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OfflinePDU
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Buying car audio...(update)
    #7717788 - 12/04/07 10:22 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Now that ive realized i can connect my Zen media player to a car deck via usb or adapter, im starting to consider upgrading my car audio..

Im wondering wether its better to go to a "big box" store like futureshop, or a small audio/alarm custom shop.

I live in a midsize town, am very "layman" when it comes to car audio..

I dont wanna get hosed!

I drive a 1993 cadillac fleetwood brougham with a vinyl roof, and it has a great stereo system 5.1 surround sound, but the deck doesnt work.





Is it best to upgrade piece by piece, or get a custom job (new speakers, amp, deck, subs...) all at once? I assume the second is cheaper in the long run..


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GO OUTSIDE.

Edited by PDU (12/10/07 05:34 PM)

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OfflineAlan RockefellerM
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: PDU]
    #7718118 - 12/05/07 12:22 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

> Im wondering wether its better to go to a "big box" store like futureshop, or a small audio/alarm custom shop.

Neither - big box stores are evil and corporate and small stores charge full retail price, a massive markup.

Your best bet for audio stuff is craigslist.

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OfflineThe_Ghost
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: Alan Rockefeller]
    #7718272 - 12/05/07 01:25 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

First you say you can connect your player to the deck. Then you say the deck doesnt work. You also say it has a great stereo system. Then you say you want to change it.

Whatever it is you want to upgrade/change, i suggest you do a little reading / looking around online, and order some parts / install them yourself. Thats the cheapest / best value option, and its all pretty easy to do - even if you do a full reinstall.

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Invisibletiny_rabid_birds
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: The_Ghost]
    #7718297 - 12/05/07 01:38 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Quote:

The_Ghost said:
First you say you can connect your player to the deck. Then you say the deck doesnt work. You also say it has a great stereo system. Then you say you want to change it.

Whatever it is you want to upgrade/change, i suggest you do a little reading / looking around online, and order some parts / install them yourself. Thats the cheapest / best value option, and its all pretty easy to do - even if you do a full reinstall.




no no, first he said his deck broke and in his searches for a new one, he could only find decks that were ipod compliant, so he was unsure on how he would go about connecting his zen.

and i'm pretty sure he doesn't plan on changing the whole sound system. just the broken receiver, right?

PDU, how much of a handyman are you? i know you said you're a layman when it comes to car audio, but if you're a general tinkerer, then you might be able to figure it out, so long as you make note of what each wire attached to your broken deck is before you remove them. The new deck will likely have a manual, which would help you along as well.

so far as purchasing the receiver, you could check craigslist as the_ghost suggested, but you always run the risk of a shoddy dealer on there. if you want reliability and a warranty, then purchasing new is the way to go. in which case, i always suggest buying online as it's much easier to do price comparisons and you will almost assuredly be able to find a better deal than any place you go into in person.

if you don't think you can handle the labor yourself, then i suppose you'd have to take your new deck and your car into a place. so far as service goes, i doubt it matters whether you go to a small place or a big box store.


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Invisibletiny_rabid_birds
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: tiny_rabid_birds]
    #7718308 - 12/05/07 01:47 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

so far as purchasing online, there's always newegg.  also, tiger direct, amazon, buy.com, overstock and tons of others.

find something in your price range that has good reviews and compare prices between sites.


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OfflineItzpointless
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: tiny_rabid_birds]
    #7718335 - 12/05/07 02:09 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

I suggest heading over to www.caraudioforum.com and browsing around there. Some of the best car audio enthusiasts in the world are there. You can find all the info you need plus more..including locating quality products, installation, fine-tuning, etc. Personally id say browse their classified section or some of the popular online brands (RE, Elemental Designs, etc). Good luck


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Existence is no longer a riddle to be solved, but a mystery to behold.

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OfflineSheerTerror
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: PDU]
    #7718589 - 12/05/07 06:27 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Flea markets usually have good deals, but yea i would go used

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OfflinePDU
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: SheerTerror]
    #7719168 - 12/05/07 10:58 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Online is clearly much cheaper, but i do appreciate the warrenty and gratification of knowing i got what i bought in person. So ill probably pay the extra money...

The reason i want to get the deck installed, is because... the interior of my car is very fancy, and id rather have a professional make the install look "pretty" vs. me just slammin a deck in the dash.

Problem is, my stock deck is cd/cassette and has a massive amount of controls, so putting a new deck in will leave a gaping hole in my dash console.

I suppose ill look around and start talking to people... I've got a 5.1 surround system, but wouldn't mind some 8" subs, and stronger speakers... but i dont know if thats realistic. (wish i still had friend into car audio.)


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GO OUTSIDE.

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OfflineCaribou_Lou
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: PDU]
    #7719238 - 12/05/07 11:15 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

hifisoundconnection.com :thumbup:

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OfflineWakeboardrB
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: Caribou_Lou]
    #7719330 - 12/05/07 11:44 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

5.1 eh?

What do you have in there already?


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Same thing happened to me when I played Neil Armstrong in Moonshot. They found me in an alley in Burbank trying to re-enter the earth's atmosphere in an old refrigerator box.

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OfflineCaribou_Lou
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: PDU]
    #7719346 - 12/05/07 11:49 AM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Quote:

PDU said:
Online is clearly much cheaper, but i do appreciate the warrenty and gratification of knowing i got what i bought in person. So ill probably pay the extra money...

The reason i want to get the deck installed, is because... the interior of my car is very fancy, and id rather have a professional make the install look "pretty" vs. me just slammin a deck in the dash.

Problem is, my stock deck is cd/cassette and has a massive amount of controls, so putting a new deck in will leave a gaping hole in my dash console.

I suppose ill look around and start talking to people... I've got a 5.1 surround system, but wouldn't mind some 8" subs, and stronger speakers... but i dont know if thats realistic. (wish i still had friend into car audio.)




They sell deck trays that will replace the extra space. I just ordered 2 12" diamond D6's with a 1000 watt amp. :awesome: I wouldn't buy 8" subs, if anything just get one 12.

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Offlinecoda
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: Caribou_Lou]
    #7719418 - 12/05/07 12:06 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

^^ Yup, IMO installing a head unit is probably one of the easiest things to do. The only thing that might be a little tricky is wiring up the harness, but if you have patience and can read directions it's not that hard.

I usually order equipment from crutchfield, the reason i like them is you can go online and plug your make and model in and see what units will work in your car. Then when you order they send you the wiring kit for free, nice detailed instructions on how to install, and give you a good warranty. Some of the upper end stuff on the site is a bit expensive but if you poke a round a bit you'll find some great deals. I bought my last head unit because like you my previous deck went south and now i had an mp3 player i wanted to hook up. Clarion had a great deck for an awesome price with a hookup in front for an mp3 player so in my car it went. I love me some clarion.


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To get really high is to forget yourself. And to forget yourself is to see everything else. And to see everything else is to become an understanding molecule in evolution, a conscious tool of the universe. And I think every human being should be a conscious tool of the universe. . . .

-JG

i really am glad you came back to us instead of taking the other path. *hug*

-A_S (RIP your final words to me will never be forgotten)



Don't fuck with the laughing jesus.

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OfflinePDU
travel kid vs.amerika
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: Caribou_Lou]
    #7719668 - 12/05/07 01:34 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Im not looking for big bass, just tight smooth sound for jazz, and minimal soundscape electronic/dub etc. Nor, do i want to fill my trunk with speaker boxes.


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GO OUTSIDE.

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OfflinePDU
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: WakeboardrB]
    #7719676 - 12/05/07 01:37 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Quote:

WakeboardrB said:
5.1 eh?

What do you have in there already?




Im not sure exactly - its the stock stereo system, apperently this car was the first car on the market with 5.1 stereo.

Its a "delco audio system"


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GO OUTSIDE.

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OfflineWakeboardrB
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: PDU]
    #7719976 - 12/05/07 02:46 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Quote:

PDU said:
Quote:

WakeboardrB said:
5.1 eh?

What do you have in there already?




Im not sure exactly - its the stock stereo system, apperently this car was the first car on the market with 5.1 stereo.

Its a "delco audio system"




5.1 means 5 surround speakers and 1 subwoofer.

Delco is GM's electronic source. They've been doing audio for GM since 1936.


--------------------
Same thing happened to me when I played Neil Armstrong in Moonshot. They found me in an alley in Burbank trying to re-enter the earth's atmosphere in an old refrigerator box.

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OfflinePDU
travel kid vs.amerika
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: WakeboardrB]
    #7741862 - 12/10/07 05:52 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

Bummer man, I bought myself an alright Sony deck and got in early for an install..., when i returned turns out the salesman was a nob and the simple $20 dollar install turned into a 180 dollar install...

so i returned the deck. Dont know what im going to do now.:S


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GO OUTSIDE.

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Invisibletiny_rabid_birds
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: PDU]
    #7742183 - 12/10/07 06:56 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

you sure he was really a noob salesman?

sounds like a classic bait and switch to me.


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OfflinePDU
travel kid vs.amerika
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: tiny_rabid_birds]
    #7742438 - 12/10/07 07:51 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

im not sure what to do. I do have the money and plugging my mp3 player in it would be cool.




i dont know if its worth $500.


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GO OUTSIDE.

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Invisibletiny_rabid_birds
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: PDU]
    #7742488 - 12/10/07 08:06 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

dude.. $500 is a huge chunk of change. are you really sure you're not handy enough to follow directions and install yourself? or maybe you have a buddy that could help you out?


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OfflinePDU
travel kid vs.amerika
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Re: Buying car audio... [Re: tiny_rabid_birds]
    #7742527 - 12/10/07 08:16 PM (16 years, 3 months ago)

i have no idea about how to install a car deck.


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