Hideaway Audio

[toplessexpat]

Hey All -

I've been experimenting with different audio setups in my 1800 for some time now. Originally I'd removed the rear seat, fitted a pair of 7" speakers into the carpet covered backboard I'd installed, and ran a fairly sensible head unit. Updating the center console to one from a coupe (two fit in two extra gauges) meant I'd no longer got the 1 DIN slot for the head unit.

I tried a couple of solutions. Firstly, the Kicker Pxi50.2, driven from my iPhone. Removing the central ashtray to house the control buttons. http://www.kicker.com/pxi502. Good points: Virtually completely hideaway, control panel fits nicely into the ashtray space below the shifter, integrates with iPhone. Bad points: only works up to iPhone 4 (not even the 4s), Kicker doesn't have much power output, interference from car's electrics (although fixed with a suppressor).

Secondly, adding a amplifier to the setup to drive the speakers, but using the kicker to drive. This introduced some new electrical noise (again, fitting a suppressor helped). Then a very strange bug kicked in - the iPhone would automatically advance mid song. When driving speakers using the kicker directly - this didn't happen, only when the amp was in the mix. Replacing the kicker didn't help either, or the amp (to a different brand amp). VERY WEIRD.

Third solution. Directly connect the iPhone to the Amp. JVC do quite a nice little cable http://tinyurl.com/lom9sge that takes the old style iphone cable and converts to audio, video and a USB (handy for charging). I added a dual USB connector to the center of the former coupe console (who needs two lighter sockets anyway!?) so there was power for the iphone and connecting the audio RCAs to the amp worked very well indeed.

Then it hit me... Fourth option - install a blackberry audio gateway (http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/1313879959 ... =82&chn=ps) directly to the amp. Then I can connect over bluetooth directly from my iphone (or anyone else's bluetooth enabled device). This has some great advantages over the other options I tried. There's no wires from the front of the car to the back for the audio components (so reduced electrical noise), the iphone controls all work very well (and no skipping onwards during a song!), any bluetooth device works (so I'm not limited to older iphones). All in all I'm very happy with this set up. Sound quality is excellent. A useful feature is that I've installed the Garmin App to my iPhone. With a dash bracket, I can have music playing, the Garmin App running - and the app will interrupt the music mid song to give directions.

It's almost modern!

Andy

[garion]

Awesome man!

Since I want to delete the center console entirely eventually, this would be ideal..

I wonder if with the right bluetooth adapter, and a mic, you could handsfree phone? Now that would rock.

[toplessexpat]

Given I try to only have the top down when driving - not really in my target..... And even with the top up.... Probably too much noise!

[Ptoneill]

Good idea, I went with "secret audio" it has an Apple cable that I plug my iPod into.

[camdjkim]

I'm trying the same thing but new to this. So you have an amp and have the speakers connected to the amp and then you have the bluetooth receiver connected to the amp. What powers the bluetooth receiver? Do you have any pics? Thanks

[toplessexpat]

I'll take some pics at some point. The bluetooth gateway has a usb cable that's fed from a 12v usb adaptor which is on an ignition switched 12v line. That same line is the "trigger" feed (blue wire) to turn the amp on (although it's main power is direct from the battery)

[vandor]

> I wonder if with the right bluetooth adapter, and a mic, you could handsfree phone?

Aftermarket phone bluetooth adapters are so-so, and hard to use. I installed a Belkin in my Mazda. The Bluetooth does not connect to my phone automatically, I have to hit its button every time the car is started. When I get a call I have to push the button to answer, then change the radio function to MEDIA (ie. auxiliary input, as the bluetooth adapter is plugged into the aux port in the center console), so I can hear the other party through the speakers.
Sound quality that the caller hears is awful. Even the factory setups are pretty bad, and this one is worse. For a 'hands free' phone in a Spider I'd just use corded earphones with the mike on the wire.

[spider2081]

I would like to go hide a way blue tooth in a 80 Spider I am building. Hopefully in a few months someone will have more info with brands. I really find this post interesting.

The blue tooth in our 500L works very well. I am happy with both the phone and the music operation and sound quality.
In our 500PE I haven't been able to get the music to work blue tooth and the phone voice commands sometimes get confused. The music works fine on USB.

[garion]

I recently discovered alibaba.com, and have been searching through that for possible solutions... Problem is that its mostly for resellers, so you need to buy in large lots.. But its giving me things to search google for... I'll let people know if I find something interesting...

[toplessexpat]

I would like to go hide a way blue tooth in a 80 Spider I am building. Hopefully in a few months someone will have more info with brands. I really find this post interesting.

The blue tooth in our 500L works very well. I am happy with both the phone and the music operation and sound quality.
In our 500PE I haven't been able to get the music to work blue tooth and the phone voice commands sometimes get confused. The music works fine on USB.

It's actually quite simple.

Blackberry Bluetooth Audio Gateway
USB 12v supply
Amplifier
Speakers
RCA to 3.5mm cable
Fused power supply cable for the amp

I think it can all fit behind the back seat if you want to keep it too.