# DIY car stereo



## kpkini (Nov 20, 2012)

I recently got a Maruti 800 from my parents after they decided to upgrade. Its a 2003 model without AC or stereo. Since its an old vehicle i don't see a point trying to spend a lot for the car stereo, HU, Amp, Speakers. Thought will go the DIY way. Coming to the project 

Plan is to try to put one of these in the car.

F&D A-520 2.1 Multimedia Speakers | Speaker | Flipkart.com

or 

*www.flipkart.com/f-d-f-322u-2-1-mu...FGB3&ref=ac0160d7-f3d4-47dd-b24c-f21d8279395f

Will have to power these using 

Sinetron Car Charger - 200 Watts . Buy Best Sinetron Car Charger - 200 Watts at Lowest Price Online

or can try to open the sub and see if i can bypass the transformer and directly power it from car battery since most of the speakers run on DC 12 v ... 

My question is 
1) Has anyone tried it before ??
2) will It be worth the effort ?
3) Will the car battery be able to take the load ??
4) The DC to AC converter says it can take a load of 100w, Will that be enough for the speakers ??


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## The Incinerator (Nov 21, 2012)

Rather than taking all the pain and electrical mess which has ended many a car up in flames cases, better get a cheap Chinese HU for Rs 1800/2200 with USB and Radio and get a some Milton/Nippon speakers starting at Rs 400.


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## kpkini (Nov 21, 2012)

Thanks incenerator ... i ve heard these chinese HU ... the speakers which come with them sound metallic and irritating .... what about these USB HU with any of the Coaxial speakers for some amount of bass ??


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## The Incinerator (Nov 21, 2012)

Even a decent Coaxial speaker would require some amount of power which the chinese HU wont be able to cope up with or even if it does the power supply or the mosfets if any are bound to fail in 3 to 6 months. For Coaxials atleast get a decent amplification.Even second hand coaxial speakers and amplifier from great brands at car audio dealers would do.But dont get a second hand HU .Source of trouble. Look around.


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## kpkini (Nov 22, 2012)

Thanks incinerator .. Can you suggest any good head units with usb play back and bluetooth... CD receiver is not needed ...budget max of 3k ...


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## The Incinerator (Nov 23, 2012)

Bluetooth + Usb will be way upwards of Rs 3000.

For USB check out the 
Pioneer MVH-159UI - Rs 3000
JBL X333 - Rs 2700
JVC KDX30 - Rs 3100 ( You can add blutooth kit later KS-BTA100)


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## kpkini (Nov 23, 2012)

The Incinerator said:


> Bluetooth + Usb will be way upwards of Rs 3000.
> 
> For USB check out the
> Pioneer MVH-159UI - Rs 3000
> ...



Thanks for the suggestions .. 
Most of the forums say that pioneer is definitely better than JBL X333, seems x333 was released earlier than pioneer and most of the people who have auditioned both feel pioneer definitely sounds better  .. No idea about JVC .. anywAYS BLUETOOTH is not a must .. 

So what do u suggest betw Pioneer and JVC ??

Any suggestions about 6 x 9 ?? Most of the forums say pioneer is the way to go ??


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## GhorMaanas (Nov 23, 2012)

i have no personal experience. but, although pioneer is favoured, some also say that pioneer, sony, jbl sound 'harsh' for an HU. they rank HUs as:

1. alpine
2. kenwood
3. jvc
4. blaupunkt
5. pioneer
6. sony

i don't think an alpine HU can be had for 3k. the jvc kdx30 model which is suggested above to you is a good one. though it was in my knowledge that its for 4k+, but if its really for 3k, then you can go ahead. for 6x9, i think 'hertz' will be a good option, provided you can get them 

Edit - *Tenida* has just bought a pioneer HU. you could contact him to know more.


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## kpkini (Nov 23, 2012)

Thanks ghormaanas ... Guess JVC might be a good choice ... As for the Co-axials .. Hertz DCX 690 6" x 9" Co-axial Speaker 3 Way (180W) is way beyond my budget ... 

Any suggestions for co-axials within a budget of 2k might be able to stretch it up to 3k ...???


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## GhorMaanas (Nov 24, 2012)

don't mention!

yes, hertz speakers are costlier. jbl speakers are known for their clarity, if am not wrong. for your budget, certain models in CS-6, GT-6, etc. can be had. locally you should get them cheaper. later on you could shift them to rear and get components for front.


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## The Incinerator (Nov 24, 2012)

kpkini said:


> Thanks for the suggestions ..
> Most of the forums say that pioneer is definitely better than JBL X333, seems x333 was released earlier than pioneer and most of the people who have auditioned both feel pioneer definitely sounds better  .. No idea about JVC .. anywAYS BLUETOOTH is not a must ..
> 
> So what do u suggest betw Pioneer and JVC ??
> ...



Pioneer.
For speakers .....get Polk ,even the cheapest of Polks sounds better than the Pioneers entry level 6x9.


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## kpkini (Dec 7, 2012)

Need some advice about this set up ... 

HU - Digital Media Receiver KD-X30 | Digital Media Receiver | Car Audio | JVC India or MVH-159UI |

Subwoofer - AT-10T7  
This costs around 5 k locally and comes with inbuilt amplifier ..

Would like to combine it with component speakers  Budget 2.5 to 3 k ... any suggestions ?? 

Or would it be better to combine it with 6 x 9 co axials ???


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## The Incinerator (Dec 7, 2012)

You can get the Convex not bad for the price.
KDX30 very good too.
With a JVC get a Polk or Boston Co-axial speakers....easier to drive than a Component ,the latter is better off with an external amplifier. Stay away from JBL/Infinity with JVC.


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## GhorMaanas (Dec 7, 2012)

i believe JVC is in collaboration with kenwood since a few years. still, would a low-budget kenwood HU be preferable over a low-budget JVC HU (like the KD-X30)?

am highly confused between kenwood, pioneer MVH-159UI, and JVC KD-X30 in case of HUs for upto 4k (i doubt alpine is avail. in that budget).

for speakers, am going to just buy rear co-axials, JBL GTO949.

*P.S.* - Do boston acoustics also manufacture HUs? i saw 2 models of them, namely HXi730 & HXi750 in a shop today. but neither google nor BA's website has any mention of HUs, forget these 2 models!

*Update #1:* alright! i found this here. its the same model i saw, but the manufacturer here is someone else. the logo used on the HU is same as boston acoustics'. please someone have a look and let me know is it worth it (HXi730)?

Head Units, Head Units Hxi730, Head Units Hxi740

*Update #2:* listing on manufacturer's website:

D&M Premium sound Solutions

blatantly using boston acoustics' logo! what are they upto? now i feel it is not worth it  but still confused 
i think they provide services to OEMs. their HQ is in belgium.

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slight change of mind.

for fronts, which one should be better of these two --> *JBL CS4*, or, *JVC CS-V427*?


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## The Incinerator (Dec 7, 2012)

^^ What is your budget?
What components you want to buy?
In which car will the gear go in to?
How old is the battery (only if you are going for minimum two amps and subwoofer system)?

Let me see if I can be of any help.


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## kpkini (Dec 7, 2012)

Have decided to go for Pioneer co axials , Could you people please help me choose one among these G-Series Archives |
 for the co axial to go with the JVC HU and the convex sub ???

Also it would be of great help if you people could tell me what should be the placement of the speakers .....


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## GhorMaanas (Dec 7, 2012)

The Incinerator said:


> ^^ What is your budget?
> What components you want to buy?
> In which car will the gear go in to?
> How old is the battery (only if you are going for minimum two amps and subwoofer system)?
> ...



*1.* budget is 8k, stretchable to 10k. i can 'sacrifice' buying front speakers to have a better quality HU/pair of rears.

*2.* i need an HU, & rear co-axials (6x9) [plus, fronts, which i'll decide on the spot, after comparing the performance of my current fronts with the set-up].

*3.* the car is baleno. i have come to know through a dealer that its front can accommodate only a pair of 4" speakers. so my choice for fronts is --> *JBL CS4* / *JVC CS-V427*.

*4.* i don't wish to get a sub & an amp at this stage.

_thanks for your concern!_

{*P.S.*:

*#* for HU, i need one which can play songs in shuffle mode as well, or gives me the option of selecting a song from my USB drive. is there one such? primary choice would be kenwood (KDC-U499) or JVC KD-X30. but i don't know whether these will do 

*#* for rears, i have thought of JBL GTO949. i don't hope polk audio or BA have anything to offer to me on my thinned out budget.}


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## kpkini (Dec 8, 2012)

Forget about shuffle mode or any kind of menu navigation on the HU .. its too cumbersome ,,, plan for something that has a good amp to run the co axials .. as for the songs, play it from any android phone connected via cheap bluetooth dongles which in turn is connected to the aux in of the HU ... The bluetooth can be connected to the USB port of the HU for charging .. same for the phone ...The easy of navigating music library will be definitely better in the phone ,,,,,,


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## GhorMaanas (Dec 8, 2012)

kpkini said:


> Forget about shuffle mode or any kind of menu navigation on the HU .. its too cumbersome ,,, plan for something that has a good amp to run the co axials .. as for the songs, play it from any android phone connected via cheap bluetooth dongles which in turn is connected to the aux in of the HU ... The bluetooth can be connected to the USB port of the HU for charging .. same for the phone ...The easy of navigating music library will be definitely better in the phone ,,,,,,



from what you tell, there's only 1 model that fits the criteria in my budget, and that is - JVC KD-X30. it has:

* a good amp (came to know through a user)
* burr-brown DAC (thanks to JVC's collaboration with kenwood), but am not sure on this.
* option to get itself upgraded to BlueTooth-enabled HU (missing from other HUs in this budget)

am just waiting for confirmation from the dealer i talked too about the kenwood model he had told me that he could get it for me for under 4k. JVC KD-X30 is more-or-less fixed now!


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## The Incinerator (Dec 8, 2012)

JVC KD-X30 - Rs 3990
Rockford Fosgate - Prime Series - R1653/R1693 - Rs 3100/4500
Rockford Fosgate - Prime Series - R142  - Rs 1900 (Fronts)

or Go sensibly "Hi End" on a budget step by step

JVC KD-X30 - Rs 3990
Focal - KIT 165CA1 - Rs 7000 / Focal Access Series 6.5" Component Speaker KIT 165A1 -  Rs. 9600 (should be lesser locally)

 Add an amplifier sometime soon and a pair of fronts and there you are!

And why bluetooth? Why. It sounds the worst. Get a proper cable,minimum Belkin 3.5mm stereo cable and connect it with your phones and pods to your AUX. Simple.


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## GhorMaanas (Dec 8, 2012)

The Incinerator said:


> JVC KD-X30 - Rs 3990
> Rockford Fosgate - Prime Series - R1653/R1693 - Rs 3100/4500
> Rockford Fosgate - Prime Series - R142  - Rs 1900 (Fronts)
> 
> ...



thanks a lot for your effort TI!

you finally hit the nail about BT! all this while i was questioning myself whether i should really be so concerned over BT, esp. when i had/have heavy doubts as to how/why would wirelessly transmitted music give me a good SQ.  but i finally have my answer now 

regarding other things, for HUs, i got following quotes from 2 dealers today:-


_*From the Kenwood-stable:*_

*Kenwood KDC-U449* - 4800/- W/ B&W (preferred choice)

*KDC-U349R* - 4800/- W/ B&W (couldn't understand the difference between this & U449; perhaps U449 gives you the choice of colour-variation)

*Kenwood KDC-U353R* - 5500/- W/ B&W 


_*From the JVC-stable:*_

*KD-X30* - 3400/- W/ B&W

*KD-R536* - 5600/- W/ B&W

out of these, which one would you recommend? am thinking that kenwood would suit a baleno  (JVCs look more the types for smaller & sporty-looks cars like punto, i10, beat, figo, swift, etc). kenwood's elegance has impressed me. but haven't/couldn't audition one. also, kenwood has 'music search' option + the remote has more features. but one doubt i have is, are kenwoods slow in reading media? also, the price am getting the U449 for is tempting!
also, i read that U349R of Kenwood is much better than R426 of JVC, so i believe U449 of Kenwood should be better than R536 of JVC.


the speakers you have suggested, i hope are better than JBL?! because i read JBLs are regarded as 'rockers' speakers', i was inclined towards them (GTO949 & CS4). if RF's speakers are good for such a purpose, i'll ask the dealer about them.

and the car has to be changed within 2-3 yrs, so i'll try to move up in the progression


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## The Incinerator (Dec 9, 2012)

They are all better than that JBL and if you can get the Focal then there is nothing like it. (For eg Focal make speakers that costs Rs 1 Crore for home)

Get the Kenwood U449 if iPod connectivity is a must otherwise you are fine with a 349R too,but since they cost the same get the former.And yes I  would choose the Kenwood too.

JBLs tonality is more forward sounding and hence as always the music when driven hard looses some kind of recess for you to savour what is actually happening in the soundstage...kind of looses focus. The bass is omni present till up to almost the upper midrange! The presentations of JBL is something I dont like. But Yes do listen to the speakers before you buy them. A lot of showrooms will actually let you do that. Bostons are also very good speakers do try them too. ( For eg Mr Ken Ishiwata of Marantz actually tune some of their speakers and as example the A series for home speakers sounds so good and are very affordable)


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## GhorMaanas (Dec 10, 2012)

The Incinerator said:


> They are all better than that JBL and if you can get the Focal then there is nothing like it. (For eg Focal make speakers that costs Rs 1 Crore for home)
> 
> Get the Kenwood U449 if iPod connectivity is a must otherwise you are fine with a 349R too,but since they cost the same get the former.And yes I  would choose the Kenwood too.



Wow TI! thanks again!
i had inquired about focal & kicker earlier, but they were costing me more (esp. the focals), so i am hoping to get them installed in the car yet to come in future instead 
i should call the dealer right away for RF!
i guess now there remains no doubt(s) 



The Incinerator said:


> JBLs tonality is more forward sounding and hence as always the music when driven hard looses some kind of recess for you to savour what is actually happening in the soundstage...kind of looses focus. The bass is omni present till up to almost the upper midrange! The presentations of JBL is something I dont like. But Yes do listen to the speakers before you buy them. A lot of showrooms will actually let you do that. Bostons are also very good speakers do try them too. ( For eg Mr Ken Ishiwata of Marantz actually tune some of their speakers and as example the A series for home speakers sounds so good and are very affordable)



sadly (& astoundingly) my city hasn't got any showrooms where i could have a demo of the speakers (atleast, none that i know of). neither reliance autozone, nor any of its likes. all we have here are car-accessories shops. of them, one did have a nice demo set-up, but it was all JVC. am leaving for the dealer's shop now. will ask for focals & RFs there. about BAs am apprehensive whether i would find them, and moreover, since you mentioned earlier that they fare better with an ext. amp., hence i could think of having them for the next car too 

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*Update:* *@* *The Incinerator* & *kpkini* - Finally got the *Kenwood KD-U349R* (U449 wasn't available; earlier confirmation on this model was wrong) & *Focal speakers*!!  

please check *this* thread.


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