Seven Years in the Making
July 9th, 2008Back in 1992, I got a CD player for the car as a graduation gift. It turned the 1975 Cordoba I was driving into a sweet ride. My oldest brother helped me install the player and hook up the amp/eq unit to provide sonic pleasure.
When Heather and I got together in the summer of 2001, I suggested we look at a bit more powerful stereo for her Honda Civic so we could enjoy the Stevie Wonder marathon we were playing nonstop. She accused me of being a “consumer” at that point and due to events that followed, we never followed through on the stereo plans.
That has all changed:
On being more friendly to the environment | dooce®
I need to get that Stevie Wonder out and demo it on the new system.
I’ve been waiting for a unit that did a great job with an iPod/iPhone and I found it. I also had the justification for a subwoofer. A sweet, inexpensive subwoofer that makes driving a sheer pleasure. And it works with the i-devices. If there is interest, a nerd post will follow. Spare me your consumerist diatribes. We didn’t buy a new car (hybrids that would work for us in our climate start around $35k and get only marginally better gas mileage than the tiny Civic that is paid in full.
Rest assured that Steely Dan sounds FUCKING AWESOME on the new stereo. o
UPDATE: just in case you missed it, here’s my nerd post.
Tags: audio love, car stereo, dooce®, link, sometimes a man has special audio needs
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July 9th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Congratulations! Definitely would be interested in nerd post. I’ve never ventured further than what came with the car and I’m always curious to know how people spec out such things.
I should point out, though, that I will only be impressed once you convince Heather to let you install a sweet ass stereo system with subwoofer on the snowblower. Also: lowrider hydraulics. It’s almost insane *not* to.
July 9th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
That was incredibly enjoyable reading both the “he said, she said” versions in my Google Reader! I’d love to see more of that in the future.
Congrats on your new toy!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I agree that a good stereo is a necessity in such a little car, there is something about how the music surrounds you in such a small space. Since it is black I recommend tinted windows, kinda gangster but it really helps on those brutally hot days.
Way to be green. I read the other day that driving an older economy car actually has less of a carbon footprint than a hybrid anyway because of the nickel in the battery.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
We can all be “accused” of being consumers, because we all are. The scary thing is that we’re applying our consumer culture to the green movement, lessening the positive impact of going green.
I’m thrilled you bought a stereo instead of buying a new car (into which you would have needed to install a sweet stereo anyway) because good grief! The energy and resources expended are far greater when you make a car than when you make a stereo. Just like the expenditure is greater when you buy a new bamboo floor (but it’s “green!”) instead of just refinishing the floor you’ve got. And the examples go on.
Buy less. (Insert raised fist)
July 9th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Jon: I’d love to know what you’re using that’s iPhone-friendly. I told myself that I’d have to knock 20% off of the loan value of my 2007 WRX before I could buy a stereo for it, and I’m now past that point, so I’m itching to have a system that’s better than the factory one. Oh, and a sub, because I need to boom down the road other than just dropping the hammer with the turbo…
July 9th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
You know the beauty of all this?
Heather posts about the horror - THE HORROR - of finding out about your new stereo, and the first thing I think is “I wonder what kind he got”.
I come over to the guy’s blog and sure enough, we’re all wondering about what kind of stereo it is.
Gotta love it.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Geek post, geek post, geek post!
July 9th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
You should be slapped upside the head with a beef jerky penis for listening to Steely Dan on your new rad stereo system. Steely Dan…
July 10th, 2008 at 1:29 am
my dad tried to convince me last week that it was time for me to get a new 4runner.
all so THE DOG could have a nice, comfy, power rear window for his trips in the car.
he tried to convince me this when, a. my pathfinder is paid in full, and b. gas is five bucks a gallon.
glad to know my dad has my best interests at heart.
what i really need is an suv that gets 30+ mpg.
and before anyone comments, a ford escape is not a real SUV.
until then, i think i’ll be back on the motorcycle a lot more this summer.
ps: i running my ipod through the tape deck on the pathfinder. i could definitely use an upgrade, but since i mostly listen to npr, a subwoofer might not be the best investment.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Nerd post!
July 10th, 2008 at 7:13 am
wait.
are you SURE you want to use your OLD iPhone with your NEW stereo?
(the twitter iPhone updates you’ve had are awesome.)
July 10th, 2008 at 7:22 am
I am a fan of the purchase. A car stereo is the first aftermarket piece of equipment I put on any car that I buy, along with speakers, subwoofer and an amp (or 2).
I would like to see what you have purchased.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Nerd post needed
July 10th, 2008 at 7:56 am
I’m truly shocked you’d even have to ask if we want to gory details or not. Haven’t you already figured out we only read this for teh geek?
I didn’t upgrade the whole stereo since it’s already pretty good, but I did find a way to easily add an aux in to my truck. P.I.E. makes some nice stuff if you need iPod integration to the SUV without a complete headunit replacement.
Anxiously awaiting the details.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Congrats on the new stereo! I would definitely have reacted as Heather did, though.
I had to comment based on your mention of Steely Dan. He (they?) was/were just in concert in Canada on the 4th. My husband’s uncle loves him, so he and his wife and another couple went to see him. They asked us if we’d like to join them, but we declined. Anyway, they walked out of the concert. They said it was so bad they just couldn’t sit through it anymore. Glad we didn’t go!
July 10th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I’d love to read a nerd post. No consumerist diatribes here.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Bring the nerd post man… She has to understand that there is give and take in this world and if you gotta ditch the x-terra for a while you need a bit of the bass action to complete w/ the manhood. As a formes civic / del sol owner, anything that makes it a bit less painfull to get into a civic is a good thing, great car, awesome mileage and friggin bulletproof (uh, except the ac) but not something I was all that excited about until I had a decent system in there. Opening of “Superstition” w/ a sub… great stuff, she will be converted.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:51 am
eesh
i concur with twirly girlie
; P
ok so more about the gear…
July 10th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Steely Dan sounds awesome on ANYTHING.
July 10th, 2008 at 11:39 am
#4 Nailed it.
Looking forward to the nerd post.
July 10th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Jon Jon Jon. I have felt such a craving to connect to your posts for some time now. I LOVE your pictures and am currently picking over which one to buy from your Etsy. I have been a Dooce reader for quite awhile now but only recently decided to start piggy-backing on your sight as well. You have this grimey texture to your posts that I just love to chew on but I was always lacking that cool factor you posess that would make me feel like “Yeah, I dig what he’s saying!” until this post. I too have an older but no less, RADICAL, Honda Civic. It’s a 1997 I believe. The ‘dejablue’ paint job is peeling. There are cigarette burns in the uphostery from the previous owner, who also felt it appropriate to name my RADICAL car ‘Cocomo’. She is currently getting 30 mpg and is the family carriage for my two dogs, two children and husband. I understand the space issues and the need for a bitchin sound system. Rock on sir.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
It can’t be fairly judged until you rock out to Earth, Wind and Fire.
July 10th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
folks made me register just so I can stand defiantly against all this wanton Steely Dan bashing.
ridiculous.