Advice on Double DIN SQ headunit

[specie 10+ year member]

I searched but haven't found a definitive answer yet. I'm selling my alpine 9887 and replacing it with a double din. Sq is most important and I need navigation. I've searched and it seems like the Alpine INA-W900BT and maybe the Clarion NX500 are decent candidates. I can spend up to $900, maybe I can save up a little more if the there is enough of a difference in SQ for a unit that cost a little more.

Thanks for your inputs.

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[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

The Clarion NX501 would be hard to beat. The NX501 has a simple interface that organizes common functions on 3 screens. Sound quality is something you can always count on with Clarion head units, and the build quality is top notch. Navigation is integrated into the NX501, you get the latest maps, and the software can be updated by a dealer. Retail is 799.99.

 

[azngotskills 10+ year member]

What do you mean by "sound quality"? What in a unit would you say affects SQ? Just curious so I can help you //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

What do you mean by "sound quality"? What in a unit would you say affects SQ? Just curious so I can help you //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

S/N ratio & preout voltage

 

[tdford5 10+ year member]

i love pioneer head units thats all ive had a never any issues

 

[azngotskills 10+ year member]

S/N ratio to compare between manufactures are useless because they are not standardize. Did they play at 100% (highest S/N ratio) or 50% (lower S/N ratio)

How does high pre-out voltage relate to the sound quality a unit is capable of? It is only useful in gain structure to match with amplifiers input voltage, higher is better IMO but nothing to say how well a unit will sound

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

S/N ratio to compare between manufactures are useless because they are not standardize. Did they play at 100% (highest S/N ratio) or 50% (lower S/N ratio)
How does high pre-out voltage relate to the sound quality a unit is capable of? It is only useful in gain structure to match with amplifiers input voltage, higher is better IMO but nothing to say how well a unit will sound

in some cases (not all), higher preout voltages are better because there is less noise

 

[azngotskills 10+ year member]

in some cases (not all), higher preout voltages are better because there is less noise

Really?!?!? Is the noise from the head unit or by the amp with a turned up gain to compensate for the lower input voltage?

 

[specie 10+ year member]

DAC, transport, laser pickup.

 

[schackel 10+ year member]

Really?!?!? Is the noise from the head unit or by the amp with a turned up gain to compensate for the lower input voltage?

lol youre roasting this guy

 

[azngotskills 10+ year member]

DAC, transport, laser pickup.

The problem is that manufacturers do not give insight to any of these, especially in the double-din navi market. We are not talking about Nakamichi, Denon, SoundMonitor, or high-end mainstream units Pioneer (Stage 4, ODR) or Alpine (F1 Status). Only way to really get this info would be to talk to a tech or get a hold of the repair manuals.

lol youre roasting this guy

Just stating the facts and questioning questionable statements //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[specie 10+ year member]

So what headunit would you recommend with the available information available to the consumers (and/or based on your experience) that has a price point around $1k or less?

 

[aadadams 10+ year member]

I bought the Kenwood DNX9960 for $979 (authorized dealer, closeout price), I know you can get them cheaper from Amazon/Ebay. It had EVERYTHING you could want in one package. Garmin Nav, Parrot BT, and Kenwood audio all in one unit. The issue was/is a slow processor and/or low cache/memory caused it to be slow to respond to user input while loading album art for the song that's loaded (about a 5 sec delay before it would respond). Very bad when the kids are in the car, and it's a parental advisory track! After complaints to my dealer, I got a deal on the DNX9980HD. Kenwood has a mail in rebate of 300 on the unit, and the dealer gave me 100 off the retail. So, I paid about 400 more to get the new unit. Now I know firmware updates will be released to cure lingering woes, because I have the new model as I am sure support will trial off for the 9960 soon. Oh, and these have two year warranties when purchased from an authorized dealer.

 

[specie 10+ year member]

Kenwood, Clarion nx501, or ???

I'm looking to purchasing one really soon. Let's get some more personal experiences posted.

 

[azngotskills 10+ year member]

or Pioneer X930BT/Z130BT....just another option //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif