What ICE & @ What Price

abhi182 · 3rd May 2007, 11:35

Quote:

Pioneer 2950 is a low end HU

But isn't the Amp on all the Pioneer DEH series (including the 7950) the same (22W rms X 4)

This is one of the reasons why I didn't insist on the 6xxx/7xxx HU when the lady chose the 2950

...

Meanwhile, let me lurk arnd the market section here to see if I can find some good amp up for grabs

navin · 3rd May 2007, 14:23

abhi,

I have found that there is no need to hide the amp purchase from your wife, mom or anyone of the female gender.

my wife at first did not want amps and woofers in her car. then i just installed it. she freacked. so i told her i will remove it "next week". When I did she asked for it back. End of argument. Even women love good sound. Today my wife will tolerate anything as long as the HU is an Alpine (familiar controls for her, like her Nokia phone) and she has enough room for her son's stuff which is ok with me.

abhi182 · 3rd May 2007, 15:13

^^ hehe, apologies for the totally OT discussion,
but Recently i took the risk of buying a new home-audio setup (Marantz Reference class Amp- PM 17 , floor standers - phase technologies V12 and DAC M--audio audiophile) after telling her it set us back by all of 15K...

Having heard the sound of this setup vs some of the other setups she has heard of late, (supposedly pricier ) she has started smelling something fishy with my story

So I know she understands and enjoys good sound, but it may not be a bad idea to spread the risks over a period of time

It may be a little too risky to take a double blow risk right away

romyeo4u · 16th May 2007, 20:15

SANTRO

Existing setup
PIO 5990 IB
Front: JBL CS 2104
Rear JBL GTO 937

Upgrade:

GTO 607 for front 6500/-
GTO 4-12 sub 4990/-
JBL 75..4 Amp 12990/
wiring 2200/-
install 1100/-
fibre 1800/-

overall 40k
against my plan of 25k

navin · 17th May 2007, 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by romyeo4u

overall 40k
against my plan of 25k

Given the 60% overspend are you happy?

romyeo4u · 17th May 2007, 01:16

that was the time when i didnt had any clue abt he ICE blindly I figured 25k and almost done with SONY'fying my car then came across this wonderful site which gave me good inputs .

I have ordered for the upgrade plan I should be getting it by Sat and install it on SAT itself. will take the pics and share the sound experience as well Navin.

low_bass_makker · 17th May 2007, 01:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by romyeo4u

fibre 1800/-

what is this Fibre thing......is this is used for damping....and what stuff he is using......

romyeo4u · 17th May 2007, 01:29

The guy said while cutting the Santro door pad he is using it. even i'm not sure waht he meant . is he talking about fibre glass?

low_bass_makker · 17th May 2007, 01:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by romyeo4u

The guy said while cutting the Santro door pad he is using it. even i'm not sure waht he meant . is he talking about fibre glass?

Be sure to check it out what he is planning to do with your 1.1k.....and I dont think with this less amount he will be doing Fibre Glass work in your car...

romyeo4u · 17th May 2007, 01:44

Thanks for the update LBM

for 607 all we have to do is cut the door pads am i right?

I remember installer telling me the door pad of Santro cannot accomodate the 607 that's why he is getting some moulded fibre thing to support it.

Will call him and ask about it.

ketchup · 25th May 2007, 20:43

Not much posts in a while, so I thought I'll share my experience on the install I got yesterday at Sprocket Hyderabad.

Car: Honda City
HU: Pio 7950ub (only item no b&w)
Front: GTO 607c comps
Rear: GTO 937
Amp: Sony 554
Wiring: Monster

(no damping, no sub)

Well, firstly I was glad that someone at tbhp recommended this store, the guys really know what they are doing, and did a satisfactory job. I nearly couldn't bear to see them take the car apart - the seats, doors and all

. But its all ok now, except for a few small scratches here & there.

I asked them to make my ice inconspicuous, I like to keep it simple in appearance. I was happy that the stuff is well hidden from view. The only thing I couldn't hide was the HU (alas!).

Here are a few pics for timepass:

The HU... The USB(white) & AUX(Black) when the draw is open.

A good location for the tweeter. Its directed at the passenger.

The Amp is hidden from view and is not an obstruction. Wiring hidden from view.

(Sorry I didn't know how to upload larger pix to this forum)

The Sound

You may observe I'm using 70 & 100w rms speakers powered by an amp that gives 65w rms/ch, & no sub. I'm happy with the bass & glad I didn't splurge on a sub.

On the positive side, I never expected such good bass from a 6.5" (front) speaker. The sound handling across the spectrum is excellent even at high levels.

I'm a bit confused as to how to rate the sound. I was looking for SQ - good clean all round sound. But I think the GTOs are a bit "heavy" for me. Its the kind of sound that would be great at a discotheque, but too much partying will give you a headache - if you know what I mean. I've tried various combinations, with eq on flat (bass boost off, loud off) its too drab. Other settings make it too heavy - maybe once I get used to it, it should be ok. But overall I'm happy.

Unfortunately there was no way to audition more speakers - Sprocket allowed me to audition the 6x9s (& nothing else) but the audition room sounded NOTHING like how it sounds in the car.

MP3 audio

This is the first time I've had mp3 audio in my car. My prev car had a cd changer. I was surprised - the amount of loss an MP3 has over a cd is a LOT!!! I couldn't bear to hear some of my fav tracks in mp3 (Faithless - Buddha Bar). BUT.... I think I have a solution, I'll rip my music at say 300-500 kbps, I think that should get me quite close to CD quality. I'll still be able to stock around 300 songs on a 4gb pendrive. What say?

If anyone has any ideas on SQ with mp3 - will appreciate.

The HU

I went for a Pio 7950ub as it has a USB port and a 7 band equaliser. Though all my settings are just +/- 2 from 0db, I have a lot more control over the spectrum with a 7 band eq.

I'm not too pleased with the HU - mainly with the user interface. The menu navigation is just not intuitive nor consistent, the control knob is very hard to control, making it quite hard to select the features. Its near impossible to use the control while driving. To pause a song, you'll have to go through a complex menu process.

The blue is also out of place - I've never seen a car with blue in-dash lighting - its usually amber or green - so the pio doesn't blend in. The screen could have been much better, the resolution is real low so the animations look like the the '80s monochrome monitors.

I expected better from a 9.5k HU (grey market).

I think thats a problem with all of the 5/6/7950 series - so beware.

But the positive side: Its got the USB port, and 2 aux ports. These ports are at the rear of the unit (Thats how I like it, discrete). And it handles the pendrive and .m3u lists quite well, but it doesn't recognise my Sony phone which has a 2gb Mem Stick Duo (damn!!).

Its also fairly rich in features (if you can access them), its got 3 levels of loud control, a separate 5 level bass control, 2 custom equalisers (7 band) & presets. It has a HPF just in case.

Thanks to all the Gurus and the other friends who gave valuable inputs, I have an audio system far better than what I would have otherwise got

.

navin · 25th May 2007, 23:45

Dear ketchup,

Nice install but this is what I would do.

a) move the tweeter further up right near where the door meets the left and right A/C vents and flush mount the grill againt the door. I fear the tweeter will get kicked in in the present location. if you want to make it disceret you could get some acoustic cloth the same colour as the door and cover the grill with it.

b) covering the amp with carpet may cause it to overheat.

for the EQ, use it judiciously. If you find flat too drab try just a +1 or +2db boost in the treble. Also fade the sound to the front try atleast setting the front fader to +4.

as far as MP3s are concerned, I am afraid no LOSSY format will come near a good CD pressing. I would suggest using a lossless format. There is a whole forum dedicated to this art. it is called Hydrogenaudio Forums.

The Pio Hu is well featured. For 10K an Alpine HU for example would not have the list of features your Pio HU has.

Now enjoy.

Regards
'Heinz'.

hydrashok · 26th May 2007, 07:44

Navin sure has sharp eyes

I didn't notice the carpet (in the boot) pulled back yesterday. Ketchup, I'd follow Navin's advise on the overheating for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by navin

Dear ketchup,
...
Regards
'Heinz'.

Huh????

d.kiran · 26th May 2007, 08:53

Ketchup. Looks like a nice job. It is something similar to what I am looking for my City as well.

Would it be possible to include pictures of the front component as fitted and the rear 6x9 as well? I want to see how well the 6x9 fits into the regular slot. Similarly for the front components.

Thanks in advance.

navin · 26th May 2007, 09:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrashok

Huh????

Heinz as in "57 varieties of ketchup"

3rd May 2007, 14:23	#302
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,321 Thanked: 9,495 Times	abhi, I have found that there is no need to hide the amp purchase from your wife, mom or anyone of the female gender. my wife at first did not want amps and woofers in her car. then i just installed it. she freacked. so i told her i will remove it "next week". When I did she asked for it back. End of argument. Even women love good sound. Today my wife will tolerate anything as long as the HU is an Alpine (familiar controls for her, like her Nokia phone) and she has enough room for her son's stuff which is ok with me.
	() Thanks

3rd May 2007, 15:13	#303
abhi182 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 370 Thanked: 532 Times View My Garage	^^ hehe, apologies for the totally OT discussion, but Recently i took the risk of buying a new home-audio setup (Marantz Reference class Amp- PM 17 , floor standers - phase technologies V12 and DAC M--audio audiophile) after telling her it set us back by all of 15K... Having heard the sound of this setup vs some of the other setups she has heard of late, (supposedly pricier ) she has started smelling something fishy with my story So I know she understands and enjoys good sound, but it may not be a bad idea to spread the risks over a period of time It may be a little too risky to take a double blow risk right away
	() Thanks

16th May 2007, 20:15	#304
romyeo4u BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad - Now Bangalore Posts: 299 Thanked: 13 Times	SANTRO Existing setup PIO 5990 IB Front: JBL CS 2104 Rear JBL GTO 937 Upgrade: GTO 607 for front 6500/- GTO 4-12 sub 4990/- JBL 75..4 Amp 12990/ wiring 2200/- install 1100/- fibre 1800/- overall 40k against my plan of 25k
	() Thanks

17th May 2007, 01:16	#306
romyeo4u BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad - Now Bangalore Posts: 299 Thanked: 13 Times	that was the time when i didnt had any clue abt he ICE blindly I figured 25k and almost done with SONY'fying my car then came across this wonderful site which gave me good inputs . I have ordered for the upgrade plan I should be getting it by Sat and install it on SAT itself. will take the pics and share the sound experience as well Navin.
	() Thanks

17th May 2007, 01:29	#308
romyeo4u BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad - Now Bangalore Posts: 299 Thanked: 13 Times	The guy said while cutting the Santro door pad he is using it. even i'm not sure waht he meant . is he talking about fibre glass?
	() Thanks

17th May 2007, 01:44	#310
romyeo4u BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad - Now Bangalore Posts: 299 Thanked: 13 Times	Thanks for the update LBM for 607 all we have to do is cut the door pads am i right? I remember installer telling me the door pad of Santro cannot accomodate the 607 that's why he is getting some moulded fibre thing to support it. Will call him and ask about it.
	() Thanks

25th May 2007, 20:43	#311
ketchup BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 48 Thanked: 0 Times	Not much posts in a while, so I thought I'll share my experience on the install I got yesterday at Sprocket Hyderabad. Car: Honda City HU: Pio 7950ub (only item no b&w) Front: GTO 607c comps Rear: GTO 937 Amp: Sony 554 Wiring: Monster (no damping, no sub) Well, firstly I was glad that someone at tbhp recommended this store, the guys really know what they are doing, and did a satisfactory job. I nearly couldn't bear to see them take the car apart - the seats, doors and all . But its all ok now, except for a few small scratches here & there. I asked them to make my ice inconspicuous, I like to keep it simple in appearance. I was happy that the stuff is well hidden from view. The only thing I couldn't hide was the HU (alas!). Here are a few pics for timepass: The HU... The USB(white) & AUX(Black) when the draw is open. A good location for the tweeter. Its directed at the passenger. The Amp is hidden from view and is not an obstruction. Wiring hidden from view. (Sorry I didn't know how to upload larger pix to this forum) The Sound You may observe I'm using 70 & 100w rms speakers powered by an amp that gives 65w rms/ch, & no sub. I'm happy with the bass & glad I didn't splurge on a sub. On the positive side, I never expected such good bass from a 6.5" (front) speaker. The sound handling across the spectrum is excellent even at high levels. I'm a bit confused as to how to rate the sound. I was looking for SQ - good clean all round sound. But I think the GTOs are a bit "heavy" for me. Its the kind of sound that would be great at a discotheque, but too much partying will give you a headache - if you know what I mean. I've tried various combinations, with eq on flat (bass boost off, loud off) its too drab. Other settings make it too heavy - maybe once I get used to it, it should be ok. But overall I'm happy. Unfortunately there was no way to audition more speakers - Sprocket allowed me to audition the 6x9s (& nothing else) but the audition room sounded NOTHING like how it sounds in the car. MP3 audio This is the first time I've had mp3 audio in my car. My prev car had a cd changer. I was surprised - the amount of loss an MP3 has over a cd is a LOT!!! I couldn't bear to hear some of my fav tracks in mp3 (Faithless - Buddha Bar). BUT.... I think I have a solution, I'll rip my music at say 300-500 kbps, I think that should get me quite close to CD quality. I'll still be able to stock around 300 songs on a 4gb pendrive. What say? If anyone has any ideas on SQ with mp3 - will appreciate. The HU I went for a Pio 7950ub as it has a USB port and a 7 band equaliser. Though all my settings are just +/- 2 from 0db, I have a lot more control over the spectrum with a 7 band eq. I'm not too pleased with the HU - mainly with the user interface. The menu navigation is just not intuitive nor consistent, the control knob is very hard to control, making it quite hard to select the features. Its near impossible to use the control while driving. To pause a song, you'll have to go through a complex menu process. The blue is also out of place - I've never seen a car with blue in-dash lighting - its usually amber or green - so the pio doesn't blend in. The screen could have been much better, the resolution is real low so the animations look like the the '80s monochrome monitors. I expected better from a 9.5k HU (grey market). I think thats a problem with all of the 5/6/7950 series - so beware. But the positive side: Its got the USB port, and 2 aux ports. These ports are at the rear of the unit (Thats how I like it, discrete). And it handles the pendrive and .m3u lists quite well, but it doesn't recognise my Sony phone which has a 2gb Mem Stick Duo (damn!!). Its also fairly rich in features (if you can access them), its got 3 levels of loud control, a separate 5 level bass control, 2 custom equalisers (7 band) & presets. It has a HPF just in case. Thanks to all the Gurus and the other friends who gave valuable inputs, I have an audio system far better than what I would have otherwise got.
	() Thanks

25th May 2007, 23:45	#312
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,321 Thanked: 9,495 Times	Dear ketchup, Nice install but this is what I would do. a) move the tweeter further up right near where the door meets the left and right A/C vents and flush mount the grill againt the door. I fear the tweeter will get kicked in in the present location. if you want to make it disceret you could get some acoustic cloth the same colour as the door and cover the grill with it. b) covering the amp with carpet may cause it to overheat. for the EQ, use it judiciously. If you find flat too drab try just a +1 or +2db boost in the treble. Also fade the sound to the front try atleast setting the front fader to +4. as far as MP3s are concerned, I am afraid no LOSSY format will come near a good CD pressing. I would suggest using a lossless format. There is a whole forum dedicated to this art. it is called Hydrogenaudio Forums. The Pio Hu is well featured. For 10K an Alpine HU for example would not have the list of features your Pio HU has. Now enjoy. Regards 'Heinz'.
	() Thanks

26th May 2007, 08:53	#314
d.kiran BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 77 Thanked: 0 Times	Ketchup. Looks like a nice job. It is something similar to what I am looking for my City as well. Would it be possible to include pictures of the front component as fitted and the rear 6x9 as well? I want to see how well the 6x9 fits into the regular slot. Similarly for the front components. Thanks in advance.
	() Thanks