Car radio evolution ...

[01rangerxl]

My 1994 Explorer has a factory JBL stereo with a small subwoofer. It's the cassette version (single CD was a rare option), but was still pretty high end for the time. It is also chromium oxide tape compatible. I still have some tapes, and the sound quality in that truck is crystal clear. The subwoofer is worn out though and doesn't like a lot of bass. I'm hoping I can restore it, I really want to keep the original system.

 

[Schandyman]

My 1994 Explorer has a factory JBL stereo with a small subwoofer. It's the cassette version (single CD was a rare option), but was still pretty high end for the time. It is also chromium oxide tape compatible. I still have some tapes, and the sound quality in that truck is crystal clear. The subwoofer is worn out though and doesn't like a lot of bass. I'm hoping I can restore it, I really want to keep the original system.

Ebay or partsexpress.com will be your best friend for repairing or rebuilding that tired wornout sub.

 

[grampi]

Car audio evolved for years, until roughly 10-15 years ago, then it took a turn sideways. It it continued to evolve in terms of convenience, but at the expense of sound quality...

 

[brianl703]

My 1994 Explorer has a factory JBL stereo with a small subwoofer. It's the cassette version (single CD was a rare option), but was still pretty high end for the time. It is also chromium oxide tape compatible.

You can play chromium oxide tapes on any equipment. Recording them is a different story.

 

[repairman54]

I prefer the Bose surround sound in my '11 Tahoe LTZ over the Bose in my '20 Traverse High Country.
The '11 has a subwoofer, the '20 just uses larger diameter front door speakers to try to pump up the bass.

 

[meep]

You can play chromium oxide tapes on any equipment. Recording them is a different story.

True. They do have a slight bias setting needed to try to dial in their playback EQ a smidge.

 

[odie]

Played these and others over past month or 2 . The regular cassettes are not holding up as well .

 

[DriveHard]

In a Corvette? Why? Couldn't hear anything anyway. The music coming out of the tailpipes was better than anything coming out of the speaker.

I have contemplated putting a new radio in the Vette several times...only to remind myself that the radio is almost never on anyways. Top down, sweet V8 music!

 

[meep]

Played these and others over past month or 2 . The regular cassettes are not holding up as well .

View attachment 102191View attachment 102192View attachment 102193

Excellent choice in tape blanks. I preferred tdk SA personally, but used a good number of those XLIIs as well. They both /excelled/ at high speed 4-track use too!

 

[01rangerxl]

You can play chromium oxide tapes on any equipment. Recording them is a different story.

Optimized may be a better term, in any case Ford felt it was worth putting "CrO2" on the tape door. I don't own any CrO2 tapes anyway, but have been wearing out a boxed set of Lynyrd Skynyrd tapes that was mostly untouched prior to 1991. Found an 80s Aretha Franklin tape the other day and that's what's in there now.

 

[ACC(RET}]

It's interesting how insignificant AM radio has become to me. For decades, I relied on AM to brings in baseball games from distant stations. The ability of my car radio to do that was very important. There was a period of time prior to the streaming revolution, when receiving AM signals became difficult because of the electrical interference produced by modern cars. I first encountered this with a 1998 Mercury Sable, that produced static that made distant AM signals unobtainable. When I complained about this to the dealer, I was told nobody listens to AM anymore.

Then it seemed like overnight, all this changed with streaming and satellite radio. I haven't listened to any broadcast station in years.

 

[brianl703]

I first encountered this with a 1998 Mercury Sable, that produced static that made distant AM signals unobtainable. When I complained about this to the dealer, I was told nobody listens to AM anymore.

I vaguely remember a TSB for poor AM reception on the Ford vehicles with the radio antenna integrated into the back glass, which I think includes that Sable.

Apparently nobody at the dealer reads TSBs anymore?

EDIT: It was for the fuel pump: https://manualzz.com/doc/18577605/•-fuel-system—fuel-pump-article-no.-“whining”-“buzzing”-n...