It's time for me to really start shopping for a nice head unit. I want something that first and foremost, looks nice. Something that is easy on the eyes, yet has enough "cool" features in it to keep me feeling like a kid in a candy store for a while. My brand preference is mainly Clarion, Alpine, Kenwood, and Pioneer.

Clarion: Thier new line is a turn off aesthetically. Sound wise, they hold their own. If it weren't for the cheap black center, silver edges look they currently have, I might strongly consider getting one.

Alpine: Good stuff, always has been. They have that classic look to them, while still looking modern, very easy on the eyes. They don't have a shortage of features(features im very familiar with) but since I've had a few Alpines, I could see myself getting bored with it pretty quickly.

Kenwood: Unless you go with an eXcelon piece, a waste of money. What Kenwood gets kudos for is originality and always trying to have a fresh look. Unlike Alpine, Kenwood always changes the look of thier decks, some designs are sweet, others make you wonder. SQ is nothing to write home about, but it's not bad either.

Pioneer: I've never had a Pioneer head unit. I've never had an OEL or motion capture display. I've never had a silver head unit. I've never had a head unit that has a selectable power selector. I've never had a head unit that put out 36 watts rms. I've never wanted a Pioneer head unit as bad as I want this one............



Features

* Auto-Flap Motorized Faceplate
* MP3 / WMA / WAV / CD Playback
* SDAR Ready, Supports Either Sirius or XM Radio (requires satellite tuner, available separately)
* 6 Character Text Display with Satellite Radio Operation
* NEW! Deep Blue OEL Display
* NEW! MOSFET 60W x 4 (max)
* Easy EQ (EEQ) switches 5 Factory, 2 User EQ Presets (Super Bass, Powerful, Natural, Vocal, Flat, Custom 1, and Custom 2)
* OEL Screensavers with Built-In Animated Graphics
o 2 Screensaver Movies
o 2 Level Indicators
o 4 Background Animations
o 4 Background Pictures
o Entertainment Clock
o Features “Screensaver Studio” Capability to Download Custom Pictures and Screensavers
* NEW! 7-Way Rotary Commander for Easy File Searching and Operation
o Large Offset Rotary **** Found in the Middle of the Unit Controls 90 Percent of the Functions of the Unit
o Access to Compressed Audio Files and Folders are Swift and Easy with a Turn and a Push of the ****
o Operates like a Joystick to Control Most Audio Features
* Supertuner IIID with Digital Processing
o Significantly Less Distortion than an Ordinary Tuner
o Increased Signal-To-Noise (S/N) Ratio
o Reduced Multi-Path Noise
o Improved Sensitivity and Stereo Separation
o 24-Station (18FM / 6AM) Presets
o BSM (Best Station Memory)
o Up / Down Seek with Selectable Local Tuning
* Three Sets of 4-Volt RCA Preouts (Front, Rear, and Sub)
o Front / Rear High-Pass Filter (50/80/125Hz, 12 dB/oct.)
o Selectable Low-Pass Filter (50/80/125Hz, 18 dB/oct.)
o Sub-Out Level (-12dB to +12dB) with Phase Control
* 10-Key Slim Remote
* iPod Adapter Ready (part # CD-IB100, sold separately)

MP3 Player Specifications

* Anti Theft: Rotating Faceplate
* Preamp Outputs: 3 sets
* Preamp Output Voltage: 4 volts
* CD Changer Controls: Yes
* Remote Control: Yes
* RMS Power: 36W x 4
* Peak Power: 60W x 4
* CD Frequency Response: 5-20,000 Hz
* FM Mono Sensitivity: 8 dBf
* CD Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 94 dB
* Amp Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.1 %

When I seen it at Circuit City I fell in love with it, although

 

Does anyone make 2 ohm upgrade speakers for the stock system?.

Lol.. the al gore comment.

Heck, i'd go with the best performer. Just me.


Tj

 

Yeah, they're out there, but hard to find and expensive. The most common one's I found were Image Dynamics chameleons CXS5. ID makes awesome products, by the way, I have yet to find 2ohm 6x9's.

If I went with the best performer, none of these models/brands would even be on the radar, I'd get the Denon DCT-100(see, im fantasizing again[:@] )

But just between these brands, I want the best balance of looks/function/SQ. I think I've found it in that Pioneer piece

 

I spent a good part of my morning shopping for GPS units, that pioneer GPS unit is very nice. On the less expensive unit $1399 you can also play a DVD. But even from a stereo head unit stand point it was not lacking in performance.

That being said, I think I am going with the Lowrance Iway 500 portable GPS unit and sticking it out with the factory head unit.

Now that I have hijacked this thread with my GPS BS cary on...

 

Pioneer Navigation....It knows!

I'm reporting you to the FBI, you used the H word

 

you could not pry mine out of my cold dead hands but i have thier permier version of it . It is a coupel years old but it has never been installed it is the same as the one that was stolen and has the -over built in it and amap and X-over. 45 rms moffset. detachabel face and great sound and easy to use

Looks nice to but do tot he age it is a older face on it to so it is the black face. but i love it. and so clear it is just one of the bes ti have had in years from any of the ones you mentioned. i have owned all three and out of them i would rank ken carp at the bottom of that list and alpine second.

But that is me to . IMO.

but agian i love the pioneer to. good all around system Go for it and enjoy it.

I havent foudsn a set of 2ohm 6x9's ethier and i have been looking for awhile now.
Infity. Cappas serises sound good and their componets for the front sound good to. But if i was ritch i would just go boston acustics for the whole sytem but the ehad unit.

 

LOL, that good huh? It's not 45 watts rms though, I don't know of any deck that puts out that much power.

your the premier version of this deck puts out the same power as this one does. I gotta hurry up and get the head unit, my speakers sound good but they are working very hard. I think im gonna attempt to do the amp bypass to see if that can buy me a little more time cause I gotta get the head unit and the flush mount install kit and a harness, that's like $400!!

 

soory was realllllllll tired it is the moffet ont eh front plate that says that LOL


i lov eit etheir way good all aroudn deck.
but belive me i have been looking at all of the extra crap to put it in and dreeding doing it to I want to keep my steering wheel controlls so i have to get the inrface for that also, and the harness to relocat the stock on o the trunk if i chose to do so,
Pluse all of the rest of the harnesses and the mount kit etc... so yeah i feel your pain on that one to.

 

what's sweet about this deck is that I can control how much power it puts out. I can have it set at 45x4, and if that's not loud enough or clean enough, I can set it to 60x4, how you love that?!

Aw damn, I forgot about the head unit relocating harness, although I don't know if it's a necessity. I don't need to mess with any of the programming features as they're already set to my liking, I can reset a couple of the codes via pedals and headlight switch, hmm, I dunno if the added cost to relocate is worth it to me.

 

that one of the best things i like about mine i can change everythign in it to make it sound how i like it and also still make it sound clean. Also if ya get lazy and want to hear it in a diffrent mode you can do it also witht he rock,po,country etc,,, settigs they have as pre sets, but it saves your setgs in memory for you so you dont lose them .

Im verry happy with it. If you get it let me know what you think. the cage kit im still waitng to hear from that man on it. But when i do i will see what happens .