Seeking suggestions for Audiophile-centric HU
 

Hey gang,

I'm looking for an audiophile-centric HU to drop into my 2015 FRS.


Here's what I'm looking for:

- Relatively easy drop-in. Not bothered if it takes some tweaking, though.
- SUB OUTS!
- Volume knob
- Emphasis on high quality audio


Here's what I'm NOT looking for:

- GPS/Nav
- Whateverplay
- Backup camera. could care less about what's behind me!



Any suggestions and/or leads welcome. :thumbsup:
(Also welcoming sale offers!)

EDIT:

I didn't list what I currently have in my car as far as audio setup. Whoops.

JL 13W7 and Sundown SAE1500D monoblock for subs.
Zapco ASP-X4 crossover.
Infiniti Kappa 62.11i's for doors.
JL 300/4v2 to power them.
Stock others for now - will be changing those out.

I'm sure others will suggest some cool HU's. Crutchfield has a couple that look SUPER cool @ $1200 and $1500. (That was my whole budget though)


I have a 13, so IDK what HU you have. (I had the base pioneer one)


I think this is a good deal... If you are looking for something like this...
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131890


I had a pioneer DVD in mine for awhile. But, now I have a Sony. The sound is better and louder. It must have a much higher preamp voltage than I had on either Pioneer.


I also have a class a/b 4 channel that I am running to the other speakers.


Six 4"
Four 6.5"
One 10"

Link to the sony I have... It has Sub out, and front and rear pre outs. I like it. I got mine for $150 off ebay new. I'm running 2awg power and 8awg ground. ( having a oversized power, and the shortest ground cable possible will help you not have a ground feedback loop)


It's got the pre-outs, a nice knob, and IMO sounds very good.
https://www.abt.com/product/110990/S...&utm_medium=sc


IMO a reference HU is cool when the car is off and there is no other noise. Otherwise, with my car running, I can't really tell the difference between a reference McIntosh or a regular Sony. I have not added any sound deadening.


Just my $0.02... :thanks:

i run pioneer deh 80prs in both my vehicles. it's the most audio-centric non touch screen i could find. my first requirement in a radio is that it must have a volume knob. my second is that it's easy to use-- kenwood offers some models that have similar features, but i've never been able to operate those as easily as this pioneer-- most of the more advanced audio settings are in almost-hidden submenu's that can't be accessed at a stoplight. the 80prs, i can do quick adjustments at stoplights..

i also had an app-radio pioneer for a while that had similar features and price to the 80prs, but some a$$hole broke into my garage and stole that because it had a 7" touchscreen. so again, i like the 80prs because it looks cheap, but had a bunch of the audio options i want.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13080P...0_prs&skipvs=T

i used to run a carpc, but got tired of maintaining it. the only things i miss over a fully-capable carpc is individual speaker eq's--it has dual 16 band L and R eq's , and full crossover control-- it will do 50-200hz in fullrange mode, and 50-200/1.2k-12.5k in 3-way mode.

the unfortunate thing is that in both my vehicles, i run what is technically a 3-way active system, but uses a larger format drivers for the high end(i feel that 1-1/8" tweeters are too harsh). so i would prefer to cross them over around 400-500hz to better mix in with my midbasses, but i have to choose between 200hz HP or 1.2khz HP. so i run at 200hz HP and then use a steeper 12db/oct crossover and lightly eq down the 200-300hz band to make up the difference.

the only other option i have is to run a signal processor that needs something to program it, and that gets back into why i had a carpc for audio manipulation in the first place...

Thanks gents! @soundman98 @Leonardo

I actually have a Kenwood DDX917WS. I worked in car hi-fi ambient for ten years; I have to say that this cheap unit sounds really nice. It has some very interesting plus: EQ, time alignment and possibility to set 3 way crossover EVEN ON INTERNAL AMP!
Now, I have 165 mm in doors on band pass channel (internal amp) and dome mid range and tweeters on the dash with passive crossover on hi pass channel. No rear speakers (useless small speakers).
Aligned and flattened using a calibrated mic, I just need an amplified subwoofer.
I'm very happy with the results!

Ha!!
Audiophile quality only from a head unit?
Noob please.

A head unit is just the start. You'll need a at lest a four channel amp with component speakers, a sub only amp and subwoofer, and to tie it all up a banging signal processor.
Then tweek it to your interiors fq.

If you don't want all that, just go to your local car audio shop, or god help you Best Buy.

i learned a long time ago that the difference between someone that enjoys a good sounding stereo and someone who considers themselves an 'audiophile' is that audiophile's insist that the only way to get the end goal is thousands of dollars of extra equipment-- but not necessarily the best/most suited equipment.

there are limitations with using a headunit over a hu/sound processor combo, specifically in the tuning department, but as long as one is not competing in sq competitions(of which specific gear must be installed for points), and no longer needs to rock the entire block at full volume, a full-featured head unit is going to be more than adequate in those cases.

Stock speakers are very bad, they absolutely need replacing.

Oh look, a toxic moron. I'm also a toxic moron - nice to meetcha! ^-^

I'm not talking about the HU being the source.

I'm asking for recommendations HU that plays well with an all around pro hi-fi setup. You know - Time correction, clean outs, easy to work with interface. Volume knob.

I could do the research myself, yet I like to tap into the fount of knowledge that is FT86club.

I have a JL 13W7 and Sundown SAE1500D monoblock for subs.
Zapco ASP-X4 crossover.
Infiniti Kappa 62.11i's for doors.
JL 300/4v2 to power them.
Stock others for now - will be changing those out.

ASSumptions tend to make an ASS out of the person ASSuming ;)

To your credit, I didn't list what my current audio setup was.. there was no way one could 100% get a picture of my current setup without it, so I do thank you for bringing that to light. I've edited the main post with my setup.

Gents, this is going to sound snarky but I don't mean it that way, I'm seriously interested in knowing as I am NOT an auto-audiophile.

In a car as noisy as an 86 what could possibly come even close to satisfying someone in this car who really is an audiophile? I know what a great sound system sounds like when I hear it, but I just can't see the investment in the sound system in an 86 being worth the spend.

Haha! Pleasure to meet you too.
Never heard of a toxic moron before. Must be a local thing.
Either way, yeah would have help to say what system you have.
As for the wealth of knowledge... eh it's hit or miss around here.
Hell, some people here think the OEM+ system are worth the price. People like us know better.

Nice quality stereos don't matter much in loud cars. Medium quality is plenty good. Replace speakers. Replace head unit. Maybe add an amp. Add a sub. Now you have something better than the loudness of the car allows you to hear.

@Koa


What's your source(s)? I'm really a fan of Pioneer's stuff, but if I were optimizing I'd get the Sony RSX-GS9. I'm only going midrange (for me...) and wanted the screen for phone integration/nav and backup cam (we road-trip a lot and I prefer nav on the HU to the phone) so ended up with a Pioneer MVH-2300NEX. No CD/DVD or anything silly like that. Their radios are among the best, and I've never been unhappy with the noise levels on the line level outs OR the speaker outs. Decent power delivery stock, relatively clean. Plays FLAC when I want it direct, but managing the music is SO much easier on the phone I typically do that now.



Hopefully it'll get paired up to a Satori/Scan/? custom build over the summer if I can find light enough amps (or sort a simple way to make them easily removed/kept out of weather when I'm racing). Road noise is up enough that I'm less concerned about higher distortion levels than usual, but hopefully still decent.




At the stop signs and the shows, for the really insane builds.



But good sound is still worth something in a car, even on the road. Less fatigue, more enjoyment. Even with all the extra road noise. I don't cringe at all the missing stuff, or the over-emphasized stuff. You don't have to turn it up as loud, just like a proper setup at home.

IMHO, it's mostly about the speakers. There's good DSP to get it just right for the driver but that destroys the soundstage for anyone else.