swapping oem buisiness head unit for an aftermarket

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hello ive a factory upgraded sound system ..i think ! will all my speakers be powered ok if i get an aftermarket head unit.... looking to buy a bluetooth handsfree / mp3 player jobbie. maybe with dab
 
ive looked and I have black box...probably.an.amp in.the boot ..next ro the battery
 
Not sure, I had the same set up as you and my amp got wet and failed. I replaced my head unit and bypassed the factory amp. I have 2 x 2 channel amps powering the rear subs and front mids.

Sounds ok, not as good as the standard set up utalising the 10 speakers. You really need to change the speakers when changing the head unit. I am planning on doing so with some decent quality ones and expect it will sound a lot better than the standard set up when I have done so.

A lot of work all in all though!
 
As Oli said, it's a lot of work, but I can assure you it's certainly worth doing.

Personally you want to start by upgrading the stereo, if you're happy with the sound after that then leave it at that.

If not, then you want to look into an aftermarket amp and aftermarket speakers (don't do one or the other - for a variety of reasons but in short you won't get your money's worth IMO doing one or the other).

Upgrading speakers in the Zed is remarkably easy to do and we're all fortunate for the 6.5" in the kick panel! Very easy to get great sound!
 
If you have the top Hi-Fi DSP option, an aftermarket head unit will definitely not drive the amp, you have no choice but to bypass or replace it. With the mid level system, it may be possible to use the amp, I'm not sure. There's instructions on here somewhere on how to get a factory options list with VIN input, if it says DSP or S677A anywhere, the amp is useless for any upgrades.
 
ok so i've checked and i have the :
business c d : s662a
speakers : s676a
cd changer i bus : s692a


is this setup swap able ? i'm thinking about the asteroid setup
 
ok so i've checked and i have the :
business c d : s662a
speakers : s676a
cd changer i bus : s692a


is this setup swap able ? i'm thinking about the asteroid setup
 
To the best of my knowledge you can drive your amp with an after market unit, though there is lingering doubt as I cannot be 100% sure. It may be worth determining the correct wire colours from the WDS and doing a test with any stereo unit with appropriate outputs, doesn't have to be car audio, a mains driven one will work for a quick test.

Are you sure this is the path you wish to follow? From my understanding, this will only marginally improve sound, the amp seems to be the weakest link for sound quality, though the speakers are not the greatest either. For serious sound quality improvement, a complete system replacement is called for.

If you're after added features, there are various adapters that tie into the CD changer wiring to provide the modern features you are likely looking for, and then you retain the OEM look. Not the greatest look IMO, but neither is a rectilinear DIN unit spliced into the curved dash. You do loose the use of any CD changer, but it sounds like you just have the wiring only.

I don't wish to tell you what to do, I only want you to be fully informed about what you do choose to do.
 
I would say bypass the factory amp, but (based in a hunch) I believe that the system would be run actively.

As said above, simply upgrading your headunit might not necessarily yield a better sounding system (infact may sound worse) even though you'd be gaining extra features.

Replacing the whole audio system could be done quite cheaply, one pair of speakers up front (2 way), some 6" subs in the rear all off the factory headunit (pioneers have direct sub drive which basically allows you to hook a subwoofer straight to the headunit), but again, trying to do good quality audio and on a budget can only work so well.

You may however find a simple headunit swap sounds just as good for you and that's all that needs doing.

For me, I had to strip my car within a month of ownership. :evil:
 
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