Custom lightweight car audio?

I've seen a little about this topic, but I don't really know how to effectively execute the plan.

The 944 interior is pretty gutted at this point, and has been without a stereo for nearly a year. My commute got WAY longer, so I'd like to add in some audio, but want to stay with the custom racer-style.

I'd like to run a small amp to a single speaker (can you even get a mono speaker these days?) without a deck. Ideally it will be run with my cell phone to an audio jack to an amp to a speaker. As few components as possible.

What components will I need, and how can I do this most cost effectively?

A lot of it depends on the output level your phone can achieve. If it's pushing out enough to drive a line-level input on a regular car amplifier, you should be OK to get away with just an amp and speakers. If not, you're looking at a pre-amp and in that case you might as well get a headunit.

There is no such thing as a "mono" speaker, all speakers are mono by themselves, that's why you need two of them in the first place . You could probably put a mono amp into the car and solder together a cable that turns the stereo output from the phone into a mono input for the amp, but I'd be tempted to simply fit two speakers.

I use one of these in my Miata. Output to the two stock speakers, turns on with the ignition, and a input for my ipod or cellphone. Works well, cheap, and hidden.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-CH-500W-Car-Audio-Amplifier-Motorcycle-AMP-Amps-ATV-MP3-iPod-Amplifier-Mitzu-/380543447763?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item589a2832d3

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/possible-to-use-an-amp-without-a-head-unit-at-all/58378/page1/

Some Infinity car speakers use neodymium magnets and are very lightweight

EvanB wrote: I use one of these in my Miata. Output to the two stock speakers, turns on with the ignition, and a input for my ipod or cellphone. Works well, cheap, and hidden. http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-CH-500W-Car-Audio-Amplifier-Motorcycle-AMP-Amps-ATV-MP3-iPod-Amplifier-Mitzu-/380543447763?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item589a2832d3

Beat me to it. But yeah one of those and you're good.

I think you're looking for a boombox that will run on 12 volts and a bungee cord.

Just put headers on a SBF, that's all the music I need

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290622735502?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I have one of these. They put out enough power to run two mid size book shelf speakers up to a level where I can hear them clear from another room while I am in the shower. REALLY small, all enclosed, BUILT IN VOLUME KNOB (not easy to change on the one above). This will probably make its way into my Galaxie next spring. Works great off of a cell phone. The amp above is best if you are planning on hiding it under your seat and setting the volume once. There is also NO WAY that one listed above is 500Ws, that is just silly. If you want to have a single speaker system, just wire the two channels the way you would wire a 2 channel amp to power one sub woofer listed below.

Why not just buy some runners earphones, they are open so you can hear traffic and be safe and it would be the simplest option.

There are amplified 2-speaker motorcycle systems on the market that run off of iPods/phones etc.

I'm also confused why you don't just use headphones if weight is a concern...?

Bryce

Legality

singleslammer wrote: http://www.ebay.com/itm/290622735502?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 I have one of these.

Are you happy with the sound? I have the Lepai ones in my car, and my shop, and they sound exceptinally good for the money. The Indeed ones are about 50% more ($15 ) so I'm wondering if they're any better. I like the fact that the Lepai has bass and treble. Comes in handy in a car with funky acoustics.

In reply to Zomby Woof:

I love mine. It has great quality. I read a lot of things about the lepai and quality issues and everything I read said that the 2020 was a way better amp. If is just a T amp so adding treble/bass controls is probably possible. The fit and finish on this thing is also great. It looks way more expensive than it is.

On my trip from OKC back to NJ with the Colony Park I needed tunes. I just plugged one of these into my lighter socket, phone connects via bluetooth so no other wires needed. Plenty loud enough in the colony park, maybe not in a gutted porsche though

https://jawbone.com/speakers/jambox/overview

since you don't care about stereo sound.....just wear one headphone earbud in your right ear. Nobody will notice, and if they do they'll assume it's bluetooth or something. No legality issue since you can still hear clearly from the left ear.

If you buy one of those class T amps, be sure it's designed to run at 12 volts, not like the ones on Parts Express that are really looking for over 30 volts. The one Singleslammer posted is designed to run at 12 volts, but it barely puts out anything without a ton of distortion. I think for your application, it will be fine, but I wouldn't run it if I wanted loud, clean sound.

For what you're doing, I'd think about something like this amplified center channel speaker. Control your volume from the input device since it has one and you're good to go. It will fit where the old stereo came out, and you won't have to run wire very far for hookup.

Spinout007 wrote: Legality

Only person I know to ever get a ticket for headphones while driving got the ticket dropped in court. "Judge, why is this against the law?" "It's not safe because you can't hear emergency vehicles, etc." "Aren't deaf people allowed to drive?" Ticket dropped. Such a worthless, stupid law!

Bryce

Nashco wrote:

Spinout007 wrote: Legality

Only person I know to ever get a ticket for headphones while driving got the ticket dropped in court. "Judge, why is this against the law?" "It's not safe because you can't hear emergency vehicles, etc." "Aren't deaf people allowed to drive?" Ticket dropped. Such a worthless, stupid law! Bryce

aside from the fact that it's perfectly legal/encouraged to wear bluetooth headsets, which are the same thing essentially.

I know you mentioned custom racer style in the op, but I can't see how any of these are really better than a cheapie head unit with an iPod input and a couple 6" speakers. You could probably do the whole rig from Walmart for well under $100. If you want custom, fab a quick release mount for the deck and wire it through a leftover multiwire plug from some of the accessories you gutted.

In reply to Maroon92:

Many all-in-one headunits with 20-25W built in amps are very light these days. I have a Sony car stereo "media player" that is very light - I think mainly due to the omission of any sort of transport like CD or tape.

Most OEM speakers are much lighter (and do better with low power amps like those in the above player) than aftermarket speakers due mainly to the use of much lighter weight magnets. I guess heavy speakers help sales in the aftermarket as well as accepting much highe rpower levels.

Maybe the lightest solution is to go with your smartphone or pocket player and a single mono earbud. The single earbud or headset with 1 earpiece is legal everywhere as far as I know, whereas covering BOTH ears is not in many states. Places sell these, such as: http://www.scansound.com/earphones/single-ear-stereo-earphones-1/single-stereo-earphone-with-eartips.html.

id use, personally, a cheap wal-mart head unit, and a pair pf 6x9 or 4x6 infinity speakers from a 90's chrysler car. speakers will sound good, and weigh in at 3lbs each. the head unit, if mounted in a quickly releasable pod, can just be disconnected and removed for events, thereby shaving 1/3 of the stereo weight. the head only weighs about 3 lbs these days. id also place the speakers in wither the rear deck, or the doors. also, for the extra lb, id put a pair of dash speakers in. use the same infinity speakers from a chrysler, or neon dash speakers. just enough for fill in, and decent sound. really, a cheap and functional stereo will weigh right at 10lbs all things considered. if you place the speakers correctly, no one will see them so you wont kill the race car vibe. youd never know that i have a 9 speaker system in my duster.....

as a thought:

when you say weight is an issue, is that weight when racing, or all the time? If it is only when racing you could easily build 12v "boombox" of sorts. we did this for a friend that had a couple vehicles/wanted a party box. we took a headunit, a pair of 6x9"s, a pair of 10"subs, 2 amps, and a crossover, and put them all in one box. Then all he did was add some wiring to each car, with a plug.

you could have your tunes with cull sound, and then on race day, just take the whole thing out, in seconds.

second thought: you say "run by your phone". what is your phone? certain phones have better options that others (USB, pogo pins, car docks, etc.)

I'd second getting a no-transport head unit (I've had a Dual one with a fold-down iPod/iPhone dock for a while in the D and been quite happy with it). They weigh next to nothing, so you can either install it normally and just make a removable speaker box or make a boombox out of it and a few speakers that it drives.

I'll be going the former router with the El Camino for the Challenge... the truck its engine came out of had a working head unit in it, so I'll be installing it and then using speaker boxes that I can remove for the actual event. No way I'm driving 800 miles each way without any music!

I use my phone and a platronics voyager pro Bluetooth

It works so awesome I wear it under my overgrown ear protection while working in the shop.

If you were considering a single speaker in a noisy racecar I don't know why this wouldn't work.