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

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Hyrax posted:

No worries. I might not have been entirely clear -- I was talking about the hardwire, in-line-with-the-antenna modulators rather than the FM transmitters. If those are still frustrating and suck then I might be looking for another way to get sat radio in her car.

The in-line modulators aren't going to sound as good as a real 3.5mm or RCA connection, but the in-line ones used by satellite radio kits aren't bad. Probably the best option if you're going to keep the factory head unit.

Several of the SiriusXM kits do include an in-line modulator.

JackRabbitStorm posted:

some texas redneck

Oh, you!

SonicElectronix may not be an authorized dealer for a lot of brands, but they provide an in-house warranty (usually 1 year) for brands that they're not an authorized reseller for. It's usually stated under "General Features". They have good customer service, and they've been around awhile. :ohdear:

The stuff that carries a manufacturer warranty will have "Authorized dealer" clearly stated.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Dec 4, 2012

# ¿ Dec 4, 2012 23:50

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:50

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

JackRabbitStorm posted:

Oh, you know, I might have as much knowledge as you when I am as old as you. Ask me in 2025

GET OFF MY LAWN DAGNABIT

Sinestro posted:

Edit: What is the current default ~$200 subwoofer? I don't want to go deaf or compete in a SPL contest, I just want to be able to turn up the volume in my car without it sounding like the bass is being beatboxed by a flatulent goat.

I've always liked Kicker myself, a single 12 with a box will run a bit under that. A single voice coil @ 4 ohms would be your best bet since you're not trying to blow your eardrums out. Something like this and a sealed box between 1.25 to 3.5 cubit feet (so a box like this would be at the smaller end). Add a 2 channel amp and run it bridged. You can get away with using a cheaper (Crunch, etc) amp for a sub, just avoid the really cheap crap (Dual).

If you want something that can handle a bit more in terms of watts, I have this in a sealed box, though I got mine for a lot cheaper from Cowboom (Best Buy's open box arm).

chem42 posted:

I've heard so many car stereos where the sub just adds a thump/rumble behind the music without actually being part of the music. IE, you hear the highs and mids of a drum beat through the door speakers, and you hear and feel a thump, but it doesn't really sound cohesive. How do I avoid that, other than by spending all my money?

A larger sub will add more of a punch. Using good speakers and setting up your low pass filter properly (on your sub amp) really goes a long way; alternatively, a lot of newer head units have a built in sub crossover.

For a Comanche, I'd start with one or two shallow 10's in a box lined with fiber fill - the filling will make them perform as if they're in a larger box. I don't have any recommendations for shallow subs though, I haven't owned a pickup since 1997..

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 02:31 on Dec 5, 2012

# ¿ Dec 5, 2012 02:25

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

That's really not much shorter than a normal head unit. I'd measure how deep the current opening is before you do anything, and figure on at least an inch extra for the wiring that'll be sticking out of the back of it.

# ¿ Dec 5, 2012 04:37

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Geoj posted:

90% of factory systems

Part of it depends on how densely populated the FM band is in your area - in an area like DFW, you're not going to get 100% perfect sound, since there are literally zero dead spots on the FM dial here. Even with the in-line modulator interrupting the normal FM signal, the little bit of wire between the modulator and head unit is still going to be subject to a little bit of interference.

FM also just isn't capable of transmitting a 100% perfect signal, due to the whole :spergin:

analog FM

bit, and absolutely best case scenario, FM can only transmit 30 Hz to 15 kHz - with quality degrading the further you get from the transmitter (particularly high frequencies). Now, the older you get, the less you can hear high frequencies - but high frequency response drops off as the signal gets weaker.

On a factory stereo, I agree, the average person will have trouble telling the difference. Anything with decent speakers, the difference will be pretty obvious. I can hear the difference quickly, despite having about 25% hearing loss (thanks to loud car stereos and concerts :argh:

Geoj posted:

You could also get clever with anti-theft measures and leave a mess of wires hanging out of the dashboard where the stereo would be, giving the appearance that your stereo had already been stolen.

Or just leave the factory stereo there, if it's a lower end car without navigation - nobody will pay any attention to a factory stereo if it's a car that otherwise doesn't stand out. Particularly with newer stereos being coded to the CAN bus.

This obviously goes out the window if you live in a not-so-nice area...

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Dec 5, 2012

# ¿ Dec 5, 2012 07:10

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

powderific posted:

Bluetooth, on the other hand, seems to do pretty well across apps. With Bluetooth on my JVC deck and the current version of iOS, I can skip tracks in Rdio and iCatcher, and the deck shows artist info/song title/album for both. With Android you can even thumbs up and down Pandora over bluetooth.

I can't do thumbs up/down from my head unit, but any A2DP-capable head unit should be able to support track skipping.

I can verify that with the DEH-6400BT and the Galaxy Nexus, I can skip tracks using Slacker, Pandora, Google Play Music, and PowerAMP, using both the buttons on the head unit and the remote. Slacker and Pandora can't skip back, PowerAMP allows you to configure if pressing the previous track button once rewinds to the beginning of the track or skips to the previous track entirely. However, my deck won't show track info, it just keeps alternating between showing the name of the phone and the time. :argh:

I do still have to use the phone to swap between artists or stations though. :smith:

I have PowerAMP configured to fire up as soon as it detects a connection to the car stereo though, and it resumes from wherever it left off. Comes in handy when you're doing pizza delivery (and thus, in and out of the car constantly).

powderific, which JVC deck do you have? It'd be nice to be able to have the deck showing the track information; the manual for mine states that there's no way to do that with my current head unit. Then again, it was pretty cheap ($130 in March, down to $90 now). I've had a couple of JVC head units before and liked them, and my home stereo is an 18 year old JVC receiver that still sounds great (it was pretty high end in 1994 though).

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:11 on Dec 6, 2012

# ¿ Dec 6, 2012 07:08

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Even with all cables on the same side of the car, with pawn shop amps, I've never run into that.

A "constant clicking" with the engine running points at a bad spark plug cable or an alternator about to poo poo itself. In addition to the "we got some loose cable" stuff.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2012 10:39

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

powderific posted:

Finally finished my install. Properly setting the amplifier gain completely negated whatever that clicking was. I'm relatively happy with the sound�definitely way better than stock�but even with EQ adjustments the tweeters sound like their levels are too high(or the mids aren't high enough.)

Are you using whatever crossovers came with your speakers? A lot of them will have a way to change the tweeter levels, usually by way of moving the + wire (going to the tweeter) to a different terminal on the x-over.

My crossovers have a +3dB, 0, and -3dB terminal for the tweeters. -3 sounds good with mine, 0 sounded kinda crappy, +3 made my brain hurt.

# ¿ Dec 8, 2012 06:13

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Turn down the gain on your amp.

A capacitor will help considerably, you may want to consider a beefier alternator as well - from what I could dig up Miata alternators don't put out a whole lot of power.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2012 04:54

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

goddamn those CS's look nice, but we have very different definitions of "fairly cheap". I may have to pick up a set of those soon. I currently have some MB Quart components, but MB Quart is part of Maxxsonics now (Hifonics, Crunch).. which I didn't know before buying them. :saddowns:

Check to see if you can bridge 2 channels of that amp before you decide to use it for the sub, that's about all I got.

# ¿ Dec 12, 2012 00:50

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

LloydDobler posted:

The Polk db6501 is a great speaker set

I can at least vouch for Polk's subwoofers, I've had a DXi-124 for over a year with zero complaints. Hits drat hard and handles a lot of power without a hiccup, and it was pretty cheap (open box from Cowboom.com).

I'm pretty out of the loop with speakers in general though - hence my thinking MB Quart was still German when I bought this set. :doh:

Nope, US owned now, made in China. :argh:

# ¿ Dec 12, 2012 05:46

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

aventari posted:

I'm replacing the stock radio in my 2004 F150 regular cab and I want to add some bass. I'm going to put in some kind of simple powered sub behind the seats, what's a good one? Will 8" sound good or will 6.5" sound better with the stock speakers?

This looks pretty nice to me http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/p_30860_MTX_RT8PT.aspx

This is coming from my experience in a 1980 F-150 regular cab, but should carry over a bit since well, truck is truck - and an 04 will have a bit more room in general. I used an 8" in it, followed by a couple of 8" Bazooka Tubes, followed by two 10's.

6.5 won't do poo poo - in fact, 6.5 is the size of many stock speakers in a lot of cars. You will get zero bass from a 6.5 unless it's in a perfectly designed box, and even then it'll be just enough to make you want more. An 8" tube like the one you linked will give a little bit of a rumble, and still make you want more. And the tubes tend to be very "boomy" - they're fine for, say, gaming speakers on a PC, but for music they really don't sound good. My opinion, obviously.. not everybody will agree with me.

I'd really suggest a 10 in a tall/wide/shallow sealed box with a dedicated amp, maybe with some poly-fill. If you listen to bass heavy music (rap, dubstep, etc), you may prefer the sound of a ported box instead, but for rock I really prefer the sound of a sealed enclosure. There's nothing like an amazing drum solo with a box pressed up against the back of your seat cranked to 11 :black101:

e: mainly, I'm suggesting skipping the tubes because they usually just make you want more bass, which results in you spending more money and selling the tubes at a loss. They're fine for a small rumble, don't expect anything else from them.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:31 on Dec 12, 2012

# ¿ Dec 12, 2012 08:25

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

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). :argh:

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

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

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 :allears:

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 06:40 on Dec 16, 2012

# ¿ Dec 16, 2012 06:38

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

LloydDobler posted:

I personally use factory speaker wiring only because I run subwoofers so I clip out the low frequencies from the cabin speakers and therefore don't really push that much current. Stock wires are more than adequate unless you're pushing stupidly high current through them. They're also wired through the door jamb in a really reliable manner, usually better than what you can do when adding new ones.

Basically when you use a good aftermarket head unit wiring adapter, you can run RCAs back to the amp, then 4 pair of wires right back to the head unit area along the same path, then splice in using the adapter and never touch your factory wiring. It makes for a few extra feet of wire but unless you have some nasty interference it's fine. It's never been a problem for me and is way easier than running new wire to all 4 corners of the car.

This, this, this times like 1000.

You're generally not pushing more than about 15-20 watts RMS to door speakers (even when cranked to 11) unless you're running an amp for the front speakers, and 50 watts will run through the cheap factory wiring just fine. Pulling new wire through the existing channels into the doors is a pain in the rear end on an older vehicle that only had speaker wiring in the doors to begin with - and a massive loving pain in the rear end on something with power windows, locks, mirrors, personal blowjob machines, and 500 other wires going through that little sleeve.

Modern cars have so much wiring that doing a clean installation that doesn't use factory wiring takes a lot of work - it's cheaper, cleaner, and more cost-effective to re-use as much factory wiring as possible. If you're sticking with single speakers in each door (or a single set of components in each), the factory wiring is more than adequate. Even if you go with a separate amp, it's a lot easier, cheaper, and faster (and just as effective) to run the output side of your amp into the existing factory speaker wiring.

And to be totally honest, pushing more than about, say, 20-30 (clean) watts RMS through most car speakers... is just begging for tinnitus. Ask me how I know :smithicide:

I also run a sub though, and personally, I feel that you should include a sub of some sort, even if it's a small, low-powered model, if you give two shits about sound quality. Most of my radio listening is NPR, and the sub even makes a difference there; when I listen to music it's generally streamed from my phone over A2DP.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 12:44 on Dec 23, 2012

# ¿ Dec 23, 2012 12:27

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Well, I've discovered that the Bluetooth in my Pioneer head unit doesn't play nice with my nice shiny new Nexus 4. Specifically, if I keep phone audio enabled, the phone locks up every 3rd or 4th time I shut off the car. This is a nasty issue for me, since I'm in and out of the car a good 20-50 times a day (pizza delivery).

The N4 doesn't play nice with anything that doesn't follow the Bluetooth standards to the letter, and winds up locking up as a result. At least I can disable phone audio and keep A2DP working with no issues.

I may jump ship and get a different head unit from JVC or Kenwood. It'd be nice to have the head unit show what's currently playing (supposedly JVC can do this over A2DP), and it'd also be nice to have it dim when I turn on the headlights.. something my current Pioneer can't do.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2012 06:40

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

So not only is my new (to me) car equipped with the GM beeps and bings and bongs and poo poo that go through the stereo, it also has OnStar, and the GM "retained accessory power" ahit.

I'd like to keep the dongs and dings, I don't care about OnStar. My car is apparently a special snowflake though; only Metra/Axxess make a harness that can retain that poo poo. A generic harness will allow the stereo to work, but also kills the RAP and OnStar, plus all of the DING poo poo... I don't plan to use OnStar, but I'd like it to be available for whenever I sell the car. And the RAP is really nice to have at work, since on really slow days I'll nap in the car (falling asleep to NPR or a podcast....)

e: the adapter is $100 online. :gonk:

e2: I actually went to Best Buy, of all places, looking for it. Their tech told me I could use a Cobalt harness if I could find some way to power the beeps/dings/dongs part, and said it's not too difficult to do so. I plan to keep the factory stereo for whenever I sell it, and don't plan to use OnStar, but it'd be really nice to keep the "hey rear end in a top hat your car is overheating" warning chimes and the like...so if anyone knows how to power the factory chime module and keep Retained Accessory Power without a $100+ Metra adapter.......

e3: by keep the factory stereo, I mean it'll be in a box, waiting to get tossed back in the day I sell it. I plan to install the Pioneer head unit from my old car..

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 10:41 on Jan 18, 2013

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 10:27

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

They'll make a noticeable improvement over the stock speakers.

Replace the fronts, unless you usually drive from the back seat.

# ¿ Jan 30, 2013 05:57

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

ralin posted:

The new Prius's bluetooth systems have a feature where they automatically find my iPhone when I start the car and resume playing whatever it was playing when I turned the car off. All of this happens without me having to push a single button. I'm looking for a new head unit for my 2001 Pathfinder and would like this feature. Is there a particular name for this feature or a particular type of compatibility with the iPhone that is needed to get the bluetooth system to work like this?
I have been in cars with decks with bluetooth audio streaming and they don't just automatically start playing from my iPhone so I think its something beyond just audio streaming.

edit: After looking at Toyotas site they seem to describe this feature as "Multimedia system will automatically reconnect and resume music streaming after a disconnection due to loss of wireless signal." does anyone know any any aftermarket head units that can do this?

I don't know about on the iPhone, but I know a lot of audio-related apps for Android have that specific item buried in their settings.

"Resume On BT A2DP Connect" does exactly what you're describing in PowerAmp.

Maybe not quite what you're looking for, but check your primary audio apps to see if something related may be buried in there.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2013 03:56

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Noni posted:

2001 Honda Accord DX, Pioneer DEH-4400HD

That must be what the problem is. If the seller doesn't have it, what are my options? Will Pioneer send me one? Are there some generic solutions?

Here you go.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2013 02:58

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Tax refund should be showing up soon...ish. Which means it's time to rip out the stock garbage.

Suggestions for component speakers for the front doors? They'll be going into a Saturn Ion coupe, so 5.25" or 6.5" speakers. Crutchfield doesn't seem to think I need shallow stuff, just a mount kit for most speakers along with an adapter harness to plug into the existing wiring.

Ideally I'd like to spend around $150-$200.

I had a MB Quart ONX216 set in my old car (didn't realize MB Quart was no longer made in Germany when I got them), and they were.. okay, a bit on the bright side at times. Something that sounds a bit better without breaking $200 would be awesome. I'm not that familiar with what's good and bad with speakers these days.

Also going to have my Pioneer DEH-6400BT listed in SA-Mart shortly, so suggestions for a double DIN head unit with a removable face would be awesome. Pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine, and Clarion are all brands I'm familiar/comfortable with. About the same price range. The only real must-haves are full Bluetooth (including A2DP), customizable lighting, and subwoofer control (crossover, level, etc built into the HU).

# ¿ Feb 14, 2013 00:56

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

It can also be caused by cheap RCAs that lack decent shielding (i.e. some cheapies you borrowed from your home stereo). Or a crappy ground at either the head unit and/or the amp. Though pretty much every amp wiring kit will have decent RCAs, so if you used the RCAs from a wiring kit, they're probably fine.

Lowclock posted:

Also it's a good idea to actually scrub away the paint where your ground wire connects.

This too. Sand it a bit, and use a decent sized screw/bolt with a washer.

some texas redneck posted:

Suggestions for component speakers for the front doors? They'll be going into a Saturn Ion coupe, so 5.25" or 6.5" speakers. Crutchfield doesn't seem to think I need shallow stuff, just a mount kit for most speakers along with an adapter harness to plug into the existing wiring.

Ideally I'd like to spend around $150-$200.

Also, if anybody has suggestions, that'd be just great. :allears:

e: what's the best way to wire an amp when you have a side post battery? This is my first time owning a car with one. Is it possible/safe to just use a longer bolt and sandwich a ring terminal between that and the original positive cable?

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 05:54 on Feb 18, 2013

# ¿ Feb 18, 2013 05:21

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Factory harness is long gone, right? And IIRC, this is a beater?

Personally, I'd rip out anything non-factory, and splice into whatever wiring is left. It's a beater anyway, you just need power to the HU and output to front speakers. More than likely, you'll find that the P.O. had a (now missing) amp powering the front speakers through the factory wiring. Clean that up and you should be able to get your HU powering the speakers again.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2013 08:06

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

ExecuDork posted:

So I guess I'm shopping for an Alpine head unit. Are they especially difficult / easy / unusual to install?

A basic head unit (by basic I mean no video, no navigation, no backup camera, etc - just music) will install pretty much the same, regardless of brand. The wiring has been standardized for ages - you just have to match the wires from the stereo to your adapter harness, which will have the same wire colors. The only notable difference is some factory wiring doesn't provide a ground, so you may have to run a ground wire from the head unit to something metal (usually a dash brace) - some car makers ground the head unit through either the antenna or the stereo body. My old Nissan, for example, grounded the factory head unit through the mounting screws. A ring terminal on the ground wire, secured under one of the mounting screws for the mounting kit, took care of that.

Alpine makes an excellent head unit, if not slightly more expensive than a comparable Pioneer. Though thinking back, my last Alpine is the only head unit I've had in recent memory that had a pause button.

CommieGIR posted:

The guy that owned my Audi before me jacked around with the audio, added an amp and new head and a small battery(?), and while it works sometimes it just randomly sequels really loudly until I can turn off the head.

Ideas? Honestly I'm tempted to rip all the poo poo he put in out.

Battery, or capacitor? A cap would make sense if the p.o. had subs in there, a small battery really doesn't make much sense at all (usually when you see them, they're similar to a regular car battery in terms of size, and you don't really see that outside of huge systems). Either way, I'd probably pull the head unit and see what got butchered. That sounds more like maybe the head unit itself is taking a crap, but :iiam:

# ¿ Mar 17, 2013 02:43

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

IIRC, you'll have to mount a single DIN stereo where the optional cassette player would normally go (using a mounting kit). You can either abandon the existing stereo, or install an empty cubby where it normally goes.

Ordinarily I'd suggest Sonic Electronix or Amazon, but Crutchfield includes installation stuff (harness, mount kit, etc) for free with stereos over $120. And you need enough of their freebies that the premium that Crutchfield charges is more than worth it - here's the list.

It's not much more difficult than any other stereo installation, with the main exception being your stereo will be in a different location.

If you want to ditch the itty bitty speakers, Q-Logic makes kick panel enclosures that will let you mount up to 6.5" speakers. A friend had them in his 92 C/K, they fit perfect and matched the interior decently. Of course, if you go that route you'll need to pull new wire from the head unit to the kick panels, but that's pretty trivial.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 21:35 on Mar 17, 2013

# ¿ Mar 17, 2013 21:29

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

InterceptorV8 posted:

Yeah, I have Ye High Ende GM radio for Ye Olde Trucke, which means I have the radio over by the steering wheel and the tape deck/EQ (which isn't loving DIN) in the dash, so I know I need a lot of added parts, sadly, My thing is I'm wondering if it would be easier to let someone else deal with it, since it looks like I have to pull the dash almost completely apart to install it. I have the extra cab, so I think there is speakers back there as well. And from the look of it, I'm better off to get a deck with a remote because it doesn't look like the deck is that easy to get to when mounted in the middle of the loving dash.

The mount kit I linked includes a center piece replacement that has a single DIN opening.

And yeah, it's a pain in the rear end to reach it while driving. For both driver and passenger.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2013 05:49

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Following up on that, disconnect the battery before you do anything. Make drat sure you put a fuse right at the battery (any amp wiring kit should include a fuse holder). And use grommets wherever the wire goes through metal. Such as where it passes through the firewall.

Because :supaburn:

fire

is usually not the desired outcome.

Read up a bit, get some very basic DC knowledge (just the concept of how positive and negative works with a DC system). Have your mind blown when you realize that you can hook the negative (-) cable from your amp to the car's body/chassis instead of running another wire to the battery.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2013 08:14

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

There's an adapter to add an iPod connector, but it costs as much as replacing the stereo. Nothing to add a normal aux input, unfortunately.

You could do an in-line FM modulator, which connects to the back of the stereo - they generally do a decent job, since they actually interrupt the normal antenna connection (thus, little to no interference).

To be honest though, I'd just replace the head unit.

e: oh wow, didn't realize that was still available. It just plugs into the back of the stereo, the hard part is getting to it. You'll need a 3.5mm to RCA adapter.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2013 20:58

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Mouse Cadet posted:

Ok so it looks like that would be way to go if I don't want to replace the entire unit. The video makes it look like install isn't that bad but I don't know a thing about car audio so I might be getting in over my head.

It really is just a single plug to the back of the stereo, then you plug the 3.5mm to RCA cable into that. Then plug the 3.5mm plug into your phone.

All bets are off if you have the in-dash changer, but since it's a VP (halfway between a DX and LX, DX being bottom of the line), I really doubt you have the in-dash changer.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2013 21:39

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Xarthor posted:

So I bought a 1980 Ford Courier the other day and it came with a stock AM radio...which is currently not working. There seems to be some sort of vague hiss coming out of the speakers when I turn the unit on, but that's about it.

I'd like to be able to plug in my iPod, or at the very least get the FM band. I saw this faceplate on Crutchfield retro, which I believe will fit my truck.

I've never really tackled car audio before, what should be my next step? I'm not looking for some kind of killer sound system, just something moderately priced where I can listen to music either through my iPod or on the radio. Thanks in advance.

When the hell did you wander into AI? Will this Courier ever make an appearance when I swing by for more toner? :allears:

# ¿ Apr 28, 2013 10:01

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

That sounds more like the cd player mechanism failed.

eBay has plenty of them listed (including this brand new one), though like any other newer vehicle, you'll probably need to have the dealer pair the stereo to the car.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 03:52 on May 8, 2013

# ¿ May 8, 2013 03:49

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Geirskogul posted:

There are amps that can take the stereo mix from a stock headunit and mux out bass for the sub for that, but it never works as well as it should (the feature is built into good headunits; why can't it be built into good amps?!).

I think you mean "high level inputs". Any name brand amp with high level inputs can handle that fine if you're driving a sub and not cranking the stereo to 11. Admittedly it won't sound as good as low level inputs, but it works.

atmakaraka posted:

At those prices, I may as well just get a new head unit and put it in myself. Thanks to both of you for the feedback.

You may want to check Crutchfield first - since you have the "premium" stereo, you may have some amps and such hidden in the car. Which may not play nice with an aftermarket head unit without some wiring changes or some adapters. Crutchfield will be able to tell you though.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 06:21 on May 8, 2013

# ¿ May 8, 2013 06:16

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

I haven't used Sony in ages (as in mid 90s), but most stuff these days (except for super low end) will have Bluetooth.

Should be able to find a Pioneer with Bluetooth for the same price. Maybe even Kenwood.

That said, the built-in HD tuner is nice, but I only saw five HD stations when I tried to find stations in your area - and all but one are talk.

# ¿ May 16, 2013 09:01

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

1993 Mazda 929 Car Stereo Wiring Diagram

Car Radio Battery Constant 12v+ Wire: Blue/Red
Car Radio Accessory Switched 12v+ Wire: Blue/White
Car Radio Ground Wire: Chassis
Car Radio Illumination Wire: Red/Black
Car Stereo Dimmer Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Antenna Trigger Wire: Red/Green
Car Stereo Amp Trigger Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Amplifier Location: N/A
Car Audio Front Speakers Size: 5″ x 7″ Speakers
Car Audio Front Speakers Location: Doors
Left Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue
Left Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/White
Right Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/Red
Right Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Yellow
Car Audio Rear Speakers Size: 6″ x 9″ Speakers
Car Audio Rear Speakers Location: Rear Deck
Left Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/Red
Left Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Green
Right Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/White
Right Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Green

edit: this is what I've come up with. First color being the car harness side, second being the stereo harness side.

quote:

Power connections
blue/red to yellow
blue/white to red
red/black to orange or orange w/white stripe
red/green to blue (if equipped with a power antenna)
black to ground - original grounded through the chassis, you'll need to find something metal to attach it to

LF speaker
blue to white
blue/white to white w/black stripe

RF speaker
blue/red to gray
blue/yellow to gray w/black stripe

LR speaker
blue/red to green
blue/green to green w/black stripe

RR speaker
blue/white to purple
blue/green to purple w/black stripe

Since you've got a hacked up harness, and some overlapping color codes :arghfist:

you'll need a multimeter or 9 volt battery to figure out which speaker wires go where. Multimeter set to resistance on the speaker wires, when you find one that's about 4-6 ohms you've found a matching pair. If you don't have a multimeter or don't feel like dragging it out, get a 9 volt battery and tap suspected pairs to it (one wire on +, one on -). You'll hear an audible pop from the corresponding speaker if you got it right. Since they've been left like that I'd bet on finding a couple of blown or missing fuses too (radio and accessory fuses, accessory may be ECU or memory or something like that).

edit: VVVVV what he said - http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/stereodetail/1353.html

edit2: if that's everything you have, you're also missing the trim for the center stack (junkyard time) - though you should have received this as well, according to Crutchfield. You'll have to assemble it and probably cut some tabs on the kit, they make those things to fit tons of different cars. The DIN cage fits into it once it's assembled (bending a few tabs to hold it in), and the kit just screws into the factory holes.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:21 on May 23, 2013

# ¿ May 23, 2013 07:02

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

You won't get a double din cage unless you bought a double din stereo. That mounting kit is for single DIN stereos - the cage ships with the stereo itself.

Fucknag posted:

Usually decks from CF come with a new single- or double-DIN mounting rack, like this one:

Bend the tabs down to hold it in the dash, the pocket should just slide in to place.

Not.. quite. That picture shows a mounting cage.... you have it backwards :downs:

- the cage slides into the mounting kit, and the pocket is part of the mounting kit. The cage ships with the stereo, and they tend to be manufacturer-specific to some degree.

# ¿ May 23, 2013 07:31

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

If you routinely have people in the back (or have money to burn), then I'd match them. Otherwise, if you're on a budget, put good ones up front and ignore the back - most of what you're hearing is from the front anyway.

Like Jonny said, nothing wrong with Pioneer. Their stuff is surprisingly cheap for what you get.

# ¿ May 27, 2013 21:43

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

2 way is usually fine for a car, personally I'd spend the money to get components instead of 3 ways. That's just my opinion though..

# ¿ May 27, 2013 22:04

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

atomicthumbs posted:

Are these MBQuart component speakers likely to be any good?

I had the 6.5" version of those (ONX216) in my Altima.

They're okay, but MB Quart quality has really gone down since they moved production to China, customer service has gone to the shitter since MaxxSonics (owner of Hifonics and Crunch) got ahold of them. The tweeters were also painfully bright, even on the lowest setting on the crossover, and prone to crackling. Don't believe the "German engineering" claim either, most of Maxx's stuff is either US or Chinese designed, and almost all of their brands are manufactured in China now.

They used to be fantastic when MB Quart was still a German company.

That said, they're not terrible for the price, but I'd probably lean more toward Infinity's Reference components (and that's the direction I'll probably take on my current car).

Lowclock posted:

MB Quart really loves their titanium tweeters and have been known to be really bright, but nothing that the -3 or -6 pads or a little treble adjustment can't fix.

The Onyx line uses poly.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Jun 1, 2013

# ¿ Jun 1, 2013 05:30

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Lowclock posted:

Yes, for the woofers. The tweeters are "titanium". Who cares, either way they're going to have a really strong high end.

How'd I manage to poke a hole in the tweeters from my set then? :saddowns:

It was very much some form of plastic.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2013 01:29

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

As for specs - they're long removed from Phoenix Gold's website (the Tantrum line is from.. 2001 or so, I think?), but I bet their tech support still has that info.

From their website:

support@phoenixgold.com
888.228.5560

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Jun 8, 2013

# ¿ Jun 8, 2013 00:09

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

slothrop posted:

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?)

Basically any $120-150 Pioneer head unit will have everything you want. Probably Kenwood too, I'm just personally more familiar with Pioneer. That'll include decent Bluetooth streaming (A2DP) and calling.

I wasn't terribly impressed with the calling ability of my old Pioneer (DEH-6400BT) - people always said I sounded really distant/crackly, though I could hear them just fine. But for audio streaming it was fantastic - and turning on only A2DP in Android is easy (no idea on iOS, I'd imagine it'd be similar). That model's been replaced by the DEH-X6500BT, which looks to be a nicer head unit overall. Currently $119 on Amazon. It has front USB, 3.5mm aux, and full Bluetooth. My only gripe is Pioneer usually doesn't have a dimmer wire on their lower end stuff.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2013 08:09

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:50

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

You do realize even the earliest iPods have a built-in EQ, right? Older ones are stuck with presets, newer ones usually have a bit more configurability.

But yes, you'd get a lot more gain using a preamp or head unit, and it'd probably be a lot cleaner sounding too. Your iPod's headphone output is putting out something in the millivolt range with some hilarious distortion, while amps are usually expecting 1-5 volts.

# ¿ Jun 12, 2013 08:33

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

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