Questions on Replacing Stereo

97predator · Jan 21, 2010

The 6 disc changer has gotten jammed again and nothing seems to get it freed up so it's time for a new deck. Is there anything odd or particular I need to know about or can I just swap out the old deck for a new one?

Is this what I need?

Kenwood - 50W x 4 Apple® iPod®-Ready In-Dash CD Deck with Detachable Faceplate - KDC-MP242

Amazon.com: Scosche FD1422B 2001-Up Ford Mustang kit with 1.5 CD Storage Pocket: Electronics

Amazon.com: Metra 70-1771 Radio Wiring Harness for Ford/Lincoln/Mazda 1998-Up into Car, 16 Pin: Electronics

Thanks for the help.

SaleenGT2001 · Jan 21, 2010

you're gonna want to replace all the speakers if you have a mach 460 system. the stock ones will sound like crap with an aftermarket radio and stock speakers. i went with all kenwood speakers after my pioneer dvd install and it sounds great

03 Mustang gT · Jan 21, 2010

SaleenGT2001 said:
you're gonna want to replace all the speakers if you have a mach 460 system. the stock ones will sound like crap with an aftermarket radio and stock speakers.

+ 1. btw i just installed that same deck in my car the other day. so far i like it alot. sounds good and is easy to understand and navigate

Sonic04GT · Jan 21, 2010

I have a Pioneer in my car with stock 460 speakers and I think it sounds pretty decent

97predator · Jan 22, 2010

Why would it sound bad with the new deck and factory speakers?

SaleenGT2001 · Jan 22, 2010

the factory 460 system has it's own amps and the speakers just sound "muddy" once you install an aftermarket head unit. the new head unit doent direct the correct frequencies to the amps as the original did. just give it a try and see for yourself. it is nowhere as clear as the factory stuff

IIGood · Jan 22, 2010

97predator said:
Why would it sound bad with the new deck and factory speakers?

The audio geeks will give you the answer to that, I'm sure...but...

I replaced my factory stereo and have a Kenwood DNX-6140 in there now. That was all I changed...every other component of the Mach 460 system is still in there.

Call it partial laziness too. I didn't feel like ripping the entire interior apart to rewire everything so I bought the appropriate harness and just plugged it in.

It sounds fine. I'm no audiophile so as long as it's producing a clear enough sound, I'm fine with it. Right out of the box, it sounded a bit flat, so I adjusted some of the various levels on the head unit and now it sounds better.

scupking · Jan 22, 2010

I'm going to replace mine soon also. My exhaust is loud, so I don't care how my speakers sound. As long as all my stock 460 speakers are working that's good enough for me.

KBExperience · Jan 22, 2010

When I bought my car, the speakers and the 460 amps were all removed.. So I took the 6cd changer and sold it on eBay and bought a nice pioneer head unit and ran new wires to all the speakers and installed a sub

patman0911 · Jan 22, 2010

97predator said:
Why would it sound bad with the new deck and factory speakers?

It shouldn't if you EQ it right. The factory head unit has some degree of processing built into it that it adds to the preamp signal before it heads to the amps. It could just be some simple EQ curves to flatten out the stock speakers' frequency response and then warm up the sound a little or it could be adding volume dependent loudness curves, peak limiting and rolling hi-pass filters for excursion protection, compression, time alignment and who knows what else. Being that it was designed over 15 years ago when audio DSP chips weren't as powerful or as cheap as they are now, it's probably just mostly EQ correction, although more processing could've been added with sucessive generations as power goes up and price goes down. The Mach460 system was designed as a complete system, it's not just random parts off a shelf, and all the parts of the system are designed to sound their best when working together.

I noticed a big difference in sound when I swapped out my factory head unit for an aftermarket one recently. Right out of the box, the new stereo sounded like crap - totally flat and lifeless. I've been tweaking the EQs and other processing since I got it and it's taken a lot of driving and listening to get it dialed in.

patman0911 · Jan 22, 2010

97predator said:
The 6 disc changer has gotten jammed again and nothing seems to get it freed up so it's time for a new deck. Is there anything odd or particular I need to know about or can I just swap out the old deck for a new one?

Is this what I need?

Kenwood - 50W x 4 Apple® iPod®-Ready In-Dash CD Deck with Detachable Faceplate - KDC-MP242

Amazon.com: Scosche FD1422B 2001-Up Ford Mustang kit with 1.5 CD Storage Pocket: Electronics

Amazon.com: Metra 70-1771 Radio Wiring Harness for Ford/Lincoln/Mazda 1998-Up into Car, 16 Pin: Electronics

Thanks for the help.

What year is your car? Your user name suggests perhaps a 1997 but the parts you've linked indicate a 2001 or later.

You should also need a RCA preamp-out to amp harness adapter.

KBExperience · Jan 22, 2010

I don't think the 97's had a 6 disc changer available.. So he probably has an '02 and up

jeffs08GT · Jan 22, 2010

Do you guys replacing the speakers just pop in new speakers for the default amps? Any idea what ohm rating would be best? I want to add a new headunit and speakers but don't really feel like putting new amps and such in (at least now).

97predator · Jan 22, 2010

I used to have a 97, have an '02 now. If I replace speakers, would I be looking for a component set up or just some two way 6x8's or whatever?

jeffs08GT · Jan 22, 2010

The stock speakers are components but I don't think you "need" to do that. It's nice in this car because it looks like you could easily remove the top tweeters and not have the car look weird.

KBExperience · Jan 22, 2010

Only do components if you're going to install new amps too.. If not just buy a coaxaial setup.. IMO JBL makes the best sounding speakers

Questions on Replacing Stereo

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