Car Stereo Recommendations?

E

ErikD

Joined
Dec 5, 2000
Messages
1,875
Well last year I bought my first car, used of course. Well it has a factory CD player that kinda sorta worked from the start. When I first got the car I thought it was no big deal, I could listen to the radio. Well, now it is really starting to bug me, I want it to work and I want it to work all the time. Fixing it is out of the question, as I asked around, and it would cost at least as much as a new unit.

Anyone who has an aftermarket car stereo reciever and can comment, I would appreciate it greatly. I just waan something basic, able to play CD's, CDR's and act as a radio tuner. Nothing fancy, as I am on a pretty tight budget, and I don't really need this. I think I am going to start going around and looking at prices in my area this week, as I want someone else to install it. I am confident I would be able to do it myself, but don't really want the hastle. If I can save a significant amount of money I might just end up doing it myself. Basically I am thinking that if the money I would pay for installation would let me buy a significantly better unit, I would rather install myself. Otherwise, I have better things to do with my time than curse and rip apart my car.

Lastly, I do know that many of the big box stores offer free installation with purchase. Has anyone had any experience with this? I would rather buy from a small independant store, even if it costs a little more, because I think that the installation would be better.

Thanks in advance for all your help.
 
Beware of amatuer butchers who pretend to install stereo's.

A good install is a thing of beauty but, a bad one is a total nightmare you will live with as long as you own the car. Granted, some installs are harder then other but, I never have to worry about some hack cutting up my factory wiring either. YMMV

As far as models go, stick with a major brand. Basic car CD players are a commodity item like a sack of potatoes. Find one with buttons that are easy to use (meaning big enough a normal person can press them one at a time ;) ). Basic features are taken for granted but, do a sanity check for shuffle play and similar things. Then consider the aesthetics and theft deterrence features.

I've had good service with Kenwood and Sony products myself. Never really like Pioneer personally - I think it was aesthetics most of all that turned me off.

I don't know your budget but, ~$200 will get a fully decked out "plain" model in neck of the woods with a lot of features. Why I need a remote control CD player in my car still baffles me though :D Guess I don't party like I used to now that I'm all grown up :(
 
Sid, thanks for the advice. Yeah I know about how some places will butcher your setup. I had an alarm installed by a place that does stereos, and they did a real nice job. Inspected everything myself, and was very pleased.

As far as budget, well I set my budget very oddly. I decide on what I really want, and then decide that it is within my budget! Actually I was wanting to try and keep it in the $200 - 300 range. I knew I could get something decent for that money, including an install.

Like I said in my original post, I can do the install myself, but just don't really feel like it. As I see it doing it myself doesn't really save that much money(I think anyway, gotta check it out), but saves me a ton of aggravation. Lets just say that at times I can get passionate about what I am doing, especially if things don't work the the way I think they should. Oh, I also have a problem readin instructions, I mean I can cobble it together and make it work!:rolleyes:
 
Erik,

Check out www.crutchfield.com, they've been around a very long time, you can get good prices and you can do a search based on your particular car to make sure that the stuff you buy will be compatible. I think they include wiring harnesses and adapters, but you'll have to look into that. if nothing else, it's a very educational website.

good luck,

-John
 
Please do not go to Crutchfield. Look but don't touch. Their prices are insane. www.ikesound.com has probably the best service on the planet - no ****. And great prices of course.

Pioneer makes good stuff, IMO...can't go wrong with Kenwood either.

Also, do not get stuff installed at Best Buy/Circuit City/insertretailstorehere...maybe they can do head units but everything else they f**k up on. Find a local audio place. My place charged - I think - $30 if you bought the player from them and $35 if you didn't...another fee was $15 for the wiring harness. $200-300 is being very generous...for $250 you could have the Pioneer 740MP which plays MP3 cds. But $200 will buy you exactly what you want, easily.

My pet peeve: volume knobs vs. volume up/down buttons. I hate pushing a button 50 times to get high volume...rather just twist a knob. Keep in mind what you want.

Warthog
 
Just had a new system put in yesterday. Factory stuff was hosed nad beat to hell (Toyota).
Went to Good Guys: No installation fee, two 6 x 9 rear speakers (Kenwoods), and a Pioneer DEH-3400 single Cd player, with volume knob,and of course, digital tuner with presets for up to 24 fm and some number of am stations. Also had detachable face, and other assorted crap that a musically challanged person like me will fugure out how to work by the end of the year.
The stereo was from last years catalog, last one in the store and priced to move. Catalog price was $ 250.00 (?), I got it for $ 125.00.
Installation was 2 hrs., and total cost was $ 275.00.

Same store did my wifes honda lat month , Kenwood KDC-2022 with 4 speakers for $ 255.00
By no means would I go to any store without shopping around. If you can do the install by yourself, then you've cut back on the price a lot. Even though both of the above jobs had no installation fees, both cars needed "kits" to mount the speakers and install the stereo correctly. That's how they get to make a few x-tra $$$.

good luck, steve
 
ErikD,
I know car stereo! I manage a electronic store. Go with a shop that will use a wiring harness adaptor for your car. This will keep from having the factory wiring harness cut!!!!!!! Some cars also have to have installation kits. Send me an email at vmperkins@hotmail.com with the make and model of your car. I'll give you more details on your car, prices on the equipment you want to buy and what labor should be. I would buy local and not online for service reasons.

V-man
 
For the price range you are looking at I'd recomend JVC or Pioneer. I'm a college student, and everybody around here has replaced their factory decks. The people with Pioneers and JVCs have (by far) the fewest complaints and reliability issues.

I can't remember the model but I've had a Pioneer unit for more than a year with zero problems, and it seems to play scratched or damaged discs much better than other comparably priced products.

I'd avoid Sony's units, because although they are pretty and full of features they are noted for lack of reliability. If you have a Circuit City or similar store near you go and see how flimsy the Sony decks feel compared to the Pioneers. Ask the employee for his honest opinion about Sony decks. There's a good chance he'll tell you to buy something else.

I also highly recommend that you don't hack off the factory wiring harness.
 
Thanks for all the help. I am pretty sure that I will be going with an Alpine unit. The local dealer I went to either has an Alpine or a Kenwood in my range. Of the two I liked the design of the Alpine better.

Don't really want to buy from Circuit City, as I don't trust their installers much. I have looked through what units they carried, and honestly couldn't tell much just by looking at them. All I could really see is that some really stood up to the abuse they got much better than others.

Unless anyone has anything horrible to say about Alpine I think I will probably be going Saturday to get it put in. I all of a sudden feel the need to have a new stereo, and I WANT IT NOW.:D

Thanks again for all the help.
 
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