Follow-up on the $7,000 stereo (currently $9,500)
Thread Starter
|
Gone, But Not Forgotten.
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 575
From: Chicago
Rep Power: 42
Follow-up on the $7,000 stereo (currently $9,500)
For those following in my footsteps, here is a followup to my stereo upgrade, Ben-Hur infotainment replacement.
1. Find a shop that's done Bentleys before, at least that's my advice. Taking apart the center console is child's play to a technician that's done it a dozen times. I didn't want someone watching Youtube videos to figure out how to not crack the wood.
2. I'm generally happy with the Ben Hur setup. My first one blew up, nobody knows why. They took it apart and found burned traces on the circuit board. I bought a second as a warranty return, it went dark too, but that was just a loose fuse. Works fine now.
3. I bought the Alpine ILX-207 as the main radio. It's fine. Not amazing, just fine. Ok. The Ben Hur people don't tell you what radios aren't compatible with the steering wheel controls, this one only the volume works, the voice command button doesn't. I don't use voice commands, so it doesn't matter, but if I had a choice, I'd buy a radio I KNEW would be 100% compatible. The Alpine screen/interface is ok, not as good as the factory one in my Cadillac. I expected more out of Alpine, considering their marketing and reputation.
4. Hard/permanent mount for the phone is a must. I love it and the face ID works.
5. I love the Focal speakers, those are great, search the thread for info on buying them from Europe for 1/2 price. They are GREAT.
6. I am not super-happy with my subwoofer setup, I undersized the speaker and the amp. Went with an 8", should have been a 12". It was an Audiomobile. Don't remember the size of the amp. Some songs when I have it cranked up to max, it will crack and make a sharp noise like someone's punching a hole in the speaker. Supposedly the amp is 600w, but that's hooey. It also only happens when I'm really cranking way too loud and only on certain songs that nail the sub perfectly
7. Retaining the stock power amp is fine, and it gets plenty loud, but I wish it went a little louder. Don't get me wrong, the mirrors still vibrate and it's louder than probably 98% of the folks needs. But just...not...quite...loud...enough for when I'm really jamming. But compared with re-wiring the whole thing with new amps? It's a no-brainer, keep the stock, it's fine.
8. Backup camera is great, I had them hook it up to a live power source so there is no lag
9. I had them hook up an HDMI outlet in the ashtray to watch my Netflix on the screen while waiting in the car, I have only spent about five minutes on it, but I still haven't gotten it to work, but the shop showed me it does. I just get a blank screen.
All-in-all, it is a great setup, some minor flaws, if you're going to spend $7,000, might as well go with a manly subwoofer and amp though. If steering wheel controls are important to you, find out a good radio for that. I bought the top-of-the-line Alpine, but maybe the equivalent Kenwood would have been a better choice.
1. Find a shop that's done Bentleys before, at least that's my advice. Taking apart the center console is child's play to a technician that's done it a dozen times. I didn't want someone watching Youtube videos to figure out how to not crack the wood.
2. I'm generally happy with the Ben Hur setup. My first one blew up, nobody knows why. They took it apart and found burned traces on the circuit board. I bought a second as a warranty return, it went dark too, but that was just a loose fuse. Works fine now.
3. I bought the Alpine ILX-207 as the main radio. It's fine. Not amazing, just fine. Ok. The Ben Hur people don't tell you what radios aren't compatible with the steering wheel controls, this one only the volume works, the voice command button doesn't. I don't use voice commands, so it doesn't matter, but if I had a choice, I'd buy a radio I KNEW would be 100% compatible. The Alpine screen/interface is ok, not as good as the factory one in my Cadillac. I expected more out of Alpine, considering their marketing and reputation.
4. Hard/permanent mount for the phone is a must. I love it and the face ID works.
5. I love the Focal speakers, those are great, search the thread for info on buying them from Europe for 1/2 price. They are GREAT.
6. I am not super-happy with my subwoofer setup, I undersized the speaker and the amp. Went with an 8", should have been a 12". It was an Audiomobile. Don't remember the size of the amp. Some songs when I have it cranked up to max, it will crack and make a sharp noise like someone's punching a hole in the speaker. Supposedly the amp is 600w, but that's hooey. It also only happens when I'm really cranking way too loud and only on certain songs that nail the sub perfectly
7. Retaining the stock power amp is fine, and it gets plenty loud, but I wish it went a little louder. Don't get me wrong, the mirrors still vibrate and it's louder than probably 98% of the folks needs. But just...not...quite...loud...enough for when I'm really jamming. But compared with re-wiring the whole thing with new amps? It's a no-brainer, keep the stock, it's fine.
8. Backup camera is great, I had them hook it up to a live power source so there is no lag
9. I had them hook up an HDMI outlet in the ashtray to watch my Netflix on the screen while waiting in the car, I have only spent about five minutes on it, but I still haven't gotten it to work, but the shop showed me it does. I just get a blank screen.
All-in-all, it is a great setup, some minor flaws, if you're going to spend $7,000, might as well go with a manly subwoofer and amp though. If steering wheel controls are important to you, find out a good radio for that. I bought the top-of-the-line Alpine, but maybe the equivalent Kenwood would have been a better choice.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 970
From: England
Rep Power: 0
For those following in my footsteps, here is a followup to my stereo upgrade, Ben-Hur infotainment replacement.
1. Find a shop that's done Bentleys before, at least that's my advice. Taking apart the center console is child's play to a technician that's done it a dozen times. I didn't want someone watching Youtube videos to figure out how to not crack the wood.
2. I'm generally happy with the Ben Hur setup. My first one blew up, nobody knows why. They took it apart and found burned traces on the circuit board. I bought a second as a warranty return, it went dark too, but that was just a loose fuse. Works fine now.
3. I bought the Alpine ILX-207 as the main radio. It's fine. Not amazing, just fine. Ok. The Ben Hur people don't tell you what radios aren't compatible with the steering wheel controls, this one only the volume works, the voice command button doesn't. I don't use voice commands, so it doesn't matter, but if I had a choice, I'd buy a radio I KNEW would be 100% compatible. The Alpine screen/interface is ok, not as good as the factory one in my Cadillac. I expected more out of Alpine, considering their marketing and reputation.
4. Hard/permanent mount for the phone is a must. I love it and the face ID works.
5. I love the Focal speakers, those are great, search the thread for info on buying them from Europe for 1/2 price. They are GREAT.
6. I am not super-happy with my subwoofer setup, I undersized the speaker and the amp. Went with an 8", should have been a 12". It was an Audiomobile. Don't remember the size of the amp. Some songs when I have it cranked up to max, it will crack and make a sharp noise like someone's punching a hole in the speaker. Supposedly the amp is 600w, but that's hooey. It also only happens when I'm really cranking way too loud and only on certain songs that nail the sub perfectly
7. Retaining the stock power amp is fine, and it gets plenty loud, but I wish it went a little louder. Don't get me wrong, the mirrors still vibrate and it's louder than probably 98% of the folks needs. But just...not...quite...loud...enough for when I'm really jamming. But compared with re-wiring the whole thing with new amps? It's a no-brainer, keep the stock, it's fine.
8. Backup camera is great, I had them hook it up to a live power source so there is no lag
9. I had them hook up an HDMI outlet in the ashtray to watch my Netflix on the screen while waiting in the car, I have only spent about five minutes on it, but I still haven't gotten it to work, but the shop showed me it does. I just get a blank screen.
All-in-all, it is a great setup, some minor flaws, if you're going to spend $7,000, might as well go with a manly subwoofer and amp though. If steering wheel controls are important to you, find out a good radio for that. I bought the top-of-the-line Alpine, but maybe the equivalent Kenwood would have been a better choice.
1. Find a shop that's done Bentleys before, at least that's my advice. Taking apart the center console is child's play to a technician that's done it a dozen times. I didn't want someone watching Youtube videos to figure out how to not crack the wood.
2. I'm generally happy with the Ben Hur setup. My first one blew up, nobody knows why. They took it apart and found burned traces on the circuit board. I bought a second as a warranty return, it went dark too, but that was just a loose fuse. Works fine now.
3. I bought the Alpine ILX-207 as the main radio. It's fine. Not amazing, just fine. Ok. The Ben Hur people don't tell you what radios aren't compatible with the steering wheel controls, this one only the volume works, the voice command button doesn't. I don't use voice commands, so it doesn't matter, but if I had a choice, I'd buy a radio I KNEW would be 100% compatible. The Alpine screen/interface is ok, not as good as the factory one in my Cadillac. I expected more out of Alpine, considering their marketing and reputation.
4. Hard/permanent mount for the phone is a must. I love it and the face ID works.
5. I love the Focal speakers, those are great, search the thread for info on buying them from Europe for 1/2 price. They are GREAT.
6. I am not super-happy with my subwoofer setup, I undersized the speaker and the amp. Went with an 8", should have been a 12". It was an Audiomobile. Don't remember the size of the amp. Some songs when I have it cranked up to max, it will crack and make a sharp noise like someone's punching a hole in the speaker. Supposedly the amp is 600w, but that's hooey. It also only happens when I'm really cranking way too loud and only on certain songs that nail the sub perfectly
7. Retaining the stock power amp is fine, and it gets plenty loud, but I wish it went a little louder. Don't get me wrong, the mirrors still vibrate and it's louder than probably 98% of the folks needs. But just...not...quite...loud...enough for when I'm really jamming. But compared with re-wiring the whole thing with new amps? It's a no-brainer, keep the stock, it's fine.
8. Backup camera is great, I had them hook it up to a live power source so there is no lag
9. I had them hook up an HDMI outlet in the ashtray to watch my Netflix on the screen while waiting in the car, I have only spent about five minutes on it, but I still haven't gotten it to work, but the shop showed me it does. I just get a blank screen.
All-in-all, it is a great setup, some minor flaws, if you're going to spend $7,000, might as well go with a manly subwoofer and amp though. If steering wheel controls are important to you, find out a good radio for that. I bought the top-of-the-line Alpine, but maybe the equivalent Kenwood would have been a better choice.
Can you find out how they hooked up the sub its interesting to know what channel they used.
Is the sub in the ski hatch or under the seat, if in the ski hatch 12" is to big, it will hit the sides, I installed a 8" & its perfect, its all about the setup & amps & how the sub is controlled.
I have an Alpine & I have all the functions on the steering wheel, I keep my mobile in the glovebox 99% of functions are done via voice command I only really touch the buttons on the steering wheel to adjust the volume & answer calls.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 908
From: Indianapolis
Rep Power: 58
For those following in my footsteps, here is a followup to my stereo upgrade, Ben-Hur infotainment replacement.
1. Find a shop that's done Bentleys before, at least that's my advice. Taking apart the center console is child's play to a technician that's done it a dozen times. I didn't want someone watching Youtube videos to figure out how to not crack the wood.
2. I'm generally happy with the Ben Hur setup. My first one blew up, nobody knows why. They took it apart and found burned traces on the circuit board. I bought a second as a warranty return, it went dark too, but that was just a loose fuse. Works fine now.
3. I bought the Alpine ILX-207 as the main radio. It's fine. Not amazing, just fine. Ok. The Ben Hur people don't tell you what radios aren't compatible with the steering wheel controls, this one only the volume works, the voice command button doesn't. I don't use voice commands, so it doesn't matter, but if I had a choice, I'd buy a radio I KNEW would be 100% compatible. The Alpine screen/interface is ok, not as good as the factory one in my Cadillac. I expected more out of Alpine, considering their marketing and reputation.
4. Hard/permanent mount for the phone is a must. I love it and the face ID works.
5. I love the Focal speakers, those are great, search the thread for info on buying them from Europe for 1/2 price. They are GREAT.
6. I am not super-happy with my subwoofer setup, I undersized the speaker and the amp. Went with an 8", should have been a 12". It was an Audiomobile. Don't remember the size of the amp. Some songs when I have it cranked up to max, it will crack and make a sharp noise like someone's punching a hole in the speaker. Supposedly the amp is 600w, but that's hooey. It also only happens when I'm really cranking way too loud and only on certain songs that nail the sub perfectly
7. Retaining the stock power amp is fine, and it gets plenty loud, but I wish it went a little louder. Don't get me wrong, the mirrors still vibrate and it's louder than probably 98% of the folks needs. But just...not...quite...loud...enough for when I'm really jamming. But compared with re-wiring the whole thing with new amps? It's a no-brainer, keep the stock, it's fine.
8. Backup camera is great, I had them hook it up to a live power source so there is no lag
9. I had them hook up an HDMI outlet in the ashtray to watch my Netflix on the screen while waiting in the car, I have only spent about five minutes on it, but I still haven't gotten it to work, but the shop showed me it does. I just get a blank screen.
All-in-all, it is a great setup, some minor flaws, if you're going to spend $7,000, might as well go with a manly subwoofer and amp though. If steering wheel controls are important to you, find out a good radio for that. I bought the top-of-the-line Alpine, but maybe the equivalent Kenwood would have been a better choice.
1. Find a shop that's done Bentleys before, at least that's my advice. Taking apart the center console is child's play to a technician that's done it a dozen times. I didn't want someone watching Youtube videos to figure out how to not crack the wood.
2. I'm generally happy with the Ben Hur setup. My first one blew up, nobody knows why. They took it apart and found burned traces on the circuit board. I bought a second as a warranty return, it went dark too, but that was just a loose fuse. Works fine now.
3. I bought the Alpine ILX-207 as the main radio. It's fine. Not amazing, just fine. Ok. The Ben Hur people don't tell you what radios aren't compatible with the steering wheel controls, this one only the volume works, the voice command button doesn't. I don't use voice commands, so it doesn't matter, but if I had a choice, I'd buy a radio I KNEW would be 100% compatible. The Alpine screen/interface is ok, not as good as the factory one in my Cadillac. I expected more out of Alpine, considering their marketing and reputation.
4. Hard/permanent mount for the phone is a must. I love it and the face ID works.
5. I love the Focal speakers, those are great, search the thread for info on buying them from Europe for 1/2 price. They are GREAT.
6. I am not super-happy with my subwoofer setup, I undersized the speaker and the amp. Went with an 8", should have been a 12". It was an Audiomobile. Don't remember the size of the amp. Some songs when I have it cranked up to max, it will crack and make a sharp noise like someone's punching a hole in the speaker. Supposedly the amp is 600w, but that's hooey. It also only happens when I'm really cranking way too loud and only on certain songs that nail the sub perfectly
7. Retaining the stock power amp is fine, and it gets plenty loud, but I wish it went a little louder. Don't get me wrong, the mirrors still vibrate and it's louder than probably 98% of the folks needs. But just...not...quite...loud...enough for when I'm really jamming. But compared with re-wiring the whole thing with new amps? It's a no-brainer, keep the stock, it's fine.
8. Backup camera is great, I had them hook it up to a live power source so there is no lag
9. I had them hook up an HDMI outlet in the ashtray to watch my Netflix on the screen while waiting in the car, I have only spent about five minutes on it, but I still haven't gotten it to work, but the shop showed me it does. I just get a blank screen.
All-in-all, it is a great setup, some minor flaws, if you're going to spend $7,000, might as well go with a manly subwoofer and amp though. If steering wheel controls are important to you, find out a good radio for that. I bought the top-of-the-line Alpine, but maybe the equivalent Kenwood would have been a better choice.
Also, I think It was in the Ben H.U.R info that the controls works with Kenwood and Pioneer radios (maybe JVC since they are under the Kenwood umbrella now too). All of my steering wheel controls work also. Even when I'm streaming and changing tracks on Tidal.
Thread Starter
|
Gone, But Not Forgotten.
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 575
From: Chicago
Rep Power: 42
I finally got a chance to ask today. The sub is in an enclosure with it's own amp, it faces forward through the ski pass-through. It was hooked up to the sound system via wires to the Alpine radio itself, which has a sub output. the sub is not connected at all to the rest of the sound system.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 970
From: England
Rep Power: 0
I finally got a chance to ask today. The sub is in an enclosure with it's own amp, it faces forward through the ski pass-through. It was hooked up to the sound system via wires to the Alpine radio itself, which has a sub output. the sub is not connected at all to the rest of the sound system.
So your using the Ben-Hur with the stock amp that means you only using from or rear outputs, thats ok but as I keep saying one is still loosing one set of channels.this means one cant control the Left/Right & Balance from the head unit all functions are done via the Ben-Hur. Personally I think at some point you will end up installing a 4 or 5 channel amp then your going to hear a totally different sound, even the sub will be more punchy.
As long as you're cool with that then all is well. Glad you got it sorted, boy you have had more than your share on that car, but you slowly getting it sorted, good man ...
Thread Starter
|
Gone, But Not Forgotten.
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 575
From: Chicago
Rep Power: 42
This is an interesting discussion. I don't have a seperate **** for the subwoofer, it's controlled straight through the Alpine, the sub ranges from 0-15, I keep it around 10 or so, maybe a little higher or it pops at full volume on the radio. I can fade left/right and front/back, in fact, I've faded it to a rear bias, since the front tweeters on the A-pillars are too trebly for me, I want a bassier sound. In fact, although I love the Focal speakers, I would rather have different tweeters, they're just too loud and too high-pitched. Right now, I have the system biases about 20% to the rear seats. The Ben Hur allows you to fade or use digital signal processing as well, I have played with it and in the end, I just leave it alone and do everything through the Alpine.
As I said, I'm happy with it, I would be happier with multiple amps and a bigger sub, but honestly, the amount of wiring and modifications doesn't make it worth it for me, I just like cranking tunes and the backup camera. The stock infotainment unit is seriously junk.
As I said, I'm happy with it, I would be happier with multiple amps and a bigger sub, but honestly, the amount of wiring and modifications doesn't make it worth it for me, I just like cranking tunes and the backup camera. The stock infotainment unit is seriously junk.
Trending Topics
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 970
From: England
Rep Power: 0
This is an interesting discussion. I don't have a seperate **** for the subwoofer, it's controlled straight through the Alpine, the sub ranges from 0-15, I keep it around 10 or so, maybe a little higher or it pops at full volume on the radio. I can fade left/right and front/back, in fact, I've faded it to a rear bias, since the front tweeters on the A-pillars are too trebly for me, I want a bassier sound. In fact, although I love the Focal speakers, I would rather have different tweeters, they're just too loud and too high-pitched. Right now, I have the system biases about 20% to the rear seats. The Ben Hur allows you to fade or use digital signal processing as well, I have played with it and in the end, I just leave it alone and do everything through the Alpine.
As I said, I'm happy with it, I would be happier with multiple amps and a bigger sub, but honestly, the amount of wiring and modifications doesn't make it worth it for me, I just like cranking tunes and the backup camera. The stock infotainment unit is seriously junk.
As I said, I'm happy with it, I would be happier with multiple amps and a bigger sub, but honestly, the amount of wiring and modifications doesn't make it worth it for me, I just like cranking tunes and the backup camera. The stock infotainment unit is seriously junk.
1 question when you say your balancing left & right or fading front & rear are you doing it through the Alpine or the Ben-Hur, you going to get fed up of me saying this but Ive got to make sure its right for you,
The Ben-Hur only uses 1 set of channels that means one cant use the fading & balancing on the head unit, this means when the head unit was connected with the Ben-Hur only the front RCA's or rear RCA's were used.
Let me us know, Thanks ...
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 44
From: Wrentham, MA
Rep Power: 0
I did a BEN-HUR upgrade over the past summer on an '06 BCGT. At a local high end car audio shop in metro Boston. I did not feel the need to upgrade anything else, speakers, amps and camera etc as all was sounding excellent. This is a very straight forward job that does not require Bentley specific knowledge. I did end up with an Android Auto problem that is well documented in the Google threads on the subject. I do not account the problem to the shop that did the work, as they did an excellent job. The lesson learned here is the USB cable that you use is critical for success, and you cannot have any splices in the USB cable. Which kind of destroys the definition of USB because they all do not work with Android Auto. Check the Google thread on Android Auto for the recommended cable to use.
My bottom line is this. With an Alpine iLX-650 the total cost was less than $3000. And everything works as in the original system. Someone with basic knowledge of car stereo system could do the work on a Saturday. I could have done the work myself, but just did not want the hassle of any unknown problem that may have cropped up. After solving the AA issue, I am totally satisfied with the BEN-HUR system.
My bottom line is this. With an Alpine iLX-650 the total cost was less than $3000. And everything works as in the original system. Someone with basic knowledge of car stereo system could do the work on a Saturday. I could have done the work myself, but just did not want the hassle of any unknown problem that may have cropped up. After solving the AA issue, I am totally satisfied with the BEN-HUR system.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 970
From: England
Rep Power: 0
I did a BEN-HUR upgrade over the past summer on an '06 BCGT. At a local high end car audio shop in metro Boston. I did not feel the need to upgrade anything else, speakers, amps and camera etc as all was sounding excellent. This is a very straight forward job that does not require Bentley specific knowledge. I did end up with an Android Auto problem that is well documented in the Google threads on the subject. I do not account the problem to the shop that did the work, as they did an excellent job. The lesson learned here is the USB cable that you use is critical for success, and you cannot have any splices in the USB cable. Which kind of destroys the definition of USB because they all do not work with Android Auto. Check the Google thread on Android Auto for the recommended cable to use.
My bottom line is this. With an Alpine iLX-650 the total cost was less than $3000. And everything works as in the original system. Someone with basic knowledge of car stereo system could do the work on a Saturday. I could have done the work myself, but just did not want the hassle of any unknown problem that may have cropped up. After solving the AA issue, I am totally satisfied with the BEN-HUR system.
My bottom line is this. With an Alpine iLX-650 the total cost was less than $3000. And everything works as in the original system. Someone with basic knowledge of car stereo system could do the work on a Saturday. I could have done the work myself, but just did not want the hassle of any unknown problem that may have cropped up. After solving the AA issue, I am totally satisfied with the BEN-HUR system.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 908
From: Indianapolis
Rep Power: 58
You hit the nail on the head. unknown issues, so no its not a job for everyone on a Saturday morning, Android Auto will work with any phone on any head unit as long as one has the App, the head unit just mirrors the phone, either via USB or Bluetooth works both ways ...
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 970
From: England
Rep Power: 0
Yea Rico, when AA first came out in the states it was an issue with it. It only worked with a few phones but they release it anyway. It took them almost a yr to get it sorted. I tried it in both my radios in the beginning and it was horrible. I hear now it’s better but have switched to an iPhone. But I still have an Note 8 laying around I can test it on. I really wish they would put mirroring on these head units so that we can cut out all the hdmi wires and cords.
Im working with Alpine with the UK head office tech department to come up with a new firmware, I can't say much now as we still in the process, I'll tell more later. Also the software company Seagate who I had a very interesting conversation with yesterday re head units.
Im going to have a coffee & then or pm or email you ...
Thread Starter
|
Gone, But Not Forgotten.
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 575
From: Chicago
Rep Power: 42
Someone with basic knowledge of car stereo system could do the work on a Saturday. I could have done the work myself, but just did not want the hassle of any unknown problem that may have cropped up. After solving the AA issue, I am totally satisfied with the BEN-HUR system.
I agree, it looks like a very straightforward install. I changed out all the speakers, added a backup camera and added a subwoofer, which turned it into not a Saturday morning job, I didn't want to take off door panels and run wires to the camera, so it was easier to whip out a credit card versus trying to put speaker enclosures together.
In the end, it doesn't really matter what we think of it, because it is what it is, it's not like we have any other choices. And the price shows they know this.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 908
From: Indianapolis
Rep Power: 58
I finally got around to ordering my speakers again after the first debacle and they just passed through customs in Franklin Park. Instead of going through a UK seller I want with one from Italy. Ordered on the 7th and they should be here on the 14th. Now I can start to finalize my audio system.
Last edited by TeamJones1962; Oct 12, 2019 at 06:43 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
