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Sept 17, 2013 10:43:21 GMT
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Hi!
Just popped into my head this one. I was thinking about in car audio. Ive got a converted 70s head unit with a line in but its hardly genesis audio quality that comes out of it, especially cos its mono.
Now, I'm sure you've all heard of the high end 70s turn tables - pioneer etc, but it got me thinking...
Was there ever such thing as a really high end incredible sounding 60/70s car radio?
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MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,789
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Sept 17, 2013 12:22:28 GMT
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I just had a thought that Marantz did ICE. A quick google brings up theses; I know Pioneer used to do some fairly good quality stuff also
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Sept 17, 2013 12:46:50 GMT
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I think the simplest option is to leave the head unit as is and tuck a stereo amp and speakers somewhere out of sight. Keep the old radio for AM authentic old times and play your phone/ipod/whatever through the secret amp in multi-channel goodness. You might want a discreet volume control for the amp too though, preferably OEM looking.
^^ all that Marantz gear is very cool ^^
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Last Edit: Sept 17, 2013 12:47:33 GMT by Clamity
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Sept 17, 2013 13:08:10 GMT
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I had some old Clarion gear that included a pop out TV screen and MD player, it was about ten years old when I got it but it sounded awesome, needed about 4 quite large boxes fitting in the car though, stuff has certainly shrunk! I got one of these in my work car, mobile.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL029193&pathId=139&page=1No CD player but plays all kinds of digital media and can be remote controlled from your phone if you download the JVC ap so could easily be hidden away and its cheap, was about £75.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Sept 17, 2013 16:31:15 GMT
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Well the only reason i asked was that ive got a high end set of speakers, and i have plans to buy a genesis amp, which is also a high end (ish) unit.
One i was looking at on ebay came with a high level input connector so the basic logic was that you put the speaker level inputs into that and it ran it through the amp.
That way, i'd have an OEM 70s unit that i could use to control the volume, could still use the radio, and it would all be self contained.
Sounds daft, but to me is a bit of a winner, no need to fiddle with the ipod to turn things down then.
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Sept 17, 2013 23:05:57 GMT
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Sounds like a good plan if you still have a way to get music onto good quality tapes, i love the idea but being able to stuff 4 gig of mp3s onto flash drive and just plug it in and leave it has won me over!
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Sept 17, 2013 23:37:36 GMT
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I'd love a marantz, but the only one for sale is on ebay USA and its $299, anything for under a tonne at all?
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craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,998
Club RR Member Number: 35
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Sept 18, 2013 6:59:18 GMT
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The only problem with using the high level input is that signal has been amplified, de-amplified and the re-amplified which degrades the sound quality/increases the risk of interferance each time.
Could you use the guts from a more modern one into the shell of a period correct one?
I'll be interested to see the route you go down as I fancy getting a 60's headunit under the dash on my mini
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Smiler
Posted a lot
I no longer own anything FWD! Or with less than 6 cylinders, or 2.5ltrs! :)
Posts: 2,492
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Sept 18, 2013 7:42:51 GMT
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You can get very slim head units now that only play solid state media such as SD cards. Maybe one of these could be either discreetly hidden or butchered into the case od a dead period piece?
I might check out how expensive they are, I think I have a couple of defunct old radios in the garage...
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www.Auto-tat.co.uk'96 Range Rover P38 DSE (daily driver) '71 Reliant Scimitar SE5 GTE 3.0ltr Jag V6 Conversion '79 Reliant Scimitar SE6A 3.0ltr 24valve Omega Conversion '85 Escort Cabrio 2.0 Zetec - Sold '91 BMW 525i - Sold '82 Cortina 2.9i Ghia Cosworth - Sold '72 VW Campervan - Sold '65 LandRover 88" - Sold
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Sept 18, 2013 12:23:26 GMT
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I'm not interested in butchering or hiding. Especially not hiding. Theres no point in hiding anything when you can use an RCA input. It looks like it might be just that for now.
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Sept 18, 2013 14:16:47 GMT
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Plenty of point hiding something modern I'm afraid depends what you want from your head unit.
The JVC I have has built in Parrot so it operates as a hands free for your mobile, can play music off the phone, will put your phones sat nav voices through your speakers, can access music from the cloud or internet radio, will pair with two phones at the same time, has an aux in port, a usb port to play music from various kinds of media as well as charging usb powered devices, and has its own radio and all for 75 quid.
I know you COULD fit an amp and then plug an MP3 player into that via RCA but for the money and convenience I reckon the JVC comes out ahead, and as i say download the JVC app and you get full remote control so you could even hide it in the boot if you wanted.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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AB car pix
Posted a lot
Car mag' snapper
Posts: 1,337
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Sept 18, 2013 14:35:01 GMT
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I really would love a good source of genuinely retro styled headunits. The majority of aftermarket ones just look so naff. Alpine is pretty much the only ones that look remotely fitting in a late 80s car/early90s, but even then it's borderline. There's a few things that look right at home in real classics, but sod all for 70s-80s cars.
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1979 Chrysler Horizon 1.3 GL 1980 Ford Granada 2.8 Ghia 1985 Ford Sierra 3dr 1985 Ford Escort Mk3 1988 Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 1989 Ford Escort 1.3 Popular 1995 Volvo 960 1996 BMW 525i 1998 BMW 323i 1999 BMW 530d 2003 BMW 530i . www.facebook.com/ABCARPIX
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Sept 18, 2013 16:35:41 GMT
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Becker do retro style radios, it's a small, low demand market so prices are bloody high.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Sept 18, 2013 16:42:08 GMT
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What you need is a Nakiamichi tape deck. Sound quality unrivalled even today...
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96 E320 W210 Wafter - on 18" split Mono's - Sold :-( 10 Kia Ceed Sportwagon - Our new daily 03 Import Forester STi - Sold 98 W140 CL500 AMG - Brutal weekend bruiser! Sold :-( 99 E240 S210 Barge - Now sold 02 Accord 2.0SE - wife's old daily - gone in PX 88 P100 2.9efi Custom - Sold
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Sept 18, 2013 17:06:36 GMT
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Might be worth giving Jon a shout on here - it's not quite what you're looking for, but he probably has the skills to put a pre-amp output into something... Check his thread here to have a look at the old radios he's been modifying. Seems like a top bloke, by all accounts too! Joe
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Sept 18, 2013 19:41:05 GMT
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Well i know the guy who converted mine, so it could well be an idea if i could get a preamplified signal ouput straight into the amp!
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steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,586
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Sept 18, 2013 20:11:50 GMT
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I bought a Pioneer DEH-P77MP head unit as I liked it's older looking style. It's a pretty good quality unit as well. It's still a bit new looking though shame they didn't make it look older.
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Sept 18, 2013 20:51:38 GMT
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When i used to be a regular on talk audio alot of the top end installs used Mckintosh head units. Quite 80's style and regarded by many to be the best head unit for SQ, even now. But anything retro is non removeable, so always at risk of getting pinched. Personally i would go with the retro Becker, but last i heard was that there was no longer a UK distributor.
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Sept 18, 2013 21:22:08 GMT
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Back in late 70s/early 80's the Pioneer KEX73 was a brilliant component unit. I don't remember anything as good back in the day I sold the last one I had back in 89 when I bought a brand new KEX900 Centrate which I still have today I would love to bring this into the 21st century somehow, with a proper ipod connection etc!
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Sept 18, 2013 21:26:32 GMT
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Well if you've got facebook, search a group called 'sugar mountain radio's'. He's the bloke that did mine. That top one looks fantastic!
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