defender tdi aftermarket audio system recommendations

hi all,
ive come to the conclusion id like to fit a radio into my 90.
i currently dont have and holes in the lower dash for speakers however i want the speakers to be in the oem position (can be larger than standard as long as they fit), i was wondering what audio systems people are running such as what size speakers, head units (preferably double din) and weather they also use an amp or sub.

Son bought a new dash with the speaker holes in it and swapped that over.
Have a look at Mudstuff website for dashboard solutions. He just fitted single din stereo and better speakers in standard position, not loud but good enough.

what sort of speakers did he fit, what size were they and were there any fitting difficulties

Standard size but you can get spacer rings so can fit different depth speakers. You can also get speaker pods to go in the back from Mudstuff. I fitted some to my TD5 and they are good quality.
Have a read on Mudstuff.co.uk for all the relevant info

i haven't done it - am only thinking about it for my D1

there would seem to be sound bars for automotive use - the bluetooth stuff - works on 12v

even in deepest dark africa i can stream radio stations and utube 70's music cheaply

so not the loud music stuff but beats up ending trim and cables and stuff

anyone done this ?

You can get rechargeable sound tubes, JBL for example, which work with Bluetooth from your phone. Good idea as you can also take it with you out of the truck.

I would recommend fitting speakers to the roof lining rather than the oem positions, that way they are next to your ear and you do not need to turn it up to eleven just to hear anything. You can run speaker wire up behind the plastic windscreen trim. this is what I have done with mine as nothing was fitted originally. You can also add a second set at the rear in the saem position if required. I have just done this again after the fire and fitted these speakers: Alpine SPG-13C2

If you do not have anything currently fitted all you need is a permanent 12v, an ignition 12v and an earth (all the illumination feed does is dim the radio screen when you turn the lights on). I do not know what model year you have but earth is Black wire, permanent live will either be brown or purple depending on year, and ignition should be orange ad white.

dag019 said:

I would recommend fitting speakers to the roof lining rather than the oem positions, that way they are next to your ear and you do not need to turn it up to eleven just to hear anything. You can run speaker wire up behind the plastic windscreen trim. this is what I have done with mine as nothing was fitted originally. You can also add a second set at the rear in the saem position if required. I have just done this again after the fire and fitted these speakers: Alpine SPG-13C2

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Second for this.

Its quite pricey but when I rebuilt mine I replaced the headlining with a LaSalle trim one which had speaker holes moulded into it. Looks really smart and you can actually hear it.

_Snowy_ said:

Second for this.

Its quite pricey but when I rebuilt mine I replaced the headlining with a LaSalle trim one which had speaker holes moulded into it. Looks really smart and you can actually hear it.

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I used a stock headlining and just cut suitable sized speaker holes.

If you're looking at adding any extra switches or gauges as well, the Mudstuff console would look like the best option for mounting the head unit, especially as the standard radio pod is a bit shallow for some head units. As for speakers, the OEM location is fine but doesn't work with deeper speakers as the wiper motor gets in the way on the passenger side. I also fitted an extra pair in my 90 in the rear corners of the tub. The trim panels for the 2007-16 model can be made to fit with a cut along the bottom edge, and they match up to the original window surrounds. Then it all looks neat and professional.

FlyingPete said:

If you're looking at adding any extra switches or gauges as well, the Mudstuff console would look like the best option for mounting the head unit, especially as the standard radio pod is a bit shallow for some head units. As for speakers, the OEM location is fine but doesn't work with deeper speakers as the wiper motor gets in the way on the passenger side. I also fitted an extra pair in my 90 in the rear corners of the tub. The trim panels for the 2007-16 model can be made to fit with a cut along the bottom edge, and they match up to the original window surrounds. Then it all looks neat and professional.

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Someone clearly has a fancy version if you are worrying about matching up rear trim. My rear trim is the remaining pieces of old carpet the previous owner glued the hardtop sides that didn't get burned away in the fire!

Have to disagree about the centre console though, the raptor engineering unit is much better than the mudstuff one IMO as it is ali rather than plastic. However the sentiment is the same regarding if you want to fit anything else additional and both achieve the same thing.

dag019 said:

Someone clearly has a fancy version if you are worrying about matching up rear trim. My rear trim is the remaining pieces of old carpet the previous owner glued the hardtop sides that didn't get burned away in the fire!

Have to disagree about the centre console though, the raptor engineering unit is much better than the mudstuff one IMO as it is ali rather than plastic. However the sentiment is the same regarding if you want to fit anything else additional and both achieve the same thing.

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I had a CSW which I carpeted the back of! Made the back seats a bit of a nicer place to sit, but there was then an obvious gap in the trim between the window surrounds and the carpet, which the speaker panels filled in nicely. The thing about the Mudstuff console is it looks quite similar to the console fitted to the TD5 dashboard, so blends in nicely. The Raptor unit is no doubt a sturdier piece of kit, but looks a bit more 'industrial' which is fine if that's what you're going for.

There's also a bit of room between the middle bulkhead and the back of the door frame which might work for a pair of speakers as an alternative to in the dashboard. Or cut the headlining and install them overhead, running the speaker wires up each side of the windscreen behind the trim piece.