This is my first auido post and would appreciate some suggestions. I want to change my current head unit. I do not have the stock head unit in the car but I have an *old school* aftermarket Sony Head Unit (which has a tape deck) and has the ability to control a six disk changer.

I am looking to replace this unit with a single cd Head unit that also has the ability to control a six disk changer mounted in the trunk (I'm assuming that most of them do now). It has been a pain in the ass not being able to change a CD while cruising.

I have been looking at the Pioneer Premier Series, specifically the DEH-P8400MP. Here is a link:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/Pioneer/CDA/CarProducts/CarProductDetails/0,1429,28914,00.html

I have no clue what all the specifications mean or if it would fit in my 1996. My budget is max of $400 bucks. I believe the head unit mentioned above is around $350 online. Let me know what you think of this one.

If anyone knows of a better head unit for the money, please suggest. I am no where near an audio guru.


Thanks in advance,
Kurt

wow....now they are coming out with headunits that have damn near two faceplates. :nono (just my personal opinion, im more into simplicity)


that actaully looks quite clean (despite what i said above). i ddefinatly dig the rotary voume control, it makes life so much easier. its got a tone of built in digital sound processing, wich i dont know if you need/want or not. although i havnt heard thier newer stuff, i liked the older pioneer headunits. on an installation note, you should have no problem fitting that HU in, or any other DIN sized ones.

I suppose it really depends on where your priorities are. Are you looking for a deck that looks really good or is sound quality more of a priority. I am sure that deck will perform just fine and it looks really nice to. Fitment won't be a problem unless you plan on using it with the face down all the time. It may want to interfere with shifting.

What does the rest of your system consist of??

The reason I ask is because if you are just looking for a cool deck with average sound quality and control this will do fine. If you are looking for something that will sound amazingly clear and give you more control over your system you may want to consider other brands like Alpine ( My favorite ). If you look at any car audio magazine you will find that MOST of the decks in the featured cars are Alpine. Alpine decks usually are not extremely flashy though.

Just my 2 cents....

Chad

My suggestion is to go with a h/u that meets your needs. If you want a "flashy" headunit, then get it. Want a more sound quality headunit...look towards a h/u that doesn't have all of the extra "flashy" features.

I would highly recommend against buying a headunit online. Most headunits bought online are factory seconds and some do not have any warranty. Buy your headunit from a reputable store, like Circuit City or Tweeter, and you will be much happier in the long run.

Good luck to ya!

Thanks for the responses. Here is my current audio setup (don't laugh). Keep in mind that I agreee it isn't the best but definitely has better sound then the stock system. I also wanted to keep some trunk space and didn't want to have a huge box.

Sony Head Unit (6 Disk Control and a *ancient* Tape Deck)
Sony 6 Disk CD changer (in trunk)
All Pioneer Speakers
Pioneer Amp (used to power Mids and Highs not sure of specs)
Bazooka 12" bass tube (built in amp)

I plan on upgrading my system but would really like to start with the head unit (on of the LEDs blew out and in the dark I can't tell the AM/FM/CD buttons from one another). As for the head unit I definitely want a rotary knob for the volume control and something that has as little buttons as possible. I also looked into the Alpine's but a couple of them have way too many buttons.

The alpine's that I was looking at are CDA-7893 ($380) or the CDA-7995 ($500). They don't look too bad but have a lot of buttons. I am assuming from what you guys said that the Alpines are better head units.

Also, I didn't install the current system and was wondering if I would need a special harness or anything to do this install myself. I noticed that my current head unit has plastic trim around it to make it flush.

Let me know - sorry for not knowing anything about audio.

Thanks guys,
Kurt

as long as the current headunit you have installed was done correctly (i.e., the wires from the headunit were spliced into a harness adapter instead of straight into the factory wires), it should be a snap to get the new one installed. the new headunit you get will include a special plastic ring to go around the headunit and cover up any gaps. if you find out the headunit was not installed correctly, let us know, its not hard at all to fix that, it will cost an additional 15 bucks or so and take 30-45 extra minutes of your time.

im going to go against the grain and say you will notice no percievable difference in the audio quality between a pioneer and alpine headunit. that is assuming you are running a non-proccesed signal (all eqs, etc. turned off) and the headunit output voltage is the same. i would be FAR more concerned with ergonomics, features, and "bling" (if thats what you want) than sound quality. if you were an audio nut, and connected the headunit to 100k dollar speakers in an anechoic listening room using premium cabling, you MIGHT be able to tell the difference (due to differences in the s/n ratio, turn on/off pops, etc..), however in a car environment that should be the least of your concerns.


edit: i dont think anyone should laugh at your system, youve obviously put some time and consideration into what your goals are. im glad to see your starting at the source (the headunit) and doing things right the first time instead of spreading the money thin on crappy stuff all around. :thumbsup

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. I was poking around on the Alpine site and they have a pre-made box (Model #SBS-1041BP) designed for a 10" Type-S sub. It is a very clean design and would serve my purpose well as I am looking for more of a defined sound (with some decent bass if I turned it up) rather than super loud (don't want to rattle my car apart)

I then looked at the Type-S sub and saw there are two 10 inch - 10" Type-S Series Subwoofer (4ohm + 4ohm) and 10" Type-S Series Subwoofer (4ohm). Can anyone explain what the difference is and what they think of this setup in general?

I know that I would also need an amp to power the sub. That will be looked at later (see I'm not that bad with audio :thumbsup) but if someone wants to recommend an amp feel free.


I'm not saying I am going out to purchase this tomorrow but I just found it while looking at the head units. I am trying to get an upgrade path for my next system laid out and see what equipment is good and what equipment to stay away from. Any suggestions such as sub choice and amp choice are always appreciated.


Thanks again,
Kurt

the difference in the subs is only there to accomidate your amp choice. a 4+4 ohm sub can be run in either a 2ohm or 8ohm configuration, so if for example you had an amp that produced its most power at a 2ohm mono load you would want one of these subs. if you were to have an amp that produced its maximum power at 1oum briged, you might want to have 2 of these subs and run them in parallel. if you only wanted one sub and the amp you picked only supported mono operation at 4ohms, you would want to get the single voice coil 4ohm sub.

BTW....thanks for the feedback, i wont abandon you on future questions, and neither will the other amazing people in this forum. :thumbsup

Whoa, that kind of confused me so I think I better do some reading on basic stereo configurations (I have no idea about the ohms configuration part). I would like to know if anyone has had any experience with the alpine subs and what they think of the sound they produce. Are they any good?

Btw, I am leaning toward the pioneer head unit mentioned above. To me, it is a very clean design (no clutter) and I like it's overall appearance.

Thanks,
Kurt

This is the headunit I bought recently. This is the best deal I have found by FAR on this deck. I ordered from this place and they delivered as promised. Might be too cluttered for ya though.

http://www.discountsjungle.com/alcda760wx4i1.html