Audio idea

[Weasel 22]

Greetings all....
after having my newly purchased SVX for a couple days now, I have realized just how good the stock panasonic system is..mine tho only has the cassette...bah..the previous owner was defiantley retro..I started shopping for a new system..but everytime I listen to the stock radio it just sounds and cranks up very well..sure a dedicated sub would sweeten it more , but it isnt hurting for much else...heres my idea and if anyone is doing this, please let me know how you like it and if it works well..im going to get an ipod 20gb and the car kit with fm transmitter..all for surprisingly less and equal to many hi line head units..so it isnt a price issue..this way I can keep the stock system and not hassle with wiring gremlins..if anything i'll just add a infinity basslink to complete the system..and with the ipod ill have months of music in the SVX....must nap now
later all...:D

[Seraph]

one word.

mp3car.com

[drivemusicnow]

I'm not sure which FM transmitter you're planning on useing.. i have the belkin... and the sound quality is lacking al ittle something.

HAH lee.. i WIN you have to sleep sometime

[SubaSteevo]

Originally posted by drivemusicnow
I'm not sure which FM transmitter you're planning on useing.. i have the belkin... and the sound quality is lacking al ittle something.

HAH lee.. i WIN you have to sleep sometime

Do you have the Tunecast I (can select from like 4 freqs) or the Tunecast II (can select from the entire range). I have the II from when I had my PS2 installed, and I thought the sound was pretty damn good.

[Weasel 22]

Hmmmm..I was looking at the monster cable brand..has 8 selectable channels..I wonder if the cassette adapter would sound better eh....or maybe I should just give it up and yank all that s***t out and put some nice aftermarket pizazz in my baby..woo hoo :::digs under sofa cushions for a few g's

[SubaSteevo]

A cassette adapter will most likely sound better

[Landshark]

get an aftermarket radio with an aux input. the stock speaker system sounds very good (at least until the paper cones deteriorate at some point.) i have a powered Kicker Substation with the stock speakers, and the sound is excellent. the stock Panasonic is OK, but a newer quality aftermarket radio will sound even better.

as far as portable MP3 player connections go, an FM transmitter will sound the worst, followed by cassette adapter, and then RCA inputs.

[drivemusicnow]

well, i had the older version belkin..
I've heard teh monster cable one is really good.. even if $$$

I dunno if i agree that the tape will sound better though. in theory maybe. in practice... those things sound like crap. but thats just my opinion

[Landshark]

Originally posted by drivemusicnow
well, i had the older version belkin..
I've heard teh monster cable one is really good.. even if $$$

I dunno if i agree that the tape will sound better though. in theory maybe. in practice... those things sound like crap. but thats just my opinion

i have a tape adapter and the Belkin Tunecast II, and they BOTH sound like ass.

aux input is the way to go.

[SubaSteevo]

Originally posted by Landshark

aux input is the way to go.

[lee]

The bottom line is good audio is in the ears of the listener. That said, I don't want this to sound negative, but I know it's gonna.

MP3 at any bitrate of sampling reduces the music content - a simple review of the standard will show it eliminates some bass and some treble tones no matter what bitrate/sampling is employed - no such thing as a free lunch.

A FM frequency transmitter can not deliver better sound than the FM section of the head unit. Think about the difference between an original CD and a FM radio playing the same song.

Improved sound (in a car) comes from these things, more or less in order from most important to least:

Source material (from DVD-level sound down to AM radio)
Speakers (and the way they are installed)
Head unit
Amplifier(s)
Cables & Wiring (assumes adequately sized/placed)

And drive....winning one tiny little skirmish doesn't mean you win the war :D

[Ciscokid]

Here I go showing my noobness again but:

I have a Kenwood tapedeck with a cd player under it in my 95 SVX L, is this not the stock system??

It is an older version (40 Watt x 4) but it cranks pretty good. It fits in the slot so well I just assumed the thing was stock.

[shelfy]

i use the griffin iTrip with my iPod. for the most part, i am pleased with it. the exceptions are monster cable in the house and the cassette adapter in the jeep.

[lee]

Originally posted by Ciscokid
Here I go showing my noobness again but:

I have a Kenwood tapedeck with a cd player under it in my 95 SVX L, is this not the stock system??

It is an older version (40 Watt x 4) but it cranks pretty good. It fits in the slot so well I just assumed the thing was stock.

the stock system was made by Panasonic

[Landshark]

Originally posted by lee

MP3 at any bitrate of sampling reduces the music content - a simple review of the standard will show it eliminates some bass and some treble tones no matter what bitrate/sampling is employed - no such thing as a free lunch.[/SIZE] :D

i agree with you, lee, but ....... i rip my CD's at 256k (320 being CD quality, i'm sure you know.) i can't tell the difference, given the car environment with windows open, AC/heat on, road noise, engine noise, etc.

[Weasel 22]

I agree on the mp3 quality ..now that ive had enough sleep I realized when I burn cds I use windows lossless..if you ever want to know the difference in quality for sure I recommend burning the smashing pumpkins 'adore' album in all the formats..for some reason this style of music brings out the crap in the lower bit rate recordings..it is in fact where I noticed the subtle but very noticeable differences..and this was in the car cd player..granted at night and not driving..but I burned more cds with different bit rates ..mp3..wav quick burn..wav quality..and wav lossless..im assuming apple lossless is similar to wav lossless..this was using the same rip on the puter eachtime...same result...science folks....yep its a headunit for my girl err.... SVX
thanks for the input!
:D

[Landshark]

Originally posted by Weasel 22
..if you ever want to know the difference in quality for sure I recommend burning the smashing pumpkins 'adore' album in all the formats..for some reason this style of music brings out the crap in the lower bit rate recordings..

there's rasp in any system with the Smashing Pumpkins - worst guitar sound evAr! :D

[lee]

Originally posted by Landshark


i agree with you, lee, but ....... i rip my CD's at 256k (320 being CD quality, i'm sure you know.) i can't tell the difference, given the car environment with windows open, AC/heat on, road noise, engine noise, etc.

I can only tell the difference in the car if I switch back and forth for an A/B comparison, or really pay attention to how much bass there is.

Like I said, it's all about what the listener wants (and/or can afford) - I'm not a purist by any means - I normally listen to one home-burnt CD or another in the car - reasons why:

it's nice to not worry about sun/scratch/etc damage to the originals

getting around 6 CDs worth of music on one burnt disk, so I don't have a book of CDs laying on my seat - to maybe push a potential thief over the edge.

[Tim]

Once it gets over 256Kbps I can't tell the difference in the car over my bearing noise lol.

But at home on my Kef monitors it's quite easy to hear the dfference after that.

I think once you get to a certain point where your equipment can also find recording flaws too hehe...

[Tim]

Originally posted by lee


I can only tell the difference in the car if I switch back and forth for an A/B comparison, or really pay attention to how much bass there is.

Like I said, it's all about what the listener wants (and/or can afford) - I'm not a purist by any means - I normally listen to one home-burnt CD or another in the car - reasons why:

it's nice to not worry about sun/scratch/etc damage to the originals

getting around 6 CDs worth of music on one burnt disk, so I don't have a book of CDs laying on my seat - to maybe push a potential thief over the edge.

Yea I'm the same way Lee. I always burn 2 copies of the original: one for listening in the house and one for listening in the car. You never know when your cd player will eat your CD.

I think a theif would flip out of they went through my cd binder because all of my discs are burned from the original.

[Weasel 22]

..speaking of installing aftermarket components..Ive noticed several sites saying the speaker combo in the SVX is 6 1/2's in the doors, and 6x9's in the rear..and yet some sites say its 5 1/4's in the door and 6x9's in the rear..which combo actually fits properly? Thanks for any info
later

[drivemusicnow]

in short neither.. in long, if you make your own brackets, the 6.5" and 6x9s are teh best way to go... plus 3/4 inch or 1 inch tweeters

[Weasel 22]

Originally posted by drivemusicnow
in short neither.. in long, if you make your own brackets, the 6.5" and 6x9s are teh best way to go... plus 3/4 inch or 1 inch tweeters



I see....so in short there isnt a specific size of speaker that directly drops in....special car....special needs :D its all making sense now..well I shall 'massage' a set of 6x9's and 6 1/2's into their respective spaces..and then I shall be happy damnit...

[odepaj]

the stock speakers are 6.5's and 6x9's but the 6.5's have the mounting bracket welded to the frame of the speaker. (have yet to pull mine out so im not 100% sure about that, im just going with what i was told)

[lee]

Originally posted by odepaj
the stock speakers are 6.5's and 6x9's but the 6.5's have the mounting bracket welded to the frame of the speaker. (have yet to pull mine out so im not 100% sure about that, im just going with what i was told)

that's correct. you either have to drill out the spot welds and find a 6.5" speaker that is a match, or make/get a new mounting bracket. The new mounting bracket can be made with plywood, MDF, etc, but my favorite material is Corian - the countertop stuff - waterproof and non-resonant while cutting like wood. Also, I seem to remember (a search should turn it up) someone who found plastic mounting plates from another type car that work.

the part about finding a 6.5 to match is that not all 6.5"s are the same size. The ones I bought are "oversize" 6.5 that probably would fit most cars, but not the SVX metal bracket (found out after I drilled out the spot welds).

[PhatWeasel]

Originally posted by Landshark (320 being CD quality, i'm sure you know.)

"CD quality" is 1411k, not 320k.

Found as such: (44100kHz sample rate) x (16 bits per sample) x (2 channels) = 1411200 bps.

But in the context of this discussion: 320Ksamples compressed audio is indistinguishable (for most people) from CD quality audio at 1411Ksamples.

Resources:
http://www.teamcombooks.com/mp3handbook/11.htm
http://www.contact.net/os2/CRendus/Saison2000-2001/mp3/sammp3ws2k.html

[Weasel 22]

Originally posted by lee


that's correct. you either have to drill out the spot welds and find a 6.5" speaker that is a match, or make/get a new mounting bracket. The new mounting bracket can be made with plywood, MDF, etc, but my favorite material is Corian - the countertop stuff - waterproof and non-resonant while cutting like wood. Also, I seem to remember (a search should turn it up) someone who found plastic mounting plates from another type car that work.

the part about finding a 6.5 to match is that not all 6.5"s are the same size. The ones I bought are "oversize" 6.5 that probably would fit most cars, but not the SVX metal bracket (found out after I drilled out the spot welds).

..could be why some suggest a 5 1/4 ..and if I may inquire as to what brand and model of speaker did you manage to match the bracket with? I prefer inifinty as they do make a slim line 6 1/2 in the reference series, but id like to stay with the kappas..however these are oversized 6 1/2's..choices..choices..stay fuzzy..save the world

[drivemusicnow]

no need for the slimline really... if you are really intent on your audio, heres what, I have done, and would suggest.

Make a baffle for the speakers out of durable, yet workable material. corian is a good example. (not so easily workable.. but thats ok) if you use a wood, i'd suggest treating it how you would an exterior wood on your house.

make the shape of the current sorta triangular mounting plate in the wood. sand it on an angle such that the speakers will slightly aim up towards the passangers. this A)gives you more room for a larger magnet, and B gives you slightly better imaging.

This will give you great response due to the completely sealed baffle (use a closed cell foam to seal in between the speaker and the baffle) and gave me clearence enough to mount speakeres with a fairly decent sized magnet on them.

here is my best advice... listen to a lot of speakers.. preferrably in cars. in the store, they're in sealed boxes which is a different environment then in your car

[SVXdc]

Originally posted by Weasel 22
I have realized just how good the stock panasonic system is ... [tho mine] only has the cassette ... heres my idea ... im going to get an ipod 20gb and the car kit with fm transmitter ... this way I can keep the stock system and not hassle with wiring gremlins.Since you don't have the factory CD player, you may be able to plug into the CD connector (the round, 13-pin DIN jack on the back of the stock radio). This will sound much better than a cassette adaptor or FM transmitter.

Removing the stock radio is easy (see my WWW link, at the bottom of my post).

Some older radios simply need you to short two of the pins on that connector to switch the radio to "CD mode." You connect your iPod audio to 3 other pins (L- and R- line inputs and ground).

Newer radios use a serial data stream between the radio and CD player, but people are working on one-chip computers to trick the radio.
link 1 - mictronics.de (http://www.mictronics.de/?page=cdc_proto), link 2 - Kuni's Homepage (http://home.tiscali.de/matthiasklumpp/), link 3 - PAC Audio (http://www.pac-audio.com/products/aai.htm)

I'm not sure which of these methods (short two pins or data stream) is the case for the SVX's radio, but all model years (92-97) will be the same.

When I can get some time, I'll figure out the pin-out of the DIN socket (but it would help a bunch if I could borrow a stock CD player to test with).

[Weasel 22]

:D very helpful, thanks!

[rmjjensen]

I listen to MP3s in the car everyday - and you know what - they sound good ....everyone always says, "this really sounds amazing"

Then I switch to a CD, or even better a DVD-Audio, and it's like, HOLY SH*T this is crisp.....There's definitely a difference. You can see it on the scope when playing an MP3 versus a WAV....the sine wave is more gagged and not very smooth, you can see some clipping which gets me a lil quessy sometimes ...sometimes I switch tracks when I see 40 hz looking more like a square wave then a sine.

but back to the topic at hand - wireless FM transmitters have a bad rap in my book - if you keep the stock you have no other choice except for the tape adapter. Which is better, but not best ............definitely better than FM.

Good luck with it - I used an iPod in my cousins car strictly as his radio - he's got a 4ch amp and a sub amp ..........it sounds pretty dam good!

[Namaah]

Do you own the iPod already, or are you planning it out and are in the works of getting one? I was thinking of the same plan, but i was going with the Dell setup instead of iPod. I think the iPod is the biggest waste of money on the market if your buying one new cause damn near everyone is making a 20gig for alot cheaper. I was thinkin of gettin the Dell 20 GB Digital Jukebox (http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/dj_20_new?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs) and the Digital Lifestyle Outfitters TransCast DJ II (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=A0416116&Page=productlisting.aspx&spagenum=2&items_per_page=25&orderby=&sortdirection=&image_flag=True&show_summary=True&category_id=6187&brandid=&mnfsku=&SearchType=&Pageb4Search=&ModelSelection=&iCompatid=&selectiontypeids=&l=en&c=us&cs=19&SubmitSearch=&servicetag=&reset=False&k=&mnf=&prst=&prEnd=&InStock=&refurbished=&fe=) , which is the charger radio transmitter in one.

[Weasel 22]

I have not as of yet purchased an ipod..im swayed toward an aftermarket stereo cd system..esp after seeing the stock 'radio shack' speakers..lmao..they sound decent tho :confused: ..the ipod really isnt that expensive..comparable units of different brand can be about $40 less..but almost all of them lack a decent car kit option..as in its not just sitting in your car with wires hanging out..I like the ipod kits which intergrate into the car much better...

[Landshark]

Originally posted by Namaah
Do you own the iPod already, or are you planning it out and are in the works of getting one? I was thinking of the same plan, but i was going with the Dell setup instead of iPod. I think the iPod is the biggest waste of money on the market if your buying one new cause damn near everyone is making a 20gig for alot cheaper. I was thinkin of gettin the Dell 20 GB Digital Jukebox (http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/dj_20_new?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs) and the Digital Lifestyle Outfitters TransCast DJ II (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=A0416116&Page=productlisting.aspx&spagenum=2&items_per_page=25&orderby=&sortdirection=&image_flag=True&show_summary=True&category_id=6187&brandid=&mnfsku=&SearchType=&Pageb4Search=&ModelSelection=&iCompatid=&selectiontypeids=&l=en&c=us&cs=19&SubmitSearch=&servicetag=&reset=False&k=&mnf=&prst=&prEnd=&InStock=&refurbished=&fe=) , which is the charger radio transmitter in one.

get the Creative Zen Xtra Jukebox - 40G for $239 - Creative makes the software for the Dell Jukebox anyway, so why not get 40G for the price of 20G?

[Namaah]

Hmmmmmmm... Imtresting... I must concider this. Do you know if it has a FM transmitter docking station???