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Devyl posted:Yup. Just wire your speakers to the harness of your choice and then buy the adapter harness for your radio to the stock harness you installed. Just make sure the one you choose has the appropriate wires for however many speakers you have installed. This is the route I went. I did end up going with a '98+ Ford setup since I know the connector is relatively compact, and it makes it easier to swap head units with my Ranger if I ever get the itch to do so. I've just got the driver's speaker to wire up and I can start putting everything back together again.
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Jan 10, 2014 22:30
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InitialDave posted:Could you get a photo? Is it possible to just drill mounting holes where you need them? I can when I get home, but I'm wondering if it just isn't easier to return and get something better fitted. I did next to no research aside from "Polk doesn't sound like a completely lovely brand" so I kinda walked right into this one. Also having never worked with speaker installation didn't help, but hey this is how we learn right?
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Jan 10, 2014 22:44
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Is there a headunit out there that can stay BT paired with two phones? I drive my wifes car sometimes and don't want to re-pair each time.
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Jan 11, 2014 08:06
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Finally destroyed the stock front speakers in the Ion. On the hunt for a decent, yet affordable, component set. 6.5" for the mid, tweeters will need a way to flush mount. Budget of $150 or less; my last components were cheap MB Quart Onyx, and they were... okay. Very bright for my taste and a bit harsh, even on the -3dB connection on the crossover, but still sounded better than the coaxials they replaced. Suggestions? (if it matters, music is mostly rock, punk, and metal... with a bit of talk radio  thrown in)Tha Chodesweller posted:I can when I get home, but I'm wondering if it just isn't easier to return and get something better fitted. I did next to no research aside from "Polk doesn't sound like a completely lovely brand" so I kinda walked right into this one. Also having never worked with speaker installation didn't help, but hey this is how we learn right? The DXi line is very good for the money . Been very happy with my DXi sub, especially for what I paid for it (open box from Best Buy's return/open box center - cowboom.com - think it was $30 or so?). Drill a small hole in the frame of the speaker to make the 3rd hole line up, just be really careful not to nick the surround on it - the screws that come with most speakers are usually sheetmetal screws anyway, so you can drill the hole a bit small if you want to be cautious. Or do what I did on my Hondas and just use the 2 screws that line up.  It's a pretty common issue when dealing with aftermarket speakers.
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 12:06 on Jan 11, 2014 |
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Jan 11, 2014 10:37
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I need to replace the speakers in my car, it's a 91 lesabre and it's got some crappy xplod head unit but it has aux and usb so that's fine with me for now. Fronts take 4x6 and rears 6x9 and the head unit says it can put out 4x52 watts. What's the best I can get for say $150-200? Just looking at reviews and stuff on Crutchfield I was gonna pick up some made by kicker but I have no idea if they're complete poo poo or what.
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Jan 11, 2014 19:56
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Well thanks for the help anyway fellas, I returned the Polks and got some Kenwoods that had holes with the correct bolt pattern. Even better, they came with their own harnesses and I could fit my stock grill over them. Even for only being $80, they sound infinitely better than my stock kit. No more lovely reverb and static from my rears! Now, some other day, I shall replace my head unit. But, budget doesn't allow and there's no pressing need right now.
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Jan 11, 2014 23:37
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My friend stuck a Pioneer head unit into an 03 Chevy Maxx (basically a Malibu). He also replaced the rear speakers with some generic after market ones, but left the stock front speakers (it got cold before he got around to them). Anyway, sometimes the stereo works fine, coming on automatically with the car. Sometimes it works fine, he turns off the car, and the stereo doesn't turn back on. He can get it working again only by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and it works again for a bit. Someone suggested to him that maybe the front and rear speakers are pulling different loads and he needs to swap out the fronts. Anything else that can be wrong? Uthor fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Jan 12, 2014 |
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Jan 12, 2014 00:09
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You Am I posted:I'm trying to update the Bluetooth module on my Alpine CDE-W235EBT head unit. Sorry to bump this question, but if anyone can throw some hints my way it would be good. Tried an Android phone and a WinXP laptop last night with no success, the Android phone won't connect to the head unit and the WinXP laptop would copy the file to the head unit, but it would sit there for ages saying it was updating
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Jan 12, 2014 00:59
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Uthor posted:My friend stuck a Pioneer head unit into an 03 Chevy Maxx (basically a Malibu). He also replaced the rear speakers with some generic after market ones, but left the stock front speakers (it got cold before he got around to them). Anyway, sometimes the stereo works fine, coming on automatically with the car. Sometimes it works fine, he turns off the car, and the stereo doesn't turn back on. He can get it working again only by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and it works again for a bit. Sounds like he needs to check his wiring connections, harness connections, and fuses first. When he installed it, did he get everything crimped & connected properly? Just twisting and using electrical tape isn't a wise choice. If it's good, I would run a multimeter on the constant & accessory wires to see what kind of power it's getting.
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Jan 12, 2014 02:44
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Devyl posted:Sounds like he needs to check his wiring connections, harness connections, and fuses first. When he installed it, did he get everything crimped & connected properly? Just twisting and using electrical tape isn't a wise choice. If it's good, I would run a multimeter on the constant & accessory wires to see what kind of power it's getting. He crimped everything, but is planning on pulling out the harness and double checking. It's just weird to me that it doesn't turn on, he doesn't touch the harness, he unplugs the battery, then it works just fine again.
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Jan 12, 2014 04:38
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Ah, geez. Now I'm looking at my bank account and replacing the front speakers is totally doable. While my Kenwoods in the back are 3 ways (I got the KFC-1694PS models if anyone is curious), I was planning on replacing my fronts with a pair 2 ways. I'm no expert, but my current front setup seems to be components in the doors and tweeters in the dash for a total of 6 speakers in the entire car. So what would the proper procedure be - I can think of several possible solutions: 1. Replace the door speakers and keep the stock tweeters (might sound weird) 2. Replace the door speakers and remove the stock tweeters (Maybe the sound would be too physically low with this solution?) 3. Don't replace the door speakers and focus on a new head unit (Still running stock with a cassette to MP3 adapter that has given me no issues.) Seems like buying dedicated component speakers to replace my fronts would be prohibitively expensive and comparatively difficult, so I would just be better off getting a new head unit. Can anyone chime in? I keep my cassette deck clean so I get next to no audio issues from the adapter aside from the static when nothing is playing. Macichne Leainig fucked around with this message at 08:44 on Jan 12, 2014 |
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Jan 12, 2014 08:05
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Why would component speakers be prohibitively expensive? The Polk DB stuff is supposed to be decent and isn't super expensive. It can be more difficult, but if you already have stock locations for the tweeters it makes the whole thing a lot simpler assuming you can find a good fit. To me the fronts are far the more important that the rears. I don't even run rear speakers in my vehicle and it sounds great (to me.)
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Jan 14, 2014 22:20
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powderific posted:To me the fronts are far the more important that the rears. Not just you. The logic is, when you go to a show you don't face the back of the theater. Your ears are aimed forward so front stage is by far the most critical. I stopped putting the better speakers in the rear about 7 cars ago. I do love a full balanced surround though.
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Jan 15, 2014 07:18
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LloydDobler posted:Not just you. The logic is, when you go to a show you don't face the back of the theater. Your ears are aimed forward so front stage is by far the most critical. I stopped putting the better speakers in the rear about 7 cars ago. Putting good speakers in the parcel shelf of a sedan is an easy way of getting good bass, though. The trunk on most cars is a pretty decent speaker box. I agree that treble and midrange should definitely go in front, though.
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Jan 15, 2014 08:41
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My stock rear speakers were just awful sounding, though. Anemic bass, awful ringing noise. Both problems went away with new rears. I suppose I limited my search for front speakers too much at the time I made that post. There does appear to be options that are less than ~$100. (I had hoped to spend about what I spent on my rears, $80.) I'll just drudge Crutchfield for something. I mean, it doesn't really matter what type of speaker goes in front as long as they can be powered by the head unit and they fit, right?
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Jan 16, 2014 00:27
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Is the AppRadio 3 still the be-all, end-all if you want to tie a stereo into an Android handset? I know I'll need a Slimport to HDMI adapter, but there's plenty of reports of people using my phone (Nexus 5) with the AppRadio.
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Jan 25, 2014 09:43
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Appradio Unchained or Arliberator, I need to root my phone and switch my MHL to slim port. I have Appradio 2 and apparently the Nexus 5 should work as well with either app.
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Jan 25, 2014 18:49
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This is way preemptive, but I'm planning on picking up a 2014 Mazda 3 in the next few months. It will have a Bose system, and no replaceable head unit. What are my options for adding a sub and installing better speakers? Do I even have any without doing some crazy fabrication and stuff?
A Proper Uppercut fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Jan 25, 2014 |
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Jan 25, 2014 22:26
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1994 Suburban - Put in a Pioneer DEH-150MP a few months ago, now it works fine for about 15 seconds when the car starts then it dies and I get an "AMP ERROR" message. The manual says: "Cause - Unit fails to operate or speaker connection is incorrect; protective circuit is activated. Action - Check the speaker connection. If the message fails to disappear even after the engine is switched off/on, contact your dealer or an authorized Pioneer Service Station for assistance." I checked the wires behind the head unit, all OK. Took a peek at the stock speakers, which I'd known for some time were trash, and frankly I'm surprised any of them still make any noise. Completely trashed, all of them. Had fun with bits of cone falling on my face when I opened up the roof speakers at the very back. The speaker in the right rear door had worked okay, but it rattled since I started using it, so today when I fired it up for the moment that the head unit still works that speaker was completely dead. I'm guessing when I started getting the error message is when it finally poo poo the bed. Is it possible that bad speakers could cause that to happen? (Edit: Forgot to mention that the left dashboard speaker hasn't worked since I got the car and the head unit worked fine without it until now) Also, how much would a low-end but decent quality set of speakers cost, one pair each of 4x6", 6" round, and 4x10"? Friar Zucchini fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Jan 25, 2014 |
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Jan 25, 2014 23:31
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Ugh Bose. Does the system come with a sub? Adding a sub and amp is fairly straightforward with a line out converter or an amp that that accept high level inputs. Speaker replacement depends on what ohm rating the OE speakers are, Bose systems are varying degrees of goofy. --- If the speakers ground themselves then it'll cause the issues you're seeing. 6 speakers?
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Jan 25, 2014 23:53
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6 speakers, no subwoofer. Judging by the two wires for the dead left dashboard speaker being orange and tan I'll hazard a thoroughly uneducated guess that they do ground themselves. I'm generally clueless with this stuff, I can strip and crimp wires and that's about it. edit: Oh who am I kidding, I don't even know if speakers grounding themselves is something they're supposed to do or a sign they're broken. 
Friar Zucchini fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Jan 26, 2014 |
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Jan 25, 2014 23:59
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A Proper Uppercut posted:This is way preemptive, but I'm planning on picking up a 2014 Mazda 3 in the next few months. It will have a Bose system, and no replaceable head unit. What are my options for adding a sub and installing better speakers? Do I even have any without doing some crazy fabrication and stuff? Either live with it, or rip it all out and replace it with something decent. I wouldn't wish BOSE equipment on my worst enemy.
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Jan 26, 2014 00:11
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Friar Zucchini posted:edit: Oh who am I kidding, I don't even know if speakers grounding themselves is something they're supposed to do or a sign they're broken. Huh, 6 speakers is interesting. That error message means that one or more speaker circuit is shorting out; either the wires on the stereo harness, the speaker wires in the car or the speaker itself. Easiest way would be to disconnect each speaker circuit at the harness or unplug each speaker one by one until the stereo works again. If no speakers are connected and it still doesn't work then it's something with the head unit. KozmoNaut posted:Either live with it, or rip it all out and replace it with something decent. Also this, it's the loving worst. Bulk Vanderhuge fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Jan 26, 2014 |
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Jan 26, 2014 00:30
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Bulk Vanderhuge posted:Ugh Bose. Does the system come with a sub? Adding a sub and amp is fairly straightforward with a line out converter or an amp that that accept high level inputs. Speaker replacement depends on what ohm rating the OE speakers are, Bose systems are varying degrees of goofy. Would it be possible to use a loc to power a 4 channel amp or something and run new wires to some more normal, much better speakers? Or maybe a 5 channel to include a sub? Or is it going to be an issue with the signal coming ftom the HU? It's been a while since I've done a stereo, it was much easier when you could just replace the HU.
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Jan 26, 2014 00:42
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A Proper Uppercut posted:This is way preemptive, but I'm planning on picking up a 2014 Mazda 3 in the next few months. It will have a Bose system, and no replaceable head unit. What are my options for adding a sub and installing better speakers? Do I even have any without doing some crazy fabrication and stuff? Order it with a base stereo system - non-bose. Then replace as required. Basically nothing from the Bose system will be salvageable as it's all stupid and non-standard. I'm not a Bose hater. I've had plenty of Bose stuff over the years, but you need to understand: it is what it is. If it's not doing what you want it to you just pick the whole thing up and throw it away. You don't add/modify. That's not how it works.
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Jan 26, 2014 01:01
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Motronic posted:Order it with a base stereo system - non-bose. Then replace as required. I'd love to but the I would lose a whole lot of stuff I really want if I got a trim without it. I guess I'll just have to get the drat thing and worry about it after. Also there is no replacing it unless you fabricate an entire new dashboard and lose a lot of other functionality.
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Jan 26, 2014 01:13
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Bulk Vanderhuge posted:Huh, 6 speakers is interesting. edit: Tried that, guessing the head unit is junk. Gonna run by Best Buy and see if it's still under warranty. another edit because I try not to double-post: Took it to Best Buy, unit declared junk, got a gift card for the sale price. 
Friar Zucchini fucked around with this message at 04:27 on Jan 27, 2014 |
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Jan 26, 2014 04:18
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So I drive my wife's car sometimes; I recently got her this headunit: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130X6600BT/Pioneer-DEH-X6600BT.html so that I could stream BT audio while I was in it. She got her first smartphone recently and I wanted her to be able to do the same. Basically, if I'm driving alone, I want it to pick up my phone, if she's driving alone, I want it to pick up hers, and if we're both in the car, I assume one of us will have to disable BT on our phone so it only has one to choose from. It would be ideal if we could choose the paired device to stream from from the head unit, but not mandatory. The headunit is supposed to be able to pair with up to 3 phones. I paired with my Nexus 4, then tried to pair it with her iPhone 5S. It seemed to pair OK, but it refuses to connect to her phone after that, even if it's the only BT device in the car. I tried clearing BT memory on the headunit, that didn't do anything. I restored factory defaults on the headunit and paired it only with her phone. That worked OK. I then paired in my phone, and her phone stopped connecting again. Even though multiple phones are paired with the headunit, it insists on talking only to mine, even when the other phone is the only one in the car. Does anyone have a headunit they recommend that is easy to toggle between two paired BT devices? There's this JVC that claims to do it, but user reviews say it's garbage in pretty much every other capacity. http://www.crutchfield.com/p_105KDX80BT/JVC-KD-X80BT.html
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Jan 27, 2014 21:48
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You Am I posted:Sorry to bump this question, but if anyone can throw some hints my way it would be good. Tried an Android phone and a WinXP laptop last night with no success, the Android phone won't connect to the head unit and the WinXP laptop would copy the file to the head unit, but it would sit there for ages saying it was updating There's a firmware update for your device: http://www.alpine.com.au/showPage.php?pid=623 I see this note, so pay special attention: Note: Please refer to the Alternative Update method when updating the CDE-W235EBT. Here's a video on updating the firmware, might help you: http://www.autofixinfo.com/8vY39HoWN48PfC/Alpine-CDE-13xBT-&-CDE-W235BT-Firmware-Update-via-Bluetooth-with-Android-Smart-Phones.html
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Jan 30, 2014 21:34
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Ok, I'm going through this thread still so if this has been answered already I apologize but I have a question. All I really want is a head unit that has a nice touch screen and will work with my iPhone 5. I really just want to use google maps and play my audio through bluetooth and maybe be able to see my calls/texts. The first 2 are really the most crucial. I've seen the Pioneer Appradio 3 but I'm not sure how it works exactly and all I can find is people saying you need other equipment or you don't need other equipment or it only works with Android phones or it doesn't work with Android phone, it only works with iphones. Basically, I can't make heads or tails of all the information that I'm reading so someone please just tell me, is this what I'm looking for? If not, is there anything like that that exists?
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Feb 1, 2014 04:14
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I just got a 2007 Mazda 3, and I'm going to put in a head unit and sub soon. I've got the sub components all figured out - a horn-loaded MCM 8", 120W RMS @4ohm, and a Blaupunkt amp, 165W RMS @4ohm. The horn loading increases the effective impedance, so the amp and sub will be nicely matched for power. I have a head unit picked out also - this Pioneer unit with Bluetooth and HD Radio - but the power rating seems lower than I expected. I'm much more accustomed to power ratings for bass amps, with a lot of power needed for those low frequencies. Most of the head units I've looked at have the same power, or slightly higher ratings without matching that CEA2006 standard, but it still seems low... Will a HU like this have enough power to keep up with a horn-loaded sub, at least until I can put in a dedicated amp and new front speakers down the road? The Science Goy fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Feb 3, 2014 |
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Feb 3, 2014 03:40
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MikeyTsi posted:There's a firmware update for your device: I forgot about this thread. I did eventually get the head unit updated, I had to use an old Mac laptop, that seemed to be the only thing that would transfer the file to the Alpine unit. Love the head unit, hate the upgrade procedure. Hopefully it won't be as painful the next time.
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Feb 3, 2014 03:52
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So I'm trying to piece together a stereo for my new (to me) car and I would like some input. I've got everything picked out, just want to know if any of these things are total crap or certain components are a massive waste of money or some suggestions for other directions to go in. CORRECT LINK COUPLE POSTS DOWN Doesn't show on the list, but X2 for the component set for front&rear Reasoning for stuff: Infinity components because I had some before and I liked the sound. Had some MB Quart components many years ago I loved loved loved, but bought some MBQ stuff for my last car a year or so ago and they were total crap so that's out. JBL amps for the same reason. Has a couple in previous cars, and they all worked very well. Double DIN stereo because this car has a huge opening and I think it looks dumb to have a tiny stereo surrounded by nothing or cubbyholes or whatever. Went Pioneer because I've had bad times with Sony and Kenwood before, never really liked the lower end Alpine stuff. All my tools are in storage also I'm lazy so I won't be building my own box for the sub Has to be through Amazon because I've got a boatload of giftcards All that stuff totals to right under $1100 which is pretty much my upper limit Car is an Audi C5 A6 sedan if it matters Also, is it worth it to figure out the steering wheel controls? I don't really use them (channel up and down, and phone button that does nothing, and volume up and down) so I won't mind if that goes away with the non-stock stereo, but would I hate myself down the road when I try to sell this thing? I guess I'm putting way too much thought into this because this is the first time I'm really doing the whole stereo at once, and this is the nicest car I've had. intheflesh fucked around with this message at 14:12 on Feb 4, 2014 |
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Feb 3, 2014 21:40
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intheflesh posted:So I'm trying to piece together a stereo for my new (to me) car and I would like some input. I've got everything picked out, just want to know if any of these things are total crap or certain components are a massive waste of money or some suggestions for other directions to go in. That link goes to the current user's wishlist (i.e. the wishlist of whoever clicks it). Either copy and paste the items here, or grab the list's URL from the "Share" link at the top right. intheflesh posted:Also, is it worth it to figure out the steering wheel controls? I don't really use them (channel up and down, and phone button that does nothing, and volume up and down) so I won't mind if that goes away with the non-stock stereo, but would I hate myself down the road when I try to sell this thing? I guess I'm putting way too much thought into this because this is the first time I'm really doing the whole stereo at once, and this is the nicest car I've had. If you won't use it, don't worry about it. The way most adapters work today, you can add on an interface for the steering wheel controls at any time. If you or a future buyer want it the wheel controls, nothing you do today (short of cutting wires like a caveman) will preclude that in the future. Worst case you need a new adapter harness and a steering wheel adapter kit.
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Feb 3, 2014 23:33
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Molten Llama posted:That link goes to the current user's wishlist (i.e. the wishlist of whoever clicks it). Either copy and paste the items here, or grab the list's URL from the "Share" link at the top right. Whoops, here you go http://amzn.com/w/1TW7XIFIJI3ZM
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Feb 3, 2014 23:40
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I'm going to upgrade the crappy system in my new-to-me Cayman. So far, I'm looking at CDT Pro 4" components, and I want to run shallow mount 8" subs in the doors as well. I don't have any experience with shallow-mount stuff, does anybody have any advice? I'm also getting the Pioneer-AVH-X3600BHS if the Appradio is as good as it seems. This unit is supposed to be 50W RMS power, but I'm considering buying a ~100W per channel amplifier to run the components instead. I'm not replacing the rear speakers and will run them from the head unit. I don't have a ton of space, are the new Class D full-range amps any good? I have a little 400W two-channel Punch amp to run the subs that I bought in 1999. It might be time to replace it too.
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Feb 4, 2014 08:00
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I remember back in the day Soundstream was considered to be one of the best - at least with amps. I see they're making head units now. Did they follow the path of MB Quart and get gobbled up for the name alone, only to have R&D and manufacturing get moved to China? Or are they still putting out good poo poo? They seem to be priced the same as similar Pioneer head units. the tl;dr: looking for a nice double DIN head unit with an actual screen (digital media or DVD). Ruled out the Appradio because of cost; my search since then has been limited to Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, and Alpine... before noticing Soundstream models. I got burned good when I bought MB Quart speakers a couple of years ago simply based on brand familiarity (oh god, don't ever buy MB Quart speakers made after the Maxxsonics takeover).... randomidiot fucked around with this message at 09:22 on Feb 4, 2014 |
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Feb 4, 2014 09:20
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You Am I posted:I forgot about this thread. I did eventually get the head unit updated, I had to use an old Mac laptop, that seemed to be the only thing that would transfer the file to the Alpine unit. Love the head unit, hate the upgrade procedure. Hopefully it won't be as painful the next time. Yeah, it looked pretty stupid to me. The update procedure for my Pioneer is "load files on to SD card, stick SD card in unit, choose upgrade".
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Feb 5, 2014 01:21
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Daric posted:Ok, I'm going through this thread still so if this has been answered already I apologize but I have a question. AppRadio should work fine with an iPhone 5, it's basically designed with interfacing with them in mind. It's days like this that I get kind of (just a little though), bummed that I'm in the Windows Phone ecosystem, I'd love to have a head unit that integrates that well with my phone.
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Feb 5, 2014 01:24
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So I grabbed a Nissan/Clarion CY028 from an '01 Altima in the junkyard to replace the lovely blown factory stereo in the Kia. Is it possible to hack inputs into these things? Also looking for cheap speakers to pair with it that don't sound too lovely since the PO went apeshit with Walmart-grade gear on this thing. Crutchfield says I'm looking for 4"/6.5".
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Feb 8, 2014 18:16
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