Updated Blaupunkt Bremen SQR46 in Development
 

In case anyone missed the announcement last year, Blaupunkt is developing a new version of the Bremen head unit it originally supplied during the 80s & 90s. It will be a single din unit with the retro looks of the original unit but with more up to date features and performance and with a price expected to be about half of the Porsche Classic unit. More info and spec here at Ferdinand Magazine. It was due to be released late last year but now it is available for preorder in Europe for delivery later this year. Thoughts?

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e61667b53c.png

I would choose that in a heartbeat over the Porsche classic version. Looks super!

Who do we contact to order one.

I hope the LED and lighting can be altered; wrong colour lighting at least for my 88 (my original Charleston has the same yellow / orange display & button lighting as the clock and matches incandescent lighting on dash, switches, etc)

Where do I put my cassettes?

I'd be interested if the lighting matched, but not at $500.

For authenticity and to relive your 80s dream, you can put your cassettes inside the center armrest where they belong and leave them there, lol.

Changing the lighting color is a regular feature on most modern audio stuff, so I'd be surprised if that wasn't on this unit. I thought $500 would be a reasonable price for this though I haven't bought any car audio gear in ages so I'm not up on the pricing. I also think Blaupunkt is a respected premium German manufacturer that's been around a while, and unlike some of the cheaper manufacturers which I assume are made in China. Blaupunkt seems to have a good resale value also.

I'm a closet audiophile: I maintain and enjoy a 1950s tube amp, listen to vinyl, and go crazy over an opportunity to try a new volume pot in my preamp. In University days, I spent more time buying/trading/auditioning audio gear than reading books. I can say with some authority that Blaupunkt audio gear generally sounds quite bad. In comparison, as a rule (though there are many exceptions) for car audio the Japanese are far superior: smooth, sweet, much less listener fatigue.

If it's "quality" (the best test is how often you crave to listen or are playing your material) you're after and a bit of a stock factory theme, the VW radios of the 90s produced by Panasonic are arguably some of the best. You can probably source one out of a 1994-98 Jetta or Golf. Put one in and you'll be wondering why you're constantly having the urge to find and play all your old tapes, listen to jazz, keep turning it up not down, etc

But, nothing beats the aesthetics of a pure-stock unit and that's why some people, myself included, keep the original Blaupunkt. We put up with their lousy sound because 1. they look cool / retro and 2. they are in fact "quality" as in build and reliability.

$500 for aesthetics, originality (one day these re-released units will be seen as cool parts of the stock family) and quality construction is a good price. I am sure the dealer optional units with CD and amps etc. were pricey in themselves. That blue dot does have value!

What most of us need to do is source brand-new paper-cone foam-surround speakers to replace our torn or worn out ones; now that's hard core original

Well, then, you've been duped. Blaupunkt is little more than a brand licensing company since they went bankrupt. Car audio is made by Shaghal Ltd. That doesn't sound like a German name.

On the Blaupunkt.com website - https://www.blaupunkt.com/us/brand-partner/

Are there any other options that are currently available that look period correct but are modern?

Looks like a good option. My car has an aftermarket radio in it right now but it is dated. The original radio came with the car and I want to put it back in so I can connect aux to the tape deck and be original. I have no clue if the original works and if I also have to put in the balancer?(thing underneath the radio) and will have to lose the cubby. A new backdated look seems like a great option