Disco 1 subwoofer

[Henk Coetzee]

Every two years when I get a cellphone upgrade I get to thinking that a hands free kit wouldn't be such a bad idea, but have never really got around to it. This time round I discovered that bluetooth enabled radios now exist, which would solve the hands free problem as well as getting away from the RF modulator that I currently use for playing MP3 CDs. I started to look at what's available and ended up speaking to a car sound place which has been recommended to me. They seem to know what they are talking about, but claim that it is not possible to connect the Disco's installed subwoofer to anything other than the standard Disco radio, adding the costs of another subwoofer and an amplifier to the installation. Is this indeed the case?

Henk

[Pete Attryde]

I have my standard sub connected to an aftermarket head unit. It does involve altering the wiring at the head unit end, from the standard connector to a couple of phono plugs to allow it to connect but it's hardly rocket science to sort out.

Mines a 1996 ES if that makes any difference.

Pete.

[sweety]

You can buy a converter which takes speaker wires to phono plugs(RCA's) which would be easier

[signia]

My replacement head unit had phono outs (which you can switch to being either two channel or sub out via the menu - it's a Sony head unit).

There's a thin plug coming out the back of the stock stereo - next to the standard multiplug thingy - vertical I think. I ripped that apart and connected the end of a phono lead. You don't need to use both phono sockets - the sub is mono anyway.

The only other thing to note is if your new headunit only triggers the aerial if you are listening to the radio, the sub won't work on any other source (cd/changer/mp3). Mine's a 96 ES. not sure if it's supposed to do that. But it does.

For some reason the sub amplifier (which I think is under the glove box) is linked to the power for the aerial. So to activate the sub, I need to make sure that the traffic bulletin setting is on and the aerial is up when listening to MP3s/CDs.

However you do it. There is no need to pay a wedge to get a new install.

[dirkthe1]

you could bypass the need to keep the TA allways on by looping it back in to the live. i think. I had to do a scratch build thing in mine, and had no end of problems. But you can wire it in.how many outputs does the head unit have? and howmany speakers is it trying to run?

[JimAttrill]

Hi Henk, maybe if you get a reply on ZA-LRO you will post the answer here? Others may want to know the result.

[Henk Coetzee]

Jim suggested:

Hi Henk, maybe if you get a reply on ZA-LRO you will post the answer here? Others may want to know the result.

Corne Smith commented on ZA-LRO:

Henk, I'm no Disco sound expert, but what MT are saying might be true. I

know the guy there from past dealings with him (couldn't remember his name

though...) and know that he is very competent. He's considered one of the

top five sound installers in SA. If you look at his ears, you'kk

agree...lol!

Jokes aside....what he might know, is that the subwoofer is an exact match

to the Disco radio, that might be using its own internal(radio) amplifier to

power the sub. Connecting the sub to an amplifier of more serious

nature, might damage the unit(sub). I had the same problem with a Volkwagen.

The radio and speakers plays nice and the sound is good...ish. But an amp

would have destroyed them fast, and here's the shock, without making them

sound better. The idea on the street is that you sould give a speaker more

power to make it sound better, but thats only half the story. The speaker

must be matched to an amp to get the best performace. Top subs, fot

instance, has got piston actuators with two or more coils, making it

possible to power them with two amps etc. My point is this then, if you're

not happy with the state of your system now, wait untill these guys did

their job!!

Doef-doef groete

Corne S

I then answered:

Corne, thanks. Basically I am unhappy with two things - no handsfree

and no integrated CD/MP3 solution. I was hoping that the bluetooth

head unit would solve this, but it seems that it would create

additional complexities, which would only really be solved by throwing

money at the problem. I agree that the last thing I need is a system

with worse sound than I already have.

One thing I did manage to find was a bluetooth earpiece thingy with a

car charger. That goes a long way to solving one of my problems, as

the major handsfree issue I have had is that my earpiece is usually

either in the Disco and discharged or at home on the charger. As for

integrating CDs and MP3s, the modulator system I have is OK, measured

against the R6.5K it's going to cost to upgrade it.

[sotal]

If you're not bothered too much about the sound and it's more the functionality you are after, then forget about the rear sub, it's not that good anyway.

Just replace the standard head unit with a cheap mp3/cd/bluetooth player, in the UK they sell for about £40 for a cheapy one, they take all of ten minutes to fit, so shouldn't require a shop to fit them.

[rb199]

Henk,

I have a Sony head unit fitted to my 300 Tdi Disco and the sub works fine, although as has already been said I need the TA function activating for the sub to work in CD or Aux mode, which I had always wondered why and this thread has answered the question (thanks to Signia ) The unit has a CD player and Aux input for MP3 player etc. There is now a new version out that also includes Bluetooth phone conectivity

http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowProduct.act...y=ICA+CD+Tuners

For what its worth I realy liked the bluetooth sys I had in my old D90 and it worked a treat, if you do get one dont be suprised if your car rings whilst you are stood next to it with your phone in your pocket!! Anyway hope this helps?

Stu