Ask Us About Car Audio, Part 4: Gasp Harder

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Ask Us About Car Audio, Part 4: Gasp Harder

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

astrollinthepork posted:

Who makes head units that skip out on the chrome and laser shows? My kingdom for a high quality head unit with USB and aux inputs that looks like it came from a 1995 audiophile catalog.

I'd say check out Nakamichi and McIntosh. You're going to pay for it though.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2012 22:09

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:48

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

ErectorBeast posted:

Thanks for the link, I would definitely like a retro head unit. As for behind the seats, there's probably about a good foot of floor room back there, about two feet high, probably about the same as some pickup trucks. I don't know what truck boxes are, but the description sounds about right.

Where would be a good place to go to talk to someone about it? I live in Phoenix, so name a store and it's probably here. And any estimates for cost?

You really need to figure out what kind of system you want. Ask yourself, "what kind of music do I want to listen to? Do I want navigation so I can follow it explicitly and drive on railroad tracks and off of bridges? Do I want to be able to connect my phone so I can talk to my friends while driving my dope ride? Do I want to be able to watch "The Fast and the Furious" while I'm street racing?"

The answers to the above questions will give you an idea of what you want for features in a head unit, as well as inform you as to how much power you should be looking at.

Once you have a general idea of what you want then you'll be able to get an idea of a price range.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2012 23:28

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

ErectorBeast posted:

I don't want to watch movies, I can follow navigation well enough just looking at my phone while driving like an outlaw, and I wouldn't mind radio but depending on costs I may forsake it at least for now. At the very least I want to just plug in my phone and listen to my Spotify. All kinds of music, from the bass-yy to the soprano-y

Well, you can either go the "no headunit" route that some are suggesting, or you can go with a headunit with an aux in, or depending on your phone, you may be able to find a headunit that you can plug your phone in to and control directly.

If you go the "no headunit" route, you're probably going to want to find a good quality 3 or 5-channel (with an El-Camino you probably don't need rear channel speakers), amp so you can drive the full-range and subs off of one input channel.

You'll probably want to look for equipment that is geared towards SQ (sound quality), since you're listening to a variety of music and will need a good amount of dynamic range.

What type of "bassy" music are you listening to? If it's stuff like rap, you could probably go with a ported enclosure. If you're listening to something with a lot of dyanmic bass range, I'd suggest going with a sealed enclosure instead.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2012 08:47

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

OneStopShop posted:

Dumb question, I have a Compustar remote start system with this remote:

But I hate the look and want one of these:

Do you know if they are interchangeable? I can get you the model number off the antenna tomorrow if it helps.

Also, where in Winnipeg do you work? My dad is looking for a two way system for his '07 Vibe.

You'll need to provide the model of your system, that'll tell you what remotes are compatible with it.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2012 19:56

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Sadi posted:

So Im running a JL 10W7 off a JL 500/1 in my miata. I have two issues. First, with no boost on the amp, bass turned all the way down on the stock head unit, and my phone in bass reduction mode, the base can be overpowering. Only way to fix that is a new more adjustable head unit right?

Second, the miata battery doesn't seem up to task for powering the set up. At slightly loud volumes the lights dim and idle drops. If im having a good time with the top down on the highway, the lights seriously dim and you can tell its having an impact on the sound quality. A friend recommended a capacitor, would this fix my problem? Or is my battery the issue here?

Not your battery, your alternator. Buy one with more output capacity.

A capacitor is a bad band-aid, especially for the issue you're describing.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2012 19:58

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

jonathan posted:

I'm looking for a new deck

I have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It has the "Premium" sound system which is:

MyGig deck (Harmon Kardon touchscreen, double DIN)

Which goes to a factory amp under the dash. This amp has 8 output channels

The amp hooks up to 7 Infinity brand speakers

2 dash tweeters (unsure if these are crossed via a small crossover inline or attenuated at the amp)

2 dash speakers lower down

2 speakers in the rollbar above

the last 2 amp outputs go to a subwoofer in the rear of the vehicle, I think it's an 8" sealed unit.

I don't like the deck because the interface is counter intuitive. Browsing music is hard, you can't browse by artist then album, only artist OR album.

The deck and amp are both hooked to the vehicle CANBUS interface. The amp actually recieves firmware updates etc via dealer services.

The deck runs some form of *nix, as can be seen when doing a firmware update, but I cant find much in the way of custom software.

What I want:

Is there a double din touchscreen deck out there that has smartphone-like functionality, Maybe something that runs on android ?

I want DVD playback while in motion, as well as blue tooth, navigation, and media streaming. I'd like it to hook up to a wifi supplied by my phone for youtube/email/music streaming services etc. Is there anything out there like this ?

Google "carputer". That's probably the only thing you're going to find that will be able to fit that list.

Kenwood/Alpine/Pioneer all have nav units that will do MOST of those things, although you'll have to "hack" the deck to do DVD in motion though (and you should be watching the road instead of watching "Fast and Furious" while you're driving), but I don't think there's really anything aftermarket out there right now with the level of integration to do Youtube or e-mail (some will do Pandora and such native if you have the right phone, and most will allow music streaming over bluetooth).

# ¿ Dec 12, 2012 06:38

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

powderific posted:

Anyone have suggestions for how to set the high and low pass filters for the sub? Right now I have mine set at 24db per octave at either 70 or 80 hz.

What color are they?

# ¿ Jan 3, 2013 08:30

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

powderific posted:

Is this a snarky way of saying I didn't provide enough information or something?

Yes. Optimal settings are going to depend on the types of subs you're using, the box they're in, the speakers you have them matched with, the type of music you listen to, etc.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2013 21:49

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Lowclock posted:

I usually start out with both the high and low pass set around 120hz and do it by ear from there. Maybe separate them a little more if they're not nice 4th order (24db/octave) filters.

Yeah, since you're using a sealed box, you'll be pushing more for sound quality rather than strict volume. You're going to want to set your crossovers to remove frequencies from the sub that it can't properly play, and remove frequencies that your full-range speakers no longer need to do since you have a subwoofer. This will result in your whole system being more efficient, and will allow better reproduction and volume before distortion.

You should start with making sure your full-range speakers are properly dialed in. Are you using an external amp for those?

Fortunately for me I guess, I have a head-unit with crossover functions, so I can play with this stuff from my seat.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2013 04:59

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

atomicthumbs posted:

Oh god help. How did I get here I am not good with wires.

I thought I could re-use the wiring harness that came with the ca. 1994 radio. I look at all these wires spliced to differently-colored wires, and these cut wires, and the wires emanating from other parts of the car, and the wires coming out of what I think is the wiring harness that have been cut, and my brain starts turning inside out.

Is there any hope for re-using this jumble (like plugging the stereo wires into the old connector), or should I just buy a new wiring harness?

I loving hate it when people do this. All to save $5 on a loving adapter.

Find another of your car in a junkyard, cut out the harness. Splice that to replace this lovely wiring job, then get an adapter, splice the adapter to your new radio harness.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2013 23:06

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

My Rhythmic Crotch posted:

Does anyone know of a Ford OEM head unit that will make a good replacement for an 02 Thunderbird? It's a double din 6 disk changer unit. It's for a family member that just wants to replace their broken unit with an OEM style unit.

You'd buy an 02 Thunderbird head unit. If that's all they're looking for, just grab one off of eBay or a junkyard, should be pretty cheap.

# ¿ Jun 10, 2013 23:03

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

slothrop posted:

I'm looking for a new head unit for out 1998 Outback (Gen2). It currently has a Kenwood KDC-133 which I'm guessing is not original (seems to be 50w x4, the car appears to have 4 normal speakers in the doors and 2 tweeters up by the wing mirrors)

There's nothing wrong with the current unit except it has no aux input. We have an iPhone 4, a 3GS and a iPad(3) between us.

I'd be happy spending up to maybe $150

I'd prefer not to use a FM thing, they sound like poo poo. I'd prefer something that has a usb port (I guess you can charge this way?)

I'd like to be able to use the cigarette lighter to charge my iPad and the head unit to charge my phone on long trips.

I guess being able to use a USB stick/SD card would be nice as well.

I'm probably not fussed about bluetooth but I guess if it's easy to use/can be set up as a handsfree system I'd be interested in doing so (is this even a thing?)

Ultimately I just want all of the features for none of the money.

Is there anything out there that might do the trick? I start looking at shops online and get very lost very quickly.

RE: charging, they do make dual USB port charging adapters for your cigarette lighter, something to keep in mind there.

Take a look at crutchfield.com, there should be a ton of models that would fit your needs. I'd recommend staying away from the bottom tier brands, go with something like Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, etc. You're mainly going to be looking for one that has a design that you like, all of the major brands are going to have units that are feature comparable.

# ¿ Jun 10, 2013 23:56

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

b0nes posted:

On Crutchfield.com they have a configurator that lists the headunits compatible with your car. How accurate is that? Shouldn't your car be in theory be able to take any single/double DIN head unit?

In theory. Some manufacturers like to do stupid poo poo that make aftermarket units difficult to fit though.

# ¿ Jun 12, 2013 23:45

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

echinopsis posted:

mine is a 94 auto laser

The 1G DSMs have tiny loving alternators. A cheap upgrade is to get a 90A version from Galant/whatever, install it, and upgrade your primary fuse to a 90-100A.

I haven't done this in years, so I can't remember exactly what the donor car is that matches, I can probably dig it up for you if you need me to.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2013 19:49

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

The Wonder Weapon posted:

Some quick on-lunch googling found me this post: http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2849942&highlight=bose

The poster mentions exactly my problem (popping when changing sources) and says I would need "Floating ground adapter(s)." Is this what he is referring to? http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_34321_Scosche-FGAB.html Does his suggestion sound like total crap, or is it reasonable?

Or just get rid of it. Bose is crap. Crappy crappy crap.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2013 23:05

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

jonathan posted:

I can't believe luxury branded car companies use Bose. You would think they would stay away and go with a reputable high end audio company instead of a gimmick company.

Bose, much like Monster Cable, is a masterpiece of marketing over quality.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2013 02:46

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Godsavethefritos posted:

So I know near nothing about car audio. If I want to drive 4 2-way speakers (2 in the door, 2 in the back) and a sub (do i need more than one sub? I have an extended cab truck so it would be sitting behind my center console) do I need to get a 4 channel amp for the speakers and a mono amp for the sub? Also, do I need caps or is that just something that car stereo shops put in to make extra money?

Typical recommendation is to get a two-channel to power the fronts, power the rears off of the amp in the deck (they're just rear-fill), and run a mono amp for the subwoofer.

As far as subwoofers, there's a few manufacturers that make enclosures for specific truck models, they're designed to sit in space that would normally be unused, and a lot of them have the amp included in the enclosure.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2013 19:50

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Geoj posted:

I thought Bose was more of a case of "hey we used to be good in the mid 90s and are just riding on our name at this point," whereas Monster Cable has always been full of poo poo.

No, they've pretty much always been poorly designed poo poo that looks pretty (and costs a lot).

# ¿ Jul 17, 2013 19:35

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

The Wonder Weapon posted:

The Bose system in my MB had a separate amplifier. It was using line level inputs and amplifying them. The speakers were also a non-standard impedance. If there is a separate amp it could be causing the pop when it is powered on/off. If there is not an amp and the speakers are very low impedance like mine were, it is really not good for the internal amp in the HU.

In most Bose systems, and from what I have read about yours, the HU that you replaced actually feeds a separate amplifier that drives the speakers. I think yours is somewhere behind the passenger seat in a compartment. Usually systems like this are full of proprietary components that don't always play nice with aftermarket stuff. The amp is probably looking for a turn on command that is not from a standard 12v turn on lead. The speakers themselves could be a non-standard impedance. Usually an amp in a HU is rated to power speakers with 4 Ohm impedance. This is pretty standard, but the Bose systems can run anything, and running something outside of the impedance rating can be detrimental over time to the amplifier in the HU.

In my Mercedes, I had a Bose factory system. The HU had individual leads for each speaker that ran to the trunk where the Bose amplifier was. This then amplified the signal and drove the speakers in the car. The speakers in the front were an effective 2.34Ohm or something crazy. The rear doors were 2Ohm, and the rear decklid speakers were another impedance. I removed the Bose amplifier, but did not want to use the amp in the Pioneer HU I had, because of the wonky impedance levels it would see from the speakers and the potential to end its life early. I picked up a 4 channel amp to drive everything because it was better equipped to handle down to 2Ohm. This is purely anecdotal on my one car, but everything I have read points to it being similar in other factory Bose systems in Audis, Nissans, etc... Most of this info, I found on Club202.com which was specific to the 202 chassis C class cars. The site is all but extinct now, but you should be able to find a good bit on the Audi Bose systems with a bit of searching.

Some quick on-lunch googling found me this post: http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2849942&highlight=bose

The poster mentions exactly my problem (popping when changing sources) and says I would need "Floating ground adapter(s)." Is this what he is referring to? http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_34321_Scosche-FGAB.html Does his suggestion sound like total crap, or is it reasonable?

Several weeks later, and I am continuing to battle with this. I just today installed that linked Floating Ground Adapter, which apparently did nothing to solve my popping problem. (And also for some reason instructed me to connect White to White/Black, and White/Black to White, Gray to Gray/Black, etc etc. Odd.) It did add so much additional wiring bulk that my HU can't fit completely into the bay, though.

My HU has normal speaker wires as output, but it also uses 2 RCA plugs to power "Rear/subwoofer." I've got the front speakers and all the additional wires (power, ground, etc) coming out of the normal HU wiring, and then the two RCA jacks also running into one of the wire harnesses. In my re-wiring and double checking, I noticed that I have no sound at all when I unplug the two rear/subwoofer RCAs, so apparently the front speaker wiring does nothing? I put my hand over the front speakers in the door when the music is actually on, and it feels like sound is coming out of them, so I'm slightly confused.

My primary goal here is to make sure I'm not going to blow up my HU, and my secondary goal is to get this drat pop to stop.

I'm also 99% that my car has the Bose amplifier inside, for what that's worth.

HU wiring guide in question:

Did you get polarity reversed on your speakers or something?

# ¿ Jul 30, 2013 18:58

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

The Wonder Weapon posted:

I...don't think so? I checked the wiring 3-4 times, and I'm pretty sure I've got it correct as far as the diagrams go.

I'd swap one speaker just to make absolutely sure.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2013 19:35

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Haggins posted:

Is it worth changing out the front door speakers first or waiting until I can change all 4?

Front speakers are far more important, the rears are really only there for rear fill, if you regularly have rear passengers, or surround if you're doing A/V. There's a lot of people that run the really quality stuff (with a dedicated amp) up front and run a small set of rears off of the deck amp or remove them entirely.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2013 23:33

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

DesperateDan posted:

I am in the process of swapping out my Audi A4's stock "Concert" stereo for an Alpine unit I had in my last car. Today I got what I thought was the right harness but was not (I have a rear amplified Bose system, not a rear amplified standard system. apparently.), so I am returning it for a different one.

What I am assuming is the radio lead isn't right though, and the adapter supplied didn't want to work with it- any idea on what this connector type is?

The radio input on the back of my "new" stereo looks a little bit like it's for a 3.5mm jack

Does your car have factory GPS? Looks like that could be the jack for a GPS antenna.

# ¿ Oct 19, 2013 01:46

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Ask Us About Car Audio, Part 4: guess-the-connector edition

# ¿ Oct 21, 2013 20:11

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

KozmoNaut posted:

I've tried powering it using a USB cigar lighter plug, but that just resulted in high-pitched ignition interference all over over my music.

Google "ground loop isolator".

You're welcome.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2013 22:02

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

KozmoNaut posted:

Neat. It seems so logical when you look at how it works, actually. I can plug that into the CD changer AUX in adapter permanently and I'll check the head unit ground connection while I'm at it. I'd still love to get away from the whole MP3 player thing and have something a bit more purpose-built, however.

My ideal solution would be a blanking plate in place of the ashtray, with a "play/pause" button and a "next random track" button, with the electronics permanently wired up to power and the AUX in. I'm toying around with an idea of re-purposing an old displayless MP3 player I have. It should be easy enough to wire up the connections, buttons and the status LED. The biggest issue will probably be the builtin battery, whether I can just rip it out and supply 3.7v directly to the player, or if the player does something fancy with the battery connections.

Oh yeah, and soldering SMD components

The main thing is that cigarette lighters typically have the shittest grounds in a car (which for a car is saying something). The isolator is a pretty good way to cover this up, and it allows you to avoid having to re-run ground wiring and stuff. I used one to really good effect on two of my vehicles before I finally decided to upgrade from my 20 year old Alpine to a Pioneer unit that has built-in iPod control.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2013 22:32

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

rscott posted:

I bought this receiver for my car, a 1986 BMW 325es. I bought it without a stereo.

http://i.imgur.com/XY5PrAS.jpg (click for huge)
This is what I'm working with, no idea how hacked up it is from the stock harness. Plug on the receiver is just a standard 16 pin Alpine.

Crutchfield says if I use this I can tap into the stock harness, for the speakers at least, but that appears to only connect two speakers, so would I buy two of those for the front and the rears? The big gray cable I know is for the antenna, and the white wire wrapped up with it raises up the antenna or something but I have no idea what everything else is supposed to plug into.

I've never installed a car stereo in my life before so I have no clue what I'm doing. What's the best way to proceed?

To be honest, I'd try to find a donor car in a wrecking yard to verify and/or cut the factory harness out, and splice it together to get you back to a good stock condition, then see about adapters. Failing that, you're going to need to get the electrical diagrams (you wanted the service manual for your car anyway, right?) and you'll need to match the stock wiring with the aftermarket harness so you can get it wired.

Make sure you at least use good crimp-style connectors, if you're not going to solder the wires together and use shrink-tubing.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2013 19:58

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

rscott posted:

The only problem I'm seeing so far is that I've only got 4 speaker wires and I need a positive and a negative for FL/FR/RL/RR. Everything else I think I can figure out with the ETM images.

It looks like the wire feeds go from the head unit to the amplifier, and from there it splits out to your FL/FR/RL/RR. Consider the ones you're looking at right now to be more "pre-out" wires.

So, find where the amp is/was located, you'll be able to patch in to the speaker wiring from there. You should find it anyway, as you're not going to want to run already amplified signal through that amp if it exists.

Or just run new wire.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2013 21:24

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Panda Bear posted:

Why do goons like crutchfield so much? Is it the site/selection? I'm just about fed up with them. I've only ordered from them twice ever and for the second time they totally spaced on shipping my order for a week and I had to call for them to overnight it, even though both times I received an email saying that my items were "shipped" (ie a UPS label was printed out for them and they were promptly forgotten about). I'm at the point where I'm thinking of asking for a refund or something because truth be told I would not have given them more of my money if I knew that they'd take two weeks to get my order to me again.

It's a good place to look up stuff, and they have easy access to installation tools and guides.

I've never actually ordered a component from them, but I've picked up the installation guides and some random harness adapters and such.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2013 00:04

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

rscott posted:

ended up getting 20 ft of this for $1/ft, 9 wires in one convenient package.

drat, I'm tempted to pick up some of that and re-wire my amp->speaker connections with it.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2013 00:06

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

rscott posted:

I'm getting some static using the AUX in on the head unit I just installed when my phone is plugged in to the cigarette lighter charger. I guess I should start checking grounds?

Go buy a ground loop isolator and install it. Cigarette lighters have the shittiest grounds imaginable, and that's feeding right in to your audio when you have it plugged in.

# ¿ Dec 25, 2013 00:14

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

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

# ¿ Jan 30, 2014 21:34

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

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".

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 01:21

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Daric posted:

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?

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.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 01:24

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Tommychu posted:

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".

What do you mean by "inputs"?

# ¿ Feb 10, 2014 22:49

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Stormtrooper posted:

I'd like to swap the stock stereo in my 2014 Jeep Patriot for an Android tablet. I've swapped stereos before and I'm comfortable fabricating mounts and frames but I don't know a thing about wiring. Can I buy a series of devices that would connect the vehicle's wiring harness to a) the tablet's audio port and b) the tablet's power port? I think I'd need to install an amp somewhere in there too, right? I've read a bunch on mp3car.com but I could use some specific guidance.

You'll need a DC power supply for the tablet or a converter. You'll probably want to tap that in to the switched power for the existing stereo so it turns on with the key, or connect it to constant power if you're going to be pulling it out whenever you stop.

For audio, you can probably get a headphone->stereo RCA adapter, that'll give you feeds that you can then patch in to an amplifier.

You might be better off finding an android-based carputer though.

# ¿ Feb 17, 2014 23:46

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Fryhtaning posted:

I have an '03 Explorer that I'm giving a small facelift to so that I don't resent driving it for another 3 years, when my wife's car will be paid off. So, I want to get the technology upgraded to at least have BT voice calls and audio streaming from my Droid or iPod nano. The speakers in the car are decent and the stereo is pretty straightforward, so the info given in the OP was very helpful in sending me to the right site, Crutchfield, where a good 30 or so models look to fit the bill.

I have a bit of an unusual question regarding Bluetooth calling, though. My hearing isn't the greatest - I use Polycom conference phones every day at work with no problem, but when the sound quality drops to that of a smartphone's speaker phone, I start having trouble. What makes me skeptical about standalone BT units is that all the ones I've experienced, even with luxury cars, have terrible quality, especially with the microphone's sensitivity. And these are built-in stock units in expensive cars, let alone after-market. Are any brands better known for the "speakerphone" part of their technology, or is the technology as a whole just really lovely? And in either case, are there any specs or part numbers to look out for that would be related? Accessories to further improve?

Well, the main challenge is dealing with road noise. A lot of factory units put the microphone up in the a-pillar which likely isn't the best location for this, plus it's probably not in direct path for voice that way unless you're turning your head in that direction.

I've got a Pioneer in my car, with the microphone mounted on the steering column. It seemed to work pretty well for the most part, I only got a few complaints about people having difficulty hearing me.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2014 02:39

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Zohn posted:

This weekend I bought a '01 Honda Civic cheap on Craigslist that had a decent headunit as well as an amp in the trunk. The guy selling it told me that they were not included, but that he would reinstall the OEM radio for me.
When I picked it up after the title exchange the factory radio was back in the dash like he promised, although looking a bit worse for wear around the edges (looks like someone went after it with a screwdriver at some point). It lit up along with the rest of the dash, so I didn't check it too closely or use it on the ride home.

The radio has been the last thing on my mind, as I've been way more concerned with the mechanical bits, but today I tried listening to it and no sound came out. I take a look in the trunk and lo and behold the guy just yanked out his headunit and amp, leaving the speakers still connected to a spaghetti of wires that terminate somewhere around my spare tire.
At the very least it looks like the wiring job was done competently enough to be safe, even if it is a little sloppy.

My initial plan before I discovered this mess was to do nothing other then drop in a cheap but decent headunit (like this one).
Now I don't know if it would be easier to just get a cheap amp along with the headunit and wire it in the way it was before, or to pop open the door panels and reconnect the original speaker wiring, then coil and tuck away the new stuff that's been ran through.

I'm not even sure what kind of amp I would be looking for either; are there some sample amp wiring charts that I can compare to the mess in my trunk and reason out what it was originally wired for? How easy would it be to rewire the speakers instead?

If you want to install a new amp, find out what speakers are in the car. Look those up, find out the RMS wattage, and buy an amp that matches the RMS rating.

What's going to be easier is going to depend on what the state of the factory wiring is, what happened to the aftermarket wiring, etc. You're not going to know until you crack things open, which you're going to want to do to find out what's in there anyway. I'd say at least take a look at things then decide what you'd rather do.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2014 09:29

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Dustoph posted:

Hey guys, looking for a double din receiver recommendation. I'll be installing into a 2004 Lincoln LS, and I'd like to keep steering wheel controls if possible.

I'm looking for something that works well with the iphone 5, and only have 1 cable for audio and video, if that exists yet. I'm also looking to be able to use the phones GPS with google or apple maps, and not have to pay a subscription to Garmin, or pay $1,000 for a deck with built in GPS.

I'm having trouble finding something that would allow me to do that. Thanks in advance for any advice. My budget is probably in the $350-500 range.

The cost for the "$1,000" unit isn't the cost of the GPS, it's going to be more the cost of the screen. I don't think you're going to find any in-dash with useable nav that isn't going to have GPS built in.

This looks to be what you're looking for:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio

# ¿ Apr 14, 2014 21:47

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Samsquamsch posted:

First post in AI. Hello. I have a 2007 Mercedes C280 (with standard setup, not Harman-Kardon) and it's been a real bitch to try and figure out what I need for a head unit installation. There's nothing I can find through Googling about what parts I need, and taking it to a local, supposedly reputable installation place had them telling me I would need an aftermarket amplifier because the whole car was wired with fiber-optic speaker wire, with a total install charge of around $800. No thanks. So I called Crutchfield and they set me up with a list of the harness, dash kit, steering wheel adapter, and antenna adapter, totaling $120. Great! But I didn't buy it yet. That was two weeks ago, though, and going back to order them today I was greeted with the warning "This item is NOT recommended for your vehicle" on the Metra 70-9003 harness.

I called, and was told that the product I was recommended two weeks ago required rewiring, having to do with the steering wheel adapter or something. The NEW product, which they had in stock but not on the website yet, apparently does not require rewiring and also costs $80 (the old recommended harness was $13). Am I being taken for a ride? I almost bought subwoofer equipment from them four years ago, but they were really trying to push a capacitor on me and I realized what bullshit that was, so I'm wondering if this is just another pure-profit move for them at my cost. Metra's site itself recommends this 71-1784 Audi harness, which looks completely different from the Crutchfield one. It actually resembles the harness for my old car, a '97 Mercedes C230. I am dying without my subs and an iPod hookup (or any aux input to speak of) and looking to upgrade as soon as possible, but utterly clueless on what I need.

This is the steering wheel adapter I was recommended by them. Is it hard to wire it up, if I went ahead and got the $13 harness?

You're talking about two different things here.

The first thing you're talking about (the cheap thing), is a harness adapter; this is so you can hook up your aftermarket head unit to your factory wiring without having to hack up the wiring in your dash. You patch the wiring leads from your aftermarket radio to the adapter harness, then you plug the adapter harness directly in to the plug for the stock radio.

The second thing you're talking about is an adapter for steering wheel controls (expensive). Yes, these cost money, because it's not just adapting wiring, it's also converting the signal from what your steering wheel controls do to something the aftermarket stereo can understand. Neither are REQUIRED, but the first means a lot of work and doing a lot of cutting and splicing in your dash (this is dumb, just get the adapter), and the second means your steering wheel controls will no longer do anything.

As far as WHICH harness, going to Metra's website (https://www.metraonline.com), and looking up your car appears to return this harness:

http://www.metraonline.com/part/70-1786

Without actually seeing your factory harness I can't really tell you if this is correct or not.

# ¿ Jul 14, 2014 20:51

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:48

MikeyTsi: Jan 11, 2009

Samsquamsch posted:

Thanks for the response. I know the two items linked are two different things, but my question was about the $12 harness adapter that said it wasn't compatible with my car. They told me an $80 product not yet listed on the website was the harness adapter I actually needed, so I was wondering if I went ahead and got the $12 harness if it would require any more rewiring than this new, much more expensive harness.

To make the radio work, you need the "cheaper" harness, which will adapt the aftermarket stereo harness to the factory wiring.

To make your steering controls work, you need the "more expensive" harness, which takes the steering wheel control outputs and converts them in to signals your aftermarket stereo will be able to understand.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2014 00:42

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Ask Us About Car Audio, Part 4: Gasp Harder

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