Sound system ideas needed

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Sound system ideas needed

December 02, 2018, 03:30:54 pm

Our 2000, 34' U270, has speakers in the windshield overhead and in the master bed which are hooked up to the dash stereo head unit. This provides sound for radio and streaming via Bluetooth to our phone apps and Sirius unit (via the Aux input on the head unit). Our TV works through its internal speaker and we have wireless Bluetooth headsets that allow the TV to be sound without having to run the internal speaker.

The challenge is that Karen wants better sound while she works in the kitchen (she said this is important only for the dash stereo head unit). My only thought is to run additional speaker wires and flush mount a speaker Below the overhead cabinets over the dining room table. Could be a mono speaker but not sure if headunit can drive additional speaker.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #1 – December 02, 2018, 03:46:00 pm

Quote from: floridarandy – December 02, 2018, 03:30:54 pm

Our 2000, 34' U270, has speakers in the windshield overhead and in the master bed which are hooked up to the dash stereo head unit. This provides sound for radio and streaming via Bluetooth to our phone apps and Sirius unit (via the Aux input on the head unit). Our TV works through its internal speaker and we have wireless Bluetooth headsets that allow the TV to be sound without having to run the internal speaker.

The challenge is that Karen wants better sound while she works in the kitchen (she said this is important only for the dash stereo head unit). My only thought is to run additional speaker wires and flush mount a speaker Below the overhead cabinets over the dining room table. Could be a mono speaker but not sure if headunit can drive additional speaker.

We have a similar need... our in dash radio stopped working some time ago... not interested in fixing the old school in dash system. But we have the mounted OEM speakers over windshield and in bedroom. We have been using a single Bluetooth speaker to our phone apps when wifi is available.. but would like to use the existing speakers or update to Bluetooth but not sure we can find (4) Bluetooth speakers running in parallel and connect to our iPad or iPhones. .

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #2 – December 02, 2018, 05:21:46 pm

Try some of the big online electronics distributers. I get a couple catalogs each year from Crutchfield - they seem to carry a wide range of sound solutions. There are others just as good...

Crutchfield: Car Stereo, Speakers, Home Theater, Pro Audio, 4k TV

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #3 – December 02, 2018, 06:37:04 pm

Sound bar?

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #4 – December 02, 2018, 07:01:09 pm

We have a Bose Mini Sound Link. Great sound. Easy fit in a smaller spot. Depends on what you want.

Amazon.com: Bose soundlink Mini II Limited Edition Bluetooth Speaker:...

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #5 – December 02, 2018, 07:49:29 pm

I've pulled the plug on the factory Bose unit and will remove it from the coach soon. Here's why. I bought this on a whim last year at Walmart so that I could have wireless sound at my dry campsite with the "other" coach. Amazon.com: Anker SoundCore Boost 20W Bluetooth Speaker with BassUp Technolog... It blew the doors off Klipsch, JBL, and 20 others at the test stand....the depth, fidelity and bass response are simply amazing. Charge it off any USB port. Will get another for the bedroom in the FT. Under $80! Woody.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #6 – December 02, 2018, 08:18:13 pm

I bought a Monoprice soundbar for $40 with a usb port so I can listen to all my downloaded music. Tomorrow I'll try it out at the coach. The Bose isn't working too well so if this works I'll mount it under the front cabinet by the tv. I'm not an audiophile so this should work for us. If so I'll be pulling out the Bose too.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #7 – December 02, 2018, 08:53:53 pm

We did something similar in our 36, Great sound - even if you are in the kitchen.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #8 – December 02, 2018, 10:52:52 pm

Someone already pulled our Bose and added a real ugly sound bar under the TV and two more speakers that aren't hooked up that have to go. They make it look like the TV has two big ears and a dirty chin, and the sound bar is in my line-of-sight. I have switched out the dash radio for an Apple Car Play radio, and by splicing into the wires from the previous one, it plays to four Alpine speakers mounted under the cabinets and up by the windshield. They are fine for an audio book but not for music. They appear to be original.

I wish we had a working or non-working Bose still in the coach as a starting place. I assume the wires are still there but no speakers or mounts. I see where they were once mounted on brackets under the cabinets and up front. There is a pair of wires back where the sub woofer would have been under the sink. My guess is that the Bose wires are all still there somewhere but I haven't seen any speakers and brackets online or at Best Buy that I liked the looks of. I have a Yamaha amp like the one that we put in our last coach that will fit in the cabinet up front but I don't have any surround speakers to wire it up and haven't seen any I like.

Did the Alpine speakers come with the coach? Why do people get rid of a working Bose? The built in Bose in the bedroom works great. We just would rather sleep there and watch movies on the front TV.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #9 – December 02, 2018, 11:03:51 pm

Our OEM bose still works. We have the front TV connected to it and a wired connection to plug in mobile devices. There are wifi rcvrs you can get so that BlueTooth will work. Most if the time it is easier to link to the Bose SoundLink Mini or to the Amazon Echo Show.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #10 – December 03, 2018, 07:11:25 am

We just had the original Bose system removed from our coach in favor of a soundbar. David may still have the components.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #11 – December 03, 2018, 08:04:23 am

If you wanted to keep things simple we use one of these Amazon.com: Bose soundlink Mini II Limited Edition Bluetooth Speaker: Home... It's got surprisingly full sound for such a small device.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #12 – December 03, 2018, 09:03:35 am

Quote from: Johnstons – December 02, 2018, 10:52:52 pm

Someone already pulled our Bose and added a real ugly sound bar under the TV and two more speakers that aren't hooked up that have to go. They make it look like the TV has two big ears and a dirty chin, and the sound bar is in my line-of-sight. I have switched out the dash radio for an Apple Car Play radio, and by splicing into the wires from the previous one, it plays to four Alpine speakers mounted under the cabinets and up by the windshield. They are fine for an audio book but not for music. They appear to be original.

I wish we had a working or non-working Bose still in the coach as a starting place. I assume the wires are still there but no speakers or mounts. I see where they were once mounted on brackets under the cabinets and up front. There is a pair of wires back where the sub woofer would have been under the sink. My guess is that the Bose wires are all still there somewhere but I haven't seen any speakers and brackets online or at Best Buy that I liked the looks of. I have a Yamaha amp like the one that we put in our last coach that will fit in the cabinet up front but I don't have any surround speakers to wire it up and haven't seen any I like.

Did the Alpine speakers come with the coach? Why do people get rid of a working Bose? The built in Bose in the bedroom works great. We just would rather sleep there and watch movies on the front TV.

Rick, I have a listing under the classified post for a Bose system, it is in my way in the shop. I'll give it to anyone that will pay shipping. It has most of the speaker wires but not all.
Chris

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #13 – December 03, 2018, 09:13:30 am

I'm heading from Oklahoma to Virginia right down I-40 for Christmas if you will be around.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #14 – December 03, 2018, 02:14:24 pm

Quote from: Johnstons – December 03, 2018, 09:13:30 am

I'm heading from Oklahoma to Virginia right down I-40 for Christmas if you will be around.

I sent you a message if we are home stop by
Chris

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #15 – December 03, 2018, 11:42:48 pm

I cut shallow mount car audio speakers into the underside of the cabinets for surround sound but the same thing would work with a mono speaker in the kitchen area. I can't get a picture right now but it looks very "stock" as long as you find an auto speaker that has a normal looking speaker grill (which is getting harder to find). IIRC had to be less than a 2" mounting depth which really limits your options but they are out there.

I've ditched the dash mounted receiver but from what I remember, I think you should be fine with running a separate set of cables and perhaps hooking them up to the rear speaker hookups on the receiver.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #16 – December 04, 2018, 09:35:58 am

Just get a good set of seperate speakers and a quality player and turn the volume up,would maybe get a subwoofer,surround
sound is good for movies but for music you can't beat stereo,if she want's it blaring in the ear get a set of wireless haedphones.
The kitchen is give or take 8 feet from the front, my opinion you'll hear it fine from there.Crutchfield is good if you need help to
install but there are some models and brands they don't sell and they are not the cheapest.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #17 – December 04, 2018, 09:22:39 pm

Thanks to all. We've decided not to run the wire and cut in new speaker(s). Karen will try our Bose Soundlink and stream content when she's in the kitchen.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #18 – December 04, 2018, 10:49:29 pm

We like our soundlink mini. We can put it any where it needs to be including outdoors. Give it a try.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #19 – December 04, 2018, 11:35:05 pm

Computer audio devices are all small and high-end units may have what you are looking for.

For many years we have a great Logitech 5.1 system with front left & right, rear left & right speakers hanging from under side cabinets, plus center and sub-woofer speakers.

Computer gamers demand strong audio and there are many suppliers trying to satisfy the need. Costs are always lower and units are smaller than comparable home audio.

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #20 – December 06, 2018, 10:23:11 am

I used Aiwa in-dash units for years because they sounded great and the bass was terrific. I'm sorry they are no longer making them.

From my experience with Aiwa I'll bet this sounds great;
Amazon.com: Aiwa Exos-9 Portable Bluetooth Speaker: Electronics

Re: Sound system ideas needed

Reply #21 – December 06, 2018, 04:53:28 pm

Aiwa was financed by Sony since 1969 and acquired and shut down by Sony in 2002. For last 12 years I've had the best sound from Alpine. You do get better sound from their $250 radio compared to their $150 radio. I've had both. Check their website for information. Crutchfield Carrie's them.

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