amdhunter

First, let me say I have a Series 2, but it's a general question that may see more traffic here.

Anyone mount a tablet in the cutout in the Metra kits? I am looking for the dimensions, and then a tablet that will fit perfectly into the space.

I am tired of all the stupid teenaged-themed GUI's in every double-din radio I've seen, and I could deal with Android.

I have the kit for the 09 at home, but won't be home until late today, and I don't have a tape measure anyway.

Maybe one of you guys knows the exact dimensions?

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Been standard since 1984.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

And if you search a little bit, you'll find tons of info on CarPCs as well as some Android tablet stuff.

It was right on the first page man...

amdhunter

looooooooool, yeah. After Googling, I found my answer.

As for the link, I wanted to put it in the Double Din space, although I am wondering if I can somehow get that "case" for the top that some series 1 users had...

Thanks!

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

If by "case" you mean the stock Navi hood, I wouldn't bother. You have an S2. It's already so much easier to integrate aftermarket audio. Put in the bondo time and strap on the sandpaper. It wouldn't take much to fab your Metra kit to fit any tablet. Just make sure the tablet you select fits in the dash. The Dell streak in that link is about 1/2"-3/4" bigger than the double din size. It may work without heavy fabrication, I don't know. Or maybe there's another tablet that's a touch smaller, I don't know. You're venturing into unknown waters. Put in the time behind the keyboard and the elbow grease.

fyrstormer

http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CKgBEPICMAU

No teenage theme here. It even has a big **** in the middle like the stock radio. The Amazon link even shows it installed in what looks like a Miata, with the optional red lighting turned on.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Pioneer makes the exact same one. P8000BT. But the Pioneer has a 3-line display with more segments per line. Other than that, they're pretty close to identical. Though my money is on the Pioneer in terms of build/material quality.

I just assumed he was looking for something a little higher-end.

Oh and FWIW, any flashy equipment inside your car looks pretty "teenage" to me. You won't catch too many middle aged men with a tablet in their car.

fyrstormer

Yeah, flashy stuff that doesn't directly pertain to driving suggests that the driver is missing the point, especially in a sports car.

Aside from that, a lot of the more popular brands of stereos, the ones with the highest watts-per-channel and 75-mode bass boost and all that ****, those are the brands that put an emphasis on volume instead of clarity, which pretty universally appeals to teenagers. So if you're looking at Sony, Rockford Fosgate, Alpine, etc, you're going to see styling targeted at teenagers too.

There is nothing low-end about the stereo I linked. It just doesn't have a zillion bells and whistles that shouldn't matter to someone who's driving instead of fiddling with settings endlessly. You tune it to sound good, and then you leave it alone and drive. When I put a Clarion in my old VW, I was amused to discover that the stock unit (which only played tapes, so it had to go regardless of quality) was *also* a Clarion. Once I finally got a CD player in that car, I was blown away by the clarity of the sound. That matters way more than touchscreen controls.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

I also don't see him spending $1,300 on a McIntosh or Nakamichi headunit to push factory speakers either...

fyrstormer

Eh, you don't need to spend THAT much on a head unit, especially not in a car like the RX-8. There is no way you could get a quiet-enough noise floor in a sports car (without turning it into a soft squishy luxury car instead) to justify such an expensive head unit; you'd never be able to hear the level of detail a Nakamichi head unit could produce, so it would be a waste of money. I've been quite happy with Clarion head units and Infinity speakers in the past; it works out to about $600 total, $1000 if you throw in a pair of good amps too.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

So what puts Clarion and Infinity in a different category than Alpine and Rockford?

amdhunter

Actually, I am not looking for "flashy" at all.

My plan was to put an Android tablet, and have the desktop show a few minimal gadgets. Probably just the clock, a nice dark wallpaper and pandora/music widgets. On my Galaxy Nexus, I only use 1 of the available 5 desktops. It would be the same for this.

Thank goodness the Metra kit is so cheap for my series, so I can make a mistake and just get another one if necessary.

The idea is minimalism. All I want is a wallpaper and handful of widgets. If it works out, it will be extremely nonchalant.

amdhunter

I am.

I made a cutout to the size of the DIN, and am going to Microcenter/B&H this weekend to match up sizes.

I think Ice Cream Sandwich will make a great OS for my needs. Just need to figure out a few quirks with the GUI and I'll be set.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Nice. Post up pics as you proceed.

fyrstormer

Honestly I don't think a tablet PC will withstand being mounted in a car for very long. Tablets aren't built to withstand sitting in a 130-degree car in the sun all day for years on-end. Car stereos are.

It sounds like a cool project, don't get me wrong, I'm just concerned about how long it will last. Consider at least adding a bit of vacuum-cleaner hose inside the dashboard to channel some air from the vents to blow on the back of the tablet, to help it cool down or warm up faster, as necessary.

fyrstormer

In my personal experience, those brands have much more of an emphasis on clarity and accuracy of sound reproduction, as opposed to generating as loud an output signal as possible without introducing *really obvious* distortion. They don't go to the same degree as some of the really high-end headunits you mentioned, but they're a good balance between quality and affordability without using flashiness and gimmicks to sell more units.

I've listened to a few other brands of car stereos in friends' cars, who were very proud of their new custom stereos, and when I put in music I like to listen to (no, not classical), I could hear a distinct lack of detail I was used to hearing on my system. I guess it's the sort of thing a non-audiophile wouldn't notice, but I'm not even really an audiophile and I could hear some muddiness in the background of the music.

My Infinity Reference tweeters were so sparkly, the first time I heard them I swear I had an actual eargasm. One of my favorite metal bands occasionally busts out a harpsichord for some of their songs and I could hear all the little reverberations, it was like I could see the strings vibrating in my mind. Never heard that on a Rockford or Sony system. Alpine and Kenwood are better, but their faceplates are...overly complex. Pioneer I have no experience with.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

All of the manufacturers we are discussing are mid-range box big brands. Each make multiple lines to suit various budgets. The Infinity Reference line is entry level. I ran them myself for 3-4 years. Great set and hard to beat for the money. But to put the Infinity or Clarion brand ahead of Rockford and Alpine, I think your opinion is misplaced. Infinity makes quality, no doubt, but Clarion's entire speaker department is mediocre at best. Both Rockford and Alpine have been churning out quality car audio equipment for over 30 years. Both produce equipment that would satisfy the palate of any audiophile. The entire Alpine Type-X speaker line is sick and their PDX amps are damn nice too. The Type-R subwoofer has really held the crown in terms of bang for the buck the past 5-6 years. Rockford's T5 component set is downright ridiculous, but even the T3 line is worthy of a listen from an audiophile. Do you have to spend a $G to get something decent from them, of course not. I'm not trying to compare apples to oranges. I'm just sticking up for some brands that have always manufactured quality components. As for specifically clarity versus volume, the installation and application have an enormous impact on the overall end output. Your friends may not know what they hell they're doing.

Sony, on the other hand, hasn't produced a quality car audio piece in something like 15+ years. Their ES-line of headunits was the last decent thing they've produced. Though they've promised big changes this year with their GS-line. Well.... looks promising, but I'll believe it when I hear it with my own ears.

Pioneer always has and still does make solid headunits. Everything else is a little weak.

amdhunter

That's actually a good concern. I've had my 1st gen iPad heat up a few times many summers ago. I'll figure something out.

amdhunter

I'm a fan of Infinity myself and have already changed the rear speakers for some Infinity Reference, and I have matching front speakers + I plan to stick some Kappa's in the tweeter area.

The speakers are slightly bright, but nothing that can't be fixed with a crossover later on (or when I finally decide to put in my LC6i LOC.)

I was handed a 250w Bazooka for free, but I'll probably dump it for a Basslink 2 before the end of summer. Bazooka is just too uncontrolled...lol

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Why you're installing a LC6i when you'll have an aftermarket headunit, I have no clue.

amdhunter

The plan to put in an aftermarket head unit was very recent. I've had the LC6i in my bedroom for about a month now just sitting pretty.

Tamas

iTrader: (1)

Which band?
Dream Theater? Opeth? Within Temptation?

And just to stay on topic, the idea of mounting a tablet with the Metra kit is an interesting one indeed... in fact I was just thinking about the same a few days ago. I'll be interested in your progress, amdhunter.

fyrstormer

Nightwish. Unfortunately they've gone downhill since they ditched the opera-trained singer. I should probably try those other bands you mentioned.

Tamas

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, Tarja was great and the new girl cannot touch her but she is actually not that bad.
If you like Nightwish, then you'd probably enjoy Within Temptation.
DT is a lot more prog and crunch (great though), Opeth - especially earlier stuff - is more death metal with growls but their compositions are awesome.
I just mentioned them because they also use harpsichord on occasion.

amdhunter

Looks way better in person and will be connected to eventually.

Stay tuned...excuse the crappy videos. Tablet has an ICS update, but I haven't done anything yet. This was a quick 20 minute mockup. Scratched the damned Metra too. I didn't even bother to set the time yet.

Not badly though. lol