Help a newbie pick a CD player please!

[lifesnotfair]

Pioneer DEH-P3800MP, 149.99 with free shipping. Comes with harness and instructions.

It has remote control, detachable face (but one doesn't need to lift the face to insert the CDs, I hate that!), a wheel for the volume (I hate the Up and Down buttons, love the little rotary wheels), the lights are green (great!), the display is black and has like 16 characters for it, 6 EQ lines, MP3 player of course.. I think it was a good choice. Now I need those speaker mounts to hold the 6" in the front, damn!

 

[Turbo. Targa. Life.]

Ha, you sir are correct. I thought something was missing in my explinations or didnt look right.

Alpines are nice deck, im not a fan ive always had trouble working there "top end" stuff with there many feature. My vote is still for pioneer, thats about the only thing half decent u can buy from walmart.Some people are skeptical of the walmart series pioneers.

Something that i know turbotarga and i will agree on, is in the audio world u get what u payfor.Dont go too cheap cause end up like many of my friends, when there wondering why there music doenst sound right

Oh thank god, thought I was about to end up in a flame war. Wouldn't have ended well. You'd of been badly burned--lol. I'm actually going to school for car audio stuff in June. Yay me.

Indeed you do get what you paid for. I wouldn't have gone the crutchfield route by ANY means...but that's your choice.

As far as speakers, I'd definately go Infinity Kappas.(DO NOT BUY REFERENCE SERIES SPEAKERS...I WILL HAVE TO SHOOT YOU!!!) If you're looking to spend about $1g on speakers, I'd say go with Rainbow or Nakamichi (spelling?)--but it doesn't seem like you're into all that. Infinity Kappa 6" are about $150, Kappa perfects are about $200. Thats for a component set, including a 3/4" or 1" (don't remember exactly) silk-dome tweeter.

 

[lifesnotfair]

Nice. For now I might use the current speakers I have.. I haven't even checked what they are, but the sound is not all that bad. Once I get the 91 mounting for 6" speakers, I'll buy those Infinity Kappa then, they don't sound too expensive.

 

[Turbo. Targa. Life.]

Good bang for yoru buck definately. They don't have real heavy bass too them, but the bass they do have is very clear and defined. The highs aren't real super high to where it's ear-piercing either. All around a VERY nice "value" speaker.

After hearing a $1200 a PAIR (not for 4...for 2) Rainbows, though--nothing sounds the same anymore *sighs*--I hate being broke lol

 

[bluemax]

Going on reputation, I'd recommend MB Quart speakers. I've never heard their car speakers, but the home speakers are very good for the money.
http://www.millionbuy.com/caudio-speak-mbq.html

Audiobahn's are suppose to be good. A guy at work said Audiobahn wins all out car stereo competitions all the time.
http://www.millionbuy.com/caudio-speak-adb.html

But I've got Infinity Kappa's. They're a good buy. Not a lot of bass, but clear sounding and good upper end.
http://www.millionbuy.com/caudio-speak-inf.html

Turbo.Targa.Life., you're an audiophile too? And you like Kappas too..........may be there's somthing about those Kappas???

But seriously, I haven't heard a lot of different car stereo speakers in a controlled setup and environment, so I can't say I'm an expert. Besides, I personally use home speakers in the rear of my every day ride, along with the Kappas up front, an Audiobahn amp and Fostgate head unit, to get decent sound.

In a car set-up, I've found speakers definately make the biggest difference on sound.

 

[Topher E]

i have a kenwood excelon,and love it,comes with its own software so you can make custom music files,and holds a grip of songs on a cd. add a music keg,and you have enough room on its 20g transportable hard drive to hold up to 1200 songs

Pics??

 

[lifesnotfair]

Crutchfield.com was asking too many questions for international buyers, heh, so I bought it from cardomain's store, and saved 10 bucks. 140.9 with shipping included, comes with harness. Nice.

 

[GotToyota?]

I have a Kenwood Deck, can't remember the model # at the moment but I really like it and it wasn't super expensive.

Werd, same here. Here is a pic of it in the car:

 

[NDBoost]

Panasonic Ghost FTW!
Although not made anymore, its full touch screen and when you turn it off it looks completely black. Only 3 buttons that exist on the face are Eject CD, flip face down, and remove face.

The ejct button is behind the face plate making it only accessible after face is down.

 

[Fuzz420]

Going on reputation, I'd recommend MB Quart speakers. I've never heard their car speakers, but the home speakers are very good for the money.
http://www.millionbuy.com/caudio-speak-mbq.html

Audiobahn's are suppose to be good. A guy at work said Audiobahn wins all out car stereo competitions all the time.
http://www.millionbuy.com/caudio-speak-adb.html

But I've got Infinity Kappa's. They're a good buy. Not a lot of bass, but clear sounding and good upper end.
http://www.millionbuy.com/caudio-speak-inf.html

Turbo.Targa.Life., you're an audiophile too? And you like Kappas too..........may be there's somthing about those Kappas???

But seriously, I haven't heard a lot of different car stereo speakers in a controlled setup and environment, so I can't say I'm an expert. Besides, I personally use home speakers in the rear of my every day ride, along with the Kappas up front, an Audiobahn amp and Fostgate head unit, to get decent sound.

In a car set-up, I've found speakers definately make the biggest difference on sound.

Interesting, you would put the audiobahns.They are complete crap. Horrible. My buddy filled is 2000 s-10 withaudiobahn mids and highs, and he blew all of them on his Alipne deck. What was sad its that the cones were fine but the rest of the speaker came unglued.To also degrade audiobahn i have yet to see them hold there own in SPL or SQ competitions. My buddy ran there subs, :nono: :icon_conf , Blew up quickly to say the least. Mb quarts are pricey but they are one of the best. Go with the kappa's. Ima agree best bang for the buck.

My personall setup is pioneer deh 9500 on stock speakers. The sound great. For speakers being 16 years old they definely hold there own.The Sound system is top notch for back in the day, and still holds in own today.

Turbotarga, i as well am a audiophile.Self taught mostlly. Ive been in the scene and took a electricty class witch really is all the concepts. Any ways, last summer i eneted the soop in spl drag, i hit a personal best of 142.8.With stock alt. and extemely leaky box, and Orion xtr 2250 amp.

Back on topic, if im not mistaken, dont our cars come with infinity's stock.If theres any brand i recomend dont buy its audiobahn CONSUMER BEWARE. Buying audiobahn is like buying the S.S. Autorcrome manifold

 

[MKIIITrbo89]

I recently bought a pioneer cause my old Kenwood unit which I loved was stolen out of my supra. To tell you the truth the Pioneer doesnt even compare to the Kenwood unit. A lot of my cds that didnt skip with the Kenwood now skip with the Pioneer. I also hate the fact that the unit does not put down the antenna when I am playing a cd. The old Kenwood unit used to do that. When I purchase another head unit it will be either Alpine or Kenwood.

 

[lifesnotfair]

Oh, I have that question too... My current Pioneer DEH-1500 does NOT put down the antenna while playing a CD... Why? How do I know if my new DEH-3800MP I ordered will do it?

 

[MKIIITrbo89]

I think that it is a must have feature for head units. However, that is something that is built in to the unit and can't be changed. Not actually sure what the the name of it is. Basiclly the unit can recognize the difference between you playing a cd and the radio so it puts the antenna down. If it can't recognize that then it just stays up all the time. I know almost all sony units have it, at least most higher end models. When I bought by Pioneer at Best Buy the salesman told me the head unit had that feature. Next time I will make sure before I make a purchase.

 

[hot dayam mk3]

Kenwood all they way.... i have the kdc-mp928 and it rocks. Pioneer is good to but it lags too much on reading mp3 cds. Eclipse is too high for my price range. but i would say the best head unit money can buy.

 

[Turbo. Targa. Life.]

I agree, fuzz. Audiobahns are "big floppy donky dick" to say the least. They're a "Pontificating, bigantic worthless STEAMING pile of cow dung...figuratively speaking".

 

[GotToyota?]

I've got a Kenwood KDC-MP228, I paid $160 for it including tax at a local car toys, does WMA's and MP3's, awesome display at night, doesn't skip, reads discs quick, for the $ Kenwoods are definently worth it.

-Matt

 

[GotToyota?]

Oh, I have that question too... My current Pioneer DEH-1500 does NOT put down the antenna while playing a CD... Why? How do I know if my new DEH-3800MP I ordered will do it?

It has nothing to do with the radio, it has to do with how you hooked up your radio harness. I hooked up mine so that whenever the radio turns on the antenna automatically raises, you have to hook up certain wires to do it. Find a wiring diagram for the radio, and you can see.

-Matt

 

[lifesnotfair]

Great, thanks.

 

[Turbo. Targa. Life.]

Kenwood all they way.... i have the kdc-mp928 and it rocks. Pioneer is good to but it lags too much on reading mp3 cds. Eclipse is too high for my price range. but i would say the best head unit money can buy.

Eclipse? Best you can buy? Nehh. Look into the alpine F1--now THAT's a head unit

 

[supra_stephe]

id did not feel like reading the post so some one probelly already said this, get a sick jdm double din head unit (like me) and mb quarts with phynix gold amps and if you want subs jl w7's and you'll be the coolest dumb kid on the block with a bang'n system