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Weekend is over...what did you get done?

stumpXJ said:
Not sure how they would compare as far as light output, would just have to test yours as a comparison. I can say from personaly experience, just because lights 'look' brighter, doesnt mean they are useful in the real world with they way our eyes process light.

They arent cheap ( I think $250 each, retail), but are an impressive, NHTSA/DOT legal approved replacement lighting for our XJ's. The LUX output on these is amazing, and its all user friendly light. Many of the HID conversion I have seen use a non HID housing and the authorities are cracking down on folks... especially the 'tuner' crowd (you know, the ones who blind everyone with their blue or purple junk.) I think you used Lexus HID housings right?
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Yah I used a real projector not just an H4 housing with an HID bulb. I used an aftermarket Morimoto retrofit projector that has a cut-off like all the OEM DOT approved projectors do so I don't blind oncoming drivers like the tuner crowd. I need to aim them according to DOT guidelines but right now I think they are close just haven't official done the whole mark the wall and set the Jeep 25 feet back and aim accordingly yet. These LED headlights seem like a nice alternative for those who want great output from a true plug and play light. Would still love to do a comparison for truck lite I think if they compare well it could be a good selling point.
 
I will talk to my buddy who does the testing/has the meter. He lives up in Canton, we may be able to plan something if you are interested? Im curious myself.... The Morimoto is definitely better than throwing an HID bulb into a H4 housing. I would imagine they would be very similar. I think I read that you used 6000k HID's? These will probably be a little whiter as they are around a 5000k in color, but the numbers wont lie. he has tested a crap load of aftermarket lights for companies, and would have some good number to compare them to.
 
stumpXJ said:
Bored this week, so the DD is getting some front winch bumper love. :D
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If you are really bored, I could use a rear bumper with a swing-away tire carrier. Nothing fancy for me.
 
stumpXJ said:
I will talk to my buddy who does the testing/has the meter. He lives up in Canton, we may be able to plan something if you are interested? Im curious myself.... The Morimoto is definitely better than throwing an HID bulb into a H4 housing. I would imagine they would be very similar. I think I read that you used 6000k HID's? These will probably be a little whiter as they are around a 5000k in color, but the numbers wont lie. he has tested a crap load of aftermarket lights for companies, and would have some good number to compare them to.
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Yah I went with the 6000k they are white with just the tiniest hint of blue. I would be more than happy to ride over there and do a comparison test and get some numbers on what these put out and see those LEDs in person! I'm usually free anytime but will be out of town this weekend and next weekend is my anniversary with my girlfriend so I will be preoccupied with that the whole weekend. Let me know if he would like me to come out and do a little testing.
 
finished the bender....tested it..... it bent stuff.....neat
582219_782174768858_52707502_34939219_248343593_n.jpg
 
i ventured off to a couple car audio stores today. it seems when it comes to subwoofers, its go big or don't waste their time. had one place tell me it is impossible to put a good audio system in without changing the head unit and another place tell me its not a good idea to put anything but alpine and infinity systems in. so after quoting me systems from 600 to 1000 dollars for four speakers, an amp and sub, i came back home wondering if it's possible to install a modest stereo system without breaking the bank. anyone out there running good sound with a factory head unit?
 
scarylilguy said:
i ventured off to a couple car audio stores today. it seems when it comes to subwoofers, its go big or don't waste their time. had one place tell me it is impossible to put a good audio system in without changing the head unit and another place tell me its not a good idea to put anything but alpine and infinity systems in. so after quoting me systems from 600 to 1000 dollars for four speakers, an amp and sub, i came back home wondering if it's possible to install a modest stereo system without breaking the bank. anyone out there running good sound with a factory head unit?
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Well what do you want? Just new speakers and a sub? That can be done with a stock head unit but you can't tune it and the audio signals will be only so so. You will only be taking advantage of a fraction of what the system is capable of producing. I put a sub in a Jeep wrangler that would have been decent if run with a aftermarket stereo that can properly tune the system but he ran it with the factory radio and it was pitiful. I couldn't tune the amp hardly at all since the audio signal was so dirty. Most amps receive their audio signals via 4 volt RCA wires. Factory radios do not have RCA outputs on them so a converter box that taps into the factory audio wires and then converts the signal and sends them out to some RCA outputs. This is how you will need to send audio to the sub amp. This will give you awful sound from the sub since it will be receiving Low, Mid, and High signals and try to produce them all giving you a dirty sound. Most aftermarket radios have RCA outs just for subwoofers. This sends only low audio signals so that the sub produces a nice clean low end sound. So to get the best sound and properly tune your hefty investment you need a good radio.

So can it be done? Yes. Should it? No.

If you really don't want a new radio but want some better sound then just replace your speakers without an amp and that won't be such a bad idea and give you slightly better sound quality that won't break the bank and you can keep your factory radio.
 
Ben824 said:
Well what do you want? Just new speakers and a sub? That can be done with a stock head unit but you can't tune it and the audio signals will be only so so. You will only be taking advantage of a fraction of what the system is capable of producing. I put a sub in a Jeep wrangler that would have been decent if run with a aftermarket stereo that can properly tune the system but he ran it with the factory radio and it was pitiful. I couldn't tune the amp hardly at all since the audio signal was so dirty. Most amps receive their audio signals via 4 volt RCA wires. Factory radios do not have RCA outputs on them so a converter box that taps into the factory audio wires and then converts the signal and sends them out to some RCA outputs. This is how you will need to send audio to the sub amp. This will give you awful sound from the sub since it will be receiving Low, Mid, and High signals and try to produce them all giving you a dirty sound. Most aftermarket radios have RCA outs just for subwoofers. This sends only low audio signals so that the sub produces a nice clean low end sound. So to get the best sound and properly tune your hefty investment you need a good radio.

So can it be done? Yes. Should it? No.

If you really don't want a new radio but want some better sound then just replace your speakers without an amp and that won't be such a bad idea and give you slightly better sound quality that won't break the bank and you can keep your factory radio.
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sound advice!:laugh: but i have a question, the powered sub i am looking at from crutchfield( http://www.crutchfield.com/p_777B8PT/Sound-Ordnance-B-8PT.html ) has both high and low inputs. i know better than to use both, but is the converter you talk about built into the amp? if so, will the amp be able to separate the lows from the mids and highs?
 
It depends on which amp you get. but most time it's a seperate converter box that wires in behind your factory radio.

A decent aftermarket headunit is only a fraction of the price. You could buy a decent headunit for less than 150 bucks and not have to buy the 50 dollar converter box needed to make the low quality stock headunit work.
 
i have a decent aftermarket head unit in the garage but i like my factory unit for the simplistic features and it matches the rest of the interior lighting.
 
Umm can i chime in?

Most quality Amps can receive speaker level, the "converter boxes" you are talking about are just transformers, which arent really that bad coming from an audio standpoint as long as they are rather high end (isolating grounds is a good thing)

The RCA cables are sending Line level, BUT what the real problem is no systems (except stock MERC and BMW) are balanced signals. Noise can be introduced along any stock or "high end" system thats been installed, its actually more common than you think

NOW! what you need to do is buy a high end amp with a full crossover built in (google 'crossover' im getting sick of explaining) and run the RCA outs to your seperate speakers and install tweeters in the doors, or send the mid/high signal to some decent set of coaxial speakers (fancy for they have a crossover and a tweeter in them)

Any system can be "tuned" and sound good.. i promise, thats why i didnt bother installing a blaupunkt headunit in my jeep... just my bimmers
the jeep got a crappy walmart unit

when i wanna listen to music properly i go to the 1.2 million dollar studio i work at... cars are for driving if you want sound quality buy a bose cd player and superglue it to the dash
 
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scarylilguy said:
i have a decent aftermarket head unit in the garage but i like my factory unit for the simplistic features and it matches the rest of the interior lighting.
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and the price wasn't too bad either....

I still think you should use that high quality radio you gave me for the store-- that was a good sounding piece of equipment!!:rof:
 
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