Recently my CD player has been skipping cd's lately brand new cds, that dont skip on other cd players and the fact that i've been driving around other people's cars with upgraded speakers and subs makes me think a lot less of my bose. Yea i know everyone on here things bose blows and stuff like that. But it never hit my, i've always thought it was decent enough for me untill i heard some of the stuff that my friend have. They spent a good amount of money, well honestly more money then i want to poor into my audio system at the moment.

Car : 1998 Maxima with BOSE
Music : Dance music, hip-hop and rap.
Looking for : headunit plays mp3
Budget : 230-250 MAX. but metra kit and the other stuff is about 50$, so honestly $200 flat.

Well obviously from what i stated above, i don't have a really good ear for music if i thought the bose was decent. I'm looking at this as a step by step upgrade or upgrade per failed part. I don't really understand music on the details specs of the units. I was at bestbuy listen to what i can from all the headunits. 75% of them sounded the same, with prices ranging from 100-400. Made no sense to me. So really i'm counting on everyone here's set of ears to point me in the better audio department. As of now i dont see any reason to replace my speakers or add a sub. when the time comes for that, i'll problay start another thread. I see these 3 to be something i wouldn't mind having my car.

Pioneer DEH-P3900MP

Eclipse CD1000

Alpine CDE-9852

but then again its like my picking 3 fishes in a feeder fish tank at the fish store.

 

I highly suggest the Kenwood KDC-MP5032. With the price-cut, it's a bargain at only 129.99
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-CsyscNF...00&I=113MP5032

Plus - You get all the kits and harness free at crutchfield.

 

Eclipse CD2000 can be had for $200 or under, IIRC.

 

for the eclipse one oh yea about that, a removal faceplate is kinda a must as well. since i live in chicago, many of my friends has had their cars broken into and i don't wanna add another reason for someone to look at my car twice.

plus the reason why i'm posting is get a little more insite on why that unit is something i should look for.

As for the Kenwood, that looks fairly decent. I haven't seen it in person to judge its looks. Will go around my little shops and try to locate some.


Also i'm trying to buy local in chicago, i've been drive around audio shops talking to a couple of people like the installers and stuff. Seeing what they like, what last the longest and thats how i jumped on the eclipse unit.

 

Eclipse has a theft warranty because of their ESN system. Don't go for looks.

 

I just installed my first 3900 the other day...I liked it a lot actually.

$140 gets you a pretty solid deck with 3 preouts, sat radio ready, ipod adapter ready, aux input on the front, built in crossover...a lot of nice features that arent found much in that price range.
We just got em in stock recently but I expecct it to sell well this year as its a good bang for the buck.

 

can you give me a little more detail on this.

reguardless of what warranty it has, a aftermarket headunit is going to atract people.

 

The CD1000 is a popular choice around here and surrounding areas...NYC,Newark,Trenton,etc... Not so aftermarket owner friendly areas..

Great bang for the buck.

 

thanks guys for thoughts on this so far.

is there a better site to do some spec comparsions between the
Pioneer DEH-P3900MP ($140) and Eclipse CD1000 ($160) priced out from Crutchfield, are they autorized dealer?

Their prices are just under my local shops price, but since its free shipping and i get a couple extra junk, like trim peice and antenna adapter i dont see a problem going thru them to get it.

As of right now, things are leaning towards the P3900 unit, that AUX out in front, the lower price, the extra preamp and the sub output that it comes with, even tho i wont need it but its something nice to have. Gotta listen to these and see if i can hear a diffrence, if not P3900 is mines =P

Anyone know there the cheapest place to get that metra kit is?
------------
Oh also is seems that people who upgrade from BOSE to a aftermarket HU say that it is a noticable upgrade? How many of you guys would agree?

 

Crutchfield is a 100% authorized dealer. You'll have no problems with them. And since they're giving you all the install accessories, it's a pretty good deal.

..Pioneer unit has an Aux OUT or an Aux IN on the front panel?

 

Lol sure hope its an aux in

 

Im thinkin the same..

 

hah an aux out in the front?

only if you mount the HU backwards...

 

Eclipse or Alpine, everything else just doesn't compare, never heard a nak though.

 

yes yes i made a error =P kill me, from what i heard and read Alpine has fallen off a little now a days. That Pioneer p3900 looks lovely right now, 2 stores didn't carry it tho.

 

Non of the stores in my chicago area carries them. everytime i go in they try to sell me the 3800 pioneer for like 250-325 installed in my car. Are they just trying to get rid of the 3800 stock to make room for the 3900?

they all seem to know exact what it has but dont stock it. they either paw me off on the 3800 or the JVC with the aux port.


the 3900 and the p390 that preimier makes whats the big diffrence i looked at the specs and there isn't anything big, i found a 2 year warranty but thats all price on the site is dead even. Is there a build quaility diffrence? or is it just the 2 year.

 

I have that Alpine with 2 10's in the trunk. I can't tell you technical things, because although I go to school for music and recording, I haven't absorbed any of that information. I can tell you that my very simple set up bumps hard, in the best way possible, with no rattling trunk bass. The alpine is nice, and my Bose + the subs so hip-hop justice for very little money in the setup. I payed 450 total, but thats because I had JoDi's install for me.

 

is the 2.2V going to be enough preamp voltage? i saw a couple of threads in here that stated 2 volts being too low and stuff like that. i'm going with the 3900 for sure now

 

2.2 is too low.... you'll be able to max out the vol and it won't be that loud.

 

blah, i kinda has my heart set on the pioneer 3900, it look like the perfect budget HU for me too, aux- IN, mp3 for the price of $140 was pretty nice.

is there any way for me to wire it up better? my thoughts now are the metra 70-7551 kit

 

You can try that unit but you may be dissappointed on the loudness... I would still get it and upgrade the speakers later on.

 

in the long run i do plan on doing it. but as of now i want a mp3 HU that should be good for about a year or so. i've read a link in the stickies about people saying the volume being low going thru the preamps. I would just hate to buy something and not have it loud.

what method would a typical installer go about wiring up a bose. I went into a local store and the guy told me $75 to install any deck into my bose system and lifetime warranty on the workmanship. now i dont know what type of stuff this guy does. I was wondering what methods would they be doing.


edit, i'm going with the Scosche kit cause its only $20 right now. =)

 

what place r u getting Scosche kit for $20.00 from any links u got for it thanks

 

right now if you order off a HU off crutchfield its 50% off any OEM kit, they call it an OEM kit so w/e 19.99$ is what i pay so its cheaper then metra kit i've found locally for $25

 

what do u think about this one any difference between them

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_5935.html

 

ok so i got everything in the mail, all looks very simple and easy to. just a couple of questions reguarding wires.

off my scosche harness i have a oranage/ illumation wire... do i splice that into my OEM wiring for that one? if not where does that one go.

the 2 blue ones, AMP turn on and antenna are they wraped together and then connected to my pioneer harness. i figured so but the pioneer blue wire is a spade type thing with a tag "system remote control.

other then that everything else makes sense to me down to the T, are their any wiring tricks and tips you guys would recommend me doing that is off the sheets?