Need tips on best brand CD receiver to get at Walmart or Crutchfield

[Deathtongue]

UPDATE:

Your Amazon.com order of "Kenwood KDC-X301 4.3" CD...".

Thank you for shopping with us. You ordered "Kenwood KDC-X301 4.3" CD...". We’ll send a confirmation when your item ships.

Apparently the x301 has a front USB input, and amazon has them for $85 no tax or shipping charge, and I was able to put it on my amazon card. I still have to get an installation kit from Crutchfield or somewhere though. Then we'll see how good this unit really is. I've got high hopes!

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

UPDATE:
Your Amazon.com order of "Kenwood KDC-X301 4.3" CD...".

Thank you for shopping with us. You ordered "Kenwood KDC-X301 4.3" CD...". We’ll send a confirmation when your item ships.

Apparently the x301 has a front USB input, and amazon has them for $85 no tax or shipping charge, and I was able to put it on my amazon card. I still have to get an installation kit from Crutchfield or somewhere though. Then we'll see how good this unit really is. I've got high hopes!

You can look up the dash kit and wiring harness models on crutchfield and search them on amazon. It should be a few dollars cheaper.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

.
Any reason you're not a fan of the Clarion?

Amp guard feature that triggers prematurely and horrible screen glare, convoluted audio tuning menus.

Any kenwood head unit is a much better choice over clarion ive installed tuned and played with both. Even sony mex 100bt is way better than clarion's selections.

Better as in initial sound quality, overall tuned sound quality, tuning, ease of use, screen clarity.

Clarion was dead last in all categories. If people want active networks pioneer's 99 dollar mvh 580bs is way better than the cz702. T

 

[Deathtongue]

UPDATE: First of all, I have to report that I will not be starting a stereo installation business, my work on this one did not turn out as perfect as I would prefer. I got the scosche dash kit for the installation, and it seems like the Kenwood x301 was a tiny hair too wide for the kit to work as intended. I had to really struggle to get the unit pushed into the mounting cage with the plastic side plates installed (which are necessary to hold on the front trim plate from what I could see), and when I put the whole thing into the mounting bracket it was too wide right at the front to go all the way in, so it's hanging out a tiny bit, like about 1/32 of an inch or so. Also, it was just sliding in, there was nothing actually holding the assembly in place in the dash - not good! I can live with the small gap, and I ended upsolving the latter problem by using some of this super sticky double sided adhesive I have that's for attaching trim to the outside of cars. I put a strip on one side of the cage, pushed it all the way in, then pushed the cage to the side with the tape so it made good contact with the bracket. Now, it's extremely secure, in fact I hope I don't need to get it out again. Overall, it looks fairly good.

As for the actual stereo itself, I have to say that it is totally amazing. I though my speakers may have been blown, but it must have been my old stereo that was blown, these speakers sound great with this new Kenwood. And it is LOUD!!! I can turn it up to 25 and get nice clear music that's louder than my old stereo's highest volume, and it sounds a million times better, not to exaggerate. I never knew a stereo could be as awesome as this one is. And the color changing display is pretty cool too. Everyone should get one of these stereos, they are the best I have ever heard. Another plus is that it has super low latency - when you change channels the new channel starts playing almost immediately. There's nothing more annoying that a 2 second wait when you change a channel, and this stereo is the answer to that problem. Thanks again to everyone that recommended the Kenwood X301 - you really know your shitake mushrooms!

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

UPDATE: First of all, I have to report that I will not be starting a stereo installation business, my work on this one did not turn out as perfect as I would prefer. I got the scosche dash kit for the installation, and it seems like the Kenwood x301 was a tiny hair too wide for the kit to work as intended. I had to really struggle to get the unit pushed into the mounting cage with the plastic side plates installed (which are necessary to hold on the front trim plate from what I could see), and when I put the whole thing into the mounting bracket it was too wide right at the front to go all the way in, so it's hanging out a tiny bit, like about 1/32 of an inch or so. Also, it was just sliding in, there was nothing actually holding the assembly in place in the dash - not good! I can live with the small gap, and I ended upsolving the latter problem by using some of this super sticky double sided adhesive I have that's for attaching trim to the outside of cars. I put a strip on one side of the cage, pushed it all the way in, then pushed the cage to the side with the tape so it made good contact with the bracket. Now, it's extremely secure, in fact I hope I don't need to get it out again. Overall, it looks fairly good.
As for the actual stereo itself, I have to say that it is totally amazing. I though my speakers may have been blown, but it must have been my old stereo that was blown, these speakers sound great with this new Kenwood. And it is LOUD!!! I can turn it up to 25 and get nice clear music that's louder than my old stereo's highest volume, and it sounds a million times better, not to exaggerate. I never knew a stereo could be as awesome as this one is. And the color changing display is pretty cool too. Everyone should get one of these stereos, they are the best I have ever heard. Another plus is that it has super low latency - when you change channels the new channel starts playing almost immediately. There's nothing more annoying that a 2 second wait when you change a channel, and this stereo is the answer to that problem. Thanks again to everyone that recommended the Kenwood X301 - you really know your shitake mushrooms!

now go into audio settings set hp over on front and rear speakers to 100hz so they won't distort.. go to manual eq band 1 is 62hz u can lower tha a tad to cut some of the lows out..band 13 is 16k hz u can boost that to wake up your tweets 2-5or6 in mid if u want louder words boost 3-6 a tad, play with it.. also has large car small car mode time alignment, set speakers size distance for your seating position to each speaker.. u can kill car battery setting all that stuff lol..