help me design modest system, im newbie

[LaserRed38 10+ year member]

Hey buddy. A nice technique, if you are in to doing stuff yourself, is to install an aftermarket head unit, then separate the factory radio's faceplate and make it into a cover that goes over the new aftermarket head unit. Car Audio mag did a step-by-step how to on a demo car. You could try having a local shop do it for you too. That way you can get all the performance of an aftermarket unit, but keep ths stealthy looks when you park the car. The head unit is the most important component in your system. Your speakers will only sound as good as the signal they are getting, and factory radios aren't the best. There are some decent head units that still offer cassette players as well. If not new, you could pick up a used one. I know up until about a year ago, Alpine still made a cassette player that you could hook up a 6-CD changer too. Just something else to think about.

 

[chuckster 10+ year member]

Thanks joshualittle... laserred- i will look into that as well, i know the factory unit wont be as nice as aftermarket, but i am really after keeping it stock looking..

 

[LaserRed38 10+ year member]

Like I said, using the factory faceplate as a cover will allow it to look completely stock while parked. Some of the Alpine and Eclipse units have adjustable lighting to match BMW's red/amber lighting, and a black HU will match the interior perfectly. I prefer stock looking radios too. Nakamichi also makes amber backlit HUs, and would fit the bill for your quest for SQ. I stress the origin of the signal is the most important for having good sound. Those piggyback processors can only do so much.