2005 Easiest Aftermarket Speaker upgrade?

[samuelodog]

Right-

Spoke to Halfords and spoke to an independent car audio company. I said I need:
Simple radio with aux in.
Dedicated sub output that I can choose function - sub or amp.
I need sub lead put in now for attaching sub later on.

Halfords said:
it would cost £15 to install a radio.
They said I didn't need to choose the function of the line output - between sub and amp - they said all I needed was a radio with 2 preouts.
They also said they could install a sub lead now but cost would depend on the car and how easy it is to get it done.

The other company said:
They could do all the above BUT:
They said the line to the sub would depend on what kind of underseat sub it is. They then went on to describe something about RCA and plugs on different subs? I didn't understand it. Anybody know what they mean?
They quoted me £230 all in - radio, install including sub lead. Seems a bit steep as the radio is only £60.

What do you think?


Thanks

[C3driver52]

Halfords said:
it would cost £15 to install a radio.

That is the radio sorted then

They said I didn't need to choose the function of the line output - between sub and amp - they said all I needed was a radio with 2 preouts.

OK, then pick a radio with 2 pre-outs and you can pick a sub or amp later.

Hey, you may even get a sub and an amp later

They also said they could install a sub lead now but cost would depend on the car and how easy it is to get it done.

Of course, the cost depends on how long it will take and what parts are required.


It looks like job done from here

[samuelodog]

Thanks

My only concern was the RCA stuff that the other company was saying.

What did that mean? Will it affect which sub I get or therefore which radio?

Ta

[Missing Lincs]

RCA is the type of connector. 99.9% of signal level audio connections use RCA connectors so if you fit an RCA to RCA lead (RCA plugs on both ends) you can't go far wrong.

[Missing Lincs]

I've circled the RCA sockets on this sub. There RCA sockets on the radio will be very similar so all you need is the lead to go in between.

Incidentally, the price you were quoted by the independent company sounds very high to me just for a radio install.

[Missing Lincs]

And a 3m RCA to RCA lead should cost you around £3

An example available on ebay

[samuelodog]

Thanks.

I have now seen a few videos of installing subs, doesn't seem too bad - seems the only hard bit is getting the power lead through to the battery?

[Missing Lincs]

Jobs like wire threading require a little patience and a bit of knowledge about removing trim panels etc to get to the required areas. It's not really difficult at all, experience helps but is not essential. The main thing with fitting a lead direct to the battery is that it is connected safely and has an appropriate fuse as close as possible to the battery.

[samuelodog]

To install a radio is it just a case of pulling the old one out, unclipping the connectors and reconnecting to the new radio? (with fascias etc if needed)?

Thanks

[Missing Lincs]

Almost. You'll need a wiring adaptor, these can be bought on ebay for a few pounds.

Do you have a trip computer or audio controls on a stalk near the steering wheel? If you do and you want to retain the use you'll need an adaptor for that too.

They're nothing major, just plug and play.

You may also need an aerial adaptor, 99p from ebay if you need one.

A new radio will come with a cage, this fits into the opening in the dash and holds the new radio in. Youtube also has plenty of radio fitting guides, I'd like to bet there's a Citroen C3 one. If not, there are plenty of photos on this forum of radio installs.

The C3 has a reasonable space behind the dash which makes fitting radios easy. There's also plenty of room for threading wires and the centre console between the seats is a breeze to remove, I've done some that are horrendous! All of this makes hiding wires for you future sub install easy. I'd just put the signal lead in from the radio, I wouldn't worry about power leads until you get to actually fitting a sub.