Interior upgrade - New HU

[DrewQ45]

So I’m nearing the end of my interior lighting upgrade....well, I can’t really call it that anymore as it branched off into me selling off my double-din Pioneer and installing a new single-din Clarion…zerothread/248066

It’d be silly to say I changed out my radio for a lighting effect but it was part of the reason. The Pioneer just looked odd... a green beacon in a sea of red. More importantly, I now have a HU that can play digital music files from MP3 player, CD/DVD discs as well as a USB thumb drives...something I’ve craved for years.

I performed a pretty intensive internet search and came up with the Clarion DXZ775USB. It had all the features I wanted including customizable color display along with 6-volt pre-amp outputs (very important if you are anything near being an audiophile). Built in blue-tooth would have been nice but it does have the add-on capability. I don’t really care about video and nav so this worked perfect for me.

The HU has three preamp outputs and some very advanced sound processing but I gave up some of the HU’s sound-staging ability by installing an old Clarion EQ that I had still like new in the box. I’d debated using it due to the fact that it has a single input but you wouldn’t believe the difference in sound that a dedicated sound processor can make compared to even an advanced HU that is ten years the younger. To clear up any confusion, this means that I’m only using one output from the HU... the fronts. (I taped up the rear and sub output RCA wires) BTW, I couldn’t find a new Clarion EQ with slide controls anywhere. Now they have ugly/clumsy knobs instead of sliders. What’s up with the reverse engineering??? Anyway, it all sounds great… I mean really great!!! With the sub turned all the way down, the bass is still strong and the highs are so crystal clear, I have to keep those turned down too. I took a few cell phone shots below. I now need to fabricate a custom trim ring. I’m thinking of using some dash leather cut from an old Q to cover the trim… should be a nice backdrop.





No night pics yet but it all looks amazing when lit up. Passion red is one of the selectable colors for the HU illum so it fits with all the redded out dash and console. People drop compliments when night falls and I flick on the lights.
Modified by DrewQ45 at 12:20 PM 5/11/2007

[Jesda]

NICE! I love real EQs. Whats the maximum capacity of the USB reader? Would be cool to hook up my 2.5" 40GB IDE drive.

[DrewQ45]

NICE! I love real EQs. Whats the maximum capacity of the USB reader? Would be cool to hook up my 2.5" 40GB IDE drive.

According to crutchfield...

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-9...5#Tab

"The USB input allows you to access up to 65,000 songs from a single USB device supporting data transfer rates of 12 Mbps and gives you the capability to view ID3 tag information. The USB input will support MP3, WMA and AAC files."

[heywier427]

that looks nice! do you plan on using grey or black material?

is it possible to sink them in a bit more to give them a flusher look?

did you make your own brackets to hold up the back of the units?

was it fun?

nice job. color contrast is an important thing. i hate seeing a huge multi colored HU and green/red/orange gauges!

[DrewQ45]

that looks nice! do you plan on using grey or black material?

is it possible to sink them in a bit more to give them a flusher look?

did you make your own brackets to hold up the back of the units?

was it fun?

nice job. color contrast is an important thing. i hate seeing a huge multi colored HU and green/red/orange gauges!

Don't know what I'll be using yet. If I upholster it, it'll be with gray dash leather.

I'm using the stock radio brackets. I'd have to drill new holes in them in order to slide them back. It's something I considered, but my patience on the day of install was not what it should have been. Most of the work was already done since I was removing an aftermarket stereo but I've grown lazy in my old age. I didn't even bother to solder all the wires together as done in the past. Twist, tape, done.

[DrewQ45]

Some early morning shots…

[Jesda]

Looks great! Very Audi-like.

[Rex]

I applaud the work you've done, but have to say the interior now looks/lights up like a late 80's early 90's Mazda??

Did you happen across any Double DIN USB HU's?

[DrewQ45]

I applaud the work you've done, but have to say the interior now looks/lights up like a late 80's early 90's Mazda??

Did you happen across any Double DIN USB HU's?

LOL Rex,

I secretly crave the Protege look so I have finally reached my goal. Then you have the nerve to ask me for HU advice.

I'll backtrack, I think I saw one or two but they weren't cheap.

http://www.clarion.com/us/en/p....html

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/...0.asp

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/26102....html