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Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Yahoo Message Number: 20243
We'd like to replace the crappy original TV setup in our '98 Allure with a 26" Sharp flatscreen and a real 5.1 surround system. Looks like there's plenty of room under that panel in front of the passenger for a front-firing subwoofer. Installing the TV looks to be fairly straightforward, the biggest issue is what audio components to sue and how to get the wiring to them, particularly for surrounds.
Ran a search and little turned up. Appreciate any suggestions you all might have.

Dan & Ann

1998 Allure #30180

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20246
Quote from: mainecoons0

> We'd like to replace the crappy original TV setup in our '98 Allure > with a 26" Sharp flatscreen and a real 5.1 surround system. Looks > like there's plenty of room under that panel in front of the

passenger

Quote
for a front-firing subwoofer. Installing the TV looks to be fairly > straightforward, the biggest issue is what audio components to sue

and

Quote
how to get the wiring to them, particularly for surrounds.

Ran a search and little turned up. Appreciate any suggestions you

all

Quote
might have.

Dan & Ann

1998 Allure #30180

Dear Dan & Ann I felt the same way about the head banger tv in my '98
intrique! so I installed the same sharp lcd in our coach and we love it! I was pretty particular how to install it so it would look like a factory install! I completely removed the original tv box, made a wood supporting back wall for the removable lcd wall bracket, made matching vinyl fabric covered wood for the left side wall, and same covered wood bottom cover. in the space behind the lcd there was just enough room for our satellite receiver to be hidden away, using the uhf remote to operate it! If you get down to the tampa area this winter come by and see the job! Gary & Janice phillips '98 intrique #10621

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20247
I installed an out of the box Sony system in my 98 Deschutes Allure, running the wires for the rear speakers was a real challenge. The electronics for the Sony were fine but the speakers were very bright around 10khz and there was absolutly nothing below 50 hz.. The picture quality was fine on the old tube set.

When we took the plundge and bought the 2004 Intrigue, I took the Bose two speaker system out and gave it away. The sub was located behind the drawers next to the sink. I have installed quite a few Bose systems in my time and the subs always sound as though there a half a beat late when playing any kind of music. If your watching a western, everytime some one fires a weapon , you hear a pow and then a boom a shot later. So out went the sub.
I chose NAD L70 for the electronics with the CD/DVD included, because its very user friendly, has an overdrive prevention circuit, and does not use a switching power supply, that tends to give everything a harsh strident sound. The new L73 has component video, the latest Dolby decoding and better bass management.
For speakers I chose M&K. Their pro units are used by numerious studios as monmitor speakers in the control rooms where the sound is mixed for movies in theaters and remixed for THX movie DVDs for home theaters.. I picked the small LCR units for the front rear and center speakers. I also chose the small K powered sub, woofer, with a 150 watt amp included. Its really powerful for an 8" and goes down to 30 hz. (lcr-25 & kx-9).
I am still living with the 24" JVC tube set as I don't like the LCD's I have seen except one. LCD's are prone to slow response and cannot produce a true black. That is to say if you watch golf or baseball the ball will have a trailing streak as it crosses the screan. Edges of objects tend to be unstable and objects with fine detail that are in motion have noise all around the edges.(Credits and scrolling titles) Colors tend to be either on or off with no fine hues or tints. If you can find a Runco LCD to look at or one of the high priced Sonys to compare you will be much happier than with a Sharp or Samsung. You should also consider replacing your Inverter-charger with a pure sine wave unit if you don't have one already.
It really cleans up the picture using the roof antennae if you are running off the batteries .

If you can find a 32" HDTV plasma you'll be much happier, I prefer the Sony.
If you look back in earlier postings and photos on this web site you'll find a couple of really nice flat panel installations. Don't forget to use 16 awg wire or larger for the speakers. And try to keep everything on the same circuit breaker to prevent potential voltage differences and ground loops.
That helps prevent humming and buzzing on the sound system and scrolling lines, hairing bone and streaks on the picture display. TWI 98 Allure 30255, Intrigue 2004 11731. Don't forget a full sized 18"dish satellite system for a great picture and fabulous sound.

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20248
Dan & Ann,

For the TV upgrade, go bigger! I installed a Sharp 30" and it looks good. The newer coaches have 32" and 37", and I just think you will be happier (except for $$$) with something larger than 26".

Rob

'02 Intrigue - #11480

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20249
Last March we replaced the headbanger TV with a 32" Sharp Aquos and surround sound, all done at Davis Cab. with them subcontracting the audio/visual part and haven't regretted it at all...love the system! Definitely plan to do it...and I second the suggestion that you go to a 32" at least. Friends of ours did the 37" in their Allure and it looks great too...go for at least one of those. The smaller we're planning to do in our bedroom when we have the time and money. (You can see photos of our redo in the Photo file on the left..."Davis Cab" is what it's titled, I think.)

Jan McNeill

2001 Intrigue 11320

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20254
Thanks for the photos. How did they get the wiring to the rear surround speakers (I'm assuming you have a slide on the driver's side like we do)? It looks like you're using the TV's speaker as the center channel, is that correct?

What audio system did they use and what did this whole job cost? Thanks.

Dan & Ann

1998 Allure #30180

Quote from: janmcneill

> Last March we replaced the headbanger TV with a 32" Sharp Aquos and > surround sound, all done at Davis Cab. with them subcontracting the > audio/visual part and haven't regretted it at all...love the system! > Definitely plan to do it...and I second the suggestion that you go

to

Quote
a 32" at least. Friends of ours did the 37" in their Allure and it > looks great too...go for at least one of those. The smaller we're > planning to do in our bedroom when we have the time and money. (You > can see photos of our redo in the Photo file on the left..."Davis

Cab"

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20259
Thanks, this is a really detailed and helpful reply. I'll look into all those items. I'm thinking I might be able to install a front firing sub in front of the passenger seat, in that big space behind the panel, replacing the panel with a speaker screen.

I know what you're saying about LCDs, though the response time has improved considerably in newer units. But the tube TV is dismally small and really a head knocker so it has to go. Plasma uses a lot of power, a real problem when you boon dock as we do and want to watch a movie--LCD uses very little power, considerably less than the tube unit even.

Dan & Ann

1998 Allure #30180

Quote from: TWI
I installed an out of the box Sony system in my 98 Deschutes
Allure, running

Quote
the wires for the rear speakers was a real challenge. The
electronics for

Quote
the Sony were fine but the speakers were very bright around 10khz

and there

Quote
was absolutly nothing below 50 hz.. The picture quality was fine

on the old

Quote
tube set.

When we took the plundge and bought the 2004 Intrigue, I took the

Bose two

Quote
speaker system out and gave it away. The sub was located behind

the drawers

Quote
next to the sink. I have installed quite a few Bose systems in my

time and

Quote
the subs always sound as though there a half a beat late when

playing any

Quote
kind of music. If your watching a western, everytime some one
fires a weapon

Quote
, you hear a pow and then a boom a shot later. So out went the sub.

I chose NAD L70 for the electronics with the CD/DVD included,

because its

Quote
very user friendly, has an overdrive > prevention circuit, and does not use a switching power supply,
that tends to

Quote
give everything a harsh strident sound. The new L73 has component

video, the

Quote
latest Dolby decoding and better bass management.

For speakers I chose M&K. Their pro units are used by numerious

studios as

Quote
monmitor speakers in the control rooms where the sound is mixed

for movies

Quote
in theaters and remixed for THX movie DVDs for home theaters.. I

picked the

Quote
small LCR units for the front rear and center speakers. I also

chose the

Quote
small K powered sub, woofer, with a 150 watt amp included. Its

really

Quote
powerful for an 8" and goes down to 30 hz. (lcr-25 & kx-9).

I am still living with the 24" JVC tube set as I don't like the

LCD's I have

Quote
seen except one. LCD's are prone to slow response and cannot
produce a true

Quote
black. That is to say if you watch golf or baseball the ball will

have a

Quote
trailing streak as it crosses the screan. Edges of objects tend to

be

Quote
unstable and objects with fine detail that are in motion have

noise all

Quote
around the edges.(Credits and scrolling titles) Colors tend to be

either on

Quote
or off with no fine hues or tints. If you can find a Runco LCD to

look at

Quote
or one of the high priced Sonys to compare you will be much

happier than

Quote
with a Sharp or Samsung. You should also consider replacing your > Inverter-charger with a pure sine wave unit if you don't have one

already.

Quote
It really cleans up the picture using the roof antennae if you are

running

Quote
off the batteries .

If you can find a 32" HDTV plasma you'll be much happier, I prefer

the Sony.

Quote
If you look back in earlier postings and photos on this web site

you'll find

Quote
a couple of really nice flat panel installations. Don't forget to

use 16

Quote
awg wire or larger for the speakers. And try to keep everything

on the same

Quote
circuit breaker to prevent potential voltage differences and
ground loops.

Quote
That helps prevent humming and buzzing on the sound system and

scrolling

Quote
lines, hairing bone and streaks on the picture display. TWI 98

Allure

Quote
30255, Intrigue 2004 11731. Don't forget a full sized 18"dish

satellite

Quote
system for a great picture and fabulous sound.

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20260
Gary,

Do you have any pictures of the refit job? I'm looking to do something similar to eliminate the headbanger in our 98 Intrigue this spring. Thanks,

Kevin Barron

98 Intrigue #10550
Annapolis, MD

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20263
I have listened to installations in Magnas and others using a panel (baffle) mounted woofer and they don't work that well. Its not so much the sub driver problem as it is the make shift enclosure. Boston makes three subs. VRi 82 works very well, but it requires the space its mounted to have a tight seal and no access allowing sound to escape to the rear. The Sub 10 may be to deep requiring 10+."

If you are going to have Shawn Davis do your cabinet work I am sure you will both be able to solve any problems. TWI 11731 2004 Intrigue former 98 Allure.
 

Re: Anyone done a serious audio upgrade to their older coach?

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 20293
Quote from: Kevin Barron
>

Gary,

Do you have any pictures of the refit job? I'm looking to do

something

Quote
similar to eliminate the headbanger in our 98 Intrigue this
spring. Thanks,

Quote
>

Kevin Barron

98 Intrigue #10550
Annapolis, MD