Who here knows car audio? What is the best resource?

[B5Burn]

I need a little advice please.

Are there any really solid online resources out there for head unit and car speaker reviews? I know my way around what I think I need, and know what I like... just want to carve out some choices to start planning.

My car was in a local Toyo DTP show with some club friends and it was really funny, well, sad-funny. All wheel drive power and motor build with a pretty face and an Alpine tape deck. Yes, it's awesome rocking an iPod cassette adapter, but the car is designed for speed. :)

ANYWAY, the "I.C.E." needs and upgrade, bad. Real bad. I am torn as to how far I want to go, but pretty sure I know the limits. She's going to make it to some shows over the next year or two.. so I want something cool, but not insane, I have other things to upgrade also, plus she gets driven. I'm obviously not doing 5 screens and 7 subs... I just want a great headunit, speaker upgrades all around, removable sub... that's about it.
Thanks.
B.

Here she is showing off the goods;

[ryannorthcott]

www.crutchfield.com

[A4Rob]

buy my subs

[Kyle H]

onemoremile is one of the more knowledgeable guys on here... www.realmofexcursion.com is a good forum, as well as www.caraudioforum.com.

Don't buy anything from crutchfield, www.woofersetc.com and www.onlinecarstereo.com and sometimes ebay are all good. For wiring, www.knukonceptz.com is the way to go... stay away from JL unless you want to pay for the name. If you're not comfortable making a box yourself, find a good local car audio shop. A system is only as good as it's install, so make sure you get some sound deadener.... I can't remember the name of the really good one... it's rammat iirc.

I have a eDesign sub and phoenix gold amps, and CDT comps. Make sure you use lots of sound deadening and get amps that are rated at equal power or more power than your speakers are.

edit:
Also, you can't go wrong ordering anything off of this site: www.soundsolutionsaudio.com

edit 2:
or here: https://ssl.perfora.net/www.ficaraud...dex.shopscript

or here: http://www.sundownaudio.com/

and get a Nakamichi cd500 for your headunit.

[urban96]

swap to double din and get this http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...sh/AVIC-F900BT

[B5Burn]

swap to double din and get this http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...sh/AVIC-F900BT

FU man! FU!! hahahaha I SHOULD have prefaced my post with DO NOT SUGGEST DBL DIN AVIC ROUTE!! hahahahaha.. wow, I would LOVE TO! I looked at the math of it all and it's just not in the cards. The centre console swap alone is too much work.

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys.
B.

[phantomb5]

i remember seeing this car!!! seen you at DTP winnipeg

[Vreihenmotor6]

I say F the aftermarket headunit and do something like this:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=176068

although its not in the post, I've also added a fockford audio processor too

[B5Burn]

i remember seeing this car!!! seen you at DTP winnipeg

Hey man, never got a chance to say hello... even asked Shaun (my friend with the RSTI beside you in the Toyo booth) to introduce... Looked for you on a cpl forums. how are things in TO.? Did you drive to the show?? Or trailer? must have been a long haul.

Clean ride! Mine's not sooo show worthy, all the goodies are in the motor, but it was a fun event anyway.

B.

[B5Burn]

I say F the aftermarket headunit and do something like this:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=176068

although its not in the post, I've also added a fockford audio processor too

Yyyeeaahhh.. I love this a lot, thanks for the suggestion. lots of work though. I already have an aftermarket h/u, so it would mean finding a replacement OE headunit, and then fabbing the rest into the vent and stuff... I could simply buy the Alpine IDX h/u that has the iPod screen built in....

At the end of the day, I have enough gauges in the cockpit (with one or more to come), I'd like to keep the "entertainment" centralized to one spot. MAYBE a flip out screen... but that's a stretch.

Thx guys.

[onemoremile]

No need to swap consoles to go double din. Just move the climate controls to the ashtray location and you've got enough room for a 10" touchscreen.

A lot of great companies put more into R&D and quality control than into marketing. Brands like Elemental Designs. I'd go with an old skool a/d/s amp from ebay, a good component set, and a single 10 or 12 in a simple fiberglass enclosure in the side of the trunk.

[B5Burn]

No need to swap consoles to go double din. Just move the climate controls to the ashtray location and you've got enough room for a 10" touchscreen.

A lot of great companies put more into R&D and quality control than into marketing. Brands like Elemental Designs. I'd go with an old skool a/d/s amp from ebay, a good component set, and a single 10 or 12 in a simple fiberglass enclosure in the side of the trunk.

Regarding the console: OH!! Realllly? That opens a new can of worms!! Dang you onemoremile and your always helpful knowledge!! hahaha. I looked at an Avic setup, but saw the drama with a console swap.. no thanks! But, I will have to search around... not sure about the climate controls move, but sounds like it's been done before.

Regarding the gear: I hear you.. I have been more of a lightweight audiophile kinda guy for most of my life.. (Mcintosh, Rotel and Boston make up my home gear, not HIGH END, but not garbage).

Greatly appreciate the mention about the Dbl DIN.. the search continues.

B.

[phantomb5]

yea i know, i actually tried looking for you as well. i didnt know that shaun was part of your crew until the after party when he told me. nah we trailered the red jetta and my car from TO. i didnt want to take any chances with it driving 23hrs haha but it still was a long ass haul from TO to wpg hahaha. TO's alright boring but only cus i live here lol hows the audi scene where u are? we actually go a vw/audi show this sunday called vagkraft. i like the goodies under the hood!!! haha i was actually thinking about doing kinda lthe same turbo setup

Hey man, never got a chance to say hello... even asked Shaun (my friend with the RSTI beside you in the Toyo booth) to introduce... Looked for you on a cpl forums. how are things in TO.? Did you drive to the show?? Or trailer? must have been a long haul.

Clean ride! Mine's not sooo show worthy, all the goodies are in the motor, but it was a fun event anyway.

B.

[hiwords1]

you don't drive around without a heatshield on the hood do you? as for the speakers in the doors, they can be upgraded to a bigger size and still fit in the door with custom brackets. somebody did it on AF but i forgot who. definitely get bigger rear deck speakers. how about putting tweeters on the A pillar on both sides? you can do the passenger side by getting a euro gauge holder.

[Kyle H]

A lot of great companies put more into R&D and quality control than into marketing. Brands like Elemental Designs. I'd go with an old skool a/d/s amp from ebay, a good component set, and a single 10 or 12 in a simple fiberglass enclosure in the side of the trunk.

I have head a whoooooooole lot of bad talk about eDesign on basically every other car audio forum saying that they rip off other companies designs and have shady business practices. I personally love my 13Ov.2, but do you know anything about the hate towards them?

[pac1085]

you don't drive around without a heatshield on the hood do you?

Are you referring to the hood insulation? Early A4's did not even come with it.

[onemoremile]

I have head a whoooooooole lot of bad talk about eDesign on basically every other car audio forum saying that they rip off other companies designs and have shady business practices. I personally love my 13Ov.2, but do you know anything about the hate towards them?

I haven't heard or seen anything bad but I haven't looked either. Since I closed the shop 10 years ago I have only done a few custom systems for friends and used brands like Quart, Sony ES, Adire Audio, and Denon. I used a lot of the old stock that was just sitting in my basement too. I also used less common equipment like Morel, Seas, Scanspeak, Peerless, etc..

I was looking at the eDesign 7 or 9 for my front doors but don't want to get caught up in the car audio spending spiral again.

[Kyle H]

I haven't heard or seen anything bad but I haven't looked either. Since I closed the shop 10 years ago I have only done a few custom systems for friends and used brands like Quart, Sony ES, Adire Audio, and Denon. I used a lot of the old stock that was just sitting in my basement too. I also used less common equipment like Morel, Seas, Scanspeak, Peerless, etc..

I was looking at the eDesign 7 or 9 for my front doors but don't want to get caught up in the car audio spending spiral again.

Oh okay, just thought I'd check.

The spending spiral is a good way to describe it... It's one of those things that if you're going to do something you always just want to go all the way! I hate it, haha.

[goody6691]

i have the alpine idx hu. love it. no more cd's for me. lights up red too

[B5Burn]

TO's alright boring but only cus i live here lol hows the audi scene where u are? we actually go a vw/audi show this sunday called vagkraft. i like the goodies under the hood!!! haha i was actually thinking about doing kinda lthe same turbo setup

I AM the Audi scene. Haha, I kid! It's not huge though... I THINK I am the only "built" B5 A4, but there are more than a handful of fairly nice rides (clean, well running, some bolt on stuff and wheels/suspensions).. we don't have a huge tuning scene overall here.. lots of bolt-on-Bob's and Honda fartcans. The VW scene is fairly healthy here though.

Vagkraft, never heard of it..