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ThankYouJerry
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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 Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 8:45 pm Post subject: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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Disclaimer: I'm not saying this is remotely the "be-all-end-all" but it's what I have and I like it a lot.
Receiver: Kenwood KVT7012BT 2DIN - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UVWC34I/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Amplifier: Alpine - https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-KTP-445U-4-channel-P...+amplifier
Front Speakers - 6.5" Focal Separates - https://www.amazon.com/Focal-P165V15-2-Way-Compone...+separates
Rear Speakers: 4" Focal Coaxial - https://www.amazon.com/IC100-Focal-Integration-Coa...2+speakers
Subwoofer: Focal iBus20 8" - https://www.amazon.com/iBUS-20-Enclosure-Integrate...al+ibus+20
Alpine Rear View Camera - https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-HCE-C125-Rear-View-C...iew+camera
Alpine Rear View Camera License Plate Frame Mount - https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-KTX-C10LP-License-Pl...iew+camera
If I had to do it all over again...
1. I'd offset the tweeters off center toward the cabin instead of center of the mounting panel.
2. I had a $300 Alpine single DIN before that actually sounded better than the Kenwood 2DIN (but no screen for a rear view camera). I wish Alpine made a similar 2DIN receiver with Apple CarPlay. One can dream, right?
3. Might consider Focal 5.25" rear speakers instead of 4"... The 4" speakers are absolutely fine but, why not?
Overall it's a nice system. The biggest issue is that there is no "auto correct" for the equalizer as many live and studio recordings are simply recorded at different levels. I think that's probably the case for most systems.
I love having a rear view camera. Not only is it an important safety feature (especially having two young children and frequenting campgrounds) but it makes parallel parking in town a breeze. I can get within 1" of the car behind me and know I'm not going to hit it. 
Another great feature is I can easily switch off the subwoofer when camped if I want to / need to save juice. The food in the ARB is far more important than bass (sacrilege, I know).
My kids and I watch videos on the screen laying on the downstairs bed. Small picture (big sound!) but fine.
The whole system is switched on/off by a hidden switch under the dash. I've gotten used to that and I like it.
"Let there be songs to fill the air!"
Cheers. 
TYJ
_________________
1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD |
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avernon82
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 292
Location: Richmond,CA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 8:59 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| If you could find a way to mount the tweeters to the A pillars, that would be optimal for sound quality. |
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ThankYouJerry
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| avernon82 wrote: |
| If you could find a way to mount the tweeters to the A pillars, that would be optimal for sound quality. |
True. But, I didn't want empty holes where the original 4" front speakers were. I think you'd honestly be surprised how good they sound where they are. However, like I said above, I may offset them toward the cabin instead of center of the mounting plates. The thing that actually surprises me the most is how good the 6.5" front speakers sound being mounted so low on the doors. If you closed your eyes... you'd never know! Most of the time the sound from the front seat sounds like it's in stereo coming from the center of the windshield.
_________________
1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD |
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baltik
Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2015
Posts: 443
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 9:38 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| Black throated wind, nice |
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ThankYouJerry
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 10:01 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| baltik wrote: |
| Black throated wind, nice |
One of my all time favorites! Despite my avatar, I'm also a huge Bobby fan (among many other artists and genres as well  ).
_________________
1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD |
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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 10:42 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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moldings to house the tweeters can be made to fit into the base of the A pillar where it intersects with the dash
the 4" stock mount area can take mids; and woofers could go lower in the doors
with sbs in back or below the dash
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ThankYouJerry
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 10:47 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| Merian wrote: |
| moldings to house the tweeters can be made to fit into the base of the A pillar where it intersects with the dash |
Got any links?
_________________
1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD |
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mightyart
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 6188
Location: Portland, Oregon
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takeiteasy
Samba Member
Joined: August 11, 2016
Posts: 169
Location: New York, NY
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 5:04 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| ThankYouJerry wrote: |
| baltik wrote: |
| Black throated wind, nice |
One of my all time favorites! Despite my avatar, I'm also a huge Bobby fan (among many other artists and genres as well ). |
I'm a Phish guy (over 100 shows) but really like bobbys new album
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'85 Weekender 1.9L
"With your past and your future precisely divided.
Am I at that moment? I haven't decided." |
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 8269
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 5:48 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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Nice installation! I agree that the rear view camera is a great thing to have.
Where did you get the VW a/c vent? I like it!
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- Jim
| Butcher wrote: |
| This is the main fault with DIY'ers, they get together on these forums and pat themselves on their backs spreading bad information. |
Guilty as charged.
Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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jacrider
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2014
Posts: 67
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 5:57 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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I have been looking at that headunit for a while. I have used many Kenwood's over the years and think this is a good unit for our vans with only a single din.
How do you like it?
Does the screen mirroring work to get you navigation?
Thanks. |
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davideric9
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2009
Posts: 1015
Location: Oakland CA
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:00 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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Great work. Can you post a photo of the rear camera? Is it wired or wireless to the system?
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia, stock (bought 1994)
1986 Syncro Westfalia SVX, 3 knob (bought 2008)
1987 Westfalia (bought 2010)
1988 Wolfsburg GL (bought 2012) |
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oldskewlsk8ter
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:25 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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I'm kinda partial to my front speaker install!!
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1986 Hightop w/EJ25 DOHC & 4EAT auto
1965 Kombi project |
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silversync
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2005
Posts: 195
Location: San Pasqual Valley, CA
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 8:09 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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I like the labels on the heater controls -- good idea!
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Roland: '89 Syncro, '02 911 C4S, '10 Audi A4 Avant |
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Howesight
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3426
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 8:15 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| silversync wrote: |
| I like the labels on the heater controls -- good idea! |
Me too! I have owned my Westy for 8 years now and still have to stare at the controls when adjusting them.
To the OP, thanks for posting the complete info and pics regarding your sound system. I need to upgrade and I have no wish to research this myself. Expect a carbon copy from me soon!
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX |
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Chuey
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2010
Posts: 900
Location: Oceanside, California
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:20 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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I checked out the links to both cameras. Do you use both?
Chuey |
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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:46 am Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| ThankYouJerry wrote: |
| Merian wrote: |
| moldings to house the tweeters can be made to fit into the base of the A pillar where it intersects with the dash |
Got any links? |
"can be made" = roll your own
I think you could use a clay that artists use to get the 3D shape of that area - some of it air dries and can be found on amazon
once you have the exterior shape, you'd then clean off the face and carve it out by hand for the tweeter or could move to a 3D printer for a small run to sell to others
HEY!! Fund my kickstarter for 6 million and I will research this further!
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ThankYouJerry
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 3:27 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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| jimf909 wrote: |
Nice installation! I agree that the rear view camera is a great thing to have.
Where did you get the VW a/c vent? I like it! |
Stephan's Auto Haus.
| jacrider wrote: |
I have been looking at that headunit for a while. I have used many Kenwood's over the years and think this is a good unit for our vans with only a single din.
How do you like it?
Does the screen mirroring work to get you navigation?
Thanks. |
It's "ok". I'd give it a B+ for sound and and a A- for video. My previous $300 Alpine receiver sounded better (with all the same ancillary components listed in my initial post above) but it had no video screen for a rear view camera.
I have not tried screen mirroring for navigation yet.
| davideric9 wrote: |
| Great work. Can you post a photo of the rear camera? Is it wired or wireless to the system? |
Thanks. I'll post a photo of the rear camera later tonight. It is wired. I think most aftermarket units are wired as they must integrate with the gear selector to determine when the vehicle is in reverse.
| Howesight wrote: |
| silversync wrote: |
| I like the labels on the heater controls -- good idea! |
Me too! I have owned my Westy for 8 years now and still have to stare at the controls when adjusting them.
To the OP, thanks for posting the complete info and pics regarding your sound system. I need to upgrade and I have no wish to research this myself. Expect a carbon copy from me soon! |
Thanks. My son made those labels a few years ago when he was 7 or 8. I like 'em too  .
| Chuey wrote: |
I checked out the links to both cameras. Do you use both?
Chuey |
The camera is sold independently from the license plate frame that holds it. There is only one camera.
_________________
1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD |
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ThankYouJerry
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 3:45 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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The wires simply go through the hatch behind the license plate, to the receiver, the gear selector, and the handbrake switch.
_________________
1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD |
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mightyart
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 6188
Location: Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:40 pm Post subject: Re: A decent modern sound system - Weekender |
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That's a cool setup, nice work!
I put two cameras in, one in the front and one in the back.
The back one can work as a backup camera, but they are really for seeing out when the curtains are all up. I bypassed the safety thing where it only works when the vans in reverse and hooked it up to a switch on the dash so I can turn them on when needed. Worked really good when I had the van packed so full that I couldn't see out the back window, just turned on the rear camera and I could see better then using the rear view mirror.
Here's the set up.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=423017
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