Cotinental Head Units

[4tDX]

Hello,

I've some searching on the BMW and Porsche threads and I'm really digging on the looks of the Continental head units with the E30 interior, specifically the Continental TR7412UB-OR. However, I'm not finding much in the way of reviews on sound quality. Anyone have any inputs in this area. Although, I do like the looks my main objective is to get better sound quality and have USB. Would continental be a good choice or am I better off getting another head unit/brand?

In case it helps, I currently have a Sony CDX-GT270MP and premium speakers.

Apart from having a non-functioning speaker channel on the Sony I would also like to run a 4-channel AMP, keeping the premium speakers, and no sub.

Thanks in advance.

[g.ruff561]

I have been trying to source this HU for some time now. Anybody know a USA supplier? Price? Availability? My search keeps coming back to the Continental Tire Corporation.

[IceWhite]

Does this help?

http://www.continental-automotive.com/www/automotive_de_en/themes/commercial_vehicles/ch_interior_en/audio_products/

[g.ruff561]

Thank you sir. Found this but no price??? Or how to order??

[george graves]

I'd be almost 100% sure that it's rebranded - and sold under a few names. But I could be wrong!

[g.ruff561]

Thanks Mr Graves. Now I gotta figure who and where. As soon as I slide down the dinosaur I'm gonna Google and more Google. Nice HD for the E30. Thanks again......... G.

[4tDX]

There is another company that sells it (sorry can't think of the name at the moment), but i believe it has white buttons instead of the orange.

There is a Porsche guy that sells them local (NA), or you can get them off German ebay or German amazon. I've just read that the shipping time is a little long. They are cheaper from the German sources. I've not decided on my whole care stereo set up yet, so I've not tried to purchase it yet from the German ebay or amazon.

This is the NA source, with a couple of different options. You can check the specs on the Continental website linked above.

https://www.bergvillfx.com/index.php...car-audio.html

[straight6pwr]

i have that head unit. bought it through german ebay, shipping wasnt bad. it works great, the bluetooth pairs flawlessly with my android for music and calls. but if you are into 'sound quality', i'd probably look elsewhere. no equalizer (only presets) or fader options.

[bmwman91]

Sound quality will be the same on basically all head units if you are using it to power your speakers. Meaning, kind of crappy and unable to drive more than ~12Wrms before distortion goes through the roof. It is just a physical limitation due to the fact that every head unit I have ever seen powers the internal amp with the car's 12-14V supply.

If you are using an aftermarket amp, then everything will sound worlds better. Those are bigger and have the space (and thermal headroom) to have DC-DC step up converters to kick the supply up to like 50V or more internally and actually deliver decent power to speakers without distorting.

[e30davie]

Not to mention the speakers, although "premium", are 30yrs old?

[4tDX]

Sound quality will be the same on basically all head units if you are using it to power your speakers. Meaning, kind of crappy and unable to drive more than ~12Wrms before distortion goes through the roof. It is just a physical limitation due to the fact that every head unit I have ever seen powers the internal amp with the car's 12-14V supply.

If you are using an aftermarket amp, then everything will sound worlds better. Those are bigger and have the space (and thermal headroom) to have DC-DC step up converters to kick the supply up to like 50V or more internally and actually deliver decent power to speakers without distorting.

Yeah, I do plan on running an amplifier. However, this head unit does not have pre-amp outputs, so I'd have to get a converter or an amp with one built in. I've read that there is not that big of a difference in sound quality. I'm not really an audiophile, so I don't know that I could tell.

If it is really going to be a huge difference I'd go with a different headunit over the looks of this one.

Not to mention the speakers, although "premium", are 30yrs old?

Yeah. As I've been doing more research I'm now more open to getting new speakers too. Someone on the forums recently recommended the e34 speakers in the front, so I may give those a try and leave the premiums in the rear and see how I like it.

[george graves]

Someone on the forums recently recommended the e34 speakers in the front, so I may give those a try and leave the premiums in the rear and see how I like it.

I bet I know who that someone was. And although BMW did include some quality speakers back in the 90's, it's more of that someone trying to do upgrades on what he had on hand, on the super cheap. And that's great, but speak sound is so personal, you almost have to go listen to a set to see if you like the "coloring" that the speakers make. Just my 2 cents. I'll leave that as that. :o

[e30davie]

Sound quality is awfully subjective, and it is dependent on the best sound quality you have heard. I once heard some very expensive speakers that were very nice. Everything from that day on has had poor sound quality:(

for what its worth i put in an old school set of JL VR600 splits in my e30. At the moment the tweeter just sits in the corner of the dash, however one day i wil get excited and make a 3d printer "triangle" to fit in the corner of the door to mount the tweeter in.

[george graves]

I'll kindly disagree with you, as a gentleman, about sound quality as it being "awfully subjective" - there are some that like a bit more of this frequency, and a less of that frequency. But that range is very narrow. It's why the guy that likes 4 huge woffers in his honda civic that can be heard from blocks away will never will be paid to be a sound engineer. ;)

FYI - You've seen the stock e30 tweeter that mounts in the sail of the window right? Not much need to 3d print one when the stock one exists. (I have to assume you've see it) You can fit any small tweeter in there. I was going to make mounting/adapting rings out of acrylic for sale, but it's too much of a $2-3 thing.

[scabzzzz]

Theyre junk. Dont buy.

Same with about any Blaupunkt head unit these days. All chinese junk.