Hey guys, looking to buy a new MP3 headunit (ill be buying one in about 2 weeks), found this one on sale for $267 down from $449, what do we think?

Basically what I'm looking for is a headunit that plays MP3's, and has 3 pre-outs for a 4 channel amp (speakers) and 2-channel/mono bloc (sub). It's the best one I've found so far, from a days looking in shops and a bit of a look around online. If anyone knows of any other headunits that fill the criteria under $300 do let me know.

For the time being it'll be powering the verada factory 6 speakers + will probably have a bridged 2 channel amp running a single sub.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r161/rhys_fairall/AMC/CDXGT760.jpg

Spec's straight off the Sony webiste;

CD Deck
* Disc Compatibilty:: CD-R/RW/MP3/WMA/ATRAC/AAC
* Playback modes:: Repeat / Shuffle / Pause
* Max Installation Angle:: 45°

Tuner Receiver
* Tuner Type:: SSIR-EXA
* Preset No:: FM18/AM12
* FM Tuning Range (MHz):: 87.5-107.9 87.5-108.0
* AM Tuning Range (kHz):: 531-1602 530-1710

Audio Processing
* Max Output Power (@4ohm 1 kHz):: 52w
* Pre-Out:: 2 x Preouts + Sub Out
* Pre-Out Voltage:: 2
* Pre-Out Impedance:: 220
* Auxiliary Input:: Front Aux-In
* DAC: : 24 Bit
* DSO:: DSO2
* BBE:: Yes
* EQ Type:: EQ3 Parametric
* Bass/Treble:: Low/Mid/High

Display Panel
* Panel Type: : Motorised Detachable
* Panel Finish Colour:: Gun Metallic
* Key Illumination (Colour): : Blue/Red
* Diplay Type (Back light Colour/LCD type): : FL / Dot
* Dimmer Control: : Auto

General
* Dimensions (mm) (w x h x d):: 178 x 50 x 179
* Mass (kg) :: 1.6

Opinions?

this is all that matters:

* Key Illumination (Colour): : Blue/Red

dont worry about all the other stuff as long as it looks pretty.

this is all that matters:

* Key Illumination (Colour): : Blue/Red

dont worry about all the other stuff as long as it looks pretty.
Haha yeah, on that front the Pioneers are better, they light up 10 different colours. For comparison sake a Pioneer DEH-P5950IB is $288, has almost the same features (ipod control too, but I don't have an iPod so thats not important) but isn't as user friendly I don't think.


As far as I can tell, the Pioneer looks a little nicer looking, and has ipod control if I ever buy one, the Sony has a motorized face with tilt, and an aux in, which is far more useful to me at present. Sony has 2yr warranty, Pioneer has 12mths. I'm a little wearing about the pre-out fuse thing in pioneers, is that still an issue in the newer ones?

For comparisons sake, the DEH-P5950IB:

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r161/rhys_fairall/AMC/DEH-P5950IB_640x400.jpg

CD Features
Playback for MP3, WMA and WAV Files
Playback for AAC Files (as used by iTunes)
ID3 Tag Recognition
BMX (BiMetric Equalizer)
Digital Compression selection
CD-R and CD-RW Compatible
Disc Title Memory w/10 characters (48 discs)
1-Bit D/A Converter, 8fs Digital Filter
CD Text Display with Auto Scroll function
Track Scan, Pause ,Repeat
Random Play
Track / Manual Search

Pioneer DEH-P5950IB Audio Features
MOSFET 50 Watts x 4 high power
Rotary Volume Control
EEQ (Easy Equalizer)
3-Band Parametric EQ within EEQ
Selectable Frequency and Q for EQ adjustments
5 Preset + 1 Custom EQ Mode
FIE (Front Image Enhancer) @100/160/250Hz
Bass Booster : 0 ~ 12dB in 2dB steps
LPF Subwoofer Crossover (-24~+6dB by 1dB)
50/ 63/ 80/ 100/ 125Hz @ -18dB/oct.
Normal/Reverse Subwoofer Phase Selection
Direct Subwoofer Drive (from headunit power)
HPF (High Pass Filter)
50/ 63/ 80/ 100/ 125Hz @ -12dB/oct.)
Selectable 3-Mode Loudness Control
Electronic Volume / Balance / Fader controls
SLA (Source Level Adjuster)
Attenuation button not featured
3 pairs RCA Preout (Front + Rear + Subwoofer)

Pioneer DEH-P5950IB Connectivity
AUX Input jack on rear panel (Ø 3.5mm)
External Source, TV, DVD, CD Control
AUX Input via CD-RB10 or CD-RB20
Direct iPod Control (via supplied CD-I200 - shown)
Bluetooth adapter ready (via EXT)
USB adapter ready (CD-UB100 via EXT)
DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) External Tuner Control
Display output for OEM integration (adapter req’d.)
Multiplay CD Control (CDX-P680 etc.)
CD Text Display with Title Scroll
ITS (Instant Track Selection)
Disc Title Memory
Track & Disc Scan
Repeat Play (Track/Disc/Mag)
CD Pause
Random Play (Disc / Magazine)
Digital Compression selection on MCD

Pioneer DEH-P5950IB Additional Features
Card IR Remote Control
Flap-type DFS (Detachable Face Security)
DFS Hard Carry Case included
Operation Beep Tone and Detach Face Warning Beep
Two-line (2 x 16 char.) Pure Blue OEL display
Display Dimmer control
Green button illumination, Pure Blue for Rotary Control
Clock and Calendar

My friend has the pioneer model (i think its that one)
Great features and the ability to scroll through songs on the face is awesome.
Only downside is i dont like the controls all too much and the blue screen is a bit IN YO FACE MOFO

* Key Illumination (Colour): : Blue/Red
dont worry about all the other stuff as long as it looks pretty.
Hehe, that's the major reason why I changed my head unit, 'cause it had red lights that fit in with the rest of my console!

Sorry, nothing useful to add to the topic :shifty:

I have the sony and it's a great head unit go the sony:D
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/2479/fridaynightmeets017sm2.jpg

Yeah I'll think I'll go with the Sony, I thought the Pioneer might be a bit stand out-ish in the dash at night in particular, at least the Sony has a dimmer. The major things that puts me off Pioneer is the layout of the functions (eg. 5 or 6 presses to pause a cd, wtf?) and the bad history of the Pre-Out fuse blowing, which is pretty costly each time it happens.

Mightymag, any chance of a daytime pic in the dash, I wanna see what it looks like before I do it! lol

get an alpine, can get them cheap at jb and on ebay, also some car audio shops havethem pretty cheap, you get an awesome head unit for the money

get an alpine, can get them cheap at jb and on ebay, also some car audio shops havethem pretty cheap, you get an awesome head unit for the money
Know of any Alpine headunits with the same features as the Sony or Pioneer under $300 from a shop? No eBaying for me, not for stereo equip. Cheapest one I could find was $500 with similar features.

http://www.alpine.com.au/products/index.asp?section=1 theres a few nice ones,

CDA-9883E or CDE-9881 would be my choices, ive seen at jb cant remember exactly which model but was a higher specced one for like $320, if youre any good at bargaining you will get one of the above 2 for around $300 no worries

also ebay is fine if you use a reputable store, got 2 mates who got alpine double din units worth over $2k for like $1100.

just an idea anyway its great gear for the money and if you do your homework you can get it for a good price

We have 3 pioneer decks in our cars and only my track has blown. It was an ex demo one though and it happened while it was in the board. The 1st one is free under warranty. Takes 3 days. I wasn't that un-happy since is was a $800 deck down to $450 with a 5yr warranty.

I hate the fact that the Sony only has a bar for volume. You kinda have to guess unlike Alpine and Pioneer decks where you can say it only goes up to 30 for example. Sony wont ( and never really had ) the inbuilt tuning capabilities of the Pioneer. Around that price point neither does the Alpine 9881. Almost every Sony deck I have seen has had a problem but honestly I recommend the Pioneer or Alpine for the $$$.

I hate the fact that the Sony only has a bar for volume. You kinda have to guess unlike Alpine and Pioneer decks where you can say it only goes up to 30 for example.
Explain that? I don't get what you mean?

edit* Do you mean like locking in a maximum volume on the headunit that you can't exceed to avoid damaging the speakers?

yeah on say that Pioneer, it will have a max volume of 50 or 62. At least on that you can say tune it to go up to 45 or 50. This is the same with the Alpine, you can say that it all maxes out on 30.

With the Sony however, it is a hollow bar that fills up as you turn the volume up. Problem is you do not exactly how far. It just means it is easier for a mate to blow everything up. At least with the numbers, you can say if you turn it above 40 you are out of the car, with the Sony you can't really say turn it above 17/20th of the bar and get kicked out.

Well it has numbers, just no lock that I'm aware of. It goes up to 34, has a little bar that fills up too. Same deal with the one in our TR, doesn't have a bar, just 0-34, take it above 22-ish and it begins to distort, so stay under 22, its not really a guess, its just easier to go over than if you can lock out 23 and up. Doesn't really bother me.

Pioneer I'm put off by because their control layout is stupid, functions you'd want to use regularly are in stupid places. Alpine gear is too expensive for what you get from what I've seen, and I'm not a huge fan of how they operate either. I've always been a bit iffy about Sony gear in cars, as they're more of a home entertainment company, but I've only ever had good experiences with Sony car audio, and this CDXGT760 is a pleasure to use in comparison to a few of the others I've tried.

What about companies like JVC, Blaupunkt, Clarion etc?

Ohh well that is an improvement. A mate got one last year and it still didn't have numbers just that bar ( unit cost $300 ) but at least they have addressed that. The others dont have a lock, its just for exact tuning.

The Alpines are a lot better value for money now. The CDA-9881 is very similar to the Sony, 3pairs RCA out @ 2V, Power IRC, Sub control, HPF, Media Xpander, 2 adjustable EQ points. You will get it for under $320.

Clarion units are butt ugly in that range however the DXZ576USB is quiet a decent unit. Has 3pairs of 6V outputs for a RRP$399. New stock comes soon so you will be able to get that down or the cheaper DXZ476MP has 2pairs of 4V outputs for RRP$299. Blaupunkt have excellent offerings higher up as do Eclipse but nothing extrodinary for the price. JVC... KD-G735 will probably be the closest. Feature wise its not to bad. Only 2 pairs of RCA though.

By the sounds of the price maybe you should just try the Sony, at least you will make almost all your money back if you dont like the way it sounds.

Decent brand; decent unit however I feel you could probably do better for your money.



* Pre-Out:: 2 x Preouts + Sub Out
* Pre-Out Voltage:: 2

This concerns me slightly as you may (for optimal levels and things later on) want 4V pre-out as is widely accepted rather than just the 2V pre-out.

You'd want to either hold the face up against your dash or photoshop the image onto your dash so you can see what it will actually look like in the car. Many of the decks at around that price are much of a muchness feature and performance wise so it may genuinely come down to how it looks in your dash so that is quite important.

Plus if you can't stand looking at it every time you drive, or if it detracts from the overall aesthetics of your car, you WILL kick yourself later.
You put way too much effort into finding the car to make that mistake. :)

Sony, You are joking I hope. They are not what they used to be. Get an Alpine they are top shelf.

Plus if you can't stand looking at it every time you drive, or if it detracts from the overall aesthetics of your car, you WILL kick yourself later.
You put way too much effort into finding the car to make that mistake. :)

:bowrofl: I bought a car to match my headunit :D

Sony, You are joking I hope. They are not what they used to be. Get an Alpine they are top shelf.


2nd that, i always considered Sony/Explod to be a joke brand, similar to Fusion/Kenwood, Im running the Alpine HU mentioned earlier and give it two thumbs up.

just my 2c

Kieran

I originally had a sony, it was alright wouldnt say the best but it did what i needed it to do, then i upgraded to a clarion and that is having stupid errors that make no sense so im not gonna be buying any clarions in the future, what brands are left? go with them :P

yeah i agree its amazing how my 45w alpine unit sounds much better than the old more expensive 50w kenwood unit,and the kenwood was quite a good unit

I think Sony are crap. I dont think they make anything good anymore. Actually I have a set of ear bud headphones that are still working ... so they made one thing good....

I thought one day .. the Mrs needs a stezza. $174 for a Sony mp3 head unit : 52x4/remote/mp3/detach/preouts and bonus 6 inch speakers. I thought it cant possibly be that bad ... I swear on my 380 it was the worse quality sounding unit ever. The factory deck in our Hyundai Getz sounds 100000 times better!

If you are looking to buy a Sony deck and you like Sony then I strongly suggest you check out another strong quality brand ... Sound 4!

I thought one day .. the Mrs needs a stezza. $174 for a Sony mp3 head unit : 52x4/remote/mp3/detach/preouts and bonus 6 inch speakers. I thought it cant possibly be that bad ... I swear on my 380 it was the worse quality sounding unit ever. The factory deck in our Hyundai Getz sounds 100000 times better!
Its interesting you say that, because we've got whats probably the previous model to that sony headunit in the TR atm, with Sony speakers, and it sounds a heck of a lot better than most stereos in the same range I've heard.

Ask TUFFTR, I pretty sure he didn't think the system in the TR is crap, and its only entry level.

How bout some input from mightymag! Since you've actually got the headunit I'm looking at, are you happy with the quality of the deck mate?

Ended Up getting the Sony, picked it up tonight, a CDXGT760.

I didn't buy it without looking properly at the competition though. I had a look at the Pioneer in my 2nd post, which has both of the flaws of my old 2950MP, the stupid shuffle and awkward pause, repeat etc.

The JVC ones looked dodgy, the guy in JB didn't seem too impressed with the lower end Alpines in the same price range (pretty common to be faulty apparently), Panasonic stuff looks cheap and Kenwood were either too cheap, or too expensive, nothing in the right range.

As far as sound quality goes, the Sony and Pioneer sounded practically idential, the only differences spotted by the different eq settings, which when all set to 0 made them sound exactly the same. Add the 2yr warranty of the Sony, the decent shuffle mode, easy to operate funtions, the dot matrix display and the stacker ready, it was the obvious choice.

Picked it up for $250 too, bargain! :D Stackers are $199-299 depending on whether you want a 6-8-10 or 12 disc stacker, might be a worthy investment one day.

*edit: For the record, all the headunits played the same CD off the same JL Audio speakers.

well so much for 3 pages worth of advice, glad youre happy, and stackers are really old technology, get an ipod or make mp3 cd's

well so much for 3 pages worth of advice, glad youre happy, and stackers are really old technology, get an ipod or make mp3 cd's
Well, I took the advice on board, went in to look at the Alpines, got told the 2 models that were in the price range I was looking in are fairly common with being faulty, so I'm not stupid enough to buy into that. Decided to have another serious look at the Pioneer, which sounded exactly the same as the Sony but lacked some of the features and has a terrible user interface compared to the sony (not ugly, but hard to use imo), nothing else compared from any other companies, so the Sony was the obvious choice, was it not?

well it was the obvious choice, or they get stuff all commision on alpine gear and heaps on sony stuff, and have trouble selling sony so got told to palm off as many as they can. let me guess you bought from jb hi-fi? as long as you are happy dude

let me guess you bought from jb hi-fi?
Hahah yes. Well they had 3 faulty Alpines at the car audio counter, so I don't think he was talking ****, but hey maybe he was? Ah well, I'm happy with this one.

yeh man i dont doubt it, although i know alpine in general are great quality and that wouldnt put me off at all, just saying how it is at these retail stores, generaly alot is based off what they have to sell and what gets the best comission, and they will bend the truth to get that. anyway as long as its right for you thats all that matters

All our advice and it didnt matter because you took the word of the salesperson! One of the major reasons I got out of retail sales .. I couldn't rock up to work each and day and lie people to get more commish!

You made your choice, you're happy thats all that matters .... at least you have a nice car! :)

All our advice and it didnt matter because you took the word of the salesperson! One of the major reasons I got out of retail sales .. I couldn't rock up to work each and day and lie people to get more commish!

You made your choice, you're happy thats all that matters .... at least you have a nice car! :)

I agree. JB is not the best place to start seeking advice. When I had trouble with my deck I took it back in and they blamed everything else.

Must be your earths I have a 200A earthing kit plus the earths are bolted to the chassis with the paint sanded back

Must be you RCA's They are running away from everything and have tested them

Must be your amps, what brand are they? They are Audison ( suprise, he actually had heard of them )

Then he had no idea. So I went back down to Sydney to pick up so stuff and straight away I showed him and he said it is the track fuses.

At the end of the day, JB only sell good to average gear. If you wish to seek advice, you should expect the same. I dont see how listening to a pair of speakers on a demo board would make one stand out SQ wise... A car is not a perfect world, you will find this out. At the end of the day if you like the way it looks and Pause and Repeat are important then you seem to have found the right deck.

I guess I'm a bit late on this, but for discussion sake, I own a Pioneer DEH-P4950MP, which is one below the Pioneer model you were comparing with the Sony you got. The difference between the two are asthetics, the iPod cable, and bluetooth. The 5950 has the iPod connecter sticking out from the back, where for the 4950, you need a seperate module thing, and then you plug it into that IP-bus feature they have. I ultimately would've opted for that, although at the time I was buying you couldn't get them for under $300, and Strathfield was selling the 4950's for $188 (rrp $319), so I jumped on that, if they still sell them, I guess they'd almost be giving them away to make way for new models. It has front/rear/sub RCA's, plays mp3, wma, aac, remote, AUX in the rear (I much prefer a rear AUX, as I don't like the look of a cable just hanging around in front of me, I fed mine into the glove box), and a bunch of eq features.

But interms of shuffle/repeat/pause, I don't think those exist, lol. The remote has a pause button, and I think shuffle is in the menu somewhere, repeat, as in, repeat cd over and over again it will do, but repeat song, I don't think it's there. One thing I really like though is the ATT button, which reduce the volume by about 90% if you need it quite, for breathe test, or drive-thru or whatever. I find that somewhere better than pause, but thats what I think.

And come on people, Sony gave us Playstation, lol