Which Head Unit to Buy?

[IRingTwyce]

I'm looking to replace the ancient cassette deck in my rally car. My main prerequisites are 1) average price around $100 SHIPPED, and 2) Sirius capable. Other nice touches I wouldn't turn down are adjustable display color, remote, motorized faceplate.

Using these guidelines, I've narrowed it down to three possibilites:

JVC KD-G420

$94.22 on Amazon.com. Major con: No remote control, very silver.

Pioneer DEH-4800MP

$114.88 on Amazon.com. Major con: Highest price of the three, very silver.

Clarion ProAudio DXZ555MP

$108.00 from 6th Ave. Electronics. Major con: No adjustable color, tiny buttons close together.

I currently have a Clarion DXZ755MC in my '98, and I really love it The sound and build quality are both top-notch. So for price and familiarity, I'm leaning towards the Clarion. Right now the JVC is my second choice, with the Pioneer being my third, due mainly to the cost.

If you have any first-hand experience with any of these models, please give me your review. If you know of any other models that would fill my requirements, please list them for me so I can research them. I'm not a big fan of the design of the current Sony units, so disregard any of those please. Bang for the buck is the major consideration. Sirius-capable is a must.

Thanks for your opinions and advice!

 

[yamaha racer 686]

pioneer i have last years model and they are awsome only way of headunits i will go

 

[warmonger]

I've always like the quality, reliability of Clarion. For years I've bought them when I want a decent deck. I even had a tape deck from them way back in the day. lol

Pioneer is good but I have had problems with one before.

My last JVC deck with mp3 capability and everythign was a great bang for the buck item though! I had it in my Saturn Ion and I was happy with it.

 

[Steeda...]

I feel the oppisite of you tom as far as clarion goes.
I have had many back in the day and always had problems with the eject systems.

Pioneers are good. But i have had problems with them as well

I can get decks too and bring it down with me.
We got the new pioneer deh-2900 has aux in on the face, mp3, sat ready The reason those prices are soo low is they are last years models

 

[IRingTwyce]

I feel the oppisite of you tom as far as clarion goes.
I have had many back in the day and always had problems with the eject systems.

Pioneers are good. But i have had problems with them as well

I can get decks too and bring it down with me.
We got the new pioneer deh-2900 has aux in on the face, mp3, sat ready The reason those prices are soo low is they are last years models

The only brand I've had trouble with regarding the motorized faceplate was a $400 Kenwood Excelon about six years ago. So far the Clarion DXZ755 I have has had no problems ejecting CDs.

I thought that the Pioneer x9xx units were this years models and the x8xx were last years. Am I wrong in this assumption?

I know for a fact that the Clarion is a 2005 model, the JVC is a current model, and I think the Pioneer is a 2006 model. I don't have to have a brand new model. In fact, I prefer an older model (as long as it is new-in-box) simply because I can get more for my money. The newer features really aren't that big a deal to me, i.e. bluetooth etc.

Budgeted audio shopping definitely sucks. But I'm going to see what I can do for under $200 total. I have one set of Pioneer speakers I'll be pulling out of the '98 when the Infinitys go in it, and I have two older 12" MTX Eliminator subs (yes, they are in fact around 14 years old, but in like new condition) and an old Sherwood amp (also in like new condition), so my only other expense is going to be another $60 or so for the second set of Pioneers for the door and a little bit of money to build a new box for the 12s.

Any other suggestions than the three HUs I've listed here? Panasonic had a few units I liked, but they were slightly out of the targeted price range, around $135 shipped. And I would hope it goes without saying that units from brands like Dual, Pyle, Pyramid, etc. are simply unacceptable!


**EDIT** Is no one voting because I have it set to display who voted for what?

 

[Steeda...]

correct x8xx is last year and x9xx is the 2007 model

 

[Harrry]

I use to always have clarion, then went to pioneer. So this time i bought a kenwood unit. By far my best choice. Hey i was never a fan of the kenwood. But the sound coming out of it is awesome!!!:shrug:

You can get some cheap at BestBuy for like 110 right now. Cheaper if you look online.

 

[Steeda...]

Can't stand kenwood. Don't like the displays, the way the radio functions, mp3 selections etc etc

 

[Pienstars]

I'm partial to Eclipse & Nak's but in that price range I think Pioneer is a good choice. I'm actually looking at replacing my existing HU with an old Eclipse ECD series but I'm having trouble finding one.

 

[yomanwill]

I have the 4800mp and I honestly don't know what to do with all of the pre-amps. I guess some people complain the that the display is too dim during the day. I haven't really noticed, but it has been awile since we have had a lot of sun light in Michigan.

The green goes well with the rest of the dash lights in the car.

Reads CD's very well
MP3 performance is excellent
I don't think I have ever played a normal .WAV files on it so can't give you much input there NOTE: doesn't like scraches too much

 

[SoundQ SVT]

JVC ftw!!

I have always used and recommended JVC CD decks. I have had various models of JVC decks in my car since 1993.

 

[Lou3]

I went to Circuit City today to check out the Pioneer DEH-1900MP. It sounds great and has the clean look I want, but I didn't like the complicated control menus and 14-segment display characters. Then I saw the Sony CDXGT310 and was sold. It sounds at least as good as the Pioneer, has more intuitive controls, is satellite ready, and sports an awesome dot-matrix fluorescent display. I'll probably buy it next week. Circuit City offers free installation for head units over $99, but I'd like to install it myself (it'll be my first time installing one). I'll probably get speakers too, but I haven't finished researching models yet.

 

[IRingTwyce]

The more I research all the options, the more I want to spend. I really like the two lines of info that my current Clarion will scroll. I love having title AND artist info without having to press any buttons. So I'm probably revising my spending limit upward, by at least $50. JVC has some cool features on their higher-end models, but those are going to be at least $200 online. I'm finding a couple of Pioneer units I'm liking the looks of. Notably the Premier P5900. It seems the main difference between the base Pioneers and the Premiers is 2.2 volt pre-outs versus 4 volt and silver bodies versus black, respectively. I much prefer the black to the silver, but don't have a preference regarding pre-out voltage. And it appears the 2007 model Sonys have ditched the corny look of the last few years. So I guess Sony is back in the hunt.

Ahhh...the search continues.

 

[Lou3]

The more I research all the options, the more I want to spend.

I hear you. I found the Alpine CDA-9857 online and almost talked myself into spending an extra $250 for the cleaner layout and 2-line display. But I can't justify that right now, so I'll stick with the Sony.

 

[IRingTwyce]

I finally made a decision. It came down to the JVC Aresnal KD-AR560 at $128 shipped:

and the Pioneer Premier DEH-P480MP at $122 shipped:

I was JUUUUUST about to pull the trigger on the JVC when I saw the numbers for the FM sensitivity. It wasn't so good. I live in a small town w/ crappy FM reception. So I went with the Pioneer. The Sirius receiver is a little more expensive, but the unit will look better in the car and the lighting will match. The JVC display was a tad on the corny side. Goofy graphics to make up for the lack of dot-matrix. Pioneer does this much better and more tastefully. Plus, the JVC only has an 8 character display, where the Pioneer's is 16 character. The one thing I am not sure I like is that the Pioneer has NO pause button on the face. You have to use the remote to pause a CD! :troutslap: I don't know why they would do this! We'll see how much of an issue it is for me once it's here.

 

[Lou3]

So I went with the Pioneer.

I agree that the Pioneer was the better choice. How are the controls? I'm leaning toward the Sony because I've read that the controls in this Pioneer lineup are mostly menu operated and difficult to use when driving. What do you think?

 

[IRingTwyce]

I'll let you know when it gets here. Hopefully it will come before the weekend, so I can install it then. I'm completely baffled by the lack of a pause button or any other ff/rw controls on the unit itself. Only on the remote. We'll see if it annoys me to the point of returning it and getting something else. If I do, the Sony FT510 is on my short list. The other Sonys I considered only had blue illumination though. I really want something that will light green, as I have no intention of changing the interior lighting of this car and I want a fairly stock appearance.

 

[Lou3]

I really want something that will light green, as I have no intention of changing the interior lighting of this car and I want a fairly stock appearance.

One of the reasons I like the Sony CDXGT310 is because it has green lights and will integrate with the rest of the dash. The Pioneer DEH-P2900MP would probably look even better, but I too want standard control buttons on the unit.

 

[TourDeForce]

Get the JVC KD-G430. One step up. You can get it at Crutchfield for $129 and it includes the adaptor wiring & whatnot. I've been getting JVC units for some time now. I switched from Sony, Pioneer, & Kenwood because the sound quality was AWESOME by comparison. Be sure to get good speakers to make the package worth while - no matter which headunit you buy.

When buying speakers I shop frequency response specs. 20hz to 20khz is normal human hearing range. Speakers can be had that will reproduce well beyond 20khz, but the trick is to get something that will come down close to 20 to 35 hz range for good bass. Ironically, the more expensive speakers are generally lacking at the low range response... :shrug:

 

[IRingTwyce]

The JVC KD-AR560 I almost bought was a couple of steps up the food chain from the G430 (but a one year older model). But I wasn't happy with the JVCs' specs for FM sensitivity. The Pioneer's were much much better. I live in the boonies, and need the best reception possible. Only the Sony units had better specs for FM reception. On top of that, the Pioneer has a superior display, with twice as many characters: 8 vs. 16. However, I REALLY like the top-line JVC Arsenal units. If I decide to go pricey sometime in the future the JVCs are at the top of the list then.

Speaker-wise, for now I'll be going with the Pioneer 6x8s you can pick up at WalMart. I had one set already, and ordered the other online. Got them shipped for $8 less than Wally World. For what they cost, they really can't be beat IMO. The Pioneer unit I bought has high-pass filters so the door speakers don't get more bass then they can handle. I just have to build a box for the two MTX Eliminators that I have, then we'll be cooking!

The system in this car is my budget system, so cheap but decent is the catch-phrase. I will eventually (before the BABE Rally in May) get Sirius in it, but for now it's just the radio and CD. The subs and amp will be some 14 year old units I've had stored for a decade or so. I have an Omnifi unit I may install in it. I'm undecided at this point. By utilizing older equipment I already have lying around, my total outlay for this will be under $200 for HU, speakers, subs, and amp!

My '98 is where all the good stuff goes. It has the Clarion ProAudio HU, with Sirius and Infinity speakers all around. So it's my audio toy. Eventually it will see an Infinity Kappa Perfect sub w/ amp.