Jump to content

Car CD deck

TheGeek

By TheGeek, Member
in What's Up?

 Share

Recommended Posts

[LaW]Maverick Newbie

[LaW]Maverick

Newbie
[LaW]Maverick
[LaW]Maverick
Member

I've been debating on putting new speakers and and a new amp in my car....but I have the Monsoon sound system that came with it, and honestly, it sounds pretty bloody good for factory. All in all, the system I have picked out would cost me 'round $500 with installation (I'm keeping my head unit as it's a NAV system), and that's money I don't need to spend when my stuff already sounds pretty good. :-)

 

Congrats on the new stereo! I think you'll be happy with the Pioneer; I always have been!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
General J Newbie

General J

Newbie
General J
General J
Member

Dunno if this was already answered or not... I got lost in the evil Wal-Mart vs Target debate (freakin hijackers...)

 

But, even if your stereo is a double DIN size, you can buy an installation kit for a single din unit and masks the bottom section. It makes it look like an extra factory expansion area. Either that or some give you a nice little storage slot under the head unit. As far as the steering wheel controls go, get in touch with Crutchfield's customer service. They can generally help answer questions you have. Crutchfield is like the Newegg of car audio. Depending on how well the factory unit comes out, you will probably just have to plug up the wiring harness and install the new unit. But be warned. My 89 celica had us cutting and soldering every connection for the wiring harness. It's not difficult, but a pain to do for each wire.

 

Good luck with the new stereo. Even a new head unit with factory speakers can make a world of difference.

 

PS Alpines are nice, but overpriced. I had a nice Aiwa unit that I loved. Pioneer 4-way 6X9's can rock your world!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheGeek Newbie

TheGeek

  • Author
Newbie
TheGeek
TheGeek
Member

LOL the kid i was going to buy the stereo from wanted me to drive 55+ miles ONE WAY to get it. I canceled the sale and he got ticked! lol

 

I keep on hearing people say "don't go cheap on the head unit". I am planning to buy a new sony cd deck from wally world or target today. I'm planning to spend $130, maybe $180. Is the $130 one a "cheap" one that i will regret when i put an amplifier and aftermarket speakers in my car later?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
boiler Newbie

boiler

Newbie
boiler
boiler
Member

ugh, I can't recommend sony for their head units. I just can't. Sony isn't exactly world-renowned for their quality audio stuffs.

 

In my 2 minute search, Best Buy has Pioneer decks with the required front aux jack for around $140. Here's a link.

 

I think from the general feeling of other's posts here that we are in agreement that Pioneer and Alpine make the best head units (with a vote for Aiwa thrown in).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
General J Newbie

General J

Newbie
General J
General J
Member
(edited)

Edit : Boilersax posted a good head unit at a really good price. 22w RMS is on the higher side of most head unit amps. Most Alpines I was looking at had around the same signal-to-noise ratio as this one as well. If you want it today, go to Best Buy. Their price beats Crutchfield. If you want it slightly cheaper though, CF has it in their outlet are for $125 LINKY HERE!

 

Cheaper head units can be alright. I haven't been in the car audio world for a few years now (pimped out family cars and minivans don't seem to be the thing...) but I can suggest a few things to look at. I am a specs guy. Get all you can for the money you put into it, which could be why I have been debating on headphones for the last 3 days.

 

Take a look at RMS power ratings. Also look for a higher dB signal-to-noise rating. Like I said before, Crutchfield is a great place to look and learn more about audio equipment. Even if you don't buy from them, they are a good place to do research.

 

As far as brands go, I loved my Aiwa, but from what I understand they were bought by Sony. I can't say anything about the new Sony's, but when they were using the Xplod product line I had heard a lot of bad things about them. Pioneer, Alpine, Blaupunkt have all been around for a long while and are great names.

 

I personally tried to stay away from the head units that had the fancy graphics and crazy controls. I stuck with the simplicity=better philosophy. Remember when you look at a head unit that you will probably want to do things like change cd's, adjust volume and change tracks while driving. Take that into consideration when looking at buttons and head units that have to fold out or flip down to change cd's. And remember that the more motors and moving parts the thing has means more stuff that can break and go out after X number of uses.

 

If you are wanting to add amps and subs, look at the number of pairs of preamp outputs. You will need at least 1 for a sub amp, more if you plan on using a separate amp to drive your speakers.

 

I don't know about buying a $130-$180 unit at wal-mart or target. I would personally go to an audio shop and look around. They generally have a better selection and will be about the same price. Looking around, you should be able to get a decent unit for under $200. Have fun shopping, and good luck!

Edited by General J
Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheGeek Newbie

TheGeek

  • Author
Newbie
TheGeek
TheGeek
Member

Thanks for the advice guys! I told my brother (who is a mini expert on car stereo's) and he said NOT to buy anything from the xplod line. He suggested the SAME head you guys just did LOL. Something about the mossefet amp built in. I bought that at wally world for $135 (worth it cause I don't have to pay for shipping and handling, and he installs it tonight :D), a mounting kit that has a storage area, and a wiring harness for $150. Overall, good day!

I kinda wanted a pretty stereo that would dazzle people, but I think it would eventually end up to me driving into a tree >_<

Thanks again guys!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
[LaW]Maverick Newbie

[LaW]Maverick

Newbie
[LaW]Maverick
[LaW]Maverick
Member

that Mosfett chip is the whole reason I buy Pioneer...the thing is amazing.....

 

Good call on the Sony's they suck hardcore. They used to make absolutely amazing boom-boxes back in the day, but their car stereo stuff has always sucked. The laser tends to go bad real fast (sounds like a ps2, right? lol) and all sorts of other issues. I'd never buy Sony car-audio.

 

congrats again on the new buy....but I'd have mailed you $5 not to buy it at Wal*Mart :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
boiler Newbie

boiler

Newbie
boiler
boiler
Member
congrats again on the new buy....but I'd have mailed you $5 not to buy it at Wal*Mart :-)

+1 Walmart is overrated and the monument of ignorance in the country. Every time I have gone there, I see something/someone that makes me say "You only see this crap at Walmart".

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheGeek Newbie

TheGeek

  • Author
Newbie
TheGeek
TheGeek
Member

congrats again on the new buy....but I'd have mailed you $5 not to buy it at Wal*Mart :-)

+1 Walmart is overrated and the monument of ignorance in the country. Every time I have gone there, I see something/someone that makes me say "You only see this crap at Walmart".

 

True. I feel like I need a hot shower after exiting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...