I.C.E INSIDE CAR ENTERTAINMENT (UPGRADE) (7)BOSE COMPONENT SPEAKERS(OPTIONAL FOR THIS VEHICLE) (2)12" ALPINE TYPE R'S JL AUDIO 500/1 SUBWOOFER AMPLIFIER JL AUDIO 300/4 MULTI CHANNEL AMPLIFIER (NOT INSTALLED) KENWOOD 5 BAND EQ (NOT INSTALLED)
if i need a deck i'm going with the Alpine CDA-9835 mp3 deck and i would get JL audio Component speakers.I'm not sure if i need a Capacitor or Dynamat for what i got i'm new to this so i dunno and the Sales person said i have to order a console from japan in order to install a deck.any ideas 4 what i need to do?
Whoa Vince, what car do you drive? Anytime a sales guy says he has to order something special from Japan, you're going to get screwed. Why would you buy something that'll need a part that's only available from Japan? There's plenty of brands and products here in North America that you can pick from. If that is your choice then order it, I wouldn't. How much are they charging you for all that? Your question on dynamat and capacitor, if you plan on blasting the music loud with heavy bass, then it'll be a wise investment, if not, you don't need it. At low volume levels, it'll sound just as good. You might also want to check out Rockford/Kicker/US Amps before you fork over your $ on JL.
I believe he's referring to the Infinity Line. Infinity USA has seen fit to not sell, or work with any other company on selling, faceplates that allow you to replace their factory head unit.
My BMW Z4 was the same way. Luckily, there are lots of good folks on a Z4 web site that shared the part number and price they paid, so I was prepared with the facts, but it still cost me $45 to get a chunk of plastic from BMW Germany because BMW USA division does not import the part on their own.
More and more imported cars are getting to be like this. If enough people don't own them, Metra and other 3rd party companies simply aren't going to invest the $$$ into making a part that they don't think they'll sell very often, which is understandable.
In the case of Infinity, however, you're at their mercy.
As for speakers, it's personal preference and budget. My Z4 has all JL components except, of course, the head unit (Pioneer DEH-P8MP). However, for cheaper overall budgets, I'd use RF or Kicker and be quite happy.
Oh, Vince, I forgot. There are also people who custom-make console plates for this very reason, but they are usually almost as expensive, if not more, as ordering the factory solution. Again, personal preference.
Some internet Google searching and scanning eBay might be helpful, too.
actually, PAC makes the OEM-1 and OEM-2 adapters that let you convert the factory head unit and even the entire factory audio system to add amplifiers, aftermarket speakers, or a different haed unit to the existing system when you have the premium Infinity, JBL, Bose, etc systems.
I'm using an OEM-1 to add a basslink powered sub to a premium Infinity factory system in a loaded 2001 JGC Limited this week. The adapter plugs into the factory amplifier harness and adds 4 RCA line-outs with variable gain to add an amp to the system in this case. I wouldn't blame Infinity for Ray's problems. Thank BMW for the system integration designs they seem to feel are becoming trendy.
1. Not my problem, it's Vince's. I am simply stating that I am aware that other makes, including Infinity, are doing this to customers that approach them directly and not offering or suggesting any other solution, even though they obviously exist. 2. I never said blame Infinity. I said it's a growning fact of most import cars these days that their US divisions are not offering any such solutions and are, actually, using the ignorance of the customer and/or their inability to find a 3rd party product on their own as an opportunity to further cash in. 3. In both cases, the US divisions of these import companies are chosing NOT to offer integration products. In the case of my BMW, I had to look up the part number myself as the US dealers have no part number for the kit I ordered. Once I came to them with the BMW Germany part number, they begrudgingly ordered it from Germany and tacked on another $20 to make it worth their while, whereas if they imported them to a US distribution center like their other parts, they couldn't charge as much. 4. The last thing I said was Google search as I didn't proclaim to know of all possible solutions, so we're glad you shared yours. Congratulations. Pat yourself on the back for offering a new company possibility for Vince, but don't misquote or mischaracterize what I said in the process. Thank you.
And, by the way, the issue wasn't connecting the factory head unit, the issue was ordering a new console/trim piece to allow him to replace his head unit. Your solution, while facinating, does not directly address this particular issue, it discusses adding components *to* the factory unit rather than replacing it.
Ray, I separated my replies into two paragraphs because I was addressing more than one person in the post. I was hoping you could see that.
Companies like Infinity make the systems to fit the car manufacturers' specs. It's not their job to tell anyone how to replace the head unit with something made by another company, and thus void your factory warranty if any exists. Pepsi isn't going to tell you where to buy a Coke, either.
"In the case of Infinity, however, you're at their mercy." This is your quote, to which I commented that it isn't Infinity's problem or fault, directly.
What you paid for was convenience of going through a dealer instead of ordering the part yourself. Dealerships are always out for their own bottom line, and are always the most expensive option for ordering any parts for a car. That's been the case for nearly as long as there have been car dealerships.
What I did offer was an alternative, allowing him to forego replacing the head unit and still giving him the ability to change the rest of the system, or as I mentioned, replace the factory unit, adapting it to the factory premium amps and speakers. 15 years as a pro master installer and EE allows me to have a fairly good grasp on what you can do with a car and how you should do it.
I don't think I've mischaracterized or misquoted you at all at this point. All you've done is manage to turn a person's question into a rant about your BMW, then a personal snipe at myself. Good day.
One man's dissertation is another man's rant. I often feel that some of your posts have been the same thing, yet I refrained from calling them such until you openly sniped here, so I guess we know better now how each feels about the other.
I never said Infinity was at fault or responsible. Quote me someplace I did. What I said was to indicate that if they can't find any other solution, Infinity is indeed the only option and, as such, they are subject to pay whatever Infininty is charging, despite the normal reaction that it is excessive of expectation. Please hold your pseudo-macroeconomic lectures for someone who wants to hear them. My "rant" was designed for my audience, who had indicated by their comments that they were unaware of such practices and norms in this area of discussion. It did not judge as much as it illustrated what was evidently previously unknown. Actually, I think BMW was superior in that they DID offer a product. The fault, if any, lies with the US division's marketing strategy to withhold that piece from the American market. And the other flaw with your return snipe is that BMW and other companies are actually all-too-happy to sell you customizations for your vehicle. What they DON'T want to do is sell you a piece that allows you to install whatever you want into your vehicle if their accessory path includes a competitve product. They'll sell you plenty of accessories that they refuse to warranty, and they also recognize that customers want to change their vehicles from the stock configuration. They also deny the existance of the very part that the parent company makes for their other countries. BMW dealers are not alone, I'm sure, at saying that no such part exists until you present them with a master part number that they can cross reference. It's not even the dealers' fault. The fault lies, as I said in the beginning, with the marketing strategy of the US division. While attempting to prevent a customer from performing simple radio customizations by insisting on non-standard shapes and then withholding adaptation parts is completely within a company's right, it speaks volumes to their product flexibility philosophy. The third party market is there, but I also endorse their unwillingness to engineer a production line for a product that shows little promise of sufficient volume to be worth the bother/investment.
What you did was offer an alternative. What I did was both actually answer the question that was asked directly and attempt to educate the subsequent poster who indicated they felt the original price ridiculous by explaining what was probably going on and why. Congratulations on your degrees, now add some coursework in intercommunication skills and speak with your audience rather than down to them. I'm only here through the holidays and enjoy helping those who ask for it without lecturing to them and professing my 2 degrees and work experience that can't be openly discussed. You would probably do best to avoid replying to or rebutting my posts in the future if this is the best you can do in terms of offering information useful to the original question. I will certainly avoid any further discussion with you due to your demonstrated hostility and insecurity at anyone else posting information that you don't agree with.
well put, glasswolf. ray, respect seniority. you have 34 posts as opposed to nearly 6,000 from Glasswolf. you must build credibility with any audience before they listen to your "dissertation."
