Nakamichi Stereo Sounds Like A Helicopter

[tvt79]

The Nak stereo in my 1995 SC400 sounds like a helicopter going overhead. It's a steady thumping. Is this the amp or rear speakers? Any help will be appreciated.

[dcfish]

The Nak stereo in my 1995 SC400 sounds like a helicopter going overhead. It's a steady thumping. Is this the amp or rear speakers? Any help will be appreciated.

From here it sounds like the amp

[pj8708]

The Nak stereo in my 1995 SC400 sounds like a helicopter going overhead. It's a steady thumping. Is this the amp or rear speakers? Any help will be appreciated.

From here it sounds like the amp

Ditto.

[grnsc40095]

I would test the speaker, especially if they are stock. The Lexus stock speakers are low quality. Buy a cheap 2inch speaker and hook-up to +/- connection in the back trunk to test if it's the speakers or the amp.

[omacht]

I just sent my recently acquired Sc400 into my local car stereo shop (after 2 weeks of unbearable silence) and it was determined the 'hell-o-copter' sound was the Amp (in the trunk under the CD changer) had packed it in. Now I am a thrifty, if not cheap, guy. I just bought this bad-boy car off Craigslist on a whim for $2500 from a 70ish granny who paid $60k almost 20 years ago. I could not believe my luck; my budget was for a beater car and I end up with crazy luxury granny/muscle ride. That's not the sick part. I plop on MP3 Kenwood unit and 100W amp using 4 x 6 1/2" 2-ways plus crossovers to utilize the door tweeters...pulling the Nakamichi was the best thing I did and it added MP3-iPod connectivity, Bluetooth, a USB port as iphone charger and more, there's such superior sonic horesepower out there you have to get over pulling out the Nak. It hurts but there it is. Plus you will drop weight; no need to drag that 12 lb trunk sloth of a CD player around any more so ditch it. Basically, I love the Nakamichi (and Marantz) legacy but it was pooped. I did what I could to salvage anything and only the door tweeters and rear sub could be used. I channelled the 4 channel Amp to the 2 x fronts and Sub, then I bridged the deck to power the rears. It sounds nuts but it was the best config. I am very glad I went with a new $1200 complete Kenwood Excelon kit, it is fabulous!. I hope this helps motivate you to gut the deadness and drop in some boom-boom.

I want to add that phase 1 was a deck + 6" rears and 4" fronts. Through trial and error I came to understand the importance of the front speakers and had to get my car stereo guy to (phase 2) custom mod 6" into the doors and I am sooo happy I did that. If your stereo guy says 4" is max, i say BS, push the thing and splurge on the fronts with 6-6 1/2", it CAN be done. Then for gods sakes add a beefy amp, my Kenwood 4 channel 100W was something like $120-140 plus cables and cheap-cheap but the amp makes all the difference. You will never pick up chix with stock un-amped tunes, plus your carrot will grow an inch when cruzin', this I swear. All the best...O