Car audio

Well, I know very little about car audio. I wanted a better unit in my car as the one I have in there is the most basic model that came factory.

I wanted to upgrade to something with a navigation, keep my satellite radio service, and be able to play my audio files.

As it stands now I have to burn off files onto a disc to play them. Not a lot of fun that.

I decided to drop by the local car stereo place last week. Basically the guy there spent about a half hour telling me all the reasons why he doesn't want to install a unit in my car. I got this big long list of crap as to why it to complicated for him to want to take the job.

Went to a bigger place in the next bigger town over and talked to them. Was told that they could do it, but basically was going to be raped. So to buy the stuff I needed and have it installed was going to be about 1700.

It went like this. Well, the stereo we have that will do what you want won't quite fit in your car so you need this kit. Then we have to modify the inside of your dash so there is an extra charge for that. Then you need an adapter to still use your steering wheel controls for the unit and another to hook up your antenna. Also, you'll need a unit to be able to get your satellite radio still, and even though you have a dual antenna that will work for GPS you can't use it with this unit so you need a new one of those. Not happy with that at all.

Talked to the dealership about getting the higher end factory radio put in. The unit was going to be 2100 + labor.

What the fuck is the deal with getting a stereo put in. It's like asking to be raped.

Some guy at work told me to check with Best Buy. So being stupid I thought, why not.

Went there and after about half an hour with 9 different sales associates actively trying to ignore me I left. No plans on ever setting foot into one again.

Finally, here is where I am. Got in touch with a guy on line who is a tech and rebuilds the factory systems. Got the top factory unit out of a wrecked 2014, had a bigger hard drive put in, and everything programmed for my car. So it is just supposed to be plug and play, direct replacement for my unit, but I won't need the dealership to activate any of the features and I've got the unlock code for it. Now I just have to install it. Set me back 900. System looks great condition wise.

I've been watching videos on how to put it in and such. Really hope I don't fuck this up somehow. I'm looking forward though to being able to have all my music loaded onto the HDD and having a navigation system.

I'm curious who here has had any experience with such things.

call crutchfield. you can get set up pretty well and fairly decently priced. they will find you exactly what you are looking for.

big bonus is the new head units that have carplay and android auto built in. i am waiting for the release of the JBL Legend CP100 (due in the next month or two)- it's $400, does full smartphone integration (with nav apps/ and other app compatibility), rear camera compatibility, and a bunch of other neat shit. crutchfield has the kit for my car that has the harnesses and the trim and its like $100 all in.

1. Forget about the Navigation. It's outdated the moment you get it. Google Maps on your phone with a good phone mount. Mount an ipad mini if you want a screen.
2. New headunit in modern cars is a nightmare. A Costly and risky electrical nightmare. There are all sorts of sensors that check current and voltage now, so any extra wire needs to be terminated correctly. Even switching to aftermarket light-bulbs can trigger warning lights.

I went through the same questions trying to update the main console in my Porsche 911. ...Porsche's aren't really known for their modern interiors. Almost everyone goes with :
- TranzIt BLU HF
It adds hands free controls, and high quality streaming from a device. Very little signal degradation. The speakers and amp in the 911 is fairly decent, if a little too much base.


If absolutely want a new in-dash screen, then I would look at car forums for your model. Find the headunit that works best with your car. There's only a handful that people really use in my car for example.

Agreed with the Crutchfield thing. The cool thing is that they provide you with step by step guide on how to install everything in there along with some parts you'll need for installation (wiring harnesses, dash kits) so you can do it by yourself.

What kind of vehicle you have?

Make sure you blast ICP if you get a fly setup.

GregN said:

Make sure you blast ICP if you get a fly setup.

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For best results:
- Turn the bass all the way up and the treble all the way down. Install more EQs in series, if necessary, to eliminate any residue of actual music.
- Make sure your car is full of loose shit that rattles all the time (preferably at a frequency that resonates with the subwoofer).
- Idle outside schools, apartments, office buildings, etc. all goddamn day and all goddamn night

Another +1 for Crutchfield. Their customer service is outstanding.

cdamm said:

big bonus is the new head units that have carplay and android auto built in. i am waiting for the release of the JBL Legend CP100 (due in the next month or two)- it's $400, does full smartphone integration (with nav apps/ and other app compatibility), rear camera compatibility, and a bunch of other neat shit. crutchfield has the kit for my car that has the harnesses and the trim and its like $100 all in.

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I just saw the specs on that HU. I WANT IT!

crutchfield is a good place to do research(as well as purchase).. but once you know what you want to purchase, check to see if OnlineCarStereo has it(or comparable) first. They usually have the best prices/deals.

So, I've gotten my head unit installed. Done it myself as it was pretty easy. Decided that maybe I wanted to add an amp and up to some better speakers. Looked into how much trouble it would to change those out. Decided to drop by yet another car audio place and see what they had. Once again, was basically told they didn't want to touch my car. They would sell me the stuff but wouldn't put it in and then spent about a half hour explaining why they won't do it.

Basically the guy there just told me to turn up the volume and be happy with that.

What kind of car do you have?... weird that it would be so much trouble. I've had custom sound systems installed into a rv & a van ok(just took awhile).

Cylotron said:

What kind of car do you have?... weird that it would be so much trouble. I've had custom sound systems installed into a rv & a van ok(just took awhile).

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2013 challenger

i don't know. I just think these guys around here don't want mess with any vehicle unless it is like 20+ years old or something. I'm starting to think maybe they are just half ass hacks who are afraid they will mess up something and have to pay for it.

goombakid said:

I just saw the specs on that HU. I WANT IT!

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its funny. this is the first car i have had since the 90's that did not come with a passable stock stereo.

Its the windy van replacement. i had an '01 mazda mpv (which had a surprisingly capable sound for an old ass stock system) and went up to an '06 honda odyssey and it sounds like absolute shit (it was the midrange system for that year too). I cant believe i'm having to buy a fucking head unit for a minivan. I'll swap out the speakers while i am at it too. Maybe put in a back up cam later on since it is a usable thing.

FAT$TACKS said:

2013 challenger

i don't know. I just think these guys around here don't want mess with any vehicle unless it is like 20+ years old or something. I'm starting to think maybe they are just half ass hacks who are afraid they will mess up something and have to pay for it.

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It probably has to do with all the little things that may/may not be connected with the stock head unit. I had a 97 Civic that if you replaced the stock head unit, you could possibly disable the dome light and the keyless entry system. Most of these installers nowadays are fresh out of or still in high school that did a decent install on a <2000 built vehicle. It's always better to learn and do installs yourself.

cdamm said:

its funny. this is the first car i have had since the 90's that did not come with a passable stock stereo.

Its the windy van replacement. i had an '01 mazda mpv (which had a surprisingly capable sound for an old ass stock system) and went up to an '06 honda odyssey and it sounds like absolute shit (it was the midrange system for that year too). I cant believe i'm having to buy a fucking head unit for a minivan. I'll swap out the speakers while i am at it too. Maybe put in a back up cam later on since it is a usable thing.

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I have a 07 Ody EX-L. The sound is decent for what it is, it just sucks that the CD player doesn't work. I've been waiting for a decent head unit to get and a good price. Glad I waited. I may have to pick that JBL one up. I can warrant shelling out $400 or so for it. I'd mainly want it for BT streaming and maps.

FAT$TACKS said:

2013 challenger

i don't know. I just think these guys around here don't want mess with any vehicle unless it is like 20+ years old or something. I'm starting to think maybe they are just half ass hacks who are afraid they will mess up something and have to pay for it.

Click to expand...

I recently had Best Buy put in a head unit in my Veloster. It was seriously a pain in the ass because, to remove the old unit, you had to remove a VERY fragile piece of plastic that held everything in place. It's basically shaped like a giant "U" and included the controls for my AC, vents, etc. Plus, I was having it done in the winter. The car had to be warmed up in order to get any play into the plastic to get it to move at all.

Anyway, I ended up losing money on that deal. The head unit sucked...could barely get an FM signal from 5 miles away from the radio station. So, I had them put the stock system back in and it sounded much better than the one I bought.

The one great thing I did for the sound system was to put Kicker KS speakers in the doors...they sound great. The only bad thing was, the guy had to remove the rear seat (briefly) because the driver's side rear speaker is not in a door (Veloster is a 3 door car, BTW).

Jon

Replacing the head unit on about any car made after 1999 is not worth the cost, work or risk.

Replacing the unit used to be a simple swap. Battery, Ignition, Ground, 4 speakers, antenna in and power antenna. Now the head units are wired into the steering wheel, the onboard computer and share control space with the heater.

norton9478 said:

Replacing the head unit on about any car made after 1999 is not worth the cost, work or risk.

Replacing the unit used to be a simple swap. Battery, Ignition, Ground, 4 speakers, antenna in and power antenna. Now the head units are wired into the steering wheel, the onboard computer and share control space with the heater.

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The obvious choice is to ditch that new car and get something worthwhile