Replaced head unit poor sound
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Replaced head unit poor sound I replaced the head unit in my 01 camaro with a Pioneer deh-4400hd and it sounds WORSE! The sound coming out of the speakers is noisy. I checked all the connections and everything is right. I'm guessing its the factory amp miss matched to the Pioneer headunit. With the factory radio back in it sounds ok.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,328
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
One thing that is certainly NOT the problem is the factory amp. You said yourself that it sounds fine with the original head unit and there is no matching involved - the amp will work with the speaker level output from any HU.
First, you did use a harness adapter, right? If not, go get one and reinstall.
Next, check all the connections to make sure they are solid and tight and that you didn't mismatch any colors (especially striped wires versus solid colors). Also, ensure that all connections are soldered and sealed with heat shrink tubing or at least that they have properly sized crimp on butt connectors - twist and tape is not acceptable.
Finally, check that you haven't inadvertently changed HU settings such as pre-amp output instead of speaker level.
If all that checks out, it is reasonable to assume the new HU is defective... it happens sometimes.
First, you did use a harness adapter, right? If not, go get one and reinstall.
Next, check all the connections to make sure they are solid and tight and that you didn't mismatch any colors (especially striped wires versus solid colors). Also, ensure that all connections are soldered and sealed with heat shrink tubing or at least that they have properly sized crimp on butt connectors - twist and tape is not acceptable.
Finally, check that you haven't inadvertently changed HU settings such as pre-amp output instead of speaker level.
If all that checks out, it is reasonable to assume the new HU is defective... it happens sometimes.
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One thing that is certainly NOT the problem is the factory amp. You said yourself that it sounds fine with the original head unit and there is no matching involved - the amp will work with the speaker level output from any HU.
First, you did use a harness adapter, right? If not, go get one and reinstall.
Next, check all the connections to make sure they are solid and tight and that you didn't mismatch any colors (especially striped wires versus solid colors). Also, ensure that all connections are soldered and sealed with heat shrink tubing or at least that they have properly sized crimp on butt connectors - twist and tape is not acceptable.
Finally, check that you haven't inadvertently changed HU settings such as pre-amp output instead of speaker level.
If all that checks out, it is reasonable to assume the new HU is defective... it happens sometimes.
First, you did use a harness adapter, right? If not, go get one and reinstall.
Next, check all the connections to make sure they are solid and tight and that you didn't mismatch any colors (especially striped wires versus solid colors). Also, ensure that all connections are soldered and sealed with heat shrink tubing or at least that they have properly sized crimp on butt connectors - twist and tape is not acceptable.
Finally, check that you haven't inadvertently changed HU settings such as pre-amp output instead of speaker level.
If all that checks out, it is reasonable to assume the new HU is defective... it happens sometimes.
agreed and turn off any bass boost and equalization
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It didn't sound fine with the factory radio, I said it sounds "ok" or i would have never changed the radio. It was noisy as well but got much worse using the Pioneer head unit.
Well I found the trouble, IT WAS THE FACTORY AMP. Both radios sound great now. The Pioneer has a much better FM receiever in it. I'm really disappointed in how lame the factory Camaro fm receiver is. I may try a Firebird radio so I can keep the cd changer. Its really ashame you can't get a cd changer to work with these newer radios.
I'm not sure why you were all saying nothing could be wrong with the factory amp? Must have a bad cap in it or something to be so noisy.
Well I found the trouble, IT WAS THE FACTORY AMP. Both radios sound great now. The Pioneer has a much better FM receiever in it. I'm really disappointed in how lame the factory Camaro fm receiver is. I may try a Firebird radio so I can keep the cd changer. Its really ashame you can't get a cd changer to work with these newer radios.
I'm not sure why you were all saying nothing could be wrong with the factory amp? Must have a bad cap in it or something to be so noisy.
Last edited by Camaroo1; Nov 23, 2012 at 08:14 PM.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,328
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
It didn't sound fine with the factory radio, I said it sounds "ok" or i would have never changed the radio. It was noisy as well but got much worse using the Pioneer head unit.
Well I found the trouble, IT WAS THE FACTORY AMP. Both radios sound great now. The Pioneer has a much better FM receiever in it. I'm really disappointed in how lame the factory Camaro fm receiver is. I may try a Firebird radio so I can keep the cd changer. Its really ashame you can't get a cd changer to work with these newer radios.
I'm not sure why you were all saying nothing could be wrong with the factory amp? Must have a bad cap in it or something to be so noisy.
Well I found the trouble, IT WAS THE FACTORY AMP. Both radios sound great now. The Pioneer has a much better FM receiever in it. I'm really disappointed in how lame the factory Camaro fm receiver is. I may try a Firebird radio so I can keep the cd changer. Its really ashame you can't get a cd changer to work with these newer radios.
I'm not sure why you were all saying nothing could be wrong with the factory amp? Must have a bad cap in it or something to be so noisy.
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Thanks for your suggestions, no disrepect intended really. I just thought the camaro radio was the same quality as the firebirds.
Whats beyond any reason is the fact the factory camro radio is a complete waste of space. It was so dam hard to figure out what was going on because the radio sounds like sheeet to begin with. It sounds better with the new amp but nothing close to how good the Pioneer sounds now. It really pisses me off GM put such cheap crap in the Camaro. I'm betting the Firebird radio would sound alot better.
The local station I listen to the most causes the factory Camaro radio to loose stereo back and forth and as it does this it makes a crappy SSSSSSSSSSS sound into the speakers. The Pioneer radio sees the same station as 10 bars and never cuts out. This is using the same antena.
The noise the amp was making was constant background white noise, for some reason the Pioneer unit really made it come out.
Whats beyond any reason is the fact the factory camro radio is a complete waste of space. It was so dam hard to figure out what was going on because the radio sounds like sheeet to begin with. It sounds better with the new amp but nothing close to how good the Pioneer sounds now. It really pisses me off GM put such cheap crap in the Camaro. I'm betting the Firebird radio would sound alot better.
The local station I listen to the most causes the factory Camaro radio to loose stereo back and forth and as it does this it makes a crappy SSSSSSSSSSS sound into the speakers. The Pioneer radio sees the same station as 10 bars and never cuts out. This is using the same antena.
The noise the amp was making was constant background white noise, for some reason the Pioneer unit really made it come out.
