Need a new Head Unit

MacLeod

Well look what the car dragged in. Where you been son?

decal

TouchOfEvil wrote: »

That would be logical except i'd rather not go to 5 stores and spend ALL day looking at units when i can go online and get a heads up on 4-5 i should look at rather than 100 of em.

I think it would be more logical to find something you wanted rather than something someone else wanted you to have. But hey, that's just me.

1996blackmax

MacLeod wrote: »

Well look what the car dragged in. Where you been son?

Hey Mac, good to see your still here. I've been pretty busy with other things. Still enjoy this hobby, so I came back to hang out with you guys.

TouchOfEvil

decal wrote: »

I think it would be more logical to find something you wanted rather than something someone else wanted you to have. But hey, that's just me.

In the end what i get is something i want. I just came here to be pointed in a direction fitting of my needs. If you don't understand that get off the internet because it clearly isn't for you.

decal

If you narrow your search to 4 or 5 units that someone else likes and discount the dozens of others available, you might find something you like but, how do you know your not passing up a unit that would be perfect for you? BTW, why the juvenile personal attack? If I have hurt your feelings, I humbly apologize.

TouchOfEvil

decal wrote: »

If you narrow your search to 4 or 5 units that someone else likes and discount the dozens of others available, you might find something you like but, how do you know your not passing up a unit that would be perfect for you? BTW, why the juvenile personal attack? If I have hurt your feelings, I humbly apologize.

Don't worry about it jezz. Your a royal pain bud. I'm moving you to my ignore list so i don't have to see your ramblings over and over again about the same thing.
Just to be clear i didn't end up with anything suggested, my main goal was to see if some companies had fallen off over the years and which units/price range offered me the features i wanted.

And juvenile attack, don't make me laugh. You clearly feel the internet can not be used to narrow ones search even when on a audio board and asking audio related questions so i'll stand by my statement maybe the internet is not for you.
People use others experience with particular products everyday to get a feel for what they can not go out and see/hear themselves.

I have done this with several audio related items as there are no highend shops in my area. Having others chime in to give you an idea about a speaker/amp/etc is not a mortal sin like you seem to think.

arun1963

Sorry to interrupt the courtship , but what did you finally decide on TOE?

decal

Oh Lord help me, I'm on another ignore list. Will the persecution never end!!!

TouchOfEvil

arun1963 wrote: »

Sorry to interrupt the courtship , but what did you finally decide on TOE?

I ended up with a little less expensive option. I was gonna go for the higher priced Pioneer unit but weighed the options and felt it wasn't worth the extra coin for my work truck. I don't want to spend countless hours tweaking it so i went with a Pioneer DEH-P7200HD CD Receiver w/ HD Radio,USB Input,iPod from Crutchfield. It was on sale with free shipping and install gear and i had some gift cards so i got it for very little out of pocket.

pentoncm

Good choice, it has a good amount of tuning options with the 5 band eq and HPF/LPF built in. You will be able to shape the sound but it won't take you too long because it only has 5 bands.

I have the pioneer 6000ub and it has done really well.

TouchOfEvil

pentoncm wrote: »

Good choice, it has a good amount of tuning options with the 5 band eq and HPF/LPF built in. You will be able to shape the sound but it won't take you too long because it only has 5 bands.

I have the pioneer 6000ub and it has done really well.

Yeah, that's what i figured would be best for this vehicle. I want to tune it a bit but not spend countless hours on it. Just something that will get the job done and give me a little freedom with settings and such.

cam5860

Alpine has the best sound quality hands down! Owned every brand out there through the years and Pioneer has the worst sound of all the brands. Cannot stand the dull warm sound pioneer head units produce. Alpine always sounds airy and crisp.

MacLeod

cam5860 wrote: »

Alpine has the best sound quality hands down! Owned every brand out there through the years and Pioneer has the worst sound of all the brands. Cannot stand the dull warm sound pioneer head units produce. Alpine always sounds airy and crisp.

All I can say is......

arun1963

cam5860 wrote: »

Alpine has the best sound quality hands down! Owned every brand out there through the years and Pioneer has the worst sound of all the brands. Cannot stand the dull warm sound pioneer head units produce. Alpine always sounds airy and crisp.

Well, for the amount of koolaid you're drinking, I hope it's sugarfree. Too much sugar ain't good for you :rolleyes::eek:

TouchOfEvil

MacLeod wrote: »

All I can say is......

But your emoticon doesn't work.:frown:

MacLeod

Well thats just weird. It works in Firefox but when I view it in Chrome, its not there. Well that sucks. Nothing worse when youre trying to be a smartass than when your cool smiley doesnt work.



There, that was what it was supposed to be. So take that!

Ah to hell with it, the moment has passed. :frown:

billbillw

Hate to climb into this thread at this point but I'm looking for a HU right now and after a week or two of looking, my head is really spinning. Aaron, did you get my PM? Was hoping to hear from you specifcally.

I really like the Alpine 9887 for its Ipod ability, but the idea of having to buy a separate box just to interface with the Imprint website kinda irks me. I also don't like the fact that you can't tweak anything after its Imprinted. Not sure if I trust myself to do the adjustments manually, I'd like to have the option.

l may give up that Ipod ability to get something that has good SQ and is well made and doesn't look like an arcade game. I'm also considering some of the older high end Eclipse models as well as a few of the last Pioneer Premier top end units (860/880/800).

I really like the looks of the previous generation of Eclipse like the CD8454. I also like the fact that they (the top models) have a digi coax input and their CD changer has digital output so the head unit DAC does the work. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I still like CD changers.

So anyway, not sure if there are any others that I should be looking at. I really don't care for any of the new models except the unaffordable Pioneer Stage 4.

billbillw

Guess I should have mentioned I plan to do a 3 way active system and I don't want to have an external processor. That narrows my choices down.

JBD99ERIDE

3way active front stage plus a sub? If so then yes options without an external processor are limited. The Pioneer dexp99(current top of the line, stage 4 unit) does it and maybe the clarion drz9255 but I'm not sure on that one, think there is another top clarion, hx1 maybe, but not positive there either. Even though you don't want it, the Alpine 701 processor or similar may be your best bet...

billbillw

No, 2-way+ sub. Mid-woof in door, large tweet in dash, subs in rear deck free air. Trying to keep fairly simple.

Right now, I'm really focused on two units. The 9887 or an older Eclipse CD8454. I know I give up the great ipod control with the older Eclipse, but it does have the ability to tune it on Eclipse's web without buying anything else.

JBD99ERIDE

Oh, you have more options then. The Pio units you mentioned are good, I use a 880(functionally the same as the 800 for tuning), I've heard good things about the eclipse cd7200II, the alpine 9855(?) the one with the funky glide touch thingy, would do but I've read mixed feelings about it's user friendliness. You mentioned the 9887 and imprint, that's a good choice too, true though you can't manually adjust the imprint eq settings though. Kenwood has a couple nice choices currently available too. There are a bunch of others that would do active setups but, I suppose it's in part what you want to be able to do in the end, do you want full control over the eq? Or just want something that you can set and forget but still sound good? Personally went down this road a few months ago, did a lot of research and settled on the pioneer 880/800 vs the eclipse 7200II. I chose the pio due to independent L/R eq and it looked more upscale physically.

billbillw

Yeah, I like the features of the newer Eclipse, but not the looks. Same goes for Kenwoods. I looked at the X995, but it felt cheap and the screen was too shiny.

When it comes down to it, I'm not that picky about sound. Auto setup would be nice, but I have a pretty good ear for adjusting. I just want a good tuner, good CD section, changer control option, some sort of aux input or Ipod control (don't care if I have to manually control the Ipod), the ability to run the system I described without using passive xovers, AND it has too look good in my dash, which is not an easy thing. Its a 2001 Mercedes E-class and the dash is very Teutonic if you know what I mean. Its dark ebony wood, all the buttons are flat black, lighting is sorta amber. I'd love to find an Alpine 9835 (had the 200+ color options) to match the lighting perfectly, but those don't seem to come up for sale much.

JBD99ERIDE

Do you have a price range in mind? ("as cheap as possible" doesn't count as an answer) I agree most of the newer units look like space crap and have poor color choices to boot...

billbillw

Probably $100-$300 depending on how old, etc. I saw you mention that Clarion Addzest. I'd love one of those, but they tend to be too pricey. Not to mention, they seem to be dying on the owners now and parts availability is a real problem.

JBD99ERIDE

For looks and performace with all the mentioned features, I'd go Pio 880/800. the 800 is all black, which is way better looking IMO, but I lost the action for one and got the 880, still good looking and not as silver as it looks in press pics.
If you are a bit handy and a DIYer you could do this: http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-sq-forum-technical-advanced/29365-prs880-my-way-pic.html

I did mine similar but left the display white as red was unreadable during the day, so just red knobs and button lettering. made a world of difference as the white LED's in the knobs are stupid bright and the blue matches nothing. now it looks factory esque in my all red dash.

Just a thought...

JBD99ERIDE

Pio's will be in the $3-400 neighborhood, as people are still buying them up. still a good deal though.
Yeah I'd like a drz9255 as well but yes, pricey, pricey or were you thinking the hxd-1, super pricey, may as well do the DEXp99 for that kind of coin...

billbillw

I like the looks of those, but I gotta tell you, I would miss having # buttons. They simplified the face a little too much IMO. I kick myself for passing on an 860MP last week for $60. He didn't have the remote or tuning mic, so I wanted to see how much those would cost to replace. By the time I got back to him, it was sold.

JBD99ERIDE wrote: »

For looks and performace with all the mentioned features, I'd go Pio 880/800. the 800 is all black, which is way better looking IMO, but I lost the action for one and got the 880, still good looking and not as silver as it looks in press pics.
If you are a bit handy and a DIYer you could do this: http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-sq-forum-technical-advanced/29365-prs880-my-way-pic.html

I did mine similar but left the display white as red was unreadable during the day, so just red knobs and button lettering. made a world of difference as the white LED's in the knobs are stupid bright and the blue matches nothing. now it looks factory esque in my all red dash.

Just a thought...

JBD99ERIDE

I didn't like the lack of buttons either coming from alpine for several years but got used to it quickly. Again, its all preference. Something is gonna have to give in a +/- $300 head unit. Cant have it all without spending some $$$....

I'd probably kick myself too, hahahaha. Oh well. I missed a Pio 800 auction due to messing up the end time. Set an alarm on my phone and everything so I could get to the computer. Too bad somehow I set it 12 hours too late :rolleyes: and ended up with the 880 a day later.

billbillw

JBD99ERIDE wrote: »

I didn't like the lack of buttons either coming from alpine for several years but got used to it quickly. Again, its all preference. Something is gonna have to give in a +/- $300 head unit. Cant have it all without spending some $$$....

I'd probably kick myself too, hahahaha. Oh well. I missed a Pio 800 auction due to messing up the end time. Set an alarm on my phone and everything so I could get to the computer. Too bad somehow I set it 12 hours too late :rolleyes: and ended up with the 880 a day later.

Next time, Esnipe...

huggies

TouchOfEvil wrote: »

Quick, someone buy this one for me lol.
http://www.crutchfield.com/s_130DEXP99R/Pioneer-Stage-4-DEX-P99RS.html?tp=5684&nvpair=FFBrand|Pioneer

That is one sexy beast!!