Recommend a head unit under $150

[Hyperlite]

Thanks GTA. if i can get over the whole deformed transformer theme clarion has going, mabye thats what i'll do. so many options!

edit: that cheap usb clarion wasn't getting very good reviews...noise, poor display, it would look terrible in my completely black dash...

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
flash drive. that may be a feature out of my price range though...like you said, there is always Ebay.
nice post count by the way

This is the cheapest I could find with USB that wasn't complete garbage. It comes out to 164.39 though. Clarion makes pretty good headunits. I've just always found them to be ugly.

Here's a Clarion with USB and remote at Crutchfield for $99

Free shipping if you spend $30 more on the site (speakers?) plus, all the install gear and installation instructions specific to your car are included. I posted this same one in another thread about this recently. Seems like it may be what you're looking for.

It's junk. It's limited to 1gb flash drives only and has a limit on the amount of mp3s it can read off the drive. The other model I linked does not have those restrictions. Plus it's only 19w RMS.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
flash drive. that may be a feature out of my price range though...like you said, there is always Ebay.
nice post count by the way

This is the cheapest I could find with USB that wasn't complete garbage. It comes out to 164.39 though. Clarion makes pretty good headunits. I've just always found them to be ugly.

Ok thanks. you're right though, that interface makes my head want to asplode. well perhaps i will be upping my head unit budget. Would there be any advantage to getting the P690UB over the P6900UB? amazon has the 6900 for $211.

You could get the 6900. The only real difference between the two is that the 690 comes with the ipod hookup and a 2 year warranty instead of 1.

 

[Hyperlite]

yeah see my last post. the 6900UB is looking really good....

edit: yep. ok shawn, so lets say for now i go with the 6900UB. speaker suggestions? I said earlier i was looking at the Alpine Type-S's. yay or nay?

 

[acegazda]

Originally posted by: Shawn
Holy crap stay away from Dual. They are utter junk.

true.dat
alpine easily has the best sound and build quality, but pioneer is pretty good as well for less $$$. For speakers, alpine are overpriced IMO, but infinity, the high end boston acoustics and polk speakers and rockford fosgate are all very good to excellent (in no particular order) Consider component speakers from one of those brands and if you want subs, the rockford fosgates are generally renounded as the best bang for buck. The punch stage 1 line sounds good for you...

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
yeah see my last post. the 6900UB is looking really good....

edit: yep. ok shawn, so lets say for now i go with the 6900UB. speaker suggestions? I said earlier i was looking at the Alpine Type-S's. yay or nay?

Alpines aren't bad, there are better options depending on how much you'd like to spend though. I tend to like MB Quartz (a german company who makes really good speakers) or Infinity. The Infinity Kappa series speakers are awesome. I think their Reference series are ok. However you can probably get some MB Quartz for around the same price as that Reference and they would be much better.

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: acegazda

Originally posted by: Shawn
Holy crap stay away from Dual. They are utter junk.

true.dat
alpine easily has the best sound and build quality, but pioneer is pretty good as well for less $$$. For speakers, alpine are overpriced IMO, but infinity, the high end boston acoustics and polk speakers and rockford fosgate are all very good to excellent (in no particular order) Consider component speakers from one of those brands and if you want subs, the rockford fosgates are generally renounded as the best bang for buck. The punch stage 1 line sounds good for you...

cool :thumbsup: i was eyeing the alpines for their rubber surrounds....shawn i have heard of MB Quartz, i'll look into them. i had also been looking into the infinities, which appear to be favored over the alpines.

 

[acegazda]

My dad had a set of infinity gold's factory installed the family dodge caravan that sounded amazing

 

[Hyperlite]

Nice price...me gusta

shawn, could you link me an MB Quartz retailer? i can't seem to find one...

 

[Shawn]

I have These in my car and they are awesome. They are only 2 way but it doesn't really matter. I can blast them until my ears bleed and they don't distort. They also put out tons of base. Of course I have them hooked up to an amp.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
Nice price...me gusta

shawn, could you link me an MB Quartz retailer? i can't seem to find one...

Those are only 5.25" speakers. Crutchfield says your car fits 6.5" in the front and 4" in the back. I wouldn't get anything smaller if you can help it.

 

[Shawn]

Here we go. Matching 4" for the back.

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
Nice price...me gusta

shawn, could you link me an MB Quartz retailer? i can't seem to find one...

Those are only 5.25" speakers. Crutchfield says your car fits 6.5" in the front and 4" in the back. I wouldn't get anything smaller if you can help it.

hmm...so it does...i just popped the covers off today and i swear they are 5-1/4, but i didn't have a tape measure with me...perhaps i'm just stupid. know of any other sites that have the sizing thing? BB does, but it only gives me 4" options.


edt: NM i'm stupid, BB is showing me 6-1/2 options now too. thanks shawn, that would have been unpleasant.

 

[Shawn]

Sounddomain says 6.5" as well.

 

[Hyperlite]

that woofersetc place has quite the inventory. :Q

 

[Hyperlite]

Ok, so you would suggest:
6.5"s
4"s

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
Ok, so you would suggest:
6.5"s
4"s

Correct.

 

[Hyperlite]

Cool. that will free up some funds for the head unit

thanks a ton for all the help shawn :thumbsup:

btw, ever bought anything from woofersetc?

 

[Shawn]

No problem. My second choice would be the Kappas but as you can see they are a lot more expensive.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
btw, ever bought anything from woofersetc?

No but they have a good rating. Text

 

[Hyperlite]

yeah. wow: http://www.resellerratings.com/store/WoofersEtc_Car_Audio_Superstore

ha yep beat me to it. awesome.

 

[Black88GTA]

For speakers....MB Quart are high quality, but very bright (which some people don't like). Another brand to look at is Focal - even their "low-end" line is very well respected. I would really recommend auditioning anything you are seriously considering buying before actually getting it.

If you can swing it, get component sets, rather than coaxials - comps usually come with separate crossover units, and require you to mount the tweeters separately from the main drivers. This way, you can aim the tweeters at the passenger compartment. Treble frequencies are very directional, and if they are mounted in kick panels or other areas where they don't face your ears, you lose a lot of the high end. The downside is that these aren't usually "drop-in" installations - they require a bit more work to mount the tweeters, run the wiring, and find a spot for the crossover networks. It's worth it though, IMO.

For subs - these are very well respected as excellent bang-for-buck drivers. They don't have the name recognition of RF, Kicker, etc. (mainly because BB, CC type places don't carry them), but every review of these I've read has been excellent.

EDIT: Some CD changers don't play nice with different-brand head units. If you want direct compatibility, I'd try my best to match the brand of the new HU with the brand of the changer, and make sure the HU has CD changer controls - many don't.

Is your changer stock, or aftermarket? Hard-wired, or does it use one of those controllers you stick somewhere on your dash? If stock...you may be SOL. My BMW has a Pioneer 6 disc changer stock, but I can't use it with my aftermarket Pioneer head unit. Turns out, the changer has a proprietary "language" that it uses to communicate with the factory head unit, which is not compatible with anything aftermarket (without an expensive translator adapter). They did this so that if you wanted a CD changer in your car, you'd be forced to shell out the $1,000+ to BMW for the option - not $200 + installation to Best Buy.

 

[Tbirdkid]

For a deck, i got the Pioneer 5900IB and I am running the infinity reference series 6010cs components. They are running off of a Infinity 7541A amplifier and the back channel i have bridged going to a infinity reference 10 inch subwoofer. The woofer is in a sealed box and it hits like nobodys business. It all depends on the car you put this stuff in though. Mine is in an altima. Good luck.

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA
For speakers....MB Quart are high quality, but very bright (which some people don't like). Another brand to look at is Focal - even their "low-end" line is very well respected. I would really recommend auditioning anything you are seriously considering buying before actually getting it.

If you can swing it, get component sets, rather than coaxials - comps usually come with separate crossover units, and require you to mount the tweeters separately from the main drivers. This way, you can aim the tweeters at the passenger compartment. Treble frequencies are very directional, and if they are mounted in kick panels or other areas where they don't face your ears, you lose a lot of the high end. The downside is that these aren't usually "drop-in" installations - they require a bit more work to mount the tweeters, run the wiring, and find a spot for the crossover networks. It's worth it though, IMO.

For subs - these are very well respected as excellent bang-for-buck drivers. They don't have the name recognition of RF, Kicker, etc. (mainly because BB, CC type places don't carry them), but every review of these I've read has been excellent.

EDIT: Some CD changers don't play nice with different-brand head units. If you want direct compatibility, I'd try my best to match the brand of the new HU with the brand of the changer, and make sure the HU has CD changer controls - many don't.

Is your changer stock, or aftermarket? Hard-wired, or does it use one of those controllers you stick somewhere on your dash? If stock...you may be SOL. My BMW has a Pioneer 6 disc changer stock, but I can't use it with my aftermarket Pioneer head unit. Turns out, the changer has a proprietary "language" that it uses to communicate with the factory head unit, which is not compatible with anything aftermarket (without an expensive translator adapter). They did this so that if you wanted a CD changer in your car, you'd be forced to shell out the $1,000+ to BMW for the option - not $200 + installation to Best Buy.

thanks for the info on the driver, i will definitely look into them when i do subs later.

As for the CD changer, it is an OEM In-Dash slot fed job, with CD selector buttons on it. i guess i won't know for sure until i crack the dash open, but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't work. thanks for the heads up.