Chasing cobraphile audiophiles.....
 

As another exercise towards finishing off my cobra I am looking to put a decent stereo system into the cobra and am looking for some advice on this.

Guess first question is.....anyone own an auto stereo shop?

No...ahhhh well was worth the ask. Always looking for a bargain... I am a Scot - lol

So general specifications the wife and I are working to.

Head unit needs to be CD, MP3, USB and cable (sorry can't recall the term) capable. Also want Bluetooth capability ie without any extra plugin additions to make this happen.

Thinking a set of tweeters, mid-range and an amplifier driven bass on the proviso I can get all this fitted somewhere into the car.

So who's brands might be worth looking at, any specific combos of gear worth considering and so forth and I guess suggested sources to buy this stuff from.

Look forward to your ideas.

Cheers and thanks

Steve

Steve,

I've got a mate who has a couple of Clubbies who has worked in the audio and car audio industry for the last 17 years; if you're after contact details, PM me and I'll send them over. Dan knows his stuff, and would know what would work for an open car.

Cheers,

Treeve

Steve, my 2c...

In my opinion there's no point going "top shelf" with a Cobra audio system as you lose a lot of fidelity with the open top car and all the noise that a Cobra makes. Build a system that generates volume without distortion - good two-way speakers, a mid sized amp and any decent head unit will do (less flashing lights are better). Let the amp do the work, not the head unit.

All but the very cheapest of head units meet your basic requirements - CD, mp3, USB, bluetooth. Go into JB Hifi and play around with the units mounted on the wall. Take a USB stick with all your music and test out the navigation - some head units are dreadfully slow at reading large collections over USB.

Pick the one you like and ask the salesman to match it up with an amp and speakers to suit your budget - most likely a set of 6" or 9" if you can have room. If you pick a time when they're not busy they might even let you hook up said speakers so you can test with your music (not the awful techno they usually have playing).

I bought my speaker cable online. Something like this: 25m Roll - Super High-End 99.98% Oxygen Free 12 AWG 2-Core Speaker Cable

Make sure you get the speaker polarity right. Also try to keep your power feed away from signal cables. Test the speakers in different locations. I recently moved mine from behind the seats where they sounded "OK" to the foot wells and it sounds awful now.

Good luck!

Some advice I got when mounting speaker in the footwell is to try and angle them a bit towards the listener, if at all possible. Otherwise the foot box effectively acts like a big, muffled speaker box.

Now this is fine in a car with any room.... :-)

I figure an I-pod and a pair of ear buds for a long trip or I've got a pair of blue tooth headphones.

Looking like I do sitting in a Cobra is bad enough (Middle aged guy with figure to match). Having my music collection adding a soundtrack to the image would only reinforce it (Just add comb over).

Steve,
My son Tom works at Autobarn in Pakenham, He will look after you price wise to the best of his ability if your after something they stock or can obtain.
Its a bit of a drive, but if you decide on something they have, PM me and I'll get him to give you a price.

cheers
Dave

Thanks guys for the direction.

Had already worked out I need some power to help hear anything without ear buds and an amp had become an automatic inclusion anyway.

Have looked at a few options already at JB HiFi but have time on my side at present.

Cheers

I've got a really nice sound system, really well hidden speakers..(6 of them)....the whole kit and caboodle...

BUT...

If I want to hear the crisp clear music, whilst still being able to hear my car, I use the ipad/iphone/ipod with good quality soft ear buds.

The ear buds also keep out the buffeting of the wind, and it's unbeatable..compared to the best sound system and speakers in an open Cobra.

My 2c worth.
Cheers,
Warren

Just a point re: iPods; I was always of the belief that they are technically illegal while driving. You can't cover both ears up. Otherwise you can't gear the ambulances, etc.

Am I wrong?

Is driving with headphones legal? | Official NRMA Blog

Sounds like it's legal.....but could be a distraction to safe driving.......Just like having a "normal" sound system playing very loudly.

Not something that would get you booked it would seem.
Cheers,
Warren.

Rules and regs different for countries, provinces, territories, and even states within the US. Know your local laws on the subject. Too bad stephen low is in the land down under, I would sell my $3K system stored in the attic for $400 - shipping prohibitive due to weight.
.

That's an awfully nice offer, and if you're keen Slowy I might be able to facilitate some not so prohibitive shipping ;)
Let me know.


As for "Ipods" "Iphones" or "Iwhatevers" - "Iwant " to initiate a new rule that should be written into law.

A flick to the back of the head of pedestrians, drivers or others who insist on using these devices in public, totally oblivious to their discourteous manners and the world around them. :JEKYLHYDE

Ok... a few deep breaths after nearly being hit by such ^ a "non-civilian" this morning and now my rant is over...
Thanks for the therapy and back to regular programming...

I'm with you on this Mike. My music is not for others to listen to (as my sons keep telling me).

As for the comb-over (I wish) :-) hehe

bah if I have to listen too doof doof music when I pull up to the lights it's only fair they cop bing Crosby in return I reckon at the same volume lol

Touché Dean. Fair point!

People on this forum give me s*it all the time for installing a stereo, but I'm glad I did. I have sidepipes and an FE so I need to wear earplugs. But believe it or not, I can still hear the stereo through the earplugs (though you could hardly call the experience audiophile).

I wanted something hidden, but something good. What I chose is a JL Audio HD600/4 amp, which has line-level attenuation, so you can plug an iPod or iPhone directly into it. All you see in the car is a cable exiting where the bulkhead meets the floor, and you plug the phone into that cable. I used a grommet and some nice fabric conduit from McMaster-Carr, so it looks clean.

The JL Audio HD amps have a feature where you can control the volume of the amp using an optional pot, so the install is be clean and doesn't require a head unit. I put the pot on a little custom aluminum bracket I made under the dash, so it is completely hidden but I can reach it easily from the driver's seat. The amp drives 4 JL Audio 5.25" speakers with external crossovers, two in the bulkhead and two in the footboxes. It is far better to use the line-level output on the phone's pin connector, and not the headphone jack, which adds another (very cheap) amp in the chain.

So it works as follows: iPod/iPhone line out (Lightning connector) > Lightning/30-pin adapter > 30-pin to RCA cable > RCA > amp (with line level volume attenuation) > crossovers > speakers.

Look hear on my build log for some pics of the speakers and crossovers (scroll down) http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/cobr...ld-log-10.html. My (at the time) ten year-old daughter wired those crossovers, btw.

Let me know if you want more details.

lippy you lost me at the words "line-level attenuation".

I'm not an audiophile!

Sorry. Most systems will turn down (attenuate) the signal after it is amplified. The way this system is set up, it turns down the low-level unamplified signal going from the dock connector of the phone to the amp (this is line level). It's a better way to do it because it sounds better and runs the amp more efficiently.

Soooo, do deaf people have to get an exemption or are they not allowed to drive??????

Fair point. But I expect deaf people are more competent at driving that iPod users anyway! :LOL: