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Kenwoods are not bad, and I've had one in a beater with an amp and small sub for a few years now and haven't been disappointed.
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May 12, 2013 18:48
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Are drop-in speaker kits like this one any good?
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May 12, 2013 19:14
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Rhyno posted:Theres's a Kenwood deck on Crutchfield for under $90 that looks like it will get the job done but I'm really out of the car audio scene these days. No link? Having to find it myself:  HehLowclock posted:Usually amps have high enough input impedance that they might as well not be there to whatever they're connected to. Nothing close to what you find on something like an opamp, but I think the lowest stated input impedance I remember seeing on a car amp is something like 15k ohms. The speaker being there shouldn't really make any audible difference in the end unless you've got the gains set wrong. That's kind of what i figured. I probably would have figured this out myself at some point if i ever used high level inputs but i never seem to get those connectors when i scrounge used amps.. 
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May 12, 2013 21:49
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Vigo327 posted:No link? Having to find it myself: Sorry, I wasn't thinking honestly. http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113KDC152/Kenwood-KDC-152.html There's also these http://www.crutchfield.com/p_020CZ102/Clarion-CZ102.html http://www.crutchfield.com/p_020CZ202/Clarion-CZ202.html Is Clarion still good stuff?
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May 12, 2013 22:12
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Rhyno posted:Sorry, I wasn't thinking honestly. The Kenwood isn't quite as hideous as the Clarion units, I'd go with it. I've run Kenwood decks for years with no complaints.
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May 13, 2013 01:02
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wallaka posted:The Kenwood isn't quite as hideous as the Clarion units, I'd go with it. I've run Kenwood decks for years with no complaints. Just don't get a foldaway faceplate. The stock Kenwood unit in my MSP had that, and while it looks baller as gently caress it ate ribbon cables monthly -- finally got fed up and replaced it with newer fixed unit and never looked back.
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May 13, 2013 01:17
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Went and played with it at Walmart. Totally didn't like it and I don't think the Clarion is that bad. So now I'm thinking I'm going to bite bullet now and grab speakers while I'm at it. The car is a 1993 Mazda 929, I don't want to spend over $175 if I can help it, what's the best combo of HU and speakers you guys would recommend?
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May 13, 2013 03:40
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Kachunkachunk posted:I'll be in the same situation within a year or two (2012+ S4 or maybe a 2013+ S5). Did you option yourself a B&O sound system? I imagine I'd still have to fit a sub in the trunk with one, but I was curious what you thought. Yeah I got the B&O system because I liked the sound of it better than the stock system. I brought a couple of cd's in and loaded some lossless audio off my iphone and an sd card and listened to both systems with the different sources, and the B&O was way better. The bass while not good was much better than the "audi concert system." I thought of ignoring it and then going component everywhere else, but I ended up wanting to save time by not having to do that, and instead just add a sub to make up for the sub-par base. I looked at a couple of different sub options, but I did not look at under seat subs. I did look a couple shallow depth subs to mount underneath the rear deck in the trunk but didn't move on it yet. On the passenger side in the trunk is an open area where you can put poo poo in for storage, and I thought of maybe getting a custom made enclosure and mounting the sub there. I'm not sure, I'm going to wait a few more weeks before I put some money into solving my problem.
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May 14, 2013 01:00
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Do post about it, or at least PM me when you figure it out! And good idea on the under-deck option, that could also work. I'd like to this time have a decent-sized trunk. I managed to make a fairly roomy 2008 Accord sedan's trunk as small as a Mini's, due to my sub box, and even then it's pretty much all squished into the back against the rear seat/bench. On the other hand, I have 1700-watts of amplified goodness going on. I'm still not sure if I should consider dropping a sub (I have two previous-gen Alpine Type-R 10" subs) and going to a single Alpine Type-R latest-gen 12" sub, which is basically your previous-gen Type-X. I doubt it would quite be as loud, but it does double the power handling. Would it at least be more accurate? Perhaps, I'd think. And have sub boxes pretty much all decidedly gone to a ported design? It seems that's the prevailing option, but I'm not really complaining. The two 10"s I have seem to sound... less accurate than I hope. Either it's my box, or the subs. Or both. It's rather lovely not being able to compare. Kachunkachunk fucked around with this message at 06:37 on May 15, 2013 |
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May 15, 2013 06:34
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Rhyno posted:So I just bought a crappy 1993 Mazda 929 with no stereo. It has a double DIN opening and I really just need the best bang for my buck I can get since it's a beater. What's my best option? Theres's a Kenwood deck on Crutchfield for under $90 that looks like it will get the job done but I'm really out of the car audio scene these days. Does it have speakers? Edit: woops page late.
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May 15, 2013 08:35
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Kachunkachunk posted:Do post about it, or at least PM me when you figure it out! And good idea on the under-deck option, that could also work. I'd like to this time have a decent-sized trunk. Ported boxes are a better choice today mostly because motors and suspensions have improved a lot over the years making the advantages of a sealed box kind of unnecessary. Ported boxes are usually louder, more efficient, and have better power handling, while sealed boxes can be smaller and often have a flatter response, both of which are pretty irrelevant unless you only have a tiny bit of space or want to impress an RTA. What kind of box do you have the 10"s in right now? (pictures would be helpful) There's a lot of really crappy prefab boxes out there that could make things sound a lot worse than they could.
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May 15, 2013 10:05
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2x JBL GTO 10" vs 2x Kicker Comp VT 10" vs 1x Kicker solobaric square thing 12". Ported 2.5cu ft box. Amp is a 1000watt RMS @ 2 ohm mono block. The jbls will end up being 4ohm because the amp isn't 1ohm stable so 600watt = 300 per driver
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May 15, 2013 22:04
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VelociBacon posted:Does it have speakers? It does indeed have speakers. I'm not an audiophile but I still want something that will sound better than 20 year old paper cones.
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May 15, 2013 22:11
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jonathan posted:2x JBL GTO 10" vs 2x Kicker Comp VT 10" vs 1x Kicker solobaric square thing 12".
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May 15, 2013 22:42
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So Crutchfield offers free install gear so I guess I can justify buying a more expensive HU right? This is highly rated, what's the thoughts on Sony? http://www.crutchfield.com/p_158GT700HD/Sony-CDX-GT700HD.html?tp=5684
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May 16, 2013 07:36
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I haven't used Sony in ages (as in mid 90s), but most stuff these days (except for super low end) will have Bluetooth. Should be able to find a Pioneer with Bluetooth for the same price. Maybe even Kenwood. That said, the built-in HD tuner is nice, but I only saw five HD stations when I tried to find stations in your area - and all but one are talk.
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May 16, 2013 09:01
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Lowclock posted:I'd go with the square Kicker as long as it's an L7, and not the old L3 or L5 which I don't think they even make anymore. Uhg. That deal fell through last minute. Friend is looking for the best bang for the buck on the new and used market. Best buy is selling those GTO 10" subs for $98 each. 350watt continuous handling and a 16mm X-Max. Not a great selection of drivers this far north, and shipping from America kills any sort of value.
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May 16, 2013 14:59
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So my Crutchfield order arrived and I decided to tear into things tonight. Here's what the PO left me. He had a deck in there but pulled it because it was "expensive as hell" in his words. It was a Walmart Dual deck for what it's worth. It did work just fine before he pulled it. So here's what CF sent me and I'm a little clueless here. The black one plugs into the deck obviously, what's the point of the white ones? In addition to that the stock wires don't match up with the new wires.  It's a 1993 Mazda 929.
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May 23, 2013 02:40
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The white ones would have plugged into the stock harness (maybe there's two for different factory stereo options? idk), and then spliced into the black harness based on wiring pinouts -- Constant hot to constant hot, switched to switched, stereo 3 + to... well, you get the idea. Black harness is made by the deck manufacturer, so it uses their color codes rather than Mazda's. What you'll wanna do is look up a stereo pinout diagram for the car, and match each wire up to the corresponding one on the black harness based on function.
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May 23, 2013 02:48
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Fucknag posted:The white ones would have plugged into the stock harness (maybe there's two for different factory stereo options? idk), and then spliced into the black harness based on wiring pinouts -- Constant hot to constant hot, switched to switched, stereo 3 + to... well, you get the idea. Black harness is made by the deck manufacturer, so it uses their color codes rather than Mazda's. What you'll wanna do is look up a stereo pinout diagram for the car, and match each wire up to the corresponding one on the black harness based on function. There is nothing to plug into so I'm guessing the PO (or someone else in the last 20 years) cut the stock harness? There's also a piece of trim missing so the dash pocket I got with it just slides around so I need to get some double stick tape to hold it in place.
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May 23, 2013 02:52
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Yeah I saw the harness was cut off, I'm saying splice the car wires directly into the deck harnes. Usually decks from CF come with a new single- or double-DIN mounting rack, like this one:  Bend the tabs down to hold it in the dash, the pocket should just slide in to place.
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May 23, 2013 03:01
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I did not get that, just a lower pocket. The mounting rack is single din. This was their recommended setup for the car as well.
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May 23, 2013 03:25
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1993 Mazda 929 Car Stereo Wiring Diagram Car Radio Battery Constant 12v+ Wire: Blue/Red Car Radio Accessory Switched 12v+ Wire: Blue/White Car Radio Ground Wire: Chassis Car Radio Illumination Wire: Red/Black Car Stereo Dimmer Wire: N/A Car Stereo Antenna Trigger Wire: Red/Green Car Stereo Amp Trigger Wire: N/A Car Stereo Amplifier Location: N/A Car Audio Front Speakers Size: 5″ x 7″ Speakers Car Audio Front Speakers Location: Doors Left Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue Left Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/White Right Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/Red Right Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Yellow Car Audio Rear Speakers Size: 6″ x 9″ Speakers Car Audio Rear Speakers Location: Rear Deck Left Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/Red Left Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Green Right Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/White Right Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Green edit: this is what I've come up with. First color being the car harness side, second being the stereo harness side. quote:Power connections Since you've got a hacked up harness, and some overlapping color codes  you'll need a multimeter or 9 volt battery to figure out which speaker wires go where. Multimeter set to resistance on the speaker wires, when you find one that's about 4-6 ohms you've found a matching pair. If you don't have a multimeter or don't feel like dragging it out, get a 9 volt battery and tap suspected pairs to it (one wire on +, one on -). You'll hear an audible pop from the corresponding speaker if you got it right. Since they've been left like that I'd bet on finding a couple of blown or missing fuses too (radio and accessory fuses, accessory may be ECU or memory or something like that).edit: VVVVV what he said - http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/stereodetail/1353.html edit2: if that's everything you have, you're also missing the trim for the center stack (junkyard time) - though you should have received this as well, according to Crutchfield. You'll have to assemble it and probably cut some tabs on the kit, they make those things to fit tons of different cars. The DIN cage fits into it once it's assembled (bending a few tabs to hold it in), and the kit just screws into the factory holes. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:21 on May 23, 2013 |
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May 23, 2013 07:02
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some texas redneck posted:1993 Mazda 929 Car Stereo Wiring Diagram
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May 23, 2013 07:05
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some texas redneck posted:1993 Mazda 929 Car Stereo Wiring Diagram I did get that part, just no double din cage. Called all local JYs, no 929s in town. I'm also pretty sure I popped a fuse the other day when I was messing with the wires.
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May 23, 2013 07:25
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You won't get a double din cage unless you bought a double din stereo. That mounting kit is for single DIN stereos - the cage ships with the stereo itself.Fucknag posted:Usually decks from CF come with a new single- or double-DIN mounting rack, like this one: Not.. quite. That picture shows a mounting cage.... you have it backwards - the cage slides into the mounting kit, and the pocket is part of the mounting kit. The cage ships with the stereo, and they tend to be manufacturer-specific to some degree.
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May 23, 2013 07:31
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I'm looking for an inexpensive head unit. Things I need: Bluetooth( like really good Bluetooth integration: my wifes car's bluetooth{sync} interrupts whatever input we're listening to when I get a call or when I get a text and reads it to us. It also has a button that I can press and say "call such and such" and it will call them for me. I want all that) Front line in Front USB Display mp3 track info (stock just shows folder and file numbers) Easy to navigate through mp3 files CD player Remote Things I want but aren't even close to a deal breaker. Double din( I could be talked into a single din with the intention of adding an equalizer/amplifier underneath later) HD radio 2 amp charger for tablet This is for a 2007 Focus. I'm in my car 12+ hours a week, and listen to about everything (but mostly audio books). I will be replacing the speakers next so if someone has recommendations for inexpensive ones. I'm not an audiophile, I'd just like better than stock. Also, if anyone has ideas for a sub in a Focus without losing any trunk space, I'm all ears.(I don't need to shake the block or impress my highschool friends. I just want decent sound) Budget: Cheap. I'd like to do less than $100 for each of the 3 stages: HU, Speakers, Then Sub (if possible).
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May 23, 2013 07:40
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I've been thinking about upgrading the stero in my BRZ and was wondering how much snake oil is a thing like this? http://www.oemaudioplus.com/audio-systems/frs-an10.html Am I right to assume I could get more for my money with a custom setup?
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May 23, 2013 14:18
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some texas redneck posted:You won't get a double din cage unless you bought a double din stereo. That mounting kit is for single DIN stereos - the cage ships with the stereo itself. Ah, didn't realize what he was missing. My car had the kit installed from the factory, so I just had to replace the cage itself. Mea culpa. Mostly I don't know terminology to that degree.
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May 23, 2013 20:20
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Anyone have a recommendation for a head unit that's not a total pain to browse an iPod or flash drive with? Preferably, it'd have a non-segmented, readable display that I can set to green to match the rest of the lights in my car. I'd like one with fancy DSP functions to make sure I'm not gonna want to upgrade later; HD radio would be cool, and CD functionality isn't necessary.
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May 23, 2013 21:04
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I hope I'm in the right thread. If I wanted to fix/repair/fill some hairline scratches on a 4.7" LCD on my deck, what would I do? I can't see it when the unit is on, only when it's off and when the sun hits it right, but it drives my OCD crazy. Probably the dumbest question you'll read all day: Are there any repair wipes for really, really tiny scratches?
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May 23, 2013 21:11
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I'm having an interesting issue. The radio fuse blew on me, so I replaced the fuse, it lasted a few days then that one blew as well. I went to replace it with another and the third instantly blew when it made contact with the fuse box. The car came with an aftermarket radio when I purchased it 3 years ago and no changes have been made by me, ever. Maybe the aftermarket head unit is on its way out or giving it fits?
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May 23, 2013 22:51
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keykey posted:I'm having an interesting issue. The radio fuse blew on me, so I replaced the fuse, it lasted a few days then that one blew as well. I went to replace it with another and the third instantly blew when it made contact with the fuse box. The car came with an aftermarket radio when I purchased it 3 years ago and no changes have been made by me, ever. Maybe the aftermarket head unit is on its way out or giving it fits?
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May 24, 2013 01:59
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I do have a multimeter and I just checked and all wires are taped, apparently an aftermarket harness to stereo cable was too nice. :/
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May 24, 2013 03:42
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keykey posted:I do have a multimeter and I just checked and all wires are taped, apparently an aftermarket harness to stereo cable was too nice. :/
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May 24, 2013 03:54
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Another thing I noticed just last night is that when the fuse is blown, the factory alarm doesn't work so I can't use the keyless entry fob. I did replace the anti-theft alarm unit a few weeks ago, I'm gonna unplug it and put another fuse in to see if that might be the issue, if not, then I'm back into stereo country. It's my wife's car, so I only drive it ever few days or so. I'll get to have some quiet time with it this weekend though.
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May 24, 2013 16:28
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OK I'm hacking together a car stereo from spare parts and just have one piece of the puzzle to solve, here's what I have: 7" tablet 3.5mm stereo cable connected to 300 w fusion sub connected to two 6" and two 6x9" speakers. Works fine. Now someone gave me a gently caress off huge enclosed subwoofer, 2 x 10" I think? So I'm assuming my 300w amp won't be enough to drive it as well as all the speakers? If it were I could just patch it into one of the 6x9's right? But it's (probably?) not so if I'm not mistaken I need to run four cables from the current amp (line level +/-, power, remote) to the boot and hook up to another amp there which is connected to the sub. Is 200w enough for the new sub? Really don't want to spend much $ and I don't particularly like loud bass anyway.. I did Google for a few hours but the material out there is surprisingly incoherent and contradictory.
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May 24, 2013 17:55
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Got the deck in and everything works! I had indeed popped a fuse the other day so once I'd tracked that down the HU fired right up. Sounds pretty great so I won't be doing the speakers for the time being. I do need to find that trim or cut some plastic to hold things in securely. 
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May 24, 2013 18:00
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The local Best buy has the Sony MEX-BT3000P for $60(I'll have to pay tax and buy an install kit) I'm crazy perplexed by the lack of a USB port, but I planned on using a tablet/cellphone for most my music/sports/audiobook needs anyway, so the Pandora controls might make it unnecessary. Should i bite? Secondly, my focus has 4 6x8 speakers, What sizes can i replace them with, and any suggestions on best-bang-for-your-buck speakers? Thirdly, are under the seat subs worth it? Are there other options for Bass with little to no space? I'd like deeper sound, but can't give up my trunkspace. (edit:)Or should I spring for an amp for my door speakers(after replacing them of course)? RodShaft fucked around with this message at 01:56 on May 25, 2013 |
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May 25, 2013 01:43
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I picked up an 03 Explorer today and put in my AVH-P4200DVD in it. I wired it up correctly according to the directions that came with the wiring kit. It was a bit different then previous installs I've done as it comes with a factory amp/sub and rear DVD system. Now when the radio turns on I have a loud POP from the back where the sub is. Instinct tells me that I have a bad ground (it didn't do this with the stock radio) , but just checking if anyone else has any other ideas.
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May 26, 2013 03:40
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