# Best Stereo Deck?



## tripleblackgolfgti (Nov 6, 2008)

_Modified by tripleblackgolfgti at 7:51 PM 11-22-2008_


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## poorman (Apr 30, 2004)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

neither, pioneer is the new alpine


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## BTM (Feb 20, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

"bmw business cd player with bagel compatibility"


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## SuperGroove (Aug 20, 2000)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *tripleblackgolfgti* »_What manufacture makes the best the best stereo deck?
I just bought a Alpine, so that gets my vote... Whats your take?


hmm....


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## J-Tim (May 26, 2000)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

McDonald's or Wendy's ?


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## tripleblackgolfgti (Nov 6, 2008)

anyway to edit the poll? more poll options needed...


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## J-Tim (May 26, 2000)

*Re: (tripleblackgolfgti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *tripleblackgolfgti* »_anyway to edit the poll? more poll options needed...

Yup, add Burger King to the list. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Wilhelm0075 (Mar 2, 2005)

*Re: (J-Tim)*

kraco ftw http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

*Re: (J-Tim)*


_Quote, originally posted by *J-Tim* »_
Yup, add Burger King to the list. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

Tally up another for BK. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## GRNWNV (Jul 24, 2001)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (poorman)*

I agree that Alpine certainly is not the quality is used to be.
Kenwood of a couple years ago were awesome, dual 24 bit D/A converters on a $300 deck was a great deal.
I think Pioneer and Kenwood are difficult to use however. I have an Alpine that I won in a sales contest in the Jeep, and it works just fine for a winter beater of a truck.
My all time favorite stereo that I have owned was a Sony CDX-C90, that was stolen out of my GTI.








Next was an Alpine CDA-7940, that was stolen out of my Jetta.








(Largest photo I could find)


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## BTM (Feb 20, 2007)

*Re: (VDUBber91)*


_Quote, originally posted by *VDUBber91* »_
Tally up another for BK. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

bk fries are the win


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## WakeHead (Dec 7, 1999)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

Who cares about CD players anymore. Alpine has the best Ipod and satellite radio integration. They also have an incredible eq add on. This is what I have in my daily driver.


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## 92skirmishgti (Sep 5, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (GRNWNV)*

*Eclipse FTW!!!!* http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

*Re: (BTM)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BTM* »_
bk fries are the win

I know, everyone else says McDonald's fries are the best, but you can like literally wring the oil out...
BTW I voted for Alpine for the iPod integration, like one of the posts above shows.



_Modified by VDUBber91 at 10:58 PM 11-22-2008_


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## SuperGroove (Aug 20, 2000)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*

Not the best, but I really liked my Nakamichi CD400.


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## MBeroose (Oct 14, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (poorman)*


_Quote, originally posted by *poorman* »_neither, pioneer is the new alpine 









Thanks for the laugh.


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## BTM (Feb 20, 2007)

*Re: (VDUBber91)*


_Quote, originally posted by *VDUBber91* »_
I know, everyone else says McDonald's fries are the best, but you like literally wring the oil out...

way too salty and make me drink my coke faster than i want and then i get gassy, plus at bk you can king size unlike those ***** mcdonald's size meals


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## Harpoon (Jan 5, 2008)

*Re: (BTM)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BTM* »_
way too salty and make me drink my coke faster than i want and then i get gassy, plus at bk you can king size unlike those ***** mcdonald's size meals

Haha X2, especially with the salt.


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## Live-Wire (Jun 9, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

I vote McIntosh .... they are fiendishly expensive... even used/off eBay etc... I've not found one for an affordable price.
But they are the only aftermarket radio that actually looks GOOD in a luxury car, or any car in general. Every other deck ever made in the past oh 10+ years is an over-lit pile of flashiness, tiny buttons, and useless knobs that are really rocker switches most of the time.

I'd take an Alpine if I HAD to.
I've heard nothing but bad news about Sony products... Panasonic seems reliable but nothing spectacular... I like Pioneer and Kenwood, but no real experience with them - just playing around with them in stores they seem fine.


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## GRNWNV (Jul 24, 2001)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Live-Wire)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Live-Wire* »_I vote McIntosh .... they are fiendishly expensive... even used/off eBay etc... I've not found one for an affordable price.
But they are the only aftermarket radio that actually looks GOOD in a luxury car, or any car in general. Every other deck ever made in the past oh 10+ years is an over-lit pile of flashiness, tiny buttons, and useless knobs that are really rocker switches most of the time.

I'd take an Alpine if I HAD to.
I've heard nothing but bad news about Sony products... Panasonic seems reliable but nothing spectacular... I like Pioneer and Kenwood, but no real experience with them - just playing around with them in stores they seem fine.


I agree with everything you said, however the CDX-C90 was the exception to your Sony rule.
Copper plated chassis, true 4V pre outs, no deck power, flourescent lights for low noise, and dual 24 bit Burr Brown D/A converters. It was a $1600 deck retail back in the 90's. A true flagship peice, on par with any really high end piece.


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## GTI_UNIT (Dec 16, 2003)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (GRNWNV)*

i've always been a huge fan of alpine,. the older alpine's we're no silly displays or fancy buttons, when they did away with that, i was sad







now i hve a pioneer. it works for what i need








i've also been drinking since lunch time...lol


_Modified by GTI_UNIT at 11:09 PM 11-22-2008_


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## justinsvr6 (Aug 9, 2001)

*Re: (tripleblackgolfgti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *tripleblackgolfgti* »_anyway to edit the poll? more poll options needed...

x2.....pioneer is my fav or Eclipse.


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## dunhamjr (May 21, 2002)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

nakamichi
mcintosh
eclipse
pioneer
alpine


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## 2Cor (Feb 18, 2003)

*Re: (Wilhelm R32)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Wilhelm R32* »_kraco ftw http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif















x2


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## sideways89 (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WakeHead* »_Who cares about CD players anymore. Alpine has the best Ipod and satellite radio integration. They also have an incredible eq add on. This is what I have in my daily driver.









+1, as far as single DIN's go that one is my favorite. I really like it and the controls, I was playing with it at Best Buy last night and really liked it alot.


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## CarGuru916 (Feb 19, 2004)

*Re: (2Cor)*

In my regular vehicles I wouldn't think of changing out the stock, even the basic stereo in my Frontier Se is pretty good to my ears. I do have an Alpine in my '86 Nissan 720 pickup with an ipod interface and it's http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
-Ryan


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## qwikz28 (Feb 23, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WakeHead* »_Who cares about CD players anymore. Alpine has the best Ipod and satellite radio integration. They also have an incredible eq add on. This is what I have in my daily driver.









this. its in my camaro and its fantastic


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## reillymk2 (Oct 17, 2001)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (BTM)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BTM* »_"bmw business cd player with bagel compatibility"


agreed! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif bagels mmmmmm. . .


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## juicemoney (Jun 22, 2006)

I have the Alpine X100 with an iPhone 3G.


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## true snowboards (Feb 23, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

i would certainly choose an ice cold pbr over cheez whiz on celery any day of the week.


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## Bad Rabbit Habit (May 5, 2005)

*FV-QR*

You pay so much for so little when you buy an alpine.








Sweet deck. Add some bluetooth, plug in your ipod, And when you go to a show and buy a band's cd, you can listen to it on the way home.


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## marzen (Nov 21, 2004)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WakeHead* »_Who cares about CD players anymore. Alpine has the best Ipod and satellite radio integration. They also have an incredible eq add on. This is what I have in my daily driver.










http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif good choice. This is what I have in my S2000 with 120gb iPod classic


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## matt_bogner (Jul 3, 2002)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (marzen)*

i have a blaupunkt in the furd, she's pretty tight for the little cake i paid.


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## Impeccable (Apr 17, 2004)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

*DELCO*


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## SoCal_SFVR6 (Nov 24, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Impeccable)*

/\ WOW.


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## Super 180s (Nov 14, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WakeHead* »_Who cares about CD players anymore. 

I do, seeing as I don't own an iPod.


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## koston. (Aug 20, 2003)

*Re: FV-QR (monoaural)*


_Quote, originally posted by *monoaural* »_You pay so much for so little when you buy an alpine.








Sweet deck. Add some bluetooth, plug in your ipod, And when you go to a show and buy a band's cd, you can listen to it on the way home. 

Wish they had this with green display... heck, wish you could still get a new stereo with green display to match the older cars.


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## Platinum GLI (Sep 29, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

I just had a Pioneer FH-P8000BT with Bluetooth and USB installed.....amazing sound, crisp and powerful. Yes, the controls require some-getting-used-to and the instructions are cryptic at best. Overall, I am happy now that I know how to use most of the functions....still learning


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## ElixXxeR (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WakeHead* »_Who cares about CD players anymore. Alpine has the best Ipod and satellite radio integration. 


I sure as hell do. Especially since I do not, and never will, have an ipod or satellite radio,


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## Twosont (Feb 8, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

Pioneer Avic D3 ftw
After having this, I couldn't look back...


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## SoCal_SFVR6 (Nov 24, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Twosont)*

I got one of those little DP Video screens the otherday for free, I must say, it's not horrible. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## DUTCHMANia (Apr 7, 2003)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (SoCal_SFVR6)*

so who still makes a nice deck that fits in with the looks of a 70's/80's car.... without paying for something like a Becker?


_Modified by DUTCHMANia at 4:47 PM 11-23-2008_


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## SoCal_SFVR6 (Nov 24, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (DUTCHMANia)*


_Quote, originally posted by *DUTCHMANia* »_so who still makes a nice deck that fits in with the looks of a 70's/80's car.... 

Did they have cd/ipods back then?


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## DUTCHMANia (Apr 7, 2003)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (SoCal_SFVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SoCal_SFVR6* »_
Did they have cd/ipods back then?








i'm an oldschool guy.. i don't have an ipod.. but a CD player would be nice. i now have a Grundig tapedeck inthere, wich would definatly stay but it wasn't part of the deal and it needs to go back to the old owner of the car.
i now got a couple of years old Pioneer P2600R in bronze. it's a decent deck on looks, but the sound isn't great from wht i've heard (not in the car yet)


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## Seitan (Nov 1, 2002)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (ElixXxeR)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ElixXxeR* »_
I sure as hell do. Especially since I do not, and never will, have an ipod or satellite radio,

I'm sure some people felt that way about 8 tracks and cassettes too.


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## loudgli (Aug 3, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (silvERia)*

Ive had 3 or 4 Kenwood decks, couple of Pioneer decks and currently an Alpine deck. All in the $200-600 range.
The Kenwood decks have all had the most adjust ability. The pioneers were "ok" My buddy and I have the same Alpine deck and agree its user interface is awful. I have to damn near carry my owners manual around to figure out how to make adjustments or get to the correct screen to make a change.
Kenwood http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif (except for their amplifiers)


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## ironmule (Apr 11, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (loudgli)*

get a factory bose with the common "safe" screen







i've had both kenwood and alpine. love my alpine but its always a pain to adjust the millons of options. hold this button and that button and the turn the knob with your third hand


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## SpecialFX (Aug 20, 2006)

*FV-QR*

I call shenanigans! You can't make a poll about the best anything and only give 2 choices. Sounds like you already know what's best (to you) if you only have 2 things in mind


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## atx-g60 (Mar 3, 2007)

*Re: FV-QR (koston.)*


_Quote, originally posted by *koston.* »_
Wish they had this with green display... heck, wish you could still get a new stereo with green display to match the older cars.

my prob aswell. these new decks look way out of place in some older cars. but i really wanna get an ipod hook up!


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## Internal Combustion (Apr 17, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (GRNWNV)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GRNWNV* »_
My all time favorite stereo that I have owned was a Sony CDX-C90, *that was stolen out of my GTI.*
Next was an Alpine CDA-7940*, that was stolen out of my Jetta.*



This is why I will never put an aftermarket deck in ANY vehicle I own. Instant target.
Case in point. 2 months ago there was a break in in my complex. The vehicle (we're on an L at 90*) 2 spots down is a tackily modified civic (you know the adjective). My Mercedes E320 was also there.
I left my rear windows down and he got broken into, nothing in mine was rummaged. Why? He had a huge fancy stereo. 
a) they're easy to get out
b) it generally means you have more electronics in there
c) you're probably a younger person and going to keep more valuables in the car (older people have houses and stuff to keep them)
and personal 
d) I've never seen a aftermarket HU look as good as factory.


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## Internal Combustion (Apr 17, 2007)

*Re: FV-QR (SpecialFX)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SpecialFX* »_I call shenanigans! You can't make a poll about the best anything and only give 2 choices. Sounds like you already know what's best (to you) if you only have 2 things in mind

Do you have a problem voting in elections?


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## turbo_nine (Jul 6, 2000)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (SoCal_SFVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SoCal_SFVR6* »_/\ WOW.

What's sad is that if you took all the decks shown above and put them in a usability lab, the Delco would win easily.


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## dubb_head (Feb 15, 2003)

*Re: FV-QR (Internal Combustion)*

I like Alpine CDA 9811








Green lights, matched my mk3 quite well!


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## roccostud (Jun 7, 2002)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

I have always used Pioneer and have no plans in changing to a different brand anytime soon.


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## dj_elite (Jun 7, 2006)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WakeHead* »_Who cares about CD players anymore. Alpine has the best Ipod and satellite radio integration. They also have an incredible eq add on. This is what I have in my daily driver.









i'm an alpine whore and this will be the HU im getting for my focus. hopefully my g/f has picked up the hints i've been dropping about my xmas gift


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## MBeroose (Oct 14, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (roccostud)*


_Quote, originally posted by *roccostud* »_I have always used Pioneer and have no plans in changing to a different brand anytime soon.









I guess some people really do think that dot-matrix dolphins are more important than sound quality.


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## badb5 (Mar 26, 2000)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (DUTCHMANia)*









I just got this for my M3, it does everything I want it to and I like the way it looks in the dash and I played with the adjustable illumination to match the dash lighting. 
*General features:*
digital media receiver (no built-in CD player)
built-in amplifier (26 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)
plays MP3 and WMA files on SD cards or through USB input
plays standard SD cards with up to 2 GB storage capacity (will not play SDHC cards)
detachable face with 4096 selectable face illumination colors
remote control
*Audio features:*
3-band EQ with adjustable frequencies and slopes
3 preset EQ curves ("Rock," "Pop," and "Classic")
Xbass bass boost
*Expandability:*
compatible with optional Blaupunkt Bluetooth adapter, iPod playback adapter, CD changer
inputs: SD card slot (front), USB input (rear cable), front auxiliary input, and rear auxiliary input with addition of optional adapter (uses CD charger port)
outputs: 4-channel preamp outputs (front, rear)


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## greatfox (Mar 5, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (MBeroose)*

My vote goes to the McIntosh MX-406:









I wish I could justify buying it!


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## marzen (Nov 21, 2004)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (marzen)*

here is Alpine IDA X100 at play. Sorry about the poor picture quality.
I shopped between 10 different headunits. SONY was scratched off the list first before anything. Can't stand them. At the end, this won my vote simply because nothing out there matched the functionality of the true iPod interface IDA X100 gives. It is detachable and lucky me, I can simply hide the unit behind the radio door. Not having to fiddle with iPod while I am driving is a BIG plus.


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## justanotherusername (May 26, 2007)

I've had just about every brand over the years, and I'd go back to Pioneer in a second. I haven't shopped for a deck in a while though, and last time I checked Alpine had the best iPod interface, which might sway me. I've never had good luck with Alpine stuff over the years though.


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## ReflexJettaVR6 (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: (justanotherusername)*

Man, I REALLY don't like the way that Alpine unit looks, but the iPod integration looks phenomenal.








I used to be a big Clarion fan... but their recent offerings leave a lot to be desired. If I go with an aftermarket unit for my car any time soon, it's getting a Pioneer AVIC-D3, so they get my vote


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## badb5 (Mar 26, 2000)

*Re: (WindsorJettaVR6)*

The McIntosh is great but I don't use CD's, listen to the radio infrequently and when I do it's satellite. 
It's nice and retro looking and all that but how do you overcome functional shortcomings like that? Go back to CD's and FM for amazing sound?


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## justanotherusername (May 26, 2007)

*Re: (badb5)*


_Quote, originally posted by *badb5* »_The McIntosh is great but I don't use CD's, listen to the radio infrequently and when I do it's satellite. 
It's nice and retro looking and all that but how do you overcome functional shortcomings like that? Go back to CD's and FM for amazing sound?


That kind of money spent on sound quality is pretty much a waste in a car anyway IMO. You can't hear that much detail while you're driving down the road, and it's certainly not worth putting up with the lack of modern features.


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## freedomgli (Mar 26, 2002)

Define "best." Are redheads better than brunettes?


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## SpecialFX (Aug 20, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (Internal Combustion)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Internal Combustion* »_
Do you have a problem voting in elections?

you aren't forced to vote for the big 2. There are many independents. I *would* have a problem voting in elections if there were many candidates but the ballot only had 2 choices


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## justanotherusername (May 26, 2007)

*Re: (freedomgli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *freedomgli* »_Define "best." Are redheads better than brunettes?











So much WTF involved there I don't know where to start.


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## Paint_By_Numbers (Nov 7, 2008)

*Re: (justanotherusername)*

just picked up one of these to upgrade the old iva-w200
*before*








*after*


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## turbo_nine (Jul 6, 2000)

*Re: FV-QR (SpecialFX)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SpecialFX* »_
you aren't forced to vote for the big 2. There are many independents. I *would* have a problem voting in elections if there were many candidates but the ballot only had 2 choices

There are also party primaries, in which you get too choose who will appear on the general ballot later on.


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## hotweiss (Dec 5, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (greatfox)*


_Quote, originally posted by *greatfox* »_My vote goes to the McIntosh MX-406:









I wish I could justify buying it!










That would be stolen from your car in less than 24 hours, lol. In my old car I had a simple JVC that deck that I always left in and never worried about it getting stolen. It provided superior sound over the stock VW deck. In my new Subaru I just left the factory deck as I only listen to satellite radio which does not require a good deck, as the sound quality is below FM.
The only plus with Kenwood is that they use Garmin mapping software in their GPS decks...


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## PhReE (Sep 16, 2004)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (hotweiss)*

I rock an alpine for audio control .. but it's not a stereo, or a deck.. lol








RUX-C701 & PXA-H701








For CarPC Audio Control


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## GRNWNV (Jul 24, 2001)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Internal Combustion)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Internal Combustion* »_

This is why I will never put an aftermarket deck in ANY vehicle I own. Instant target.


It's funny that you mention that. 
I never used to lock the doors in my GTI to save me the cost of replacing the window. I lived downtown and parked in "secure" parking, but it was probably some crackhead who lived in the building. The thing is, they would still smash the window when the locking pin was clearly in the unlocked position.








However I sold stereo's for a living, and I couldn't be without a great stereo in my car. I am slowly weaning myself off of aftermarket stereo's, now made much easier that satellite radio sucks.


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## justanotherusername (May 26, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (GRNWNV)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GRNWNV* »_
It's funny that you mention that. 
I never used to lock the doors in my GTI to save me the cost of replacing the window. I lived downtown and parked in "secure" parking, but it was probably some crackhead who lived in the building. The thing is, they would still smash the window when the locking pin was clearly in the unlocked position.








However I sold stereo's for a living, and I couldn't be without a great stereo in my car. I am slowly weaning myself off of aftermarket stereo's, now made much easier that satellite radio sucks.


I had the same thing happen to an Ex-GF's Jeep. I bought her a very low end CD player for her birthday and installed it. She never locked her doors, and came out from work one night to find her window smashed, the CD player and all her CD's stolen. The damn window cost more to replace than the deck. She was sort of a hippie, and I can't imagine what the thiefs wanted with a bunch of Widepread Panic CDs.


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## Ghost GTI (Jun 17, 2008)

I know people always say Alpine today isn't as good as it once was, but look up the Signal to Noise ratios on most ot the CD decks. Alpine is usually over 105dB where as Pioneers are down in the 85-90dB. It doesn't seem like much in numbers but in sound it is quite significant. My last vehicle had an Alpine deck, easy to use, sounded great and had 4.5v output for the amps. Good stuff


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## ratdub (Jan 17, 2005)

*FV-QR*

i'm not really into car audio at all...
but my all time fav. headunit was the jvc kameleon:


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## justanotherusername (May 26, 2007)

*Re: FV-QR (ratdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ratdub* »_i'm not really into car audio at all...
but my all time fav. headunit was the jvc kameleon:










It looked cool, but was a complete PITA. I had a friend who had one in a Silva while I was living in Japan. It was more of a novelty than anything else.


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## ratdub (Jan 17, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (justanotherusername)*


_Quote, originally posted by *justanotherusername* »_

It looked cool, but was a complete PITA. 

it made my stock jbl speakers in my previous camry sound good...i dunno, i just missed having that h/u...


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## ReflexJettaVR6 (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (ratdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ratdub* »_i'm not really into car audio at all...
but my all time fav. headunit was the jvc kameleon:
http://akamaipix.crutchfield.c...p.jpg 

When I got my first car I really wanted this headunit. Fast forward about 6 years, a buddy of mine had one in his Acura. It did look cool, but it was a huge PITA to work with


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## StormChaser (Jan 3, 2000)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WakeHead* »_Who cares about CD players anymore. 

Anyone who actually cares about sound quality. mp3 = major sound degradation.


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## GahannaKid (May 24, 2004)

*Re: (freedomgli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *freedomgli* »_Define "best." Are redheads better than brunettes?


I don't know what the best stereo deck is out there but I can say with scientific proof that red heads are in fact better than brunettes.


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## StormChaser (Jan 3, 2000)

*Re: (GahannaKid)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GahannaKid* »_
I can say with scientific proof that red heads are in fact more psycho than brunettes.

No doubt there.


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## atx-g60 (Mar 3, 2007)

*Re: FV-QR (WindsorJettaVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WindsorJettaVR6* »_
When I got my first car I really wanted this headunit. Fast forward about 6 years, a buddy of mine had one in his Acura. It did look cool, but it was a huge PITA to work with

i had the one with the +/- volume buttons. i liked it till it went nuts.


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## quinntendopower1 (Nov 20, 2003)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (SoCal_SFVR6)*

denon, or eclipse.


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## sideways89 (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Internal Combustion)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Internal Combustion* »_

This is why I will never put an aftermarket deck in ANY vehicle I own. Instant target.


Which is why I plan on doing this soon.
































The guy got a cheap base model non-cd factory headunit, took it apart and made a cover out of it. It is held on by four little strong magnets. No one would ever know. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Paint_By_Numbers (Nov 7, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (sideways89)*

that's pretty crazy....... but that AVIC-D3... looks out of place in vehicle


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## Corbic (Sep 1, 2003)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

Factory. 
99.999% of aftermarket units look god awful. They use bright, silver plastic, a billion micro buttons, techno-color pallets for the illumination, and none of them look remotely stock. 
Props to Pioneers AVIC series however.


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## DUTCHMANia (Apr 7, 2003)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (sideways89)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sideways89* »_
Which is why I plan on doing this soon.
The guy got a cheap base model non-cd factory headunit, took it apart and made a cover out of it. It is held on by four little strong magnets. No one would ever know. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


LOL, i did that 6 years ago in my mk2 after 4 burglaries.. (yes even without the faceplates on
















painted the whole thing black afterwards,.


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## sideways89 (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Paint_By_Numbers)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Paint_By_Numbers* »_that's pretty crazy....... but that AVIC-D3... looks out of place in vehicle

It's just because the rubber type paint Ford used on that piece is wearing off and it looks crappy, IDK why they chose to use that ****ty paint. I'm pretty sure he painted it silver now.


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## VR6~aholic (Oct 1, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (sideways89)*

That Ford above is pretty clever. Looks good and no one would ever figure that out.
Alpine it is for me too. Ipod (in my case Iphone too) compatibility is simply the best. Simple looking and will do pretty much anything I want it to. That and the fact that it's a flip up touch screen and will fit in pretty much any car ever sold me. That and knowing someone well up in the company who gets me deals helped. It was between this and the Clarion equivalent. Price obviously is what swayed my decision.


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## The Kilted Yaksman (Oct 31, 2000)

*FV-QR*

Mine is still the Blaupunkt Heidelberg CD-50 I got back in '01 right after I got my Jetta.








Not the greatest, but the colors match the factory lighting perfectly.


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## NOTORIOUS VR (Sep 25, 2002)

Mine:








No frills.. no flashy displays... Burr-Brown converter... Beautiful Parametric EQ, Crossovers, and Time Correction (if you're into that), 3x 4V pre-outs. Can add on Bluetooth, High speed iPod, SAT radio, etc.
But the option I love the most would be Blackout. Turn off all unnecessary illuminations and displays for better sound quality, and have complete darkness where your radio once was (only doesn't work when on tuner)


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## BTM (Feb 20, 2007)

*Re: (freedomgli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *freedomgli* »_Define "best." Are redheads better than brunettes?










this kicks ass
and in general, i find that blondes are best http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## greatfox (Mar 5, 2005)

*Re: (badb5)*


_Quote, originally posted by *badb5* »_The McIntosh is great but I don't use CD's, listen to the radio infrequently and when I do it's satellite. 
It's nice and retro looking and all that but how do you overcome functional shortcomings like that? Go back to CD's and FM for amazing sound?

You can integrate it with a digital music source. The point is that it has a 20 bit DAC integrated into it. If you can bare to listen to CDs (the horror!







), you'll be blown away by the quality it's capable of.


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## EGSEDAN (Aug 12, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (92skirmishgti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *92skirmishgti* »_ *Eclipse FTW!!!!* http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

This http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## PhReE (Sep 16, 2004)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (EGSEDAN)*

High bitrate MP3's in the car really aren't that bad, I mean there is a lot of road noise and whatnot so it's never going to be as good as a home setup, although I AM a preponderant of having high quality amps & speakers in the car, but you can only ever get it 'so' good.


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## anarchyx34 (Apr 27, 2001)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (WakeHead)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WakeHead* »_Who cares about CD players anymore. Alpine has the best Ipod and satellite radio integration. They also have an incredible eq add on. This is what I have in my daily driver.









I really really wanted one of these when they came out but 2volt preouts, nearly nonexistant audio controls (I think 3-band EQ was all it had) and the lack of a cd player killed it for me. I still use CD's occasionally, often enough to be a requirement. 
I have this (not my pic) and it's fricken fantastic.










_Modified by anarchyx34 at 8:29 AM 11-24-2008_


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## Bad Rabbit Habit (May 5, 2005)

*FV-QR*

Some of you need to check out the kenwood DDX-8120. Perfect ipod control, built in bluetooth, skinnable interface, garmin nav, and WAY easy to use.


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## ElixXxeR (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (silvERia)*


_Quote, originally posted by *silvERia* »_
I'm sure some people felt that way about 8 tracks and cassettes too.

Yes, except their was a compelling reason to upgrade to compact discs and digital music. Compelling argument for the ipod? Not so much.


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## porn8069 (Feb 12, 2001)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (ElixXxeR)*


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## Pat @ Pitt Soundworks (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (porn8069)*

Rockford RFX8250 or Denon Z1


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## Non_Affiliated (Feb 12, 2002)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Pat @ Pitt Soundworks)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Pat @ Pitt Soundworks* »_Rockford RFX8250 or Denon Z1

Reverse those, even though the 8250 is a Denonford. That and Nak Decks are damn good too.
The McIntosh HU was a nice deck too. But I must say today most are into Flash and net-o-suprimo gimmicky displays and swiss army knife features that dock eveything but the kitchen sink to it.
Don't worry kids next year you will be able to dock the Kitchen sink to your HU.


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## Pat @ Pitt Soundworks (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Non_Affiliated)*

wasn't in any particular order








Oddly enough I'm watching F&F. The mac stuff... I just can't fall in love with the blue gauges on the front.
Now the Panasonic Tube headunit. I'm in love.


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## quinntendopower1 (Nov 20, 2003)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Pat @ Pitt Soundworks)*

friend of mine has this, got it when it came out. was way ahead of the curve


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## Non_Affiliated (Feb 12, 2002)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (quinntendopower1)*


_Quote, originally posted by *quinntendopower1* »_friend of mine has this, got it when it came out. was way ahead of the curve .

I wish I could get my hands on a DCT-R1, while the Z1 is nice Brushed AL doesn't work for a black dash. And yes I realize that is the DCT-A1 and those are JDM so the radio stations are FUBR here in the states.


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## Pat @ Pitt Soundworks (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Non_Affiliated)*

You can get a frequency adapter thing.... LOL


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## Non_Affiliated (Feb 12, 2002)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (Pat @ Pitt Soundworks)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Pat @ Pitt Soundworks* »_You can get a frequency adapter thing.... LOL

Or just look for a DCT-R1 and not have to worry about an adapter.


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## GRNWNV (Jul 24, 2001)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (porn8069)*


_Quote, originally posted by *porn8069* »_









Clarion 9255 is another great deck if you are into simple good sounding cd players. I was looking at one of those after my CDXC-90 was stolen.


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## GrkDubber88 (Jul 27, 2006)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (tripleblackgolfgti)*

I have an alpine 9857 that i purchased when it came out back in 06 and love it to this day. but for the car enthusiest id have to say that eclipse 7200 mark2 owns all. its on my wishlist for winter shopping. 8v preouts motorized face. its an ampless radio looks good and sounds ridiculous. the ease of use and practacality of the alpine decks are still my favorite tho.


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## Non_Affiliated (Feb 12, 2002)

*Re: Best Stereo Deck? (GrkDubber88)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GrkDubber88* »_I have an alpine 9857 that i purchased when it came out back in 06 and love it to this day. but for the car enthusiest id have to say that eclipse 7200 mark2 owns all. its on my wishlist for winter shopping. 8v preouts motorized face. its an ampless radio looks good and sounds ridiculous. the ease of use and practacality of the alpine decks are still my favorite tho.

Well then Even simpler is the 7909, 7949 are some of the Old school great players. Although IIRC there was some issues with the CD Transports getting jossled around and not reading CD's. That too was an issue on the old Eclipse, but IIRC that was Eclipse had such a tight Calibration on the laser and transports. Back then people were dubbing them as Eskips.
I think it was due to the tremendious Low rider trucks and cars back in that era of ppl all wanting to be low and cutting/heating springs to cheaply lower their cars.


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## koston. (Aug 20, 2003)

*Re: (NOTORIOUS VR)*


_Quote, originally posted by *NOTORIOUS VR* »_
But the option I love the most would be Blackout. Turn off all unnecessary illuminations and displays for better sound quality, and have complete darkness where your radio once was (only doesn't work when on tuner)

I've got this on an old 9813, its born from jets! But only the LCD turns off on this model, still great for long drives home from snowboarding. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
To that point; any deck that has brightness control (my old Alpine also dims when headlights turn on, not sure if any models still do it)


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## nuskool (Jun 19, 2007)

I've had a few Kenwoods. Can't beat 'em for the price.
But the best deck I ever had was a Denon Cassette deck back in the mid '80's. Great sound and reception and no frills. Just a solid excellent sounding deck.
Not sure if they still make 'em as good as then. But I'd be willing to try.


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## CMihalcheon (Jan 29, 2007)

*Re: (nuskool)*

My Rockford Fosgate RFX-9220 has to be the best sounding deck I have heard. No clipping till volume get to 29/30, and 5V preouts. Had the thing for 5 years and only a few minor issues (CD sometimes gets stuck) but the sound quality is amazing. I have heard that their older decks were of superior quality, but I have yet to hear them.


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## dpgreek (Aug 14, 2003)

*Re: (CMihalcheon)*

Between the two I would say old Alpine or Kenwood. new alpine stuff has lost quality. 
if you want a great deck and are willing to drop a little coin go with a nakamichi cd-500. Thing is awesome. It's got the 24bit digital/analog converter. Great sound comes from nakamichi headunits:
http://www.woofersetc.com/inde...=4674
also another great brand out there now is Clarion. They're making good stuff. Eclipse is ok, but in the sun, you can't read the display. Bad design.


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## NOTORIOUS VR (Sep 25, 2002)

I've always felt Nakamichi HU's are very overrated. I've never seen what the appeal is. They don't sound better, they don't offer many features and they don't look all that nice.
The new Alpine stuff hasn't lost quality... Their good decks are good. The only problem I've seen so far is that the transports are a little weak. 
But @ $34 replacement cost I'm not really worried as long as the deck sounds as good as it does (and IMO the 9887 does just that).


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## Dubbsacc (Nov 21, 2008)

Did you guys forget about the Alpine F1 status decks?
Them things are absolutely awesome!!!
Personally, i have a AVIC D3 in my Dub, and a N3 flip out in my Jeep.. ZERO complaints on both units..


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## NOTORIOUS VR (Sep 25, 2002)

*Re: (Dubbsacc)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Dubbsacc* »_Did you guys forget about the Alpine F1 status decks?
Them things are absolutely awesome!!!

I doubt anyone 'forgot' about them. Thing is, by the time you have everything you need to make an F1 system complete you're looking at A LOT of money for something that could be stolen, and even worse unless you're not driving around (as in you're parked) it's the only time you get to really enjoy the benefits for such a high end system. 
You're better off investing your money in a home system IMO.


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## 2jetta1golf (May 10, 2008)

*Re: (NOTORIOUS VR)*

i <3 my kenwood dnx7100
hard drive based nav
bluetooth
ipod connect
usb flash drive connect
reverse camera
dvd
as ferris bueller said ' if you have the means, i highly recommend picking one up.. '


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## Non_Affiliated (Feb 12, 2002)

*Re: (2jetta1golf)*


_Quote, originally posted by *2jetta1golf* »_i <3 my kenwood dnx7100
hard drive based nav = *Does this make it sound better? No = useless feature*
bluetooth *Does this make it sound better? No = useless feature*
ipod connect *Does this make it sound better? No = useless feature*
usb flash drive connect *Does this make it sound better? No = useless feature*
reverse camera *Actually is a handy feature I will admit*
dvd *Does this make it sound better? No = useless feature*
as ferris bueller said ' if you have the means, i highly recommend picking one up.. '

I must say that todays decks seem to be fixated on gadgetry and not as much sound quality like past decks. While many of these features seem cool, you find that once they loose their novelty. You'll just listen to music and not tinker with stuff.
I want to be able to just flip a button and music is playing with good sound quality, so as not to distract my driving. Minimal eye off the road time here. Don;t mean to sound as if I am bashing the head unit you bought, and if it works for you then great. Who cares what I think, I was just mearly pointing out that most good sounding decks usally scrap most of the frills and focus on signal and sound quality.


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## 2jetta1golf (May 10, 2008)

*Re: (Non_Affiliated)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Non_Affiliated* »_
I must say that todays decks seem to be fixated on gadgetry and not as much sound quality like past decks. While many of these features seem cool, you find that once they loose their novelty. You'll just listen to music and not tinker with stuff.
I want to be able to just flip a button and music is playing with good sound quality, so as not to distract my driving. Minimal eye off the road time here. Don;t mean to sound as if I am bashing the head unit you bought, and if it works for you then great. Who cares what I think, I was just merely pointing out that most good sounding decks usually scrap most of the frills and focus on signal and sound quality.

i must say, ive been one for simplicity and this is probably the most complex piece of electronics i have ever put in any of my cars. For my needs, which involves a lot of time in the car commuting and traveling for work and pleasure, many of these features are practical for my application. Granted what is beneficial to me and my needs in a head unit is beyond the scope of this thread, if not completely irrelevant.
However, In terms of sound quality of the system overall, it definitely sounds better than the stock monsoon, and my old pioneer units. If you keep music on an ipod and use it in your car, any direct connection is far superior to any fm modulator, cassette based input. If more space is needed, usb flash can be used and you can store music in folders and can be retrieved as a playlist. i dont find myself tinkering with settings, tinkering with buttons or anything of that sort. You have everything at your disposal. 
Bottom line... its your car, your needs.


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## slomofo. (Jul 19, 2003)

*Re: (2jetta1golf)*

well, here's my run down of the best CD Players in my opinion
7909 Alpine, the original high end high voltage deck








Sony Mobile ES CDX C910 owned it and used it in conjunction with the DSP EQ processor. Dual 24 bit Burr Brown processors are pretty nice. I installed the next deck though and smoked it.








Eclipse Cd8443 with 24 bit DAC and parametric eq with time alignment built in. Best deck i've ever owned








some decks i haven't owned that are definitely honorable mention are:
Denon DCT-Z1








Pioneer ODR








and ODR RS-D2 old school setup with EQ








of course the McIntosh and Clarion are in there as well but the McIntosh and Clarion pieces took their Burr Brown processors from the front of the Texas Instruments catalog whilst the Sony was a much better processor. 



_Modified by slomofo. at 3:00 PM 12-21-2008_


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## dpgreek (Aug 14, 2003)

*Re: (slomofo.)*

NAKAMICHI CD-400 or CD-500


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## meisladrms (Oct 16, 2007)

alpine is a POS had mine for two day in my car and 1 month at alpine 
got it back an returned it for credit and bought a kenwood and have had no problems since


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## dpgreek (Aug 14, 2003)

*Re: (meisladrms)*

most car stereos are not true 4 volt and don't have 24 bit DAT converters (only nakamichi's, higher end clarion, eclipse and some scattered others) That's what makes it better than the others and makes it truly sound good. Except for those, everything else is the same with different features / display....


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