General Car A/V Discussion

looking for suggestions.

jake91 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:26:47 GMT

alright i have a 2001 mazda tribute and trying to decide whether i want to buy either one or two 12' alpine type r subs for it. and after that i don't really know what kind of amp i should get??? as u can tell i don't really know a whole lot about these types of things, so any suggestions would help. thanks.

Aftermarket stereo 2004 Chrysler Voyager

Mathias — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:44:53 GMT

Guys,

I leave in the UK and drive a 2004 Chrysler Voyager but I can'r play mp3 on the factory car radio so got an aftermarket one but after fitting it there is no sound. I understand it is something to do with the AMP. On the driver side at the back I did see an AMP after taking off the Infinity speaker (there are four of them - two front and two at the back. I also see a couple of small ones at the back not sure if the front has the same. I was told there is no sound because the new aftermarket AMP is not powering the AMP. My problem is I am not sure what to do now. So any help is most welcomed. The part number for the factory car radio is P05091610AB.

Thanks,

Mathias

Suggestions

Ty Petty — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:28:11 GMT

I got a 07 chevy trailblazer finially got my Kenwood KDC 993 installed in it. gonna leave the factory speakers in it cuz they sound pretty good but for subs I was thinkin about 2 Rockford Fosgate Punch Stage 1 12" but my buddy told me they were about the same as buyin no name brand food. are they that bad?, he said i should get Alpine Type R's

Car Battery Question

Getchell — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:11:22 GMT

I recently installed 2 12'' kicker cvr's in my vehicle powered by a Kicker zx750.1 amp. It's sounds amazing, no complaints there.

But my amp is pushing out anywhere from 1,500-2,000 watts (kicker always under rates their products, so not sure on exact number), and when i turn it up, my lights start to dim and fade from all the power needed from my system.

I don't want to upgrade to a better alternator, i want a cheap solution.

At first i thought about investing in a capacitor, but the capacitor just uses power from my car battery, which will do nothing, i think? (anyone with better info please inform me on this topic)

Then i thought about a complete second battery, such as the optima battery. If i used that, it would make my lights not dim and fade. But than it doesnt have anything to charge itself, so it will wear down quickly. (once again, anyone with better info on this lmk)

So if someone, anyone can help me come up with the cheapest, easiest solution to making sure my lights don't dim when the bass hits, it would be greatly appreciated. All ideas welcome.

Thanks.

Alternator Question? Will i have enough power

mack22198 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:13:29 GMT

I just bought 2 kicker cvr 15". and have a hifonics amp which is 1000 watts( zues 1010) and i was wondering if anyone if my landrover 130 amp alternator will be enough to power this, will i have problems?

'98 GMC Jimmy possible setup help

jchorn11 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:16:46 GMT

hey my names CJ and i just got a '98 gmc jimmy and only have 2 factory speakers working right now so i'm thinking about just replacing all factory things. So, i was wondering what speakers and headunit to put in. Also, what subs i should put in. For the head unit i was thinking about a Kenwood KDC-MP342U or a JVC Arsenal KD-A605. I'm new to all this even though my dad used to kinda do this stuff for a living, he just doesn't have the time to help me, so i appreciate all the help and suggests i can get.

EDIT: My budget isn't huge not sure exactly how much i want to spend on everything but i want a decent system without spending a huge amount.

08 Wrangler install

rthoward17 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:29:31 GMT

I have an 08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door with the factory infinity system. Really want to upgrade the system. The factory is nice but it just doesn't have enough hit and bass. Has anyone else done an install in a 2008 up Wrangler???

Alpine NVE-M300 audio too quiet to hear

JSchuricht — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:45:10 GMT

I have a Alpine NVE-M300 connected to a IVA-W505 along with a PXA-H100, TUA-T550HD and KCE-400BT. Everything appears to be working correctly with exception to the NVE-M300 NAV audio. If the NAV is set as source, I can barely hear its instructions. If I have a audio source selected, I either get nothing, or with NAV MIX on, the audio source is briefly turned down. I have the NAV set at 15 which is the max volume.

Any tricks to force antenna adapter to work/improve connectivity?

bumblebeast — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:54:29 GMT

Replaced OEM HU in 2003 Chevy Impala with a DUAL HU, got wiring harness and antenna adapter as well. Gone thru 3 adapters, can't get a consistent good signal to the HU.

The problem appears to be lack of contact between the OEM male plug and female end of the adapter.

I put a coathanger in the female end, and get reception if I force the hanger to touch inner wall of the female end of adapter.

So, would it make sense to take a pliers and 'crush' the female end of adapter to force better connectivity between the OEM male plug and female end of adapter?

Lexus and Home Made CD's

noblush — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:06:16 GMT

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

I have a problem with cd's that I create and their being able to play in our Lexus.

I use regular cd's and burn them from my computer to be replayed for my car and other cd players, etc. The cd's work well every place except in the Lexus. Around half way through the cd, it starts skipping and hanging up, and needs to be changed. Then it works again until the next time it is half way through it. This did not happen on the traded in Lexus. Just this one.

The manual hints at replay problems with homemade disks. I never have any problems with purchased disks. The cd's work well everyplace else they are played. Lexus seems to think that the "cheap disks" aren't the correct type disk, that they flex too much.

I have tried recording at different qualities, etc. No luck

Anybody? Help!!!.

Newbie needing some guidance on what to look for to put in my 1997 Mustang

Lev — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:58:39 GMT

Well, first off I'd like to say hello to everyone.

I've done a bit of research here on Crutchfield (these articles are great!) and elsewhere, and even with this research the whole concept of car audio has me absolutely lost. I don't know what I should look for in a head unit, speakers, and amp, and so on. I've gleaned that the place to start my build is best done with the head unit, then the speakers, the sub and finally the amp. More than likely, I'll end up paying out the nose at some point to have it all installed for me since wiring has me incredibly leery. I'm good at taking things apart, just not putting them back together :)

However, beings as I know nothing about what is truly important in a system, all I can do is look at head units or speakers and say "Those look pretty nice" but know nothing of their numbers. Most of what I know, -and that isn't much- about audio is mostly in the home stereo area. The higher the frequency range, the better. I've debated going to, say, Best Buy and asking questions about car audio and such, but as I tend to have a little bit of social anxiety, I find things aren't that simple. Besides, brick and mortar stores usually have a ton of markup, and not too great of a selection, not to mention its hard to "test drive" speakers while in a store, since you can't very well get the same results in a car as you would in the store's booth.

So to put an end to this monologue of sorts, I was hoping someone who owns a Mustang might be able to tell me what a decent budget system (If I calculated my return correctly, I'll have around $1100 to put towards this system) would fit my car and its acoustics the best. I'm not terribly fond of boomy bass, but I do like bass. I've found my stock speakers, although not the premiums (and according to the articles here, I'm lucky. The Mach systems seem quite a horror to replace) do a decent job of providing the right feel of bass, and I'm hoping to basically up the whole scale. They're by far too weak for me to truly experience my music... good music just makes me wanna crank up the sound.... then I kinda blew one of my stock kick-panel speakers... how I was I supposed to know that upping the bass and treble setting a little bit (to 75ish% from the default 50%) would make the speakers hate me? I love to FEEL the bass, but I want more than just "boom boom boom" the whole time. I need powerful bass that balances tightly with the mids and the highs without the harshness of the highs or a muffled bass, weak high and blasting midrange.

I'm very eager to learn so if you have any knowledge you wish to share, by all means feel free. I'm having trouble figuring out what means what, and when I do figure out what something means, how important it is in the grand scheme of things!

Thanks for your time, I appreciate the efforts of anyone willing to help guide me in the right direction and work with me!

EDIT: I realized I totally forgot to mention, I will probably want to use my new Creative ZEN as my primary audio source when not using the radio. I've heard a straight AUX connection tends to have a weak audio quality, and that connecting it directly to my stereo yields fantastic results, whatever that method is supposed to be.

For a head unit, I would like HD capability (I know nothing of HD radio, does that require a subscription or is that something I only need to worry about with XM? Then again, as I know nothing of it, HD capability is merely an afterthought, if anything in my mind.) and if possible, the ability to pull the data from the station signals (song name, etc, RD signal I think?). These are strictly optional if anyone actually looks into a system for me. I'll sacrifice these for cost or quality, whichever. Take note for those who may not know, the 1997 Mustang has a double-DIN (I think thats the right term), rather, the CD player and the AM/FM radio/cassette combo are separated, but their controls are cross-linked, meaning they both need to go. My reading shows that replacing my headunit usually accounts for this anyways, but if this is incorrect, let me know.

My Mazda 626

Delaware626 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:51:31 GMT

Hello everyone.

I currently have a 1999 Mazda 626. It does not hav the optional Bose system in it. A fw days ago, I realized my speakers are starting to pop and crackle if i have m music at a medium level. So, I came her since my older brother get his sound system from here as well. When I "outfitted my car", I got a lot of different speakers I could choose from with a very wide range of sizes as well. One of my questions is which size do I get? I know the car takes 6x8" in the front doors, and 6x9" in the rear deck, but I've been told that you can get a better sond quality out of a circular speaker rather than an oval shaped one.

Any advice?

Thanks in advace!!

alpine imprint is a headache

jayjay180 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:10:38 GMT

Man if i knew alpine pxa-h100 was such a bad product i wouldn't have waste the last week of my life and the $160 i have spent on it. I have measure more than six times with different gain settings and mic positions and the results have been very disappointing. The common result here is very loud front speakers with very poor low response. And yes i have tried it with the sub gain very low. it seems like all the sound is coming from the front and not the center. It also seems that this thing cuts the low frequencies while boosting the high/mid notes. Can somebody give me a ray of light at the end of the tunnel?

my bt200 doesn't work with the kenwood dnx5120. why not?

wildthings63063 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:22:08 GMT

i recently bought a kenwood dnx1520 nav system and the kenwood kca-bt200. Pepboys installed everything for me, but when i went to go and sync up my iphone and the bluetooth on the system, my iphone could find the system but nothing came up on the system for my iphone. any ideas as to why not?

Kenwood DNX7100 Software Update 1.0.9

Nice Pony — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:59:06 GMT

Software update version 1.0.9 is now available for the Kenwood DNX7100.

You will need your serial number to gain accesses to the update download site.

http://www.kenwood.com/usb/mm_fwdl_en.html

This update adds functionality for the newer iPods and some other minor fixes.

It also fixes the slow indexing of USB drives.

My software version was 1.0.2 before the update.

The software download includes a PDF instruction page on how to perform the update. Read it closely before starting.

!!Important!! When you start the update the screen will go black for about 1 or 2 minutes before it shows the update being installed. Be patient and DO NOT turn off the DNX7100 or disconnect the USB drive. I don't know for sure but that may cause a problem.

My update went smoothly and only took a few minutes to perform.

USB indexing now works very fast!!

Alpine stereo install

forcheck — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:15:49 GMT

I have a 2008 Ford explorer with factory subwoofer. I already installed Alpine speakers in front and back and installed an Alpine amp using a 4 channel line output converter. I now want to install my Head unit. i have the Alpine CDA-9857 that I bought a couple years ago for my older explorer. It is Satelite radio ready and I have the serius adapter. I was told that i would need an expensive harness cause of my year of my Ford. i would also like to have an Auxillaru imput along with my Sat. radio. Anyone have any ideas?

Alternator Whine

Mattison — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:45 GMT

Thank you for helping. :P

I have one 400 watt four channel amp powering four cabin speakers. One 500 watt amp powering one subwoofer. A Pioneer head unit, DEH-3900. Eight gauge wire from the battery to a power block, 10 gauge wire from there to the amps, to the ground. It should be mentioned; the alternator whine existed before I installed the second amp for the subwoofer, but was not as intense.

This is my very first time trying to install an aftermarket setup into my vehicle. Let me tell you, I've learned so much in just a few days; I thought I knew electronics till I started hooking this system together.

Okay, so the deal is I have alternator whine. Only starts when the engine is running, increases in intensity with an increase in engine RPM's, and ceases when all the RCA cables are unplugged from both amps. The power lines do not intersect with *any* audio cables, the grounds are separate and are sustained by holes drilled into the chassis, and I am certain the head unit and amps are grounded correctly. All my cables are shielded.

I don't see what the issue should be, as I've done it all correctly.

Questions are: Are there known issues with my head unit? Does the metal bracket the head unit sits in need to be grounded? Can I ground the amps to the battery? Can I ground both amps on the same bolt, to correct the difference in voltage causing the ground loop? Would anyone suggest ferrite beads in line with the main power cable? Alternatives to line filters and ground loop isolators? One ground line is a bit long, would shortening this help?

Like I said previously, this issue existed before the installation of the second amp, but it was not so prominent. I had the amp tested, it came back clean. Seemed like after the battery reached a charge, the noise went away and was already tolerable when the music was turned up.

This vehicle is a junker. It is in good working order, but I want to not feel bad if it goes to the dump and I can't salvage parts. I paid as little as possible for quality, and I want to keep it that way without making a hundred trips to Radio Shack for three $20 line filters or ground loop isolators that may or may not fix my issue, and take what little space I have left for myself.

Again, thank you very much for helping. Any and all advice is gladly accepted.

Kenwood DNX7100 LCD Brightness Problem

Barney — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:37:23 GMT

Hi,

I have a problem with my 1 1/2 year old Kewnwood DNX7100. In the day time the main displays ( example tuner ) has become dim. I have to turn the brightness control up full but it's not as bright before this problem arised and is hard to read in normal sunlight. The brightness on GPS screen is very exceptable. Naturally at night all is OK. I have the auto dimmer and or Sync control turned off. The dimmer fuction when turned on is working. This problem happened all of sudden. Is there something I missed in the setup?

Has anyone experienced this problem. I did not do a master reset as of yet. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you, Barney

Help Me Plan an Open Cockpit System - Need Speaker Help Please

beartoothweb — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:13:13 GMT

I am building a 65 Cobra Replica, which is an open cockpit roadster. I'm trying to design a system that will overcome road and engine noise, but also be hidden.

I have the plan for the head unit, amps, and subs (in the trunk), but I'm not sure how to go about the mids/highs and full range speakers for the cockpit. The closest production car to compare to would be a Miata.

Possible placement for speakers:

Under the dash firing at the floor (5 1/4")
Hidden in door panels behind vinyl and grates (5 1/4")
Hidden between seats behind carpet and grates (6")
Behind seats on small shelf (6")

What I'd like help on is what components to put in there, and where to place them. I don't want to spend a buttload of money on the system, but want it to be decent. I'm starting from scratch, so I'll need a head unit with separate sub outs, an amp for the sub and the main speakers, plus the subs and components.

Would it be best to go with a couple in the doors, and a couple behind the seats and call it could, or something else?

The cockpit will look like this:

The shelf behind the seats will look like this:

Thanks!

3 way or front/rear/sub?

jayjay180 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:48:15 GMT

Hello. i was wondering if my system is a 3 way or a front/rear/sub. This is my setup:

Front- Alpine type r components

Rear-Alpine type r coaxial

All 4 speakers (2 front, 2 rear) are powered by a JL 4 channel amp (JL G4500)

Also have a 10'' subwoofer with a JL mono amp. (w3v3 with a1400).

I need to know which kind of a system is this to set the pxa-h100 alpine imprint the right way.

Thanks

Another Alpine PXA-H100 Question

jayjay180 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Just finished doing the calibration process withalpine pxa and ktx-h100. Liked the way my speakers sound (it lifted the mid frequencies i was missing) but i feel low and low-mid frequencies were attenuated too much (lacks depth). i was thinking that a possible cause was that i didn't lower my sub amp input sensibility and the processor turn it down too much. Should i measure again and this time lower the sub amp gain all the way and turn up after the calibration? What's the difference with the 3 curve options? reference, linear and reference with mid comp.

my setup

components in the front

coaxials in the back

All 4 speakers powered by a 4 channel amp. (JL 4500)

1 sub (powered by a mono amp JL 1400)

Is this system a 3-way or a 2-way? Thanks

4 ohm amplifier with 2 or 8 ohm subwoofer???

ATrain — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:18:13 GMT

I just bought a new subwoofer to put in my car as I blew out my old Kicker 12", but I'm realizing that I might have made a big mistake. I have a Rockford Fosgate Punch 301S amp that is currently bridged out at 4 Ohms with 300 watts. It can also be wired at 2 ohms with 2 channels at 150 watts. I purchased a RF Phase 3 D4 12" sub to go with it. Then I realized that I could only run it at either 2 Ohms or 8 Ohms. I have done some research and it seems like it would be a bad idea to run the amp at 4 ohms with the sub at either 2 ohms or 8 ohms. Is this correct?

Yes, I know I'm an idiot and should have figured that out beforehand. I just got overwhelmed with the choices of subs and read good reviews on this one and so I bought it. I'm not super car-audio-saavy, so I'm just trying to figure out what to do.

I would prefer not to buy a new amp or new sub, but I want to make decent use out of what I have.

I am pretty sure that one option would be to just run the sub off one channel of my amp at 2 ohms (150 watts). But the RF sub can take 500 watts RMS (1000 max), so that seems like I wouldn't be utilizing the subs full capability.

Thanks in advance for your help. -Aaron

Car Navigation System Required: London Taxi Company

alexpnn — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:44:09 GMT

HI , We are a taxi company Hummingbird Cars in London. We provide Airport Transfer service from all london airports. We have recently started our new business and we require to buy Car navigation system or Tom Toms . Can anyone suggest which company is the best and where we can get the best deals. http://www.hummingbirdcars.com Thank you Alex

Rear view camera best one any sugestions or coments on good ones

fastj — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:41:50 GMT

Im looking for a good rear view camera for my truck. I was wondering what camera is good in all weather conditions snow ect. also needs to be good at night. I live in new york and the liscence plate camera that cover up the state is actually illegal. I was wondering if people had coments on good cameras and bad that I could choose from. the good of course. thanks

Adding a battery in truck

Derrick — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:06:56 GMT

How do i connect another battery in my truck. Do i just run neg to neg and pos to pos from one bat to the other?