I have a car with 2 din units, so I figured that instead of pluging a unit in
the empeg, and buy an amp for the empeg, I'd plug the empeg into the other unit, and use that as a 40W amp.
Not only is it somewhat cheaper and easier (no amp), I can still use the other radio if the empeg isn't in the car.

My main problem has been finding a car stereo with line input for $200 or less.
What I got so far is an audiovox ACD-24, which has a mini jack line input (for an external CD or mp3 player (we're talking rio here)), but unfortunately, it
switches as soon as a jack is physically plugged in (meaning that I can't use the radio or the CD unless I unplug the empeg).
I took the female din apart, hacked some wires onto it and brought them to a switch which lets me disable the empeg without unplugging the jack, but the sound just ain't that great... I'm going to play some more with it to see if my hack is responsible for the sound degradation or if the line input is just crappy to start with.

All that said, if you know a CD player with line input (possibly through a CD changer adapter cable), I'm interested (the only one I found was more than $400, which was twice what a nice similarly powered amp would cost me)

Thanks
Marc

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I have a Blaupunkt Alaska II head unit that I like. I find it's menu system to be awkward but, thankfully, I don't have to use it that much. It has an adapter for a line input via a male minijack plug. This can then be turned into male RCA jacks with the appropriate adapter(s). You access the Aux input by cycling through the inputs (CD, Radio, Aux) with the source button.

Crutchfield has several Blau CD head units for under $200. If you get a Blau I also recommend the stearing wheel remote. It's very convenient.

-Dylan

I recomend the Blaupunkt Alaska II also. It has styling similar to the empeg.

I just wanted to let you know that the amplifiers inside the head units are poor compared to a $200 amplifier. However, not everyone needs the real power a standalone amplifier supplies.

Alex Lear

I went the same direction, buying a Kenwood 315S CD receiver, which is $200 on Crutchfield. You have to add their CA-C1AX adapter (for $20) to go from CD changer input to RCA ins for the Empeg, but it's a great head unit. 45W per channel, but more importantly, 22W RMS. Most heads at this price (incl. the Blau Alaska which I also considered)are 17W RMS at the most. You'll notice the extra punch. It's pretty much a no frills head (no pretty equalizer display or anything), but what do you really need in a head unit when you've got the Empeg. I like having AM/FM, CD, and, of course, the Empeg. Good head unit for exactly what you want. The only issue that may bother some is the remote protocol is the same as the Empeg remote, but I actually find that beneficial, you just have to know what you're pointing it at. That's definitely not enough to recommend against this head unit though.

-Tony
MkII #554

I just wanted to let you know that the amplifiers inside the head units are poor compared to a $200 amplifier. However, not everyone needs the real power a standalone amplifier supplies.

Oh boy... I don't want to come off like some sort of elitist here, but what is the point of putting a $1500 empeg in your car, and then strangling it with 45 watts of power no doubt driving the sorry paper-coned original factory speakers?

I know it's easy for me to tell you to spend a bunch of money, but you really will be happier in the long run (hell, you'll be happier in the short run!) if you do it right -- get at least 100--150 watts RMS and a subwoofer. (see here and here and if pressed I could find a half dozen more testimonials on this bbs.

The empeg is capable of fantastic sound quality given good amplifiers, speakers, and proper setup and tuning. No doubt I am stating the obvious here, but more power isn't just to make the music louder. More power gives you quicker, cleaner transients, will drive your speakers with more authority, and at the same listening levels will give less distortion.

I'll get off my soapbox now. My foaming at the mouth is making my shirt collar soggy.

tanstaafl.



"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

I agree, I never used a amp before, didn't care to hear it that loud, but once I did the improvement 200 watts can make in hearing echos and things in the songs I didn't even know were there before, huge difference even with the same tired old speakers and I don't have to play loud to hear them.

In Transit

tanstaafl, you actually do often come off as an elitist in these posts (I've seen a couple others with similar comments) but that's a good thing -- you're pointing out the fact that the Empeg is only as good as what it's feeding sound into. Most people understand that and don't need it driven into their heads, though.

See, we're all aware of the benefits of good equipment, but a lot of us are just doing it on an upgrade path similar to this:

1. Head unit
2. Empeg
3. Speakers, sub, amp(s)

It's a little easier to spend the money on the Empeg first and have acceptable and actually pretty good quality, and then later (after the credit card is taken care of) go out and drop a few hundred bones on the sound system itself. Not everyone has the cash to drop in one fell swoop, and I wasn't 100% I'd be satisfied with my Empeg, therefore, I didn't want to invest that much at once. Now that I'm completely addicted, you can bet your ass I'm going to upgrade with an amp, speakers, and a moderate subwoofer.

So, having my Empeg paid off now, I agree that it's good to beef up the factory system, at least a little. But let everyone get their Empeg first. Once the drug gets into their veins, they'll be mortgaging their homes for a trip to the car audio shop.

BTW, in my opinion, it's always good to have a good head unit in the car if you've got the extra DIN. For when friends have a CD, or for when you want to listen to the radio (and don't have the Empeg tuner, which none of us Mk II owners do.) And there's always Flea-Bay for unwanted head units.

-Tony
MkII #554

I want to thank the different people who answered.

As to why not an amp and all:
1) I'm buying 40W headrest 2" by 3" speakers, the best ones you can get for that
size (so no, don't think I'm using the crappy factory speakers)
I'm not quite sure what a 200W amp would add to speakers that can't deliver
that much in the first place
2) I have a small car, with a not very powerful battery. Not only do I have
little space for the amp, but it wouldn't run very long with the engine not
running.
3) I have another, bigger car, and that one has an amp.

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Well I have to ask, what head unit is in your car now? Your speakers may not be to blame for your crappy sound.

I have a 2000 Honda Odyssey EX. Honda's factory system blows major chunks. When I had my empeg installed, I had them install an amp and a sub as well and that was it. I didn't have the money for new speakers and with only one DIN, couldn't use the existing head unit which was crap anyway (it heated up my CD's) so I didn't mind.

Anyway, I found the sound to be like 5,000,000% better than before (slight exaggeration). It seems my speakers were just replicating the truly horrific sound produced by the head unit.

Granted, in a minivan (odd for a college student, huh?) I have gobbs of room, but I have my amp under the drivers seat and it works great. I would never have imagined that it could sound this good.

DiGNAN

The stock headrest speakers are crap, take my word for it (5W)
http://marc.merlins.org/perso/photos/Miata/Empeg/305_sound.html

The factory 25W speakers in the doors don't sound great either, but I'll decide
after getting the new deck unit and headrest speakers.

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