New Headunit and underseat sub.

[unclefester]

I've grown tired of the Sony unit in the car and I knew with the earlier UK cars at least, the speakers are good and that it's the Headunit that's the weakest link. Yes the double DIN replacement is ugly but the Sony isn't exactly pretty, it doesn't have Android Auto and I'm sick of having a mobile stuck to the screen. I know enough to know that I needed a unit with crossover control so i can take the low frequencies away from the main speakers and the existing Sony unit wasn't capable of that. Some of the benefits here are that less low frequencies in the doors / rear 3/4s means less panel vibration and that means less need for sound deadening and damping. All of which should clean up the sound significantly without making for a complicated install in winter. I also didn't want to drive a sub using high level inputs - so yet another nail in the coffin for the Sony unit.

Ordered the following;

Connects2 CTKFD16 https://connects2.com/Product/ProductItem/CTKFD16
Kenwood DMX5020DABS https://www.kenwood.eu/car/navigation_multimedia/multimedia/DMX5020DABS/
Kenwood KSC-PSW8 https://www.kenwood.eu/car/speakers/subwoofers/KSC-PSW8/

Also ordered a basic amp fitting kit and i'll be doing the fitting over a couple of lunch hours at work when it's daylight. Will be leaving the passenger seat at home for a few days as that gives me plenty of space to work and do the wiring properly. Amp power will be coming direct from the battery via a fused live cable, I've seen other folk T'ing into the interior fusebox but that's not a route I'll be going down.

UK car so the plastic box you have under your passenger seat is under my Drivers seat but that's fine. I'm the only one who uses the car so under the passenger seat is good for me as it can be completely hidden and velcro'd flush to the floor. I also know the Kenwood sub isn't going to rattle my glass out, fine by me! My days of multiple subs and amps and driving around setting off car alarms are long gone, I just want a little interior refresh and better SQ. The Kenwood seems to be the better of what's available in that size and at that price point.

Will take a few pics as i go - although i imagine this has been covered to death and then some.

 

[unclefester]

Well that's a job I never want to do again.

A right palaver routing cables, shenanigans with the connection interface kit, challenges with the mounting facia and a non standard ISO connector meaning the amp remote isn't connected.

Anyhoo that will be sorted this week along with a DAB splitter and a standard ISO male to female connector so I can split out what I need from the headunit before the Connects2 harness stuffs it up.

Good job the Kenwood is a 1/3rd depth unit cos the crap you have to stuff behind it would be a nightmare with a full size double din.

Kenwood PSC W8 sub fits perfectly under the seat.

 

[M-Sport fan]

I was thinking of eventually swapping out the head unit for an aftermarket one of some sort (Kenwood, Alpine, etc.), but your struggles with this have now convinced me otherwise.
I will have to live with some upgraded speakers and a decent DSP of some kind to help out the sound of the Sony, and to replace whatever gets toasted in the future.

 

[unclefester]

Give me a week to heal my fingers/ sort out the wiring and install issues and report back on the SQ before calling it a crap shoot

I'm not a novice at this stuff but even then I reckon it's a solid half days work!

Biggest complaint will be driving around for a week with half my dash hanging out. Going to work on it over my lunch break as its the only time I've got daylight.

If I had a MK8 I'd have gone the DSP route, no question

 

[Jabbit]

Any pictures of the dash? Is the UK dash different than USDM or would this kit work for the US?

 

[unclefester]

https://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/con...7-black-car-stereo-fascia-surround-panel.html

This is allegedly the one I need and not

https://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/con...o-black-double-din-car-stereo-fascia-kit.html

Which is the one that comes in the kit

https://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/con...12-car-stereo-fitting-kit-black-and-grey.html

Which is the right harness and adapters but the wrong fascia.

Thankfully the supplier is happy to exchange the parts so it hasn't cost me anything but time.

Crimped up the wheel remote lead at lunchtime and I should get the replacement fascia later this week. Supplier is going to confirm with Connects2 that its correct.

As to whether these kits are different for USDM, I don't know but I'd doubt it.

Still a right royal fack about.

 

[unclefester]

One of the plus sides of the new system is that now there's a separate speaker, rear parking sensors no longer cut out a bluetooth phone call or music.

 

[unclefester]

Talked to Connects2 today - hopeless. They have no idea what their own products are for.

Copy of the email to my supplier.

"The harness I’ve got in my car right now is definitely the CTFSO008.2 as the CTFSO005 harness does not have the speaker unit.

So the CTKFD17 kit for the 2010 to 2012 Fiesta actually contains the wrong harness for that car but the right fascia panels. So to be clear if you talk to anyone else with a MK7.5 2014 Fiesta ST, they need the following;

CTFSO008.2 for the harness
CT23FD17 for the fascia if it’s double DIN
CT24FD33 for the fascia if it’s single DIN

NOT the CTKFD17 kit

But I can tell you categorically that the CTFSO008.2 harness does NOT provide an aerial / amp remote live. So if you get anyone else with that harness who thinks their amp is broken, it’s most likely not the amp. They just need to find an alternative switched live feed or fit one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inex-Femal...ords=iso+male+to+female&qid=1637667139&sr=8-3 that lets me T in the amp remote turn on before Connects2 gets hold of the wiring and mungles it to their own specification."

I struggles so much to understand stuff like this still being an issue in 2021. I've been fitting / working with Car Audio for almost 30 years and it's like nothing has improved at all.

 

[HardBoiledEgg]

I'VE DONE THE RE-SEARCH FOR A WHILE. I CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING FOR OUR FIESTA ST TO INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET RADIO

 

[dhminer]

I put an 8” sub under the false floor in the hatch and amp under passenger seat. It sounds good enough with the bass out of factory speakers and way easier.

 

[unclefester]

Well, on the basis mine's a 2014 ST-3 with factory NAV I'll document whatever i do and photograph whatever I have to butcher to make it fit. As far as i can see, the very worst i'll have to do is grind a little off the front OEM screen support and / or possibly use 3M plate tape to attach the screen to the new top cover panel.

But that's way less hassle than this has been so far

 

[M-Sport fan]

I'VE DONE THE RE-SEARCH FOR A WHILE. I CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING FOR OUR FIESTA ST TO INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET RADIO

Crutchfield, for whatever they are, or are not worth, tells me there is NOTHING, NADA, absolutely NO replacement head unit which will work in our system, retaining the touchscreen or not.

 

[HardBoiledEgg]

YUP. I HAVE A FULL SYSTEM BUT WHATS HOLDING IT BACK IS THE STOCK HEADUNIT. IF YOU HAVE AN EARLY YEAR THEY MAKE KITS BUT NOT FOR THE ST.

IM AFTER MORE VOLUME AND SOUND QUALITY. BUT IM SOL

 

[Fiestig]

Still the best solution in my opinion: https://www.fiestastforum.com/threa...our-fiesta-st-today.1441/page-451#post-409412

A year and a half later and it's still epic. Took about a week of fiddling to get it set perfect to my liking for all adjustments and levels. No aftermarket head unit needed for me.

 

[HardBoiledEgg]

I have the same converter and quality is trash

 

[Fiestig]

Hmmm... That's odd and unfortunate.. My sound quality is great

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Pictures?

 

[HardBoiledEgg]

Your idea of quality is low

 

[Fiestig]

@HardBoiledEgg Awww...Thanks man, I appreciate it...That is really nice of you to say. But the fact remains....It is still odd and unfortunate that your sound quality isn't as good as mine using the LC7i. You should really look into that..... In fact, right now would be a good time.

I was trying to help the OP with an opinion perspective to what works really well (I assume when wired and set properly). This is called being constructive... (The More You Know, shoots across the screen in a flurry of sparkles)

Now back to our regularly scheduled post thread. OP: I would also love to see pictures of what you have going on so far. Any which way it would still be great to find an aftermarket solution for a myriad of reasons.

 

[unclefester]

I do suspect some subtle differences with USA models. You get colour changing mood lights, ours are stuck on red.

Our media screen is deffo not touch sensitive either.

Will see what this new stuff lets me do.