phenryiv1 325ic Stereo Install & Interior Thread

[phenryiv1]

Enjoyed reading this thread. Any updates?
Did you fix the alternator whine issue?

Nothing in a while. I picked up an e36 convertible that I am working to fix up and the e30 is mostly used for its intended purpose- DRIVING it. I need to finish the stereo (tweeters, final HU install) but free time goes to the e36 these days.

As for the whine issue I figured it out (RCA cable) but have not fully remedied it yet. I can re-create it by moving the RCAs but I need to route them in such a way that a bump or jumble does not move them into a position where they induce the whine.

[KrautnotRice]

Enjoyed reading this thread. Any updates?
Did you fix the alternator whine issue?

[phenryiv1]

Just experienced a totally random issue with the stereo. Out of the blue I am getting alternator noise. Everything was good and now the noise is present when the amp powers up. Nothing has moved but the noise is clearly there. Looks like I'll have to investigate that as well.

[phenryiv1]

The Dayton tweeters are so much smoother than the e30 premiums. I added them along with the e34 mids that you have all around in my coupe and couldn't be happier. I was EQing the top frequencies down 6db and the stock tweeters were still terribly harsh. Get the Daytons in there and enjoy. I now run a completely flat EQ curve other than a 4db bump in the sub-bass. This really brings out the e34 mids low end.

I hope to install them in the next week or so.

Pandora is terrible for sound quality, for sure. Also, don't use bluetooth streaming for audio. Your mid-bass and clarity will suck just as a result of the compression through the signal.

I do a direct wire as opposed to BTA. It is bad enough with the direct wire.

[Cephas]

There's a lot of units with a cheap DAC for sure, those issues are probably from poor digital to analog decoding or other circuitry -- but not bluetooth itself. I don't know that auto manufacturers publish any DAC specs for their HUs, it would take some digging.

Yes, good call. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they both had cheap DAC circuits. Why spend the money there when most people just stream Pandora or Amazon Prime and encode mp3s to 128kbps, right?

[84driver]

Could be the case, but on my 2015 Highlander and my Sony Mex4000 headunit in my e30, I can tell a difference and so can my wife who couldn't care less about such things.

It could be they use a different BT codec, but I doubt it. It could be my source material as well, but I have every MP3 at 320 and the rest in FLAC, so I don't know.

Ive heard this debated and in the end, I can definitely tell the difference. So in the end, do what sounds good to you!

There's a lot of units with a cheap DAC for sure, those issues are probably from poor digital to analog decoding or other circuitry -- but not bluetooth itself. I don't know that auto manufacturers publish any DAC specs for their HUs, it would take some digging.

[Cephas]

Modern Bluetooth codec (SBC or AptX) bitrate is over 320Kbps, higher quality than most source material and basically transparent in a double blind test. Much better than it once was, and I'm an audio nut with my entire collection lossless. Just an FYI.

Could be the case, but on my 2015 Highlander and my Sony Mex4000 headunit in my e30, I can tell a difference and so can my wife who couldn't care less about such things.

It could be they use a different BT codec, but I doubt it. It could be my source material as well, but I have every MP3 at 320 and the rest in FLAC, so I don't know.

Ive heard this debated and in the end, I can definitely tell the difference. So in the end, do what sounds good to you!

[84driver]

Also, don't use bluetooth streaming for audio. Your mid-bass and clarity will suck just as a result of the compression through the signal.

Modern Bluetooth codec (SBC or AptX) bitrate is over 320Kbps, higher quality than most source material and basically transparent in a double blind test. Much better than it once was, and I'm an audio nut with my entire collection lossless. Just an FYI.

[Cephas]

[*]The OEM tweeters actually keep up with the E34 mids pretty well. I will report back on how the Daytons change the overall impression.[*]Using Pandora as a source is a bad representation of how the stereo can sound. The compression is crap and the tonal quality is very flat...but until I can get the antenna situation figured out I am going with it.[/LIST]

The Dayton tweeters are so much smoother than the e30 premiums. I added them along with the e34 mids that you have all around in my coupe and couldn't be happier. I was EQing the top frequencies down 6db and the stock tweeters were still terribly harsh. Get the Daytons in there and enjoy. I now run a completely flat EQ curve other than a 4db bump in the sub-bass. This really brings out the e34 mids low end.

Pandora is terrible for sound quality, for sure. Also, don't use bluetooth streaming for audio. Your mid-bass and clarity will suck just as a result of the compression through the signal.

[phenryiv1]

The antenna connector is a Hirschmann and also goes by a couple other obscure names. I have a spare I can send you for $10 shipped if you have enough cable left to use it. Requires soldering.

Stereoinstaller clued me in to the supplier ages ago, I have a thread about it that I need to update...

I replaced the cable front to back with a new cable. The issue is now with the antenna- either the booster function is not working or the mast is too short...or the tuner section on the HU is bad.

I will try using a longer mast on the setup that I have to see if it improves. It that fails, plan B will be to try a different antenna plugged into the HU with a really short cable. Lastly I will try swapping HUs as a last resort.

[84driver]

The antenna connector is a Hirschmann and also goes by a couple other obscure names. I have a spare I can send you for $10 shipped if you have enough cable left to use it. Requires soldering.

Stereoinstaller clued me in to the supplier ages ago, I have a thread about it that I need to update...

[phenryiv1]

So after a couple thousand miles I have a few observations.

1. The Clarke transducer is awesome. It may be hookey in some people's eyes but at highway cruising speed the "feel" of the bass makes up for a lack of real, actual bass.
2. The E34 mids have loosened up and the midbass is good with the top down, very good with it up. Without the perception of the transducer I think it would still be a bit thin but overall I am very happy with them.
3. Top-up driving with this setup is very enjoyable. Top-down is better than passable but turning it up enough to really enjoy the music still results in it sounding like music- not distorted noise.
4. The OEM tweeters actually keep up with the E34 mids pretty well. I will report back on how the Daytons change the overall impression.
5. Using Pandora as a source is a bad representation of how the stereo can sound. The compression is crap and the tonal quality is very flat...but until I can get the antenna situation figured out I am going with it.

[phenryiv1]

Parking this for later.

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105436

[papatonymk_e30]

good call on posting the after picture. my vert windows dont line up at all and that's given me the motivation i need to adjust them after work today!

[phenryiv1]

Added "after" shot of window alignment to post # 50.

Next task: Tackle this: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=347887