Which Head Unit Should I Get??

[Music6 10+ year member]

Alright so this winter break I'm going to be upgrading my car's audio system finally! I'm excited but really confused especially when it comes to head units.

The speakers I plan on getting are (replacing front speakers only) : Polk MM6501 component speakers, they are 125w RMS each and 2.7 ohm.

The amp I was gonna get to power them is: JL Audio 360.2. It's 135W x 2 channel RMS at 3 ohms and 180W x 2 chan at 2 ohm.

What head unit do you guys think I should get? I plan on using my iPod for music listening so I need one that works with iPods. I'm confused about HU's because is there a certain amount of pre-amps I need? What about band eq's?

Keeping the HU price below $125ish would be ideal(on a budget). Also are the speakers and amp i picked compatible with each other? (2.7 ohm speakers) And whichever head unit I get, can I just show up at a car audio installation shop with all my items and have them install it or do I need to buy some wires? And how much would you pay for a HU + front speakers + amp installation?

Sorry for all the questions car audio is soo crazy with all the possibilities/information, thanks in advance!

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[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

The number of preamps you need depends on how many sets of speakers/subs you plan on amping. If you amp just the fronts and have a sub a 2 channel and mono or a 3 channel could do. So you would need a headunit with 2 sets of preamps one for the front and one for sub. If you wanted to amp front and back and a sub you would need 3 sets.

For a headunit what other features are you looking for? If you want time alignment $125 wont get it. If you want bluetooth, USB, etc. alot of headunits that are $125 are junk in that area. The newest line of Sony headunits looks to be pretty decent. They have nice features and look way better compared to older models.

 

[Music6 10+ year member]

The number of preamps you need depends on how many sets of speakers/subs you plan on amping. If you amp just the fronts and have a sub a 2 channel and mono or a 3 channel could do. So you would need a headunit with 2 sets of preamps one for the front and one for sub. If you wanted to amp front and back and a sub you would need 3 sets.
For a headunit what other features are you looking for? If you want time alignment $125 wont get it. If you want bluetooth, USB, etc. alot of headunits that are $125 are junk in that area. The newest line of Sony headunits looks to be pretty decent. They have nice features and look way better compared to older models.

Thanks for the reply! And I don't plan on getting a sub, at least for a while so all I will have is the two front speakers amped, so I assume that means I just need 1 set of preamps?

And honestly the only things I'm looking for in the HU is iPod compatibility, enough preamps, and the best SQ I can get for the price, doesn't need to be a flashy HU, don't need navigation or Bluetooth. Controls for bass/treble increase/reduction on the HU would be nice, I think most HU's have those anyways.

I'll check out the new line from Sony thanks man

Edit: Is there anything I need to do when I get the system installed in terms of telling the installers that the speakers are 2.7 ohms? Does that mean they'll have to put the amp to 3 ohms since that's the closest?

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

Thanks for the reply! And I don't plan on getting a sub, at least for a while so all I will have is the two front speakers amped, so I assume that means I just need 1 set of preamps?
And honestly the only things I'm looking for in the HU is iPod compatibility, enough preamps, and the best SQ I can get for the price, doesn't need to be a flashy HU, don't need navigation or Bluetooth. Controls for bass/treble increase/reduction on the HU would be nice, I think most HU's have those anyways.

I'll check out the new line from Sony thanks man

Edit: Is there anything I need to do when I get the system installed in terms of telling the installers that the speakers are 2.7 ohms? Does that mean they'll have to put the amp to 3 ohms since that's the closest?

I wouldnt get anything with 1 set of preamps. That way you can expand later on without having to replace the headunit as well. It is the most important thing in your setup.

As for installers. Id do it myself. You would save a considerable amount that you could put towards a better headunit or better speakers and amps.

 

[Music6 10+ year member]

I wouldnt get anything with 1 set of preamps. That way you can expand later on without having to replace the headunit as well. It is the most important thing in your setup.
As for installers. Id do it myself. You would save a considerable amount that you could put towards a better headunit or better speakers and amps.

Yeah that's a good point, I'll look for something with 2-3 sets then.

And I would install it myself but I really just don't trust myself enough to do it I don't feel like I'm educated enough on the subject haha that it just might be worth the hundred or so bucks for a safe installation. But I'll look up how to install everything and see if it's within my abilities but I doubt it is haha

Also I was curious about how much better this system will sound? My camry is weird and actually has a decent oem system, 6 speakers, 2 of which are basically mini subs in the trunk. With the bass all the way up it's actually enough to vibrate my rear view mirror.

With these upgrades I'd assume the system will be considerably better right?