What am I missing without M & T

[mikey00]

I am about to purchase a new 05 Vibe. The one I want does not have the moon and tunes package. I am ok with the moon part but not sure about the tunes. What exactly am I giving up? Looks like 200w amp, 2 tweeters and integrated subwoofer. Are other 4 speakers and head unit the same. How hard and/or expensive would it be to add these items later. Is amp wiring etc there? Or am I better off without the M&T?

[Kari]

Yes, I believe the speakers are the same and I know the head unit is, but I don't think the amp wiring is there if you don't already have the moon and tunes package. You'd have to go aftermarket, pretty much.I don't have the integrated sub because mine is an '03, but I think the moon and tunes package was well worth it. I love the moonroof and have been impressed by the sound of the stereo. I ordered mine so I could get moon and tunes, and I'm very glad I did.Welcome to GenVibe!

[lazytiger]

If you're the type of person that might be satisfied with factory audio, simply bring a favorite CD to the dealership and have a listen with and without the Moon & Tunes. If you want to go aftermarket for your stereo, I'd say it's a bit of a toss up. There are fewer complications if you don't have the Moon & Tunes, because you don't have to deal with bypassing or otherwise eliminating the factory amp under the passenger seat and you don't have 2 ohm speakers that need to be replaced. But it totally depends on how you want to approach your installation. The way I did mine, I'm really glad I had the M&T because it means the wiring for speakers is already there under the passenger seat, including for tweeters (and subwoofer now), which makes it convenient and logical to put your new amp (if you get one) in the same spot. If you don't get a new amp, but do get a new head unit, you'll have to deal with lowering the output from the HU to line level for the factory amp, or you'll have to bypass the factory amp, which then means you have to replace the 2 ohm speakers.Ah, I could go on and on, but are you getting the sense that it's complicated? What are your thoughts so far?

[lazytiger]

I think it could best be summed up this way:If all you want to do is replace the head unit, it would be much easier if you don't have the Moon & Tunes. If you want to go all-out with new speakers, new amp, etc, I'd say it's easier with the Moon & Tunes. Of course, you could go all-out even without the M&T, but personally, I think it's cool that there's already a spot for tweeters in the front doors, and putting in a new amp under the front seat doesn't require running any new speaker wires (that's a BIG advantage in my book). However, I have an '03. I'm not sure how the new integrated subwoofer plays into all this.

[mikey00]

Lots of good input here. After reading it and also going back through all the old posts I think I will skip the M&T package. As I said I am not really interested in the moon part anyway. It looks like owners of the non-M&T setups are very pleased with them, maybe even more so than the M&T owners. It looks like more M&T owners saw the need to upgrade to aftermarket and at that point it would be easier to do if you don't have M&T (not to mention the cost savings).

[Merzbow]

I didn't get the moon and tunes package. I think the stock setup sounds wonderful already. I love my music so I went aftermarket. I didn't buy a new head unit because I like the stock one but I got aftermarket tweeters, subwoofers, and amp. I still have the stock speakers and everything and it sounds even better. Although, this goes for almost all stereos, once I got my subs and tweets I can't stand listening to music without them lol. It sounds like there's an empty void.If I had to do it again though I would probably only buy one 10" sub and a 400watt amp maybe because I don't think it was worth as much as I paid for it.Also I compared my tweeters to the sound of the M&T tweeters on my boss's Vibe and I could barely even hear his.

[tnpartsguy]

Moons&Tunes was a necessity for me....I will never own another car without a hole in the roof. Plus the factory stereo is 90% perfect for me....if it only had a cassette deck too....(which the 'trix did offer, I just have to find one now)

[jwalcik]

i can attest to frustrations with upgrading the head unit when you've already got the moon and tunes package. fortunately the good folks at crutchfield are smarter than i am. they sent me a PAC OEM-2, which goes inbetween the head unit and factory wiring harness. cleared things right up. if you'll be happy with the factory speaker setup and/or want the moonroof, there are options available that don't require going entirely aftermarket just to replace the head unit.

[russ257]

alll you are missing is the sunroof (which i really like)the radio isnt that great slap some aftermarket stuff in for 300 bucks and you will be better off if thats your sticking point

[Merzbow]

You're right Russ, my whole system cost about $350...what does the moon and tunes package run? I'm asuming it costs more than that not including the moonroof.