RetroSound radios: post your feedback here

[Jonathan]

Have you had any luck with the RetroSound radios? Would you recommend them to other DMC owners? Any tricks or suggestions for picking which model, or what else to upgrade (like speakers or speaker wire), or how to install?

I have been thinking about getting one for a couple seasons, but seem to get mixed reviews on how good/bad they are and how prone to failure the unit is.

Post your feedback here!

[ramblinmike]

No matter what radio you end up choosing, you'll want to run new separate ground wires for the front speakers. They share a common ground in the stock setup.

[DMC02766]

No matter what radio you end up choosing, you'll want to run new separate ground wires for the front speakers. They share a common ground in the stock setup.

I agree- I think this is where a lot of the issues have come from with the retro sound radios. I ran separate ground wires on mine and havent had the first bit of problem out of it. I ordered mine from JCWhitney- it is the "Classic Sound" model 1 (doesnt have the USB port on it) and I love it. It was a little cheaper than the model 1 unit that has the USB connection but I wasnt really worried about that because it comes with the aux port on the front for plugging up my iphone to it. It sounds great! I replaced my front speakers with Boston Accoustic speakers as well when I put the radio in. The nice thing about the retrosound unit is that you can put your craig faceplate back on and it looks stock.

[DMC02766]

Here are some photos of mine...

[DMC02766]

Here are the speakers that I bought to go in mine. I went with the Boston Accoustic because the tweeter dome doesnt stick up very high and wont mess up your dash by having pressure against it from underneath. I still put some copper standoffs on mine though just to make sure it didnt rest on the bottom side of the dash. I included another picture of the installed radio as well.

[Notifier]

I agree- I think this is where a lot of the issues have come from with the retro sound radios. I ran separate ground wires on mine and havent had the first bit of problem out of it. I ordered mine from JCWhitney- it is the "Classic Sound" model 1 (doesnt have the USB port on it) and I love it. It was a little cheaper than the model 1 unit that has the USB connection but I wasnt really worried about that because it comes with the aux port on the front for plugging up my iphone to it. It sounds great! I replaced my front speakers with Boston Accoustic speakers as well when I put the radio in. The nice thing about the retrosound unit is that you can put your craig faceplate back on and it looks stock.

That is EXACTLY the look I was looking for! Never thought to reuse the Craig faceplate like that. Looks great! I think Jonathan's main concern is the reliability of those radio's. I've heard people complain they seem to fail right after the warranty expires. That's one of the reasons why I was looking to stay away from them. But looking at that setup I might have to reconsider...

[Michael]

Here are some photos of mine...

That looks very nice in there. Only a born again purist would know anything was out of place.

[Ryan King]

r00b on here has had very bad experiences with them. I think he has gone through 3 units... :/ Hopefully he can chime in on his experience.

[r00b]

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?973-MP3-cassette-tape-for-OEM-radio&p=10598&viewfull=1#post10598

I also ran new ground wires to the front speakers.

[SamHill]

Had one in my Tempest. It was crap. Sounded bad and was junky all around. My opinion.

[Jonathan]

Keep the experiences and opinions coming! Good or bad. Let the stories speak for themselves on how future/prospective RetroSound customers make up their minds.

[Ratrace427]

I have had four model ones and they have all failed. The one that i have now has nothing going on. I have been using a mp3 player and ear phones for tunes. Chris over at retrosound has given me a new one every time but i am scared to put this new one in. Maybe one of you guys would like to try it. I didnt change my common ground wires on the two front speakers but i really dont think that would cause it to go out. i have it for sell on ebay now for $220

[Jonathan]

Would anyone be willing to post a how-to on installing the RetroSound radio? I'm thinking one that would include upgrading the speakers as well or at least the wiring or grounds. Tools needed, parts needed, etc. Especially considering the one RatRace has posted for sale, cause I'm still tempted to get one of these.