Which headunit should i go with?

[EightySix Four]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Not a whole lot of difference unless you're going for an audiophile-level system.

You think an Infinity Kappa Perfect System is considered Audiophile badge worthy?

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: crazySOB297

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Not a whole lot of difference unless you're going for an audiophile-level system.

You think an Infinity Kappa Perfect System is considered Audiophile badge worthy?

Heck no!

 

[EightySix Four]

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Not a whole lot of difference unless you're going for an audiophile-level system.

What does it do, just output at a louder, cleaner volume?

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Not a whole lot of difference unless you're going for an audiophile-level system.

What does it do, just output at a louder, cleaner volume?

Makes the signals less sensitive to noise.

If you have a 1 volt signal and .5V of noise....you're definitely going to hear it. If you have a 5 volt signal and .5V of noise then you're not going to hear it. Unless your car has a horrible electrical system it won't matter.

 

[bigrash]

that widescreen is nice, but not where it's located. i can't image watching videos (and that's the whole point to widescreen) on that little screen all the way in the front of the car. it's not like you're watching video on a psp that's closer to you.

i'd go with the pioneer out of those two

 

[jtvang125]

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: crazySOB297
I'm debating swapping my Kenwood for the premier, does anyone know how much a diff going from the 2.5v pre-outs to the 5v would make. The amps max out at 5.5 volt.

Trying to find that out myself as well.

I had an Eclipse before with 5v preouts which I sold and got an Alpine with only 2v preouts. I thought there was going to be a difference I can hear but nope. To me the Alpine actually sounds better than the Eclipse. This was using quality speakers and a external amplifier.

 

[NutBucket]

Heh. You're the first person I know of that prefers Alpine SQ to Eclipse. To each his own

 

[Accipiter22]

I LOVE pioneer....I have a dehp9300 from a few years back..wouldn't trade for any other head unit on the market

 

[Svnla]

I have Alpine for a few years and I like it. I also heard good things about Pioneer.

Don't let me start with JVC. I will never buy that brand until I die. My JVC TV died on me after a year <little useage and the screen just went dead>.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Svnla
I have Alpine for a few years and I like it. I also heard good things about Pioneer.

Don't let me start with JVC. I will never buy that brand until I die. My JVC TV died on me after a year <little useage and the screen just went dead>.

JVC's past history does scare me a bit...

Im pretty sure im gonna end up with the Premier, i like the rotary dials, makes it much easier to browse mp3's and sirius stations.

 

[Aharami]

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: theNEOone
ugh. why people would mess with a perfectly good interior is beyond me. the mazda3 interior is one of the nicest in its class.

you should adjust your prices because putting in an aftermarket headunit is going to be at the expense of a dash that looks like sh!t. plus you're going to lose the time display AND the use of the stereo/volume controls on the steering wheel.


=|

Time display will be on the new radio.

They make adapters that splice into the wiring of the wheel, allows the streering wheel controls to work with aftermarket systems. The SWIX is one off the top of my head. Also, higher end eclipse's can wire directly in without any aftermarket adapters.

just installed this in my gf's tC along with the SWI-ALP for her steering wheel controls. Works perfectly and i think SQ is better than my Pioneer DEP-8600MP. Also hooked up her ipod via this. With this cable, you control the ipod via the HU but since her steering wheel controls work with the SWI-ALP, she can change tracks and FF/RW on her ipod via her steering wheel controls. Just make sure you read the directions carefully BEFORE hooking up the SWI-ALP

 

[aphex]

I think ive decided on the Premier after reading the following reply on another forum

the pioneer actually has an independant L/R 16 band eq (ie a seperate 16 band for each side), not to mention time alignment. The auto eq will get you a roughly flat frequency response as well as set the T/A for you (that's the best part). The crossovers can go all the way up to -36db/oct for the sub output and -24db/oct for the front and rear which is MUCH higher than normally possible. (most radios and amps have -12db/oc xover slopes).

Another cool thing it does is allow you to try an active system if you want. In an active system, the passive crossover between the woofer and tweeter is not used, and the speakers are instead crossed over inside the head unit or processor. The advantage of this is that you can easily adjust the level of the tweeter and woofer independantly of each other, as well as time align them independantly (instead of just picking a spot roughly between the two). The crossover point between the two can also be played with at much higher slopes than in a normal passive crossover and all this can be done while sitting in the driver's seat. Plus takign out the passives gets rid of the power robbing coils and capacitors. The disadvantage to all this? You need seperate amplifier channels to both your tweeter and woofer. This means either a 4channel amp withthe fronts to the tweets and the rears to the mids, OR two 2 channel amps. This is why I have so many amps in the sytem I'm building - it is a fully active 4 way system (tweeter, midrange, midbass, subwoofer)

Here is a link to some more great info on active systems http://www.bcae1.com/elxovsp2.htm

Higher voltage outputs allow you to reduce the gain on your amps, while still getting them to reach their full output. The advantage of this is a greatly lowered noise floor, and better sound quality in general.

 

[brtspears2]

I like my Alpine 9856.
In Mazda6

Ipod, sirius, pac swi-x to make the steering wheel controls work again.

 

[scorp00]

Get the pioneer. I've had a pioneer premier 600 series for 4 years now. It's a great head unit.

 

[aphex]

added some full dash pics

 

[randomlinh]

i'd so go w/ the pioneer... that looks so damn nice.

with that said... it's hard to match anything in our cars... the blasted red accenting looks cool, but makes it hard to go aftermarket.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
i'd so go w/ the pioneer... that looks so damn nice.

with that said... it's hard to match anything in our cars... the blasted red accenting looks cool, but makes it hard to go aftermarket.

yea, im trying to find the best of both worlds... good sq yet still a nice looking interior

 

[RollWave]

THE PREMIER FOR SURE!

 

[Howard]

By iPod compatibility you just mean that it has an auxiliary input, right?

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Howard
By iPod compatibility you just mean that it has an auxiliary input, right?

no, all of them have full ipod control...

text on screen, browse by artist/song/title/etc.... charges ipod while connected... etc...

 

[McGyver]

some people just love their ricer

 

[chuckywang]

Good luck when your car gets broken in and your headunit gets stolen.

 

[NutBucket]

Just one question. How is the OEM nav going to interface to the new HU? Do they all play together?

EDIT: You should just consider a higher quality LOC; namely, JL Audio's Cleansweep.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Just one question. How is the OEM nav going to interface to the new HU? Do they all play together?

EDIT: You should just consider a higher quality LOC; namely, JL Audio's Cleansweep.

I thought about it, but its not just the better SQ im going for, its the full integration....

And the OEM nav has its own joystick/controls right next to the shifter... The voice will continue to work as well as it has its own seperate inline amp that ties in later down the line... (cuts sound to front left speaker and plays voice)