ICE gurus please!

[Ben H]

My Ph2 172 has what I assume is a 4 x 22w head unit and six speakers. I know that the 182 has a 4 x 40w head unit, but my 172s set-up seems identical to my mums Dynamiques set up (which I know is the 4 x 22w). Its also got the optional 6-CD stacker.

Im not keen to lose the "standard" look of the head unit, but I do get a fair bit of distortion, even at low volumes, when I have the bass up.

Would changing the speakers improve matters, or is it the fault of the head unit itself?

Finally, my other halfs Authentique has a crappy 4 x 15w tape player. The original spec was for 4 speakers, which I assume would be the front door ones and the dash ones. Its a used car, so I dont know the history - but there are definitely some rear speakers there, although you cant "fade" the stereo to the back to make them work. Is this normal, or does she have some extra speakers I can make work?

Cheers!

 

[Da]

authentique doesnt have rear speakers mate, just the door cards ready for them! lol!

 

[BroxClio]

Thats what he said, he doesnt know the history but there a definitely some there. Only thing I can think is that the rear speakers may have been unplugged?

 

[Da]

aah i see...sorry, misread the post Maybe the rear speakers have been used with an amp/install/headunit that was taken out prior to selling car on?? Iirc the standard authentique crappy tape player will not support the extra two speakers mate.

 

[Ben H]

Ahh - that would make sense. The Authentique came with some silver number plate surrounds (now removed lol!), which suggests it may have been owned by the sort of person who would have also fitted a different stereo.

Just been out and there are definitely some decent looking speakers in the rear. Like you guys say, theyre probably left over from when it had an uprated ICE set-up.

So, they wont work with the head unit at all?

 

[Da]

the authentique stereo isnt equipped to run the extra speakers mate, the only way to get them to work would be to link them to the wiring that runs the front door speakers (not really advisable tho)

 

[Ben H]

Ok, cheers!

Is it worth uprating the 172s speakers?

 

[Ben H]

^^^^

?

Cheers

 

[Bryan]

Quote: Originally posted by Ben H on 20 February 2005
Ok, cheers!Is it worth uprating the 172s speakers?

yes, they are still poo, however, the head unit is the major weak point

 

[cris]

buy a new hu and use all 4 speakers?

 

[dangermouse_se]

Swap the front and rear speakers around mate. If the fronts are reno standard and the rears are decent after markets Id just move the rears into the front doors.

Fitting different speakers to the 172 and not uprating the HU is not going to give massive increases in performance, most distortion comes from the amp anyway. If you are dead against loosing the standard look (why???? its sh*te!) then look at a speaker level amp and some new speakers. Sony do an upgrade setup of a small amp and some speakers designed to upgrade factory HU. Its not bad if all you want is a reasonable increase in volume and quality abd you wont need to run a load of wiring etc. its loom plugs in behind the HU. Halfords do em I think but theyd be cheaper over net.

 

[Ben H]

That idea about a mini amp sounds good.

I way prefer the standard look all round the car (see my old cars) and even went to the effort of finding an original Williams 3 tape deck and door bottom speakers to keep my Williams 1 looking original but having a little extra!

How much would I be looking at for the mini amp and which sites have them? Cheers!