I'm planning on keeping the stock AM radio in place on the '65 Impala. Although tunes and talk are a low need/priority for me I am "upgrading" the single front and rear speakers to dual voice coil units. What I'm looking for now is an alternative that can be mounted remotely (under dash out of sight, under seat or in the trunk) capable of Bluetooth and possibly USB and TF-card MP3(FLAC) playback. I've looked at the possibility of the smaller single din receiver options along with a myriad of marine receiver options. The latter seems to be a more likely fit since they can be had with wired remotes. This would allow stealth mounting with full features control whereas all the standard automotive din receivers are supplied with IR remotes making them useless without line-of-sight. The only problem is, wired marine receiver/remote combinations have a pricier than value ratio for my needs at $350-$500+! I was hoping there may be a simple Raspberry Pi sort of option I'm missing that would be cube like and provide the basics - amplifier with Bluetooth/USB/TF in and speakers out. Might there be an option I'm overlooking?
You may want to check out my thread on installing Retro sound radio guts and keeping my stock face and ****ons. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/retrosound-in-my-49-buick-radio.1313541/#post-15190777
I installed a factory tissue dispenser in my 62 bel air under the dash, hinged the front cover, and installed a single-din regular CD head unit in it with bluetooth and USB capability. I had the tissue dispenser, so it was a cost-effective solution.
I have one of these - Bluetooth connection to the amp, no head unit necessary. I have the older version of this one. My only complaint is no charging of your Bluetooth device is built into the amp, but overall pretty simple and compact. Also, if you check ebay/marketplace/craigslist.... car audio has about 1/5 the resale value of new. Sometimes you can find some good stuff out there. https://www.kicker.com/pxibt1002-amplified-bluetooth-controller
I have one of these. https://www.ebay.com/itm/272866706069?_trksid=p4375194.c102055.m146925 Just hook up the speakers and switched 12 volt. Bluetooth connects to your phone for tunes, radio apps etc.
Running this in my 79 Ramcharger because I installed a custom gauge insert with no radio. It is hidden up under the dash. DS18 BTTWO Bluetooth Receiver - IP65 Waterproof Rated, BT 4.0, Remote Trigger Output, Stero Male RCA Output - Allows Connect & Play Integration to Your Audio Device https://a.co/d/2bUB1Ty
I used one of these in my ragtop. It is bolted under the dash, no batteries to charge or Bluetooth pairing issues, no apps to download, sound is pretty good, and I have found it to be theft proof as it sits in a top less, unlocked cat for over 25 years without disappearing.
We did exactly what you want [for pennies in the dollar] using a hidden bluetooth amp that pairs with a phone. We use a phone as a remote [including volume control] My wife did a start to finish build thread here as I installed it. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...th-sound-system-install-non-invasive.1155455/ We hid the amp behind the glovebox liner and drilled a tiny hole in it for the option of a 3.5mm Aux input [using an old MP3 player] But with hindsight we got carried away because installing it under the seat etc is just as good [we only used Bluetooth] The most difficult part of the whole job was dragging the speaker wires through. The system was so successful , we've used 2 x these amps in our home with hidden speakers behind curtain valances [I'm listening to music on it now as I write this]
There are many varieties of the Bluetooth -USB- 12 volt amplifiers available online, most are small but have reasonable sound quality. Some are available which are just the PCB, and it can be put into a small enclosure or just mounted out of sight. I built one of these into an old die-cast drive-in speaker, and it still uses the original volume control.
Fabulous replies from all! Much appreciate insight into your great projects. I'm really liking the sheer simplicity of the minute BT amp/rec, first I've seen of those as I don't follow audio trends. I'll most likely go that route while in the meantime we'll research to see if a 4 channel version is available. Had I known about these devices I'd have purchased fairly cheaper single voice coil speakers. It does look though that I can still make use of the dual voice coils by wiring in series for 8Ω. Both the speakers and BT amp/rec spec out with a 4Ω-8Ω range (speakers are 25w & 50w per channel). Thanks!
If you check out the link on my previous reply... My wife attached an ebay link to buy the amp. I think they have doubled in price to about $32. They are 100w total output [2 x 50a speakers] So you need 12v x 8.3a to feed it to get maximum volume. The secret is good [ish] quality speakers, and the sound quality is insane for a mini-amp I chose my particular one because I didn't want control knobs [under dash or in the glove box] You can also use these [via the 3.5mm aux input] as an amplifier for your existing OEM radio , but that doesn't fix the FM issue. I have also ****ed around using a phone jack on an existing OEM radio. You connect the phone jack between the "tuner" and "volume control" in the existing radio. As soon as you plug a 3.5mm aux input into it, it switches off the tuner and takes the signal from the aux input [phone or mp3 player] Here's one plugged into the phone jack This does NOT improved sound quality, it only gives you FM or Satellite Radio etc via your phone or whatever source. The chrome "bezel" in the above photo [with the white Aux input cable] is about 1/2" diameter . Here is the wiring schematic if you want to play around with the OEM radio [the 2 x 120 ohm resistors allow you to connect FM signal to a mono radio. Now if you are electrically challenged [we all are to some degree] you don't need to bother. You could simply buy this [it is only money] https://www.woodyscustomshop.com/the-cl***ic-audio-solution/ [between $169 and $349] Edit: one last thing! buy a motorcycle USB charger and hardwire it to your car and hide it somewhere [I added one inside the glovebox of our 57 Chevy] These are $10 and have their own on/off switch and only 2 wires [12v + and ground]
Appreciate that last post KERRYNZL. More great info. Also had chance to fully read through the build thread you referenced earlier, the two of you did impressive work. It's very likely I'll put to use with my audio the components and knowledge you've offered freely. ;-) A little research earlier eluded to your mentioning the importance of a robust power source for these little amps. Many are rated for use with a range of 6v-24v but most fail to mention wattage output is commensurate with v/a input. Saw a chart for a 100w/400w(max) 2-channel unit that spec'd 50a/chan@24v and 20a/chan@12v. I did see there are 4-channel units available but they do tend to be a little bit larger, almost the size of a small single DIN.
Impressive! Did you get to download any vintage radio shows [eg Wolfman Jack] to play while cruising?
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