Retrosound Troubleshooting

[Mr Stay Puft]

Glad you got it figured out, I really like the fit and functionality of the Retrosound system. I added a powered under seat subwoofer to mine, not as a boom boom, but to just fill in the lower frequencies

I was debating between an under seat and a box sub in the back. My spare tire is too large for the spot in the Suburban so I went with a powered box for convenience. It comes with a quick disconnect harness so I can easily remove it if I need more temporary cargo area. I am going to build a bracket for it that picks up the threads for the spare tire.

Rockford Fosgate P300-12T

Punch Series truck-style 300-watt powered 12" subwoofer

www.crutchfield.com

It gets delivered on Thursday so I hope to install it this weekend.

I just installed the Q-Logic kickpanels with Infinity Reference 6.5" components. They have made a huge difference up front. I was a little worried about the Q-logic kickpanels because there seem to be a lot of reviews that say the parking break will hit them. However, mine fit on top of the original kickpanels without issue. They took a little bit of time and effort to get properly placed and to line up the screws through the new kickpanels, the original kickpanels, and find the hole in the sheetmetal, but, I was able to get a nice clean install.

My dash is still all apart and I have wires running everywhere as I am still finishing up the install and waiting for the sub. I am also wiring in the LMC window relays and I want to fix the speedo ratio while I have everything apart. When I get the inside all put back together I will post some photos. I think when it's all said and done it will be a nice combo of some modern amenities (kickpanels, bluetooth head unit, carplay/backup camera screen, wireless charging cellphone mount) but retaining the majority of the classic interior look and feel. Everything I have added is also easily removeable and didn't require any major modifications or drilling.

 

[Mr Stay Puft]

Awesome. I am following this as I too am very interested in a similar solution. I am leary of Chinese crap but choices are sometimes limited and quaility can be hit or miss. Gentex makes some quality (OEM) rearview moirrors with some of these functions but they get pricey quick but I would still consider one. I really need the back up camera feature as my mirror projects the reflections off the inside of the rear window. It's basically useless other than the compass, temp gauge and auto-dimming feature. PLEASE post pics and give us your feedback on your new toy.

I'm gonna try and make a video this weekend of the Carpuride setup. I finally finished installing the kickpanels, headunit, and sub this week. Overall I am happy with everything. However, the Retrosound is still giving me a little headache. The new headunit that was sent under warranty fixed the high pitch annoying squeal from the amp. However, now I am getting a low volume static on all speakers. I think it is the noise floor. If I turn up the speakers loud enough it goes away, but when the music is very low or there is a pause in the song, I can hear the low static. I know that can be a result of the gain being too high on the amp, but I am hearing this on the 4 speakers that are running directly off the head unit as well as the ones on the amp. I am debating ordering another Retrosound from Crutchfield along with the Kenwood Exceleron and see if either of those has a similar issue. Then just returning whatever I don't decide to keep.

 

[Mr Stay Puft]

@SquareRoot

New video by Jack Rajcic

photos.app.goo.gl

That link should work and take you to a video of me showing the Carpuride monitor. If it doesn’t work let me know.

A few things I forgot to mention. It works with polarized sunglasses and I have it wired so that it automatically switches to the rear view camera when you put it in reverse.

I haven’t driven for extended periods of time yet, so I can’t speak to its reliability, but so far it seems responsive and solid.

Any questions or anything else you want me to video on it, let me know.

 

[BamaBraves]

Mr Stay Puft are you still using that Carpuride unit? How do you like it? All I care about is having the ability to listen to Sirius/XM and of course the bluetooth phone functions. My truck has a Retrosound radio in it, which is plenty capable, but I can't get any knobs to stay on. I've tried six different kinds! Right now I'm using my Android phone to stream sound. Is it possible that the radio is mounted incorrectly? Could it be that the dash bezel isn't attached snug enough. I am missing a few screws. The local sound shop doesn't want to mess with the Retrosound unit, says they're junk, wants to sell me a short Sony head unit mounted in the glove box. It comes with a remote, but I still won't be able to see the screen when I'm driving. I'd love to just activate Sirius/XM on the Retrosound, but I need to be able to turn the knobs! I'm thinking that my first step should be to see if the mounting location can be adjusted. I don't know what to do. Any thoughts?

 

[Mr Stay Puft]

Yes I still have the Carpuride and I like it a lot. It does have a few limitations but those are due to Apple Carplay or Android radio and not the actual unit. I was also hoping to use it as a rear view camera but the camera angle is too wide. It works fine as a backup camera but the wide angle isn't great as a rear view camera. I am not sure how familiar you are with Carplay/Andorid radio but it mostly works as a touchscreen controller for your phone but with limited functionality. You will bluetooth connect your phone to the Carpuride AND your head unit. You shouldn't use any of the physical connection options between the Carpuride and headunit so the audio is streaming directly from your phone to the headunit. All the Carpuride does is control the phone. The limits of the unit are due to Apple/Android not wanting you to do things like text or watch videos while driving. It does allow you to use your navigation and audio apps like Spotify. However, those are slightly limited. For example you can't type in letters to search in Spotify but you can choose from your favorites, skip ahead or back, and some other functions. You can still use your phone though for full functionality so I keep my phone on a mount on the center console near the cupholders.

I did give up on the Retrosound though. It does a great job of keeping the original look, but the actual unit is not high enough quality for me. I had way too many issues with it and I switched to a Kenwood head unit and have been much happier. The Retrosound would periodically freeze and I would have to disconnect the battery to get it to reset. I also could not get bluetooth calling to work well. It worked fine if the car was stationary but whenever I started to move the EMF interference was so bad the person on the other side couldn't hear me. I also had an issue with the RCA outs for the amp. They had a low volume static I could not get solved completely. I tried 3 different units from Retrosound and all had the Bluetooth and low volume static issues, some worse than others. I decided to try the Kenwood head unit and everything has worked perfectly right out of the box. I don't like to talk bad about a company but I can really only recommend the Retrosound if you just want the most basic radio, using the stock or cheap speakers, have low stereo system expectations, and want the original look. I'd buy the cheapest one they offer and solely for the look. I had the top of the line Retrosound that is over $400:

RetroSound Newport M4HD

Digital media receiver designed for select GM, Ford, and Mopar vehicles — does not play discs

www.crutchfield.com

And I much prefer this $170 Kenwood:

Kenwood Excelon KMM-X705

Digital media receiver (does not play discs)

www.crutchfield.com

The Kenwood loses the original look, but it doesn't look bad at all. Also, the location of the radio is such that it is already kind of out of view. The stock location is not so great for functionality, but it does hide the radio a bit so it's not so front and center. The Carpuride being mounted up on the dash also changes the stock look but the functionality far outweighs that in my opinion on my daily driver.

I am not sure why your knobs are falling off though. Mine worked fine. Retrosound does have technical support you can call and they were fairly helpful when I called. Can you take a video of the knob install? My guess is they are not installed properly. You have to do some of the basic headunit setup yourself as the units are meant to fit in a wide range of vehicles.

 

[82sbshortbed]

Yes I still have the Carpuride and I like it a lot. It does have a few limitations but those are due to Apple Carplay or Android radio and not the actual unit. I was also hoping to use it as a rear view camera but the camera angle is too wide. It works fine as a backup camera but the wide angle isn't great as a rear view camera. I am not sure how familiar you are with Carplay/Andorid radio but it mostly works as a touchscreen controller for your phone but with limited functionality. You will bluetooth connect your phone to the Carpuride AND your head unit. You shouldn't use any of the physical connection options between the Carpuride and headunit so the audio is streaming directly from your phone to the headunit. All the Carpuride does is control the phone. The limits of the unit are due to Apple/Android not wanting you to do things like text or watch videos while driving. It does allow you to use your navigation and audio apps like Spotify. However, those are slightly limited. For example you can't type in letters to search in Spotify but you can choose from your favorites, skip ahead or back, and some other functions. You can still use your phone though for full functionality so I keep my phone on a mount on the center console near the cupholders.

I did give up on the Retrosound though. It does a great job of keeping the original look, but the actual unit is not high enough quality for me. I had way too many issues with it and I switched to a Kenwood head unit and have been much happier. The Retrosound would periodically freeze and I would have to disconnect the battery to get it to reset. I also could not get bluetooth calling to work well. It worked fine if the car was stationary but whenever I started to move the EMF interference was so bad the person on the other side couldn't hear me. I also had an issue with the RCA outs for the amp. They had a low volume static I could not get solved completely. I tried 3 different units from Retrosound and all had the Bluetooth and low volume static issues, some worse than others. I decided to try the Kenwood head unit and everything has worked perfectly right out of the box. I don't like to talk bad about a company but I can really only recommend the Retrosound if you just want the most basic radio, using the stock or cheap speakers, have low stereo system expectations, and want the original look. I'd buy the cheapest one they offer and solely for the look. I had the top of the line Retrosound that is over $400:

RetroSound Newport M4HD

Digital media receiver designed for select GM, Ford, and Mopar vehicles — does not play discs

www.crutchfield.com

And I much prefer this $170 Kenwood:

Kenwood Excelon KMM-X705

Digital media receiver (does not play discs)

www.crutchfield.com

The Kenwood loses the original look, but it doesn't look bad at all. Also, the location of the radio is such that it is already kind of out of view. The stock location is not so great for functionality, but it does hide the radio a bit so it's not so front and center. The Carpuride being mounted up on the dash also changes the stock look but the functionality far outweighs that in my opinion on my daily driver.

I am not sure why your knobs are falling off though. Mine worked fine. Retrosound does have technical support you can call and they were fairly helpful when I called. Can you take a video of the knob install? My guess is they are not installed properly. You have to do some of the basic headunit setup yourself as the units are meant to fit in a wide range of vehicles.

I've got that exact Kenwood unit and love it! I like those kick panel speakers. Where'd you get those? I'm partial to Kenwood. I use their amps, stereo and speakers all together and always sounded great. This time I have different subs but they sound great in my new box behind the seat. For two 8s they put out a ton of base. Now I just need the kick panel speakers and I can almost be done. Lol

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[Mr Stay Puft]

These are the kickpanels:

Q-Forms Kick Panel Enclosures (Blue)

Install 6-1/2" components in your 1978-1991 Chevrolet/GMC trucks and SUVs

www.crutchfield.com

These are the speakers I went with:

Infinity Reference REF-6530cx

Reference Series 6-1/2" component speaker system

www.crutchfield.com

This is the amp I used to power them:

Pioneer GM-A3702

2-channel car amplifier — 60 watts RMS x 2

www.crutchfield.com

 

[BamaBraves]

Thanks guys. John, did you have to cut the dash to install the Kenwood in the stock location? Sound shop here is trying to sell me on mounting a head unit in the dash.

 

[Mr Stay Puft]

In my truck I didn’t have to cut anything. The install was easy and smooth. I think some of the older trucks might require a bit of trimming but I’m not sure.