Re: [alfa] Stereo Upgrade

[Benjamin Kaupp <bkaupp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Okay... Head unit first - make sure to get the best amp outputs you can 
afford. There really is a noticeable difference between 4v and 2v. 
Beyond that, it's just a matter of taste, knob vs buttons for volume, 
etc.

Speakers aren't gonna do much in a convertible, you're right about 
that. Depending on how much you're willing to spend, I'd recommend 
getting a component set and mounting the tweeters either in the fresh 
air vents or somewhere on the pillar. Infiniti (and others) offer 
tweets in a pod that can be surface mounted just about anywhere.

Your biggest requirement with an amp is gonna be getting the speakers 
loud enough to overcome wind noise. Anything by Alpine should do the 
trick, JL Audio is also good. Since you have a Spider, and trunk space 
(if you haven't noticed) is at a premium, you may also want to look 
into Audison (by Red Mountain, makers of the droolworthy Denon DCT-Z1 
deck). They are specifically designed for compact installs. You can 
find them (and the aforementioned $1400 Denon deck) at 
http://www.redmountainaudio.com

Beyond that, has anybody considered putting tweeters in pods in the 
middle of the dash (by the vents in Spiders)... Prolly wouldn't do much 
for sound imaging, but with convertibles that isn't much of a concern 
anyway.

Feel free to contact me off list if you have any questions. I'm 
obsessed with audio equipment.
-Ben Kaupp

'78 Spider (Running a PowerBook G4 to a Denon amp to Alpine 4" 
speakers, for now... considering installing a small screen in the 
glovebox and hardwiring the G4)

On Dec 10, 2003, at 7:15 PM, Kenneth Casper wrote:


> Thinking about replacing the old Alpine unit in my
> Spider with a newer, better Alpine unit. Also thinking
> about replacing speakers and installing an amp while
> I'm at it. Any of you have experiences good or bad
> with upgrading the stereo in your Spider?
>
> I'd like to get some better sound without chopping up
> the stock interior. Biggest concern is the door
> speakers in the front. Not sure what an upgrade there
> would do if anything. Really need the tweeters up
> higher, but then there is the whole chopping up the
> interior bit, and I drive with the top down 99% of the
> time, so I am not even sure how tweeters up higher
> would work because of the wind.
>
> What have some of you guys done?
>
> Kenneth Casper
> 1993 Yellow Spider Veloce
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--
Benjamin Kaupp
User Group Connection
bkaupp@domain.elided
831.295.2591
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