6 replies to this topic

[bigrob]

Hey guys

I've been looking for a basic cheap amp to put in my car. I dont have a head unit and i dont really want one either, and theres no wiring for a stereo at all.

All i want is something i can plug my phone/ipod into that i'll be able to listen to without a headunit.

I was pointed in the direction of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261316539366

But they look a bit cheap and nasty.

Does anyone have any experience with these or have any suggestions to what may be better?

Cheers
Rob

[RooBoonix]

That's because they frankly are cheap and nasty.

 

Something like this really needs a budget and details about what speakers you are using and how many etc.. so an amp with the right power and number of channels can be chosen :)

 

Cam.

[bigrob]

Yeah thats what i thought.

I'm literally looking to spend as little as possible. I've got 2 speakers out of a golf gti, and i want to be able to plug my phone in and just listen to music. I've had enough of not having a stereo, and i've got a 300 mile trip in a couple of weeks ha

[Ruckus]

Get some headphones...

[bigrob]

It would be easier but i wont drive with headphones

[shnevpayne]

tis a tad difficult as what you are looking for would require a lot of alternative means of wiring.
Obviously with a head unit in, there are the immediate wires to go to the amp to power/charge and connect the audio to and from.....

 

What you'd need to do, other than making sure your phone battery doesn't get killed off quickly, is to find an amp, wire in the pos and neg as normal, and then either create a switch inline somewhere for your "blue" third wire as your "trigger wire" to be used as your on/off switch, and either connect it back to he battery, or into your ingnition pack, meaning hey presto, immediate switch , otherwise you'll be waking up to a flat battery every day.

 

The phone battery... well, get yourself a in car charger and a lighter socket. Boom, you have phone power.

 

The audio cable, well, actually not too difficult. You can get the twin cables that go into amps and then connect into what I'd call a headphone socket whatsit thingmibob.
That's your phone connection... hopefully, depending on if you have a micro headphone unit. then you'll need an adaptor. 

All in all, price wise.... you can find various Head units online for not too dear a price, and compared to that set up, might even be about the same price, especially with nowadays having AUX / BLUETOOTH in some/ a lot of head units. Wiring wise would take about as long, but you wouldn't need an amp wiring kit!

Both set ups would probably be equally priced....

If you ever pass Taunton way (J25 M5) you can always drop in and get a system sorted out for you!
 



 

Edited by shnevpayne, 12 November 2014 - 10:46 AM.

[ibrooks]

So assuming you aren't after audiophile quality.........

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item27e9e3d38a

 

 

I actually use one of these in the garage but I had a pair of them re-packaged in one box in my Clubman. The power supply is 12v so just grab a feed from somewhere suitable and fuse it accordingly. It's got an on and off switch to prevent it from flattening your battery if you pull power from a permanent rather than ignition live. I fed sound to the one in the Clubman from my phone which had a 3.5mm jack plug headphone socket so a lead to go from that to a pair of phono plugs is a couple of quid (if you go somewhere expensive). Now mount your speakers and run some speaker cable from them to wherever you've got the amp sat/fastened.

 

My biggest problem with the one in the Mini was that I left the standard plug in the back and since I'd fastened it to the bottom of the heater it pointed down towards the rear and the plug would work it's way out over time. Doing it again I'd use a different power connector.

 

Don't get me wrong on the quality of the amp - they are perfectly capable of reproducing very good sound but with a random set of speakers out of a car and shoved in a Mini it's not going to win any competitions but it's perfectly acceptable in a rattly old car. Add to that it's far smaller than a conventional head unit and far easier to fit and it's a perfectly good solution.

 

Iain