recommended head unit ?

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

My 90's cassete needs to go. Any recommendations on brands ? style etc etc,,,, all advice taken please!

 

 

Also my rado doesn't pick up radio well, is that the head unit ? the aerial ? Advice on that too please

 

 

Carl

[northG60 0]

headunit wise everyone has their own prefference on brands but i prefer sony especially the xplod stuff which is so user friendly when setting up. mine is this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-CDX-GT650UI-Direct-Drive-Front/dp/B0033BWUQ0/ref=pd_cp_ce_0

and its got USB dock which is great for charging ipods and phones ect,AUX port,sub input basicly everything except for bluetooth but i doubt anyone ever really uses that.

 

my radio is pretty shocking also may just be a loose connection to you your headunit ?

[Portent 0]

While I have a good Sony in mine (it came with the car) I always liked Alpines and they do several models with a green fascia which look very OEM in a Corrado. For example the X301/X311 and the CDE-9880.

 

The X301/X311 are a little more modern looking with a large jog/dial but the CDE-9880 looks very 90's in my opinion and would probably be the one I'd get.

[yacobwood 0]

I have an Aline X100. My iPod cable runs from the back of the unit into the glove box (no messy cables on the dash). Your ipod can be controlled directly from the head unit on a screen which replicates the iPod song select screen. It has sub out (if your into that), can flick between Red and Blue back light and has lots of sound settings. Only issue is is does not have a CD player. So if your ready to go CD less, i would recommend this.

 

I picked mine up second hand from eBay for £90.

 

Can be seen installed here;

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?57516-Yacobwood-s-Aqua-16v

[G_Dub 0]

I like Pioneer headunits personally. I've had a few now and never had any problems. I've currently got the MVH-8200BT. No cd drive just solid state media. Can be used to control iPod also. I've got all my music on a bullet USB which I plug into the front. It also takes SD cards behind the removable triangle fascia. The bluetooth hands free is really good and you can even watch movies on it! Had Blaupunkt ones before and they're good although usually pretty ugly. And had a few Sony ones with no problems either but I'm a Pioneer man now.

[Pete 0]

Do you want it for CD or ipod or both? A lot of units these days are solid state media only.

 

Brand wise I think they are all much of a muchness at the lower price points, but I've always run Clarion or Alpine in the car's I've modified. My old VR6 came with the original Sony and was ok too. I'd recommend another Clarion to people but the styling these days is simply awful.

 

I think any of the major brands will suit your needs (Alpine, Sony, Kenwood, Pioneer etc). If you want super high sound quality have a listen to the latest Nakamichi decks, but they aren't cheap!

[G60_Marc 0]

For "ipod only" i have a Kenwood KIV-700 and i love it, the only problem is you cant remove the facia.

 

http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/tech/ipod_solutions/kiv700/

 

Edited August 22, 2011 by G60_Marc

[Dude VR6 0]

I've been looking to replace my headunit with another Sony. I only seem to use my IPod these day so have been looking at a Sony DSX-S300 headunit. You can use both iPhone and iPod with this unit and they fit inside the head unit itself, which I quite like. But each to there own.

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

Think i'm gunna go Ipod only to be ohnest lads, music on the download is free, burning CD's isn't. Hopefully after i fit my new aerial the Radio will get better too !

 

hopefully spend about a ton.

[Pete 0]

Have a look at these: http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product_list/c_path/9_1215/spd/digital-media-receivers.html

[MikeVR6 0]

I fitted an Alpine X311 to mine a few months back. Very happy with it. I ran the IPod and USB connections into the little shelf under the steering column. Don't miss CDs at all, could always add a multichanger if I did. It was one of the few headunits I could find with Green illumination to match the rest of the dash.

[JayGT 0]

Another vote for the Alpine 9800. CD, USB & iPod. Best of all worlds really.

 

Plus green illumination matches the car

[cheesy 0]

just got hold of an alpine 9883r, with 6 disc changer & ipod cable

good unit & a bargain £60 i paid for it

[Stonejag 10]

headunit wise everyone has their own prefference on brands but i prefer sony especially the xplod stuff which is so user friendly when setting up. mine is this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-CDX-GT650UI-Direct-Drive-Front/dp/B0033BWUQ0/ref=pd_cp_ce_0

and its got USB dock which is great for charging ipods and phones ect,AUX port,sub input basicly everything except for bluetooth but i doubt anyone ever really uses that.

My other half's got one of those in her Mk1. The USB iPod input is really handy!

 

Quite tempted by a new one myself actually - I have an Alpine unit (forget which model) which is very basic. Are the GPS-capable ones with the motorised screens any good? I just use my phone and a car charger at the moment but I still can't decide if they're cool or tacky...

 

Stone

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

Thanks for everyones advice. Getting this bad boy :

 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_808773_langId_-1_categoryId_165474

[jpowell79 0]

I bought the Sony MEXBT3900U last week - pretty much the same as the one you're going for but with the blutetooth. Really good player and the colours go quite nice with the Rado interior.

 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_808755_categoryId_165474_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1

 

I have an iphone and its brilliant for that.....you answer incoming calls by pressing the volume knob on the fascia, and can call people from it by pressing the magnifying glass button then twisting the volume knob through the alphabet till you get to the person you want to call.

 

Also you can tream bluetooth music from any app (not just the ipod part of your iphone) - so for example, if you have the "free music" app, you can play all the songs from your playlist there ;-) (if you haven't come across this app, its great...open it then in the browser go to http://www.mp3skull.com and download any music you want ;-) )

 

......same for if you wanted to use your "tune-in radio" app...... great for if you listen to any medium-wave stations like TalkSport.....its much better than what my aerial picks up as the sound is digital.....also if you have a stanav application, then it plays the satnav voice directions throught he speakers as well.

 

All in all, worth the extra £40 i think

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Anyone know of a stereo with ipod control (or a basic aux in on the front panel) that has orange (BMW) illumination? The old school Alpines used to have switchable orange/green but these days everything's blue and white, yuk!

[fendervg 30]

Nakamichi or Becker if you want high end - or else there's the Gamma IV with an ipod aux adapter or CD changer

 

Kev - I know the Nak CD300/500 have switchable red/orange/green illumination, or the older CD35/45 units came with either a green lit or orange lit pop off faceplate.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Good call! None on the UK ebay though unfortunately.

 

I ran some Creative labs "Cambridge Soundworks" multimedia speakers in the car once. I had no headunit at the time and as the battery was under the arm rest, it was easy to run a DC-Mains inverter and plonk the speakers on the seat. Consdering the speakers are like, 10W RMS or something, I was amazed at their volume and bass output in a noisy car. I wish there was a way to do that in a more permanent & discreet way!!

[Pete 0]

I think some clarions have colour changing displays, the cheaper alpines do too, but not sure on the aux socket

[mattyattitude 10]

id go with pioneer all the way especially the media ones. can change almost everything to suit your ideals and the sound quality is unreal.