xantia S2 Radio Woes Fixed at last

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Post by Peter.N. »

The amps in the '50s were rated at about 25 watts and they were quite loud enough for me - even as a teenager :D The average radio is about 2 or 3 watts and they can sound loud, Im sure they must calculate power out differently now - like HP and BHP :?

Peter
Online
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25360
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Post by myglaren »

Depends more on the sensitivity of the speaker.
There are some tremendous horn speakers around eight feet high, look like wardrobes and can be deafening with a 3W amp. Damned if I can remember the name but they are similar to Klipschorns. Higher amp power is more about finesse and control rather than crowbarring noise.

I mentioned the Sonab OA series of speakers and a virus spoof last night.
Had another look and this popped up:

Image

Followed by this:

Image

They shot themselves in the foot twice.
First is I am not using Windows and there is no C: drive.
Second is I am using Chromium, not Chrome.
A subtle but telling difference.

Why all the Sonab images are riddled with this crap is a mystery though.

My first stero amp was rescued from work and was a 2½W Philips valve amp. You had to flick the valve for one channel with your finger to get it to work :)
Replaced with an overpriced Bang & Olufsson pile of crap that I thought at the time was wonderful.
This 40 year old Sonab amp is far superior - still rubbish though :)
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49518
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6156
Contact:

Post by CitroJim »

I'll bet if you clicked on it Steve that those virus warnings are total fakes and would eventually lead you to the purchase of some dodgy anti-virus software which would prove to be just the opposite...

Fact is most users use Windows and it looks genuine. Those of you using unix know better of course and it exposes it for what it is. A plish...

You're spot on about speakers. Most modern ones are very low sensitivity and thus need much more power to drive them. Wattages of valve amps are usually quoted as RMS figures (Root Mean Square) which is an average (hence mean) of the power developed over one full cycle of a test waveform whereas many solid-state amps are rated peak power which is measured from tip to tip of a test waveform. the figures are very different. Peak is flattering and RMS is honest. As said, just like HP and BHP!!! Peak power in a solid-state amp can be accompanied by lots of distortion too whereas valve amps are rated at such and such a power delivered at such and such a level of distortion, normally a very low level of distortion. The big Leak valve amps may only have produced 25W of power but that was at 0.1% distortion so was very honest. Into contemporary speakers they sound both very good and very loud :D :D
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
User avatar
Xaccers
Posts: 7654
Joined: 07 Feb 2007, 23:46
Location: Milling around Milton Keynes
My Cars:
x 184

Post by Xaccers »

Over the past month there was a massive spike in servers getting hacked with those phishing pages, they're a real pain.

I take it you were looking at the images via google?
Many of the images it returns are hosted on forums which are easily hacked (look at the flat4forum which last time I checked still hadn't been cleaned up).

Incidently, in general the majority of hacked web servers are running linux ;)
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
Laguna II 2.0dCi Privilege (Monty)

DIY sphere tool
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Post by Peter.N. »

The speakers we had back then were huge, sand filled baffles were the norm, two sheets of about 1" ply with a space of a couple of inches full of sand, about two feet wide and four feet high, they gave real bass that nearly knocked you over - with only 25w. There were some very sophisticated cabinet designs, they were all large but some were better than others, I think the best I ever heard were Lowther - very expensive.

Peter
User avatar
falling-out-with-my-car
Posts: 1928
Joined: 06 Apr 2008, 15:26
Location: Northamptonshire
My Cars: Citroen C5 Aircross 8 speed Automatic, Flair Model with far to many toys and nice comfy armchair like leather seats. ha ha Ive just had a conversation with the car. setting everything up verbally
x 24

Post by falling-out-with-my-car »

A word on amplifiers I have found that usually the heavier an amplifier is the better it sounds, I have no idea why this should be but somehow it seems to ring true, lightweights just dont seem to cut the mustard.

on speakers I once knew a fella that had oil cooled speakers on a separetes system now thats going to far.
Citroen Xantia S2 1.9 TD estate 189K soon to be broken for parts Jan 2017 headlamps & radiator fan assembly already spoken for & A 1987 Citroen 2CV6 special just for fun.
New addition Citroen C5 2.0 HDi Exclusive Hatch purchased 09/12/2016 with 83K on the clock.
Online
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25360
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Post by myglaren »

Image

At last - captured with Google Chrome :?

Very unusual design that usually induce a violent polemic.

These are relatively simple ones. Others are more extreme in price and design.

Been experiencing the same daftness with images of Arielle Dombasle :(
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Post by Peter.N. »

Very strange. I have only ever heard of Quad, Leak and Rodgers, I lost interest when they started using transistors :wink:

Peter
Online
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25360
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Post by myglaren »

Peter.N. wrote:Very strange. I have only ever heard of Quad, Leak and Rodgers, I lost interest when they started using transistors :wink:

Peter
Bit like my dad. Left British Rail when they introduced diesel engined locomotives as he "Didn't want to work on mucky diesels"

And what did he then become?

A Marine diesel engineer :?

I still have the valves, just not in the amps.

Image

clickable thumb
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Post by Peter.N. »

Oh er, looks like something out of the enterprise :shock:
User avatar
falling-out-with-my-car
Posts: 1928
Joined: 06 Apr 2008, 15:26
Location: Northamptonshire
My Cars: Citroen C5 Aircross 8 speed Automatic, Flair Model with far to many toys and nice comfy armchair like leather seats. ha ha Ive just had a conversation with the car. setting everything up verbally
x 24

Post by falling-out-with-my-car »

Nigel,

(no I haven't lost it and started talking to myself). although being my thread it would seem like it. :roll:
for the benefit of the other Nigel who Pm'd me and asked for a detailed description of how to remove the stereo here goes.

on the Mk 2 xantia to remove the stereo firstly remove the ashtray mine has a spring clip underneath gripping it so it wont extend beyond the fully open position. if you push the spring clip downwards the ashtray slides out.

with the ashtray removed locate the two star bit screws which would (ashtray in position) line up with the top edge of the rectangular front face of the ashtray.
now the next bit is a bit hit & miss the frame around the stereo is clipped in place all the way up to the alarm sensor/Clock strip of the dash.
the book says insert a screwdriver and prise free although with gentle pressure I managed to prize mine free without using a screwdriver starting at the bottom first. I used a little silicone spray to clip it back (dashboard spray shine).

once the frame is removed this exposes the two star bit securing screws either side of the stereo unit, it would help to have a maganatised screwdriver for putting these back later as they are sunk back in the dash a bit.

thats it really pull the stereo forward to remove it.

all my tunning issues were being caused by the oxidisation between earth and the centre core of the aerial lead, of course I cheated by cutting the earth sheilding on the cable but I shall get a proper replacement plug at some point soon, did a 140 mile trip last week and the radio performed perfectly all day long even the RDS kicked in and out without a glitch.

regards (The other Nigel). :)
Citroen Xantia S2 1.9 TD estate 189K soon to be broken for parts Jan 2017 headlamps & radiator fan assembly already spoken for & A 1987 Citroen 2CV6 special just for fun.
New addition Citroen C5 2.0 HDi Exclusive Hatch purchased 09/12/2016 with 83K on the clock.
NAM
Donor 2024
Posts: 156
Joined: 13 May 2008, 22:42
Location: Macclesfield, UK
My Cars:
x 2

Xantia radio reception

Post by NAM »

Thanks Nigel - with all this good weather it is encouraging me to do those jobs I keep putting off and my radio (MW especially) reception is not the best.

Nige (the other one) :!:
NEW 50 Shades of Grey C5 Tourer 2016 BlueHDi 2L VTR+
C4 (62) 1.6HDi VTR+ (Feb 2020)
Silver Dream Machine: C4 Hatchback, 1.6 SX HDi (07) (July 2013 - Feb 2020)
C5 Tourer Exclusive 09/2Ltr HDi (Oct 2012-Sept 2021 146K miles
Xantia Estate Mk2 1.8LX V-Reg/2000 173K miles.
Online
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25360
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Post by myglaren »

Well seeing as this thread has meandered all over the place already I'd just like to add that the radio works superbly as of yesterday - stuck a couple of feet of mains lead in the socket and it was just the ticket.

And to complete it, snagged a pair of Sonab OA5 speakers today, hoping to collect them tomorrow.

Image

Image likely to die soon as the auction is over.
User avatar
falling-out-with-my-car
Posts: 1928
Joined: 06 Apr 2008, 15:26
Location: Northamptonshire
My Cars: Citroen C5 Aircross 8 speed Automatic, Flair Model with far to many toys and nice comfy armchair like leather seats. ha ha Ive just had a conversation with the car. setting everything up verbally
x 24

Post by falling-out-with-my-car »

myglaren,

well its good to hear your radio is working again at least. :)
Citroen Xantia S2 1.9 TD estate 189K soon to be broken for parts Jan 2017 headlamps & radiator fan assembly already spoken for & A 1987 Citroen 2CV6 special just for fun.
New addition Citroen C5 2.0 HDi Exclusive Hatch purchased 09/12/2016 with 83K on the clock.
Online
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25360
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Post by myglaren »

I mentioned Klipshorns earlier.
What I really was trying to dig out of my brain was Living Voice Air Partner - you would love them Jim :) 8' high and can be driven by a 15W valve amp to ear-bleeding volumes.

No longer extant but the replacements are - nice!

Image

Vox Olympian

A snip at £190,00 a pair.

Would need some decent speaker cables of course, like the Magnum-Opus at $33,000 an 8' pair :)

Just sent for a new belt for the turntable. The old (original) is over 40 years old and is ready for retirement :)
Post Reply