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Ok, I have an '05 Volvo S40 and I want to upgrade the sound system in it. (Yes it is the T5 AWD with 6spd for you gearheads out there, and it's RED!  ) So the problem is it uses a common display for the radio, dual climate, and user settings for everything in the car. I got it with just the in-dash CD thinking I would change it out later, not knowing that everything is integrated now. It also has steering wheel radio controls that I like. I decided I would keep the factory radio and just change out the amps and speakers since the factory system has everything I need but the appropriate volume and sound quality. So I've been looking into the problem and I find out that factory radios these days all use DSP to protect their crappy speakers from distortion and that even if I change out the speakers and put in amps etc., the signal out of the deck still will have all of those changes. i.e. it won't be a flat signal which I will need as a starting point. The only product I have found so far is the JL Audio cleansweep and it is going to be about $350. IT is a very nice product but I was wondering if anyone knows of any other solutions to the problem or comparable products?
Former owner of '99 CSVT - Silver #222/2760
356/334 wHP/TQ at 10psi on pump gas!
See My Mods
'05 Volvo S40 Turbo 5 AWD with 6spd, Passion Red
'06 Mazda5 Touring, 5spd,MTX, Black
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Nothing else really comparable out yet that I've seen (keep in mind I don't really look for this type of equipment) I just looked up your console on Google, holy crap is that ever a [censored] design  Looks great, but wow, what a big F U to aftermarket audio companies  So far every car I've bought, I've driven home only to rip the HU out within 10 minutes. This is actually worse than the Mazda 3!
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Originally posted by Honkeytonk Monkey:
Nothing else really comparable out yet that I've seen (keep in mind I don't really look for this type of equipment)
I just looked up your console on Google, holy crap is that ever a [censored] design Looks great, but wow, what a big F U to aftermarket audio companies So far every car I've bought, I've driven home only to rip the HU out within 10 minutes. This is actually worse than the Mazda 3!
Why the hatred towards the factory head units? My one experience in replacing the factory head unit with an aftermarket HU was such a nightmare that I vowed I'd never do it again. I've never seen anybody do aftermarket installations that looked stock, and frankly, every aftermarket manufacturer I've seen has very user-unfriendly controls. I want a rotary volume control and a rotary station selector control, and I can't get them in aftermarket units. Also, I don't like the teeny-tiny buttons on aftermarket units. My big hands like big substantial buttons.
-Mark-
'99 Mystique LS, totally original (including the original water pump and the premium stereo)! Bought new in December 1998 for $21,000.
208,000 miles
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i would recommend taking it to a professional stereo shop, they'll be able to figure something out.
1999 Silver Frost SVT
#609 of 2760
Quaife, lightened SVT Flywheel, SPEC stage II clutch, removed resonator, k&n drop in - various other goodies too.
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unlike Mazda with my MSP and the MP3 - both factory kenwood decks that are AMAZING!!
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Originally posted by Horse:
unlike Mazda with my MSP and the MP3 - both factory kenwood decks that are AMAZING!!
I ripped out the fatcory kenwood desk within a week of getting my MSP. I can not stand the kenwood interface. I put in the alpine from my tour.
Beaten - 2003 MazdaSpeed Protege 29K <- broken hearted
Daily/Weekend Beater - 1990 miata 138K - AutoX every weekend = Adult driven on weekends
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Originally posted by moxnix:
Originally posted by Horse:
unlike Mazda with my MSP and the MP3 - both factory kenwood decks that are AMAZING!!
I ripped out the fatcory kenwood desk within a week of getting my MSP. I can not stand the kenwood interface. I put in the alpine from my tour.
But interface aside, that Kenwood deck performs very well, expecially coming from the factory that way. I do like Alpine better to control, but Kenwood makes products that perform every bit as good as Alpine (I'll still buy Alpines though, I'm used to them)
As for my hatred of factory audio systems, they sound like garbage, no matter how much money manufacturers pour into them they tend to sound piss poor. I suppose spending that extra $3 for some better speakers isn't in the automaker's budget, but they slap a bose logo on everything they make now. Dump this Bose [censored] and get me to put this stuff together! The aftermarket units aren't really hard to control at all. Alpine has been set up identically for almost 10 years now.
For example, here's Alpine's most complicated deck they sell right now. I have one in the Focus.
Common tasks like skipping tracks and volume control are rediculously easy, as is switching sources. Flipping through MP3 folders uses the three buttons on the right side of the volume knob. Radio presets are simple as well. The reason alot of decks have such tiny buttons is because of the massive ammount of information the display shows, time, track number, song names, band names, file info for MP3s. On a 200 song MP3 disk I don't always remember what I put on and when I get asked "what song is this" by a friend in the car, I hit the button just above the volume knob and they can see for thmselves.
If you don't care about that information, there are still manufacturers that use simple displays. But the truth is, these HUs have built in equalizers, active crossovers, they store dates, preferences, they do alot more than the stock units would alow. Once you get to HUs like the 9835, you don't even have bass/treble controls anymore, you actually go into the frequencies and adjust them with the equalizer. It's all about hitting that point where everything just sounds right.
I'd love to see car manufacturers work with aftermarket audio and integrate that into the car. Integration isn't my problem, integrating garbage is my problem. S40 looks like an awesome car, no corners cut, then the integrated stereo sounds turdly...
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Originally posted by TGO:
i would recommend taking it to a professional stereo shop, they'll be able to figure something out.
No what they do is cringe then use a high level input with a converter into your amplifiers, which has not so great results. My friend's Mazda 3 has a system using a high level input and frankly it sounds pretty poor given the equipment he has in the trunk. He put it in himself, he works at a professional shop.
He's in the same pickle as warmonger though, how do you put in a new HU without tearing into the dash and making a mess, or mounting the HU in a retarded place like the glove box? 
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Sorry if OT- Tom, you've got to post some pics of your T5. I was trying to talk my GF into getting one, but she opted for an '04 non-T5 (not sure of the trim level). What do you think of the HP/aftermarket potential for that motor? Word is that the current gen Euro-Focus has it as an option   We can take it to PMs, if need be.
-Chuck Dienzo
Black 98.5 E1 SVT
#5022 of 6535
Born on March 16, 1998
"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."
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I'm with you! I have ripped the head unit out of every car I've ever bought within 30 days. This is the first real pain in the arse I've run across. I like the center stack and controls, just don't like the sound and it isn't loud enough. I hate factory DSP compensation! I guess the cleansweep is the trick then. It won't be any worse than buying a head unit plus I get 8 volt pre-outs. For those of you who haven't liked aftermarket radios...Get an Eclipse. I'm 4th time repeat buyer of eclipse readios! I say that because I have bought other radios but very few compare to eclipse's sleek looks and full functionality. Look at my website link below to see how my 4 year old eclips 5506 still looks in my contour. Yes they are expensive for the nice ones but they are worth it for the clean sound and nice interface. I did like the JVC MP3 player I had in my wifes Saturn before we traded it in on the Volvo.
Former owner of '99 CSVT - Silver #222/2760
356/334 wHP/TQ at 10psi on pump gas!
See My Mods
'05 Volvo S40 Turbo 5 AWD with 6spd, Passion Red
'06 Mazda5 Touring, 5spd,MTX, Black
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