Single DIN Radio with Built-in Speakers?

Long story short, I'd like some way of making noise in my Triumph Spitfire, but don't want to build speaker boxes. Been there done that in high school; installing a decent stereo in a Spitfire requires way too many compromises and at the end of the day it still sounds pretty bad thanks to how loud the car is and how little real estate there is for speakers.

That led me down a google rabbit hole to these things, which are single DIN radios with the speakers built right in. Give it power and ground, and suddenly you've got a radio. 

Has anybody messed with one of these before? I'm not expecting greatness, but if it could sound as good as a cheap bluetooth speaker while filling the hole in the dash, I'd be happy. 

Link: https://a.co/d/3v5s3ti

I think you've got your expectations well calibrated :)

That's pretty cool idea which I've never seen, and the price is right. If you try it, let us know how it works. 

I haven't played with one, but I'm a car audio kinda person.  I can't imagine it being able to be heard over the road noise, but give it a shot.

I'm afraid it will sound like headphones sitting on a table at max volume while you're half way across the room.  I'm anxious to hear your review.

I'm not familiar with what's under the dash in a Spit, but in the past I have cut some MDF or plywood baffles to hold 5.25 or 6.5" speakers and screw them up under the dash.  Also not ideal, but making decibels requires moving air.  I can't imagine those little 1.5" speakers being able to generate any kind of volume.

TL;DR, I think at a stoplight you'll hear something and maybe be able to pick out the song, but once you're moving I don't think you'll hear it.  I think you'd be way ahead with a DIN-sized bluetooth speaker and a tuner app on your phone.

Not being a Debbie Downer, but I think it's going to suck hardcore.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

How much room is there for a small speaker capable of a larger motion (literally more amplitude) to make some of that back?

I doubt you'll get it for $45, but I'm impressed with the sound my little Sonos speakers at home put out relative to their size, and wonder whether whatever they're doing could be applied to this.

I mean, that presupposes someone building a better-quality version of the thing Tom linked, so it may well be moot.

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

I'm not familiar with what's under the dash in a Spit, but in the past I have cut some MDF or plywood baffles to hold 5.25 or 6.5" speakers and screw them up under the dash.  Also not ideal, but making decibels requires moving air.  I can't imagine those little 1.5" speakers being able to generate any kind of volume.

Yeah, I have the same concerns but am sort of out of ideas here. Under the dash is all cardboard, and adding anything to it would hit my feet/knees/etc. Here's a photo of one person's installation. Not only is the speaker firing directly at your feet, but it's also in the same spot I put my left foot while driving.

Tom Suddard said:...if it could sound as good as a cheap bluetooth speaker while filling the hole in the dash...

I suspect that it'll do one of those two things.  I can't imagine that those tiny speakers will do anything other than make annoying noises.  I'd rather make sure it has a nice sounding exhaust and listen to that.

Some cars are just not meant to have audio systems.  Enjoy it and embrace it.

In reply to 93gsxturbo :

That's been my general sentiment for the past few years, but a few times I've found myself walking past the Spitfire and choosing something else because I was in the middle of a podcast I wanted to finish. I do a 45-minute drive along the beach at 40 mph about twice a week, and would love to be able to listen to something while cruising along. 

Interested in something for the same purpose in my Samurai, that Polarlander model already looks promising...

In reply to GameboyRMH :

I put it on my wishlist, so maybe Santa will bring me one to test out. Or if Santa doesn't bring it, I'll order it for myself 12/26. 

This is what I did in a 69 Chevy pickup:

The factory system was one of those single-speaker AM radios with a 4x10 speaker firing up at the windshield.  I didn't want to hack anything up, so I mounted a piece of MDF under the dashboard (trangulated with a strap of steel to something I found) and mounted two 5.25" speakers in it.  It sounded terrible, but you could hear it over the 307, headers, and dual glasspacks.

A factory head unit of any flavor will suck at driving most speakers.  It might say 25w max, 14wrms, but that is ridiculously optimistic, even for a big brand name like Alpine or JVC.  That stereo you linked doesn't even give a rated wattage, so (given its size) my guess is that they stuffed a 1.2w or 2w headphone amp in a box with a tuner and then filled the rest of the space with a pair of 1.5" speakers.

At least if you got a "real" head unit for $39 and a pair of 5.25" speakers from a junkyard for $10, you'd have 5 times the wattage and nearly 13 times the surface area of speaker real estate.

An idea: a speaker (Bluetooth?) that fills the entire 1 DIN slot, controllable via your phone. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Exactly what I'm aiming for. I can't find anything closer than the cheap radio linked in the first post. 

I'm still digging my Bluetooth speaker. It's kinda 1 DIN size. Look for OontZ Angle 3 Ultra Waterproof 5.0 Bluetooth Speaker, 14 Watts, Hi-Quality Sound & Bass. (Currently on sale for $25.)

Do you remove the guts and place them in some kind of 1 DIN enclosure? 

Whats behind the seats? Any space there to put a couple of speakers behind you?

I was thinking something like this, not sure how easy it is to accomplish though:

640 × 360

In reply to Slippery :

There's plenty of space behind the seats, but it's very visible so I'm not willing to put speakers there. I know, I know, I'm turning into a crazy concours person or something....

My Corvair has a space in the center of the dash for a single speaker, roughly a 6 x 9, firing up at the windshield.  Instead of trying to figure out mounting for stereo speakers, I just bridged an amp to mono, mounted it under the dash where it can't be seen, and hook my phone to it to stream music. 2 speakers next to each other will basically sound like mono anyway, using one speaker simplifies and cheapens things a bit. It's plenty loud with the top down on the interstate. 

David S. Wallens said:

I'm still digging my Bluetooth speaker. It's kinda 1 DIN size. Look for OontZ Angle 3 Ultra Waterproof 5.0 Bluetooth Speaker, 14 Watts, Hi-Quality Sound & Bass. (Currently on sale for $25.)

Do you remove the guts and place them in some kind of 1 DIN enclosure? 

 

I just want to say that OontZ is a great name for a speaker.

What about miata style 3.5" speakers in the head rests? 

In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :

I'm trying to keep it very close to OEM, so modifying the headrests is out.

Wish I'd known about these when I was shopping for a stereo for my S10.  I don't need great sound quality, so it would have been cheaper than replacing dead speakers.

We've got the oontz. It lacks a little in bass. What about just getting a decent portable Bluetooth and throwing it in the passenger seat, dash, or rear panel while you cruise? I like the doss traveler better than the oontz because it's louder and has bass. 

That said, I'm the idiot putting 6x9 components in the rear panel of the MG midget, tweeters in the dash, and 4" two ways.... somewhere. All while having 48mm ITB's. Something about my high school days and a need, Need to blast zeppelin. 

Some guys in the Kei truck groups are using those all in one units.  If you have your expectations set correctly (low) it will make some sound