Cheap Crummy Stereos and speakers!

I'm with you on this, my next upgrade are the speakers inside and out.

judelaurenzo25g wrote:
I'm with you on this, my next upgrade are the speakers inside and out.

Good! I'm not alone!

I'm on my 2nd 'Touch Audio' in a little over two years and this one is in-op. I really would like to find one that would fit the designed opening and had decent sound.

Yes it is time to upgrade those speakers. Most manufactures do not spend a lot on the radio in RV's as it is not a big selling point. Something more flashy, such as flat screen TV will sell more RV's.

Fred.

Any auto audio store should be able to upgrade your stereo and install it if you are not handy. http://www.crutchfield.com

Having a bad weekend are we? no counter space and a bad stereo?! LOL

Ya, I know what you are saying. I replaced my factory stereo with a JVC car stereo. sounds much better than the factory one, but the speakers are still cruddy!

Just the opposite !
Our "low end" travel trailer came with a Jensen system.
Everywhere we look we have these hideous black half bulb type things clogging up the ceilings
The big selling feature according to the salesman was the speaker system, which we could have cared less about.
It had a humongous sub woofer taking up valuable storage space under one of the dinette seats, so one of the first things I did was take it out and give it away. (I built a large drawer where it was, and now all the pots and pans get stored in it, and there is still more storage space behind the drawer)
It had a separate big switch ( I guess for the woofer) taking up valuable space on the surface of a blank cabinet above the one that had the Radio/CD/DVD, so this year I threw that away and replaced the blank with a cabinet door (matching the others) and a shelf which made another nice storage spot that we didn't have before.

I also replaced one of the bulb type speakers with a flat home made one. It was right in the way of where I installed another cabinet and would have prevented opening the door.
I like my flat home made speaker better than the other ugly monsters.

Different strokes for different folks !

Jack L

Shadow Catcher wrote:
Any auto audio store should be able to upgrade your stereo and install it if you are not handy. http://www.crutchfield.com

Crutchfield is great. Their customer service can be matched by no one.

Click here to see their top-rated marine speakers.

Bruce

I'm feelin' for 'ya Bob, the RV stuff is some of the worst of the poor. I know you're selling the rig you're in so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to upgrade what you have. Maybe you can grab a boombox on your next trip home.

Some upgrade tips: The speakers is the final thing we hear and you could have many $$$ into the electronics but if the speakers are crap, that's what you'll still have. I build and repair speakers so I know where to source individual drivers. Most of the stuff sold at Crutchfield or Best Buy is still crap. Hifi suppliers is where you should be looking. Most mobile sound systems are set up for 4 ohm impedance speakers. If you buy 8 ohm drivers, they will work but you'll be giving up loudness to the resistance of the driver.

Without good electronics to deliver the level or quality of the signal to the speaker, you can spend $$$ on speakers and it will still be crap. The rv stuff like Criterion or Jensen is terrible. If you wish to replace your 12V electronics, there are many choices for head unit replacements that are better than original. Shop for name brands like Pioneer, Sony, Alpine, JVC, etc. Here is where you can buy from a reseller like Crutchfield or Best Buy and get some quality. Aim for higher end in the major brands.

The next step up in mobile sound is to install an amplifier to really move some watts at the issue. Most folks won't go there so I'll spare the info on that.

A different route and the one I took is to use a 120V system. I had all the necessary things on hand and would be powering my TV at the same time, in most cases, so it was a no-brainer. I use a NAD stereo receiver, a Yamaha disc player, and have two pairs of speakers to spread the sound presentation around. In most cases, a single pair of small bookshelf type speakers is more than adequate. If you're looking for great quality, steer clear of wireless speakers. The technology is too immature to find a great pair of wireless speakers. Most folks don't need great and simply good may be enough. In that case, audition some wireless speakers and make a decision.

Hope this helps.

I too was very disappointed in the surround sound speakers in my fifth wheel...but also didn't want to go over the top. My easiest solution was a soundbar...and made a huge difference. Not like home, but pretty darn good for the money and effort.