How would you deal with this. Car PC and 5.1

[Jacampb2]

Things are a bit slow for me tonight at work, so I thought I would post this and see what feedback I get. I am putting a Car PC in my Ford Bronco. I am building the truck to be my daily driver, tow rig, and family road trip truck...

Anyhow, I have the PC, I have a 15" Elo touch screen, and I built a custom 'glass console for it all, but, I haven't decided on what I am going to do for HU or signal processing. Hoping someone can help me work things out.

Ideally, I would like to a HU with a stand alone DTS/DD decoder that accepts toslink interconnects. This would allow me to use the digital output from the car pc and have a real decoder instead of software based. It would also allow over all system volume and easy selection between surround and stereo modes. As far as I can find there is only one thing on the market for mobile use that meets these needs, and that is the Alpine PXA-H701. It is a signal processor designed to be used with some of the higher end AInet heads. There is also a stand alone controller for it, which is likely what I would use if I did it. It appears that Alpine is discontinuing this though, so it may not be available long. Plus, it is close to $1k for the processor and control. Pioneer used to make one, and may still again, but it uses a proprietary digital connection, and won't work for me. I do not really want to spend that kind of money on this portion of the project, but I will if I have too.

If I am spending that kind of coin, I would much rather get into a new Eclipse HU (I have had several of their high end models over the years) but so far I have found mention of a signal processor for their HU's, but can't find an actual one in any literature...

And then my other option would be to use the multi channel analog outputs from the PC and a TLD66 6 channel line driver and just use the PC's surround decoding. The reason I am trying to steer clear of this, is it is less than ideal having to use a shuttle or touch screen to control everything, especially system volume. I don't really trust the PC's analog output to be anywhere near up to the quality that I am accustomed too, and mostly because it is a PITA to dick with sound card settings to turn multichannel formats on and off. I want to listen to my audio in it's recorded format, not with a bunch of software based DSP effects...

I have toyed with other scenarios as well, something as simple as the PC front channels out to AUX in on nearly any HU, and then running a seperate amps for surround sound duties, I can't see it coming off well though.

A multichannel audio switch would be ideal, but it seems these do not exist, because it is rare for any system to require switching all of the analog channels. It is handled digitally in more home theater, hell it is rare to find a HT receiver anymore with discrete multichannel inputs...

So, what can you guys suggest? I know I am not the first person in the world to try and puzzle this out, but for the most part, the car pc crowd are not to concerned about SQ and complex installations. Most of them just want to be able to listen to their Mp3's on the road...

I know it's a long thread, and if you skipped right to here, I don't blame you

Thanks,
Jason

[gkitching]

I'm not sure if you'll be able to use the Alpine 701 's digital in. It requires control via the ai-net cable when using the toslink input. you would be able to use the analog in but you could use anything with an analog in at that point.

Last year we did a project car car with a pc and I came to the same conclusion. Most set-ups are not SQ related and with the little bit of research I did, it was becoming clear that if you wanted to do something using the pc as the main source, you were gonna have to build it yourself.

Otherwise, your best bet is getting a headunit that does everything you want and make the pc an input to that headunit.

[joyride]

I know it isnt the biggest or best option, but there is always the Octane MT5.1 amp. It sure would be an easy solution though.

[Jacampb2]

I may have solved my own problem last night... I found this supposedly NIB on ebay, but the package looks a bit rough. I bought it for $99, I did not do a lot of research, as I figured it may go quickly at that price, and worst case scenario I should be able to get $100 back out of it... It looks like it was a 2002 product, and that the current stand alone controller, DVC920, will run it. The DVC920 was still in production as of last year. The box has 2 toslink inputs, but I haven't read the manual yet. I will get to it tonight.

I would prefer to get a Clarion HU to run the processor, instead of a stand alone controller. The manual lists a few discontinued HU's, anyone know much about clarion? Will any of their current HUs run any CeNet device? I will put in an email to their support people to get a verdict too. I suspect that they will, as the DVC920 would run this processor or the more recent (2007) 940 processor.



Oddly, almost every manufacturer that has had a multichannel processor over the last few years seems to have discontinued them this year. The clarion ones are gone this year, the eclipse ones are gone this year, and the Alpine ones were off their website for a few months, but now appear to be back. I wonder if it is lack of sales, or if there is something big on the horizon that we haven't heard about...

Later,
Jason

[Thumper88]

DXZ835MP will run that...pretty sure.

One of my favorite head units (still installed in one of my cars).

[Jacampb2]

That is one of the discoed HU's that the manual says is compatible. I just found one on CL across the state from me for $50. I have an email into the seller to see if we can work something out.

I would really prefer a new HU, than buying something used and unkown. I absolutely have to have single din though, so options are going to be limited regardless. It seems there are very few multimedia HU's that don't incorporate video via flip out screen or dbl din monitor. I don't want yet another screen in the dash. I just want control!

Thanks!
Jason

[Jacampb2]

Damn it! This thing uses a proprietary optical connector too. Found some info about splicing a standard toslink end. Evidently the clarion digital interface uses the standard PDIF protocol, but they had to make things annoyingly complex by using proprietary interconnects. From what I am reading, to use the processor with a HU, it requires CeNet connections to select the digital source, however, if you use it with the stand alone controller, you can select the source directly. I may end up having to buy the stand alone controller instead of a HU, but either way it is cheaper than the alpine...

Clarion info say's the SOB is toslink, so I am kind of irritated, but not really to bad. I will figure it out somehow.

I may still buy that CL HU I found for sale, and see if I can figure out how to hack the buss to select inputs... That ought to be fun...

Later,
Jason