hey guys

i got my hands on some cash and i want to buy a head unit to go with my new subs...

what is a good sound quality head unit between 200-300$$$ ???

also needs to be Mp3 of course and all the other formats, the works

cheers, tony

Are you sure you dont want to wait until digital radio comes out? Even just wait til they come out so you can get a normal head unit for cheap!
Ive heard the alpine ones are quite good though....

ahh yeah true about the digital radio.... would be good hehe when does it come out again? i might get an amp then and wait for digital...

but keep it coming so i know whats good and not incase ;)

Stick with Alpine. Could possibly get a low end Eclipse.

does anyone actuly know any head units that have a digital tuner?

http://clarion.com/au/en/products/2008/audio/source_units/1din/DXZ786USB/au-en-product-pf_1172393796074.html

Very good entry level sq headunit and has won a few awards.

http://clarion.com/au/en/products/2008/audio/source_units/1din/DXZ786USB/au-en-product-pf_1172393796074.html

Very good entry level sq headunit and has won a few awards.
Gotta agree, once you get over its rather average screen under the covers its actually pretty well setup for tuning.

For outright sound quality off the deck I think Pioneer are the best in your price range, just need to be a bit cautious about covering and protecting your pre-outs properly when the time comes to wack on an amp. Tuning wise the Clarion will offer a little bit more to customize, time alignment is really the only thing that comes to mind, which is ever so marginally beneficial, really hard to pick the difference though with day to day use.

Anything in the 200-300 price bracket is going to be pretty average in terms of SQ.

Chances are you will get 1 pre-out running at a lousy 2VRMS, which is not good for sound quality at all.

Save some more cash (around $500), and put it into something with 3 pre-out pairs at 5VRMS, sub control, high pass filter and 4 band parametric EQ. Eclipse CD4050 comes to mind as well as Kenwood XXV-01D.

Anything in the 200-300 price bracket is going to be pretty average in terms of SQ.

Chances are you will get 1 pre-out running at a lousy 2VRMS, which is not good for sound quality at all.

Save some more cash (around $500), and put it into something with 3 pre-out pairs at 5VRMS, sub control, high pass filter and 4 band parametric EQ. Eclipse CD4050 comes to mind as well as Kenwood XXV-01D.
I dunno about that. Go to JB at the moment, have a look at what price the Pioneer DEH-P6050UB (3x 4v Pre-Out) is with their 30% car sound offer. Doubt it'd be much more than $300 if not a tad less. Really depends what their ticket price was.

Check also for the JVC KD-R905 (3x 5v Pre-Out), both should be available around the $300 mark on sale.

Pretty much as per Lugo.

I wouldnt say they would be 'SQ' headunits, but wont be bad. Car audio is getting cheaper and cheaper these days.

Pretty much as per Lugo.

I wouldnt say they would be 'SQ' headunits, but wont be bad. Car audio is getting cheaper and cheaper these days.
Of course not SQ headunits, but they'll provide good sound out of the box for the price you pay. Still need to spend a grand at least to get a proper decent SQ headunit, but that's not really what most people are looking to achieve.

Your best bet would be to go in to a car audio store (a proper one not just autobarn or supercheap audio sections) and ask about previous years models that they have left over stock of. usually they knock a fair chunk of the price off just to get them out of the store and you're still getting a good quality head unit at a discounted rate.

second hand alpine 9887 with ipod cable cost me $320 :) So maybe look on mobile electronics australia for a second hand one

I thought JVC head units had a good reputation around these parts?

If so, Supercheap have a JVC unit at the moment for $199, plays mp3's etc, front USB and front aux in. Page 7 of their catalogue.

"One pair of switcheable RCA's rear/supwoofer"

Cheers

J

What is sony like these days?

Average at best.

In lower budgets I'd stick with Pioneer, JVC, Clarion.

Mid range Eclipse/Alpine

I thought JVC head units had a good reputation around these parts?

If so, Supercheap have a JVC unit at the moment for $199, plays mp3's etc, front USB and front aux in. Page 7 of their catalogue.

"One pair of switcheable RCA's rear/supwoofer"

Cheers
JVC are great bang for buck, probably the best bang for buck you'll find. That $199 one though doesn't fit the bill, what you've quoted there means 1 pair of rca pre-outs, you need 3 pairs if you want to amp front rear and sub properly.


What is sony like these days?
Good budget stuff, my old Sony headunit was great, but it was a top of the range model for 2007 with a lot more than the average Sony deck. We have one in the TR, its good but I wouldn't use it for bigger stereo systems.

second hand alpine 9813, 9815, 9833, 9835 or 9855. else there is an Eclipse CD5000 sitting in my local cashies in good condition, i nearly bought it but cbf. can get it for you if you want it.

how much for the eclipse???

im just looking for something that will be better then stock radio i got now and plays ipod/mp3....

not looking for like 1000$$$$ doller system juts something to run an amp 2 subs and a new set of speakers and im happy...

http://clarion.com/au/en/products/2008/audio/source_units/1din/DXZ786USB/au-en-product-pf_1172393796074.html

Very good entry level sq headunit and has won a few awards.

i like the look of this one ad its features.... would any one els recomend this HU???:happy:

and the clarion is 400 on ryda wonder if i could gte it cheaper

MGNTZD would too - he's got one :D

MGNTZD would too - he's got one :D
Sam had his stock speakers in the Blue AWD sounding EPIC with that headunit!!

For the record it won best headunit in Hot4s Headunit Shootout - nothing prestiegious but its worth something.

+1 to looking for one second hand.. i got a kenwood kdc-x8006u for just under $200 in as new condition... its fantastic!

check eBay, or MEA, or boostcruising forums

mmm they had the clarion on ebay but was still 400 ill have a look around adelaide maybe find a second hand one...

I dunno about that. Go to JB at the moment, have a look at what price the Pioneer DEH-P6050UB (3x 4v Pre-Out) is with their 30% car sound offer. Doubt it'd be much more than $300 if not a tad less. Really depends what their ticket price was.

Check also for the JVC KD-R905 (3x 5v Pre-Out), both should be available around the $300 mark on sale.

+1 for the Pioneer DEH-P6050UB

Should be able to pick one up for around the $300 mark, has a 7 band equaliser, HPF and LPF and is fully compatible with an iPod, you can use the screen of the headunit to control the iPod, search for songs by letter, etc. Very impressive headunit for it's price.

Pioneer DEH-P6050UB (http://www.pioneer.com.au/Products/Car%20Entertainment/CD%20DVD%20Players/DEH%20P6050UB.aspx)

aight guys just bought a HU like 10mins ago got the alpine CDA-9884E... its a nice little unit with ipod and all the extrats i wanted and got it on special so was great $290 it was