Originally posted by philpoe:
Originally posted by cthomp21:
I haven't seen a CSVT without "premium" sound. Get the amp bypass cable.



I had an install done on a CSVT at circuit city (to get done in time for Mother's day). It had the Ford amp behind the glovebox (btw, when was the last time anyone stored gloves in there?).
I had them install a 4x52W Sony HU and 4 Polk speakers. No aftermarket amp. I mentioned that I assumed that they'd bypass the factory amp, and if so, instead of leaving it in behind the glove box, please remove it.
When I returned for the car, they stated that the system sounded much better using the Ford amp, so they left it in-line. I was a bit surprised, considering the comments I saw here on the subject. Is this possible, or it should only be bypassed if I had another amp? How powerful is the "Premium Sound" amp?
I didn't argue too much, since they apparently did a comparison, and the Sony/Polk system is much, much, much better than the original stereo.

Another interesting thing is that when I got home and took the remains of the old system out of the trunk, the original speakers were intact. I was under the impression that they would use the plastic enclosures of the OEM speakers to house the Polks. Is it possible that they went in bare, or do they have their own enclosures?

Any info appreciated

Phil




They're giving you a big helping of BS. They just didn't want to do the work. The factory amp puts out around 8w per channel and is poo.

In the past 3yrs, only one person that has heard both said they thought the factory amp sounded better (of maybe 30-40 who have done the bypass). Maybe something wrong with the aftermarket head unit or some other problem...

I did it myself with an entry level Kenwood CD player. It was a very marked improvement. More power with less distortion = better sound.

1999 Ford Contour SVT #900/2760 (SOLD) 2005 Mazda 6s 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege 1998 Ford Ranger 4x4