Aftermarket stereo - Controls and Amplifier

[ajm]

Originally Posted by stuart bowes

there's no stupid devices, only stupid users ... if you're smart you use voice commands for everything, when you're driving you literally have no need to touch it at all
literally every car made now has them

It's true that most cars now have them, but that doesn't mean they're a good idea or safe - they're used because they're dirt cheap and easy to revise after production, not because they're good. Voice command is a fair point - that's probably at least as safe as well laid out physical controls (IF your system can be made to understand your particular voice without causing frustration!) but touchscreens are never safe to use other than when parked. I live in hope that they'll be banned soon...

[stuart bowes]

not sure about dirt cheap, my Sony one was just over £500 all in.. a bog standard simple 1 line display LCD screen plastic push-button jobby is about £100. they put them in new cars because it's a huge selling point to have the cameras, interfacing to modern tech, and so on, it's worth the cost in terms of greater sales

but yeah it's all about how you use it, having a phone in your car is dangerous if you use it.. but you don't

having two arguing kids fighting in the back is far more distracting than taking half a second to press a button on the radio

[JNMann]

Shame I'll lose the cup holder. Is there any difference in fascias, anywhere best to get one?

I see them on eBay and wonder if they are black or dark grey.

[JNMann]

Are any if the cheapo stereos on eBay worth looking at? I see double din android for £50 upwards and wondered if they're worth a look?

[ajm]

Originally Posted by JNMann

Shame I'll lose the cup holder. Is there any difference in fascias, anywhere best to get one?
I see them on eBay and wonder if they are black or dark grey.

I got mine on eBay in a bundle with the Blaupunkt radio and suitable cable from caraudio24 in Germany. I admit I was slightly dubious about the quality of the surround when it arrived but now that it's been fitted for over a year and a half I never think about it - the material blends in absolutely fine with the rest of the centre column.

As you say, it's a bit of a shame nobody(?) does one with a hole for the cupholder though I must confess I almost never used the cupholder anyway so haven't really missed it!

[stuart bowes]

same here, it's a nicely designed thing but having two cupholders by the handbrake as well which is a much better position anyway, not a major loss

[JJD1]

Stuart . Are you running a blue or Yellow amp?

[stuart bowes]

neither, mines all straight off the headunit into the normal speakers, just your pretty normal spec 4 x 55w 4ohm

i find it to be more than sufficient as we already discussed but I will add something new which is I think I've killed my little volvo-issue tweeters since upping to the 4ohm speakers, they're still the little 8ohms and they sound like sh1t now, just ordered a pair of vibe 4ohms to go with the mains

(and then into a 1600w amp for the subs but's a different story)

[JJD1]

Originally Posted by stuart bowes

neither, mines all straight off the headunit into the normal speakers, just your pretty normal spec 4 x 55w 4ohm

i find it to be more than sufficient as we already discussed but I will add something new which is I think I've killed my little volvo-issue tweeters since upping to the 4ohm speakers, they're still the little 8ohms and they sound like sh1t now, just ordered a pair of vibe 4ohms to go with the mains

(and then into a 1600w amp for the subs but's a different story)

I am thinking of sourcing a "yellow" amp .But not paying the silly prices on Ebay .None of them seem to ever sell . This will give enough headroom to fit 4 x the Vibes 6.5's you have fitted .Bit of damping in the doors and that will do me. At the rate i am putting petrol in the car.I might flip it after 6 months . 19 MPG in town is a joke after a 3 litre 230 BHP BMW tourer that was always getting 28-33 in town and 55 min on a run !

[JNMann]

Out of interest, if I replace the HU 850 with the same, are there any programming issues or should it work straight away?

I've had a Grom installed for a few years but it's never worked very well. Is there a better Bluetooth option that provides hands free phone and streaming?