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SBJ posted:Crossposting from the Jeep thread, in case this is a better place for it: Those generic head units are by and large terrible. That said, any single-DIN head unit should fit if it's anything like the US TJ, you just need the appropriate mounting kit and harness. This writeup includes replacing the head unit and speakers on a US market TJ.
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Jun 17, 2013 14:03
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echinopsis posted:mine is a 94 auto laser Plymouth Laser? Ford Laser? Looks like the Ford got a tiny 60 or 65 amp alternator, while the DSM got a slightly larger 75 amp. I'd get your charging system checked out first; it sounds like your alternator may be weak (well weaker than it started out as  )
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Jun 21, 2013 19:47
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Since it looks like I won't have the money to drop my old sub/amp into my current car anytime soon, and I'm not going to have money anytime soon, I think I might just sell my amp. How little is a Crunch GPV 1000.2 amp worth these days? (I know Crunch sucks, but it was cheap - I'll probably sell locally unless some local goon is interested, too heavy to ship)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? I'm gonna go against the grain on this one. In a pickup, the amp built into a decent head unit (i.e. Pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine, etc), coupled with good speakers, will be more than capable of causing hearing damage. It's a pretty small space, and running them from the head unit also keeps things a bit simpler - and all but the worst head units are capable of at least 20x4 RMS/50x4 peak these days. If this were anything bigger (crew cab truck or larger than a subcompact car) then I might argue for a small amp for the front speakers. Or if someone really picky was involved. Subs will always need amps. Being an extended cab, you have a few options though. Q-Logic or JL may make pre-formed sub enclosures that can either replace a panel or make it pretty obscure. If you have an oddball truck, a good stereo shop can make one that will either be hidden or blend into the interior. A good option, if it's a full size truck, is to bury a sub inside of the center console. A single sub should be plenty unless you primarily listen to hip hop or rap. No need for a cap for a single sub, IMO. If you see serious headlight flickering and have a known strong alternator + battery, then perhaps it's time to look at a cap.
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Jul 11, 2013 20:36
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You may also have a bad connector (on the wire end). You may try snipping off the end of the wires and crimping new connectors on, if that hasn't been done already.
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Jul 19, 2013 23:52
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Sadi posted:Im looking to order either Kenwood KDC-HD455U or a Pioneer DEH-6400BT I used to have the DEH-6400BT. It's not a bad stereo at all. My gripes were: no dimmer wire (you can manually dim it through the menus, but it won't dim when you turn on your headlights), and everything is buried in menus. Once it's setup it's just fine aside from the dimmer issue. It also has 2 sets of RCA outputs, if you care to put an amp on the front speakers later. One of them can be switched between rear and sub, and you can control the sub level and crossover from the head unit.
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Jul 30, 2013 23:51
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blk posted:My iPhone's on the way out so I just ordered a Nexus 4. I've been meaning to switch to a bluetooth head unit as well, and have been eyeing the AppRadio 3 in hopes that a new version of ARLiberator will come out soon to handle it. That said, it sounds like the Nex4 and AppRadio 3 (and previously, 2) have an assortment of bluetooth issues. Anyone have experience with this? I can't speak specifically for the appradio, but my DEH-6400BT had some issues with Bluetooth with my N4. Mainly, if I had both A2DP and phone streaming on, the phone would lock up at random when shutting off the car. If I kept only A2DP enabled it worked just fine though (and I wanted bluetooth more for streaming music anyway). It happened across multiple ROMs, and on both 4.1 and 4.2, so I don't think it was a firmware thing. I no longer have the stereo though, so I can't really test it with 4.3. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 03:33 on Aug 6, 2013 |
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Aug 6, 2013 03:26
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Even the relatively low end Pioneer DEH-X6500BT nails all of that except for the color LCD, for only a hair over $100. I had its predecessor (DEH-6400BT), as long as it wasn't paired with a Nexus 4 it was a great stereo. The only reason I got rid of it is I really want to go double DIN on the car I currently own. On the 6500, you get 2 preout sets (1 dedicated to fronts, other switchable between rear or sub, with adjustable crossover when set to sub), 5 band EQ, Bluetooth (both phone and audio streaming), iphone integration (optional cable needed), and the display shows nothing but clock if you're not touching it (when configured properly). If you have a Nexus 4, you'd have to disable phone streaming (this goes for most Pioneer car stereos); A2DP still works fine. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:06 on Aug 9, 2013 |
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Aug 9, 2013 08:04
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I believe the red wire is switched 12V, while yellow is constant 12V. If your adapter harness doesn't have a red wire, you'll need to splice it into some (fused) power source that's only active with the key in ACC or RUN. Or in your case, probably I and II. A good harness should have everything labeled. And if you're not using an adapter harness, go pick one up.
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Aug 12, 2013 05:52
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No. Think of it like this - you have a table lamp at home with a 60 watt bulb. The circuit it's plugged into is likely protected by either a 15 or 20 amp breaker. It'll only pull 60 watts no matter what the fuse/breaker is. As long as the wire you use is the proper gauge for a 20 amp circuit, you'll be fine. Assuming 15 feet of wire, that would be 14 gauge. If you knock it down to 10 feet, 16 gauge would suffice. More here..
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Aug 12, 2013 17:30
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Aflicted posted:In relation to his problem though, the ACC line shouldn't actually be powering the HU, that will come from the constant 12v correct? The ACC line is the equivalent to a remote turn on lead for an amp really. Or am I completely hosed in my understanding of this? (very possible) He's tapping into a switched circuit so that it'll turn on/off with the car, I think he already has a constant 12V. His car, like a lot of newer ones, don't actually run a switched 12V to the stereo; the stereo ties into the car's onboard network (CAN bus or whatever they're using these days) and takes a signal from the BCM to turn on/off. It sounds like he went with a cheap adapter harness; the good ones tie into the existing electronics to provide both a constant and switched 12V. Those also keep retained accessory power working with the stereo, if the car is equipped (that feature where the radio stays on until you open the door, even with the key removed). Those adapters can be kind of pricey though; it looks like one for his car would be about $60-70.
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Aug 12, 2013 18:15
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There's a few dual knob shaft units that will play MP3 via memory card (or have an aux connector), generally cheap. They probably do have a constant connection just to remember which song it was playing, but you could connect both switched and constant to a switched circuit. It would definitely forget what song it was playing, but if you go with a really basic radio, it won't be a big deal. I doubt this exact model (or even brand) is available in Aus, but this has an FM radio and an aux input, plus tape player, but no card reader. You'd need some kind of cheap MP3 player to plug in to it. Something like this would read cards, but no aux input, and without a constant, it would start over. Plus it's a massive pyle of poo poo (I owned a few of their products way back in my HS days.... their brand name is very appropriate). You can probably find something a bit better on your own, but these are what popped up in a quick search. I'm assuming you want something that will cut in the stock cutout as well; I honestly don't know of any single DIN unit that would do what you want.  e: I'd personally go for something with aux in and use a cheap stand alone mp3 player - at least that way you have some kind of display to pick songs. I had a really solid MP3 player that was really close to  plus a micro SD card and AAA battery.. the user interface was decent too, it had a 3 line dot matrix LCD display and a basic set of buttons, and could also function as a flash drive. Doubt you'd find that brand there though (RCA). I bought it as a throwaway, and wound up using it daily for over a year.
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:48 on Aug 14, 2013 |
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Aug 14, 2013 08:42
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blk posted:Has anyone used this guy? http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/CD-Receivers/DEH-X9500BHS I had the 9400 BT for about a year, which was its immediate predecessor. Yes, it felt cheap and plasticy (in fact, it didn't even come with a case for the faceplate, which pissed me off - I always removed it when parking since I lived in dorms at the time), and in typical Pioneer fashion, the user interface was poo poo. The remote wouldn't even work out of the box - the battery was completely dead, despite it being a new model at the time. Also, the X9500 isn't high end, at all - it's 1 step above their very basic stuff (the basic stuff is stuff you'd find in Wal-Mart - some Wal-Marts even sell the 9400 and 9500). It has some higher end features, but it's still a relatively cheap head unit. Nothing wrong with cheap, as long as you know it's cheap. But today's name brand cheap head units are leaps and bounds ahead of yesterday's middle of the road stuff, and the day before yesterday's top of the line. I still have some mid 90s issues of various car audio magazines, the X9500 blows everything in their high end roundup away by miles (and for thousands less), even if you don't factor in today's convenience stuff (like BT). I think the 9500 puts out either 2V or 3V on the RCA preouts, while the higher end Clarion I had in the mid 90s probably put out about 0.5V. That said, the only real gripe I had (once I got used to the menus) was there's no dimmer wire on a lot of Pioneer head units; it had a toggle in the user settings to dim it. It sounded great, and had plenty of options. A new battery got the remote working, I'm guessing it shipped with a defective battery (it still had the plastic thing you yank out to "activate" the remote). Also, it absolutely hated doing the Bluetooth game with my Nexus 4 - it would do A2DP streaming fine, but if I enabled phone call streaming, both the phone and head unit would lock up constantly. I blame that on both LG's lovely BT implementation and Pioneer's lovely BT implementation. FWIW, I paid $120 for the 9400 a year and a half ago (and sold it for ... half? in SA-Mart this spring). I'd expect the 9500 to be in the $100-130 range by now for new, if not cheaper. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 11:08 on Aug 15, 2013 |
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Aug 15, 2013 10:59
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So my old amp and sub have been sitting in the garage for awhile, I'd like to put them in my current car, but keep the stock head unit (for now). Current car doesn't have RCA outputs on the stock head unit, but the amp has high level inputs (....if I can find the plug), so no biggie there. But I have no idea where to hook up the remote turn on. Accessory circuit? I don't think the stock head unit has a remote or antenna power lead. I know the rear 2006 Saturn Ion 3, original stereo is the GM corporate double DIN that they started using around 05-06 (AM/FM/CD/XM optional/Onstar/aux input). Car also has (active) OnStar, which is partly why I can't really replace the head unit yet - I need a $100 adapter to retain onstar and the retained accessory power functionality. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 09:00 on Aug 18, 2013 |
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Aug 18, 2013 08:42
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atomicthumbs posted:Is a used pair of these likely to give me better sound than my Volvo 940's stock rear deck 6x9s, and is $35 a good price? My head unit's a Pioneer DEH-80PRS and I'm using its internal amp. $35 is a good price if they're in good shape. New, they were usually $100-150; they're still on Amazon for a bit over $100. That said, I would upgrade your front speakers long before you bother with the rears; the rears are pretty much at the bottom of the list of stuff to swap. fingerling posted:As per Ebola's advice, I looked into that model, and have found the next model up for an extra $10, my only problem is, it's from US Amazon.. in Aus we use 88-108 as our bandwidth, and Amazon doesn't stipulate that (as it assumes you're American, I believe). Any suggestions? JVC's US website shows 87.9 - 107.9 (which is what we use here). It's also listed on jvc.com.au, though with limited specs, and it's also listed on the website of a company claiming to be an authorized Australian JVC dealer - http://www.soundmaster.com.au/JVC-KW-R900BT-USB-CD-iPod-Bluetooth-Receiver-with-Separate-Variable-Colour-Display/KWR900BT/ I can't say for certain on this one, but I know a lot of aftermarket head units I've owned would either ask during setup if they were being used in NA, or just cover all FM frequencies. In the US, FM stations always end in an odd # (i.e. 94.5 fm, 102.1 fm, etc - never something like 102.2 fm or 94.4), whereas outside of North America it can be either/or. You may try contacting Soundmaster to make sure the tuner will work properly, since they claim to be an authorized reseller. Also, looks like a drat nice head unit, I may pick that up myself. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 11:00 on Sep 5, 2013 |
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Sep 5, 2013 10:52
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Humdrum Hoodlum posted:I'm looking at getting an amp and sub for my 1991 Acura Integra and was wondering whether it makes a difference in terms of ported or sealed boxes The super simple version is a ported box will be louder and boomier, while a sealed box will (generally) sound more "authentic". If you listen to rap, hip hop, and/or stuff with generally heavy bass, I'd lean toward ported. For rock, metal, and/or stuff with drums as the main beat, I'd go for sealed. Personal preference anyway. FWIW, I had a single 10" in a sealed box in my 91 Integra (LS hatch), and mostly listen to rock/metal/punk. It was a nice kick, but a little weak - in a smaller car, a 12 in a good sealed box with a decent amp sounds perfect to me. Or two 10s in a sealed box.
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Sep 11, 2013 13:00
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Asked this a few weeks ago and didn't get an answer, though it was a long, rambling post.  2006 Saturn Ion, GM's standard higher end double DIN head unit (CD + Aux input) used on much of their 06+ lineup. Adding a sub + amp + line level converter, converter will be run off of the rear speakers. Any way to control an amp's remote power lead from the factory head unit, or am I stuck tapping into the accessory circuit somewhere? I'm honestly not sure if it's even capable of controlling a power antenna, since they seem to have done away with those even on Cadillacs. To remind you of the GM stereo: (my pic, though the shutter speed made half the display disappear)  randomidiot fucked around with this message at 10:38 on Sep 15, 2013 |
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Sep 15, 2013 10:27
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The stereo itself has what I think is either an LED or VFD panel, which stays on even with the radio off (if the engine is running); getting to that circuit is far more work than I want to do. Even with the radio off, the display is still active (shows a laughably inaccurate clock while off, I've never seen a clock that was so horrible at keeping time - it loses about 10 minutes per month). Humming could be an issue too - the amp in the head unit seems to stay active most of the time (I've noticed a slight alternator whine from the speakers with the radio off, anyway); I assume this is so that OnStar can function reliably. I have absolutely no interest in pulling wires to the dash until I do a proper aftermarket radio installation anyway - there's a "lighter" (power outlet) in the back seat that's switched with ACC power, I think that will be my best option, possibly adding a switch later. The factory stereo will be replaced eventually, but it probably won't happen for at least 6 months..
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Sep 15, 2013 12:13
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Holdbrooks posted:If its a deck that's the hold up for you I think I still have a few mp3 cd headunits in the garage that I won't be using again. I have a ton of poo poo that I need to clear out before I move including a bunch of subs and boxes and poo poo. I have not got any interest when i have posted stuff for sale either. I probably have most of the stuff to get I decent system together that you can have if you will use it. I will be driving the crown vic out to AL and have plenty of space to take it with me and since I will be coming back on I10 which means I will be in your area to drop it off in a few weeks. I may take you up on some of that actually, if you wind up on I-20 or I-30 anyway. Or hell, I've been itching to take off to Austin and San Antonio again, that'd give me an excuse for a road trip. Lemme know what you have and how much you want for it, once you get everything cataloged. I don't think my garage has seen a car in about 2 years.  Bulk Vanderhuge posted:Yeah, as long as the outlet is tied to accessory it'll work. Although honestly you could probably get the stereo out by pulling on the console trim panel and undoing four 7mm bolts (don't do this without confirming) but it miiiight turn on through GMLAN. I can look it up if you want. Seeing as the the harness I need is named GMOS-LAN-06.... I don't necessarily have to use that harness, unless I want to keep OnStar (which I do) and want to keep retained accessory power (ditto).The power outlets tripped me out at first - the front one is constantly powered (and if the fuse blows, it takes out the OBD2 port). There's one in the back seat that's switched with accessory/retained power. I've never even seen a power outlet in the back seat of an economy car before..  Motronic posted:Why not just use an appropriately sized relay with the amp(s) on the load side and the antenna power lead from the radio on the signal side? No antenna power lead on the factory head unit (in my case). Also, the amps have built in switching, they run off of the remote lead from an aftermarket head unit (or power antenna lead from a factory unit, if the antenna stays up while on CD or aux).
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Sep 17, 2013 02:34
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LloydDobler posted:Hey STR, if getting a new amp is an option, there are some that are activated by the audio signal itself, maybe look into one of those. It's not at the moment, just trying to re-use what I already have. Speaking of...   Did exactly what I said I would, tapped into the rear power socket for the remote wire. Works perfect, no pops when turning the stereo on or off. It's not pretty, but it's functional, and it'll be rewired to the head unit once I get an aftermarket stereo. It's done with a regular crimp connector, but nothing more potent than a cell phone charger is ever plugged into that outlet. When I eventually get an aftermarket head unit, I'll repair the connection with solder + heat shrink to make sure the next owner doesn't get any  surprises. Still need to set up the levels + low pass filter, but it sounds a hell of a lot better with a bit of kick. Having the battery in the trunk made running the positive wire so much easier too. A very nice surprise was discovering that the trunk liner attaches to the back of the back seats with velcro, instead of being one piece - made it a piece of cake to make the wiring look neat. e: went on a munchie run, threw on some music with heavy bass - the back massage from the sub is loving awesome, I forgot how much I missed that. 
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 11:57 on Sep 18, 2013 |
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Sep 18, 2013 09:04
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You Am I posted:Also I'll be looking at installing the head unit using wiring harness conversion connectors. Is it ok going that way or can there be issues? Can't say anything about the head units, but conversion connectors (aka adapter harnesses) are the only way to go. There is absolutely no reason to ever install a stereo without such a harness if such a harness is available. Using such a harness ensures you'll always be able to swap stereos in the future (or return to stock) with very little work. Even if you don't plan to do swaps in the future, the next owner of your car will thank you for using such a harness.
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Sep 18, 2013 11:52
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VelociBacon posted:If I have 6x9's on my parcel shelf would it affect them to put a couple 12" subs in the trunk? Seems like they'd be sharing the same compartment. Your subs will be in their own enclosure. So no, they'll be fine.
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Oct 4, 2013 06:58
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The amp can power an 8 ohm sub, it'll just put out half the power than it would with a 4 ohm. Have you already set the gain/level on the amp? I'd also try disconnecting the sub from the amp and setting your multimeter to resistance (ohms) - check the sub itself.
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Oct 7, 2013 01:28
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Agreed - you don't hear much at all from the rear speakers when you're up front. They're usually decent for midrange fill, but I've never seen a real big difference compared to stock when I replace functional* rear speakers. They should be the last thing on your list (behind head unit, front speakers, amp, subwoofer). * if they're ripped/rattling/blown/whatever, then gently caress it, replace them
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Oct 11, 2013 03:30
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Figure this is the best place to ask this. Have any of you guys used Bluetooth -> 3.5mm adapters? Good/bad? Suggested models? Looking for A2DP streaming only. It'd just be nice not having to plug my phone into the stereo every time I get in the car (and since I do delivery, that could be upwards of 30 times in a single shift), but at the moment, I can't afford to replace the head unit (thanks to needing a $100-150 adapter to keep all of the stock functions  )
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Oct 13, 2013 10:35
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If you can do without a cassette player (maybe get a portable tape player like a Walkman, or rip your tapes to MP3, or find MP3 versions, etc), there's hundreds of CD players that fit every other requirement except for maybe CB (if your CB has some sort of unamplified output, like for headphones or to go to an amp, you could plug that into the aux input of the stereo). The majority of head units will have the aux jack on the front. There's plenty that also have iOS integration, so you wouldn't have to use the aux jack for the iPhone (or just do that over Bluetooth).
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Oct 15, 2013 02:38
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InitialDave posted:I'm not sure if I want a double or single unit (the placement of it means having a big screen would be of limited utility to me), but I shouldn't need an additional fascia surround or anything? I can't really address the other questions, but if you have the space for a double DIN, try to go double DIN. I personally hate how a single DIN stereo looks in a double DIN opening, you wind up with a weird compartment under the head unit. For example, my old car looked like this with an aftermarket head unit:  Versus the stock (obviously the trim is missing in this, I took that photo when I was trying to sell the stock head unit):  Personal preference maybe, but to me it just looks so weird having a small stereo in a big opening.
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Nov 10, 2013 11:31
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I'd really recommend against keeping a phone in those little compartments. Yeah, you can run wires through them, but then your phone is sliding/bouncing around in the plastic cubby. Your phone winds up getting scratched to poo poo, and if you take a corner fast or take off fast, the phone is taking flying lessons. If the pocket is high enough, those flying lessons often end with you catching the phone with your crotch (ask me how I know!). And if it takes flying lessons, the cables get ripped out forcefully - which destroys ports in a hurry. Those tube Panasonic head units were made in the early 00s - and used ones still sell for nearly what they cost brand new. You usually can't get a working one for under $600, despite being 10+ years old. As far as phones go, I have a cheap phone mount on my dash. It's mounted with some super strong double sided tape that it came with; since I have a center-mounted cluster, it blocks a bit of the tach when the phone is in it, but I generally shift by ear anyway. I do delivery full time and rely heavily on Google Maps, and generally have music streaming from the phone to the stereo (via aux), so the position works nearly perfectly for me.  randomidiot fucked around with this message at 13:43 on Nov 11, 2013 |
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Nov 11, 2013 13:33
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2reachmu posted:I am having zero luck finding a decent price on 4 gauge ofc wire. The best quote I've gotten thus far has been $90 for 35 ft (25 power/10 ground). Anyone have some hot tips? Yeah, stop reading Monster Cable marketing materials. Beyond that, listen to KozmoNaut. Get some welding cable. It won't have that pretty semi-clear insulation, but it'll carry more current for a far cheaper price. Toss some split loom over it to make it less ugly. The only reason to buy into the super expensive poo poo is if you have a show vehicle with visible wiring. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 10:38 on Nov 13, 2013 |
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Nov 13, 2013 10:35
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I honestly can't answer most of that - but I know you can swap a higher end navigation-style stereo in from a different model on most GMs. You'll need access to a Tech 2 tool though; the stereo has to be paired with the rest of the car. SOME, but not all (probably not even most) dealers will help you with this. That said, there's adapters to make your factory steering wheel controls work with common brands of aftermarket stereos. As for finding the OEM navigation - maybe check ebay for 2012 Escalade navigation stereos? Still have to get it flashed to your car, of course.
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Dec 8, 2013 08:23
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Found the manual in PDF format - page 9 shows how to turn off demo mode. Note that the stereo has to be powered off at the time, but with the ignition turned on.
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 09:57 on Dec 15, 2013 |
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Dec 15, 2013 09:52
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I haven't personally heard their Prime line before - in the past I've been pleased with the Punch series though. Fosgate's own website claims the Prime lineup is intended to be a stock replacement instead of a meaningful upgrade, and several of the reviews seem to agree that they're not much better than stock. And the Prime speakers you linked have  shipping.  For the ~$50 price point, you can't go wrong with Pioneer or RF Punch. And remember you're getting a pair of speakers for that price, not a single speaker. e: if you're doing all 4 speakers, you can get away with putting cheap speakers in the rear (such as those Primes). The fronts are what you mainly hear.
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Dec 19, 2013 04:02
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Wasabi the J posted:Cool. Thanks for all the help guys. Any ideas for old stock looking headers? Pretty much every aftermarket single DIN head unit is going to look like it's stuck in a rave from 1999. There are some very nice double DIN units out there, but they're a bit pricey.. and being a 93 Ford, you probably have a single DIN opening. I personally think Alpine has kept their stuff a little more low key, but they tend to be a little more costly than Pioneer or Kenwood (those are the 3 brands I trust when it comes to head units, though I've also used Clarion and JVC in the distant past). If it's a break-in you're worried about, make sure to always take the face plate with you (and don't get a stereo without a detachable face plate). If it's just the looks, look for something that allows you to set the color for the LCD and buttons - setting both to the same color helps reduce the distraction. FWIW, the lower end Pioneer stereos don't dim automatically with the head lights, which I found to be really annoying.
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Dec 20, 2013 07:39
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What I meant is a lot of low end Pioneer stereos lack the wire that ties them into the parking/dash lighting circuit - so when you flip on the lights, they don't dim on their own.
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Dec 20, 2013 10:54
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johnny sack posted:How can I remotely power the amplifier that I attach to this LOC? I assume I cannot? The battery is in the trunk of these cars. If I cannot remotely power the amp, do I have to worry about the amp draining my battery when I'm in bed at night? (I have a simple boat/marine on-off switch I could potentially wire into the amp's power, but I would really rather not) Aftermarket amps have 3 battery-related connections. One is +12V from the battery - this needs to be a fairly beefy cable, and should be fused as close to the battery as possible. One is -12V - you connect it to the nearest bolt/sheet metal/etc The last is "remote" - normally, this is connected to the head unit; the head unit will send +12V on that wire whenever it's on. The amp will only turn on when it has power on this wire. Factory head units often don't have a connection for this. I used a line out converter on my car, also with the battery in the trunk, also with the factory head unit. The battery wiring is what you'd expect (one wire to the battery, fused; one to the body for ground). For the remote, I tapped into the power feed for the rear lighter/power socket. On my car, the rear outlet only has power when the accessory circuit is powered (oddly, the front outlet is always hot), so the remote lead got spliced into the + wire for the socket. I pulled wire under the back seat and rear carpet, pulling it into the center console (which is where the rear power socket lives). It's not elegant, but it works, and the amp turns on/off with the car. The downside to this is you may hear a pop when turning the stereo on/off, since the amp will be on whenever the car is on. I didn't run into that on my current car, but I have run into it on others. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 10:13 on Dec 21, 2013 |
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Dec 21, 2013 10:10
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Effulgence posted:Here's the Crutchfield link to my car. http://www.crutchfield.com/g_300/All-Car-Stereos.html?o=d&nvpair=FFBluetooth_Audio_Streaming%7cBuilt-in Not a link to your car, just a link to every head unit Crutchfield has with BT, sorted highest to lowest price.  To be honest, any of the big 3 (Alpine, Kenwood, or Pioneer) will work just fine, and likely sound a bit better. Clarion's also decent in my experience, though they seem to mostly focus on OEM stuff now. Avoid the super cheap (<$100) stuff, avoid Dual, avoid Jensen, avoid brands you haven't heard of. IMO Sony head units are pretty crappy too. Fucknag posted:
It's basically a top of the line V6 Camry from the same model year, with a Lexus badge, nicer paint, and a nicer dash. It's a straightforward swap, you'll need a harness and mounting kit as long as it doesn't have the premium stereo (it would either say Lexus Premium and/or Nakamichi on the stereo if it did - that looks like the mainstream Lexus/Pioneer stereo). The changer is a Pioneer unit, you won't get it working with a Kenwood. But who the gently caress uses a trunk CD changer today anyway?  Hand her a $2 aux cable when you're done, show her how to load music onto her phone, and call it a day.
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:57 on Dec 26, 2013 |
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Dec 26, 2013 08:45
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Finally destroyed the stock front speakers in the Ion. On the hunt for a decent, yet affordable, component set. 6.5" for the mid, tweeters will need a way to flush mount. Budget of $150 or less; my last components were cheap MB Quart Onyx, and they were... okay. Very bright for my taste and a bit harsh, even on the -3dB connection on the crossover, but still sounded better than the coaxials they replaced. Suggestions? (if it matters, music is mostly rock, punk, and metal... with a bit of talk radio  thrown in)Tha Chodesweller posted:I can when I get home, but I'm wondering if it just isn't easier to return and get something better fitted. I did next to no research aside from "Polk doesn't sound like a completely lovely brand" so I kinda walked right into this one. Also having never worked with speaker installation didn't help, but hey this is how we learn right? The DXi line is very good for the money . Been very happy with my DXi sub, especially for what I paid for it (open box from Best Buy's return/open box center - cowboom.com - think it was $30 or so?). Drill a small hole in the frame of the speaker to make the 3rd hole line up, just be really careful not to nick the surround on it - the screws that come with most speakers are usually sheetmetal screws anyway, so you can drill the hole a bit small if you want to be cautious. Or do what I did on my Hondas and just use the 2 screws that line up. It's a pretty common issue when dealing with aftermarket speakers.
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 12:06 on Jan 11, 2014 |
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Jan 11, 2014 10:37
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Is the AppRadio 3 still the be-all, end-all if you want to tie a stereo into an Android handset? I know I'll need a Slimport to HDMI adapter, but there's plenty of reports of people using my phone (Nexus 5) with the AppRadio.
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Jan 25, 2014 09:43
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I remember back in the day Soundstream was considered to be one of the best - at least with amps. I see they're making head units now. Did they follow the path of MB Quart and get gobbled up for the name alone, only to have R&D and manufacturing get moved to China? Or are they still putting out good poo poo? They seem to be priced the same as similar Pioneer head units. the tl;dr: looking for a nice double DIN head unit with an actual screen (digital media or DVD). Ruled out the Appradio because of cost; my search since then has been limited to Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, and Alpine... before noticing Soundstream models. I got burned good when I bought MB Quart speakers a couple of years ago simply based on brand familiarity (oh god, don't ever buy MB Quart speakers made after the Maxxsonics takeover).... randomidiot fucked around with this message at 09:22 on Feb 4, 2014 |
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Feb 4, 2014 09:20
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Tommychu posted:It's got an 8 pin DIN changer port on it, but I'm not sure how much work it would take to make it think it's hooked up to a Genuine Nissan CD changer. If it's anything like Delco stuff I know I'm hooped but given that it's a clarion unit it's probably not as proprietary... I don't know. This seems to be your only option. The owner of that company is on the Nissanclub forums, and apparently manufactures the adapter himself. Though to be honest, between trying to hack a Nissan OEM stereo into your Kia, and the expense of the plug, you may be better off picking up a low end aftermarket stereo with an aux input.
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Feb 9, 2014 06:47
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A lot of factory harnesses don't include a ground wire; is everything grounded properly?
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Feb 9, 2014 07:36
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