blasterfoo

Im not much of an audio buff. So i dont know weather or not you can hook up a CD changer to the stock cd,radio,tape player. Is that possible? If not is there a way to hook up something where i Can keep the stock deck but have new cd play quality. Thanks

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

If you know anything about electronics you can wire a headphone adapter in parallel with the input of your stock radio's amplifier circuit and plug in whatever. I just did that mod in my wife's 1988 BMW cassette player, now her Ipod plays through the radio, looks stock, and still plays cassettes. I was pretty impressed with the results.

Flash

iTrader: (2)

I have a Blaupunkt CD Changer hooked up to my stock 89 vert stereo right now. It's easy. The CD changer I have has three main parts; cd changer, controller module( display and cd controls), and the fm modulator. Basically on the fm modulator (looks like a metal box, in which you plug both controller and changer into) there are two cables that are male and female antenna connectors. Basically you hook these up so your fm modulator is now the connector between antenna and the deck. Super easy. Then its just 12v constant power, Accessory power and ground and you're done.

If you haven't bought a CD Changer yet, simply open the box and make sure you have all these pieces.

Any questions, just ask.

Icemark

except for FM modulators sound like crap... the best they ever will sound is 40hz to 15kHz, where as a CD player typically plays between 20hz to 25kHz.

Of course half the people out there past the age of 25 can't hear above 17KHz anyway.

RETed

You'd be a lot happier if you just GUT all that stock CRAP...


-Ted

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

I did this in my S4 Vert. I wanted to stay with the stock head unit so:
1. Maintained normall operating headrest speakers and
2. I could leave my Vert parked with the top down and not attract anyone that thinks my head unit should be "re-located". Who would steal a 17 year old technology head unit?
3. I also wanted a current technology design CD player that wouldn't skip every time I drove over a small pebble.

If you have a stock S4 head unit that has a mute button (vert or coup), that head unit was designed to accept a component CD player. It plugs into the back of head unit controller via a DIN plug. My S4 vert was originally a base model that has a drop door compartment where the CD player would have been installed. If you don't have that drop door, you could simply fill that hole with a plate for mounting guages.

The stock CD unit wiring includes a ground trigger wire that talks to the control unit telling it that a CD has been inserted and to shut down the radio and/or cassett player and look for the CD source signal. So, you need to find an aftermarket rf type cd changer that also has this trigger wire. In my case, I used a Sony rf type unit. But, instead of plugging the source cable from the changer into the RF converter, you wire the source cable to a DIN (can get at Radio Shack or the like) plug. I need to check, but I believe it's a 7 pin type.

The Factory manual will show what wire goes where on the DIN plug and how many pins the DIN needs to have. The key play is by hard wiring the signal into the stock head unit, you get far superior sound reproduction results compared to using the standard RF installation through the radio antenna wire, as Icemark pointed out. Now, when I turn on the changer with the changer controller, the stock head unit thinks and reacts no different than if I had plugged in a Cd in the stock Cd player.

If you can't find an aftermarket CD changer with a source trigger wire, let me know. I have an extra used unit that is identical to the one I used. I just sold the car that I was going to install it in before I installed it.

NZConvertible

However you dod it, you'll still be using a very old and outdated head unit. Even the cheapest brandname CD/tuner would spank it for power output and sound quality. Head units are so cheap these days I don't know why anyone would want to keep a 15+ yo stock one.

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

I was thinking of taking apart my stock CD player and just using the face/shell of it and mounting an aftermarket CD player inside. Reason being, I like the way everything stock looks together.

That's just something I would fiddle with. Would it work as good? No. Would it be practical? No. Would it be fun to try? Yes. I also have no idea if it could work... but it's an idea.

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

Assuming you have the S4 set up I was talking about, you could just leave the stock CD player in as is, unplug it from the back of the control module and plug in an aftermarket changer in it's place.

By the way, as many know, in a Vert the Wheel well under the trunk carpet isn't used for a spare tire. So, that cavety is a great place in which to mount a changer or other after market components.

Flash

iTrader: (2)

You're right, but hey... I just wanted to show him he could do it. Of course all the old stuff should be gutted... I have an mp3 deck, mb quart speakers all around and an orion sub in my NA, the cd changer I have was free and only temporary.