Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with stereo and caraudio

How to install a new head unit?

ibfrog — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:51:11 -0800

car audio filter: Trying to replace the head unit on my car and I'm getting lost in the wiring harness and install instructions. (lots of questions inside) This may be a really specific question but I'm trying to wire a JVC KD-AHD39 into my 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. The Lancer has a subwoofer and an amp under the driver's seat.

The harness in the car has 5 wires attached and the harness that was sent from crutchfield only has 4. First question is : Any ideas on what the extra wire is?

The manual for the JVC head lists one of the leads as the "Accessory Terminal". Second question: Is this the line that runs to the switched power? (The extra diagrams seem to suggest that but I'm not electrically inclined and I'd rather not blow anything up)

The crutchfield wiring harness has a line coming out of it called "Power Antenna". It matches a wire in the harness in the car but I have no idea what it is and I can't find a wiring diagram for the car. Any idea what a "power antenna" is

There is a remote lead coming out of the JVC that is supposed to be for other equipment. The install instructions list that as the line to run to the remote power on for extra amplifiers. There is a line in the crutchfield harness that is supposed to be an amplifier turn on, but the crutchfield wire has a special end on it. The wire from crutchfield is a bare wire. Are these two wires meant to be together or do I have the connection completely messed up?

Second to last question (sorry for the mega-post): I'm not completely sure how the subwoofer gets tied into the new system. There doesn't seem to be anything in the crutchfield harness that mentions a subwoofer.

There is a chance I ended up with the wrong harness from crutchfield and I'm trying to call them (they are backed up at the moment). Are there any other things I can do to learn some of these answers for myself?

Amplifying speaker level outputs on my car's factory stereo?

knave — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 05:29:54 -0800

Do car audio amplifiers sound any good using speaker level inputs? I have a 2001 Maxima SE with the non-Bose stereo system. It is supposedly "premium audio," but in my opinion the sound is pretty mediocre -- reasonable bass response, muddled mids and inconsistent highs.

In past cars, I've simply replaced the stereo with a decent Alpine unit along with new speakers, and everything is good. However, in this car, the stereo is a big trapezoidal component of the center console, and any aftermarket head unit is not going to look appropriate there. I'm fine with adding an amplifier and replacing the speakers if it will give me quality sound using the stock head unit. If the sound will still be mediocre, though, then I'll hesitantly start looking at aftermarket stereos.

Regarding the quality of sound: I'm not after big booming bass or anything, just high fidelity reproduction across the spectrum.

Spectacularly terrible car stereo...

Ian A.T. — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 01:34:09 -0800

My car stereo is probably as bad as it can possibly be and still produce sound. But…I think you guys can help me. The stereo is a factory-issue AM/FM/cassette deck from a mid-90s Caprice. (It has a Bose logo on it, whatever that means.) The symptoms:
        -The sound is really low; not indecipherible, but low enough that I’m always trying to turn it up a bit.
        -The sound also only comes out of one speaker, despite the fact that all four of them work. I know this because once a month or so I’ll hit a bump and have the glorious luxury of four-speaker sound for about ten seconds or so.
        -On coldish mornings, the radio produces only a terrifying high-pitched squeal until it “warms up.” Sometimes this takes fifteen minutes; on particularly cold mornings, the sound never goes away.

Okay! So I assume that the problem isn’t the “head unit” but rather the amp gone spectacularly haywire. Accordingly, here’s my questions…before you read them, please appreciate that my knowledge of car audio is limited mostly to adjusting the volume on NPR:

Is it the amp? Do I even have an amp?
If it’s not the amp, is it the head unit? Will I ever stop giggling when I type “head unit”?

Can I bypass the amp, or is this something I have to replace?
Please keep in mind that I know nothing about this. If I have to replace it, what should I look for when I’m buying? Obviously, I don’t need anything too powerful: I’ll be using my stereo to listen to the news and my iPod (via the cassette) a few times a week…not pumping b-b-b-b-b-b-b-bass as I cruise past your bedroom in the early morning hours. What’s a reasonable price range?

If I need to bypass or replace the amp, is this something I could do myself?
Despite my ignorance at all things car audio, I’m reasonably handy when it comes to automobile stuff: I change my own oil, give myself tune-ups, rotate my tires, and replace my own brakes. I mean, I don’t drop the transmission or anything like that, but I’m not clueless.

Thanks in advance for your help!

(Interesting tangent: the reason I probably need to do this myself is that I live in New Orleans. “Oh, right,” you’re saying, “and most of your car audio places are underwater or looted or just plain closed.” But, in a weird and depressing twist: no. In fact, most of them are open, they’re just packed. Like, ten-day waiting lists before you can even drop your car off overnight to maybe get looked at. Apparently, there’s a certain kind of person who gets a FEMA check and the first thing that springs to mind is b-b-b-b-b-b-b-bass.)

Looking for a car stereo with a good UI.

Plutor — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 06:36:24 -0800

The factory-installed stereo in my car has stopped playing CDs, and my commute is fairly long, so this is essentially unacceptable. I've looked into getting it repaired, but the whole stereo'll have to be sent away for weeks, and it'll end up costing a bunch. But I've yet to find an add-on in-dash stereo for $200 or less that isn't terribly ugly. I have a 2003 Nissan Altima; the current stereo (and dash) looks like this, which I'm otherwise 100% happy with. I'm not really an audiophile, so pretty much any stereo will probably sound good enough for me. I've considered buying an MP3 player, but my stock stereo doesn't have an aux port, and it'd require a lot of CD-ripping time to convert all of my collection. I'm savvy enough that I have absolutely no problem mounting a stereo myself.

But I absolutely hate the trend of blinking lights and tiny lettering on tiny chrome buttons that seems pervasive in the car stereo market. My priority is a good UI. Is that too much to ask for?