Louie Lungbubble 0 Posted September 28, 2004 Help me out chaps.... Apparently, this year When the big fat, red pants wearing, mince pie eating dude breaks into my house via the chimney and empties his sack all over the bottom of my bed, there will be a new (no doubt slightly sticky) head unit for my motor. Now I do not intend to win any car audio setup competitions with this thing, so don't you audiophiles out there start giving me a hard time about "sound staging" and stuff like that. But for the modest budget of £150 what (MP3 compatible, Single CD) model number should I be writing on my Chrimbo list? Not expecting anything too fancy for that price. But want a good honest head unit without all the BLINGiness of having flashing disco lights and glitterballs that appear from the slot at the touch of a button. Been onto Car Audio Direct and saw these http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/default ... ed090bda19 All of those are within budget. Any Comments / suggestions The elves (aka my bird) grow restless! :wink: Cheers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted September 28, 2004 Second hand Pioneer DEH-P77MP? They're only about £210 new actually.... certainly fits the non-disco lights requirement but it also sounds very good too. Look around on places like http://www.mcs-direct.com, caraudiodiscount (can't remember the URL), Hendon car radio etc and see what takes your fancy.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted September 28, 2004 I got a Pioneer DEH-7600MP from cel-direct for £200 last week and it's very good. It's a bit Christmas tree like to start with, but you can turn the flashy crap off. It's got pretty much the same internals as the P77MP and I prefer it as it's not as silver and bling. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Louie Lungbubble 0 Posted September 28, 2004 Hmm. Had a gander at both of these. Must say i like the tidyness of the DEHP77MP The DEH7600MP looks good too, if as you say Dinkus, you can turn the dolphins off! :lol: Both still a bit over budget though... Saw a slightly lower model number one in that list, which had the same mofset amps and stuff like the ones you two suggested. Sound will oblviously be not quite as good as the pricier ones, but as a bit of a big generalisation, do you reckon best stick with Pioneer? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted September 28, 2004 There doesn't seem to be much difference in the sound qualit between the Alpine and Pioneer ones, so I got the Pioner purely because I liked the look of them better. I'll take a pic of my 7600 in 'non bling' mode for you when I get home :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Louie Lungbubble 0 Posted September 28, 2004 Cheers mate. Can the LCD have pictures of armadillos or wombats instead? Dolphins are SO last season! :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pablo_vr6 0 Posted September 28, 2004 Ive just ordered this one for my C so Ill let you know how it goes :) http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/product ... ed090bda19 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrishill 0 Posted September 28, 2004 i've got a DEH7600MP too, highly recomended! the dophins are fun for about 3 seconds though. ooooh....! *off* :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Louie Lungbubble 0 Posted September 28, 2004 No wombat option then eh ? Boo! :( :lol: :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted September 29, 2004 No wombat option then eh ? Boo! :( :lol: :lol: Unfortunately not :( You can have fighter jets though?! :roll: And I did take a picture of mine in non-bling mode, but I didn't get home til gone midnight (not work related!! :D ) so I didn't get a chance to put the picure up. I'll do it tonight tho, promise ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted September 29, 2004 I never got bored of the dolphins.. amazing how many people used to peer into your car from theirs whilst sitting in traffic, watching the little video :) Pioneer do MP3 headunits without all the OEL display though if thats what you are after... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted September 29, 2004 I never got bored of the dolphins.. amazing how many people used to peer into your car from theirs whilst sitting in traffic, watching the little video :) Pioneer do MP3 headunits without all the OEL display though if thats what you are after... Oh dear. The only display thing (apart from the boring track details one) that I thought was mildly watchable was the 2 VDU's 8) In fairness I haven't ever watched more than about 3 seconds of the dolphins or fighter jets things though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted September 29, 2004 My P7400 had an Indycar and Dolphin display.. I dunno.. all 'posing' aside I just thought it was such a cool thing, and I got the P7400 not long after it had come out so it was still quite new then! Wouldn't mind the P7500 onwards now though seeing as you can upload custom OEL displays :) The VDU was pants as it never seemed to go in time with the music.. and depending on the type of music it was normally just nearly maxxed out all the time anyway :roll: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted September 29, 2004 As promised, if a little late... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted September 29, 2004 Exactly, you never look at the display when driving!! Fancy displays contribute nothing to the sound, so are excess baggage imo :wink: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted September 30, 2004 My P7400 had an Indycar and Dolphin display.. I dunno.. all 'posing' aside I just thought it was such a cool thing, and I got the P7400 not long after it had come out so it was still quite new then! Wouldn't mind the P7500 onwards now though seeing as you can upload custom OEL displays :) The VDU was pants as it never seemed to go in time with the music.. and depending on the type of music it was normally just nearly maxxed out all the time anyway :roll: Yeah the VDU thing is an almost ok idea, but crap in practice. The animation things are just a distraction anyway, so I turn them off. The auto-inverse colours thing was really doing my nut in at night time, but Kev showed me how to turn that off too, so I'm a happy chappy now 8) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Louie Lungbubble 0 Posted September 30, 2004 Cheers Dinkus. That actually looks quite tidy with flipper turned off, dunnit? Sounds like the pioneer owners are happy, so I think its the 7600 it is a little over budget, so I'll have to see if my better half is feeling flush! :lol: Just remembered. As a kid I was able to blag my mum and dad for a bigger pressie with the suggestion of having my birthday and chrimbo in one. (one of the benefits of being born 3 days before xmas) Think it's time to dust that old chestnut off and try it out on my missus! :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted September 30, 2004 Cheers Dinkus. That actually looks quite tidy with flipper turned off, dunnit? Sounds like the pioneer owners are happy, so I think its the 7600 it is a little over budget, so I'll have to see if my better half is feeling flush! :lol: Just remembered. As a kid I was able to blag my mum and dad for a bigger pressie with the suggestion of having my birthday and chrimbo in one. (one of the benefits of being born 3 days before xmas) Think it's time to dust that old chestnut off and try it out on my missus! :) :lol: nice work my good man :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bally 0 Posted September 30, 2004 I'm running the Pioneer DEH-P77MP, must say good unit :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
h100vw 0 Posted September 30, 2004 http://www.ukaudioshop.co.uk have some reasonable prices. Gavin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites