Help deciding if I need a new CD player for my car
EndersShadow
Posts: 17,579
I am looking for some advice on if I should upgrade my head unit or not. Currently I am running a Kenwood KDC-MP438U cd player. It works with most IPod?s, has an Auxiliary port, and does most of what I need.
However I am looking at getting a Kenwood X794 head unit which basically would just add time alignment and a better EQ system from what I can tell. But is it worth the 160+ to get the new head unit?
The rest of my gear is getting upgraded as well. Currently my fronts and rears are Polk db6501 components. The rear?s are disconnected since I blew a crossover on my passenger rear. I have the fronts bridged as well. I plan to order the replacement xover from Polk, but am debating re-connecting the rears to the system at all. I might connect them to the head unit just so that?s done for when I sell the car.
I will be moving from the MTX TE404 which only lets you specify a high pass or low pass via a button which auto sets the crossovers to a Sundown 125.2. This amp lets you manually set the xover?s for the channels. While it is a 2 channel amp, I can later on run all 4 pair of speakers from it, but would only be getting 80 watts. But with the ability to crossover the fronts and rears (both are 6.5?s w/ a separate tweeter) I would probably be fine since I can tweak them better. To start with however I plan to run just my front components off of them. I need to set the gain a bit lower since the speakers are rated for 100 wpc continuous and sending 125 might blow them?.
On the sub side I am moving from my JL Slash 250/1 to a Sundown 1200D. This amp is rated 1 ohm stable so I can get a massive amount of juice (1200 watts) from it later on if I decide to add another sub. My Treo TE sub is a dual 4 ohm sub so we are going to wire it to present a 2 ohm load to the amp so I can get ~700 watts from it. The sub is also rated at only 500 watts max so we will be setting the gain a bit low on this as well. We have to wire the sub for 2 ohms as @ 4 ohms you only get 360 watts.
So given the gear I am getting, do you think it?s worth buying a new head unit for basically just time alignment and the ability to set the crossovers from the head unit rather than the amps? I attached a picture showing the similarities between both the units. Note that while my unit doesn?t show Ipod compatibility, it?s there just not listed on Crutchfield.
However I am looking at getting a Kenwood X794 head unit which basically would just add time alignment and a better EQ system from what I can tell. But is it worth the 160+ to get the new head unit?
The rest of my gear is getting upgraded as well. Currently my fronts and rears are Polk db6501 components. The rear?s are disconnected since I blew a crossover on my passenger rear. I have the fronts bridged as well. I plan to order the replacement xover from Polk, but am debating re-connecting the rears to the system at all. I might connect them to the head unit just so that?s done for when I sell the car.
I will be moving from the MTX TE404 which only lets you specify a high pass or low pass via a button which auto sets the crossovers to a Sundown 125.2. This amp lets you manually set the xover?s for the channels. While it is a 2 channel amp, I can later on run all 4 pair of speakers from it, but would only be getting 80 watts. But with the ability to crossover the fronts and rears (both are 6.5?s w/ a separate tweeter) I would probably be fine since I can tweak them better. To start with however I plan to run just my front components off of them. I need to set the gain a bit lower since the speakers are rated for 100 wpc continuous and sending 125 might blow them?.
On the sub side I am moving from my JL Slash 250/1 to a Sundown 1200D. This amp is rated 1 ohm stable so I can get a massive amount of juice (1200 watts) from it later on if I decide to add another sub. My Treo TE sub is a dual 4 ohm sub so we are going to wire it to present a 2 ohm load to the amp so I can get ~700 watts from it. The sub is also rated at only 500 watts max so we will be setting the gain a bit low on this as well. We have to wire the sub for 2 ohms as @ 4 ohms you only get 360 watts.
So given the gear I am getting, do you think it?s worth buying a new head unit for basically just time alignment and the ability to set the crossovers from the head unit rather than the amps? I attached a picture showing the similarities between both the units. Note that while my unit doesn?t show Ipod compatibility, it?s there just not listed on Crutchfield.
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
Post edited by EndersShadow on
Comments
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What you should buy, depends on the quality of sound you want in your car. Time alignment and a good eq are good tuning tools to have. In a car you're using these tools to correct for the crappy environment.
I would not run rears. The kenwood excelon series are good HU's. Just make sure that the time alignment is fully adjustable and not a bunch of preset options. In a nutshell, yes the TA, eq and ability to chose the LPF/HPF would be worth it. -
I would not run rears.
The only reason I would connect them to the headunit is just so thats one less thing to do when I go to sell the car. That and I can easily test if one of them is blown. I might fade it to just the fronts in the headunit anyway.The kenwood excelon series are good HU's. Just make sure that the time alignment is fully adjustable and not a bunch of preset options. In a nutshell, yes the TA, eq and ability to chose the LPF/HPF would be worth it.
I believe it is fully adjustable. A forum members (Kawizx9r) has the unit and from what I remember he liked it quite well. Now in my case since I have a Zune I am screwed since I refuse to pay an extra 100 dollars for a unit that will play my Zune and also lose the option of using a CD. So just about any headunit I use will have to have an AUX port.
I have it in my budget to get.
Here is my follow up question. Is it better to set the crossover in the headunit or the amp?
And should I hold off on my amp installs until I can get both them and the headunit installed and EQ'd at the same time?"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Also just in looking at other options I dont see many of the CD players for this year offering time alignment. Alpine doesnt seem to be using their Imprint technology in their players anymore either.....
Whats up with that?"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
EndersShadow wrote: »Here is my follow up question. Is it better to set the crossover in the headunit or the amp?
I would set it at the hu and bypass at the amp.EndersShadow wrote: »And should I hold off on my amp installs until I can get both them and the headunit installed and EQ'd at the same time?
Get it in stages if you want. Thats fine.EndersShadow wrote: »Also just in looking at other options I dont see many of the CD players for this year offering time alignment. Alpine doesnt seem to be using their Imprint technology in their players anymore either.....
Whats up with that?
People are more keen on features like i-pod connectivity, blue tooth etc etc. Not too many people around who want good tuning features. Demand dictates supply. -
I would set it at the hu and bypass at the amp.
Gotcha. Would it be a problem if its setup the same at both locations?People are more keen on features like i-pod connectivity, blue tooth etc etc. Not too many people around who want good tuning features. Demand dictates supply.
True, but considering I dont see just about any 2011 models using it I wonder if it was a bust mostly.
I see one Alpine model (~330) has it, none of their others do. Kenwoods 2010 models are the only ones carrying it. Finding them from an authorized dealer is a joke since the only model you can get is either the X994 new from Crutchfield (~300) or the BT948U refurbed.
I think I will just hold off on that for now and see how much of a difference these new amps make. Also will watch to see if these features are a bust and dont show up again.
I have made it this far without time alignment. That and I can use that extra cash for more dynamat lol....."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
The features aren't a 'bust'. The hu you were looking at costs about $150-160. For that coin if you can get one of these, used (since they are discontinued), you could dial in some amazing sound. I mean close to a good 2ch setup.
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_12307_Pioneer-Premier-DEH-P800PRS.html
Down side is it hates i-pods, blue tooth etc
