I need suggestions on a new headunit

[IowaBoomer 10+ year member]

Hello there everyone, long time no see. After I bought my last sub/amp combo, I kind of dropped off of this board. Well, I need help again!

I am currently using a anzar 1600VBD cd player as my head unit. I have decided that it *****, and I need a new, high quality deck.

Here are the feratures that I would kind of like to have:

Flip down, prefferably detach, face.

Muting on no sound (elimiate hiss)

Variable Sub output

a nice internal amp

rotary knob

decent crossover

a **** PAUSE BUTTON!!! (shakes fist at lanzar)

Good FM radio to make up for crap antanea

45-50 watts per channel

A nice display

MP3 is a maybe, but not required

no need for changer controls

I want something to this effect, and I am willing to spend around $300 on it.

As for a nice, OEL style display: I wonder how much of my $300 goes to nice sound as opposed to a nice screen. I interested more in great sound than sub-par graphics of a dolphin. if I want a tv screen, I'll buy a tv screen. However, if the deck is awesome and the screen is included, I'll consider it.

I am currently looking at the Alpine CDA-7892, the Panasonic CQ-DFX572U, pioneer DEH-P7400MP, and the Kenwood KDC-719. Does anyone have an opinion or other suggestions?

Oh, yea, if you recommend sony, I hereby disallow your talent of speech. I've seen how the PS2 stands up to abuse, and I refuse to buy a deck that has disk read errors.

Thanks a ton all.

Click to read more...

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

well don't go knockin sony h/u's when people on here have them and can promise better results than anything you suggested for what you want to get. i spent 800 on my sony but it is louder cleaner and has more features than my 9400 so there ya go. anyway, why not go with the 7400, that is my pick out of that group b/c in my opinion pioneer makes some of the best decks out there, there is better but not for that price range. i used to have the 7300 and that deck rocked replaced it with my 9400 though. it has all the functions your looking to get and also, the amps on those other decks won't put out as much as the pioneer, they rate their h/u amps closer than other company's usually do. that's my opinion on this question, hope i helped.

keep it thumpin,

adam

 

[IowaBoomer 10+ year member]

All I am saying about Sony is I don't trust them.

IMO, I don't like the way their speakers sound, they make some very shoddy playstation consoles, and they are waaaaayyyy to focused on other things to make SUPERB car audio. Now, a pioneer, an eclipse, an Alpine, those are companies that are focused on car audio, not video games, VCR's, T'V's, microwaves, etc etc.

However, I do thank you for your input. Anyone else have anything to add to the party?

 

[wesleysh 10+ year member]

Production segments of Playstations have specific problems, not Playstations in general. I've never had a single problem with my PS2, and I would challenge 98% or more of the population to say they play video games more than I used to (10-15 hours a day, EVERYDAY). Most people don't have the free time, patience, lack of social life and understanding girlfriend.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

You have listed every head unit I was going to suggest. Panasonic, Pioneer, Alpine and Kenwood. I hated buying the Pioneer that I got. I swore up and down that all the "pretty pictures" had to be what I was spending my money on. But it was just TOO CUTE to pass up on. And I was dead wrong, it's also a top notch deck. So I've had to go back and tell all of my friends that my eternal boycott of all Pioneer head units is over. And of course, offer some apologies.

If your not scared of taking a chance on a refurbished HU, you can get the Panasonic 601 for $179 from http://www.discountsjungle.com . Nice price for a nice deck.

 

[Truth 10+ year member]

Might I suggest the Rockford Fosgate RFX9200,9300,or 9400. They run 25w rms per channel and have the features you want and they are selling them all the time on ubid.com for under 300$. Check it out. I have used them on a number of installs and they are great performers.

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

well to be honest to ya truth RF decks are the biggest disgrace that Rf has ever put out. they should be ashamed of those decks in my opinion. they are an awesome companny but poor decks and yeah they put out 25wrms but the Pioneer he's looking at puts out around 37-45wrms so look at it that way. hell i don't even know what my sony does it isn't rated nor does it say i know it's more than my old pioneer that i had in there though kinda sweet deck if you ask me.

keep it thumpin,

adam

 

[Wonderbread 5,000+ posts]

the alpine 7893 ImO is a better deck tahn the 'comparable' pioneer, the 7400, or P740,

also, you can usually find it vheaper...

great deck, great features, great internal amp...

 

[Truth 10+ year member]

Originally posted by bumpin_blazer well to be honest to ya truth RF decks are the biggest disgrace that Rf has ever put out. they should be ashamed of those decks in my opinion. they are an awesome companny but poor decks and yeah they put out 25wrms but the Pioneer he's looking at puts out around 37-45wrms so look at it that way. hell i don't even know what my sony does it isn't rated nor does it say i know it's more than my old pioneer that i had in there though kinda sweet deck if you ask me.

 

keep it thumpin,

adam

Well if you say they are a disgrace then it must be true. I just have one question. How many of the RFX series decks have you actually installed or even seen? In my installs over the the past year I've done about 12 and have been very satisfied with the outcome for all. Oh and another thing I think you need to look at the specs again on the pioneer your talking about It is no where near 37w rms.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/nono.gif.eca61d170185779e0921b0faa9704973.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

ok i have seen about 6 of the RFX decks in different cars. 3 of them the only reason they had them was b/c there parent's got them for them for grad. and to me those decks **** donkey balls. they look tacky and just don't work well in my opinion, and the other 3 that i have seen were on people's garage work bench b/c they broke after about 4 months of use. i've never had any problems with my 9400 or 9300 or 7300 when i had it for that matter. and the 37wrms what about it??? you got a problem that pioneer puts out better watts then your crappy RF decks? put it this way, to me those decks are crappy enough that i wouldn't even use them if i was sponsered by RF i would buy my own h/u.

keep it thumpin,

adam

 

[Truth 10+ year member]

You don't have to get upset, everyone has thier likes and dislikes, and it sounds like the people you knew had some bad experiences but in my experience they have been great. Now as far as tacky, that is just a personnel prefference. Now about that Pioneer 37-45w rms rating. I believe that is peak NOT RMS the highest that I have seen with a printed rms rating is Panasonic with 27w rms.

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

hey i'm not really upset it's just i don't like them and no one i know will touch them simply b/c of all the experiences they've had but it may just be me and like the 10 friends i know who've had experience perosnaly with them or have installed them in friends cars.besides i'm just giving you crap man i love RF other than their h/u's like i said. and about that highest rms my sony does a bit more than that. i just got the new sony deck i can't remember the model name but it's the one that has a 10 gig hardrive in it, and not the one that's passive the other one it's the one that's 1500 bucks, well the rms on it is 48wrms.

keep it thumpin,

adam

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

The rated out put on the Sony model # mex-1hd is 21w RMS x 4 ch. The highest output of any head unit is tied between the panasonic cq models , Blaupunkt bpv660 , and the new Alpines with the mosfet 60 chip. All are rated at 27w RMS.

And personally I don't care for the RF decks based on the looks of them. I have owned a couple of the decks ad never had problems wit them. Just never did like the looks. But that's just my personal opinion. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[IowaBoomer 10+ year member]

sorry to interuppt the battle of the brands, but what do you guys think is a good deck for me? I've never heard a RF H/u, so I don't particularly want one of them. Anyone else recommend anything?

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

I personally like the Alpine or the pioneer. Clarion also makes some pretty nice head units too. You might want to take a look at them as well. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

yeah go with alpine or pioneer in my opinion. either one of those decks you will be extremly happy with.

keep it thumpin,

adam