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Recommend me a cheap car head unit with an AUX port!

fuzzybabybunny

fuzzybabybunny

Moderator<br>Digital & Video Cameras
Moderator
I use the stock Toyota head unit, and I think it's 35x4, but in reality I've heard it's around 12W RMS per channel. Right now I've got to use a cassette tape adapter to play my MP3 player through it, and it's poopy 🙁

All I'm looking for is a really cheap, good quality head unit with an AUX in port with wattage that's at least that of my stock head unit.
 
Sony xplod head units. I have one and it was cheap and has AUX. I have the xxx300 model that is currently sold.

It is pretty good although my antenna connection sucks. I don't think that is due to the stereo though, due to my crappy wiring skills.
 
Ive never seen anything thats 12RMS rofl.

ahahaah, Im sorry, but for $30 you can go to BB and get a 30watt RMS unit, it may be ******, but its cheap.
 
well its stock, with stock speakers i bet. i bet the car companies use just what they need to get away with it and nothing more heh. and yea adding super powerful headunit is pointless with stock speakers
 
I've got a question: If there's even a slight chance of me getting a sub for my car, do I have to have Sub Preamp Outputs in my headunit, or can sub preamp outputs be found in amps as well, meaning I don't need them in my headunit?

Actually, come to think it it, do I need preamp outputs at all? If I get a head unit with no preamp outs, and get an amp in the future with two pair preamps for upgraded speakers and a mono preamp for a sub, shouldn't that work also?

I'm a little worried about the Sony's FM Sensitivity. It's at 9dBf, but isn't that kinda low? I listen to a lot of radio.
 
I bought this for my beater

$100 Sony CDXGT100

Specs:
52 watts peak power x 4 channels
CD/CD-R/RW playback; repeat 1/2 and shuffle play
Detachable faceplate with red-key illuminations and blue 13-segment negative LCD; clock Front-panel auxiliary input to connect your portable audio player SSIR-EXA tuner with 30 presets (12 AM and 18 FM)
BTM (Best Tuning Memory)
8fs, 1-bit digital-to-analog converter
EQ3 band equalizer
Rear subwoofer selectable preout with low-pass filter
45° install
CD frequency response: 10Hz - 20kHz
CD signal-to-noise ratio: 120dB



I plug in my 30GB Creative Zen Vision M with this $3 for 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable to the front of my sony head unit.
 
Get the preamp outs. Pay more if you have to. Chaining amps to each other and running amps off the high-level (speaker-level) connections, never sounds as good as a pure low-level preamp signal.

And for those of you going by the HU, where it says "35x4!" on the face, well, that's peak power.... most aftermarket headunits are between 10 and 20w RMS, and even the so-called "high-power" HUs still don't break 35w RMS. You just simply can't pack that much power circuitry in a half-DIN form factor.


Oh yea, I'm rockin' 100w RMSx2 (fronts) and 600w RMS into an 8" bandpass 😀
 
I wanted to get the Sony CDXGT100 mentioned above but then I saw that it didn't have any preamp outs for the sub and only 1 pair preamp outs and I got wary of future compatibility if I ever decide to get better speakers or even a sub.

So it's impossible for the preamp outs on an amplifier to produce "pure low-level" signals?
 
Ok, I think I'm going to get the Pioneer DEH-P4800MP. Gets great reviews and more/better features than the Sonys. 3 pairs of preamp outs.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-td5JJEhP2w...in/prodview.asp?i=130DEHP480&s=0&cc=01

$140 shipped with wiring harness and everything. Is this a good price? The lowest price online shipped is $120, but it doesn't include the harness, so I figure Crutchfield will be the most convenient, $140 for the all in one package. Is this everything I need for installation? I can solder.
 
I just got this Sony Xplod for myself. It was $179.99 at Circuit City; however, I think you could do better on the web. This model has aux input and it plays MP3s. I think if you are forward looking you'll go for the MP3 function, handy to have.

If it's strictly a better price you want, you can save $30.00 to $50.00 by getting a unit in this model line that doesn't play MP3s. Linky follows:

[http://www.xplodsony.com/xplod/headunits/CDX-GT500]

After reviewing your post, it sounds like you may just want cheap. You could look for Audiovox somewhere. I wouldn't, but if that is your total issue. Years ago they used to have tapedecks for about $50.00, low quality, but cheap. Yes there still there $39.00 to $50.00, no aux inputs though.
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Ok, I think I'm going to get the Pioneer DEH-P4800MP. Gets great reviews and more/better features than the Sonys. 3 pairs of preamp outs.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-td5JJEhP2w...in/prodview.asp?i=130DEHP480&s=0&cc=01

$140 shipped with wiring harness and everything. Is this a good price? The lowest price online shipped is $120, but it doesn't include the harness, so I figure Crutchfield will be the most convenient, $140 for the all in one package. Is this everything I need for installation? I can solder.
Click to expand...

I've bought from Crutchfield before. I still shop there, but I buy somewhere else because of the high prices. Shop there, make sure its exactly what you want and then go out and get your best price.

 
The "pre-amp" output on an amplifier is a simple pass-through. You still either need to feed it with a pre-amp from the headunit or the high-level speaker connections.

If I were you, I'd ignore uberman and just buy it from Crutchfield. They send you, for free, the wiring harness and needed install kits and what-have-you. You don't need to solder anything when you install a radio, what you do is connect the bare wires on the back of the HU to the bare wires on the back of the wiring harness it comes with. Just twising the wires together and using electrical tape is enough; you can use twist caps if you want to get fancy. Then, you just connect the wiring harness to the factory connector without snipping anything. It'll clip right on, then all you have to do is install the sleeve and/or adapter kit in the dash, connect the radio to the harness and antenna, and slide it in.

The Crutchfield kit should come with instructions if what I said above is too confusing 😉
 
I second crutchfield as they give you everything you need to install. I have a Panasonic Head Unit, looks good, sounds good, and has all the right inputs and outputs.

Since your using with factory speakers and want to go cheap just pick a name brand unit that has the look and function you want.
 
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