figueroa1357

iTrader: (2)

Hello to every one.
Can you all give me some advice on what kind of radio I should buy for my wifes 2002 maxima se. I'm looking to change out my factory bose radio for a aftermarket w/navigation. I'm looking for a radio that i can control with my steering controls. Also what kind of stereo double din are you all using.

blxMax

double din

blxMax

or any aftermarket

blxMax

clarion is great thats what i have

blxMax

or even pioneer

killemall2k

currently have the pioneer avh-p4200, no navi though, might purchase add on later down the road.

im a big fan of pioneers double din head units, price range is around $700+ although you might be able to find a deal on eBay
http://www.crutchfield.com/g_182350/...FBrand|Pioneer

yankeefan13

kenwood!!!! Relatively cheap and works great

hondaeatingtsi

I currently have an eclipse unit and love it. It was quite pricey but ever since i have been driving I have used there head units and never had any issues with them.

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

Which ever unit you pick your going to need a PAC adapter for the steering wheel controls.i would stay away from the pioneer units due to them loosing trafic functions in 2012 and the problem they have with map updates.

02AutoMax

If you have the money try and get a alpine but otherwise pioneer would be your best bet.

Sneaky Green

Kenwood kdc hd548u

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...DC-HD548U.html

i always order from these guys i have the previous model the 545 it has usb aux and 22 watts rms u cant beat it basically its the best sound in this price range...get it u will not be disappointed. Personally i use kenwood decks and kicker speakers and amps. Form and function


thread////

TheAnswer11

iTrader: (1)

I have a soundstream double din and I hate it so id stay away from soundstream but I had a pioneer avic-d3 and I loved it up until it got stolen so I'd have to say pioneer the quality of their products are great and they are very reliable

danmack34

iTrader: (7)

I'm with brendan (theanswer11) stay away from sound stream

djfrestyl

iTrader: (89)

Just FYI, Sonic Electronix is NOT an authorized dealer for Kenwood products.


ps - Sneaky Green - YGPM

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

NOT authorized on Alpine equipment either i found that out the hard way.

Unclejunebug

In my experience Alpine is the best quality/sound/construction for the money. Can't go wrong with an Alpine.

Doc_Stew

sorry for my ignorance - but obviously these head units won't fit in the same spot as the 6 disc Bose changer. I'm looking to replace mine, as the CD and tape player are both broken (plus I want something with an aux input since I listen to MP3s mostly). Where would I find a harness to fit an aftermarket unit? And how do I keep the steering wheel controls with an aftermarket unit - is this possible? And do I need to replace the Bose amplifier as well? Thanks so much!

djfrestyl

iTrader: (89)

Call Crutchfield. They will advise you of a HU that suits your needs and give you all the install accessories that you need.

It's possible to retain your steering wheel controls - the Axxess ASWC is an excellent module. The Bose amplifier does NOT have to be replaced.

Froggmann

iTrader: (6)

I put together a 5th gen FAQ in the audio section. I did all this back in November so it should all be current.

http://forums.maxima.org/audio-elect...oting-faq.html

The end result:



and my steering wheel controls work for Volume up/down source select and Track up/down:Radio band up/down.

Doc_Stew

Thanks - contacted them, SUPER helpful! Thanks for the tip!

Nice pics Froggmann! Will have to check that out!

dainiac

I have a Kenwood unit installed in my car, and it works fantastic with the Axxess steering wheel control interface which i HIGHLY recommend. There's almost no delay in response compared to the stock head unit.

97KcMax

iTrader: (3)

Im a car audio dealer here in Kansas City, Kansas and these are the units that I recommend to everyone that is looking for an all in one double din NX-501:
http://www.clarion.com/us/en/product...ion/index.html

As far as steering wheel controls, these guys can help:

http://metraonline.com/vfg

The first three parts is all you would need to make everything work...

036mtmax

iTrader: (11)

Nice job Froggman i have been holding off on a double din deck because i wanted one that matched good with the factory dash.
does the scosche kit come silver to match the vents ?

03VQMAX

iTrader: (46)

Pioneer FTW!!...

Froggmann

iTrader: (6)

The color matches mine perfectly the only thing that is slightly off is the texture. However if you have the Titanium package you will need to either find a paint to match or repaint all of your center console stuff with a "close enough" color so it matches.

Doc_Stew

Hey guys,
I'm about to pull the trigger on the Kenwood HD548U.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113HD54...DC-HD548U.html
My budget is pretty low, and according to Crutchfield, none of the double din units will fit an '02 Maxima. Plus, the double din units are 5 times the price.

I understand I can (and should) keep the stock Bose amp/speaker set. What I'm wondering is - will the sound quality improve with an aftermarket HU? I've never been super impressed with the Bose sound (a little flat), and am wondering if I'll notice a difference or not. Any comments?

Awesome thread!

djfrestyl

iTrader: (89)

Crutchfield is WRONG. ANY double din will fit your car.

Yes, an aftermarket deck (when installed properly) will make your Bose system sound better.

Doc_Stew

Ok, doing lots of research. According to Crutchfield, all I needed to do was pick a compatible HU, and follow their install instructions and things would work beautifully.

Then I found the master BOSE thread that says if you don't have preamp voltage of greater than 4 (none of the HUs I was looking at have this), then the sound is way too quiet. Is this true? Do I need some kind of adapter so that this isn't super quiet? Or do I just get a HU with preamp voltage greater than 4?

What's the current preference - install the new HU to the Bose amp and keep it all in tact, or bypass the Bose amp and run new speaker wire and use the built-in amp in the HU?

I thought this was supposed to be a quick remove BOSE/install new HU (with free Crutchfield harnesses/install kit/wires, etc). Is that the case?

nelledge

iTrader: (6)

It IS easy and quick. If you've hit the 'fit to my car' and made your choice under Bose, the headunit should come with an adapter which easily splices in when you're doing the HU install. Look at your itemized list in your cart. Does it include it?

I have personally heard many(even entry level) HU's running the resistive adapter on Maxima Bose systems and it is louder than stock Bose.

BTW. DJfrestyl is probably your best bet when it comes to info on the board. This forum is like any other forum. There are a lot of people that talk like they know what's going on and they don't. They poison threads. Pick one guy to listen to on this subject. That guy is DJfrestyl. Listen to him if he's willing to help(he does it all the time).

Doc_Stew

I have entered my info and it fitted me for all that I need. I was becoming confused because I read on the master thread that unless the HU pushes 4 volts preamp, the sound isn't loud enough and you need an LOC adapter instead of the 70-7551 that Crutchfield includes. Just trying to get all my facts straight before making my purchase.

I was going to buy a Kenwood, but it only pushes 2 volt preamp and I wanted to make sure this would still be OK. After some reading, if I want to stick with the 2V HU, I need the PAC OEM NIS2 adapter instead of the 70-7551...correct?

Of course Crutchfield says it'll be fine, but they have limited technical info...I guess what confuses me is if the 70-7551 adapter they include doesn't work for anything less than 4v, then why the f*&! do they include it?

BTW, I've spent my entire evening reading the whole 18 page Bose master thread. I'm thoroughly exhausted. It seems that the HU I really wanted (Kenwood HD548U - 2v preamp) is too underpowered without needing to purchase a $40 LOC adapter.

So instead of the Kenwood HD548U (2v preamp) I was looking at, I'm now looking at the JVC KD-AHD79 (5v preamp) or the Pioneer P7200HD. Any thoughts? I've had Kenwood before and loved the sound quality, but always thought JVC was crap. I haven't had Pioneer anything before. Am I wrong?

Any recommendations on a 4v preamp HU that I haven't mentioned for less than $200? I looked at the Pioneer DEH-P7200HD, but man, that display looks really jacked up! And it seems that people really had the user interface (joystick). Plus, the JVC warranty is 2 years, Pioneer is 1. JVC RMS is 20 watts, Pioneer is 14. JVC is $170, Pioneer is $200. I'm leaning towards the JVC unless someone recommends otherwise.

Thanks for all the help!

djfrestyl

iTrader: (89)

Here's what it boils down to...

You can use any HU you like. You'll need the 70-7551 regardless of which HU you pick.

If the HU has anything less then 4v preout, you should use an LOC in addition to the 70-7551. Popular and inexpensive one is Scosche SLC-4. $17-$20 off eBay. This is probably your best bet.

FYI...
The PAC OEM-NIS 2 = 70-7551 + SLC-4. It's really just a difference of the formatting of the wiring. In reality the whole Bose preamp signal discussion boils down to making sure you're sending the Bose amp a strong enough preamped signal, and using the right harness that converts the wiring to the right format (straight wire vs RCA, etc)

Yes, there are anecdotal stories here on the forum that say their HU pushes 2-3v and their Bose is plenty loud. I'm not saying they're wrong or denying what they're experiencing, but from what I've seen from the countless Maximas I've worked on, you'll likely need the LOC with the 70-7551, OR the PAC ROEM-NIS2. You pick. Go with whatever's cheaper. Check out eBay, or try to convince Crutchfield to send you what you need for free

Doc_Stew

Thanks djfrestyl - you're a Maxima savant!

Think I'll just go with a HU that pushes 4v and not have to worry about additional LOC adapters. If I go with a 4v preamp unit, I'll only need to use the 70-7551 that comes with it then, right? No additional adapters needed?

djfrestyl

iTrader: (89)

Correct. Happy to help!

Best way to thank me is to purchase a spare tire cover from me (see sig)
/shameless plug