Just blew my head unit, speaker impedance or wiring issues?

[thechoochyman]

Hey there, first post here. I finally decided to reach out to a group of audio-specific guys rather than my normal Volkswagen folks. I've been having weird problems with this system ever since I got the car.

In May 2015 I bought my 1997 Volkswagen Passat TDI. The audio sounded terrible, so thinking it was the head unit I swapped out the stock unit with a Sony CDX-GT550UI I already had. Sound was still terrible - turns out all the speakers were blown.

Next thing I did was replace just the front speakers with a pair of JBL GTO628s. On their website and on Amazon these were listed as 4 ohm speakers (stock value), but according to the spec sheet have a nominal impedance of 2 ohms. For what it's worth, the speakers ohm out at 3.1 when I check them with a voltmeter.

Immediately after installing these speakers the difference was incredible. The bass was great, and I was highly impressed. Over the following year it seemed like the radio was responding worse and worse. I had the bass cranked up all the way and it wasn't nearly as good as it was in the beginning. The buttons on the face eventually quit working and I had to replace it.

In June 2016 I bought and installed a Kenwood HD262U. Again, bass response was back to about where it was and all was great. Just yesterday I was driving home when I heard a loud pop out of the left speaker, and the radio gave me a "wiring short" error message. After cycling the power a couple of times and checking the door connection, it finally said "protect mode" and now it won't do anything. It will not let me reset it.

Earlier today I pulled the Kenwood out of my wife's car and it worked great in mine. So great, in fact, once more I noticed that the bass was back to where it should be. Obviously there isn't a short in my speakers. I double-checked them to make sure they weren't wired backwards, and I had it right to begin with.

I always faded my audio all the way to the front so it wasn't pushing power through the rear speakers. I have not upgraded the wiring at all, and I really do not want to install an amp. The sound would break up on relatively low volumes. Am I just using junky head units, is my speaker impedance too low, or is it being starved for power?

Click to read more...

 

[youdoofus]

Hey there, first post here. I finally decided to reach out to a group of audio-specific guys rather than my normal Volkswagen folks. I've been having weird problems with this system ever since I got the car.
In May 2015 I bought my 1997 Volkswagen Passat TDI. The audio sounded terrible, so thinking it was the head unit I swapped out the stock unit with a Sony CDX-GT550UI I already had. Sound was still terrible - turns out all the speakers were blown.

Next thing I did was replace just the front speakers with a pair of JBL GTO628s. On their website and on Amazon these were listed as 4 ohm speakers (stock value), but according to the spec sheet have a nominal impedance of 2 ohms. For what it's worth, the speakers ohm out at 3.1 when I check them with a voltmeter.

Immediately after installing these speakers the difference was incredible. The bass was great, and I was highly impressed. Over the following year it seemed like the radio was responding worse and worse. I had the bass cranked up all the way and it wasn't nearly as good as it was in the beginning. The buttons on the face eventually quit working and I had to replace it.

In June 2016 I bought and installed a Kenwood HD262U. Again, bass response was back to about where it was and all was great. Just yesterday I was driving home when I heard a loud pop out of the left speaker, and the radio gave me a "wiring short" error message. After cycling the power a couple of times and checking the door connection, it finally said "protect mode" and now it won't do anything. It will not let me reset it.

Earlier today I pulled the Kenwood out of my wife's car and it worked great in mine. So great, in fact, once more I noticed that the bass was back to where it should be. Obviously there isn't a short in my speakers. I double-checked them to make sure they weren't wired backwards, and I had it right to begin with.

I always faded my audio all the way to the front so it wasn't pushing power through the rear speakers. I have not upgraded the wiring at all, and I really do not want to install an amp. The sound would break up on relatively low volumes. Am I just using junky head units, is my speaker impedance too low, or is it being starved for power?

does it have the monsoon sound system as stock? what imp do the speakers read at rest? and yeah, you might have purchased a monday/friday unit (meaning that it was put together under the stress of a hangover (monday) or the rush to go start the makings of a hangover (friday) )

 

[thechoochyman]

Never heard of Monsoon before, but there is no external amplifier built in, if that's what you're wondering.

At rest, the JBLs pull about 3.1. The rears 4.1ish.

I did go ahead and order two pairs of these guys yesterday. Supposed to be here tomorrow. Everything I'm reading says they really are supposed to be 4-ohm speakers, not whatever those JBLs were doing. I also ordered another identical head unit, considering it was only $66 this time around and I can use my old harness. Another thing I'm planning on doing is running at least a 10ga wire to the harness straight off the battery (fused, of course). That's actually what I did in my wife's car when I bought it due to thinking it was shorted out somewhere. Maybe that's why it's lasted so long.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

simple solution. add an amp. done deal.

 

[youdoofus]

simple solution. add an amp. done deal.

Jeff has a point

 

[thechoochyman]

Since I'm rather vulnerable at the moment... can you guys make suggestions for a quality unit? Maybe even one I can add a sub to later. Like to keep it under $100 if possible.

 

[youdoofus]

Since I'm rather vulnerable at the moment... can you guys make suggestions for a quality unit? Maybe even one I can add a sub to later. Like to keep it under $100 if possible.

quality and under $100, thats gonna be tough man.

 

[thechoochyman]

quality and under $100, thats gonna be tough man.

Very well - a quality unit that meets my criteria at minimum expense. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[youdoofus]

[quote name='thechoochyman']Very well - a quality unit that meets my criteria at minimum expense. [/QUOTE]

this doesnt look like a terrible option

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-DEH-...al-Receivers/dp/B01KKHSYGE/ref=dp_ob_image_ce

fairly basic, but should get the job done. What do you think about this one @Jeffdachef ?

 

[thechoochyman]

[quote name='youdoofus']this doesnt look like a terrible option

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-DEH-...al-Receivers/dp/B01KKHSYGE/ref=dp_ob_image_ce

fairly basic, but should get the job done. What do you think about this one @Jeffdachef ?[/QUOTE]

I was referring to an external amp - I already ordered another head unit. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U90HMUC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[youdoofus]

that should do the trick for a pair of fronts

https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R150X2-2-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HY84/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500391331&sr=8-1&keywords=2+channel+car+amp

 

[thechoochyman]

...I did go ahead and order two pairs of these guys yesterday. Supposed to be here tomorrow. Everything I'm reading says they really are supposed to be 4-ohm speakers, not whatever those JBLs were doing.

that should do the trick for a pair of fronts
https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R150X2-2-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HY84/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500391331&sr=8-1&keywords=2+channel+car+amp

Looks like it would work, but fortunately I'm going back to all four speakers this time around. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[youdoofus]

Looks like it would work, but fortunately I'm going back to all four speakers this time around. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

oh yeah, my bad. This guy should work then. I was thinking of the part where you said that you fade to the front

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I was referring to an external amp - I already ordered another head unit. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U90HMUC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

thats a horribly crappy unit. Dont expect good sound out of it.

 

[thechoochyman]

thats a horribly crappy unit. Dont expect good sound out of it.

What makes you say that? Both my previous Kenwood units have sounded great. Have a better recommendation?