Need a subject matter expert. Trying to do a new stereo in my truck. Right now I have an 90's 2 **** pioneer. Looking for something that sounds like a stock radio in a new car. Seems like all the aftermarket I've seen newer have the quality sound of a factory setup. All advice welcome! Thanks in advamce!

 

AZ to VA? Welcome back!

How about a USA-230? Ford-Lincoln-Merc- Radios

 

I have this one picked out.


Just don't know what to do with the speakers and maybe an amp? I don't need it to be loud just clear sounding.

I know it was a sad day when i left Arizona for Virginia because of the Navy. But i'm loving the change.

 

I suggest 6.5 inch speakers in the doors but instead projecting through the door panels cut holes and use the provided speaker grills. Depending on the amp's size find a spot on the firewall or upper footwell.

A highliner with integrated speaker mounts is an option.

Acoustically insulate the heck outta the cab.

 

I had a highliner but some how it ended up in my father's truck after I came home from A-school haha

 

JB78F150,

This is the set up I used in my 79 F100 restoration:

Receiver - Retro Sound 2 CB
Sound Ordinance sub woofer B-8PTD - mounted under bench seat.
Kicker CS65 door speakers - 300w and fit in the stock opennings.

Now, to make it sound like a 1979 factory system simply set the EQ to max on mid-range, drop the bass to 0 and push the treble to 11 (thanks Nigel ).

Once you're done driving around with a crappy sounding stereo you can re-set it and it will sound great.

Scott

 

on my '78 the PO put in a 2-shaft FM/USB/SD card stereo with two 6" door speakers - if you set the balance j-u-s-t right, it sounds exactly like the sound is coming through the one crappy dash speaker it originally came with. (Yes, I intend to replace ALL of it. After I am done with the exhaust...and the AC... painting...reupholstering the seat....etc)

 

i made a whole new bracket for mine

 

How did it sound and would other, higher quality speakers bolt in without cutting

 

^Well said. lol. If you want something that will sound good, obviously aftermarket speakers, some good sound deadening/insulation, and a unit that has a 5 band EQ or better. IMO Sony isn't all that good. Secondly, you get what you pay for. To get something with a decent EQ, you should shell out a little more for it and you can tune it exactly how YOU want. Sound is too subjective to tell you exactly what will sound good to you. You won't need an external amp just to drive a couple of door speakers in a reg cab truck unless you are a little more inclined for the power and the extra clarity it brings.

 

94Rangerbeater,

I second the, "good sound deadening/insulation". Without it the truck will ring like a bell - and not in a good way.

Scott

 

So if you buy something like that Sony radio on Amazon do you have to buy an installation kit or wiring harness? My truck has an aftermarket radio installed w just the wires soldered together.

What's the best way to add sound dampening?

 

tndallas,

If it's a new receiver it will come with a wiring harness/coupler. In the instructions it will tell you what each wire is for (sometime they are labled). Either way you can cut and solder (or crimp connect them) to your to your original wiring.

Try to identify each wire in the current system then lable and cut out the old receiver. Then solder the new unit's wiring coupler matching each wire by function (+, -, ground, antenna, etc.). After that you just plug the coupler into the new receiver.

With sound dampening, I recommend you check out online videos. You can deaden an F100 with about 25 strategically placed pieces of sound dampening. Most tuners will cover the entire florr and sides with $700 in sound deadening material. You can get the same effect using one 24"x24" if the pieces are placed in the correct spots. I would still heat insulate the floor as well as this will improve sound deadening too.

Scott

 

Personally, I don't consider factory sound to be a desirable goal. I have built several sound quality competition winning vehicles over the years. First thing you need to consider is your sound stage. Music is supposed to come from the front of you, not behind you. You do not go to a concert and sit with your back to the stage do you? Frequencies above the 250 hz mark pull you ears to the location. Your bass frequencies (below 100 hz) are nondirectional. Meaning a subwoofer behind the seat will not pull your sound stage rearward if set up properly. I personally keep my subwoofers crossed over at 80 hz.

That leaves you're front stage. In these trucks, the very best location for your front speakers are in the kick panels. They allow the sound waves to travel at almost identical distances to negate the time alignment issues you may encounter.

Depending on what is more important to you, the truck to appear stock, or to have a quality sound system, is what equipment choices I would make. You can keep the Pioneer two **** and go with a iPod controlled external amplifier powering a single sub behind the seat and a pair of quality coaxial mounted components in the stock locations for a noninvasive install. If you are looking for a more professional install, a nice HU made by Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood or JCV would be my choice, a four channel amp to power the kick panel mounted comps and a sub enclosure behind the seat would be my plan of attack.

I urge you to take anything made by Sony, and headliner mounter speakers and any 6x9 boxes behind the seat out of the equation. I know not everybody has the same level of experience, but these are all bad ideas. I can go into detail why if a explanation is needed. I am not trying to upset anyone, if you like it and it works for you, fine. But as a twenty year audiophile and SQ/SPL competitor, I expect more from my sound system.

 

I think your goal of having sound comparable to a modern factory unit it just fine, as I think stock car audio has come a long way. I think a couple factors are proper sound deadening/insulating, proper amplification, and speaker choice. As background I have a mid level Kenwood HU, 2 Infinity 5 1/4 doors and 8" bazooka tube. Loud, sounds decent, still doesn't sound like modern factory audio. Some of those systems use extra amps, component speakers, ei seperate woofer/midbass & tweeter mounted seperately. This helps soundfield fill out & not sound like it just comes from speakers near the floor. And of course modern cars are more airtight & solid than most of our dents. Check that your speaker wattage matches your deck's or amps output. Speakers have minimum wattage as well, and many decks dont produce the minimum to properly power aftermarket speakers. Ex: 50Wx4 deck will blow speakers rated to 150W if those speakers have range of 60-150W because you need to turn the deck way up to get good volume out of them. That is why an amp is recommended to drive them. My supercab is like a hollow tin can inside, and the "near factory" (aft deck & rear speakers) sound in my dd '98 Civic (not as loud but better sounding) is nearly as good as the $600+ aftermarket system in my non-insulated '78 supercab.