I have been toying with the idea of upgrading my head unit. I think the stock unit sux, and I want to have Ipod interface. I like the new systems that are allowing you to access the data from the ipod direct from the face plate. Kenwood and Alpine seem to be on the leading edge of these features.

Second issue is what's all this brew ha-ha about not being able to use the stock amps??? Isn't that what pre amp outs are for?

 

I have the Alpine CD-A9855 with IPOD Interface. It overpowers the stock amp with the MX or EQ on. I am going to bypass it when I get time.

~ Jess

 

I have a clarion with ipod controller, the preamps are to low for the factory amp, just run the amplified front speaker wires to the wire adaptor kit just like the factory did and it will all work out great.
The factory headunit is amplified and then runs to the factory amp, just to clarify.

Good luck.

 

I just had a Pioneer DEH-P770MP with ipod controller installed and I am happy with the sound and the deck blends in with the dash nicely. One problem I encountered (or was told by the installer) was that the aftermarket deck could not power the factory subwoofer. I am not an expert on car audio but this seemed a bit strange. Has anyone else encountered this problem and have you found a work around?

 

There are only 4 wires coming out of the factory head unit. + & - for the right and + & - for the left.
If you just wire the new deck front speakers to the factory ones at the original connector it will work.
The factory wires go from the connector to the amp which has the crossover, ect.
Good luck.

 

The replacement is very simple... don't use the pre-outs, use the front l - r speaker
outputs. With the Kenwood 228 only costing $150 I don't know why I waited so long.
Not that the original deck sounds bad... but I think the Kenwood does sound better
even with the original amp and speakers. It could just be my imagination... dunno.
You have to like all the options you get (iPod, satellite and HD).

 

i noticed a huge increase in sound volume when i upgraded my system to a sony XAV-A1 (50w x 4 channels).
i wired it directly to the four wires going to the right & left speakers (i.e: im using only two channels now).
i must say the result is great, but i never dared to crank up the volume to the max.
am i overpowering the stock system?
any upgrades or rewiring i should do?
regards

 

As long as there is no distortion your fine. It was recommended that I get a 50 watt when I upgrade for the exact same reason.

Its just like a throttle/gas pedal you don't have to push it to the floor.

 

Okay, just wanted to clarify a little misconception all of you have seem to be told by your local stereo shop...

Your factory deck has 18 watts of power times two for the two speaker outputs...
The "MOSFET" amplifier chip in your deck draws a max of 6 amps of current...

18 divided by 6 is 3 volts AC.

That being said, if you replace your factory radio with an inexpensive radio (ie kenwood 2028, etc.) or a Sony, Jensen, etc. these decks only have a 2 volt max output through the RCA's... and realistically, they don't output more than 1.85 volts...This means that you will not be able to get the full output out of the factory amp as you are not giving it enough voltage... If you invest in a Nakamichi CD400 CD500, Blaupunkt Bremen MP74, Kenwood KDC-X589 KDC-X789 KDC-X889, Clarion DRZ855MP DRZ955MC DRZ9255, Eclipse CD5425 CD5435, etc. (A high quality deck with true RCA output over 3.5 volts) your factory amp will reach its true potential.

That being said, you're wondering why I didn't mention alpine, etc... Well, output impedance also matters... If a deck has a 600 OHM output impedance as opposed to 55 OHMS, and the voltage is the same, the 55 OHM deck will provide more current...

And subwoofer volume control after you replace your deck... Well, it is possible if your stereo shop has an installer that is knowledgeable enough to trace back the factory deck wires going to the amp that is in the passenger side footwell under the carpet and under the metal plate that is bolted to the floor, splits up the wires going to the factory amp (there are wires there for four channels) and hooks up the decks Front RCA's to the front speaker inputs of the amplifier, and the Subwoofer RCA's from the deck to the Subwoofer inputs of the amp...

How do I know all of this? Well, I have been an installer for about nine years (now I mostly do sales, management,and the occasional "high-end" custom install), and I own a Crossfire that I have installed about twenty different decks in to... Which one lives in my dash? It's a Blaupunkt San Francisco from 2001 that I had new in box sitting in my closet for years... That is until the new Blaupunkt Bremen replacement is available...

At the shop I work at, I guinea pig all of the new product (mostly the more expensive product) in my own car prior to us purchasing it... If you have any questions, drop me a mail or PM and I will help you as much as I can...

Also attached, you will find a copy of the audio diagram in our cars that you can bring to your local install shop... All they have to do is separate the wires at the/going to the amp from the radio, run two extra speaker wires to behind the radio, and solder on RCA ends...then plug them into the radio of your choice...

Enjoy!

 

Wow! Thanks, Peter K.

What about a Sirius head unit that looks appropriate. What do you recommend?

 

The Blaupunkt listed above is great...Two auxiliary inputs, 108 band self-calibrating equalizer, crossovers, sub control, changeable display colors, ambient noise volume leveling, DUAL digital FM tuners, and probably the best MP3 and Ipod control I have seen, next to the Alpine glide touch (although the glide touch tends to have problems)... The clarion 955 855 and 9255 are also great...Auxiliary inputs, 24-bit D/A converters good FM tuner, classy styling,etc ...

And pretty much everything else is black that is worthwhile putting in your dash...

Actually the JVC KDSH-X900 KD-SHX750 KD-LHX550 are all half decent decks as well... Pioneer Premier DEH-P770MP DEH-P8MP
Alpine, well to get 4 Volt pre-outs you have to spend a little more than the competition...
Eclipse decks sound really full as well, but the build quality (more specifically the volume and track *****) seem to have erratic problems once in a while...

These are just my personal recommendations... That is not to say there are no other decent decks out there, just these sound good, are reliable, and are more of an investment than a quick fix for the ill-sounding factory unit... That is if you have them hooked up to through their RCA outputs...

If your stereo shop is willing to show you what the difference is between hooking them up with the speaker outputs vs the RCA outputs, take them up on the offer and you will notice that the hiss on quiet passages is almost gone, the bass is deeper and tighter (not to mention sub level control), the vocals sound more alive than recorded, and the treble will bring your factory tweeters to life...The main advantage why I like the blaupunkt so much is the EQ and other sound adjustment features, MP3/iPod control, Superior FM tuner (almost CD quality sound), the warranty (better dealer support usually), steering wheel remote, and "IT'S GERMAN" (well it's designed there, but not built there)...

Hope that helps a little...

 

Does anybody know the output power on the original cd ? Is it about 4x35 W or what ?

I gonna put in a JVC stereo with 4x50 w, is it worth it ? Is the song gonna be better or do i have to change speakers too ?

Best Regards
Peter

 

Add these grills plus your stereo and your Crossfire will be awesome! Contact www.CTD-Germany.com if you want these grills!

 

I just got the Alpine 9855. I have it set up in 3 way mode. Alohaxfire you should be familiar with this mode but it is a very good deck and you can almost match the colors to your dash lights. I replaced the speakers so I can't tell you how it is on the factory ones but I also have a 4 channel amp on them.

 

Sorry but i think those grills suk.

 

You're not the only one sweden, FYI starting may I will be working in europe on a cruise ship then in august I will be traveling around europe for about 2 months. It would be great to meet up with someone to hang out... and possibly help me rent/borrow/steal a crossfire so I can drive one on the autobahn.

 

I dunno where your class is but the grill is pretty much better than your illuminati that's fit for a Christmas tree!

 

it's how I like it... that's all that matters. end of conversation.

 

I replaced my stock with the JVC KD-LHX500. I ended up using a Volkswagen wiring harness and I do not notice any type of volume drop at all. I do think it sounds tighter, richer, better, but I think the stock speakers are limited. Was it worth it? Yep. I got it for $200 at overstock.com. It's not on the site anymore but comes back from time to time.

On a side note,

The silver matches perfectly. You can change the touch panels color to a very close tone with the lights in the car. There are slight bits of red light that match with the hazard light.

I have the Sirius tuner and Ipod adapter, KS-PD100. Sirius is great although there is slight bit of lag with the controls. The Ipod adapter is great in that you get great sound, however the controls are a bit quirky. It takes a bit to get used to and sometime there is such a great deal of lag in the response of the controls that you end up hitting whatever command twice since it seems that the first one didn't register. Such a mistake will end up with a hassle of selecting the wrong song or menu.

This wouldn’t be a problem on other units as the controls are easily selectable. However, with the touch screen it's hard to "feel" where you need to stick your fingers so you end up spending more time staring at the radio than looking at the road.

 

Love resurrecting old threads, I do! The reason is to bring up the list of possible head units that would improve the sound in the car. I now know why the sound is weak in this thing. But, what would be wrong with using some kind of adapter to use the RCA jacks out to the speaker wires? Will that NOT work?