Thinking of replacing CD Player...

I have an 01 jetta with the monsoon/premium cd/tape player. When the volume
is high, it will just turn down to low by itself, so I'm deciding to replace
it with an aftermarket cd deck. ( which will give me 2 cd players) 1 will be
used. Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I should
bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW, which
was quite the job!!)

Thanks

>so I'm deciding to replace
>it with an aftermarket cd deck.

I'm not sure of it, but I firmly believe that the factory VW deck has some sort
of active EQ used with the Monsn package. I replaced my headunit several months
before buying my new speakers and amp (I couldn't afford to do everything at
once) and despite having a comprehensive, competition quality EQ built into my
deck, the Monsoon speakers never sounded right again. Keep this in mind.

> ( which will give me 2 cd players

How do you figure? The VW CD changer is manufactured by Pansonic and will NOT
mate up with most aftermarket decks.

>Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I should
>bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW, which
>was quite the job!!)

You're going to need a wiring harness, that's pretty much it. If you buy your
deck from Crutchfield, they'll throw in the harness and installation
intructions for free. Otherwise, you're going to need to figure out which
harness you need and either buy it online or from a local retailer/car audio
shop. You may want to re-post on the Car Audio NG to get some added input. I
could locate the harness online for you, but I'm lazy.
Steve Grauman

>so I'm deciding to replace
>it with an aftermarket cd deck.

I'm not sure of it, but I firmly believe that the factory VW deck has some sort
of active EQ used with the Monsn package. I replaced my headunit several months
before buying my new speakers and amp (I couldn't afford to do everything at
once) and despite having a comprehensive, competition quality EQ built into my
deck, the Monsoon speakers never sounded right again. Keep this in mind.

> ( which will give me 2 cd players

How do you figure? The VW CD changer is manufactured by Pansonic and will NOT
mate up with most aftermarket decks.

>Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I should
>bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW, which
>was quite the job!!)

You're going to need a wiring harness, that's pretty much it. If you buy your
deck from Crutchfield, they'll throw in the harness and installation
intructions for free. Otherwise, you're going to need to figure out which
harness you need and either buy it online or from a local retailer/car audio
shop. You may want to re-post on the Car Audio NG to get some added input. I
could locate the harness online for you, but I'm lazy.
Steve Grauman

I don't want to jeopardize the monsoon sound.....that sound is awsome. I
guess i could find a Factory deck and stick in in with the same brakets,
wiring, etc...It would of been nice to have an mp3 player too!

Thanks for your help


"Steve Grauman" > wrote in message
...
> >so I'm deciding to replace
>>it with an aftermarket cd deck.
>
> I'm not sure of it, but I firmly believe that the factory VW deck has some
> sort
> of active EQ used with the Monsn package. I replaced my headunit several
> months
> before buying my new speakers and amp (I couldn't afford to do everything
> at
> once) and despite having a comprehensive, competition quality EQ built
> into my
> deck, the Monsoon speakers never sounded right again. Keep this in mind.
>
>> ( which will give me 2 cd players
>
> How do you figure? The VW CD changer is manufactured by Pansonic and will
> NOT
> mate up with most aftermarket decks.
>
>>Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I should
>>bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW, which
>>was quite the job!!)
>
> You're going to need a wiring harness, that's pretty much it. If you buy
> your
> deck from Crutchfield, they'll throw in the harness and installation
> intructions for free. Otherwise, you're going to need to figure out which
> harness you need and either buy it online or from a local retailer/car
> audio
> shop. You may want to re-post on the Car Audio NG to get some added input.
> I
> could locate the harness online for you, but I'm lazy.
> Steve Grauman

I don't want to jeopardize the monsoon sound.....that sound is awsome. I
guess i could find a Factory deck and stick in in with the same brakets,
wiring, etc...It would of been nice to have an mp3 player too!

Thanks for your help


"Steve Grauman" > wrote in message
...
> >so I'm deciding to replace
>>it with an aftermarket cd deck.
>
> I'm not sure of it, but I firmly believe that the factory VW deck has some
> sort
> of active EQ used with the Monsn package. I replaced my headunit several
> months
> before buying my new speakers and amp (I couldn't afford to do everything
> at
> once) and despite having a comprehensive, competition quality EQ built
> into my
> deck, the Monsoon speakers never sounded right again. Keep this in mind.
>
>> ( which will give me 2 cd players
>
> How do you figure? The VW CD changer is manufactured by Pansonic and will
> NOT
> mate up with most aftermarket decks.
>
>>Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I should
>>bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW, which
>>was quite the job!!)
>
> You're going to need a wiring harness, that's pretty much it. If you buy
> your
> deck from Crutchfield, they'll throw in the harness and installation
> intructions for free. Otherwise, you're going to need to figure out which
> harness you need and either buy it online or from a local retailer/car
> audio
> shop. You may want to re-post on the Car Audio NG to get some added input.
> I
> could locate the harness online for you, but I'm lazy.
> Steve Grauman

My Golf's "Premium IV" sound system does the same thing... If I have
something cranked up it will start to lower the volume almost immediately...
It's like the car is trying to protect my hearing (though for one song, or
for a certain part in a song your ears can tolerate it very loud)... For
CD's it can stay at a louder volume then with the FM radio... So I'm
thinking there might be a correlation to sound quality... Maybe the radio is
trying to protect its own amplifier from being damaged by having to amplify
a dirty signal?... Do you find the radio adjusts itself to anything else
that is going on? Change in speed - open/close windows - Change of input
selection (I find going to CD's from FM radio I need to turn down the volume
a lot or else I'll be blasted with loudness)... The other two might be
imagination... could be because this Golf is quieter then my old one so
maybe the radio just isn't drowned out by road/wind noise (1999.5 vs. 1991).

BTW the Premium sound system doesn't have any external amps just a 4x20W amp
in the headunit, so i'd excpect you get louder sound then I would get
regardless - The monsoon system I listened to in a sitting GTI at the dealer
was quite a bit louder and with more bass then my system could provide...
Tho it didn't sound quite as full as my system (Premium IV with In-dash CD
player under it, and a 6-CD changer in the trunk - 8 speakers)... Maybe it
wasn't tweaked out optimally - I find the radio in my 99.5' sounds a lot
nicer then the Double-DIN radios in the new cars tho... Mine seems to lose
frequency responce with the highs and a bit to the mids... The newer systems
still don't have perfect mids, but the highs are more clear and distinct,
but there is no more fullness to the lower frequencies.
"M Power" > wrote in message
. ..
>I have an 01 jetta with the monsoon/premium cd/tape player. When the volume
>is high, it will just turn down to low by itself, so I'm deciding to
>replace it with an aftermarket cd deck. ( which will give me 2 cd players)
>1 will be used. Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I
>should bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW,
>which was quite the job!!)
>
> Thanks
>
>

My Golf's "Premium IV" sound system does the same thing... If I have
something cranked up it will start to lower the volume almost immediately...
It's like the car is trying to protect my hearing (though for one song, or
for a certain part in a song your ears can tolerate it very loud)... For
CD's it can stay at a louder volume then with the FM radio... So I'm
thinking there might be a correlation to sound quality... Maybe the radio is
trying to protect its own amplifier from being damaged by having to amplify
a dirty signal?... Do you find the radio adjusts itself to anything else
that is going on? Change in speed - open/close windows - Change of input
selection (I find going to CD's from FM radio I need to turn down the volume
a lot or else I'll be blasted with loudness)... The other two might be
imagination... could be because this Golf is quieter then my old one so
maybe the radio just isn't drowned out by road/wind noise (1999.5 vs. 1991).

BTW the Premium sound system doesn't have any external amps just a 4x20W amp
in the headunit, so i'd excpect you get louder sound then I would get
regardless - The monsoon system I listened to in a sitting GTI at the dealer
was quite a bit louder and with more bass then my system could provide...
Tho it didn't sound quite as full as my system (Premium IV with In-dash CD
player under it, and a 6-CD changer in the trunk - 8 speakers)... Maybe it
wasn't tweaked out optimally - I find the radio in my 99.5' sounds a lot
nicer then the Double-DIN radios in the new cars tho... Mine seems to lose
frequency responce with the highs and a bit to the mids... The newer systems
still don't have perfect mids, but the highs are more clear and distinct,
but there is no more fullness to the lower frequencies.
"M Power" > wrote in message
. ..
>I have an 01 jetta with the monsoon/premium cd/tape player. When the volume
>is high, it will just turn down to low by itself, so I'm deciding to
>replace it with an aftermarket cd deck. ( which will give me 2 cd players)
>1 will be used. Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I
>should bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW,
>which was quite the job!!)
>
> Thanks
>
>

Been told that's how it's designed to protect the amp & speakers.


"M Power" > wrote in message
. ..
>I have an 01 jetta with the monsoon/premium cd/tape player. When the volume
>is high, it will just turn down to low by itself, so I'm deciding to
>replace it with an aftermarket cd deck. ( which will give me 2 cd players)
>1 will be used. Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I
>should bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW,
>which was quite the job!!)
>
> Thanks
>
>

Been told that's how it's designed to protect the amp & speakers.


"M Power" > wrote in message
. ..
>I have an 01 jetta with the monsoon/premium cd/tape player. When the volume
>is high, it will just turn down to low by itself, so I'm deciding to
>replace it with an aftermarket cd deck. ( which will give me 2 cd players)
>1 will be used. Is there any wiring things i should be aware of or amps I
>should bypass? ( I ask this because I had to do this with my 1996 325 BMW,
>which was quite the job!!)
>
> Thanks
>
>

Steve Grauman wrote:

> I'm not sure of it, but I firmly believe that the factory VW
> deck has some sort of active EQ used with the Monsoon package.

Just checking, but when you initially replaced the head unit, did you
say you kept the Monsoon speakers AND the Monsoon amplifier?

I've read some comments to the effect that the Monsoon speakers have
nonstandard impedances and frequency responses -- and that the Monsoon
amps were specially designed to deal with the Monsoon speakers -- and
that trying to use Monsoon speakers with a non-Monsoon amp (or vice
versa) was, therefore, bad news.

But if I'm understanding correctly what you said you did, the above
speaker impedance issue presumably wouldn't apply to your situation.

Rich Wales http://www.richw.org