Vintage vibes radio

[Loyalpoke]

I've been looking for a radio that will fit in the dash. I found one made by vintage vibes on amazon. The concept is cool. Looks vintage until you turn it on then it is a modern stereo, with all bells and whistles. Does anyone have any experience with them? The price is not too bad either, $169 for 200w with aux input but no bluetooth and $229 for 300w with bluetooth. I don't know much about stereos, is 50 watts per channel sufficient to hear without doors on? I have 2- 4 1/2" kickers in original dash location. They claim they will fit and they are not too deep to get into the ductwork.

 

[walkerhoundvm]

You may have found it by now, but there's either a thread here on this site or over on Jeep Forum covering this model. Most of the reviews I read were positive.

Can't remember who it was - Manhattan, maybe? Who may no longer be on this site, but anyway I think he may have had some fancy modern set up. Bluetooth and such.

 

[jammer1]

On amazon here's the link (for those interested) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X6AKMHW...TF8&colid=3M7OWGNBNDQQU&coliid=I3BJ3ZMJ12FSU4. The manufacture is Custom Autosound, they are the ones honoring the warranty and though the part number is a little different (both have 630 in the number) and no pic it would be interesting to contact them for more info. http://www.classiccarstereos.com/SEARCH.html?q=jeep+cj7. Going to save this info for later in the build. If good it sounds like a neat setup.

 

[certifiablejeep]

works fine, easy install... only issue I had was a bad inline fuse had broken during shipping.

cb

 

[Loyalpoke]

thank you! it looks like they have knobs now that match the OEM too. Of course only available on the more expensive unit. I'm going to order one. Also need an an antenna, I think I will use Omix ada that replaces the original.

 

[SHLTR2]

I have one. The tapedeck is a little clunky, and I haven't used the bluetooth link, but the radio seems fine.

 

[jerseyjeeps]

I have a retro sound unit that came in a scrambler but was never used just sat in the dash. I took it out and it is for sale for $80 if it helps anyone out looking for one.

 

[jerseyjeeps]

 

[Breal]

thank you! it looks like they have knobs now that match the OEM too. Of course only available on the more expensive unit. I'm going to order one. Also need an an antenna, I think I will use Omix ada that replaces the original.

Any updates on this? Did you get one installed and how do like it? How's the fit and finish? Any pics with it installed?

 

[Loyalpoke]

I bought the vintage vibes radio. everything fit in my original holes in the dash. I got the 300 watt model with the original looking black knobs. Good value in my opinion. $220 i think. I'l post pics when i can.

 

[Breal]

I bought the vintage vibes radio. everything fit in my original holes in the dash. I got the 300 watt model with the original looking black knobs. Good value in my opinion. $220 i think. I'l post pics when i can.

Awesome, pics would be great. I ended up buying a similar model radio from retrosound. It's still in transit being shipped. I'll follow up with pics as well once installed. Could be a few weeks before I can get to it.

 

[Moabite]

If an audio equipment manufacturer does not publish detailed specs for its products, that is usually because sound quality is not a priority. I went with a RetroSound Model Two (received yesterday) since it appears to be a much higher quality unit with honest specs. The Vintage Vibes units tout 200 or 300 watts, and you can bet that is peak power rather than RMS (continuous power). RMS ratings are considered to be true power. Peak power (the maximum power a piece of equipment can deliver for an instant) is used to make an audio product seem more powerful than it actually is because most folks believe that larger numbers are better. Since even the Vintage Vibes website does not reveal RMS specs for their head units, I would not even consider one.

Very few head units have enough power to allow music to be heard cleanly over road noise (especially in an old Jeep with the top down). I've always installed separate amps under a seat in my Jeeps. This time, I chose the Rockford Fosgate PBR300x2 that will produce 100 watts RMS into 2 channels with a 4 ohm load. It also arrived yesterday. There was a Rockford Fosgate amp in the Jeep when I sold it, but it was removed and given away by the guy who lovingly cared for my precious Scrambler for the last 20 years. He wasn't an audiophile.

Many years ago, I built custom speaker boxes for the Scrambler that house 6x9 speakers. They are 29 inches long and fill the area between the door sill and floorboard, from the front of the door to the seat belt anchors. They are still in perfect shape but I intend to pull them next week, sand them down, and re-varnish them. They will then get a set of new Polk DXi691 speakers. I will post some pix of them during the re-finishing process, and after the re-installation.

After listening to the new system, I will decide if I want to install a separate powered subwoofer. I don't think I will need to do so since the Polks have a frequency response down to 35 Hz and the amp will produce plenty of clean power.

If you push a Vintage Vibes unit even close to the point of producing the advertised 200-300 watts, the music will be HIGHLY distorted...and you stand a very good chance of damaging your speakers. Personally, if I'm cruising down a canyon with the music cranked and singin' "Don't Fence Me In" along with Willie and Leon, I want the coyotes, rabbits, lizards, and the occasional Big Horn to be able to understand the lyrics.

 

[wm69]

I remember getting into the RMS vs peak section of an old Crutchfield catalog back in the day. I upgraded from a 2 post Pioneer digital radio with casette to a Kenwood detachable face with 15W RMS and 45W peak x 4 channels (and cut my dash up!) and thought I was really bumping.

Still have that old Pioneer in the 83 GMC. Radio sounds like crap now, but the tape deck still sounds ok.

 

[AJM81CJ8]

Moabite: Where do your boxesmount the 6x9's? In front or behind the seats? I have a set of Infinity Reference series 6x9s and a set of 5.25" to use in my Scrambler. I have been looking for a mounting solution for the 6x9s. I was going to mount the 5.25s in the stock location in the dash. Also looking a the retrosound head unit. I have a brand new Yamaha head unit from the mid-eighties that I've been contemplating using. It doesn't have a built in amp, so I would have to run an external amp. Oh, darn.

 

[Moabite]

I hope this helps. I tried to describe it above but probably did not do a very good job. The boxes conform to the body of the Jeep and seal against it. These are "before" pix taken a few minutes ago. I installed them at least 30 years ago and they haven't been removed since. They will look MUCH better after I refinish them next week and install the new Polks. I will also seal them against the sheet metal with closed cell foam tape rather than the messy silicone caulk. They are currently filled with fiberglass batting but I will be using Acousta-Stuff on the new install.

These boxes also provide a GREAT footrest when the doors are off. The only problem they create is that I have to slant my foot at a weird angle to apply the parking brake. I wanted the boxes to have as much volume as possible, so I utilized all the space I possibly could along the door sill. The boxes provide about 3.5 inches of mounting depth with the 6x9's top-mounted.

 

[AJM81CJ8]

Nice. What would you think about putting them so the speakers are behind the seats as the 6"x9"s will provide nice bass response but having a "matching" pair of 5 1/4" speakers in the dash to provide the higher frequency sounds? Also, if one were to move the speakers to the back end, could the box be shortened up at all to give better clearance for the parking brake pedal, ect.? Since you've created what is in essence a sealed box, does it require a bunch of power to get good sound out of it? What about adding a port to the end opposite the speaker?

Sorry about all of the questions, but I am really interested in doing something similar, and am just trying to explore all angles.

 

[Moabite]

The space under the door sill is unused space so I'm not losing any storage area putting the boxes in that location. I like to save as much of the cargo area behind the seats as possible. However, it took quite a while to design and build the boxes. You could probably use generic enclosures behind the seats. If you look at the first pic, you can see that a 6x9 speaker would not fit at the other end of the box because of the floor rise. A ported box is always another option. I think a sealed box provides tighter bass (less muddy and boomy)...but yes, it requires more power. As I said in a previous post, the Polks will be tried first as full-range speakers. If necessary, I will cut down on the bass sent to them and install a powered sub under a seat.

 

[Breal]

Awesome, pics would be great. I ended up buying a similar model radio from retrosound. It's still in transit being shipped. I'll follow up with pics as well once installed. Could be a few weeks before I can get to it.

I got my new retrosound radio installed today. It's the model two by retrosound and has bluetooth for hands free phone calls in addition to using bluetooth to play itunes, pandora, spotify etc... I also installed a USB/Aux Input(headphone Jack) in the glove box so passengers can hook up their phones and I can also connect my iPhone and it will charge and allow me to control and play itunes from the radio face plate. It obviously doesn't look exactly like the OEM radios but is much closer than what I had in there.

 

[Breal]

Here's an OEM one for comparison.

 

[Moabite]

Looks great. I hope to install mine today. Maybe I need to order a USB flush mount adapter. Just curious...when did the odometer go to just 5 digits (plus tenths)? Mine has 6 digits plus tenths.