orig944

So the Monterey died several years ago. I put in some crap Blaupunkt labeled unit, but it is unsatisfactory. So, I'm going to put in the Conti unit. BUT... The factory speakers are only rated for 10W power. No head unit today (including the one I'll end up throwing out,) has that little power.

So, what fits? I have an early 944. I don't want to change the look. so it has to fit in the original slots and handle 40W without blowing up, not that I'll ever crank it to that.

Whadda ya got?

Breakaway944

Stereo is a bit tricky because the ratings are confusing. The main ratings to become familiar with are RMS and Peak.
Entry level stuff usually lists peak power not RMS (continuous power) so that stereo you are looking at that says it is 200w/50w per channel is actually 40-50w/10-12w per channel. So yes, there are many stereos putting out 10-12w per channel. The 200w number is peak power, the 40-50w is RMS. You need to match the RMS numbers for the stereo to the RMS numbers for the speakers.

orig944

I'm going to have to disagree. The cheap, entry level Blaupunkt labeled Vermont72 is rated 30W per channel, and I have only two channels connected to the 4 speakers. I have six volume levels, 0 to 5, before it is too loud. The unit goes to 40. The speakers are very light, and very efficient, and the Monterey was rated at only 10W per channel. I'm looking for far less efficient, hopefully 2 way speakers that can be fitted behind the original grills. I want far more granularity in the volumes that are available for my listening pleasure. Maybe if I had 20 volume levels it would be adequate for overcoming road noise at various speeds.

Ed Petry

Hi,
I’ve had good luck with the Pyle line of speakers. Both front and rear positions. I replaced the head and speakers in a MY1986 & MY1988.

The issue is the front speakers. The original system was, as you mention, not as powerful as todays offering. The current front speakers do not have the same fitment as the original. I decided to not install the covers and not modify the dash.
The rear installed without issue. Remove the rear windows, the interior lining covering the speakers and the replace the speakers.
IIRC, both front and rear are 4x6”

secondchris

The continental unit looks nice and works fine, but I had an issue where it wold turn itself off when the volume was raised close to the maximum. I thought there might be a wiring issue in my car or inadequate power/ground to the unit, but I think it's a flaw with the continental unit. I replaced it with something else and the issue did not persist.

As for speakers, I got these from 944 online since I wanted something that would fit pretty much exactly the same as the originals and didnt' want to fiddle with the grilles. These are made by Becker, not Blaupunkt. I'd recommend them.

Breakaway944

Not sure what you disagree with? The Vermont72 is rated at 30w/channel (where did you get that number) with TWO channels for a total of 60w. I said most lower end stereos have 40-50w. Blaupunkt used to make great equipment before they went Chinese. I had an old school Blaupunkt amp that I loved. It was advertised, labeled and sold as a 4 channel 440w amp. Today Blaupunkt would label that amp as a 3000w amp. If you believe that blaupunkt is putting out 60w I have a bridge you might be interested in! today Blaupunkt would label and sell that as a 180w stereo. Higher end equipment (which Blaupunkt used to be) Uses RMS numbers, lower end equipment (which Blaupunkt now is) will list peak or just plain made up numbers.
As I said earlier you need to match the RMS output of HU with the RMS handling of the speakers. Currently you have a 30w (probably 25) going into a speaker rated for 10w. 2.5-3 times the power the speaker can handle and that is why it is too loud. If you wired the speakers in parallel it will reduce the resistance on each speaker leading to even more volume. Are your speakers wired in parallel or series? If you disagree with me just put in anything that fits the hole, that's how most do it! I like music too much.

Braymond

I have a late car (1988) with power windows. I replaced the original front and rear 4x6 speakers with . In the front doors, they did not interfere with the windows (shallow clearance) but speaker covers are a little fiddly about staying on. The cover pops-off on the driver side occasionally. I haven't yet come up with a solution (maybe a bit of velcro). They sound good by themselves, but the range is seriously limited. You don't get low-mid, low, or bass out of a 4x6, but if you're happy with a minimalist upgrade, these are a good option.

The exact speakers I installed look to be NLA, but these appear to be the replacement, but you should confirm the dimensions are still the same before ordering.

It may be best for you to install the speakers first - find ones that fit well in the front doors. Just buy the same speakers for the rear and then buy the head unit to match the speakers you installed. I purchased a Pioneer digital media receiver for about $99 to match my new speakers.

If you are planning/budgeting for a future upgrade to make your sound system actually sound good, start saving your pennies! You'll need to spend at least $1k to get it sounding "good." After I replaced the four stock speakers and the head unit, I was unsatisfied so I added an 8" JL driver to the rear passenger-side cubby and a dedicated Alpine 500W amp.

-Bill

-Bill

goblues38

contrary to what everyone thinks....too little power is worse for a speaker then too much power.

I have 35 years of car and home Audi experience. when there is too little power, the amp starts to clip, and sends what's know as a SQUARE WAVE to the voice coil. essentially sending 12 volts to the voice coil for as long as it is clipping. that destroys speakers by melting the voice coil.

you can have a 25 watt speaker, and send 100 watts to it and it will be fine for a long time before it destroys the speaker. But send 5 watts clipped to a 25 watts speaker, and that speaker will be toast in seconds.

Point being...in most cases, speaker wattage doesn't matter. rule of thumb is to keep within double of the speakers max. 50 watts speaker can handle 100 watts of power fine.

now, as you jump up into monster systems, speaker rat8ing become a little more important. but for you average install, speaker wattage doesn't matter....sensativity is the important stat

goblues38

there is no set of rules that govern how a company "rates" the power of their amp. They may say 30 watts, but that is probably at 1k and 85% distortion. Yeah, they are clipping 30 watts...but it is not usable. in reality, it is actually 5-7 watts.

think about it. look at the size of a good amps 30x4 offering. it is 3 times the size of a DIN stereo. The speakers efficiency is what is making them seem loud, not the amp in the radio.

orig944

What you also said is that would equate to 10-12 watts RMS. What I can tell you is this unit puts out a **** ton more power than the Monterey, so much so that I can only use the bottom 10% of the volume control. The 30W number comes from the manual that came with it. Actual high power became easy with the advent of class D amplifiers.

Breakaway944

Never. You are confusing RMS, Peak and channels. 10-12w is PER channel, not total, on a normal four channel system. I took your word for the Vermont72 putting out 30w/channel RMS. I know it puts out 120w peak because that is how it is advertised, that is why I assumed your 30w number was RMS.
Again I AGREED WITH YOU. The Monterey is putting out 10w/channel RMS and your new one is putting out 30w/channel RMS plus if you wired them in parallel it would only exacerbate the problem.
Car audio is one of the most confusing things to get a handle on. Everyone is using different measurements and deciphering them can be a hassle. For example a pair of speakers is advertised as 250w power handling capability. What is the actual capability of that speaker? Depending on the manufacturer it would range from 250w RMS/speaker to 60w RMS/speaker. Why? Some manufactures will list RMS per speaker, some RMS for the pair, some peak per speaker, some peak per pair and some just make it up.

orig944

So, to put the bed this 6 month old saga, speakers are a bit of an issue for the doors. Based on recommendation I got from other online sources, I purchased Alpine SXE-4625S speakers to put in the front doors. They don't fit in the opening, even if they are shallow enough to clear the window glass. The width seemed to large, so I tried carving away the backshell in order to fit.





This wasn't enough. Next, I ended up ordering some Retrosound R-463N speakers, as they looked like the backshell was smaller. They were better, but still did not fit in the opening in the door. Note that I believe (but did not verify) that either might fit if the car did not have the 944 645 015 00 water protection in place. But my car did, and I did not want to delete it.

So, the available option was to add a 3d printed spacer between the door and the speaker grill. And this is what I did.



While that seemed good enough, I printed a second set which I sanded and painted with flat black to hide the layer lines and better match the speaker grill. So the first set, pictured above, is available to the first early 944 or 924 owner that responds in this thread saying they want them. Sanding and painting is optional and your responsibility, if desired. I will include the longer screws that have been in my bolt bucket for a minimum of 45 years at no extra charge. Please note that these spacers only fit the Retrosound speakers, as the Alpine speaker's tweeter project out just a little too far.

odonnell

Are the Alpines up for sale? I just bought the exact same ones for my rear speaker replacement, 1983 model. May consider a second set for my 951.

orig944

I have one (unmolested) set available as I thought I would put a set of four in my car. I put the cut one (and another) in the back of my car, and the Retrosounds in the front. I'd be happy to sell the pair at my cost and eat the tax and shipping as I don't need them now. I'll look up the cost tomorrow, was about $75 bucks. Note that the backs apparently don't need the shallow back spacing, and cheaper options are available. But if you insist... PM your cell and I'll text you tomorrow.

The free Retrosound spacers for front installation are still available.

mwc951

Don't know if anyone can use these.
They were intalled in my '88 951 w/10 speaker option.
Alpine SPS-600 6.5" & SPS-510 5.25"
Excellent condition - adult owned, not abused - very low hours
$50 for all 4 + shipping