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Phishman068 Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007 Posts: 1866 Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:39 pm Post subject: Official Stereo Suggestions Thread |
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I am planning to install a stereo system in my project syncro which has nothing in it so far. What front door speakers do you have and love, and how easy are they to install?
(And where can I get them?)
What Head unit do you have and what do you love about it?
And for those of you with passanger vans such as myself, what do you do for rear speakers/enclosures?
Thanks! |
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scottf3334 Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2006 Posts: 205 Location: Davenport, FL
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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I put the DUAL XDMA6415 in my mini and plan on putting it in the van as well.
My iphone auto connects to it with blue tooth. So phone calls come over the speakers, you listen to music with no wires as well. Has remote, usb port. Cost less than $100.
I am using some 5 inch Polk DBs with it also less than $100. They are prob too deep for the front doors though
Sounds good, lots of features and cheap. I have plenty of other things to spend money on _________________ 84 Westy
78 Super vert
87 Westy Zetec |
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BitterBeerFace Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2010 Posts: 386 Location: Southern MN
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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While my setup won't impress the real audio snobs, I like to think it's a 90/10 system. 90% of the sound for 10% of the money.
Kenwood KDC 350 (I think) for a receiver
4x Rockford Fosgate prime 6.5" speakers (two in front doors, two in rear hatch)
1x Boss 600 self-power sub.
For all the parts on sale, including cabling etc it was well under $400. _________________ 1980 Full Camper, been in the family since it was brand new!
1989 Full Camper, great-great-aunt's since brand new! |
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Mundopacheco Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2006 Posts: 439 Location: Durango, Colorado
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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No need to cut for bigger speakers!!!!!!!!!
Pioneer decks fit well and are reasonably priced. I just installed a complete system in my Westy. Pioneer deck, amp (driving the two fronts and the sub,) 10" sub-woofer and four 4" speakers (amp and all speakers are Memphis Audio/quality at a reasonable price.)
Important to note that you do not need to cut your van for bigger speakers!!!!!! (Did I mention that?) The 4 inchers work great. The sub I mounted in a built in box, beneath the rear bench, as per Jake de Villiers' advice. This system sounds fantastic.......550.00 will be about the least you can spend for a great sounding system, if you install it yourself. Good luck |
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chojinchef Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2011 Posts: 1539 Location: Central Massachusetts
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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Alpine CDA 105
Alpine MRP 500 amps
Rockford Fosgate 4 inch and 5.25" with tweeter in front doors
RF 5.25 with tweeter in Westy overhead cabinet
RF 6x9 in Westy base cabinet
Pleased overall for what I spent (not that much)
LP _________________ Its a mistress; an expensive, whiney, needy bitch of a mistress. She is a chunky, dirty girl with bad skin, little motivation and yet she always makes me smile. She sure has been around before shacking up with me. She has a direct line to my wallet, plays with my emotions, is consistantly jovial yet with a sarcastic and sardonic side, is consistant in her inconsistancy, and every once in a while gives me a great ride and a fantastic memory. |
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BillWYellowstone Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2011 Posts: 767 Location: Yellowstone NP
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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I had a Panasonic in mine when I bought it, but hated the controls. I had a Sony I remeoved from my motorhome and installed it. Great controls. I am not an audiophile, so the existing speakers were fine. Polk Audio 6x9's in doors and 4" rounds in the rear. Run my iTouch thru the aux. _________________ Live Fulltime in motorhome
Have 86 Westy Camper 2.1 rebuilt
Work in Yellowstone NP year round. |
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Phishman068 Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007 Posts: 1866 Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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So "Installed in the rear tailgate" means installed by cutting holes in the body panel in the rear tailgate? I never thought of that. How are the wires run? |
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BitterBeerFace Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2010 Posts: 386 Location: Southern MN
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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No holes in the body panel, just holes in the cardboard panel:
The tailgate is really quite deep, so there's plenty of room. I ran the wires in the same path as the power for the defrost (which I very rarely use)
Here's the fronts... the tiny original speakers were down there before. The bezel doesn't raise it enough to get in the way of your feet or the glove box. And no metal cutting required.
_________________ 1980 Full Camper, been in the family since it was brand new!
1989 Full Camper, great-great-aunt's since brand new! |
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SteveVanB Samba Member
Joined: June 01, 2008 Posts: 1645 Location: This side of Daytona
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:54 am Post subject: |
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Alpine CDA-9886 head unit. It has ipod controls and a pretty kick ass eq built in. Infinity seperates in the front doors. The old school ones with the 6" midbass and the silk dome tweets.(smoooooth) Some 6 1/2" Boston Acoustics(fx6?) in the rear hatch. Wanted to go bigger but depth was an issue. I ran the wire on the opposite side of the defroster wires. there was a couple dimples up ther where I drilled. I protected the wire with some left over fuel line. Picked up an old school (made in Japan not China) Sony 6 channel amp (xm-3060). Got it in 5 ch. mode with ch. 5&6 bridged to fire the 8" sub under the rear seat. The 8" sounds WAY better and bigger than you would ever think
I've since covered the rear speakers with some square grills from an old VW Fox.
_________________ 91 CARAT |
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teej Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2010 Posts: 897 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:40 am Post subject: |
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An amplifier can make nearly any head sound good. We have been pleased with the Eclipse EA 4200, purchased thru Crutchfield. Low draw (class D) amp, with good sound and decent power, fits under the driver seat (or wherever). Lower draw is nice if you play it on batteries much. _________________ 1986+ Wolfsburg Weekender Pop-Top 2.3 WBX Manual Trans |
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GrindGarage Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008 Posts: 710 Location: Ocean City, NJ
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:46 am Post subject: |
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4" Infinity Front
5.5" Generics in Ac Cab Stock location
10" Sub
1 4 channel Alpine Amp 2 channels bridge to Sub
4 speakers on other 2 channels
Gansta Sony headunit to turn on amp
RCA -> Headphone cable plugged Directly into my EVO 4G Phone
With a smartphone no need for headunit. If you look in my van can't tell there is anything worth stealing. Great sound with stealth look. _________________ -cliff
91 Vanagon AUTO
97 Single Port EJ22 all smallcar.com |
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MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17009 Location: Retired South Florida
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:15 am Post subject: |
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Clarion CSM1 Marine stereo with 4 Boston Acoustic S-35 speakers fit into the stock speaker grills. I lost the factory radio slot to the center vents. The Clarion unit had two advantages. One, the main section is remote to the head mounted behind the lower dash trim peice. It is also has the weather band. I am very happy with the results.
_________________ ☮️ |
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miketv Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2011 Posts: 19 Location: Homestead, FL
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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I put in a Clarion FZ501. I chose to get a stereo that did not have a CD player, but instead rely on hooking up to IPOD or a USB Memory Stick. I did this because I did not want a huge stack of CD's junking up the floor. 8GB sticks are so cheap today, you can put days of music on it. The install was simple with only minor modification to get it to fit. it can also run Sirius radio as well as Bluetooth, though I have not used either of these features.
_________________ '85 Westy |
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BillM Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2004 Posts: 1381 Location: Stonington,CT
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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One thing to keep in mind while searching for a stereo is because of the stock location. Some of the screens can't be seen from an angle. I have an Alpine stereo that unless I lean way over I can't see what station it's on. I hate it. It came with the van and on top of not being able to see the station I don't like the controls on it. I am thinking of installing something similar to the Dual head unit that is just a tuner and has a USB input. I tried the Dual model but I had two units DOA out of the box. Replacing the Alpine is one of my winter projects I have planned. _________________ Bill M
87 Westy |
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jmranger Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2010 Posts: 699 Location: Quebec
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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BitterBeerFace wrote: |
While my setup won't impress the real audio snobs, I like to think it's a 90/10 system. 90% of the sound for 10% of the money. |
Well, if that's 90/10, mine is closer to 60/0.
Stock VW/Audi/Autobahn radio with cassette, 4 stock speakers, iPod and stereo-plug-to-cassette adapter. Cassette adapters are impossible to buy, you have to ask friends with large basements to scan for them (when I asked, I got two...)
Good enough when driving considering that the van is, errr, non-silent - and I don't listen to music when parked. |
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Tom Powell Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2005 Posts: 4855 Location: Kaneohe
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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A hand held remote is nice when you are sitting in the back seat or about to fall asleep in the bed.
Aloha
tp |
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chojinchef Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2011 Posts: 1539 Location: Central Massachusetts
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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Tom Powell wrote: |
A hand held remote is nice when you are sitting in the back seat or about to fall asleep in the bed.
Aloha
tp |
X2 From bed, or outside. Nothing worse than having the wife's female angst music interrupt my male angst tunes.
Alpine I have has no visual issues as mentioned previously. _________________ Its a mistress; an expensive, whiney, needy bitch of a mistress. She is a chunky, dirty girl with bad skin, little motivation and yet she always makes me smile. She sure has been around before shacking up with me. She has a direct line to my wallet, plays with my emotions, is consistantly jovial yet with a sarcastic and sardonic side, is consistant in her inconsistancy, and every once in a while gives me a great ride and a fantastic memory. |
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fsf1o1 Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2011 Posts: 186 Location: Florida
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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Pioneer makes really good stuff |
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SteelB12 Samba Member
Joined: December 21, 2010 Posts: 591 Location: Central Virginia
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SteveVanB Samba Member
Joined: June 01, 2008 Posts: 1645 Location: This side of Daytona
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:18 am Post subject: |
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I would personally stay with the "big" guys for head units. Sony, Pioneer. Alpine........etc. Good cheap ones can be found. Check the pawn shops...... _________________ 91 CARAT |
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