Upgrading the stereo redux advice por favor
 

So I've been to my sound place, which I like, and I ordered the Ben Hur. He actually had a unit for another GT and I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the buttons, just the look and feel wasn't anywhere near Bentley quality, but it's not like I have any other choice.

But here is the decision I need to make: I can buy the new Alpine HD double-din head unit, but it looks "small". I also own a Cadillac that has a massive 9" screen which I've gotten used to.

He is installing the Alpine Halo in another GT this week. I had initially dismissed it, because it stands "proud of the dash" (looks like it was just a tablet stuck on) but honestly, the 9" screen is really something, especially compared with the 6.8" that fits in the Ben Hur.

What do you guys think? Someone else is doing it, so I'll be able to look at an actual install, but I fear it will look ridiculous. On the other hand, I have been in a bunch of new cars lately and they all have this same "tablet" style radio head (not Alpine, obviously). So I'm leaning toward it. thoughts?

Lastly, he's recommending middle-of-the-road Alpine 6.5 component speakers, does that sound right?

Has anyone put a subwoofer in? I'm not really into that stuff, but a good sub can make a home stereo sound amazing, I'm wondering...

Lastly, he spec'ed a 50 amp Alpine power amp. Seems small. But he knows what he's doing. Advice here too?

Hi
Im doing a total upgrade on my Gt. Fitted the BenHur & an Alpine INE-W710D which works great. Upgrading all the speakers & installing a 8" sub in the rear armrest. 2 amps, 5 channel & 4 channel with a Alpine field controller.
Check my post ...
Yes the BenHur is not as top quietly as any Bentley product but as you say there is no other choice. Saying that I have seen some companies in the U.S use the Bentley switching and changed the screen, I don't know how difficult it maybe but its an option. For me it was easy to just change to the BenHur and install a new head unit.
to install after market amps is not as simple as it sounds, lot of work and working out the wires, Ive done all of the working out & its all on my post.

How are you doing the rear armrest subwoofer? what did you do about the front speaker over the radio?

Do these components look like they're sufficient? I have my doubts:

Alpine S-Series 6-1/2" component speaker system (4 speakers)
Alpine-Compact 4-channel car amplifier — 50 watts RMS x 4 1

The "S" series is inexpensive and the 50 watt amp seems underpowered, but I don't know what he's doing with the stock power amp.

Basically, he's replacing the four door speakers and adding a small amp, along with the Alpine receiver. I'm not convinced.

Ive not installed the sub but will be soon i'll post as soon as its done
I don't understand why such a low powered amp
This is what I think he's doing, he's using the 2 pairs of RCA's and doing a front to rear upgrade, hence the 4 speakers, so is he still going to use the stock amp ? if so how ?
Heres my theory, I think he's going to split 1 of the RCA's to the BenHur module and send the audio to the stock amp and like I said use the front & rear RCA's to drive the new amp & speakers. Total waste of time.
If thats not what he's doing and doing away with the stock amp then its way under power & what's he going to do with the PDC beeps (parking sensors)
I would go & have a word with him before he dismantals the system ...
Your car a 12 speaker setup, why is he replacing 4 speakers when there are 3 speakers each in the doors, what's he replacing, the mids, bass or rear bass, then there's 2 mids & 2 tweeters in the rear, 2 tweeters in the front pillars.
You mentioned front speaker over the radio, thats not a speaker, its part of the heating system, yes it looks like a speaker grill but its not ... lol
Your better off just leaving the setup as it is with the stock amp ...
Read my Post:- Bentley GT 2006, Speaker wiring colour codes.

I would do some research to see what’s this shops experience with cars like this is. Most ppl would think just as your shop does, change the 4 speakers in the car and all is well. Do they even know how many speakers are in the car total? Changing just the door speakers to me is not practical UNLESS your doing this in phases. But even that is pointless because you have 3 speakers in each door and you don’t want your panels repeatedly being taken off. Look around, ask around about other shops. Go look to see what type of pictures they have of the installs they have done. Pay attention to the type of cars.

Your guy's advice is really good, but I just looked at a completed Ben Hur/Alpine install in a GT yesterday at the shop, they have a lot of experience with the Bentleys. I think he is trying to keep the cost down for me, since the Ben Hur/Alpine Halo, plus the extras I want is $5k by itself. I don't want to say, "Nah man, let's do it RIGHT" because I don't have any interest in paying for branding, I don't have homies to impress with a flashy stereo. On the other hand, the speakers in this thing are either a) blown, or b) terrible to start with or c) both, so I know I need new door speakers. I could do the tweeters too and I'd love a subwoofer, but other than (above) can't figure out where it would even go.

The install I looked at yesterday was fine, it looked good, the Ben Hur is kinda cheap looking. This is not my car, it's an example I stopped in to see. It looks fine.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...445aac686e.jpg

Ok... I have a Ben Hur also and though it could have been better, it’s our only option.
What yr is your car?

You need to ask the installer what configuration is he installing the new amp and speakers as its not just plug & play. As TeanJones & myself have said you need to do some research before you or anyone starts pulling the car apart.
Do you know how many speakers are in your vehicle 10 or 12.
You say you want a sub thats easy, install it where the ski hatch is, then leave the armrest down or up its up to you.

Just finished watching Alpine Performance "amp removal". First, jeez there were a lot of wires. Second, he said, "These amps are a known problem on the Bentleys". Is it possible i have a bad power amp, not bad speakers? If so, anyone have any clue how to test it?

Im not sure what your trying to do but it seems like your only doing bits here & there, but as you say the guys who are doing your upgrade are professionals then Im sure they will sort it ...

The stock 350 watt amp rarely had a problem, the NAIM amps on the other hand went bad quite often in the earlier builds because of cramming 1100 watt and no cooling fan into a small package, NAIM reportedly left the cooling fan off the amp as to have no sound interference, but then overheated the amp when cranking the volume, I will be installing a in and out fan on my NAIM amp install.

i count ten. Two tweeters in front, two in rear, two speakers in each door and one speaker in each rear armrest.

i told him your concerns, he says you’re right about the beeps and factory amp and he said the speakers were specified as a “basic upgrade”.

sounds like he understands the car.

Interestingly, when I ran my first ODB, it had a bunch of stereo errors. Stereo was in “1 wire mode”, right speaker had an open, front left tweeter was shorted to ground...but I cleared the codes and ran it again with the radio playing and no codes at all for the stereo.

Hmm.

what kind of 6.5” speakers should I buy?

Your car has 12 speakers, not 10.
3 speakers in the door, each side.
You say your professional installer knows what his doing, then surly he must know your vehicle is a 12 speaker setup ...

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...7a4a13b85d.jpg

I believe you, but I'm missing two speakers somewhere then. On one side, there's a tweeter above the dash on left, two speakers in the door, one speaker below rear arm rest and one tweeter above at ear level in the back.

Are the black rings on the overhead tweeters? that's all I can imagine for the last two. Stereo shop hasn't mentioned total number of speakers, that was from me. He just quoted me on a total top-end Focal system with a sub and a big power amp, it's crazy expensive but Focal gets awesome reviews, I dunno.

I just re-read what you wrote, I'll have to check the doors again. I counted two in the door and one in the rear below the armrest. Maybe there are three? I guess I looked at it wrong.