Best value MP3 HU with a 5V pre-outs...

[golfreak]

Looking to upgrade my HU. It has 2.5v/200ohms. I'd like to get better signals to my AMPs.
2 most important criteria
1) SQ
2) MP3 functionality.
3) Must be under/around $250

Before you recommend Eclipse, I can't because the of the non-removable plate.
Yeah I know it has a security thing but dumb thieves might not know that and steal it anyway. I have a Civic Si so its a thief magnet.

I have 2 in mind so any opinion is appreciated.

Panasonic CQ-C8301U.
http://www.cardomain.com/item/PANCQC8301U
- $180 with the price matching.
- 5v/60ohms. Very comparible to Eclipse 5v/55ohms
- Remote let you access MP3 tracks directly.
- Very nice Display.
- People in this forum generally aren't very high on Panasonic.

JVC KD-LHX550
http://www.cardomain.com/item/JVCKDLHX550
- $250. $70 more than the Panasonic
- 5v pre-outs. Don't know about the OHMS.
- I love the design, display. Touch PANEL display
- SD memory access.
- Sirius compatible.( I like it better than XM)
- People in here don't like JVC HUs either.

These are the 2 I'm mainly looking at right now.
If you have others you'd like to recommend, I'd like to hear it.
If 4v versus 5v doesn't make a difference, then I'll considered those HUs too.
Please keep it around $250 or under.

[soccrstar]

pioneer P8MP has a 6.5V Hi-Volt Pre-Out and has 3 pairs. i got it for $240 shipped

[iceteebone]

preout voltage is overrated imo. the voltage is just so you can level match with your amp. higher voltage equals less gain, which in turn means less chance of noise. if you have no noise with 2 volts, 8 volts really doesn't do much else. crutchfield still might have some sales on last years alpine. an alpine 9830 went for like $250 shipped.

[squeak9798]

If you can float the extra $50, this is a helluva deal: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-1HgAeCA...DA9833&g=62700

[golfreak]

pioneer P8MP has a 6.5V Hi-Volt Pre-Out and has 3 pairs. i got it for $240 shipped

Where at ??

[golfreak]

preout voltage is overrated imo. the voltage is just so you can level match with your amp. higher voltage equals less gain, which in turn means less chance of noise. if you have no noise with 2 volts, 8 volts really doesn't do much else. crutchfield still might have some sales on last years alpine. an alpine 9830 went for like $250 shipped.

So if pre-out voltage is overrated, what kind of features what a good SQ HU ??

I see alot of people ga-ga over Alpines.
Most are only 4v. any difference between 4v and 5v ??
I personally don't like the design of Alpines but I can get over it if the SQ is that good.

[M@nJo]

pioneer P8MP has a 6.5V Hi-Volt Pre-Out and has 3 pairs. i got it for $240 shipped

i want to know as well

[ighettoboyi]

So if pre-out voltage is overrated, what kind of features what a good SQ HU ??

I see alot of people ga-ga over Alpines.
Most are only 4v. any difference between 4v and 5v ??
I personally don't like the design of Alpines but I can get over it if the SQ is that good.

its funny i like the look of alpines cuz its just trademark. anyhow, if you really want SQ 4v is enough, DAC is more important. Mutli-band EQ's are also what you'll probably want. For some bang for the buck 24bit DAC units, i'd look at the new kenwood excelons. i'm not a kenwood h/u fan but a lot of people are, i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

[g30ffr3y]

dont you have to connect that 9833 directly to the battery?

[squeak9798]

dont you have to connect that 9833 directly to the battery?

Some crap like that if you are going to use the HU's internal amplifier......but who uses those?!?



Anyways, as was mentioned by [someone].....preout voltage isn't really what you should base your decision off of. If you have a good quality amp, in all likelyhood you won't notice an audible difference between them (assuming gains are properly set). If anything, a low preout impedence is more important than it's output voltage.

Main thing is to look for a good quality deck that has the "other" features you need (MP3, EQ [graphic or parametric, pick your flavor], crossovers, etc etc).

[forbidden]

A thief can steal anything dude. A cd player with a detach face is an open invitation for that thief to see what else is in the car like the usual faceplate hiding spots of the glove box, center console, under seats, left in place(90% of the time) or in the trunk. The Eclipse system works and works well, they have the lowest rate of theft in the country. At least with the Eclipse if it is stolen it is replaced at no charge in the first year.

[Raven]

I can vouch against pre-out voltage. I've used 1 volt out (Blaupunkt), 2.5 volts out (JVC), 4 volts out (Alpine), and 8 Volts out (JVC + Alphasonik line driver). The difference is so incredibly neglegible it's not funny.

[golfreak]

Thanx for all the inputs.
I see so many threads about pre-out voltage that I thought it was uber important.

My car has already been broken in once and then stolen 3 weeks later.
All they left for me was the HU because it didn't have a face plate.

http://home.cfl.rr.com/golfreak/car2.JPG

[golfreak]

its funny i like the look of alpines cuz its just trademark. anyhow, if you really want SQ 4v is enough, DAC is more important. Mutli-band EQ's are also what you'll probably want. For some bang for the buck 24bit DAC units, i'd look at the new kenwood excelons. i'm not a kenwood h/u fan but a lot of people are, i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Thank you so much for the Excelon suggestion.
I didn't realize what great value they are.
Didn't know them before cause I was browsing Cardomain site and they don't even have the Excelon line for sale.

Has everything I was looking for and very inexpensive too.

Now the KDC-X589 for $162 shipped on Ebay or
the KDC-X789 for $213 shipped on Ebay.

The KDC-X789 has:
- Color screen.(A weak one though)
- 5V as oppose to 4v
- Auxiliary input.

Worth the extra $50 ??