I'm eagerly planning my Empeg car installation which will include all new components (CD/radio head unit, speakers, amp). However, I'm not sure whether it would be best to connect the CD/radio to the Empeg or the other way around. Does anyone have any practical experience or suggestions regarding these alternatives?

Well, my suggestion would be to ditch the CD/radio unit completely, you won't miss it.

But if you're dead-set on having both a CD player and the Empeg at the same time, here are the considerations:

If you go CD->Empeg->Amps:

Advantages:
You can use the Empeg's incredible 20-band fully parametric equalizer (with separate front/rear options) on the CD player, too. You can use the Empeg's remote control to adjust the volume, EQ, and other audio settings.

Disadvantages:
The Empeg must be plugged into the dash in order for the CD to make any sound. If the CD player has built-in speaker amplification, you can't use it- an external amp system is required. If the CD player has a special separate output just for a subwoofer, you can't use that, either (although such a thing is pretty easy to set up yourself if you need it).


If you go Empeg->CD->Amps:

Advantages:
Can listen to the CD player if the Empeg gets left at home. If desired, you can use the built-in amplification that comes in the CD player (if any).

Disadvantages:
Can't EQ the CD player without buying a separate equalizer.


Does anyone have any other information to add to this?

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Tony Fabris

Everything Tony said goes. It comes down to your preferences. One thing he forgot, if you send the empeg through the CD player you can also listen to your AM/FM radio in it without the empeg. Now that the Mark2 doesn't come standard with a tuner, that is an advantage. I personally put the empeg into the aux inputs of my CD player, because I didn't have an amp for a while, but now I do and will have to weight the advantages and disadvantages for when I get my new one.

-Waiting to replace the hole in my truck with a Mark2

One thing he forgot, if you send the empeg through the CD player you can also listen to your AM/FM radio in it without the empeg. Now that the Mark2 doesn't come standard with a tuner, that is an advantage.

Funny, I thought I said that already. I guess I just didn't get specific enough about the CD player also containing a radio. Just to be painfully clear for Oscar, what we're both trying to say is this:

- If you go CD->Empeg->Amps, then you must have the Empeg inserted in order to listen to anything--- whether it's CDs, the radio on the CD player, MP3's, the radio module on the Empeg (if you get one), whatever. The entire system will make no sound unless the Empeg is inserted, turned on, and the correct source is selected.

- If you go Empeg->CD->Amps, then you can at least listen to the CD player and its built-in radio whether the Empeg is inserted or not. (But you don't get the neat EQ for your whole system.) Oh, and if your CD player has a removable face, you'd need to have that plugged in and turned on in order to hear anything from the system (Empeg, CD, radio, whatever). So really, if you think about it, it kinda cuts both ways, doesn't it?

Oh, and I've thought of a couple of other important things since my original posting:

If you want to go Empeg->CD->Amps, then your CD player must have a set of selectable line-level auxilliary input jacks. This isn't necessarily something that all CD players have (although many do). Also, if you ever wanted to add a CD changer to the CD player, it might want to use those aux-in jacks, so consider that possibility.

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Tony Fabris

Thanks for your comments. Although I rarely play CD's (I currently have a MiniDisc player in my car), I know that it can be handy to have one in the dash for the occasional disc borrowed from a friend. Also, I do listen to the radio fairly frequently, so that's a major consideration for me.

In case anyone's curious, the CD/radio unit I've selected is Sony's CDX-M600. It has a fully graphical display face which should complement the Empeg nicely.

Oscar

Looks like a reasonably nice head unit. It has a separate subwoofer output, as well as four standard (read: weak) channels of built-in amplification. Assuming you have two full DIN slots in your dashboard (important), then you should do fine. If you don't want to go to the trouble to buy and install an external amplifier, then you could route the Empeg into this thing's aux inputs, send its speaker wires to your factory speaker harness (Crutchfield supplies the adapter, of course), and be done with it. Simple, quick, painless installation.

But I have to say that the $350.00 you'd shell out for that CD unit would be better spent towards better amps and speakers, perhaps even a sealed-box subwoofer. I'm serious about this: If you install only the Empeg, you won't miss the lack of a CD player. I'd much rather have an Empeg playing through a fantastic-sounding system than an Empeg and a CD-player playing through a so-so sounding system.

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Tony Fabris

Except, looking closer, it doesn't appear to have an Aux input (there's a blank space instead of the word "Yes" in that field at the Crutchfield page... Hmm...

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Tony Fabris

Yes, I'm worried about the lack of a true aux input also. I'll have to check with someone who's installed one before. Has anyone tried using the CD/MD changer inputs as a generic aux input?

As for skipping on the CD/radio unit altogether: although I doubt I'll use the CD player often, I know I'll use the tuner quite a bit, and I think the convenience of having a stereo even when the Empeg is out of the car (for whatever reason: uploads, upgrades, repairs, loaned-out) makes the $300 expense worthwhile. Keep in mind that there are many places on the net that sell these units for substantially less than Crutchfield.

Thanks again,
Oscar

Has anyone tried using the CD/MD changer inputs as a generic aux input?

Yes, I have, but not with this head unit. My head unit (Eclipse) has changer controls, and it wasn't hard for the installer to tap into the sound outputs from the changer (I don't know if they're 1v or 4v - it doesn't really matter) with a Sony audio switch. The head unit thinks it's playing from the changer, and the changer is playing a disc, but sound's coming from the Empeg.
There are plenty of discussions on this in the Installations forum.
HTH.
Jason

_~= Dearing =~_
"WAY too happy about having #99."

Yeah, but don't you actually need a real changer hooked up for this to work? Your post seems to indicate that.

I think Oscar wants to use this player's changer inputs without having a changer connected. Maybe that would work fine for this player, but I don't know. I'll tell you who would know, though: Crutchfield. Oscar, you should call them and ask them.

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Tony Fabris

I'd much rather have an Empeg playing through a fantastic-sounding system than an Empeg and a CD-player playing through a so-so sounding system.

Oscar -- listen to Tony on this one! You don't have to have an expensive, elaborate system to have excellent sound qualitty -- but there are certain minimum requirements. A good amplifier is one -- and good doesn't have to mean powerful, but it does have to mean high quality with lack of distortion and frequency response good enough to be equal to your head unit and your speakers. Also, if there is any way you can do it, install at least a single 10" subwoofer. Don't think that subwoofers are only to make your car go "Thump Thump Thump" so people two blocks away can hear it. You will pick up much richness of sound from the additional low-frequency response, and your overall enjoyment of the system will be enhanced.

The empeg does have a tuner option - I don't remember if the external tuner is both AM/FM or just FM, someone refresh my memory - so the only thing you would lack is the ability to play a CD without first converting it to MP3. For that occasional need, could you maybe keep a portable CD player in your glove box or under your seat, and play it into the empeg's auxiliary input?

From my own personal experience, sound quality (of which I have some knowledge ;-) is much more important than what equipment you use or how you hook it up. IMHO, the ultimate goal of any stereo installation is to get the maximum sound quality from whatever budget you have set.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Thanks again for everyone's input on this. I may skip on the CD/radio unit if I can get a better idea when the FM tuner will be available from Empeg and what features it will support.

Oscar

Hey Tony and others - good point for me to link to this tread - maybe anyone could give me ideas for my problem.

You're speaking of subwoofers.

As I've prepared my new car for the Mk2 I watched out for what speakers to use. First I took a look at the build-in speakers of my car (New Peugeot 406 limousine). They are terrible quality!! Only plastic-chassis, no two way etc...
The only speakers which sound quite nice are the tweeters in the front of the dash.
So I decided to buy new speakers and I took Magnat with separate tweeters for the back and Macrom with integrated tweeters for the frontdoors and left the original tweeters in the dash.

The sound got a bit better - as good as it can get with a standard tapedeck. :-(

The next thing I did was linking an amp to the system to be able to drive my sub (it's a 30cm (=12" ?) in a tube with bassreflex tube, build it by myself). The amp is really fine and was quite low cost for this quality (about $250).

But now here's my problem:
I had this subwoofer in my old car already. It was no limousine but a hatchback. So there was no problem for the sound of the sub to get through to the passenger's space.
But now in the limousine the sub is not as loud as it was before 'cause the car is much better isolated against noise.
The sub works already very loud and you can feel the vibration of the car but only a small part of the sound comes through.

At this time the sub is lying in the back with the speaker and the bassreflex-opening pointing to the side.
I already thought about decreasing the size of the sub (by cutting a part of it) so that I could make it pointing in the air - directly to the deposit in the back of the passenger's space. But I'm not sure if the sound gets better then.

What else could I do to have a better bass in a limousine (without changing the car too much (to void warranty loss))

Please excuse my bad english. I hope you understood what I mean.
Thanks for any ideas :-)

TeeMcBee

a nother thing to consiter is do you want to use the TA featur on the radio.
if so you must use mpeg -> CD/Radio-amp

Mark
wait for mk III with a USB Host/slave
(USB->Ethernet)(USB->COM 1-8)(USB->You name it)

the first tuner is only FM
and down the road there will come a FM/AM and a DAB unit

Mark
wait for mk III with a USB Host/slave
(USB->Ethernet)(USB->COM 1-8)(USB->You name it)

Sounds like you need to work out some sort of custom enclosure so that the subwoofer can be mounted in the cabin with you instead of in the back. This may not be easy.

When I moved my subwoofer from my hatchback to the trunk of my Honda sedan, I had a similar problem. Although in my case, I had a very loud subwoofer and a very powerful amp, so I just needed to turn the amp up until it was at an acceptable level.

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Tony Fabris

The FM tuner will be available right away for the Empeg (it's a separate add-on module). It's AM that you won't get if you go that route.

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Tony Fabris