The banner above is an advertisment - if it asks you to download software, please ignore.
Site News - 3/26 M Car Covers (by State of Nine) | 12/12 Make Amazon Pay Saabnet!
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 17:43:08 +0100
From: "Jil!!i" <gilberto_gerininopsamoot.com>
Subject: Re: Saab 9-3 2003, audio upgrade???


"Michael Watson" <watson16720nopsam.com> wrote in message news:Gcepb.261593$pl3.213763nopsamw3no... > I have the same problem...I cn't beleive the money we spend on this car and > the stereo system is pretty bad. I have the same set-up n my linear. I > also have the 6 disk in dash cd player. I have been tring to find info on > how to upgrade the head unit (player) and the speakers. lease let me know > if you find any other info. Sorry I have nothing of value to add to your > post! > > > Mike. > Well ... nobody knows, not even the specialists at Saab (Italy). Never mind. Here my last findings. 1) No way to manipulate either the radio or the existing amplifier. 2) Fiber Optics and a proprietary LAN are preventing any non-Saab amplifier/CD exchanger to be integrated. 3) Unfortunately the Amplifier which drives the 16cm cones in the front doors requires those to be 2 ohms (otherwise it is not powerful enough). The existing ones are not completely crap, but ther are much better available in the market. Unfortunately 2 ohm reduces the choice. 4) Since the radio doesn't go out with RCA (low voltage) signals, the only way to get the input for a second amplifier is to use the high-voltage one (the one which goes to the loudspeakers). Either using the Amplifier high-input or using any 30$ tool which convert high-voltage into RCA (Pioneer has one). 5) In the trunk there is it a couple of cables available for the second (Saab) Amplifier (positive and negative), but they are too thin (at least for me) therefore I decided to connet my positive directly to the battery. I'm studying now where to pass the firewall. 6) The front (left and right) speakers had (at least in my case) the polarity reversed. This was producing a strange sound, not completely bad but not a stereo sound definitely. Fixed restablishing the correct polarity. And the stereo sound appeared. 7) I added, just as a preliminary test, 2 high quality tweeters to the front speakers. I connected them (4 ohm)in parallel. This STRONGLY improved the sound. Both because of the tweeters themselves and also because this diminuisched the overall resistence of the speakers, making them better enjoy the not really strong power signal coming from the radio. 8) Having done that, I disconnected the totally useless (at the moment) back speakers. My intention is to add 2x 6"x9" (woofer only) which perfectly fit into the existing holes, and a sophisticated sub-woofer in the trunk (not an incredibly powerful one, because in any case the front is not powerful enough to make today's kids happy with it). Any idea is welcome, this is becoming a longer exercize than I was expecting. Moreover it is an expensive one too: not because of what I have to buy now, but because of all the stuff that I bought for my previous cars that do not fit any longer into this one. Cheers, Ji!!i

Return to Main Index
StateOfNine.com
SaabClub.com
Jak Stoll Performance
M Car Covers
Ad Available

The content on this site may not be republished without permission. Copyright © 1988-2024 - The Saab Network - saabnet.com.
For usage guidelines, see the Mission & Privacy Notice.
[Contact | Site Map | Saabnet.com on Facebook | Saabnet.com on Twitter | Shop Amazon via TSN | Site Donations]