What will become of aftermarket car stereos?

Well, in the end if you're handy you can fashion a two-holed faceplate (try a junkyard for a part) and wire a system completely from scratch... if you really want a 2-hole vintage setup with amp & EQ. It's what I did with first 60's car that had only one dash speaker except that I mounted the cassette player and EQ/amp under dash. Under dash is different now that there is fascia everywhere but you can still do it. Get this for under dash, two hole stereo; there are other configs for other geometries...
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Yes, complete consoles are an impediment nowadays but I don't believe in whining about what can't or won't be done when there are solutions.

AGAIN, it's about tenacity and commitment if you really want it.
 
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Well, in the end if you're handy you can fashion a two-holed faceplate (try a junkyard for a part) and wire a system completely from scratch... if you really want a 2-hole vintage setup with amp & EQ. It's what I did with first 60's car that had only one dash speaker except that I mounted the cassette player and EQ/amp under dash. Under dash is different now that there is fascia everywhere but you can still do it. Get this for under dash, two hole stereo; there are other configs for other geometries...
$_58.JPG

DCP_0526.jpg


Yes, complete consoles are an impediment nowadays but I don't believe in whining about what can't or won't be done when there are solutions.

AGAIN, it's about tenacity and commitment if you really want it.
This is a joke, correct? The good ol’ underdash housing ain’t gonna fit in 95% of the vehicles on the road today ...
 
*sigh* Read the context, entire content, and intent of my post.

You are correct, and was addressed prior. There are other ways to accomplish this- it just takes some ingenuity, creativity and aptitude/attitude.

No joke.
 
I used to own "Safe & Sound Auto Electronics" in Watertown, MA.
I ran that business for about 15 years but around 1998 I closed it down because my average sale went from about $650 down to $225.
Instead of installing custom stereo systems with amps and speakers my typical sale was to replace a defective headunit.
So - no more elaborate stereo systems, aftermarket alarms were no longer required since the cars came with the alarm and keyless entry and the cell carriers were taking back that business.

I saw the proverbial writing on the wall and pulled the plug before the business took me down - the hardest and best decision I ever made.
 
My newest car is a 2002 which has a standard size modular stereo head unit that can still be upgraded with aftermarket gear. I've been driving 2014-2016 used cars and none of them have that kind of a stereo anymore. Some have sophisticated touchscreen-driven systems for audio, climate control and navigation all in one.

It doesn't seem possible to do the kind of custom car audio work that some of us grew up doing. I put a head unit plus EQ/amp into the dash of my first car (a '78 Corolla Liftback).

It's not that the factory systems are so bad, but what happens when it breaks? The days of DIY car stereo repairs seem to be gone.

Modern car music and navigation systems are fully computerized. Each has its own computer control interfacing with other components via network. If aftermarket vendors want to stay viable, they have to do R&D work and have all this computer interfaces implemented in their gear. The problem is that different car maker brands use partially proprietary software protocols. On the other side there is a limited number of audio electronics makers and most of them are not made by car manufacturers, but third parties. With proliferation of Android based systems, most work will go into software updates, rather than adding new hardware. Honestly most car makes sucks in software and user interface design and here is a place for aftermarket to offer software upgrades.
 
Craig.jpg Also had one of these puppies later after the Muntz and it would bring 'em too!
My thinking is no need to interface with any of modern day automotive module BS.
One wire to a power block accessory, one wire to ground and what's left to your speaks.:thumbsup:
I have a factory Infinity stereo in my car now and it is good but it's factory. I would hate to think about making an attempt to interface some 1,000watt aftermarket wifi, bluetooth BS, usb, LED screen, fire-wire, etc beast player in it cause I just know that if I did something would go haywire at some point and at best, I'd be stuck in 'limp mode' somewhere on an interstate in the middle of nowhere cause it fried some ABS, PCM, BCM or TCM!:eek:
 
Also the alarm system is built in there also.

Right, but they are decentralized enough to allow third party integration. As I said before OEM entertainment systems are usually not made by car makers, but bought from third party vendors. Like in my Subaru, radio brand is Fujitsu Ten, but most of it (including phone integration) is made by Parrot based in France. And all this is OEM from the factory.
 
Interesting thread, thanks gang!

My biggest question is, are there a pre-outs somewhere in case I want to run another amp in the trunk for the rears or something. After reading the posts about DSP and all that, I gotta wonder if that's even worth trying to do. I'll have to ask the dealer about that.

Here's the dash on the Civic EX I'm looking at. Those two knobs under the big screen are HVAC controls. All the audio is run off that screen.

At least it has a CD player still. I'd miss my cassettes though - I have aftermarket CD/cassette in my current car.

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On my first car, the radio broke, I got a new old unit but it wouldn't fit, I unplugged all the wires and hooked them up to the new old unit, which I put in the glove compartment. Also, the contacts for the horn in the steering wheel broke, so I unhooked the wire and attached the to a push button switch that I taped to the shift lever, it was a few weeks before I fixed it so I just stuck my head out the window and yelled when I needed to use horn, I think my words were" Get the F**k outta my way!"Also, my wiper motor broke, so I attached a length of string to each wiper and fed them through the window on each side, I couldn't go anywhere while it was raining without another pesron in the car because they had to man the right had string. Also, I had to plan my trips so I was always in range of a gas station because the gas gauge was broke so I didn't know how much gas I had(ran dry a few times), Also, there were a few weeks when I couldn't go anywhere without my bud because the throttle cable broke, and I had to have him lie on the floor under the dash with a pair of pliers to pull on the end of the cable where it went through the fire wall, I would tell him to go and he would pull the cable, talk about teamwork. Oh yeah, and the tailpipe rusted out and the muffler fell off, sounded like a banshee from hell, sorta pissed of the neighbor a few times because I worked at nigh and there were always people parking in my apartments driveway, so I would park in my neighbors driveway while I tried to find a place to park, I didn't turn the car off because, you know, that pesky solenoid, anyway my didn't like my car burbling away in his driveway at 1 in the morning. I miss that car
 
Factory radios and speakers are light years better than they were 20-30 years ago, so there's less need to upgrade to get good sound.

There does seem to be an aftermarket, Crutchfield appears to be alive and well, and there are at least a couple of high end car audio shops in my town (compared to zero home audio stores, not including Best Buy). A lot of aftermarket stuff appears to be plug and play with existing car mounting and wiring.

bs
 
Order your next car with NO radio.

Most online car-fi retailers have a good selection of radio kits with trim to install what ever you want.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-1kJLACoWjvA/g_112200/Dash-Kits.html

Baring that, there is always the custom shop who can do anything.

My last 2 installs were complete customs with parts made in-house.

Morel separates, electronic xovers, multiple amps. Doors, floors, roof lined with dynamat/dynaliner to make the interior sound dead.

I guess it all boils down to how serious you are about your car-fi and tunes

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Order your next car with NO radio.

Most online car-fi retailers have a good selection of radio kits with trim to install what ever you want.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-1kJLACoWjvA/g_112200/Dash-Kits.html

Baring that, there is always the custom shop who can do anything.

My last 2 installs were complete customs with parts made inhouse.
There seems to be a bit of confusion here. Modern vehicles do not have radios - they have infotainment systems. In many cases, these systems perform multiple functions - Bluetooth and streaming integration with cell phones, climate controls, back-up camera, navigation, etc. The screen you see in the dash is often just the user interface.

As long as there are analog signals present at the loudspeakers, it will always be possible to upgrade such systems - but this is a complex task requiring extensive knowledge and specialized processors. Sure, I guess there are still a few stripped base model vehicles out there that have none of this but I couldn't name even one of them ...
 
And people wonder why I still drive my old junkers. <G>

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That's got a double din head stock, so simple enough swap to add a new touchscreen, with backup camera and GPS as a bonus. Support for all formats (including HD Radio), as well as complete AudioBahn speakers w/sub that basically plug 'n pray as well.
 
Kinda looks like a Taurus but not...what is that?

As for me, I'm not ordering a car anyway - can't afford new (or at least, I choose not to), so looking at 3-5 year old used with low miles.

And damacman hit it on the head - there is a lot of stuff connected to that screen, so I don't think you can get one without it even if you wanted to. Even the Civic LX, the cheapest version, has that screen. The EX has an extra smaller upper screen too that shows real time data, but even the cheap model has the big one and it's all integrated into the car.
 
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