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kipperthedog

Member Since: 27 Jun 2013
Location: Down South
Posts: 403

Kenwood or Alpine?

Don't get too excited...

I have been given 2 old(ish....?) HUs to choose from to replace an old and cheap Goodmans unit in my 110. A Kenwood KDCw3037 and an Alpine CDM7871r. Anyone had experience of either?

The Kenwood looks more modern and will play MP3/WMA cds and has a front Aux, but needs a new din-iso lead. The Alpine looks more suited to a 2000my defender, has rear rca to which I could fit an rca to 3.5mm jack lead but will be a bit harder to squeeze in because it has what I think is an interference suppressor box in the din-iso lead (there aint much room down the back of a pre 2002 dash!)

15th May 2014 9:07pm

kipperthedog

Member Since: 27 Jun 2013
Location: Down South
Posts: 403

Alpine deselected itself, I thought it was quite old anyway, but it didn't like the short rubber radio aerial and wouldn't tune to any radio stations! Shame though it was a nice looking thing. Interesting though....having decided against buying a cheapish generic Chinese made MP3 only head unit......guess where the Alpine was made?

20th May 2014 7:52am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

Hit the nail on the head there with Alpine.

(Takes cover!)
If you buy a HU with front 3.5 mm jack I'd highly recommend using a 90 degree / right angle adaptor.
That will mean it won't poke out as much, much less chance of acidentially whacking it and also less stress on the plug, socket and cable.

20th May 2014 9:56am

kipperthedog

Member Since: 27 Jun 2013
Location: Down South
Posts: 403

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that, no more expensive but much neater!

Just waiting on the Kenwood to ISO adaptor now.....

May have to look for some cheap plain black tweeters later on for the dash so I can hear it better!

20th May 2014 11:58am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p...;_from=R40

20th May 2014 12:50pm

kipperthedog

Member Since: 27 Jun 2013
Location: Down South
Posts: 403

Kenwood is in and working!

I am thinking about speakers now. Would a pair of 4" coaxials be better than the OE speakers with a pair of cheap tweeters added on?

23rd May 2014 8:42am

jimbob7

Member Since: 06 Jul 2013
Location: uk
Posts: 2055

A coaxial speaker has a built in tweeter,if you want separate tweeters (component speakers) you need a "crossover" which divides the signal into low and high frequency.Anythin is better than the oem speakers,you can even go up in size by adding speaker rings,(mdf speaker rings are best,about £5 on eblag). Pov.spec,ftw. 2006, 110,TD5.

23rd May 2014 9:43am

kipperthedog

Member Since: 27 Jun 2013
Location: Down South
Posts: 403

Thanks...yes I had worked out the crossover issue. I am doubtful about the placement of the tweeter in coaxials though. Would the tweeter be better in the dashtop than pointing at the floor? Is the simple addition of a 1" tweeter cfombined with the OE (I think) speakers worthwhile?

23rd May 2014 9:49am

jimbob7

Member Since: 06 Jul 2013
Location: uk
Posts: 2055

Separate tweeters are better BUT not without crossovers,if anythin it then would sound worse,I dont think you can buy crossovers separately only as part of a "component" package.Some say component speakers are ott in Defenders anyway,but I likes em

! Pov.spec,ftw. 2006, 110,TD5.

23rd May 2014 11:31am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

^^^^ What he said, however, I personally don't have components but am very happy.
If you stick to 4" speakers you'll never get mega bang for your buck anyway but it is a LOT better by a mile.

Last edited by custom90 on 23rd May 2014 6:25pm. Edited 1 time in total

23rd May 2014 12:09pm

kipperthedog

Member Since: 27 Jun 2013
Location: Down South
Posts: 403

Thanks both. I'll come back to this when I have finished persuading the HU to sit nicely in the dash, at the moment, like it's predecessor it sits proud of the aperture. I think either a spacer ring or hard wiring the Kenwood plug to the loom wires (and getting rid of the iso plugs) is required.

23rd May 2014 6:20pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

Try pushing the plugs below the HU out of the way.

Do you have a radio cage too?

23rd May 2014 6:26pm

kipperthedog

Member Since: 27 Jun 2013
Location: Down South
Posts: 403

I will have another go at that.....yes I have got a cage a generic one not the original Kw one.

23rd May 2014 6:48pm

jimbob7

Member Since: 06 Jul 2013
Location: uk
Posts: 2055

Yeah, not much room at the back although, I managed it even with super thick speaker wires and a third party mobile phone hands free gubbins (now removed).So it is possible just persevere

. Pov.spec,ftw. 2006, 110,TD5.

23rd May 2014 7:01pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

Either try that or to the side, drivers side there is a cavity of space.

23rd May 2014 7:02pm

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