Getting my first car on Saturday... looking for some audio advice, etc.

[Sybren]

I'm purchasing a '98 Honda Accord Coupe on Saturday (assuming all goes well) and I figure I immediately need to add a cd-player/changer and a radar/laser detector (legal in my state ). Anyway, I really don't know what's good and what sucks. At this time I don't want to replace speakers or add subs, just get the base components in place.

I really want a cd-changer that fits completely in the dash rather than having the CDs in a separate box (I believe such things exist?). Any recommendations here? If there are no good ones, it would be acceptable to have the CDs in a separate box in the truck or whatever, I just need recommendations. I'm looking for good bang for the buck, but could spend around $500 on the cd-player/changer.

As for radar/laser detectors, I have no clue. Anybody know a good brand and where to buy?

Thanks alot.

 

[Doodoo]

As for radar detectors...look into valentines. It'll be hard to find a cd changer that fits in the dash, but i think alpine makes a 3 disk changer that fits in the dash. Look into clarion, nakamichi, or eclipse.

 

[atom]

There is a CD changer that fits in the dash (5 CD changer), but I can't recall who makes it. It's the only one I've seen, so it shouldn't be hard to track down. Could be Nakamichi, but I am not sure. It takes up an extra DIN slot in addition to the head unit.

Alpine makes a head unit that has a 3 cd disc changer as already stated.

No clue on the radar detectors.

 

[SuperGroove]

Sybren,

This is your very first car? Oh my God...how old are you?

Radar Detectors: Valentine Ones are the best in the Biz

Audio System...go to a circuit city or soundtrack, and go into a sound room, and play around with the speakers. If the store guys come into bug you, tell them you need a few. Those guys...ergh. They only want me outta there cause it looks like i have no dough...sigh. Or it could be commissioni, but I doubt that...oops side-tracked.

I like Clarion. Their decks are very nice. I like Polk Audio for speakers and sub woofers. I like the Sony Xplode amp. ALl together, this will make a decent setup. However, the Stock Honda one doesn't sound too bad...

Paul

 

[HardTech]

Blaupunkt makes that in-dash 5-disc CD changer

Valentines are nice, but you'll have to upgrade to a laser detector if you want best of both worlds. Not only that, be prepared to spend upwards of $400 and stuff.. which isn't including any of the accessories

 

[Farbio]

sounds like you have gotten good advice w/ everything here. valentine is definitely the way to go if you can afford it, otherwise go w/ escort. both are mail order companies...get a car mag and find their numbers, and enjoy that car...its sweet!

 

[jsm]

I don't know if you are interested in specifics, but ...

I recommend these recievers.

1. Kenwood Z919. It plays ISO CDs with MP3s on them. Meaning..? Burn a cd with MP3s and play them for hours. Aiwa makes something like this but it lacks all the functions that the Kenwood has.
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-RLCLTu0NMUU/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=300&I=113z919&o=M&a=0

2. Kenwood P907. This is most definitely a high end piece of car audion. It sports an LCD display that folds out and has a TV tuner. Not bad for 2000$+.
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-WM6kOtAcOgF/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=300&I=113p907&o=M&a=0

3. Clarion AutoPC. It's WindowsCE in your car - and it doesn't sell just like anything with WinCE (except the Dreamcast). I'd use this if I was a salesman on the go and I wanted to have all of my contact info with me at anytime I was in the car... or if I was too busy to read my own email and wanted my car to do it for me. It's not quite KITT, but it's as close as we've come so far.
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-RLCLTu0NMUU/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=30100&I=020NAV310C&o=M&a=0

And, lastly, why get a Honda when you can get MegaCar?

http://www.megacar.com/

 

[Sybren]

I appreciate all the replies. In reply to SuperGroove, I'm 16 years old, guess that explains why it is my first car, no? :0

As for radar detectors, Valentine One's seem to be highly recommended, and from what I have read about them in Car & Driver they seem good. Last night, though, I was reading the latest issue and there was an Escort Passport 7500 add and it said in a quote from a review, "'The Passport seemed much more adept at weeding out false sources [than the Valentine One]'" (and other than that seemed to compare them as about equal). Do you guys think that is just advertising, or might there be truth to it?

As for CD players, anybody know where I can get a look at the Alpine 3-disc in-dash changer? Or the Kenwood Z919? Are there any other cd-players that read MP3s besides the Kenwood?

Thanks again.

 

[jsm]

Actually, Aiwa makes a cd player that reads MP3s.

http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-oKxBIuZSVRr/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=300&I=570CDCMP3&o=M&a=0

It's not as good, but much cheaper.

 

[Sybren]

Ya, I saw that Aiwa. Is it pre-order or are they just temporarily out of stock?

 

[DarkManX]

build yourself a car mp3/player and/or gps receiver, will be a fun project and if u got alot of computer h/w laying around im sure u can use some.

 

[DarkManX]

build yourself a car mp3/player and/or gps receiver, will be a fun project and if u got alot of computer h/w laying around im sure u can use some.