Panda 2012+ Panda ~2019 audio upgrade

[burtstyle]

Hi, I’m coming from a 2010 Alfa Giulietta and sound the panda I test drove has a much inferior sound.

Is there much I can do except leave the auil off and listed to the twin air?

Would be interested in any suggestions for head unit or and speaker upgrades and if amp reqd. Thanks.

 

[lunchbeers]

The speakers in the Panda are actually not that bad, its the head unit that lets it down.

I wanted a double din upgrade to mine but had to suffice with the pioneer sph-20dab as the double din would obstruct the air vents or things like the hazard switches, sound improved massively with the head unit upgrade alone.

Unless your Guilietta had the Bose upgrade, the stock Alfa speakers aren't all that special.

 

[burtstyle]

The speakers in the Panda are actually not that bad, its the head unit that lets it down.

I wanted a double din upgrade to mine but had to suffice with the pioneer sph-20dab as the double din would obstruct the air vents or things like the hazard switches, sound improved massively with the head unit upgrade alone.

Unless your Guilietta had the Bose upgrade, the stock Alfa speakers aren't all that special.

 

[burtstyle]

Thanks. Don’t think I have the Bose, is there a way to tell? Whatever it is the minimum level I think I’d want in a car.

 

[lunchbeers]

Normally there’ll be a ‘Bose’ label on the speaker cover and a separate subwoofer in the rear.

 

[burtstyle]

Don’t have that in Alfa then! Thanks. So best headunit to replace and you say panda speakers should be ok enough if headunit is replaced

 

[lunchbeers]

I’ve never had to replace any car speakers since my first car and I did the usual 6x9’s in the parcel shelf and replaced knackered door speakers.

Upgrade the head unit initially, depending on whats in their currently, there might be something worth upgrading to (carplay etc) then see how you get on.

 

[burtstyle]

Will a double din with car play fit? Not sure if any carplays are single?

Do you know if you can still utilise the usb on top of the dash with the phone holder - we do use Waze on the phones but sounds like we don’t want to use the fiat headunit and Waze feature at all.

 

[lunchbeers]

It’s only a single din opening, so if you want a proper screen, you’re limited to those with floating screens, and even then you’ll potentially lose functionality of the centre vents and/or easy access to the buttons for hazard lights etc. I don't know about the USB, mine doesn't have it there as its the old blue&me system.

 

[FiatMatt94]

At the beginning of the year I replaced the factory headunit in my 2018 Panda Pop with a Pioneer DAB stereo with no CD player as I don't own any CD's, the unit itself was quite cheap at £70 delivered & by the time the other parts needed were added such as the fascia adapter which for this model Panda there are 3 types, dark grey for Pop & Easy, gloss black for the Lounge & silver for the Cross/4x4 models, the canbus wiring adapter, aerial adapter, DAB aerial, radio removal keys which I used Vauxhall double din keys as there are non for the Panda it cost me about £150 by the time I was finished. It is a huge improvement compared to the standard unit, although the standard speakers are ok with the Pioneer unit there is room for improvement so I do plan to upgrade them eventually with speakers of the same size but just better quality

This is the most recent picture of my interior with the DAB unit in place taken about 2 months ago, as my Panda is a Pop model it has the dark grey fascia

 

[burtstyle]

At the beginning of the year I replaced the factory headunit in my 2018 Panda Pop with a Pioneer DAB stereo with no CD player as I don't own any CD's, the unit itself was quite cheap at £70 delivered & by the time the other parts needed were added such as the fascia adapter which for this model Panda there are 3 types, dark grey for Pop & Easy, gloss black for the Lounge & silver for the Cross/4x4 models, the canbus wiring adapter, aerial adapter, DAB aerial, radio removal keys which I used Vauxhall double din keys as there are non for the Panda it cost me about £150 by the time I was finished. It is a huge improvement compared to the standard unit, although the standard speakers are ok with the Pioneer unit there is room for improvement so I do plan to upgrade them eventually with speakers of the same size but just better qualityView attachment 410628 This is the most recent picture of my interior with the DAB unit in place taken about 2 months ago, as my Panda is a Pop model it has the dark grey fascia

Nice one, where did you route the dad aerial to?

 

[FiatMatt94]

I brought a roof mounted magnetic DAB aerial from Halfords which is 5 metres long, it was routed through the boot tucked in between the C pillar trim & headliner then goes down & tucked in under the base of the rear seat then it's tucked under the centre console from the back to the front & up round the back of the dash into the stereo housing compartment via a small gap in the corner which was a bit tedious, all neat & out of the way. Although the other day the base of the aerial & the magnet that attaches it to the roof decided to part ways but the aerial still works even though it's currently dangling in the boot so I'm just going to put it somewhere inside the car probably by the small side window in the rear

 

[burtstyle]

I was hoping after I posted you’d say just connect existing aerial. But thank you. This forum is so friendly and helpful

 

[Mouse1903]

The 2013 Panda I briefly owned had a decent stereo as standard. Newer ones have an inferior quality and cheap bluetooth unit or the newer touchscreen and only 4 speakers. Hence mine will be getting this fitted when it arrives:

Pioneer AVH-A7100BT - 7" Motorised Screen CD DVD Bluetooth Stereo

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caraudiosecurity.com

Will likely upgrade the speakers too.

On a related note, the Interscope stereo I had in my 2010 Abarth 500 Esseesse was the best I've heard in a car imo, even better than the Meridian system my Dad had in his Range Rover