Fabricobbled up a faceplate for my head unit

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 01/05/2018 at 22:01 • Filed to: None

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Measure once, cut twice, and still screw it up. Or something like that.

So glad I found something that doesn’t look a piece of alien technology, covered in pulsing LEDs... I still haven’t been able to test it, but it looks perfect imo. Old school, with modern functionality. Now I just need to connect it to my amp and power somehow, and figure out a way to get the whole thing stuck in my dash.

[edit] I adjusted the shafts to get the faceplate mounted flush. Better? Worse?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 01/05/2018 at 22:05

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Retrosound?

BaconSandwich is tasty. > AestheticsInMotion 01/05/2018 at 22:10

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I think it looks better flush.

AestheticsInMotion > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 01/05/2018 at 22:14

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Yes. Only thing I could find that fit the cars aesthetic and also (apparently) has decent sound quality. At least without risking ebay nakamichi’s or spending McIntosh money.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > AestheticsInMotion 01/05/2018 at 22:16

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egads those retrosound units are money. Wish I could afford one for my Jag

AestheticsInMotion > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 01/05/2018 at 22:22

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I hear ya. I still need to buy a soldering iron, some heat-proof material of some kind and a few odds and ends to finish the whole system but I’m flat broke...

I will way though, as much as I like the actual product they sell.... Retrosound doesn’t include knobs with thier radios. I thought they were missing, but no, called ‘em up and realized I would have to spend another $40 shipped for two little (metal) knobs. I honestly might have picked a different radio if I’d known that, just on principle haha

gmctavish needs more space > AestheticsInMotion 01/05/2018 at 22:30

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99% of head units look like they got to 2001 or so, and stayed there.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > AestheticsInMotion 01/05/2018 at 22:35

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Flush version looks nice. Any plans for hidden I/O for a 3.5 jack or USB?

Slightly off-topic, but I’m probably going to get a Kenwood unit with RGB controls. It’s the least offensive looking of many modern radios and I can shift the colors as close as possible to the 90s green of my instrument cluster. It’s sub-$100, including the harness adapter, last I checked.

AestheticsInMotion > gmctavish needs more space 01/05/2018 at 22:38

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Yep. And the few that don’t... Are priced pretty high. I liked these two as well, but they’re both slightly north of a $1000. Yikes

AestheticsInMotion > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/05/2018 at 22:42

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Its got Bluetooth, two auxiliary cords and two USB’s, so I just have to figure out where to run the cables...

Being able to color-match is key. Hopefully it’s not too bright, or better yet has a dimmer switch

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > AestheticsInMotion 01/06/2018 at 00:06

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Maybe make a trap-door you can latch open to hide your ports behind, with one USB and one aux per side. If not a trap-door, maybe underneath the switches, so it doesn’t block the display once you plug a cable in.

IIRC the unit’s dimmable.

MINIGTI > AestheticsInMotion 01/06/2018 at 00:53

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I like that Sony particularly.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/06/2018 at 02:38

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http://www.wyatt-software.com/ArduinoCarStereo.asp  

You should make a version of this for your own car. or get one of these ( https://www.carjoying.com/joying-2gb-intel-sofia-3gr-new-android-6-0-marshmallow-car-radio-replacement-7-inch-double-2-din-backup-camera-bluetooth-audio-764.html ) as they actually have not too bad aftermarket support on xdadevelopers

Echo51 > AestheticsInMotion 01/06/2018 at 04:53

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They are also crème de la crème when it comes to sound quality headunits, so that’s why they’re priced so :D

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 01/06/2018 at 11:27

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If I get a more modern car, I’ll definitely pick up an Android unit. For my Legacy, however, I just want something to replace the stock radio, since it’s a little less than adequate for playing my music on (the tape deck is only mono and plays to only the right speakers.)

AestheticsInMotion > Echo51 01/06/2018 at 14:52

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The pioneer especially seemed like the business. 31 band eq for each channel, enclosure made of copper, no internal amp...

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/07/2018 at 21:47

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The previous owner put a very similar model in my 89 Corvette. Mine has a CD player and the USB is an external wire. Its not a modification I would have made, but Bluetooth is nice to have and thank god I can closely match the orange and green color scheme of that sweet 80's Corvette digital dash.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 01/08/2018 at 20:16

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With many of the units I’ve gone looking for, they don’t have a tweakable brightness level. The model I grabbed has a dimmer input IIRC, so I should be able to jury rig up something for it.

CaptDale - is secretly British > AestheticsInMotion 01/09/2018 at 14:59

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Wow that Sony is beautiful!

AestheticsInMotion > CaptDale - is secretly British 01/09/2018 at 15:31

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Isn’t it? I recently read an incredibly in depth independent comparison review of all the high end head units available over on the diymobileaudio.com forums. Set up by about ten guys with decades in the audio biz, professionally and as hobbyists. All units either purchased or already owned between them and forum members sending in thier personal gear for the test.

Double blind tests, the Sony crushed the competition, despite going up against $6000 McIntosh’s and all manor of other super high-dollar units. Best part? The Sony won playing the same files as all the rest, But it can also play DSD and 192/224 files unlike the competition, so the gap between the Sony and the rest of the playing field could have been even larger.

Now the only question is.... Does the Sony take the spot of my current dream head unit, the tube-driven Panasonic? Tough choice

CaptDale - is secretly British > AestheticsInMotion 01/09/2018 at 16:46

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At that point it would be down to the car. That Sony would look at home in 99% of vehicles. The tube Panasonic looks awful in that newer plastic dash. Like either would look amazing in my 1969 Sprite, but the tube Panasonic would look epic in it and that would make it win in my eyes