Suggestions??

[Icecat]

I'd like to replace the AC Delco cassette radio in my 99 Grand Am. Does anyone have any suggestions?? I don't plan to upgrade the speakers but would like to find something half decent that won't involve taking out a mortgage for my house...

Thx.

Icecat

[Mr03SC/T]

any cheap deck will do...and they are tons out there so take your pick.

[matts]

i wouldn't buy a cheap one. you can get a good quality deck for about $200-300. even some of the nicest ones you can buy are only $700-800. the one i have in my truck lists for like $700, of course i didn't pay that for it.

[btchn1]

I work in a car audio shop andI would strongly suggest a pioneer deh-p3500. It sells for $230 and it is loaded. It has really clean high power for your speakers with a three band parametric EQ to tune everything in with. It is also xm ready and it has true sub outputs if you want to add a little bump in the trunk. I hope this helps a little. Peace out, Lee

[Icecat]

Hey guys:

So far two shops are trying to convince me to buy a Clarion DXZ735MP - I can get it, the mounting kit, the harness, etc. for $400.

I'd appreciate some advice regarding the Clarion....the shops have said that they are great for warranty & service & are value packed.

I'm basically looking for a relatively simple unit that will allow for MP3's...

Thx.

Icecat

[jtonkin]

Just so you know and don't get ripped off:
Mounting kit: ~$20
Harness: ~$10
Installation done by yourself: priceless

Using a harness is nice and easy. You should be able to easily do it yourself. Some shops charge a bunch for it. A lot of places do it for free.

As far as the HU goes, I've only used a Clarion once and it was pretty good but they seem to lack a lot of features and are kinda over priced when you get into MP3 capabilities. Since yer not replacing any speakers, I would just get a Kenwood or Pioneer. I think Kenwood has the cheapest decks that play MP3's. Usually under $200. My Kenwood treated me good for three years, although it didn't play MP3's. I now have a Panasonic that ain't too shabby. If you think you might expand your system in the future the clarion ain't a bad choice. If you still really want something cheap grab a Kenwood.

[btchn1]

Clarion is good stuff as far as I have heard, I just find them to be a little confusing to operate. I have found pioneer to be one of the easiest decks to mess with. I know a lot of people are going to give me crap for saying this but one of the best mp3 players I've come across is Jensen beleive it or not, and we all know that is a pretty cheap deck. Its not the cleanest sounding decks in the world but the mp3 part works fast and is easy to use with its direct track access. But if the name bothers you then I suggest pioneer's deh-p7500. Peace out, Lee

[Icecat]

I've been to a couple of shops now and installation, mounting kits, harness, etc. are all pretty much standard in price so I"m not worried about that. I'm not the type to do the installation myself, so...

I used to own a Pioneer and I really like it. I was going to buy a Blaupunkt last night because of the ease of use (I also used to handle them when I worked at a BMW dealership years ago), but it didn't have MP3 so...

I guess the deck I want has to be relatively easy to use, I really want the Scan feature on the Tuner and I wanted to be able to play MP3's to allow for expandablility...

One of the stores I visited really pushed the Alpine and I get more features from the Clarion for a cheaper price....

I know that JVC has the features I want (incl. Scan) but I find that each store has the brand that it wants to push and that's what they try to sell you.... I have to visit a few more stores to see if there's a JVC or Pioneer that might suit me....

Thanks for the advice guys...

Icecat

[matts]

Originally posted by btchn1
I know a lot of people are going to give me crap for saying this but one of the best mp3 players I've come across is Jensen beleive it or not, and we all know that is a pretty cheap deck. Its not the cleanest sounding decks in the world but the mp3 part works fast and is easy to use with its direct track access.

my kenwood x959 plays mp3 and it accesses them quick and also has direct track access. the price is a little more than a jensen, but it has one of the highest s/n ratios on the market