Hidden-Radio Options

[Exile]

Hey all.  I'd been thinking about doing this for a while and was wondering if anyone had any input.  Now that I'm making some significant progress on my 280 build and getting it more and more streetable, I figured it was time to look into audio options.

 

For starts, I really don't care to have a radio.  I tore out the old one and savagely beat it into submission with a length of rebar for funsies, but I did want to have an audio system that was still integral to the car.  I imagined a system that's bluetooth and/or 3.5mm inline only.  I thought of something as simple as one of those little portable bluetooth speakers custom-mounted where the radio used to be, but I also don't want the audio quality to be hot garbage.  Not to mention charging would become an issue as well if it were to be hard-mounted.  So then I thought "surely there are bluetooth receivers that are just that, and you can just wire them to speakers of your choice, right?"

 

Well, I looked into it, and I actually found a few options that would do pretty much exactly what I want it to do!  The cheapest option seems to be getting a "marine" audio unit that's supposed to be used on boats.  It's meant to be a supplement to an existing audio system, and the BT receiver just splices into the existing wiring, but I've seen write-ups of people who take the receiver, hook it up to an amp, and wire it into their car.  A system like that can work for around $100-$150, which seems pretty reasonable for what is effectively a completely custom audio system.  Another option I found, which I far prefer for it's simplicity, is a module called Out of Sight Audio: http://www.outofsightaudio.com/home.html.

 

But oh my god, $250 for a 2-channel module and $300 for 4-channels?  What the hell?  I mean, I guess you pay for the amplification as well, but that seems ridiculous.  It's a glorified Bluetooth stereo, surely this can be done for cheaper!

 

Well, anyways, I was wondering if anyone else has done something like this with their Z, what you did, how you did it, what products you used, etc.

[jhm]

I've got something along the lines of what you're thinking.  Pre-built speaker cabinet that tucks easily into the rear hatch area.  (Can leave the stock speaker cones in, or upgrade to higher quality if desired.)  Installed a $40 multimedia car stereo unit directly into the speaker box, and wired it into the speakers....you can get an amazing amount of capability very cheaply these days. Typically run it off my phone via Bluetooth or audio cable.  A 2-lead power connector (pos and neg) plugs into the cabinet and powers the unit; this line is powered via a switched electrical relay. 

 

Easy to unplug; easy to take in and out of the car.  Hope this helps.