P38 head unit replacement

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Clarky130 said:
Ok - update.

New head unit fitted and working a charm. Used the 'Ray Ambler' attenuator circuits on each channel, except the sub which I'm running straight off one of the RCAs, utilising a butchered RCA plug and the existing wiring.

And... WHAT a difference! I will now take back EVERYTHING bad I said about the HK stuff, with a decent input, at the right impedance level, it is MINDBLOWING for a 15 yr old standard system!! WELL worth holding onto if you have the patience to solder up 4 of those attenuator circuits. Great quality sound reproduction at any volume, with virtually NO distortion. Just goes to show you how s**te the Clarion head unit is!

And there's something else... I noticed that, with the original setup, the bass was particularly weedy. When I got the new head unit in and running, even before I'd connected up the sub, there was a HUGE improvement in the bass, even from just the door speakers. After some investigation, it turns out that the factory sub with the unmolested factory wiring was hooked up THE WRONG WAY ROUND!!! When I connected up the sub and reversed the polarity, the difference was unbelievable.

As a 'factory' system, with a DECENT head unit now fitted, it's a rival for any other out there. Seriously, I could not have been more wrong about the HK stuff - a crap head unit, combined with a 180 deg out-of-phase sub made the system sound awful, hence why I planned to replace EVERYTHING. I'm still gonna replace the sub and amp with one of my own choosing though - the HK one is strong, and ballsy, but it has no real 'guts' - I like my bass to shake the windows!

As a result, I will shortly be selling the original head unit, CD changer and sub, if anyone has any use for them. The HU works, the display is a little iffy but still readable. CD changer and sub work fine.
Click to expand...
Hi, i have the same setup as your's. Everything works well except that i noticed that i have a little hiss at very low volume.

Once volume is higher than 2, everything is neat.

As you said, good bass. Much better than the Clarion HU.
 
Hi folks, Right-Clarky130, the lead I use is NOT the nexxia one and the ebay link is the lead that works from sounds4wheels.co.uk. It's pricey cos it was specifically developed for the HK equipped P38 with the clarion headunit (red/pink 10 pin connector). I've found it works great, my hk sub must be wired up right! I don't bother with steering wheel controls cos my blaupunkt has far too many functions for them, and it's not far to the unit anyway! I'm not an electrical wizard so all I wanted was a plug and play-that's what I got, perfect. Flag up the nexxia lead by all means, even they say it may not work, but please check out what others are talking about and using cos it can be confusing. My P38 is a 97 MY Japanese spec car for information.
 
Clarky130 said:
Ok - update.

New head unit fitted and working a charm. Used the 'Ray Ambler' attenuator circuits on each channel, except the sub which I'm running straight off one of the RCAs, utilising a butchered RCA plug and the existing wiring.

And... WHAT a difference! I will now take back EVERYTHING bad I said about the HK stuff, with a decent input, at the right impedance level, it is MINDBLOWING for a 15 yr old standard system!! WELL worth holding onto if you have the patience to solder up 4 of those attenuator circuits. Great quality sound reproduction at any volume, with virtually NO distortion. Just goes to show you how s**te the Clarion head unit is!

And there's something else... I noticed that, with the original setup, the bass was particularly weedy. When I got the new head unit in and running, even before I'd connected up the sub, there was a HUGE improvement in the bass, even from just the door speakers. After some investigation, it turns out that the factory sub with the unmolested factory wiring was hooked up THE WRONG WAY ROUND!!! When I connected up the sub and reversed the polarity, the difference was unbelievable.

As a 'factory' system, with a DECENT head unit now fitted, it's a rival for any other out there. Seriously, I could not have been more wrong about the HK stuff - a crap head unit, combined with a 180 deg out-of-phase sub made the system sound awful, hence why I planned to replace EVERYTHING. I'm still gonna replace the sub and amp with one of my own choosing though - the HK one is strong, and ballsy, but it has no real 'guts' - I like my bass to shake the windows!

As a result, I will shortly be selling the original head unit, CD changer and sub, if anyone has any use for them. The HU works, the display is a little iffy but still readable. CD changer and sub work fine.
Click to expand...

Great job figuring this out. Installing a new headunit is next on to-do list; however, when it comes to the electrical side of the P38 I'm a total loser. in any event, would you dummy down the process to install a new headunit. first, what in the world is the Ray Ambler attentuators? understanding that would bring some light into the situation. just for curiosity, which headunit did you go with? i'm also looking to install a new sub and amp and wanted to know a little more about that process. sorry about the million questions, but I really want to install a better quality unit. lastly, if this process is involved i would gladly cover those expenses. look forwarding hearing from you. thanks in advance.
 
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