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[Dave DND]

No, you are not alone.

But lets face it, if the standard sound in any car was any good, I for one would be out of a job !!

 

[TheBoy]

I'm I the only one that thinks the stereo in the facelift CDX sounds like crap? I mean my old Elite sounds 10x better, I changed the head unit but it still sounds rubbish, I have some new Pioneer speakers waiting to go in, I just hope they help

I think the term for the standard, non Elite, system is adequate.  The Elite's Bose system adds depth and clarity, whilst retaining the factory fit look.

I have always struggled to find an aftermarket stereo that doesn't look out of place in the Omega.  99% of them look chavvy, remaining ones look out of place.

Sound wise, any decent HU should be superior quality, but these cost decent money.

[Dave DND]

I'm I the only one that thinks the stereo in the facelift CDX sounds like crap? I mean my old Elite sounds 10x better, I changed the head unit but it still sounds rubbish, I have some new Pioneer speakers waiting to go in, I just hope they help

I think the term for the standard, non Elite, system is adequate.  The Elite's Bose system adds depth and clarity, whilst retaining the factory fit look.

I have always struggled to find an aftermarket stereo that doesn't look out of place in the Omega.  99% of them look chavvy, remaining ones look out of place.

Sound wise, any decent HU should be superior quality, but these cost decent money.

TB - you are so right ! However, many aftermarket speakers will sound much better than the paper cone standard ones, and can often sit behind the original grilles, so that you can retain the OEM look.

However, 99.9% of the mainstream head units that are advetised for not a lot, look absolutely ghastly (gay blue LED`s optional), but with peoples refusal to spend more than 50p on an anything other than an aftermarket MP3 player from China or Fleabay, I can only say that you get ultimately get what you pay for.

However, those of you with longer arms and shorter pockets that accept that quality and looks come at a price, often find the likes of Becker, High End Blaupunkt and entry level double Din Clarions amongst the top of the lists to be fitted.

As an example, the Clarion double Din DUZ388RMP is amazing, packed with features including direct ipod control, 728 display colour options so that it can match the night illumination EXACTLY and has a very conservative display, so that it does not look at all Chavvy. Cost is around the £175 mark, and is one of our best sellers.

 

[TheBoy]

I'm I the only one that thinks the stereo in the facelift CDX sounds like crap? I mean my old Elite sounds 10x better, I changed the head unit but it still sounds rubbish, I have some new Pioneer speakers waiting to go in, I just hope they help

I think the term for the standard, non Elite, system is adequate.  The Elite's Bose system adds depth and clarity, whilst retaining the factory fit look.

I have always struggled to find an aftermarket stereo that doesn't look out of place in the Omega.  99% of them look chavvy, remaining ones look out of place.

Sound wise, any decent HU should be superior quality, but these cost decent money.

TB - you are so right ! However, many aftermarket speakers will sound much better than the paper cone standard ones, and can often sit behind the original grilles, so that you can retain the OEM look.

However, 99.9% of the mainstream head units that are advetised for not a lot, look absolutely ghastly (gay blue LED`s optional), but with peoples refusal to spend more than 50p on an anything other than an aftermarket MP3 player from China or Fleabay, I can only say that you get ultimately get what you pay for.

However, those of you with longer arms and shorter pockets that accept that quality and looks come at a price, often find the likes of Becker, High End Blaupunkt and entry level double Din Clarions amongst the top of the lists to be fitted.

As an example, the Clarion double Din DUZ388RMP is amazing, packed with features including direct ipod control, 728 display colour options so that it can match the night illumination EXACTLY and has a very conservative display, so that it does not look at all Chavvy. Cost is around the £175 mark, and is one of our best sellers.

 

Even the decent HU, even if not chavvy displays, never quite look right in Omega imho, as doesn't match the dash.  Thats my own opinion, hence why I personally want to stick to factory fit, and the best factory fit option I can find is the Bose setup.

Others may think a new HU does match and look OK, in which case there are a vast array of options and features available, and as soon as you start getting decent stuff, good audio quality.

One thing I would say, esp prefacelift, is stereo is mounted low, so I'd get adapters to use the MID display.

[TheBoy]

Well I would rather it looks like crap than sound like crap
I don't think it looks too bad?

Thats not for me...

I'm guessing that one of those gay ones with a dvd player?  Why-oh-why do people need a dvd player in the car?

[Dave DND]

I fully understand the need to retain the looks of the original head unit, but a small amp can be discreetely hidden, along with a custom set of speakers - and if you use a high level convertor for the head unit output, you can actually end up with a very good sound.

There is absolutely no reason to retain the original speakers though, and going for the BOSE option is just plain mad, especially when you consider what is currently available nowadays for similar moeny and far less hassle.

[Marks DTM Calib]

The head unit in the CDX only has a 4 disc CD changer, and no mp3 support, it had to go

Not going for quality then!

MP3 = Poor

[Dave DND]

The head unit in the CDX only has a 4 disc CD changer, and no mp3 support, it had to go

Not going for quality then!

MP3 = Poor

           

I wasn`t brave enough to open up that tin of worms . . . .

           

[Marks DTM Calib]

It truely is one of the wost compression algorithms I have seen....its a pity Sony wouldn't allow wider use of the minidisc ATRAC setup!

I have to say though, adding the Bose setup to an Omega is pretty plug and play and they can be got for 50-100 quid for everything!

[Marks DTM Calib]

I should also add that there is no such thing as MP3....its actualy MPEG1 - Audio Layer 3....but thats a bit of a mouth full!

[TheBoy]

I fully understand the need to retain the looks of the original head unit, but a small amp can be discreetely hidden, along with a custom set of speakers - and if you use a high level convertor for the head unit output, you can actually end up with a very good sound.

There is absolutely no reason to retain the original speakers though, and going for the BOSE option is just plain mad, especially when you consider what is currently available nowadays for similar moeny and far less hassle.

Bose is expensive new, but with Omegas beeing worthless, and so many being scraped, my Bose setup cost be around £70 delivered iirc (other car had it in anyway).  Dead easy to fit, no messing around, made sense for me.

[TheBoy]

It truely is one of the wost compression algorithms I have seen....its a pity Sony wouldn't allow wider use of the minidisc ATRAC setup!

I have to say though, adding the Bose setup to an Omega is pretty plug and play and they can be got for 50-100 quid for everything!

It had a use in the mid 90s - high compression, and not much processing power needed for on-the-fly decoding...


...but that was nearly 15yrs ago...

[Dave DND]

It truely is one of the wost compression algorithms I have seen....its a pity Sony wouldn't allow wider use of the minidisc ATRAC setup!

I have to say though, adding the Bose setup to an Omega is pretty plug and play and they can be got for 50-100 quid for everything!

MDTM - have you ever played around with the Predictive Noise Cancellation that Sony messed about with on the 3rd generation of MDLP ??  If not, worth having a look, as I have never seen anything so truly awful - it was withoubt a doubt the lowest point that compressed music could ever have reached.

Yes, I appreciate that the car is not an ideal accoustic environment, and that MP3 will suffice in most cases, background noise, keep the kids and rattles at bay, but to say that BOSE is a relatively cheap option nowadays is not something I can go along with - lets face it, so are remoulded tyres, and like BOSE, you would have to be out of your mind to even consider such a cheap and nasty option, when for not a lot more, so much more can be had.

Cheapie Pioneer or Infinity speakers are readily available for as low as £50 for the whole car, and whilst I personally think its a mistake to spend so little on sound quality given the physical effort needed to change the speakers, its a notable improvement over the existing, and none of the rewiring / reprogramming that is needed from BOSE.

The more you spend, the better it will sound - and for the record, Vauxhall spent less than 36p on the existing paper cone speakers, and that was a lot of years ago - today, it may even equate with inflation to nearly four whole grains of rice.

 

[TheBoy]

and none of the rewiring / reprogramming that is needed from BOSE.

Thats the advantage of the Bose - dead easy, and a worthwhile sound enhancement. And cheap.  And best of all, can keep a factory look to the HU.  For those that way inclined, you can have Satnav on the display in instrument panel, which is far better than having to look down at stereo, and far superior to portable devices.  And all controlled without lifting a finger from wheel.

[Dave DND]

and none of the rewiring / reprogramming that is needed from BOSE.

Thats the advantage of the Bose - dead easy, and a worthwhile sound enhancement. And cheap.  And best of all, can keep a factory look to the HU.  For those that way inclined, you can have Satnav on the display in instrument panel, which is far better than having to look down at stereo, and far superior to portable devices.  And all controlled without lifting a finger from wheel.

I was under the impression that BOSE needed a seperate wiring loom, different speakers (you are going to have to change them anyway) and that Joe Public then had the inconvenience of having to get someone to activate the BOSE with a Tech2 - all extra costs ?

Keep the head unit, Satnav on the instrument panel and fingertip controls, but buy a decent small 4 channel amp with high level inputs (£100ish), new speakers all round (£100ish), and you could have absolutely stunning sounds, 100% original looks and still have enough change from a a couple of hundred quid for a bag of chips.