[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by beanstalk_230

im not much interested in changing my HU but just want to improve the sound quality. what should I do? will buying an amplifier help or will i have to buy a new amp. alongwith new speakers or subwoofer. actually I am very short on budget. ... i just remember that they were some kind of paper cone speakers ]

1. What do you feel is missing when you feel dissatisfied? Is it the low frequencies (bass guitar, drums etc.), mids (weak vocals drowned out by other music) or high frequencies (piano high notes, triangle, bells etc.)
2. How "short" are you on budget? Don't worry, these things can be done one by one and you don't always have to spend a lot of money, provided you are clear what do you want to correct (don't pressurize yourself with the word 'quality')
3. What kind of music do you listen to usually? How loud do you hear music?
4. Are you hearing the outside of the car more than music?

Help us help you!

[navin]

Originally Posted by infected

hi guys,
got a blaupunkt headunit for my car a couple of months ago.
its the memphis 66.
it is unable to detect a 80 gb usb hard drive..

The HU's USB port supplies 500mA at best, most hard disks require a bit more than that. Maybe if you can work a way where the HDD gets supply from the battery and only uses the USB for communication you should do fine.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

A USB hard drive won't be detected by headunits as it needs a lot of power to spin up. Way more than what a head unit can supply thru its USB port. Try USB sticks.

Not all suffer the same malady. The usual limit on the current is 500mA, and there are some drives (2.5" / 1.8" HDD based) which don't need much.

Sure, the larger ones that come with a power cord / adapter usually do. If one has such a unit, it can be powered from the cig lighter socket - either directly if the adapter gives 12V, or with a small inverter if it is some other voltage.

[navin]

Originally Posted by beanstalk_230

it has the stock 4 speaker setup in it alongwith the single din blaupunkt cassette player and speakers. im not much interested in changing my HU but just want to improve the sound quality. ...actually I am very short on budget.

7K - get new coax speakers in front and rear.
9K - get components in the front and coax in the rear.
15K - get 7K set and spend 8K on a Sony 552 mated to a Pio 12" subwoofer in a box in the trunk
17K - 9K set above + subwoofer as detailed above
20K - 9K as above, JBL GT4-12 instead of Pio 12" drivien by Sony 552.
25K - components for 8K, coax for 5K, JBL subwoofer and Pio 6200 amp for 12K
30K - ditto but get JBL sub and 75.4 amp.
40K - 30K + damping.
50K - upgrade components and coax to Infinity, Hertz Hi_Energy, Illusion Electra, etc..
... the sky IS the limit!

[hydrashok]

Originally Posted by bottle

are there any cons to installing the woofer on the rear parcel shelf rather than a sealed box, since this would free up some boot space ? just curious

@Bottle, installs on the rear parcel shelf does free up space, but these are a few disadvantages:

1) The bass will be pretty boomy and not at all tight.
2) The boot will have to be sealed very well. A very good installer will be able to do this but it is a bit difficut to get just right.
3) You'll need to use a sub-driver optimised for free-air application for best results. there aren't a lot of those available. the Pio307F would be the more commonly available one. I think Kenwood has a modelf that does free-air.
4) In a hatch (like your Palio) the actual space savings are not much. The parcel tray usually has to be fixed a bit lower than the stock tray. the sub's magnet will exten down beyond thus, of course. There will be quite a bit of loss of vertical loading space.
5) The parcel tray wil have to be fixed, and not removable/flippable to get the install right. This will again compromise space.

So all found, I'd use a removable box for a good-sounding install, and for best use of boot-space.

[navin]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Not all suffer the same malady. The usual limit on the current is 500mA, and there are some drives (2.5" / 1.8" HDD based) which don't need much.

1.8" drives (the ones used in the ipod for example) use less power than 2.5" drives and are more resilient to shock as well. price and max storage is limited though.

most 1.8" drives use just about 500mA. so if the HU is slightly under speced and the USD drive needs a bit more than the specs then you have a mismatch.

[bottle]

thanks for the detailed post hydrashok

[veyronrocks]

Hey guys!!

I am on a look out for a music system for my Swift VDI( if VDI has got anything to do with this) and 20k (+ or - 1k) is my budget. Went through the posts here on ICE and actually ended up confused what is which? (should I have said "which is what?"). Never mind, I think the guys here are doing a great job and will help me with it.

I'll keep things clear and to the point.

1) The music I listen to?
a) Travis and Coldplay (soft on ears) and blues like Dire Straits
and Eagles 40% of times.
b) 40% -Rock such as Metallica (the soft numbers like Fade to black,Unforgiven and Nothing else matters) Iron Maiden (Blood Brothers, Afraid to Shoot Strangers) Led Zappelin (Stairway to Heaven)
c) 20% -Country music like John Denver.

2) Head Unit?
When enquired about the HU most of the dealers said Alpine is the best. The one that I can fit into the 20k budget is Alpine(CDE-9846) which was quoted around 8k. But went through the alpine website and found a better model (CDE-9870) with an ipod interface for my ipod just for 150$, when converted around 6.5k(in Rs). So is it a good proposition for me to get it from my friend in the US? or is there any other make in US that is actually better for this price tag?

3)Speakers and Others
So 20k - 6.5 for HU leaves with 13.5 for the speakers and Amp&Sub(if required).

a) I need speakers that are crystal clear (with less "shrill" sound) no problem if they are not loud.
b) The Bass- don't want those high intensity bass effect which make the fellow men on the streets turn around their heads on a look-out for the source of the seismic waves. Just a clear thump will do.
Do I actually need to go for a Sub? Don't like the space it consumes, but its OK if you suggest one. Same for the Amp, if it improves the sound quality.

Guys you workout your combination, I got nothing on my mind. The looks do not matter, only the sound does. For the price budget the combination should be the best. If you think the HU wont be suitable for the speaker set-up you have in mind, you are at your liberty to change it.

And one more thing, can all the speakers be fit into the doors? cause that will avoid seating the rear speakers on a plank and save the rear passengers from listening to the music coming from their behind (no scope for humor here please).

Thanks,
Cheers!!!

[navin]

Originally Posted by veyronrocks

3)Speakers and Others
So 20k - 6.5 for HU leaves with 13.5 for the speakers and Amp&Sub(if required).
a) I need speakers that are crystal clear (with less "shrill" sound) no problem if they are not loud.
b) The Bass- don't want those high intensity bass effect which make the fellow men on the streets turn around their heads on a look-out for the source of the seismic waves. Just a clear thump will do.!!!

on this busget I would put in a pair of 69s on an MDF rear deck and drop the sub.The cheapest good amp are the Pio 6200/6300 or Blau GT4 Special. both cost about Rs. 7K. If you get the amp you will have 6K left for speakers. This if mean you are limited to something like a pair of 6x9 and 6" coax from JBL's CS series.

If you strech your budget ot 17-20K without the HU you could get 6" components in the front for 6K, 6x9 coax in the rear for 4K, and a 4 ch. amp from 7-10K.

in addition to this you would need 2 pairs of RCA wire. Good wire would run you 1-1.5K per pair (Audisson, Monster, etc...).

[veyronrocks]

Originally Posted by navin

on this busget I would put in a pair of 69s on an MDF rear deck and drop the sub.The cheapest good amp are the Pio 6200/6300 or Blau GT4 Special. both cost about Rs. 7K. If you get the amp you will have 6K left for speakers. This if mean you are limited to something like a pair of 6x9 and 6" coax from JBL's CS series.

If you strech your budget ot 17-20K without the HU you could get 6" components in the front for 6K, 6x9 coax in the rear for 4K, and a 4 ch. amp from 7-10K.

in addition to this you would need 2 pairs of RCA wire. Good wire would run you 1-1.5K per pair (Audisson, Monster, etc...).

Thanks navin bhai..!! what is a pair of 69s and MDF ?

I have dropped the alpine and am going for Pioneer DHE-P5950IB head unit. It will cost me 5.5k I think, so around 15k is left for amp and speakers.

Give me a nice set-up for this price( something like front compo and rear co-ax) and can i fit the rear speakers in the door without any compromise on sound quality?

Please give me the the model numbers too.
Thanks.

[veyronrocks]

Is 7950 better than 5950 sound quality wise? or is it the same output? i don't want to put in 3k extra just to fiddle around more with the player.

[rocksterraghu]

Originally Posted by veyronrocks

what is a pair of 69s and MDF ?

A pair of 69s?

6X9s are co-axial speakers, oval in shape with a size of 6 inch by 9 inch. They produce better bass compared to the round 5 1/4" and 6 1/2" co-axials.

MDF is medium density filberwood. Softwood is broken down into wood fibres, combined with wax and resin, panels are formed by applying high temperature and pressure. It is better than the stock tray as it minimizes the rattles.

Originally Posted by veyronrocks

Give me a nice set-up for this price( something like front compo and rear co-ax) and can i fit the rear speakers in the door without any compromise on sound quality?

Please give me the the model numbers too.

You can fit the rear speakers in the doors, but I'm afraid you'll have to make a compromise in the quantity and quality of bass. A pair of 6X9s would make a considerable amount of difference in SQ when you have no subwoofer.

JBL GTO 607s for about 6k, a good pair of 6X9s (say, GTO937) for about 4.5 - 5k. A 4 channel amplifier (Pio 944?/JBL 60.4/Blau - GTA475) for about 7 - 7.5k. I know this throws your budget out of the window, since wiring and installation may take another 4k with 800/- for the MDF tray.

Originally Posted by veyronrocks

Is 7950 better than 5950 sound quality wise? or is it the same output? i don't want to put in 3k extra just to fiddle around more with the player.

SQ wise, it would be very marginal if at all there is any. If you don't want the bling and features, it would be a very decision to buy the 5950.

[veyronrocks]

Thanks a lot raghu.

Hey am I loosing a lot of bass by actually going for round 6 1/2 s in the rear door? Actually its my old parents who ll be traveling in the rear seats most of the time, so don;t want to bother them much.

Also which is better in the rear swift door? Pio GTO 6527S or GTO 6537? or any other model? are these pios good?

[navin]

Originally Posted by veyronrocks

Also which is better in the rear swift door? Pio GTO 6527S or GTO 6537? or any other model? are these pios good?

FOr speakers you can do better than Sony or Pio. JBL, Blau Thx, Hertz, Illusion, Infinity, etc. all make nicer speakers.

[Sam Kapasi]

Aha!! I see I have returned just in time to make...