Conference hips::uk_audioo

    I have just treated myself...
    
    Motolec (Slough, Reading, High Wycombe, Luton, Oxford) are selling
    the KENWOOD 545L Radio/Cassette for �150.
    
    This unit was originally priced at �200, but was increased by KENWOOD
    to �230.
    
    I had read a review of the 464L in What Hi-Fi? and they thought
    the tuner was OK, but that it played tapes rather well!
             
    The 545L has Auto-Reverse, Track Search, Separated Bass and Treble
    controls, along with a Metal/Cr02 tape selector.
    
    The digital tuner has 6 presets for each of the 3 bands.  Station
    seek both up and down.
    
    After all that there is just the 4 speaker fader and a loudness
    circuit for you to play with.
    
    The output is a modest 20 watts per channel maximum, but with a
    pre-amp output for connecting to an external amp (on the roof perhaps?
    8-)).
    
    After a quick phone around to determine this giveaway, it turned out 
    that this unit had been superseded by the 646L which totes a Dolby 
    noise reduction circuit and a more sophisticated tuner.
    
    However the 646L still retails at �260.  I enquired with another
    KENWOOD dealer who said "If I could get the units, I would sell
    them to you at that price, Motolec brought them all".  I asked him
    if I might find an alternative among the new range, the reply...
                     
    	"For that price sir, you will NOT find a better Radio/Cassette"
                     
    I have got it in a VW Golf, through a pair of modest REALISTIC door
    mounted coaxial speakers.  I sounds gorgeous, with Cr02 tapes of
    my CD's.  With TDK's new SA-X tapes, who needs Dolby?
                                                          
    My only complaint is that I can't find the damn thing in my drivers
    door that resonates with those Def Leppard base notes!

    At some point in my life I would like some powerful speakers in 
    the back, but don't want advertisements on my back shelf.
    
    Does anyone have any ideas?
    
    Regards,
    Robert.

I have recently bought a Balupunkt Montreux, as far as I know the first Radio 
Data System (RDS) unit to be available in the UK.  It cost �369.

I have it fitted to a VW Golf with a Bosch Autoflex aerial.  Reception is 
pretty good and the RDS retunes the radio automatically as you move from 
region to region on FM.  A useful feature is that it will also move between 
local radio stations as you move in and out of their regions (you can also 
disable this feature).  I would rate the reception slightly less good that a 
Pioneer ARCV tuner, but the RDS makes up for that.  It possibly hangs on too 
long to a weak station before retuning as the signal can fade sometimes before 
it retunes.  Automatic road traffic announcements can override the tape or 
will override the volume if you have the radio tuned to an appropriate station 
with the volume down..  It won't pick this up if its not tuned to one of the 
BBC local stations which broadcasts this, 'though.  At present only LBC does 
this as far as I know, although others should start in the next few months.

The cassette deck is fine, with Dolby B, track search and autoreverse.  the 
amp has 22W RMS per channel (2 channels driven) and a fader with 4 speaker 
outputs.  However you'd want an external amp then since power drops to 7W
RMS/channel.

Pioneer are bringing out a competitor soon (KEH9000) at about �500 which 
offers more power and more features but a cluttered control layout.  The 
technology will probably be better but the ergonomics much worse, eg push 
button volume & tone control.

    re -1
    
    Sorry but you are wrong Volvo were the first to introduce RDS
    Radio/Cassette players they introduced the system at last years
    motor show at the NEC. 

re .3

OK so I wsn't crystal clear.  I was at NEC too and the BBC had demonstrations 
as well as Blaupunkt, Pioneer and some others.  Have you actually tried to buy 
one?  Announcement isn't the same as availability.  Blaupunkt claimed 
availability of November at NEC but nothing was around until February.  I 
don't think the Pioneer is out yet, is it?  Anyway this is an irrelevant
rathole.  I'd be very interested to hear comments from anyone else who has an
RDS set to get some idea of how the different models compare. 

Mike.

    Does anyone know where a good place to buy acoustically transparent
    speaker grille cloth around the Reading area?
    
    Any ideas about cost?
    
    thanks in advance,
    Robert.

    I found out that the Shop-on-the-Bridge sell acoustic cloth, however
    it's a quite large mesh.  I found a great little upholstery supplier
    called Fabric Fayre, along a small turning off the Basingstoke Rd 
    (near Reading town centre), who sell some really nice black cotton 
    for �1.80 a metre.  This stuff is wonderful, you can't see through it 
    and sounds completely transparent.  It looks more like the cloth on
    expensive speakers than this 'acoustic cloth' for about 1/10th of
    the price, hmm I smell a rat here.
    
    I just used it to cover the back shelf of my car, so that you can't
    see I have any speakers in there.

    Regards,
    Rob "who's talking to himself at the moment, but thought this might
    be useful".

    re: .6
    
    I have some 8 inch sub-woofers in the back parcel shelf of my xr2
    and these are covered with acoustic cloth. Unfortunately the shelf
    is now starting to bend in the middle due to the weight!
    
    Anyway, bought some cloth for my home-made speakers in the flat,
    and for enough to cover 2 25cm x 50cm speakers came to �12!
    
    Not cheap at all! However i'm sure i'll get it back next time i
    buy from the shop! I'd better ;-)
    
    Lewis.

    Ok, well here's some info on my system in the car.
    
    All ALPINE.
    
    7179L Tape Player and radio. 2x6watts. I think alpine think more
    about the quality than output of thier radios.
    
    4x60watts high and mid range speakers. These are mounted in the
    front door panels and rear seat panels.
    
    2x150watts low range speakers. Incorporating the sub-woofers.
    
    These are powered by an amp (obviously) not sure what output though,
    i think it is 4x60. Low range speakers take 2 and high/mid take 2.
    Also included is a 3 way passive dividing system. It's loud enough
    for me!
    
    The speaker cloth i mentioned in an earlier note is very good. I
    had my car broken into through the boot door. They jumped onto the
    back seats, over the speakers - didn't even see them! Then the alarm
    went off, and so did they! Fortunately no one else noticed the speakers
    until i got up in the morning!
    
    When speaking to the radio place (Conrads in Thornton Heath - Surrey),
    the guy there told me if you had an amp you can run the cd shuttle
    straight from the amp with just a remote control panel plug visable.
    Think i may have this when i get the new car. Im getting a Jeep
    Renegade so i dont really want anything to be visable. The remote
    plug can be adapted to be like a headphone socket, so you just stick
    in the remote and off you go. No radio required.
                                                                
    My thoughts about the coded radio players - it doesnt stop them
    breaking into the car and ripping the set out! But if there's no
    set in there then they got no temptation. Remember to leave open
    the glove compartement!
    
    Now how about some more reviews of your ICE?. Heh?
    
    Lewis.

    Well heres an update to .8
    
    Now have a CD Cartridge Set by JVC. Removed my alpine cassette deck,
    and amp.
    The CD player came with an amp of 22wx4, so i think that is ok.
    Left all the dividing stuff in. Sounds superb.
    I don't really rate JVC but this sounds good. I never thought it
    would make such a difference in a small car, but it does.
                                                    
    I would recommend a In-Car CD Player to anybody.

    Lewis. One_happy_new_cd_owner.

    I take back everything I ever said about quality audio in cars being a
    waste of money, which sort of said more about me and the cars I drove
    than car audio...
    
    I took delivery of a BMW316 a few weeks ago, which comes sans radio,
    but with speakers installed and aerial in the back window heater.
    The lease prices of the radio packages on the car list are high enough
    to justify buying, so I went for an Alpine setup: 7291 radio cassette,
    2x25W, plus one of Alpine's 30W stereo amps for the rear speakers.
    
    I have to admit I've always been a bit snooty about car hifi, but I am
    seriously impressed with these Alpine products. The RDS FM tuner is
    has superb on-the-move r.f. performance, and sound quality makes it a
    pleasure to use on a long journey. It has the traffic info facility,
    but I've never used it; apparently they are only the same broadcasts
    that the local stations put out, and in my experience I don't get to
    hear about the holdups until I'm in them anyway. The cassette player is
    excellent; operation is very solid and confidence-building, while the
    sound quality makes my prerecorded tapes sound like I've never heard
    them (I don't play them on the house system), and clearly shows up the
    tapes I made up before the indoor system was upgraded to its present
    level.
    
    Security is simple, it just pulls out and can be locked in the boot. I
    try to do this at most stops, given the company limit of �100 on claims
    for theft of personal items from company cars. As I spend a lot of time
    away in hotels, I'm seriously considering fitting another dash bracket
    into a case with 12v supply and speakers, so I can listen to
    radio/tapes in my room, a sort of snob's ghetto blaster....
    
    The whole package was �341 fitted which is a steal, given the cost of
    adding one half as good to the car lease which you have to hand back.
    
    A trivia point: I believe Alpine also make ALPS components, well known
    to DIY'ers for their quality, and also market hifi under the Luxman
    brand.
    
    Dave 
    

I've been thinking of getting a In Car Stereo to go with a cheap Lease Car.

The guy at the shop (ICE Shop in Basingstoke near B&Q) recommended the
Renault 19 (One of the cars I looked at), purely because of its ICE upgrade
facility!

He recommended Alpine stuff, which all looked very nice. The main control
panel had a removable front, which is a lot more feasible than a removable
radio/cassette (I have this in my current lease car, and hardly ever remove
it!).

I looked at the Alpine panel, CD stacker (primarily to start tidying up the
inside of my car!, I have no home CD player yet) 6 speakers & amplifier.

This stacked up to a cool �1200!

I think I may eventually use just a part of this system.

Mark.

Re: .11

Thats a good idea. Another good trick is to let your tyres down at each
stop. Who in their right mind would attempt to steal a car with 4 flats?