Retro vs Custom

They also make a double din universal mounting kit:

http://cgi.ebay.com/METRA-95-9000-D...595?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5adf58e113

I think this would look good if you got one of those "cruiser" full length consoles to go with it.

robbz28 said:

They also make a double din universal mounting kit:

http://cgi.ebay.com/METRA-95-9000-D...595?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5adf58e113

I think this would look good if you got one of those "cruiser" full length consoles to go with it.

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something to think about... thanks for the suggestion. I probably have several months before I'm ready to finish the interior, so I have some time to mull it over. I like to plan things out tho so I have a 'roadmap' on where the car will end up, which is why I'm researching and debating it now.

It's not the radio(s) Gentlemen.

The radio has absolutely Nothing to do w/ sound quality. Speakers do.

Please take it from me as it is my business. Sound quality (or lack of it) is solely the result of poor, or inadequate speakers. Most factory radios come w/ a whopping 2-3 watts of power. Most aftermarket radios have significantly more than that.

That said, the entire package has to be considered if the desired result is to have a high quality sound system. Getting better speakers work only so far in improving sound quality, as better speakers typically "require" more power to drive them.

In plain terms, installing great speakers that are fairly inefficient will require the head unit to have the balls to drive them, a radio w/ lower power hooked to better speakers will still yield results that will be equally disappointing regardless of the speakers installed.

Get speakers that are matched to the power potential of the radio. If the radio isn't up to that task, get additional amplifiers to "fix" that problem.
Installing "boosters" only add noise, so be sure to install true amplifiers that are hooked into the radios' "line outputs"

True about the radio not what makes the quality of sound 100%. I kept the factory radio in the dash where it from day one, but I installed a Kenwood in the glove box. But what's connected, I hooked up a pair of Alpines custom made in the rear, and a pair of Pioneers in the front. The thing is they are running off an Alpine 2 channel amp, and not directly from the radio itself. Like madmike says, make sure you are running the "line outputs" with RCA cables of course to the amp. So the quality/clarity is coming from the amp, and not the crappy 30 watt the stereo puts out.

I disagree with the headunit having nothing to do with sound quality. That is the audio source going to the speakers or amp or whatever. If you add a amp to a headunit that has poor sound quality, all your doing is amplifying that sound.

Everybody will have their own opinion.I have installed enough of the CAS radio's and replaced most of them to know the difference.

Head units don't dictate poor sound quality unless you are referring to a 29.00 Craig or something of that caliber, and compare it to a radio 5 times more expensive. Comparing apples to apples there is no audible difference between them. It's not my opinion, it's a fact.

Radios in the 200.00 price point all have similar specs. Given the benefit of well thought out speakers, properly sized and placed, (meaning NO 3.5"or 4 x 6 dash speakers, NO 4" door or kick speakers, NO 4 x10's, 5 x 7's or 6 x 8's).
Door speakers should be a minimum of 5.5 to a max of 6.5, Separates (tweeter and woofer comes in two pieces) and even the venerable 6 x 9's are better than any of the choices listed above. Everyone of them all benefit from MORE POWER.

AND given enough clean power to drive them, I could blindfold you and w/o the benefit of seeing the brand name, you couldn't tell me who built the head unit.

I've worked in this industry for 40 years. I've been standing behind the counter when the kid came in w/ the BLOWN up Jensen Triax's despite only having a stock factory radio. As I've said earlier, factory radios installed throughout time up until the late 80's had miserably low power. (2-3 watts per channel) I had to explain to dude that his speakers (rated to HANDLE 150 watts) BLEW UP because he didn't have enough power to cleanly drive the speaker to the listening level he wanted, and that he blew his junk to hell because of of distortion resulting from amp fatique, (or clipping, as it's known).That the simple solution to keeping his speakers alive while he listened to RATT at 110 db would require MORE POWER.

The cars are inconsistent themselves.No two of them sound the same. A 68 mustang w/ no insulation and no sound deadening will rattle, buzz, and literally sound like ass compared to a properly prepared version of the same car. Even both cars, prepared exactly the same, can sound different simply because of the difference in upholstery. (leather/vinyl vs cloth).

Do not blame the head unit. Again, it's NOT the problem.

Again, you are entitled to your opinon, but i would hate to be your customer.

I cant tell how many calls i get that start out with "ive been doing car audio for 20+ years" or whatever. Appearantly in 20 years they havent learned a damn thing if they need to call me to troubleshoot.

I really do not understand how you say its a "fact" that a head unit has little to do with sound quality.If you truly into car audio SOUND QUALITY and not just slapping in radio's and 6X9's, then you would know the audio signal ALWAYS starts with the source.

Id just like to say that I have noticed a difference in the sound quality of head units in my same vehicle...when I was younger I bought a new head unit every few months (something always bigger and better coming out). The head unit is the foundation, and that foundation needs to be solid. Cheaper units today are waaaaaay better than the old sparkomatics from the 80's. I will give madmike the fact that there isn't as much difference in head units as it used to be (as far as aftermarket goes and the average person telling the difference) but still there is a difference. The technologies are more efficient and digital signal processors, more power, etc. You do need to match your components just like you match engine components...its like having a high lift roller cam and stock heads....you aren't going to get the benefit of the cam without some ported or aftermarket heads, intake, carb, etc. A clean install is key too...a lot of buzzing and clipping and other distortions can come from interference from shoddy wiring. So, IMO head units do matter....not so much today is they did 30 years ago though.

iskwezm said:

Again, you are entitled to your opinon, but i would hate to be your customer.

I cant tell how many calls i get that start out with "ive been doing car audio for 20+ years" or whatever. Appearantly in 20 years they havent learned a damn thing if they need to call me to troubleshoot.

I really do not understand how you say its a "fact" that a head unit has little to do with sound quality.If you truly into car audio SOUND QUALITY and not just slapping in radio's and 6X9's,

then you would know the audio signal ALWAYS starts with the source.

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And I agree with you. But a source is either a tuner, a CD player/changer, or an ipod or MP3 player.
Standing by themselves, they make no noise at all. They all have to be Amplified.

I don't want to turn this into a "white paper" discussion, but i'll reiterate so as to make my point plain and simple. I'll keep it to mini-white paper standards.

Lets talk about reputable car audio manufacturers: Sony, Pioneer, JVC, Kenwood, Blaupunkt , Alpine (take your pick). When comparing mid-line products in and around the 200-300.00 price point, I say that you'll not be able to hear the difference between them. Given the benefit of playback through the use of the best SOURCE available ( a CD) The difference between them would be so insignificant that it wouldn't matter what brand name was on the face plate.

I also stand by the belief that the average joe thinks that because his speaker is rated to handle xyz power, his true belief is that the same speaker "puts out" that much power. That, coupled to what typically gets thrown together usually ends up in a combo that is poorly matched, with no regard for the acoustic "side effects" that come from installing speakers w/o any sound dampening, and the whole thing sounds like pure bloody hell.

Now add the fact that Dude thinks because his Jensen radio is rated at 200 watts ( max power x 4 channels driven, probably really only15- 20 watts per channel RMS w/ some audible THD) That he has more than enough power to crank it, and you get a system that is only 24 hours away from something being blown to hell.

If That Jensen had preamp out puts, and he put a decent AMP in place of the internal amp it came with, he'd be leaps and bounds ahead and would finally get enough clean power to the speakers to insure that they'd live after dirty deeds were done dirt cheap at 110+DB for a little while at least.
The fact that the 4" speakers installed in the kicks, and the 6 x 9's hanging from the package tray were the 29.00 and 49.00 dollar specials still guaranteed that ears were bleeding in both lanes beside him.
( I'm using those sizes because it is after all, a classic mustang forum)

The key to a good system by my design criteria is to build a budget to allow you to buy the best speakers that fit your car, a decent headunit to drive them, Amplify the system to meet the needs of the user, and consider the effects of negative, unwanted rattles by using some sort sound dampening material.

And I don't just slap in a radio and 6 x9's. I was referring to the 80's when I made reference to Jensen Triaxs