Buzzer

I'm looking to replace the standard Bug eye head unit which takes up half the car. Y'know the ugly feckin thing in the middle.

What i would like is something standard size. Does this mean i could fit a secs unit below it.

Now i listen to CD's but not all the time and i mainly just listen to radio.

I was thinking something like an Alpine CDM7856R unit. Do i have to find a specific model or should all units be ISO standard. Ideally £200.00 sounds right but would like to be guided by you chaps who know what your talkin about as i'm thick as ****

Thanks in advance.


Pete

chiark

Pete,

Go for a standard single DIN (almost all are this size, the only others are double din) and you'll be able to fit a SECS unit underneath. All units nowadays have an ISO connector on them.

Note that the unit must be compatible with "japanese cars" and not have a hard frame fitted around the outside of it that is not removable. Almost all units have a removable frame, but last year's pioneer range had some non-removable frames.

For around 200 quid you won't go badly wrong with sound quality - pick one that is easy to use as ergonomics are massively important.

Have you considered an MP3 playing unit? I've got one and would recommend the format to everyone

Cheers,
Nick.

Buzzer

Chiark

Thanks for that mate. Funnily enough there is one available at our local car accessory shop for £165.00 and this is a Panasonic. The guy that owns the shop has recommended i go and have a look as he has one in his motor. He says he's sold 65 of them and had no come back with any of them.

Could you explain the MP3 player to me. I know you can store lots of songs onto them but what do i do bout my cd's?

Pete

JockyTT

You use your PC plus some appropriate software on it to take the tracks off the cd, compress them so they take up less room then put them all back on to a blank cd using a cd writer in your PC. With most programs nowadays this process is very easy and does it all for you.

On a blank cd you can get about 12 regular albumns. Benefit is you don't have the original discs in the car, you don't need a cd changer and all the track information is displayed on screen (like song title, artist etc.)

Steve

chiark

MP3 is a compression technology (as I'm sure you're aware) that allows you to fit around 11 albums onto 1 CD. You need a PC with a CD writer to rip your music CDs onto hard disc in MP3 format, then write them to a standard data CD as a set of MP3 files.

With an MP3 head unit, you can then play the compressed files back, and have more albums than a large CD changer on one disk.

OK, you lose quality but the convenience makes it worthwhile. The head unit will also play back normal CDs too...

Cheers,
Nick.

JockyTT

forgot to mention, the cd player will play regular cd's or cd's with mp3's on them so you can chop and change..

Steve

chiark

between us I think we've said exactly the same thing there - either genius or fools, take yer pick

Buzzer

Nick/Steve

Sounds like just what i want

Can you think of any that you would recommend for around £200.00

Thanks again

Pete

jag_h

you can get hold of the Pioneer DEH P77MP for around £230ish if you shop in the right places.

its an excellent sounding head unit withvery simple display and controls. it also supports WMA files (the Windows version of MP3 format), so you can use windows media player to copy all ur disks onto one...

but otherwise, i would look hard at the alpine range for sheer quality reproduciton of sounds... although, for me, the facias look a bit busy and hard to use..?

Buzzer

Jag

My missus has an Alpine head unit and i agree you need a degree to set it up and then Honours to re-jig the thing for other types of music.

Quality though is superb.

LOL my son has just read this and said "You shouldn't say that about mum. It's more like a pear"


Pete

Dazza's-STi

Can get you one of these from work for £136.30
http://www.bluespot.co.uk/stock/daytona.asp BlaupunktDaytona[/url]

Dazza

[Edited by Dazza's-STi - 10/28/2003 9:01:41 PM]