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I've done a few cooler stereos over the years. My suggestion is to get the biggest marine battery you can find. Reserve Capacity number is what you're concerned with. I was using a large battery with a reserve capacity of 200+. Keep in mind that this will add a lot of weight and they are huge in size as well. The other suggestion I would make is to get a class D amplifier to power your speakers. Class D amps are way more efficient so they will draw a lot less power for the amount of output. The one I liked the best that I built had the following: 100 quart Igloo cooler Sony head unit, can't remember model Crossfire 2 channel amp. Can't remember model but it put out 150x2 rms Pair of Babb 1034 full range, water proof, 10" speakers - These things were awesome. DC Gold makes them now. Deep Cycle Marine Battery with a reserve capacity of 200+ The Crossfire amp was a class a/b so it wasn't nearly as efficient as a class D would be but we could still play this thing at high volume for approx 6 hours before it would drain the battery. We used to strap it to an inner tube when we went on float trips. That one got stolen out of my garage and I made another one a few years later with a 120 quart igloo, 12" Alpine sub and a pair of 4" Babb speakers with an Audiobahn amp powering everything. It was insanely loud but I could never get the bass to sound that great. The cooler flexed far too much. I always thought about rebuilding it with a bandpass enclosure for the sub built from plywood inside the cooler and then having the port ported out through the cooler side but I never did.
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Feb 10, 2015 22:39
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Is there a simple, clean, functional (buttons and knobs, not touchscreen) Double-Din out there that doesn't look tremendously loving stupid?
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Feb 10, 2015 23:11
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Scrapez posted:I've done a few cooler stereos over the years. My suggestion is to get the biggest marine battery you can find. Reserve Capacity number is what you're concerned with. I was using a large battery with a reserve capacity of 200+. Keep in mind that this will add a lot of weight and they are huge in size as well. Yeah, I imagine that a reserve capacity of 200Ah will be very excessive. I don't plan on ever running this thing for longer than a couple hours (max 3 hours). Scrapez posted:The other suggestion I would make is to get a class D amplifier to power your speakers. Class D amps are way more efficient so they will draw a lot less power for the amount of output. The Alpine MRV-F300 (AMZ link) is Class D. I am also interested in this because multiple reviews say that it doesn't heat up as much as other amps. I guess I'll head to Academy Sports and see if they have anything that will fit in my existing 50-qt cooler.
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Feb 10, 2015 23:17
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:Is there a simple, clean, functional (buttons and knobs, not touchscreen) Double-Din out there that doesn't look tremendously loving stupid? http://www.crutchfield.com/g_300/All-Car-Stereos.html?tp=5684&avf=N&nvpair=AG_Size|FFDouble%40DIN I'm sure you can find something to your liking
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Feb 11, 2015 03:38
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ExplodingSims posted:That'd be cool. Do you happen to have a picture of it or at least the connectors on it? You can email me at explodingsims2@gmail.com for shipping stuff. I emailed you a couple days ago; did you get it?
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Feb 14, 2015 05:45
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Went out and got a 50Ah battery, everything powers on and works, but I noticed the speakers are actually quieter when connected to the amp than directly to the head unit. I have yet to take this outside, so I haven't maxed out the head unit's volume, but at the lower settings, it's pretty noticeable. Using an Alpine UTE-42BT head unit and an Alpine MRV-300 amp powering 2x 6x9s and 2x 6.5s. Aux in to the head unit. RCA out on the head unit to RCA in on the amp. Nominal gain on all the channels, no high/low pass filter setup, no crossover setup (both channels set at 80Hz) Am I missing something? MrCodeDude fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Feb 21, 2015 |
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Feb 21, 2015 03:04
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Turn the gain up?
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Feb 21, 2015 03:48
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What's the lastest and greatest bang for buck 6" component splits around now to run off an amp? The last time I cared it was mb quartz, jaycar (local budget electronic shop brand), kicker, boston acoustics or focal. Any new brands shown up, any of the old (pioneer, apline) got something good these days to put them back on top? (talking sub $300)
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Feb 21, 2015 14:26
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I usually just go with the highest RMS wattage I can get for my budget  Last pair I got were Alpines and they're awesome 
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Feb 21, 2015 18:16
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MB Quart was sold to Maxxsonics several years ago (makers of crap such as Hifonics, Crunch, and Autotek - though I'm actually happy with my Crunch amp), and is now made in China. I didn't know this when I bought my last component set, but I was wondering why they were so cheap compared to a couple of years prior. They sounded..... okay. Way, way, way, way too bright, very harsh highs that just pissed off my tinnitus, even with the crossover wired for -3dB and the treble way down. I'd absolutely avoid them. Boston Acoustics is out of the car audio game, they only do home audio now. Kicker is still decent as long as you avoid their budget stuff. Focal is the best out of the ones you named. Infinity is worth a look as well, IMO - I've had a few sets of their car speakers, and currently have a ~17 year old set of Infinity bookshelf speakers on my desk that still sound great.
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Feb 23, 2015 08:47
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some texas redneck posted:MB Quart was sold to Maxxsonics several years ago Wow really? That sucks. I hate seeing a decent name go out like that. 
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Feb 23, 2015 09:26
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Agreed. Some of the original engineers went on to start another mid to high end speaker company, but the name is completely escaping me at the moment. I know it's been mentioned in the thread, I'm hoping someone with a better memory can bring it up. I do know they're pretty pricey (their lower end stuff is on par with Focal's mid-level stuff), but being ze actual Germans, the money is probably well worth it. I was kind of surprised to find out my Crunch amp was from the same company. I know way back in high school, Crunch was a decent brand (or at least, it was a common name....). It's still a great subwoofer amp, but if it really put out 1100 watts, it would have fried my sub at least 4 years ago (it's rated 720W peak, 300-something RMS). But hey, got Fry's to price match the same amp on Amazon for $75 (about $50 off of the shelf tag price), can't really complain. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 11:11 on Feb 23, 2015 |
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Feb 23, 2015 11:00
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Those flax cone Focals look so neat. Makes me wish I was in the market for $600 car speakers.
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Feb 23, 2015 12:42
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Lowclock posted:Turn the gain up? I was able to take the speakers outside and with the amp, there's no distortion at max volume - which is nice. But even at max volume, it's not that much louder than without the amp. The head unit was capable of 18W RMS x4, the amp is capable of 75W RMS x4. Shouldn't the sound level, at nominal gain, be noticeably louder with the amp?
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Feb 24, 2015 03:13
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MrCodeDude posted:I was able to take the speakers outside and with the amp, there's no distortion at max volume - which is nice.
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Feb 24, 2015 09:39
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MrCodeDude posted:I was able to take the speakers outside and with the amp, there's no distortion at max volume - which is nice. It should be much, much louder with the amp than with the head unit and should be much clearer as well. I would check any settings on your head unit pertaining to the RCA outputs. Perhaps there is a level setting on the preouts as some head units have. Which head unit are you using? Actually, a rundown of all the components you're using would be helpful.
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Feb 24, 2015 16:31
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Hey lads, I'm looking to install some speakers to my car. Looking to spend sub $500; I'm thinking around $200 give or take for the front, and around the same for the rear. I won't be running a sub as I don't want to be an obnoxious stereotype (much more than I already am!). How would this system go do you think? At this stage I'm considering some POLK DB5251 which are 5.25" 2 way speakers for the front (these retail for between $120-$190. Alternatively considering some 6.5" splits which are Alpine SPG-17CS 70W (retail at $190). And possibly just some generic $200 6" rear speakers (I'd appreciate some advice on them). A word of note is that I don't really want to run an amp either. I will if I have to, but I'd like to avoid it. My head-unit is a Pioneer FH-X755BT
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Feb 26, 2015 16:57
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Polk makes some downright decent speakers. I've been very happy with my DB series sub; it's handled years of abuse with no complaints, and outlasted one amp so far. I'd suggest spending the most money on your front speakers - the rears are just for fill anyway, unless you frequently have passengers in the back seat. Just get some cheap name brand 2 ways for the back. I just looked up those Alpine speakers - I'd probably go with those for the front, if you don't mind finding a spot for the crossovers and extra wiring (I usually just tuck them behind the door panel, as long as they won't get wet in there - that way I can use the stock wiring inside the door to power everything, assuming the tweeters will be on the door somewhere). I prefer how splits sound, it's just a pain to figure out where/how to mount the tweeters on some cars, and the added wiring + crossover behind the door card can be a tight squeeze. That head unit (along with any name brand aftermarket head unit) has more than enough power to drive either of those speakers to tinnitus-inducing levels.
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Feb 27, 2015 14:21
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I am trying to sketch out an audio system for an old car with tight space. Namely - the 1975 Alfa on the left in this pic: It has the original AM/FM radio that seems to put out through a single speaker under the dash. I hope to ninja a no-headunit system into the car that relies on an external source for content (iPod/phone). So basically an amp with RCA inputs and speakers. I have two pairs old NIB 6" 60 Watt speakers that my neighbor had from an abandoned project. Interior space is loving tight. The stock interior only has the in dash speaker, so there aren't any locations to swap speakers. I've read that the doors on these Spiders are too thin to do a proper mounting. I should be able to fit speakers in the kickpanels or on either side of the center console. Rear speakers are trickier, and would require building a shelf to fit in the back "non-seat," as the ragtop will interfere with anything mounted to the rear sides. In short, I may end up with only 2 front speakers. Any recommendations for a good amp that can handle such a system? What else should I be exploring in this plan?
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Feb 27, 2015 18:06
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Tamir Lenk posted:I am trying to sketch out an audio system for an old car with tight space. Namely - the 1975 Alfa on the left in this pic: What is the model?  vv Just looking up pics of the interior to get some ideas for mounting stuff; holy poo poo, you're not lying about tight. Wonder if you could do something weird like defroster vent delete with some small drivers. vv Wasabi the J fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Feb 27, 2015 |
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Feb 27, 2015 19:52
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Wasabi the J posted:What is the model? 1975 Alfa Romeo Spider (S2a series)
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Feb 27, 2015 20:32
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I seem to remember goons saying good things about this Chinese amazon amp http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0049P6OTI/downandoutint-20 I haven't tried it myself, but it seems a bit more compact than a headunit, and uses 12v input.
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Feb 28, 2015 00:24
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This one was also cool for the wireless option.
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Feb 28, 2015 16:18
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Scrapez posted:It should be much, much louder with the amp than with the head unit and should be much clearer as well. I would check any settings on your head unit pertaining to the RCA outputs. Perhaps there is a level setting on the preouts as some head units have. Maybe I've fundamentally misunderstood my stuff but I don't see why an amplifier has to make things much much louder at the same volume settings if you've set it correctly. You should however be able to turn the volume and bass up much higher without distortion and clipping, right?
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Feb 28, 2015 23:47
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CharlesM posted:Maybe I've fundamentally misunderstood my stuff but I don't see why an amplifier has to make things much much louder at the same volume settings if you've set it correctly. You should however be able to turn the volume and bass up much higher without distortion and clipping, right? Depends on your speakers, and if the gains are set correctly but generally yes.
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Mar 1, 2015 00:32
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CharlesM posted:Maybe I've fundamentally misunderstood my stuff but I don't see why an amplifier has to make things much much louder at the same volume settings if you've set it correctly. You should however be able to turn the volume and bass up much higher without distortion and clipping, right? It allows more head room so you can turn it up louder with less distortion or clipping, yes. But fundamentally, it is "amplifying" the signal as the name suggests. If you double rms power, volume typically increases by approximately 3db. Doesn't sound like that much but when you compare a typical head unit it is sending out 15 watts rms at most and his amplifier is sending 75 watts rms, it should be much, much louder. If it isn't, something is setup improperly or there is an equipment issue. Scrapez fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Mar 1, 2015 |
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Mar 1, 2015 00:34
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Well technically if you're running the speakers off the head unit you can turn it up really really loud, it's just going to sound like dog poo poo. Higher rms and amplifying makes it sound ten times better but there's only so much your ears can take of that too.
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Mar 1, 2015 00:41
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leica posted:Well technically if you're running the speakers off the head unit you can turn it up really really loud, it's just going to sound like dog poo poo. The head unit only outputs a limited amount of power. Even a clipped signal is not going to be able to get as loud as the amount of power being output when you have a dedicated amplifier inline that is much larger. It is physically impossible.
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Mar 1, 2015 00:44
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I understand that, what I'm saying is you can only turn it up so loud before your ears start to hurt whether it's distorted or not.
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Mar 1, 2015 00:47
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leica posted:I understand that, what I'm saying is you can only turn it up so loud before your ears start to hurt whether it's distorted or not. And what relevance does that have on the original question or the discussion we were having? You changed the subject mid-discussion. Bottom line, the OPs setup should be much louder and sound much better with the amplifier in use. If not, something is wrong.
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Mar 1, 2015 00:52
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Tamir Lenk posted:Any recommendations for a good amp that can handle such a system? What else should I be exploring in this plan? What model speakers? Budget? If you want a mini amp there's a lot to choose from: http://wwv.crutchfield.com/p_130GMD1004/Pioneer-GM-D1004.html?tp=35782 http://wwv.crutchfield.com/p_020XC2410/Clarion-XC2410.html?tp=35782 http://wwv.crutchfield.com/p_500KTP445U/Alpine-KTP-445U-Power-Pack.html?tp=35782 http://wwv.crutchfield.com/p_530ST410KD/Soundstream-Stealth-ST4-1000D.html?tp=35782 http://www.sonicelectronix.com/cat_i1743_mini-amps.html Most of these are 4 channel and bridgeable into 2. If you have space to mount a larger amp (and not necessarily huge, I have an Alpine V60 inside a compact spare tire) I would put in a shallow mount subwoofer too. RCA into 3.5mm as an input would work but isn't ideal. There's this but power output is poo poo: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_70642_Kicker-PXiBT50.2-40PXIBT50.2.html Speakers in the kick panel would work, ideally you'd want to aim them if you have the room. I'd recommend component speakers with the tweeters mounted in/on the dash. Bulk Vanderhuge fucked around with this message at 16:19 on Mar 1, 2015 |
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Mar 1, 2015 16:09
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Bulk Vanderhuge posted:What model speakers? Budget? The speakers are some cheapo brand. Doing some spot measurements, I may end up getting a pair of smaller speakers to fit in the outer kick walls, as the 6" template seems too tight there. So it cold be a pair of 6" speakers facing out from the center and a pair ofslightly smaller speakers facing in, all at the feet of the front seats.
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Mar 1, 2015 22:29
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Tamir Lenk posted:I am trying to sketch out an audio system for an old car with tight space. Namely - the 1975 Alfa on the left in this pic: Kick panel enclosures will absolutely be your best option here. There's several companies that specialize in them, but I can't find one that makes one for an Alfa. Any good car audio shop (read: check Yelp and avoid Best Buy and Fry's, though Car Toys supposedly does decent work) should be able to make some kick panel mounts for you. Rear speakers are just for fill anyway, and in a car that small, it won't make a bit of difference. Expect to spend some cash on them, since they're basically building an enclosure around your existing kick panel, and ask that they just remove the original kick panel (or otherwise not modify it) so that you can revert to stock if you ever need to. Like Bulk said, you may consider components with the tweeters somewhere in the dash, but if you go with shallow mount speakers, you may be able to have enough room to have kick panel mounts made that will allow you to aim the tweeters properly.
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Mar 2, 2015 10:23
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some texas redneck posted:Kick panel enclosures will absolutely be your best option here. There's several companies that specialize in them, but I can't find one that makes one for an Alfa. Thanks. I'll probably fab up the kick panels myself in fiberboard or fiberglass. I like to make things, you see . . .
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Mar 2, 2015 16:32
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Not sure where else to ask this but hoping I can get some guidance. The cassette deck in my 02 Honda Accord decided to start auto reversing and the spitting out any cassettes I put in it. I've used a cassette adapter for years to play my iPod in my car and it just started this week, mid song. I tried removing a piece of the innards of the cassette adapter (read about it here:http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-cure-car-cassette-adapter-quotauto-revers/) but that didn't work and I bought a head cleaner cassette but the deck won't even accept that, it just auto reverses until it ejects. What should be my next step? I am not handy at all but my dad may pull it out of my car if that's what needs to happen, but I'd rather save him the trouble if I have any other options. I could keep trying to play the head cleaner cassette until it works maybe?
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Mar 13, 2015 04:48
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They auto reverse when they detect that the tape isn't moving. A head cleaner cassette actually has tape moving between the reels, so it stands to reason something internal has broken. Cassette players use a few small rubber belts inside them. Over time they dry rot and eventually break; one probably broke. Hit up Crutchfield and buy the cheapest stereo with an aux input that includes free installation stuff (mounting kit, wiring harness, antenna adapter, instructions - probably around the $100 mark, but the stuff included is easily worth $25+). Your stereo is pretty straightforward to replace if I remember correctly (I had an 01 Accord at one point, same generation, same dash); the hardest part will be removing the trim that's around it (which probably requires removing the center console, or at least the shifter trim). Alternatively, you can crack it open and try to replace the belts, but it's coming out of the dash no matter what to fix it, or to even connect an aux input adapter to the CD changer jack on the back of it (which will probably cost at least as much as a budget CD player with an aux input). And you'll need the anti-theft code when it goes back in. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:17 on Mar 13, 2015 |
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Mar 13, 2015 08:13
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Oh hi. I'm buying a new car... We won't go into which just now... And am looking to replace stock unit with a 2din nav/stereo one. I have an iPod nano and a nexus 5. I watched a great video about the fancy pioneers interfacing with google auto (android auto?) And this seemed like the kind of functionality I'm looking for. Car has built-in wheel controls and Bluetooth mics, but an otherwise bare bones stereo. There are a lot of units out there, I'm wondering where I should start. I'd like ideally to be able to listen to and send texts through the mic, which seems like a no-brainer but perhaps lots of the tech is behind the legislation on this point. I'm flexible on how the unit gets tunes -ipod, SD, whatever, but would ideally not want to have to keep all the audio on my phone... Thoughts/advice? I have a big amp and sub to hook in, I assume most modern units still have rca out for this purpose?
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Mar 13, 2015 20:50
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The speaker in my front driver door doesn't appear to work at all. All the other speakers work fine. Do speakers just die, or has a wire probably come loose, or...? I have a 1997 Buick LeSabre, with the "Concert Sound 2" option. I'm kind of cheap, so my ideal scenario would be finding that a connector just came loose and not having to buy a new part. Also, I'm concerned about breaking the tabs on the door panels or dash trim to get at the speakers or head unit. Are the tabs likely to be fragile?
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Mar 18, 2015 18:44
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Astonishing Wang posted:Also my radio needs fixin. I don't want to drive 6 hours each way with no radio. It blew a fuse a few days ago and I'm not sure why - I have it all ripped out and I'm going to look at the wiring today, but what are the odds that it's the radio that's bad and not the wiring? I was also (not any more) getting a random airbag light beeping on and then shutting off shortly after, and it threw a P0320 crank position sensor code. I reset the battery and the code hasn't come back, but this all happened around the same time. 2002 Jeep Wrangler with a JVC head unit I posted this in the Jeep thread earlier but thought it would be better asked here. I just checked out all the wiring behind the dash and everything is well connected with no rubs or holes in the insulation. Is there a way to tell if my radio is bad? The fuse that blew was in the dash fuse box, while the fuse in the radio itself is still good. There is also one of the in-line glass fuses on one of the wires going to the radio, and it's still good as well. I don't have a spare head unit or I'd just try plugging that in
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Mar 18, 2015 21:40
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Astonishing Wang posted:2002 Jeep Wrangler with a JVC head unit I took it by a car stereo shop and the guy probed it, he said it's the radio. I've ordered a new stero and am installing it tonight. Is there an easy way to make it have constant power so that it won't shut off when I kill the jeep? On my old radio the bluetooth took a while to connect, and it was annoying having to reconnect everything all the time. I want to be able to shut off the jeep and have the radio stay on until I turn it off. A jumper between the constant and switched power?
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Mar 19, 2015 19:42
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