Audio and Electronics Discuss in-car entertainment systems, audio and video systems, car alarms and other electronics topics.

how important is tha head unit?

Old Oct 15, 2005 | 12:32 PM
  #1  
imported_i_max's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 89
how important is tha head unit?

is tha HU really important to tha sound of ur system, b/c i have a clarion HU and sumbody told me if i had a betta 1 it would make my subs hit harder. is that true?
Old Oct 15, 2005 | 01:37 PM
  #2  
AscendantMax's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12,619
From: Houston
it won't necessarily make it hit harder. it'll improve sq on your overall system though. but one big factor is your box...what kind of box are your subs currently in?

and please type correctly
Old Oct 15, 2005 | 02:56 PM
  #3  
Dasyce's Avatar
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,443
From: Long Island, NY
well my headunit totally changed the sound in my car.

For me, Clarity at higher volumes enabled me to play the system harder.
Old Oct 15, 2005 | 04:14 PM
  #4  
GuZo's Avatar
Donating Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 965
Originally Posted by Dasyce
well my headunit totally changed the sound in my car.

For me, Clarity at higher volumes enabled me to play the system harder.
I love my new Eclipse HU!
Old Oct 15, 2005 | 06:46 PM
  #5  
505max94se's Avatar
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,220
From: my garage
Originally Posted by i_max
is tha HU really important to tha sound of ur system, b/c i have a clarion HU and sumbody told me if i had a betta 1 it would make my subs hit harder. is that true?
If you have a really nice setup, a better hu can make a HUGE difference (mostly sq, maybe a little spl) but if you have a low-end setup, a better hu won't help too much. There are too many other variables to say one way or another.
Old Oct 16, 2005 | 06:47 AM
  #6  
Cant_Get_Ryte's Avatar
Chocolate_Boi_1Der
iTrader: (52)
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,588
From: P.G.'s Finest
dependent on the output voltage of the radio (Considering if you only use the rcas and amp your signal) youll start out with a much bigger advantage than some of the lower price units. IE if you had one of the old pioneers that only had .5 volt on the rcas and amped them, you had to in turn run the amp gain higher to properly match, whereas the alpines at that time with 2.5 allowed much lower gain settings, which in turn reduces your distortion and allows for more volume.
figure theres a way to get around everything (Crappy subs-Build a decent box and they can sound alright. Cheap highs can be masked if properly deadened and imaged and possibly sound better than incorrectly non deadened high end speakers, etc etc) there are a million tricks. But when the head is crappy so is the reast. All the signal originates from there to include trash and distortion, then you amplify that and in a way have to tune to get it out...

i say swap
Old Oct 16, 2005 | 10:28 AM
  #7  
imported_i_max's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 89
Originally Posted by AscendantMax
it won't necessarily make it hit harder. it'll improve sq on your overall system though. but one big factor is your box...what kind of box are your subs currently in?

and please type correctly
well i got 2 12's that take 450 watts a piece in a ported box thats all from audiobahn, and i have a 900 watt RF punch amp pushin it, it sounds good to me, but really i dont ride around wit tha system up at its full potential, i usually have tha bass on -2 or -4 (it goes from -6 to +6)and treb at +4
Old Oct 16, 2005 | 10:36 AM
  #8  
GuZo's Avatar
Donating Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 965
I have a single Eclipse 12 powered by a Diamond 1200.1. Until yesterday, I had the stock headunit on it, but after getting the new headunit, it's a world of difference, the bass hits much cleaner. At times in my old setup, at lower volume the bass would really drown out the components, now it complements the components very nicely. What I am telling you is how the headunit helped me just in the bass area. It's even a bigger difference in the highs.

HU is important.
Old Oct 16, 2005 | 10:40 AM
  #9  
imported_i_max's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 89
Originally Posted by Cant_Get_Ryte
dependent on the output voltage of the radio (Considering if you only use the rcas and amp your signal) youll start out with a much bigger advantage than some of the lower price units. IE if you had one of the old pioneers that only had .5 volt on the rcas and amped them, you had to in turn run the amp gain higher to properly match, whereas the alpines at that time with 2.5 allowed much lower gain settings, which in turn reduces your distortion and allows for more volume.
figure theres a way to get around everything (Crappy subs-Build a decent box and they can sound alright. Cheap highs can be masked if properly deadened and imaged and possibly sound better than incorrectly non deadened high end speakers, etc etc) there are a million tricks. But when the head is crappy so is the reast. All the signal originates from there to include trash and distortion, then you amplify that and in a way have to tune to get it out...

i say swap
ok so the stock HU is basically garbage compared to any aftermarket HU right? b/c i always thought ppl jus swapped HU's fa tha look of it or b/c of the accessories it has

alright now that ques. is answered, i have anotha 1; i plan on gettin anotha car and i jus want to keep tha car lookin as plain as possible, if and when i put any money into tha car and want it to b towards tha motor, so could i keep tha stock HU of tha new car and get an equalizer and get tha same effect as i would gettin a apline unit?
Old Oct 17, 2005 | 12:50 PM
  #10  
imported_i_max's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 89
bump.........
Old Oct 17, 2005 | 01:35 PM
  #11  
MannyNJ2k2max's Avatar
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,528
Originally Posted by i_max
ok so the stock HU is basically garbage compared to any aftermarket HU right? b/c i always thought ppl jus swapped HU's fa tha look of it or b/c of the accessories it has

alright now that ques. is answered, i have anotha 1; i plan on gettin anotha car and i jus want to keep tha car lookin as plain as possible, if and when i put any money into tha car and want it to b towards tha motor, so could i keep tha stock HU of tha new car and get an equalizer and get tha same effect as i would gettin a apline unit?
stock HU's DO NOT OFFER A FLAT SIGNAL....its in some way shape or form equalized from the factory to offer boost to the OEM speakers its integrated with. So in turn they do not make good sources for aftermarket speakers/systems. Even with an EQ and line driver its relatively easy to clip the signal, distortion levels are high...
Old Oct 17, 2005 | 02:22 PM
  #12  
Cant_Get_Ryte's Avatar
Chocolate_Boi_1Der
iTrader: (52)
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,588
From: P.G.'s Finest
mannys a smart dude listen to em. You figure they have to please people that like a little bit of bump and those that like a little bit of clairty, but they do this at the cheapest angle possible. If thats what you want to do do it, but realize that a good clean signal comes with good clean sound. If it sounds good to you on the stocker, hell keep it, me in my last car I drove my trade in to the dealer with a wiring kit already wired onto my radio pulled into the ampm and pulled the surrond and swapped radios before leaving the block. Y? Cause to me I know that stock is never enough. To you it may be.
Old Oct 17, 2005 | 03:17 PM
  #13  
Pearl96Max's Avatar
I tend to get a bit irritable
iTrader: (151)
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 17,672
From: Central Jersey
Originally Posted by MannyNJ2k2max
stock HU's DO NOT OFFER A FLAT SIGNAL....its in some way shape or form equalized from the factory to offer boost to the OEM speakers its integrated with. So in turn they do not make good sources for aftermarket speakers/systems. Even with an EQ and line driver its relatively easy to clip the signal, distortion levels are high...

Actually Manny when dealing with Bose or most other OEM amplified systems, the HU does send a flat signal. All processing/equalization is done within the amp(s)

And you should know this !
Old Oct 17, 2005 | 03:39 PM
  #14  
MannyNJ2k2max's Avatar
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,528
Originally Posted by Pearl96Max
Actually Manny when dealing with Bose or most other OEM amplified systems, the HU does send a flat signal. All processing/equalization is done within the amp(s)

And you should know this !
And we both should've realized the man is not even speaking on an OEM HU...haha Guzo's post threw me off a bit...
Old Oct 17, 2005 | 04:24 PM
  #15  
Batxel's Avatar
blah
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,615
From: Philadelphia, PA
Originally Posted by i_max
ok so the stock HU is basically garbage compared to any aftermarket HU right? b/c i always thought ppl jus swapped HU's fa tha look of it or b/c of the accessories it has

alright now that ques. is answered, i have anotha 1; i plan on gettin anotha car and i jus want to keep tha car lookin as plain as possible, if and when i put any money into tha car and want it to b towards tha motor, so could i keep tha stock HU of tha new car and get an equalizer and get tha same effect as i would gettin a apline unit?
Personally I like the look of the stock stereo on the max not only for security, but it looks more luxurious to me then all the goofy green, blue, and purple light shows coming from these aftermarket units, but it wouldn't be able to drive my system correctly. Yea whatever everyone else said , it should not make that much of a difference on the low-end by swapping units. The hi-end is a whole nother story. Your box building is the most important detail to look into when dealing with the low end some people will say its more important than the sub that goes in it.
Old Oct 18, 2005 | 06:46 AM
  #16  
Dasyce's Avatar
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,443
From: Long Island, NY
Originally Posted by Batxel
Personally I like the look of the stock stereo on the max not only for security, but it looks more luxurious to me then all the goofy green, blue, and purple light shows coming from these aftermarket units, but it wouldn't be able to drive my system correctly. Yea whatever everyone else said , it should not make that much of a difference on the low-end by swapping units. The hi-end is a whole nother story. Your box building is the most important detail to look into when dealing with the low end some people will say its more important than the sub that goes in it.

Goofy? you can see my interior shot in post#3.

Let me know what looks goofy!? And after swapping out my head unit, and still running the Bose speakers, the sound quality improved drastically at all volumes. The best way I can describe it was that the Bose speakers sounded more crisp.
Old Oct 18, 2005 | 06:27 PM
  #17  
Batxel's Avatar
blah
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,615
From: Philadelphia, PA
yours doesn't count, that's just overkill!

Is the screen removable?
I'm really looking forward to getting a dvd setup, but don't want any additional attention that would deprive my sleep.
Old Oct 19, 2005 | 03:01 PM
  #18  
imported_i_max's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 89
Originally Posted by Dasyce
Goofy? you can see my interior shot in post#3.

Let me know what looks goofy!? And after swapping out my head unit, and still running the Bose speakers, the sound quality improved drastically at all volumes. The best way I can describe it was that the Bose speakers sounded more crisp.
aye man that is a hot HU, im pretty sure thats a eclipse, that **** cost WAYYY too much, i dont care if its tha 5435 or 5495, i wish i had 1 of those--tha only i can get 1 of those is if i bought it from a crackhead.......and he'll prolly be chargin too much
Old Oct 20, 2005 | 06:27 AM
  #19  
Deckdout2's Avatar
Play with my balls
iTrader: (151)
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,541
From: Charlotte, NC
head unit....who needs one of those?
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
aw11power
Supercharged/Turbocharged
161
Oct 10, 2021 04:57 AM
worldwiderecognized
6th Generation Maxima (2004-2008)
0
Sep 30, 2015 01:16 PM
jaydot901
7th Generation Maxima (2009-2015)
9
Sep 29, 2015 01:18 PM
Max Nu-BE
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
2
Sep 28, 2015 10:25 AM


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:30 AM.