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Old 10th September 2013, 09:26   #31
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

Hi CD,

Nice set up with equally nice pics.

Its a pity that you had to retain the HU. I for one never felt the HU of the Punto to be under rated, maybe the kind of music I play I feel the HU does its work. Even if you were to change the HU, what options did you have?

It will a treat to sit in your car to listen to the music. Next time I'm in B'lore, will request you for the same.
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Old 10th September 2013, 11:21   #32
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHkrish View Post
Cracking Setup you have there brother.
I have to upgrade my TUMBLR ( my 90hp Tuscan Wine) as well .
regarding Blue & Me , saw this link ( Pretty Costly though).
http://www.paser.it/en/p/87/BlueBack/
Thanks Hkrish.

Its been a long time since I updated this thread, and a lot has changed since then. No, nothing changed in the setup - but a lot changed in the tuning. And it makes me happy to say - it sounds good now (atleast to my ears).

I read one of the ICE gurus say once - Pure sound is heavily over rated! The tuning has to be done for individual preferances - and each system might invoke different emotions from different people. Ever since I got the system upgraded - I have felt that the sound feels rather flat/ disconnected - and I blamed the HU for that! My feelings were strengthened when I got to listen to similar FIAT setups - and it all had the similar disconnected sound.

If you are wondering what that I'm talking about - Its a feeling that the speakers are not playing upto their potential - that the speakers are brilliant but something else is pulling it down. Took me 40,000 kms of listening and tuning- to figure out the exact settings I need to make myself happy!

The HU stays! I'm not upgrading soon.

I suggest you listen to a lot of setups before deciding on the upgrade route. Fellow member nkrishnap is running stock HU + processor mated to a brilliant setup as well - in Bangalore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghodlur View Post
Hi CD,

Nice set up with equally nice pics.

Its a pity that you had to retain the HU. I for one never felt the HU of the Punto to be under rated, maybe the kind of music I play I feel the HU does its work. Even if you were to change the HU, what options did you have?

It will a treat to sit in your car to listen to the music. Next time I'm in B'lore, will request you for the same.
Thanks ghodlur.

I've finally made my peace with the HU. The setup sounds good to my ears now - and I am not changing it soon.

Choices are rather limited since we can only go for single DIN head units. Looks spoiled, blue & me gone, steering controls gone (Can be retained with a lot of extra money put in!). Its not a happy upgrade for us FIAT'ians.

You're welcome to listen to the setup anytime.

Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 10th September 2013 at 11:23.
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Old 10th September 2013, 11:39   #33
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
Thanks Hkrish.

Its been a long time since I updated this thread, and a lot has changed since then. No, nothing changed in the setup - but a lot changed in the tuning. And it makes me happy to say - it sounds good now (atleast to my ears).
===========
I suggest you listen to a lot of setups before deciding on the upgrade route. Fellow member nkrishnap is running stock HU + processor mated to a brilliant setup as well - in Bangalore.
Thanks CD, for speaking your thoughts out.

My stage one is Speaker Updates ( an ICE newbie). Still sorting out options to go ahead in a couple of months.

Would check with any other setup I can find before my ICE-Venture.
Of course , please expect an array of PMs from me as I would be reaching out to you and fellow T-Bhpians
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Old 10th September 2013, 11:39   #34
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

^^ As rightly pointed out, having a good set up is one thing and then fine tuning it to your requirement is another thing. When both of these fall into place, it would keep the listener satisfied.

I did have a couple of rounds of tuning the set up to get my desired level of output.
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Old 14th May 2014, 16:56   #35
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

sorry to be bumping up an old thread.

@crazydriver and @nkrishnap: I would like to listen to both your audio set ups anytime in bangalore when you are free. I would like to retain my HU but upgrade the speakers in my linea.

I am hoping you guys would be meeting up at 3m hsr sometime in the near future!

cheers!
sai
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Old 30th May 2014, 01:37   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sai_ace View Post
sorry to be bumping up an old thread.

@crazydriver and @nkrishnap: I would like to listen to both your audio set ups anytime in bangalore when you are free. I would like to retain my HU but upgrade the speakers in my linea.

I am hoping you guys would be meeting up at 3m hsr sometime in the near future!

cheers!
sai
Sorry Sai. Missed this post. Most welcome to listen to the audio setup. I will message you when I plan to visit 3M next. Nowadays I don't make that trip frequently though since I stay way up north of the city.

However I work out of EGL campus these days, incase you are nearby let me know via PM.



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Old 4th June 2014, 16:23   #37
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

hey, no problem, Il wait for a message from you. And north of the city means where? (if u could PM me)

Me being a fool forgot about nkrishnap's system - I actually met him at 3m but forgot about the audio.

The car is not with me now, but yes I am saving for a nice audio upgrade.

That said my only complaint with audio now is a lack of bass. The speakers actually are sounding better - quite warm as well and a nice stage. I am tired of harsh sounding components.

cheers!
sai
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Old 4th June 2014, 19:52   #38
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

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Originally Posted by sai_ace View Post
hey, no problem, Il wait for a message from you. And north of the city means where? (if u could PM me)
Myself and CD stay in RT Nagar and Yelahanka respectively.

Quote:
Me being a fool forgot about nkrishnap's system - I actually met him at 3m but forgot about the audio.
No worries, there is always next time

Quote:
The car is not with me now, but yes I am saving for a nice audio upgrade.
You better do, the Linea does require a slightly higher budget to get the ICE set up complete.

Quote:
That said my only complaint with audio now is a lack of bass. The speakers actually are sounding better - quite warm as well and a nice stage. I am tired of harsh sounding components.
The problem is quality of sound at slightly higher volumes. In which ever equalizer mode you choose, it will start crackling and sounds yuck.
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Old 4th November 2015, 12:54   #39
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

Updates:

Its been more than 3 years and 1 lakh kilometers since the ICE upgrade and hence I thought I should pen down some of my thoughts on the ICE system in this thread. Although Punto owners are rare, would be nice if it helps atleast one person for his ICE research.

Current equipment list -
  • Stock Delphi HU. - Rating 1/10 for the head unit. And 5/10 only for blue&me.
  • PHD Audiophile Sound Systems MF 6.2 Components front - the main singer - Rating 8/10. I like the way it sounds. Even with the worst HU available.
  • PHD Audiophile Sound Systems FB 6 Co-ax rear. - Rating 8/10.
  • DLS XProgram XA-40 4 channel amplifier - Rating 6/10 with less marks for the build quality as explained below.
  • JBL GTO 804 8 inch subwoofer. - Rating 8/10. But again, people who prefer deep and boomy bass would not probably like the 8 inch sub in a sealed enclosure. Suits my tastes though.


Likes:
  • Speakers feel nice for the songs where the HU can deliver some quality signals to it. A lot of instruments can be heard clearly when compared to the stock HU.
  • Mid Bass is nice from the front component speakers. Compliments the sub nicely.
  • No rattles from the installation till date. Thankfully.
  • Looks stock except for the boot section. Never had to worry twice about the ICE upgrade before parking anywhere, or handing over the car to the hotel valets, or even the service center.

What I hate, I mean... Really really hate.
  • Stock HU. Pathetic. I wouldn't recommend any of the Punto owners to upgrade their ICE heavily without a corresponding upgrade of the HU. Punto Evo comes with a much better unit though, compared to the Old Grande Punto and the Linea Classic. Some of the new generation stock systems can beat the hell out of my setup worth almost 50k! And not just mine, a friend a BHP'ian has another upgraded system with the stock headunit - and it sounds similar even after spending near 80k!

    As they say - the sound signature is only as good as the cheapest unit in the system. In the case of these cars - it is the head unit for sure.
  • Blue & Me has conked off, had to rely on the steering mounted controls heavily thanks to almost nil controls on the stock HU and hence they have started acting up a bit now. The volume button on the head unit has a seperate mind of its own.
  • Started disliking the sound somewhere down the line, and realised that the stock HU probably is sending very bad signals to the amplifier which gets worsened when the signal is bumped up. Decided to throw away the recommended settings and internet manuals and turned the amplifier gains really low in the car. This helped with the sound though. But the Hyundai Xcent at home has a really sweet sound even with the stock setup and this has made me go Desperate to hear the speakers sing with a better source unit.
  • The DLS amplifier was fixed in the below manner -
    Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A-img_20120613_092325_800.jpg

    Did not worry me back then, but now I realise this was probably a mistake. Blame the product quality, the installer, the Indian climate conditions or my driving conditions - but the end results is that the plastic portions on either end of the amp (attached to the screws) became rubbery as if heat has taken its toll on the plastic and broke off! All four of the screws came off, and the amplifier is just lying in the boot now.

    In retrospect, probably was a good idea to screw it to the metal base of the seats for a much flatter surface.
  • Till recently - I never tried the radio. Thanks to Indigo 91.9 in Bangalore - that has changed. But the radio on the stock head unit sounds unbelievably cheap.

Upgrades:

So, as you would have understood already - satisfaction levels have gone really low with the setup with most of my frustration caused by the stock Delphi head unit. And the need to fix the amplifier properly back in place again.

A headunit upgrade is being planned. After calculating my finances, had decided on a headunit worth around 12k (possibly the JVC KD R80 BT or the Pioneer DEH X8750BT) , but after a lot of research - heart is almost hell bent on getting the Pioneer DEH 80PRS, which has an excellent reputation internationally.

Battling it out with the heart and the mind (and the home minister) now!


PS -
Please ignore the previous posts were I mentioned I made my peace with the head unit. Currently we have declared war against each other.
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Old 5th November 2015, 17:34   #40
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
Updates:

A headunit upgrade is being planned. After calculating my finances, had decided on a headunit worth around 12k (possibly the JVC KD R80 BT or the Pioneer DEH X8750BT) , but after a lot of research - heart is almost hell bent on getting the Pioneer DEH 80PRS, which has an excellent reputation internationally.

Battling it out with the heart and the mind (and the home minister) now!
:
Have a look at Alpine CDE-W265EBT. 3-way active head unit with 9 band parametric equalizer and time alignment. Will not play wav on USB.

In your budget of 13k, check snapdeal or local stores
http://www.snapdeal.com/product/alpi...h/619143888471
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Old 5th November 2015, 18:29   #41
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

Quote:
Originally Posted by gkannan View Post
Have a look at Alpine CDE-W265EBT. 3-way active head unit with 9 band parametric equalizer and time alignment. Will not play wav on USB.

In your budget of 13k, check snapdeal or local stores
http://www.snapdeal.com/product/alpi...h/619143888471
Thank you.

The problem however is that a double din head unit cannot be accommodated in the Punto, unless a lot of modification including removal of switches are made.

I feel there are better and cheaper options in double din space (like you have pointed out). Single din options are limited to either cheaper units around the 8k price tag mark, or audiophile ones near the 20k mark (available outside the Indian market).

I've mostly decided on the Pioneer 80PRS. And the installation would be done at Evo, Bangalore. Waiting for the best option to arrange the unit now.
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Old 5th November 2015, 18:37   #42
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
I've mostly decided on the Pioneer 80PRS.
80PRS is one of the best VFM audiophile head unit. The only glitch is the plasticky feel about it.
I had used it for almost 7 months before upgrading to Eclipse CD7200mkii.
It has separate burr brown DAC on each of its inputs.

Its true potential is in going active.

enjoy your music.
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Old 5th November 2015, 19:01   #43
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

Its been sometime since I too settled with sticking to the stock head unit. But Crazy_Driver, drove with an idea of head unit change and the Pioneer DEH 80 PRS idea got me thinking to change the head unit. Now no more thinking, its going to be 80 PRS probably this month once the headunit is sourced.

I am actually planing to take active which will set me back another 25k minimum. But first the headunit and then everything else in stages.
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Old 5th November 2015, 19:09   #44
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

80PRS is an excellent head unit. I'm running 3 way active in my car with the 80PRS and couldn't be happier. I'm using a 128GB SD Card inside the head unit filled with WAVs so no messy USB cables and drives lying around too.

Its not an easy head unit to live with. However there is a DIY option to interface steering buttons to a 80PRS head unit.
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Old 5th November 2015, 19:23   #45
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re: Punto 90HP ICE upgrade with PHD, DLS and JBL. EDIT: Upgraded HU to Clarion CZ703A

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Originally Posted by SunnyBoi View Post
80PRS is an excellent head unit. I'm running 3 way active in my car with the 80PRS and couldn't be happier. I'm using a 128GB SD Card inside the head unit filled with WAVs so no messy USB cables and drives lying around too.

Its not an easy head unit to live with. However there is a DIY option to interface steering buttons to a 80PRS head unit.
How do you make the steering controls work without an interface. I thought of getting the connectnext2 interface to get the steering controls working with the headunit. More insights please.
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