460 system is good. I've also listened to the Mach-1000 system, and I think it sounds better. And the Mach-1000 system can be installed in about 2 hours, in your own driveway with hand tools. I forget where I've seen the kit advertised, but it does exist at a reasonable price.

And congrats on the '99 GT. There's nothing quite like a V-8 Mustang.

-JD

** We just picked up our "new"' 1999 GT this weekend - Love it!! ** ** It has the premium sound system with the separate CD Deck. We'd like to ** upgrade the sound system, and were very impressed with a Mach 460 system in ** another GT we drove. We're not after a system to rattle the doors on any car ** within 100 feet, but want good sound at speed with the top down. ** ** Questions - Is it worth it to upgrade to the Mach 460 with used parts ** (e-bay, etc) or go aftermarket? I know the aftermarket will probably end up ** with a better system, but I would guess a MUCH higher price. ** ** Are the components the same for all years of the 460? Will our car have all ** the wiring harnesses installed? Is there a web site that shows me what to ** do? ** ** Thanks ** Rodney **

at 13 Jun 2004, Rodney & Julia Brown [ snipped-for-privacy@mchsi.com.nospam] wrote in news:WD8zc.48490$Sw.19089@attbi_s51:

Soundsystems are one of the most subjective things in my view. I looked into upgrading the stock non-premium system about 6 months back. Listened to the Mach 460 and the mach 1000 some of our clubmembers have. The 460 is pretty decent, the 1000 sounds real good but I dislike losing half my trunk space for the tray it has it's amps and stuff in.

For me upgrading meant I also had to change the headunit. I ended up replacing that with a Pioneer DEH-P3500 and the stock speakers with Pioneer TS-A6870R's in the back and TS-A6880R's in the front. (The headunit was bought new, the speakers on eBay for a total of about $60 (including shipping) Installation was a breeze and the sound is superb as the P3500 has all kinds of options to tweak the sound so you can adjust it to your vehicle.

YMMV, I would suggest going to eg Best Buy, Sound Advice and teh likes and listen to some headunits/speaker combo's. You may find one you like even better than a 460...

In my personal opinion....

I have a Mach 460 in my Cobra, and I've had other custom systems in other Mustangs. To be honest, the amount of work that it would be to install the Mach 460 seems to be too much for what you get. The Mach 460 is a fairly decent sounding stock system, but it's not as good as you could do with as much time and effort spent on aftermarket parts. It may be cheaper, and will fit seamlessly into the car due to it being a factory system though... so if that's what you're looking for, then by all means, go with the 460. If you want sound quality, though, I'd go aftermarket. Much better amplifiers and speakers are commercially available if you're ok with customization.

JS

im only 18, and I only spent roughly $300 with a system that hits harder than the mach 1000.

more info here

the mach1000 is ridculy priced at $1000. You can have something better for more than that. Anyways, my choice would be the mach 460 because you don't want something to bump that loud. ;)