r/CarAV

Been playing the numbers game and want quality now.

Im seeking a top notch (CLEAN) head unit.

Will be running JL dsp and amps so the head unit doesn't have to have a high output signal or extreme eq..

Just super clean..

Recommendations?

So, I recently moved and packed the car tight. After a 10hr slug the audio cut out and I reached my hand under the passenger seat to feel the amp and it was cooking hot. I let it cool and it works until I try and push it, then cuts off again. I’m sure it’s going into protect mode, I just don’t know if the amp is salvageable. The fact it works at all tells me maybe. I haven’t gotten a good look yet, but I’m hoping perhaps the ground got really hot and I need to repair it. For reference it’s a 2012 Subaru WRX with the Kenwood that has the interface to the OBD and the rest is Alpine, I don’t know exact models except the sub is an S1.

Hey y’all. Recently got this car for a deal, but it came with some blown out speakers. I usually do my own “under the hood” car maintenance, but electrical problems/ interior problems aren’t really my thing. Money is short right now though so I’d rather do it myself. Can any car people tell me if it’s easy enough for an average person to repair?

Since my first build, I can't stop thinking about this idea:

I don't know how many of you know PCPartpicker, but it's basically website for building PC's where you can compare prices, share builds and check for compatibility of parts.

I'm thinking about building something similar but for car audio. Main idea is price tracking, sharing builds and more advanced modular builder where users can connect components and check if it will work together (impedance, wire thickness, etc). I also want to add vehicle compatibility similar to what Crutchfield does later.

What features would you want from something like this? I know advanced builders probably wouldn't need it as much, since you already know what goes together and you can usually get good deals from local stores, but I feel like there's place for a tool like this to help beginners plan builds and get better deals.

I have a 2019 equinox LT and would like to improve my sound quality and volume range. I don't really want components ideally I'm looking for full range speakers. I love driving with the windows down but when I crank the volume the sound quality tanks. I'm heavy into classic rock and the blues but I listen to everything really. Not sure what materials would be best with this type of music or if that really matters here? I've browsed Crutchfield to check what fits my car but am clueless to the rest lol. If I only upgrade my front and rear door speakers will that be sufficient for what I'm trying to achieve? Don't need the whole car vibrating a ton lol it already does that with stock speakers. Any recommendations on good quality brands or maybe what I should look for specifically is appreciated. Thanks in advance yall!

Hey everyone.

I recently picked up a 2026 GMC Sierra (non-Bose). The stock stereo sucks. I thought about doing the GMC x Kicker sub but idk about paying $800 for a 200 watt RMS powered sub. So I went down the rabbit hole. Wanted to gather thoughts on the following setup (followed by the questions beneath the setup listed below)

Front: Alpine R2-S69C (component system)
Rear: Alpine R2-S65
Sub: JL Audio 12W3v3-4
DSP: JL Audio TWK 88 DSP
Speaker Amp: JL Audio RD400/4
Sub Amp: JL Audio JD1000/1
Sub Enclosure: Fox Audio 12” Vented Enclosure w Storage

Quick note - the reason I think the DSP is necessary is because the sound stage GM’s head unit puts out is trash. Its front heavy and while even if I swapped speakers + did nothing else it would be an improvement - I’m of the “buy once cry once” camp. I know there are better speakers than the Alpine R2’s, but I think they’re decent? And I’m basing it on what was available from crutchfield and fit the truck. If you make a different speaker recommendation, try to keep it in a similar price range :)

Questions:
- do I need a DSP that expensive? Is it overkill? I didn’t even know they existed - thank chat GPT for my ignorance.
- I’m going to likely pay to have it installed. I’ve installed a few subs, but never on a 2020+ vehicle. This thing is new and I’m not screwing anything up lol.
- if I go the DSP route, how much is tuning?

Any additional info is welcome and appreciated. Thanks!

Hello everyone,

This is going to be a little bit of an open post, as I’ve been struggling with this for the past month ago, so some of this will be frustration/venting.

I decided that I would put a BOSS BE10ACP headunit into my factory sound system in my 1999 Lexus es300. Everything wired up ok and works, and I followed the instructions correctly with the METRA 70-8112 integration harness to keep my original amplifier wired in. I turn on the headunit for testing, and I’m getting this horrible whining/ feedback noise with ignition on and no engine running. Definitely coming from the speakers.

I Used Google AI and it’s identifying it as a ground loop problem. Plugged in a set of Amazon ground loop isolators, and that reduced the whining by 95%. Unfortunately, this compromised the deep bass that the factory speakers come with. I asked for other solutions, and it recommended a scosche SLC-4 set in the LOC configuration to reduce the voltage coming out of the headunit. No dice, same problem. Grounded the outside shielding of the RCA Cables on the METRA 70-8112 harness to the chassis ground I created for the radio ground and there was no change.

I’m at the end of my rope and sanity here, and now Google AI is telling me I should run a dedicated power wire from the 12v battery in the hopes that it will “clean up “ the power feed going into my new head unit.

Before I go through with this and delve deeper into the rabbit hole, has anyone had a similar problem (preferably same brand/vehicle/year) that they’ve resolved without the use of a ground loop isolator? If a ground loop isolator is the only option that I have to keep my factory amplifier, is there a specific brand that the AV community likes to use to not compromise the 20-50hz signal range? Can I bypass the factory amplifier and keep the subwoofer without needing to add more hardware?

Essentially I want to do this the most cost-effective and minimal effort, but there is usually a trade off between the two.

Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts on this, it’s only my 3rd system I’ve wired together, I’ve never had this problem before, and it’s driving me nuts that I can’t figure it out! Please let me know, and if you have a consultation fee, I’ll pay it because at this point it’s probably cheaper than continuing to go down the rabbit hole without some Subject Matter Experience.

TLDR; Car Audio AV noob seeking assistance from experienced AV techs to explain/ assist me in getting my sound system right. Thank you in advance!