# Car Stereo Help



## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Now I bet some of you know more about this than what I'm getting from the net...

I have this Kenwood head-unit in my car (well, the baby version of this, mine doesn't have BT but it's basically the same)










The reason I got it was because I found it on sale for half the price and it has great integration with an IPod. Sound is very good too and that's basicaly what I need: good sound and an IPod plugged in...

...but now I'm getting pretty fed-up with it for a couple of reasons: I can't read a thing on the display when the sun is shinning on it; the way the display works is pretty lame too... you can't have an artist name on a line and the album name on another... they have to be on the same line of text and the thing scrolls just once or twice per song. Because I have it almost always on shuffle mode, sometimes I find myself wanting to know what's playing and I can't.

Because of this, and if I'm going to get a new head-unit, I want one of these new ones that display the album art work because I can spot what's playing on a glance... and here's the problem, there seems to be very few head-units that do this...

There's the new Kenwood Kiv-700










It would be my immediate choice but the idiots at Kenwood forgot a very important thing... there is no detachable front panel. After getting a whole car stolen, I don't feel comfortable with this at all.

So there's the new Pioneers:










Lame engineering... no USB at the back so you can keep the IPod on the glove compartment. You have to jack it on the front!!! :bull*******:

...and so it seems this is my only choice:










I know the older version so I know this is a pretty good head-unit. Two problems with it though... first, it has BT and I don't really need it (ok, not such a big problem). And second, for some reason, all the big retailers overhear seem to think no one is interested in a head-unit without a CD player so no one has it in stock... they can order me one but would take a while and so on...

So am I missing other choices or should I just save the money and blow it on another watch? :to_become_senile:


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Oh, and there's this:










I know the brand exists and that's pretty much it. I've been reading good reviews about it but it seems a lot for few money (comparing it with other models I've mentioned)


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Cant help Im afraid, I used to be into my ICE as a revved up yoof but all behind me now...

What I want in a car stereo is a version of a hard drive recorder so I can pause the radio when I get a phone call etc, or to replay a saved show if Im out of the car during that time etc.....

Am I ahead of my time or can they do that yet?


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

where do you put the tapes?

Like Jason I used to know a bit about this, but as age affects me I have less interest. I can vouch for Alpine for quality, but that's about it.

Back in the early nineties I had a great set up. Full DIN sized Pioneer CD Player, underneath that a full sized Tape player, then a half depth manual graphic equaliser combined with two amps and a remote control on a wire! I had to make a complete new surround to make it all fit into my Peugeot 309, and it still had no radio! Lost the lot in a divorce, and my ex gave it to my father in law to use on his canal boat. Still annoyed!


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

scottswatches said:


> where do you put the tapes?


 that was my 1st thought! I remember fitting an 8 track in my mkIII cortina :lol:



> Lost the lot in a divorce, and my ex gave it to my father in law to use on his canal boat.


Now you can't tell me that wasn't deliberate! :rofl:

I'll never forget a gorgeous young thing I was called out to to change a wheel on her corsa. Her boyfriend (sadly he was with her) had fitted one hell of a sound system, I could hear it half a mile away as I approached. 1 huge F/O boom base speaker thingy in the boot, totally covering access to the spare wheel! Mate you'll have a job getting that out of there, I had to take the rear seats out to fit it, said spotty youth!

5 mins use of a pry bar and it was out, in bits :lol:


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## martinzx (Aug 29, 2010)

Get the Alpine, best choice IMHO 

Had a few over the years cost a little more, but never had any issues 

Cheers Martin


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Here you go a nice Redneck Stereo, all you'll ever need


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## ian1 (May 14, 2011)

BondandBigM said:


> Here you go a nice Redneck Stereo, all you'll ever need


I dont believe it!!!!!!!! hahahahahahaha


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Hummm.... Mr. Bond, I think you have something there... on the redneck theme, and bearing in mind I need the IPod link, this might be better:










Of course I would then had to buy also this:


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## Who. Me? (Jan 12, 2007)

Why don't you need Bluetooth? Does your car have it built in, or do you not have a phone?

To be honest, having seen the number of ********s still driving around with their phones glued to their ears, I'd make Bluetooth an MOT requirement (or ban the use of phones in cars altogether).


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Who. Me? said:


> Why don't you need Bluetooth? Does your car have it built in, or do you not have a phone?


I use a BT headset...

Quick update, the Parrot is out. Lot's of bad reviews afterall. It's probably going to be the Alpine, there doesn't seem to be any other option for what I want...


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## lordofthefiles (Jan 31, 2011)

Kutusov said:


> Who. Me? said:
> 
> 
> > Why don't you need Bluetooth? Does your car have it built in, or do you not have a phone?
> ...


Good call I had a Parrot MKi9200 fitted in my last car. It drove me insane connectivity was sporadic at best & it crashed at least 7 times a day then stopped working altogether 1 month later. Thankfully my installer took pity ripped it out & fitted a Pioneer can't remember the model but a nice bit of kit.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

lordofthefiles said:


> Good call I had a Parrot MKi9200 fitted in my last car. It drove me insane connectivity was sporadic at best & it crashed at least 7 times a day then stopped working altogether 1 month later. Thankfully my installer took pity ripped it out & fitted a Pioneer can't remember the model but a nice bit of kit.


Thanks for that, another person confirming the tale. I suspected as much... 2/3 of the average price of the others, plus all the connectivities and functional BT... too much to be any good for this price...


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