Head Units: Bestbuy: What makes a head Unit "good"?

[boomzabit 10+ year member]

Im thinking of running over to best buy and talk to them about having a headunit installed.. Is this a decent idea? Ive always had my good buddy install me headunits..

Im looking to spend around $150, i am will look at a rather "simple" unit.. What do you guys recommend?

Just for reference ive had an alpine 9831, still have cause the RCA outlets crapped out and i know have a poineer premeir unit in my truck and im not crazy about..

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[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

Depends on your needs and wants. There is no best.

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

They will charge you 45 to install it...

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

What car do you have? I would just put the HU in yourself. Most HU from sonicelectronix come free with everything you need (wire harness/dash kit) and you could easily do it yourself.

 

[nateberrier 10+ year member]

Give your local shop the bucks

 

[ejschultz 10+ year member]

They will charge you 45 to install it...

It's $45 for the install then wiring harness, cages, antenna adapater, and miscellaneous parts and whatnot. It'll end up being about $110 on top of the radio. Now, that's vehicle dependent. It's assuming your vehicle is going to require a standard wiring harness. If you have a newer vehicle that has a more complicated harness, it just goes up from there. I work for BBY. I do not install for them. I did, however, work on the sales floor for 2 years there selling computers. I would regularly get "pulled" to go back to car audio to help out. I know my fair share about the pricing of installs. In the store, yeah, I'm definitely going to sell you the install. On here, when I'm not at work, I'm going to tell you to save the $110 and learn how to do it yourself if you don't know how, or pay your buddy half that or a case of beer to do it.

 

[Fiendstolemyamp 10+ year member]

Do it yourself.

 

[bstran11693 10+ year member]

Do it yourself man. Go to crutchfield.com and select your car and they will give you everything you need to install. I did it and I'm a rookie with this stuff. You'll save so much money and feel accomplished!

 

[boomzabit 10+ year member]

I usaully do buy all my head units off crutchfield, i like how they give you everything with the install including awhole vehicle audio schematics.

Maybe i should try it myself but often time i dont have the time but i do have someone that might be able to help me if i have questions.. we'll see.

BTW i have an 01 monte carlo..

 

[i2ain2thunder 10+ year member]

strange the best buys up here all offer free install of any hu purchase over 100$

 

[ejschultz 10+ year member]

That's probably a promotion right now. I don't know. I'm not in sales there anymore. I'm working on computers as a Geek Squad agent now. And for an 01 Monte Carlo, you're going to be looking at a pretty pricey harness. I think they can be had for about $60-80 online. BBY, Crutchfield, and local retail shops will probably be about $100 for just the harness. Crutchfield gives you a discount on it if you buy the HU from them, but that one's not free.

 

[i2ain2thunder 10+ year member]

yeah i guess its been a while since i been to best buy and those fvcking wiring harnesses are the biggest waste of crap ever....i miss my door chime, but for 114$ i'll leave my lights on on accident a few times, all i need is a power,ground,ignition fvck ur wiring harness best buy and fvck u GM for putting ur door/headlight chime in there.

 

[zako 10+ year member]

Bestbuy products are a little overpriced..

I personally look at these things for a "budget" head unit:

1. Built-in Bluetooth phone support.

2. One USB port that's not on the front panel because I don't like wires and usb drives sticking out of my front dash.

3. Two sets of preamp outputs (I don't care about amping rears).

With these requirements the selection of head units goes down to like 10 among what's available online. There is a cheap Clarion unit for under $150 and one JVC and Kenwood each priced at around $150-$200 online. I also like to fiddle with time alignment, so it's great if its available. If I require this, my selection is down to just three head units, the top of line Kenwood x995 or KIV900 (lesser models have broken TA), JVC Arsenal, and a Sony media player DSX300, all priced in $200-$300 range.

 

[mclerico83 5,000+ posts]

mone carlo is going to need a gmos-01 adapter to keep the chimes if u still want them, id buy online, will be much cheaper and then do the install yuorself

KENWOOD EXCELON KDC-X494 CAR CD/MP3/USB/IPOD PLAYER | eBay

on of the best

my fav decks for budget are jvc hd series

JVC KD-HDR60 In-Dash CD/MP3 Car Stereo w/ Built-in HD Radio & Aux

JVC KD-HDR40 (KDHDR40) Car Stereo w/ HD Radio & Front AUX Input

the jvc's will come with evrything except the gmos if u want to keep tones inside car

and the jvc rad come with hd radio which i love listening to, no static nothing. and they have 7 band eq's built in

Pioneer DEH-P5200HD (DEHP5200HD) CD/MP3 Car Stereo w/ HD Radio

over all though this would be my choice, has everything, hd, 5 band eq, usb, aux in, pioneer quality,

either way you will need

NEW Axxess GMOS-01 Onstar Interface for GM 2000 - 2010 | eBay

if u want to keep your chimes, also allows you to use the stock harnes and plug directly in to keep chimes. if not the standard free harness fron sonic is the wy to go. I dont care about the chimes in my car. some do

 

[mclerico83 5,000+ posts]

Pioneer DEH-7300BT CD/MP3 Car Stereo w/ Bluetooth, Aux, USB/iPod

JVC KD-R810 (kdr810) In-Dash CD,MP3, WMA Receiver w/ Built-in

if u want built in bluetooth, this would be my option