Stereo Upgrade
Discussion
P7 TUS said:
Just added an amp and an Alpine sub unit to mine it all fitted on the rear shelf. No need to change speakers once you add the amp as the amp in the head unit is not good enough to drive the cones properly. What a difference this has made 
Will post pics when I get a chance.
Am thinking of an upgrade myself now prior to getting my interior redone next month by AR Pound. Will post pics when I get a chance.Can I clarify my understanding here - are the side/rear speakers currently in the Mk 1 actually reasonably decent and all that is required is a better amp (and perhaps some front speakers) to make a better overall system?? Am not really interested in an "amazing" system - just something better than current standard, and am comfortable keeping my current head unit as do not really require an MP3 player. Have searched all threads, but cannot really justify a huge bespoke job for the amount I listen to the stereo!
I have just bought an Alpine iDA-X100 for mine - DAB radio and ipod connection. I was intending to upgrade the ariel but see how the new head unit went with the existing speakers before I did anything else. Like others I am not looking for fantastic, just better than current.
The cars in having a service and a new clutch at the moment so the unit is not fitted yet. Will try and remember to post the results when it's in.
The cars in having a service and a new clutch at the moment so the unit is not fitted yet. Will try and remember to post the results when it's in.
Give Carl Baker of Car & Bike Installations a call - he is the guru when it comes to hifi and alarms for TVRs. I have heard nothing but praise about him and he upgraded the speakers in my Tuscan Convertible, which is even more difficult than the targa (due to a smaller enclosure between the back panel and the petrol tank). He completely transformed the sound of the system in my car.
My understanding of the key issue with the acoustics in TVRs in general is the fibreglass bodies, which do not vibrate the way sheet metal does. While that's great on the one hand (much less distortion) it makes it much more difficult to generate bass as the vibrating door panels in metal cars will accentuate the bass. Those vibrating panels do not exactly make for an accurate and solid bass, but it's definitely loud and boomy, which lots of people seem to like. Most cars also use the boot as a speaker enclosure to generate bass, but in Tuscans (I don't know about other TVRs) that space is limited to a small gap between the petrol tank and the back panel. As a result of all that speakers that sound great in most cars can sound absolutely rubbish in a Tuscan.
For speakers to sound good in a TVR they need to be much more efficient than usual. Carl uses MB Quart speakers, a German audiophile brand. In my car he upgraded the speakers in the door and changed the woofers in the back to a larger size (for which he created a new rear panel) and added tweeters at the top of the door. It looks great and sounds fantastic. They sound very neutral and are able to go very loud (a must in any TVR if you want to actually hear the music
) without distorting. He also changed the aerial on the boot, as a result of which the number of FM stations my radio could pick up more or less doubled!
Edited to add: my head unit was already different - I changed it to a Blaupunkt Rome straight after buying the car since Blaupunkt tend to have excellent FM reception, it has integrated satnav, and the look matches the style of the Tuscan's (mk 2) dash perfectly.
My understanding of the key issue with the acoustics in TVRs in general is the fibreglass bodies, which do not vibrate the way sheet metal does. While that's great on the one hand (much less distortion) it makes it much more difficult to generate bass as the vibrating door panels in metal cars will accentuate the bass. Those vibrating panels do not exactly make for an accurate and solid bass, but it's definitely loud and boomy, which lots of people seem to like. Most cars also use the boot as a speaker enclosure to generate bass, but in Tuscans (I don't know about other TVRs) that space is limited to a small gap between the petrol tank and the back panel. As a result of all that speakers that sound great in most cars can sound absolutely rubbish in a Tuscan.
For speakers to sound good in a TVR they need to be much more efficient than usual. Carl uses MB Quart speakers, a German audiophile brand. In my car he upgraded the speakers in the door and changed the woofers in the back to a larger size (for which he created a new rear panel) and added tweeters at the top of the door. It looks great and sounds fantastic. They sound very neutral and are able to go very loud (a must in any TVR if you want to actually hear the music
) without distorting. He also changed the aerial on the boot, as a result of which the number of FM stations my radio could pick up more or less doubled!Edited to add: my head unit was already different - I changed it to a Blaupunkt Rome straight after buying the car since Blaupunkt tend to have excellent FM reception, it has integrated satnav, and the look matches the style of the Tuscan's (mk 2) dash perfectly.
Edited by Arj on Tuesday 1st April 16:42
For some pics of work done by Carl Baker you can also have a look here.
I will see if I can take and upload pictures of my speakers sometime later.
I will see if I can take and upload pictures of my speakers sometime later.
Edited by Arj on Tuesday 1st April 15:48
Carl fitted the MB Quart 6 speaker system into my Tuscan as per the pictures in the thread above. He did a great job and his work can only be recommended. You will never get the kind of sound you would in an Audi or BMW or some other eurobox but it does make a massive difference and I am glad I got the upgrade.
tcant said:
You will never get the kind of sound you would in an Audi or BMW or some other eurobox but it does make a massive difference and I am glad I got the upgrade.
When stationary, with the engine off, their sound is in my opinion actually much better than in standard Audis or BMWs! When driving it is of course a completely different story with the Tuscan's exhaust cans blaring along...With good speakers the solidity of the fibreglass body of TVRs even helps, since the sound will be much more stable and detailed. Thing is that most people actually prefer the distortion that the vibrating door panels in metal cars create. The distorted sound can be perceived to have more warmth and bass - and a neutral sounding system (which is true to the original, with bass, treble and mid-range in equal measure) can almost seem dull.
So in the end it's all down to taste. Some people listen to house and want lots of bass, others listen to Radio 4 and only want a clear mid-range. If you're after a neutral sound in your TVR though which is detailed with a mid-range that produces clear voices, a bass that goes deep but does not get woolly and highs that sparkle but don't get hissy, then MB Quart is excellent.
Edited by Arj on Wednesday 2nd April 18:36
stillgrinning said:
The Alphine is in, with relatively few issues, and sounds fantastic with just the normal speakers that came with the car originally. I personally am unlikely to add any more speakers as it seems fine to my unrefined and quite old ear !
Thats the head unit I'm considering.....is it DAB - does not say anything on the site?How is the radio now - I cannot get anything with my standard head unit!
It's "Digital" but not DAB (whatever the difference is) I asked someone in the know who said they don't do DAB for cars anymore because they were rubbish. I have also learn't that all fiberglass cars have rubbish reception because they obviously can't use the body work to enhance the signal.
The new unit picks up countless FM stations faultlessly but still won't get Five Live properly (AM station).
I also found that when I took out the old unit and started replacing it with the new one, that the jack plug on the end of the aerial was knackered. It must have been close to snapping off prior to me fiddling with it but it finally broke as I was trying to get the new unit in with all the wires at teh back etc. Halfords were baffled when I went for a new jack plug, Maplins picked one off the rack and charged me £1.99. Easy to fit - Job done !
If you are going to buy the unit on e-bay or from the web the chances are that it will come from Hong Kong or similar. It is unlikely to be supplied with the right connecting lead so you will need to find an audio shop and get them to order one for you. Cost me £30 but it was all easy to fit. If a numpty like me can do it then anyone can !
Top gear for a musical philistine like me - works a treat with the ipod nano that I have so couldn't be happier.
The new unit picks up countless FM stations faultlessly but still won't get Five Live properly (AM station).
I also found that when I took out the old unit and started replacing it with the new one, that the jack plug on the end of the aerial was knackered. It must have been close to snapping off prior to me fiddling with it but it finally broke as I was trying to get the new unit in with all the wires at teh back etc. Halfords were baffled when I went for a new jack plug, Maplins picked one off the rack and charged me £1.99. Easy to fit - Job done !
If you are going to buy the unit on e-bay or from the web the chances are that it will come from Hong Kong or similar. It is unlikely to be supplied with the right connecting lead so you will need to find an audio shop and get them to order one for you. Cost me £30 but it was all easy to fit. If a numpty like me can do it then anyone can !
Top gear for a musical philistine like me - works a treat with the ipod nano that I have so couldn't be happier.
stillgrinning said:
It's "Digital" but not DAB (whatever the difference is)
[geek mode on]A 'digital' FM radio will just have a digital display, but the signal it receives is still analogue. With DAB radio the signal is digital. I guess you could compare the first to an old tape deck with a digital display and the other to an MP3 recorder or iPod (DAB is actually based on MP3's predecessor called, you guessed it, MP2).
You were probably told it was rubbish because there are still many places where you can't receive DAB and the sound ain't all that great. The sound quality of DAB depends mainly on how much the radio stations compress the signal - similar to the quality setting when you record music for your iPod - and UK radio stations compress the signal a lot.
Hope that clarifies it!
[geek mode off]
Edited by Arj on Saturday 12th April 13:46
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