10-Speaker guys who've changed head unit ~ help please

mik_ok · Dec 27, 2004

All the 'real" car audio shops in Glasgow were closed today, so I ventured to Halfrauds..... [

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Spoke to several teenagers. Each informed me that I didn't need a convertor lead as my head unit was already DIN standard (I'm fitting a Blaupunkt head). Each said "I'll go and get someone" when I showed them the back of the std Panasonic head unit, and I got to repeat the conversation with a fresh teen. And again.

Eventually a guru who remained in the back shop declared that "autoleads do one, but it's not in stock and they're not open again 'til the 4th Jan". 4rsegrapes.

Can anyone confirm this? Or should I just buy a DIN connector for the back of the blaupunkt and hard wire it in to the existing loom? (not preffered)

thanks in advance (Ladies and) gents. [

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Guest · Dec 27, 2004

ORIGINAL: mik_ok

Or should I just buy a DIN connector for the back of the blaupunkt and hard wire it in to the existing loom? (not preffered)

Thats what i did!!!

mik_ok · Dec 27, 2004

Is it?

I was gonna call you, but decided I'd be intruding on yer hol! [

]

How'd the missus like her chrimbly present?

Anyway - I may resort to this....... but will give Drivers a shout first tomorrow. ....just in case there is a convertor lead do-dah available.

PS - there was a round (7-pin?) DIN cable at the back of the std head that didn't seem to be connected to anything...... ring any bells? [&:]

Guest · Dec 27, 2004

ORIGINAL: mik_ok

Is it?

I was gonna call you, but decided I'd be intruding on yer hol! []

How'd the missus like her chrimbly present?

Anyway - I may resort to this....... but will give Drivers a shout first tomorrow. ....just in case there is a convertor lead do-dah available.

PS - there was a round (7-pin?) DIN cable at the back of the std head that didn't seem to be connected to anything...... ring any bells? [&:]

Not sure but that might have been for the extra amp and graphic eq?

Mine had an Alpina HU in it anyway so it wasnt a standard connection. I just used bullit connectors. As you say if you can get a convertor then its the best option.

Fen · Dec 27, 2004

My cab (which doesn't have the 10-speaker option) has a nifty male ISO speaker block to 4 female speaker sockets (the ones with the flat and round pin) so ISO HU's fit straight in on the output side. I think the power ISO connector is hard wired in but as it came with a Blaupunkt I haven't messed with this area.

My Turbo has the 10-speaker option and I think I hard-wired into that. I can check in the daylight if you like as the console and everything is out of it just now so it's easy to see. It didn't have the amp by the time I got it though, there was some shonky Sanyo HU and CD changer in it.

Note you will need to find an illumination wire for the dimmer function to work. I use the central locking switch as it's the closest thing that lights up.

mik_ok · Dec 27, 2004

Cheers Fen ~ sounds like Halfrauds have the std (basic) model on their system....

If it needs to be hard wired then so be it .......

sawood12 · Dec 28, 2004

Don't know if i've got the gist of this email thread but in other cars i've bought a male/female standard ISO block from Halfords (less than a tenner), hardwired in one half to the car loom so the std block at the back of the head unit can plug straight in. It's useful for any future head unit changes and means you don't have to cut the plug off the back of the head unit and hard wire in the head unit.

I'm looking to upgrade my current head unit later this year. I detest MP3 (worse sound quality than analogue cassete) so would like to go for a CD changer. Where is the best place to locate one? I thought about fitting it inside the glove box but havn't measured up to see if one will fit or if there is anything solid to attach it to.

Cheers.

mik_ok · Dec 28, 2004

sawood - seen them mounted in the right hand boot recess (under the carpet flap).

My Blaupunkt now hard-wired in [

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Guest · Dec 29, 2004

i didnt read what everyone has written so far, theres too much! but i fit car audio and the porsche may have an 'active' system. this means that there may be an amplifier somewhere and it is NOT advisable to just wire to it if this is the case. there are issues about audio levels of speaker or line level output.... blah blah. autoleads always shut for ages and its always at the least convienient time, like at 2pm the afternoon before a new registration comes out and everyone wants ps2's DVD's and more screens than they have in their house all rammed into their new chrysler, jag, merc etc and i have no leads, connectors etc. b ugger.

sawood12 · Dec 29, 2004

mik_ok,
Thanks for reply. I thought about fitting it there but was put off due to cable run and was also worried about moisture levels due to drainage/ventilation hole at the bottom of the recess affecting the changer (the cardboard box for my compressor pump is pretty damp). Also it is a handy little cubby hole for small items, stopping them from sliding around in the boot. It will be my plan B though. I've also seen them located under seats in other makes of car but I suspect there will not be enough room under the seats in the 944.

Hope you're happy with the new Blaupunkt.

Fen · Dec 29, 2004

The glovebox is probably big enough for a modern changer, but then it's an even more handy cubby than the one behind the wheel well IMO. I had my changers where mik suggested back when I used to use them and I didn't have any dampness problems. You're right it won't fit under a seat unless you don't mind restricting the height adjustment, and I suspect the motors may be powerful enough to damage a plastic casing if you forget and crush it.

The only other place I can suggest is in the spare wheel area. Depending how big the changer is you might be able to fit it in there, although it might have to be wedged so it can come out to get the wheel out. I have by DAB hideaway box in there just now, wedged between the tread of the spacesaver and the side of the well.

I understand what you are saying about MP3 although I think it's overstating it to say it's worse than analogue cassette. Maybe a top quality cassette recording from a top quality source using high-end equipment and top quality cassette tape would sound pretty good but once it's been played a few times, especially on a car stereo, stored in far from ideal temperature etc. it will soon lose its dynamic range and the unavoidable background hiss will become more apparent. By contrast an MP3 ripped using decent equipment at a reasonable sample rate doesn't sound too compressed. Admittedly it will never sound as clear and open as a good uncompressed recording but in a 944 the soundstage is never very good unless you spend £££ on a professional install. I find my iPod sounds acceptably good with decent earphones, but then again I rarely listen to anything but compressed digital sources (MP3/AAC and DAB)nowadays because they are so comvenient.

mik_ok · Dec 29, 2004

Interesting..... I've yet to listen to an MP3 recording..... ever!

Guess I will soon.....will comment then.... [8|]

Diver944 · Dec 29, 2004

ORIGINAL: sawood12

I detest MP3 (worse sound quality than analogue cassete)

Hmmm, that's a shame I had planned to go MP3 with a single disc DAB radio in the head unit. I currently have a Kenwood changer in the boot cubby, but its very sensitive to cold weather and will only load a few CD's when it gets cold (wierdly they are mostly Meat Loaf [&:] )

colinbythesea · Dec 31, 2004

ORIGINAL: sawood12

I'm looking to upgrade my current head unit later this year. I detest MP3 (worse sound quality than analogue cassete) so would like to go for a CD changer. Where is the best place to locate one? I thought about fitting it inside the glove box but havn't measured up to see if one will fit or if there is anything solid to attach it to.

Cheers.

Please don't be so hard on MP3's. Seriously though, a high quality encoded MP3 can be very good quality. I have no personal experience of the playback from head units but have purchased music from iTunes that came as an MP3, as well as encoding my own audio CD's, and made normal audio CDs from them. Theoretically the audio CD should reflect the quality of the MP3 or be worse. They sound excellent on a very high quality hi fi, the sort of system you would have to sell your 944 for. There is a slight lack of clarity but they can often be better than a shop bought audio CD. Add a Porsche engine in the background and there should be no discernable difference.

If you have experience of encoding MP3's at home and had bad results, maybe the encoding and replay software is not good. Or, maybe you heard media player audio type files which can be horrible but smaller in size. Try downloading iTunes (for PC or Mac) from apple.com. You can encode your existing CD's in good MP3 files and burn new audio, or MP3 CD's. You can also keep a juke box on your PC and buy tunes at 79p each.

Guest · Dec 31, 2004

*grin* here endeth the first unpaid advert for itunes!!........

sue

Fen · Dec 31, 2004

I don't disagree but iTunes music store files are AAC, not MP3. I downloaded a Laurie Anderson album recently and was quite impressed by that - it isn't the first music I have bought from there but it is the first that would really have suffered if it was poor quality.

NorthernBloke · Jan 1, 2005

I removed my changer and replaced with an MP3/WMA capable head unit.

However, to try and offset the quality loss I burn the tracks at 320Kbps (from my own CD's of course).

This means I only get 4-6 albums per CD but that's enough to save me putting a changer back in and is of sufficient quality that I don't miss the the full CD's

Hope that helps a little

Andy

Guest · Jan 1, 2005

In fact itunes is in a selectable format....aac or mp3...l downloaded in mp3 from them originally so as to make audio discs for the car.....now do use aac files but have not yet burnt any discs for the car......as they do a free weekly download its worthwhile giving it a whirl to see how it sounds on each individuals set up.....

sue

happy new year......

83' 944
ex 81' 924
ex 79' 924

Fen · Jan 1, 2005

Are you sure? I have my iTunes set to rip to MP3 and I don't see any other settings for preferred format. I just downloaded the current free track and it has come in as a "Protected AAC" which is what I understood all iTunes Music Store recordings are. You can still burn to a CD in a choice of audio CD, MP3 or data formats regardless of the source format though.

Guest · Jan 1, 2005

Hi all

Sues Husbands View !!!( cos sues still learning about this stuff)

What you can do with itunes.

1) Import your own audio CDs and convert to your selected format whilst importing - MP3, AAC (MP4), WAV ... and more.

2) Purchase music which is stored as AAC (MP4) but protected so you can't convert it within itunes to another format and probably sell it on or something but can be burnt as an MP3.

3) Convert any of 1) to AAC (MP4) and store on iTunes.

4) Burn a CD for your car in audio CD, MP3 or Data Format.

- With AAC emerging producing MP3 size files of greater quality and a lossless (in quality) option this could be where compressed audio is going. For £150 to £200 is it worth buying a car MP3 player or a portable Juke Box (iPod etc..) which can take firmware updates when a new file format appears and can connect to the car audio using an FM transmitter?

sue