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Motronic posted:You're missing the point I'm making: I'm looking for it all. If you're saying a tablet can do that then tell me what I run on it. I think its theoretically possible, but you'd pretty much have to commission an app developer to write an app that would turn an android device into a bluetooth audio receiver. The user base would be extremely limited so I doubt anyone is going to do it because of demand. FWIW what you're describing is kind of like asking "I just installed a really nice head unit with a built-in CD player, now how do I play my portable CD player through it?" The tablet already has the capability to play music files, so its a bit confusing why you'd care about streaming through it off of your phone.
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Dec 15, 2012 18:44
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Geoj posted:The tablet already has the capability to play music files, so its a bit confusing why you'd care about streaming through it off of your phone. So when I want some other music I do what.....pull up to my house to grab a wifi signal to sync it/download other music? Tether it to my phone? Remove it and bring it inside? A smartphone is already something that most people are managing their portable music collection on, and something they regularly have connected to the internet. This is why so many manufacturers make vehicle integration kits for phones or provide for A2DP streaming from a device. It's also going to be the easiest way to use Pandora or some other app that required an internet connection to stream music. Unless you tether to your phone. Or have a hotspot in your car. Or pay for internet service on your car stereo/tablet. I don't see how this very common method of managing music and why it would be advantageous to be able to wirelessly play it over a car audio system is confusing at all. Motronic fucked around with this message at 20:23 on Dec 15, 2012 |
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Dec 15, 2012 20:20
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Dec 15, 2012 20:22
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Motronic posted:I don't see how this very common method of managing music and why it would be advantageous to be able to wirelessly play it over a car audio system is confusing at all. That's why FM still exists.  Really, though, with the use of tablets, et al, yeah, you need to have some means of getting media onto it, but if you were using an Android tablet in the first place, you likely have at least a microSD card. When you get sick of 16gb of music - just let me know. I still have an ancient 4g flash/fm handheld, and I've not updated it in about 4/5 years. v- I believe he was complaining that this was counter-intuitive, despite it being, you know, not specifically designed for this task. Not to be confused with some great projects here that take a ton MORE work than clicking 'install'. Viggen fucked around with this message at 00:17 on Dec 16, 2012 |
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Dec 16, 2012 00:04
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Motronic posted:So when I want some other music I do what.....pull up to my house to grab a wifi signal to sync it/download other music? Yes. Like I already said, there are file managers available in the Google Play store that are capable of viewing shared folders on a computer network. Steer the manager to the IP of the host system, find your music directory, select the files you want and copy/paste to your tablet's internal memory. e: The nexus 7 (and other similar lower priced tablets) lack external storage. The only work-around is to run the tablet off of a USB hub that has a microUSB connector at one end and a full-size USB male connector at the other, allowing you to charge the device through the hub and plug in other devices (in this case, a USB thumbdrive or SD adapter.) VVV Geoj fucked around with this message at 01:37 on Dec 16, 2012 |
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Dec 16, 2012 00:15
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Viggen posted:if you were using an Android tablet in the first place, you likely have at least a microSD card. This started out talking about a nexus 7. When I get back in the office on Monday I'll look for the card slot but I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist. Viggen posted:v- I believe he was complaining that this was counter-intuitive, despite it being, you know, not specifically designed for this task. I started posting about this when someone suggested a Nexus 7 as a viable alternative to a head unit. I've yet to see how this works out other than in some edge cases for people who like to play with things more than just use them mindlessly (which I expect to be able to do with a car stereo as I'm engaged in driving when I would be in a position to use one).
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Dec 16, 2012 00:36
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Motronic posted:This started out talking about a nexus 7. When I get back in the office on Monday I'll look for the card slot but I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist. I was looking at one, but when I saw that signs pointed towards 'no', I gave up on it. It seems to be an iPad lite. I forgot that it was a Nexus, and not just a generic no name ICS clone. Really, your best bet is probably still hoofing it for sync/new stuff/et al. There isn't really anything viable where you don't have a signal and want to sync/add new things which aren't readily available OTA.
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Dec 16, 2012 01:36
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I think the easiest/most cost effective method to do what he wants to do is buy a headunit with bluetooth A2DP (literally all but the cheapest headunits on the market have it as a standard feature) and forget about mounting the tablet in the dash, and instead get a car mount for the tablet.
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Dec 16, 2012 01:57
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Geoj posted:I think the easiest/most cost effective method to do what he wants to do is buy a headunit with bluetooth A2DP (literally all but the cheapest headunits on the market have it as a standard feature) and forget about mounting the tablet in the dash, and instead get a car mount for the tablet. We're talking about Motronic. I highly doubt adding holes into plastic with sheetrock screws will be acceptable.
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Dec 16, 2012 01:58
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??? Its a suction cup to the windshield/plastic disc stuck to the dashboard mounting device. Really couldn't be simpler v0v
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Dec 16, 2012 02:24
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Geoj posted:??? I was teasing, waiting for Mot's response of 'UNACCEPTABLE'.
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Dec 16, 2012 02:50
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Hey Goons, I'm thinking of getting the head unit in the top left of this ad: http://www.audioexpress.com/currentad%202.html This particular unit has a 50% off install price, plus $100.00 off any purchase over $500 (which this qualifies for) when installed there. It also comes with a free backup camera, which because my wife and I drive a fairly tall & blind F-150 truck this could come in handy. Basically I'm wondering if this is a decent deal. As far as I can tell it is this unit: http://www.amazon.com/VM9424-6-2-In...keywords=VM9424 or this unit: http://www.amazon.com/Jensen-VM9424...ada+Included%21 Would this head unit be acceptable if I wanted to add a subwoofer down the line? Should it sound pretty good? Are there any alternatives I should see if they have that may be a better value for my money? Will they be able to easily hook it up to my steering wheel controls? I'm pretty set with buying with this shop; I have no interest in doing the install from a stock stereo---I've done it before and it's just not worth it for me. E: Alternatives with the same features. My wife and I share a car and I end up in a situation where I'm waiting outside my work for 30-40 minutes on my work days. Being able to plug in my iPod to watch some videos, or throwing in a DVD or something to blow some time would be wonderful. Knyteguy fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Dec 16, 2012 |
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Dec 16, 2012 03:40
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Motronic posted:This started out talking about a nexus 7. When I get back in the office on Monday I'll look for the card slot but I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist. There has never been a Nexus device with a card slot - Google claims sd cards are too confusing for users. And they went back to a max of 16GB on the Nexus 4 (phone).  My Galaxy Nexus had 32GB, and I kept it packed full of music. This 16GB, coupled with a monthly cap, is already pissing me off... though my monthly phone bill is now $30 instead of $90, with a sexy quad-core phone that's 90% glass and shatters if you so much as look at it funny.Knyteguy posted:I'm thinking of getting the head unit in the top left of this ad: http://www.audioexpress.com/currentad%202.html For some reason, the current ad comes up blank. However, Jensen isn't exactly a great brand. Yeah, you can add a subwoofer down the line with either of those. You'll need something like this to hook it into your existing steering wheel controls, unless Jensen offers their own adapter (they probably do). I'd look into Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, or Clarion, personally. Jensen's not the worst brand, but their quality and user interface aren't great. I haven't heard of Audio Express since I moved out of El Paso 
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 06:40 on Dec 16, 2012 |
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Dec 16, 2012 06:38
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Alright, so I know basically nothing about stereos, figured I'd ask here for some advice. Car is a Mazdaspeed Protege, with the factory Kenwood head unit. Sound was always fine, but the rotating faceplate was always kinda finnicky about wearing out the ribbon cable, and now the geartrain has given up the ghost entirely. I'm looking to replace it with something a bit more modern, but what I need to know is whether I'd need to replace the bracket (housing? I am bad at terminology) that the unit slides into, or whether it's universal to all single DIN setups. I only ask because Crutchfield seems unaware of my particular model, so I don't know if I can rely on their fitment database. Anyway, I've narrowed it down to these four choices. I guess mainly I'm not too clear on the differences between the Excelon and non-excelon lines at equivalent price points, so I'd appreciate any info or experience you guys might have with these things. The connector ports all look to be the same as the one on the back of mine, so it should be plug and play in that respect no matter what.
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Dec 16, 2012 09:22
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Crutchfield doesn't list a separate model for the Mazdaspeed Protege, but assuming the MSP and the normal Protege use the same dashboard (highly likely) they should include this adapter with whatever you buy (free if you spend at least $120 on the headunit.) It appears that the Protege can support up to a double DIN headunit.
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Dec 16, 2012 09:43
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Looking for a double DIN headunit for my Saabaru. Probably want something with BT that I can run Pandora from my phone, Aux in and a USB (don't care if those are on the back, might be cleaner to run wires that way). Also would be nice if it matched the green interior lighting. Any suggestions for a clean deck like this? Was looking at some Pioneer units but $300 sounds kind of steep. I'm no audiophile, so it doesn't have to be the best thing on the market.
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Dec 16, 2012 14:23
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Geoj posted:I think the easiest/most cost effective method to do what he wants to do is buy a headunit with bluetooth A2DP (literally all but the cheapest headunits on the market have it as a standard feature) and forget about mounting the tablet in the dash, and instead get a car mount for the tablet. This isn't what _I_ want to do...... Again, it was brought up that: Lowclock posted:Just screw a Nexus 7 case/dock into a dash kit, and get a decent crossover/preamp and you have a better deck then pretty much anything else. I started by asking what kind of software is available to make that happen and what kind of functionality it has. The actual answer to that question is "whoever thinks a Nexus 7 is 'a better deck than pretty much anything else' has no idea what most people want out of a deck or how normal people expect to interact with a deck." Every simple question I've had about using one as a deck has basically been met with "you're doing it wrong" when what I'm asking about is basic functionality found in even cheap head units. I was honestly hoping that I'd missed a bunch of apps and/or development that made this something workable. Something as well put together as xBMC specifically for the purpose of using one of these as an in-car unit. Obviously that's not at all the case.
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Dec 16, 2012 16:26
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DreamOn13 posted:Looking for a double DIN headunit for my Saabaru. Probably want something with BT that I can run Pandora from my phone, Aux in and a USB (don't care if those are on the back, might be cleaner to run wires that way). Also would be nice if it matched the green interior lighting. Any suggestions for a clean deck like this? Was looking at some Pioneer units but $300 sounds kind of steep. I'm no audiophile, so it doesn't have to be the best thing on the market. I just put a JVC kw-r900bt in my crosstrek and really like it. You can customize the lighting on most decks anymore. The JVC is a little chromed out, but I haven't found much better. I got it for $170 and they have several cheaper versions.
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Dec 16, 2012 17:18
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Before I toss them on AI Marketplace or SA-Mart, I'm seeing if anyone on this thread wants them. Memphis Audio MClass coaxial 5" x7" speakers http://www.amazon.com/15-MC572-Memphis-MClass-Coaxial-Speakers/dp/B005BTPKXC I had them in the back of my 93 Mercury Capri, and don't use them. They are technically components (external crossover and all), but the tweeter is hard mounted coaxial to the bass driver. The tweeter does tilt around, which was wonderful in setting up a better sweet spot when used as rear speakers in my car. I sold the car at such a loss I didn't even bother to include them for the sale. They're about 2 years old, I don't have any of the packaging or parts other than the speakers, wiring, and crossovers. No grillies, though I could include the baskets and grilles from the Mercury if you are set on them Now that I think of it, I have some Morel Maximo 5 1/4" coaxials too, I think I have the grilles for them, and the backing plates that make them with with 6 1/2" holes. DJ Commie fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Dec 16, 2012 |
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Dec 16, 2012 17:57
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Google Play Music and TV and Movies and Maps and Navigation that all come on the thing are all miles ahead of anything you'll find in an aftermarket car deck. These apps are very simple to control (but lots of features) and made to be used with a touch interface, not hacked up windows programs with big buttons. You can tether data to your phone and bluetooth your whatever, but I don't really know specifics because I don't use it that way. If you want external USB storage, a USB OTG cable and a simple piece of invisible software will do it. The little task switcher button that is always there will let you easily switch between your recently used apps. You also get the latest version of everything with brand new hardware instead of some old hacked up Android 2.3, or totally proprietary closed garbage running 10 year old hardware. If you have huge hotdog fingers, you can change the DPI and make stuff smaller or bigger. There's also plenty of custom roms to change the way things look and function. Plus there's Torque and thousands of other apps. Inside the big space left behind in your dash you could throw a couple little tripath amps or a preamp and a USB hub or whatever you need. Sure you have to do the backbreaking work of connecting a couple wires and making a fiberglass piece smaller than a piece of paper, but that sounds a lot better to me than Pioneer's latest $800 piece of crap for like half the price. Lowclock fucked around with this message at 20:11 on Dec 16, 2012 |
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Dec 16, 2012 19:59
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I'm thinking of swapping in an aftermarket head unit in my 1996 Oldsmobile Aurora and I am worried heat may be an issue. Right now on longer drives the front of the factory head unit gets very hot to the touch and CD's I eject from it are actually uncomfortable to handle. If I got a ~$100 alpine unit and stuck it in would I have to worry? I just want to add bluetooth music streaming and call handling really.
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Dec 16, 2012 21:36
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Fuzzy Pipe Wrench posted:I'm thinking of swapping in an aftermarket head unit in my 1996 Oldsmobile Aurora and I am worried heat may be an issue. Right now on longer drives the front of the factory head unit gets very hot to the touch and CD's I eject from it are actually uncomfortable to handle. If I got a ~$100 alpine unit and stuck it in would I have to worry? I just want to add bluetooth music streaming and call handling really. Where is the heat coming from? Is it coming from within the unit itself, or is the area of the console around it also warm to the touch? How hot is 'very hot'?
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Dec 16, 2012 21:38
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Viggen posted:Where is the heat coming from? Is it coming from within the unit itself, or is the area of the console around it also warm to the touch? How hot is 'very hot'? I'd have to do more checking but I am pretty sure its from something in the dash because the MFD/trip computer also gets very hot to the touch. Very hot would be ~100F or comparable to getting in the car and touching the dash after letting it sit in the summer sun. The actual top of the dash stays cool though.
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Dec 16, 2012 21:40
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If you can, try pulling the stereo out and see if the empty space still gets hot. If not, it's most likely an issue with the stereo itself, which obviously would be resolved by replacing it.
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Dec 16, 2012 21:40
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Fuzzy Pipe Wrench posted:I'd have to do more checking but I am pretty sure its from something in the dash because the MFD/trip computer also gets very hot to the touch. Very hot would be ~100F or comparable to getting in the car and touching the dash after letting it sit in the summer sun. The actual top of the dash stays cool though. Where is the heater core located in your car?
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Dec 16, 2012 21:41
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Fuzzy Pipe Wrench posted:I'd have to do more checking but I am pretty sure its from something in the dash because the MFD/trip computer also gets very hot to the touch. Very hot would be ~100F or comparable to getting in the car and touching the dash after letting it sit in the summer sun. The actual top of the dash stays cool though. I'd be more concerned about tracking down this heat - unless that's just the heater doing its' job  - but I really don't know the vehicle well enough to decide if this is 'normal'. Do you always have your lights on in the dash for some reason? Does it change at all if you dim them?I'd suggest pulling the fuse for the radio and seeing if anything else changes, heat-wise. Some units do make quite a bit of heat. The double-DIN in my '96 gets warm, but not THAT warm.
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Dec 16, 2012 21:42
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Viggen posted:I'd be more concerned about tracking down this heat - unless that's just the heater doing its' job MiniFoo posted:Where is the heater core located in your car? It's located behind the center console and work on it basically requires dismantling the entire dash.
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Dec 16, 2012 21:46
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98 Olds 88 dashboard gets very, very hot when the heater is on - to the point even the headlight switch on the other side of the wheel gets quite warm. I tracked it down to a leaking "flapper box" in the dash (the box with the vacuum-controlled baffles that mixes the hot/cold air behind the dash) behind the glovebox. Too lazy to fix it properly, though, so I just stuck some putty tape (butyl tape) on it and called it a day.
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Dec 16, 2012 22:25
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Geirskogul posted:98 Olds 88 dashboard gets very, very hot when the heater is on - to the point even the headlight switch on the other side of the wheel gets quite warm. I tracked it down to a leaking "flapper box" in the dash (the box with the vacuum-controlled baffles that mixes the hot/cold air behind the dash) behind the glovebox. Too lazy to fix it properly, though, so I just stuck some putty tape (butyl tape) on it and called it a day. That box on mine is stuck so it will never blow cold into the cabin. Heat works fine. I wonder if that might be the issue even when I'm not running any heat or A/C.
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Dec 16, 2012 22:28
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Allright, I've come to the conclusion that the component set I put in isn't likely to have the response I want no matter what I do to the crossover. Even with -9db on the frequencies covered by the tweeter and the midrange cranked up they're exceptionally fatiguing. The high range actually does sound fantastic, but the mids just can't keep up without cranking it. It's a really fatiguing sound and I'd actually rather just not listen to it at all. Anyone have recommendations for a 5-6" component set? One thing I do like about this set is that the crossover is really low, so you get a lot more out of the on-axis positioning of the tweeters. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like many manufacturers publish info about their crossover points. I'd like to keep it under $200. If this hasn't come across already, I also don't want my ears to be bleeding from high notes.
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Dec 17, 2012 00:58
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powderific posted:Allright, I've come to the conclusion that the component set I put in isn't likely to have the response I want no matter what I do to the crossover. Even with -9db on the frequencies covered by the tweeter and the midrange cranked up they're exceptionally fatiguing. The high range actually does sound fantastic, but the mids just can't keep up without cranking it. It's a really fatiguing sound and I'd actually rather just not listen to it at all. I remember there being a way to knock down response by putting in resistors. Found a link: http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/technical-advanced-car-audio-discussion/10650-reducing-tweeter-level-passive-network.html
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Dec 17, 2012 02:15
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Did some testing. It seems even when the heater isn't running hot stuff is being circulated through the heater core that leeches into the center of the console over time. Don't know if that's an issue to worry about, but after seeing just how hot it got (99F) I figure I'd be A-OK sticking a new head in without worrying about it getting destroyed by heat or catching on fire.
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Dec 17, 2012 02:19
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Black88GTA posted:I remember there being a way to knock down response by putting in resistors. I could try adding an L-pad after the crossover too and see what happens, but I think that affects the crossover in other ways beyond my knowledge. Maybe someone with crossover design chops could chime in. In any case, it just seems like it might more be a problem of the woofers not having enough output / being a poor choice for car audio at all.
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Dec 17, 2012 02:59
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some texas redneck posted:There has never been a Nexus device with a card slot - Google claims sd cards are too confusing for users.
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Dec 17, 2012 03:28
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Skreemer posted:How about something stupidly simple? I have a 2012 f-150 with a stock system in it. I like to turn the radio up loud from time to time. I've also already had to replace both tweeters and the front passenger door speaker. I don't really need anything to be louder nor do i really care to replace the head unit(Sync system). I just want speakers that I can turn up and not break. Looks like my question got swallowed up. Anyone have suggestions?
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Dec 17, 2012 07:13
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Black88GTA posted:If you do manage to find anything, I'd be grateful http://i.imgur.com/DJlBW.jpg Hope this helps, most of the time I can get photos and pin location for everything but not this time. Skreemer posted:Looks like my question got swallowed up. Anyone have suggestions? Budget? The factory deck puts out like 20W RMS so you're not going to make a lot of difference unless you start install an amp. Replace the factory speakers with a set of quality components and then reevaluate.
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Dec 17, 2012 22:48
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Is the auto correction in alpine decks better than the Audessey based correction in the alpine stuff (add on units?) From a couple years back ? Which auto-eq and acoustic calibration systems are the best today for getting a reference type frequency response ?
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Dec 17, 2012 23:14
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Lowclock posted:Google Play Music and TV and Movies and Maps and Navigation that all come on the thing are all miles ahead of anything you'll find in an aftermarket car deck. These apps are very simple to control (but lots of features) and made to be used with a touch interface, not hacked up windows programs with big buttons. You can tether data to your phone and bluetooth your whatever, but I don't really know specifics because I don't use it that way. If you want external USB storage, a USB OTG cable and a simple piece of invisible software will do it. The little task switcher button that is always there will let you easily switch between your recently used apps. You also get the latest version of everything with brand new hardware instead of some old hacked up Android 2.3, or totally proprietary closed garbage running 10 year old hardware. If you have huge hotdog fingers, you can change the DPI and make stuff smaller or bigger. There's also plenty of custom roms to change the way things look and function. Plus there's Torque and thousands of other apps. I like this idea, but how would you hook this up to your car speakers? Would you sacrifice sound quality? some texas redneck posted:
I'm actually looking into the tablet thing now. I think that with a data subscription it would probably be a bit too expensive though. Barring any good information on a tablet, I'm probably going to forgo the built-in GPS and go with this: http://www.amazon.com/AVH-X3500BHS-...rds=AVH-X3500BT Thanks for your help. I'm glad I didn't go for the Jensen to save a few bucks. Knyteguy fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Dec 18, 2012 |
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Dec 18, 2012 00:14
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Bulk Vanderhuge posted:http://i.imgur.com/DJlBW.jpg  No, you are awesome, this should help a ton. "Not in our computers"  is kind of a common theme for this car, so I'm pumped whenever I can scavenge something from somewhere without having to whip out the ETM.
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Dec 18, 2012 01:10
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Knyteguy posted:I like this idea, but how would you hook this up to your car speakers? Would you sacrifice sound quality? Wire an amplifier directly into the car's wiring harness, and then plug the tablet into the amplifier with a 3.5mm stereo to RCA cable. Depending on how much you spend on the amp you could actually have better sound quality than with a headunit of the same price.
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Dec 18, 2012 01:15
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