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It looks too modern, but the plusses outweighed the minuses. Has Bluetooth streaming (waze & Pandora from my Android), USB input, auxiliary cable input (accessible in glovebox), and I have it wired so that when I shift into reverse, the integrated screen is linked to my infrared back up camera license plate frame, but most importantly, it fit without me having to cut the impossible to replace console trim bezel.
My wife is gifting me for Christmas the Continental head unit that's been discussed from time to time. It has decent specs, a single-DIN and traditional non-glossy finish with the orange back-lighting that goes with our interiors. It has 24 watts RMS per channel x 4, Bluetooth for streaming or phone calls, AM/FM, Cd player, and a USB/thumb-drive input on the face. It also has an auxillary imput in the back where I am hooking up a compact Sirius/XM "Commander" tuner which has a color touch screen. With light modifications to the ashtray module (removing the cigarette lighter section and ash receptacle panel) it fits perfectly with a supplied frame and is concealed when the lid is closed. As the mod is done I'll make sure that pics are taken and the procedures documented. I'm also adding a 4-channel Alpine mini-amplifier that fits in the old amplifier section which will boost things to 50 watts RMS per channel for cleaner sound and will consider an Alpine mini 8" subwoofer if I really feel it's needed. As I rapidly approach 70 years old, I still like my jams loud but don't need a heart-attack inducing or defibrulating thump while I'm driving.
Wow! That does really sound great. To what do you ascribe the wonderful sound? HU? Speakers? Amps? System as a whole?
Great job and thanks.
Dave
Actually, it's "The Dan" tune he's playing. Makes everything sound good! LOL I own like 10 copies of that one on vinyl, one in just about every pressing...
Actually, it's "The Dan" tune he's playing. Makes everything sound good! LOL I own like 10 copies of that one on vinyl, one in just about every pressing...
You can see that the sub covered section of the false floor has a mesh section. That floor cover was originally designed for different sized amps, hence the gaps.
May not be pretty as Hans' setup, but it sure blows the windows out.
Rats...couldn't fool you! It is true...Steely Dan would spend up to a year or more on albums, with various musicians, trying to achieve perfection...particularly when they stopped touring and became a studio band. No point in trying to achieve that level of quality sound with everything overly compressed and streamed through Pandora and other music apps. Miss the days when quality mattered most.
Originally Posted by 2002M3Drew
Actually, it's "The Dan" tune he's playing. Makes everything sound good! LOL I own like 10 copies of that one on vinyl, one in just about every pressing...
Sounds great, even on cell phone video! What speakers and amps did you use (I see the Kenwood in the video)? Are you using a DSP?
It's been a few decades since I was into high end stereo stuff. My last good home systems included an Adcom 555 amp, pre-amp, and the largest Paradigm speakers. If DSP means Digital Signal Processing....if I am, I'm not doing it deliberately.
I haven't done much at all except replace the $85-ish Sony HU, which only had adjustable bass, mid, and treble. The Alpine has a 9 band EQ. However, the sound was greatly improved even with the EQ flat (out of the box, not adjustments). I wasn't expecting this. I didn't think any HU could make much of a difference, but I did think a good EQ in the HU would make a big difference. It did, but I think the quality of the Alpine HU was the biggest leap in improved sound.
The speakers are 12+ year old MBQuart PSD 316 component system, which is bi-amped at the moment (the amp is two amps in one case). The 6 inch woofers are fed by the rear channel amp. The tweeters and mids are fed by the front channel. There's way more power than I need at 75 watts per channel, nominal. No distortion no matter how loud I play it (I chicken out before the speakers show any stress). The problem is the tweeters are very sharp. So I've rolled off the treble a bit and boosted bass and midrange. There are adjustments that can be made at the amp and the speakers' external crossovers to take the edge off the tweeters (more to play with).
I'd like to power a sub with the rear channels bridged, and let the front channel power all of the PSD 316 speakers.
I'd prefer the Alpine amp Hans has picked and a shark woofer - but all of the gear in the car was there when I bought it, and it's still really good. So... I still want the shark woofer and will use it with the amp I have until I get other more important things done on the car first.
OH..the amp is a Kenwood KAC-x501f. It was top of the line back in the day. I've seen original purchase prices just over $1000 and discounted as low as $800-ish.
Last edited by Captain_Slow; 12-17-2016 at 07:42 PM.
Dave,
I'd have to say the HU made the difference. The system sounded horrible when I bought the car. My eyes told me "awesome"...my ears could not confirm it. The subwoofers and separate amp for them had been removed by the PO. But...the rest of the system should still produce quality sound. It did not - so bad I stopped using the stereo. The sound was too sharp and shrill with tinny midrange and no mid-low bass. I suspected and found wiring evidence that proved the previous Sony HU was not connected properly. Balance control was reversed, the Fader did weird things that I never figured out (the Alpine is fine). The Sony was impossible to tune acceptably - with only 3 bands I could make the sound different, but never good. Hans suggested "a good head unit with an EQ". As usual he was spot on correct.
Originally Posted by j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net
Wow! That does really sound great. To what do you ascribe the wonderful sound? HU? Speakers? Amps? System as a whole?
Great job and thanks.
Dave
@captainslow, you inspired me to take a quick video of mine so far. I still am fussing with the gains and crossover points, and the JL Audio sub box isn't connected yet. This is the Alpibe 7909J, the Rockford-Fosgate PBR 300 X4, Focal 100KRS fronts, and Audiofrog GS62 rears. Janis Ian.
First - the mics on modern smart phones are surprisingly good.
Second - Your system sounds richer (fully bodied) than mine. I'm using a lot of EQ to get closer to what your system can do naturally.
Quality recordings reveal flaws...I didn't hear any. For this type of music I'd go with a sealed enclosure sub. I know what I just heard sounds even better in person. Very nice result! Now I'm going to listen again and see if Shazam can identify the artist.
12-16-2016, 12:12 PM
