Hi Gents,
It's been a while... Finally getting around to finishing off my audio set up for my GTA. Looking for a silver radio/CD that will look ok with the silver surrounds of the dash/console.
Found an Alpine CDE-9882Ri for sale, probably under $150, used. Has a silver/chrome surround, some other silver sections, but also black, with red LCD display.
Also a new 2005 model Clarion DXZ856MP CD MP3 Receiver for $198.
I know Alpines have a better reputation, but the DXZ856MP is all silver and seems to be a good deal.
Anyone know of any new silver single din HU's that are decent.... seem to be an extinct item :(
I have decent speakers and amp ready to be connected, so want a half decent HU, but not anything over the top. I listen to the radio most of the time, and have reception issues with the standard Blaupunkt. But I will keep it if there is nothing substantially better that is at least mostly silver.
Phil
Unfortunately, silver-faced headunits are all but extinct from any current line up. I don't understand it either, but it's very annoying.
The Alpine 9882 is very decent, and I think it will suit your needs fine. Nothing wrong with Clarion either; sound quality is as good as Alpine IMO. But as with any secondhand model, it can be a little hit and miss: buttons may be worn, may be scratches, CD laser may be dirty and worn and prone to skipping and lose some of that clarity. But it's not to say they are all bad, at all.
The factory Blaupunkt is not great for clarity, and I think you'll notice a significant improvement with an aftermarket model with RCA output to connect directly to the amp.
If you want to retain the steering wheel controls, you'll need a model that suits; one with a steering wheel control input socket. Most, but not all, have this, so check the specs carefully. Then you'll need an interface to connect b/w the factory plugs and new headunit. Connects2 (brand) offer interfaces. In one GTA that I worked on, it had an ignition wire in the plug (as opposed to relying on CANBUS alone); so the Connects2 CTSAR001 would be the right interface. But without that wire, you'd need the CTSAR003. I can't advise without seeing or checking the wiring, so seek professional advice if you are unsure (ie: visit a good specialist car audio store). A patch lead is required b/w the interface and headunit; differs according to brand headunit (eg: CTALPINELEAD for an Alpine headunit).
:)
Try Marine head units, its a larger market in the USA and fairly cheap at that (if you can wait for delivery). They are also just as feature packed as the car units, although having that marine tag I can see them having an extra surcharge on the price?
Here's a couple of links to AUS market for clarion and alpine, not sure what they cost, again I reckon US market will be cheaper...
http://www.alpine.com.au/showPage.php?pid=219 (http://www.alpine.com.au/showPage.php?pid=219)
http://www.clarion.com/au/en/products/2012/marine/source_units/M309/au-en-product-pf_1259617388972.html (http://www.clarion.com/au/en/products/2012/marine/source_units/M309/au-en-product-pf_1259617388972.html)
This was only after a quick search on the www, I'm sure you'll find something that will suite the dash. Very true that car audio has gone to the dark side now, they seem to be marketing the coloured displays.
Thanks Gents,
Finally got myself a Clarion DXZ856MP, all silver and with a touch screen. It is new, but an old model so go it for a good price, just lacks USB and BT, but I had it fitted with an aux cable into the cabin to run to my phone or MP3 player etc.
Cost me $528 to fit the HU, tweeters, crossovers for my A/D/S 356cs front speakers, power cable to battery and get it ready for an amp. I'd already fitted front speakers and run most of the cables. They provided the Connects 2 interface and fascia. I should have insisted on getting the latter myself as they charged too much, but atleast it was on them for it to fit and work.
Problem is the Response Amp I got for it a year ago is said to be faulty. They tested it twice and said it was ok beforehand, but when the ran it with the system they said it was running 10 ohmns on the left and 5.9 on the right, and that the amp was stuffed. Another tech there said later it could be the speakers that have caused the problem.
They offered my an Alpine PMX F640 4x5orms for $300. Cash converters have a Pioneer GM 6500F, 2011 model, unused, 760w peak for a bit over $100, and a Rockford Fosgate P4004 Punch which I gather is 4x50w rms, for just under $300. Both would have 3 mth warranties. The Pioneer and Alpine are at least more compact than the Response so should fit without having to build a frame or box.
I have already paid more than I wanted to, but don't want to ruin the setup with an amp that becomes the weak link. I don't need huge volume, looking for quality of sound which the A/D/S and Clarion are supposed to produce. More light rock, R&B, 60's-70's music, nothing heavy. If I can find something better value than any of the above I am prepared to look farther afield. I may try and get the Response repaired at some stage, but may not be worth it. I paid $175 including freight from memory.
Appreciate your advice,
Phil
Good that you found an older model HU to suit.
Pity about the Jaycar amp.
Both the Pioneer and Alpine are limited by the xover filters; they are 'fixed' at 80Hz. That probably suits the speakers ok, but doesn't allow you to experiment to find something more suitable. If you don't play the stereo loudly, you could afford a lower setting for more bass (eg: 60Hz); if you like it really loud, then too much bass will cause the speakers to distort prematurely, so filtering out the bass with a higher setting (eg: 100Hz) would be better.
The current model Alpine MRX-F35 is better in many ways, and streetprice is probably cheaper at a place like JB HiFi (esp if you wait for a 30% off car audio day). More efficient (Class D topology) makes for more power, smaller footprint, and has variable frequency xover filters.
http://www.alpine.com.au/showItem.php?item_id=272
:)
Thanks Shiny!
Great to have your expertise. The more I looked at other amps the more the MRX-F35 stood out. I watched a particularly helpful Alpine video that compared the X series with the V's. Similar advantages over the PMX F640 the fitter/dealer was recommending. Ended up getting the MRX-F35 for $268 inc. postage, so a much better value for money.
Currently without the amp the Clarion HU plays just through the rears, which surprised me as I thought there would be no audio until an amp was in. I would gather this means they have run the old wiring from the rears from the HU as before, and are only running the fronts through the amp. Also the steering controls don't work at present, hoping that is because the control runs through the amp.
My real concern is that the problem with the Response amp may have come because of the front A/D/S 356cs's /crossovers having some fault, which might now impact the new Alpine amp. Any way of figuring that out without just going ahead and fitting the new amp and seeing what happens?
Thanks again, I am sure I will be back getting suggestions for tuning the system when it is hopefully safely up and running. Dropping the crossover down closer to 60Hz sounds like the place to start.
Thanks again,
Phil
The steering wheel controls should be working. It is unrelated to having an amplifier. So have it checked out; possibly not hooked up properly. Also check if the Clarion needs to have that function turned on.
It would be unusual for faulty speakers/passive crossovers to 'take out' an amplifier. Alpine's have good protection circuitry, so if there's a fault with the speakers (eg: so far as having a short circuit), the amp will go into protection mode until rectified, and should not be damaged.
:)
;D Very reassuring, good to know. I called the fitter and they will look at the Connects set up when they complete the new amp install.
I took the lid of the Response amp. Very impressive, but not very efficient use of space (it is very long and wide). The Alpine is going to fit in the boot much more easily, probably a third of the size. They are going to run the rears to the amp.
The Clarion DXZ856MP looks great, though as others had mentioned, it sticks out from the dash a bit, but in some ways that means the lack of exact matching of colour and shape is less apparent. The touch screen is easy to use, just have to figure out the basic settings. The motorised function revealing the CD slot is a nice bit of techy pzazz.
Regards,
Phil
I setup the time and stations on the Clarion HU on Wednesday, setting all the slots for AM station preferences. When I turned it on today it had lost the time and the stations. It doesn't stay on after the ignition is turned off. I had told the fitters that Alfas have some different wiring and gave them some printed info from one of the other forums. Hopefully they are smart enough to connect it properly on Monday when the amp goes in, but I am starting to wonder. :-\ They insisted twasn't CANBUS and ordered and fitted the CT-ars-001. What power wire should they have connected to that isn't ignition sensitive. Is there an ACC one they should use?
Amp hasn't arrived yet, so had to postpone fitting until mid next week. Fitters admitted it is CANBUS and will try to remedy the power issue.
There is CANBUS, but it isn't required to operate an aftermarket headunit.
Losing settings does indeed suggest the wiring is incorrect. 'The other forum' my be the Guideline I have written on AO.
It should be very easy to swap over the two relevant powerwires:
1. main power supply to run headunit and keep settings: should be in position A7 and may be labelled 'Ub' (conventionally in position A4, hence it's swapped in Alfas); need to be redirected to the yellow Clarion wire (Clarion 'constant' wire)
2. switched ignitoin wire that trigger headunit on/off when turning ignition key: this goes to 0V when you turn off the car; hence, if this is incorrectly connected to the Clarion's main wire, you lose all settings; should be in position A4 (conventionally in A7), and labelled with a 'switch' icon; need to go to the Clarion's red 'ACC' wire (Accessories)
Seems shoddy work to me. They have obviously fitted it without testing = rushed work.
:)
Thanks Shiny!
Where would we do without you 8)
:o Someone else would fill in for me. 8)
:( the saga goes on some more...
Had the new Alpine amp fitted today. But they hadn't secured the drivers door tweeter, so got them to put some sikaflex on it as they'd done with the passenger side.
Drove off and did a couple of things around town. Played a bit with the Clarion HU to get the front rear speaker fade better. All sounded ok, but then there was a quiet snap sound and the a/d/s front speakers stopped and I only had the rears (originals). Went back to the fitters. After the Response amp smoking and them getting a reading of 10 ohm and 5.9 ohm from the speakers (crossovers?) I figured perhaps the a/d/s crossovers are problematic. I ran the a/d/s speakers from the original Blaupunkt h/u for a year or so without any problems, but as soon as they put in the crossovers the problems seem to have started (the Response amp blowing smoke and now the front speakers getting cut out). The only thing of any significance that I changed in the h/u settings was to change the ADF setting
If I turn the Clarion off and then back on in a few seconds, the fronts are back in business again. Would it be the crossovers, the amp or the h/u that is cutting them out? I was guessing it is the amp, but the "snap/crack" sounds like it is coming from the passengers door (crossover)...
The fitters admitted "we aren't technicians, just product fitters and sales". Of course they want me to ditch the a/d/s setup and buy some Alpine R's ($350) and say it isn't worth trying to fix the crossovers. One suggested just replacing the x/overs with Jaycar universal ones, the other said that wasn't a good idea.
Secondly, the manager said he looked into the Clarion DXZ856MP h/u, and even called Clarion, and said that they won't work with the steering controls, which is one more problem.
For reference there is a manual for the a/d/s woofers and xovers at; http://www.directed.com/guides/manuals/og/ads-mobile/G39301.06_04-04.pdf (http://www.directed.com/guides/manuals/og/ads-mobile/G39301.06_04-04.pdf)
Regards,
Phil
There may indeed be something wrong with the speakers/crossovers. If possible, pull them out, and bench test them. Trouble is, you may not have spare equipment to do this, but a good shop/installer would. Though, a simple inspection of the xovers may reveal the problem: look for a broken dry solder joint, which could be the issue; or stray wiring, something that is shorting out.
Alternatively, one of the speaker terminals or wires is shorting out (ie: an installation fault).
Seems you've been sold a headunit that isn't meeting your needs. I think you'd have every right to obtain a refund if you wanted (or on the steering wheel control interface they sold you!).
Honestly, I think the shop could be doing a lot better. They have sold you an inappropriate headunit, installed a system without checking it all works properly (steering controls, powerwiring to headunit), and presumably can't be bothered to trouble shoot your speakers. Hey, I could do some testing and I'm not a technician! They presumably have full demo boards, so it's not hard to hook your speakers up to an amp that is already up and running!
If you wish to discuss your retailer and want an alternative one, PM me.
:)
Bad news on the speaker front... :( The manager of the installer business fixed the power problem on the HU, and then tested the components, speakers/tweeter etc. and found faults in the speakers, one reading 53.9 ohms (same side as the xover that read 10ohms earlier. He says when you touch the speaker it is fine, but cuts out otherwise, suggesting a broken wire in the voice coil, which I gather isn't fixable. He recommended either Rockford Fosgate punch p1's 6.5" for $300 or Alpine R's for $349, suggesting the latter would fit and sound better.
So I am researching speakers. Will post on one of the audio boards on that issue. There are what look like good deals on Ebay for new Infinity Kappa 60.7cs $155, Focal PS165 $229 and Alpine Type R SPR-17S for $210.
That's a pity. :(
What is your budget for speakers? What sort of music do you enjoy? How loud do you want it?
And what was your impression of the Alpine and RF speakers when you had a listen?
Given the limitation of choice down in TAS, I can make a suggestion of alternatives, and you have the opportunity to purchase from the Mainland (eg: Marty at Fhrx Studios in SYD is excellent deal with, and good pricing and delivery is no issue; it is what he specialises in; http://www.fhrxstudios.com.au/ ).
:)
Budget; hoping to be under $300, but don't want them to be the weak link in the Clarion HU/Alpine Amp setup.
Music tastes: 60's-70's rock/pop, Dylan, Beatles, ELO, Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Randy Newman, Van Morrison etc. Not brain shakingly loud, but often more than mid volume. I like detail, clarity, good separation, staging and good bass but not exaggerated.
They didn't seem to have the speakers setup and I was beyond spending much more time there after all the hassles. I will try a few other places with demo boards. Autobahn had a good setup, with a few decent speakers and amps, but no Alpine or RF. Should be a few other places hopefully. But I am probably going to have to rely on recommendations/test reviews etc.
Thanks for the tip on fhrx. I think I talked to him last time around before I ended up with what seemed like a great deal on the a/d/s setup from one of the audio forums. By the way I read that a/d/s had a lifetime warranty... but as I am not the original owner I guess that is out of the question, also no original receipt. Phonixfire on Ebay seems to have good pricing as well (most of what I quoted last post).
Thanks!
Phil
Have a read of this review:
http://www.mobileelectronics.com.au/products/reviews/affordable_65_two_way_components_review/
I help run the MEA forums, so whatever you might post there, I'd just as easily answer here. ;)
I personally favour Morel or Hertz, but your tastes differ to mine (in music, anyway!). But there's also Arc Audio XDi 6.2 which are proving very popular. For enthusiasts, these speaker-specialist brands would be favoured well above Alpine and RF, if you prefer a true-to-life sound rather than coloured and in ya face.
Give Marty and email and stipulate your budget, music tastes, the rest of the stereo components, and car. You can mention I sent you. He will get back to you with some ideas of what he recommends. I guess, just bear in mind this time of year may mean it waits until after NY before things progress. Or else get in quickly before most of the distributors close down for a break.
:)
Good couple of reviews articles on 6.5 speakers on MEA, I'd read them and found them very helpful.
Marty came up with the Morel Tempo 6 and the Crescendo Opus 1. I found the recommended best value under $600 from the other MEA review, the DLS RS6 Reference series, for $330 from Melbournes Acoustical Garage.
I tried a few places in Hobart with speaker demo boards, but only Autobarn had Hertz, everyone else had the usual cheap stuff. The HSK 165's were good, quite a lot better than the ESK's, much better separation of individual instruments etc. Out of my budget range though, and the DLS sound like they may suit my "ears" better any way. There is a new set of Crescendo Opus 5's on Ebay for $350 starting price, but they don't review much better than the $239 Opus 1's. The Morel Tempo 6 for $309 seem like a good deal. They are available from Israel for $187 landed, but I would imagine there would be no local warranty.
A local guy has some Alpine R's for $50, might be good for rears, but I think I may be able to run the a/d/s in the rear off the h/u, unless it is endangering the h/u.
So the DLS's are on the top of my list thus far. :D
Are Melbourne Acoustic Garage still up and running? It was run by Mark French, and he closed down his store in Langwarrin recently unfortunately. But he may still be clearing out old stock online; hope so, for your sake. DLS are definitely a very nice refined speaker.
Otherwise, I think the Morel Tempo 6 would be the way to go.
:)
They have the DLS R6A and DLS RS6N.
The RS6N has two separate x/overs and shallow depth mounting (53mm mounting depth, 146mm hole) and T25N tweeter (Nanoplate). Frequency range 55 - 20.000 Hz Sensitivity 92 dB (1W/1m) http://dls.se/en/car/prod.html?produkt=en_844 (http://dls.se/en/car/prod.html?produkt=en_844)
The R6A has T25 tweeter and larger magnet (slightly better bass Frequency range 50 - 20 000 Hz. Sensitivity 90 dB (1W/1m), Magnet size 100 mm, mounting depth 76mm, hole 140mm. http://dls.se/en/car/prod.html?produkt=en_60 (http://dls.se/en/car/prod.html?produkt=en_60)
Negligible price difference.
So the critical question is whether the R6A will fit the GTA. My a/d/s are listed as 67mm depth, 130mm hole. Still a bit of room behind them to the window when it is down. I had to make a bit of room for them width wise as they had a proturusion for the wire connectors. I should make up mdf mounts anyway this time which I gather would let me mount them a bit further out in the door panel.. I guess the safer and simpler way is to go with the RS6N but the extra bass on the R6A would be nice ;D.
I fitted Dynaudio 77mm depth woofers in the doors of my old 156 TS years ago, using mdf spacers, without much trouble.
You have to ignore the specs like frequency response. The face value numbers reflect no significant difference (ie: 50Hz vs 55Hz is nothing), but they do probably sound fairly different. Probably do more research on MEA to see who has actually compared the two. Specs like this don't tell you how good they sound; much like the TRD Aurion is quicker/better 'on paper' than the GTA, but I suspect you'd find the GTA is more enjoyable to drive!
Generally, 'slimline' components are slightly compromised compared with normal, so I expect the R6A to be the pick of the two.
:)
And yet another episode... :P
I researched various alternative speakers, particularly DLS R6A's, as well as getting pricing and information on reconing. But before making a purchase, I decided I should do some more investigations into the a/d/s speakers and crossovers, and the wiring, in case there was another problem causing the cut out, or another solution to the purported speaker problem.
I took the passenger door apart and removed the crossover and speaker. I also removed the driver side speaker and tested both speakers with a small battery and the cone moved. I then tested them off a small home amp, and they ran fine. I then did as an a/d/s technician recommended, tested the I also tested the crossover with the original factory speakers which were fine as would be expected, and then the a/d/s speakers. All sounded fine. It should be noted that these speakers had run fine for almost two years in the same situation, but with the factory head unit and tweeters. The manager removed the fuse on the battery end to protect the amp, and I continued to run the head unit through the rear factory speakers.
After getting as much advise as I could and trying to understand the situation, I finally found and paid a local speaker technician, to check the speakers and the passenger crossover. He said it is very hard to do reliable ohm measurement on speakers. He ran a couple of tests, including a frequency generator. Both speakers ran fine on his test amp. He said that issues in the speakers, even serious ones would not cause the amp to go into protection mode. As others had told me, this is most likely to be a short in the wiring elsewhere. He then ran a frequency generator test. This showed a problem at low frequencies, with distortion at below 50hz on one speaker, and below 150hz on the other. They have tinsels attached to the corrugated spider which he said was likely to have been damaged and causing the problem at higher cone excursion.
Because he made clear that the speakers could not cause the amp cutting out problem, I had him test the speaker wires in the car and the amp connections. As soon as he touched the passenger speaker wire entering the Alpine amp in the boot, the wire fell out. The wire at the end was splayed and there was one strand of wire that splayed out its full length toward the adjacent speaker wire connection. Another wire from the driver side speaker was also not secured and came out without any tension. This was the same as I found with speaker wires on the crossover on the same side. I then had him check the speaker wires for a short, but they tested fine.
I subsequently again disassembled the passenger door, and refitted the crossover, and both front speakers. I properly re-connected the speaker wires to the amp, and then refitted the fuse. I was astounded when the system jumped into life, and with a few setting changes in the headunit, the front speakers ran without any issue at any volume and continued to do so.
Arthur Francis from The passenger side a/d/s has some susceptibility and weakness at very low bass frequencies, which showed up in Arthur Francis's tests below 200hz, but as he discovered, and I have subsequently verified, the problem with the cutting out of the Alpine amp was the shoddy wiring of the amp, not the speakers. As Arthur said, they should have fitted spade terminals to the speaker wires as the Alpine amp doesn't have the best connections for bare wire.
I was always made to feel to blame because I had used speakers, rather than one's purchased from Auto Addiction. I was told that if I bought from elsewhere to replace the a/d/s speakers they would not fit them.
I run a computer business. If someone wants me to fit a used hard drive or other component I do it. It is easy enough to test individual components. In fact, as I understand it, it is much easier to test audio components. They had sensibly tested my Response amp before fitting it. Surely it would have been simple enough at any stage to have tested the crossovers and speakers. With all the mistakes made along the way, and the carelessness my concerns about the cause of the Response amp are renewed. Why did it "smoke" and become unusable when it had been tested as working fine? Was there a mistake made, another short that caused that too?
When I left from the last check at the fitters, I felt that unless I paid out for a new component set from Auto Addiction, then I was on my own with the problem.
Most people would have just accepted what the staff told them and paid out for new speakers. No doubt in that case the real problem would then have been seen not to be the speakers, and a proper check for the real cause would have been undertaken. Would I have been told subsequently that it was the wiring fault and given a refund on the speakers and had my speakers, crossovers and tweeter refitted? With my experiences thus far, I am not so sure.
I have written a long letter outlining the whole saga, but am not sure what I should ask for to rectify this litany of issues, poor customer service, lack of proper workmanship, and possible damage to my speaker. A refund, free Dynamating for the doors or??? I doubt I can prove damage to the a/d/s speakers. Perhaps I should drop the name "Consumer affairs"?
Any suggestions?
Live and learn. I'm glad it was sorted out. Dodgy wiring like should have been easily found by systematic troubleshooting. I don't expect the owner of the car to know what to look for if they are inexperienced; but a decent store should easily find a problem like that!
And given they installed it, they obvious rushed the job. So they should not have done a poor job in the first place.
Now that you've seen how it should and shouldn't be done, you've learnt from it. The next step is to evolve your knowledge and skills and do the work yourself next time. Honestly, it's not too hard once you can see how it should be done. Then there's nothing more satisfying than DIY, especially with the peace of mind that it's done properly.
I don't think there's much to be gained from pursuing the issue hard. See what their response is, but I wouldn't expect much unfortunately.
:)
:) Yes, you are entirely right.
I've learned lots. I wrote them a detailed record of what happened to the Launceston management, and hope that they will gain from it and make any changes needed to make sure there is a professional audio company in Hobart as there's doesn't seem to be it at the moment. I may be wrong, but I doubt I am the only one to have such an experience with them. But it is up to them what they do about the quality of work.
I have the Vibe active sub coming, and so am learning what I need to set it up. Doesn't look too hard.
It is great having decent sound after all of this. :D
The saga still continues on this almost a year later!!!
The fitters have changed staffing and are now very helpful. Three main causes of the ongoing issues.
1. Slightly exposed wiring rubbing
2. Short in one of the crossovers
3. Clarion DXZ856MP hums with nothing playing, and has alternator whine. The fitter thinks it is the floating earth design. It isn't there with Alpines and other newer model HU's.
They have a sale on and an Alpine CDE-148EBTi is going for $329. It is black unfortunately, but does have a couple of silver stripes as well as red LCD, and would probably look ok with a silver facia panel.
The other choice is the marine CDA 9885M, for $460 on sale and is silver, but no red LCD. Not sure how it will go with Steering wheel controls.
Any advice? Or should I look for something else? It has been such a painfully long process I don't want to mess things up again. I am running an Alpine MRX-F35 amp and a Vibe CBR-12 powered sub.
I am loving the a/d/s 346is speakers. Brilliant. I am sure there are better, but for $180 landed from the US I am extremely happy.
Quote from: flipch on November 07, 2013, 04:52:39 PMThe other choice is the marine CDA 9885M, for $460 on sale and is silver, but no red LCD. Not sure how it will go with Steering wheel controls.
Hopefully a new headunit will resolve the issue. And good to hear they've changed staff, hopefully for the better.
I presume it's the CDA-988
6M. This is an oldie but a goodie (whilst a current model, it is many years old (4 at least), and thus a couple generations old in terms of Alpine spec). Nothing too fancy, looks good, all the basic features in a quality headunit. But, compare with the features of the new models. For example, it lacks things like inbuilt BT, not designed for iPhone5 (change the cable and you'll be right, but may not charge the latest Apple products without a 12V-5V adapter plug). It is compatible with steering wheel controls, with the right interface and patch lead.
You could also try and source one from the UK. Their model allows you to change the backlighting of the buttons to red.
:)
Thanks Shiny,
Yes, I misread the CDA-9886M. Went with the CDE-148Ebti because of the BT etc. All the whine and rumble gone, but I am a bit disappointed that the sound quality isn't quite up to the Clarion's standard, at least to my ears. Though I had played with the setting in the Clarion a bit, and haven't yet with the Alpine much.
The main problem is that there is very little bass coming from my Vibe CBR-12. I've upped the Alpines sub level to max and the gain on the Vibe, but though it works, it is almost inaudible, while with the Clarion at those level it would have blown the boot lid off. They damaged my original RCA's and put a thin new one, but one of those twisted anti-interference types, which I would imagine is a known brand. Hope it is a simple solution, I know the Clarion had a setting to turn on external subs, but would imagine the Sub level on the Alpine would do that as soon as it is lifted above 0.
Nice to have the steering controls back, but the kit for it all was expensive at $180. I would have liked to have sourced it myself, but time was tight as the decent fitter only visits here, and won't be back for a couple of months.