Having recently purchased an '03 with Bose, I feel a little lost. It's my third Maxima, the first was a '95 with Bose and the second was a '98 without Bose. I loved the Bose on my '95, and I'm loving the Bose on my '03. I'm not a huge audiophile so this is "good enough" for me. I do, however, want a little more control as well as an input for my iPod. So, I started doing some searching and ultimately decided that rather than just spend my money on what looks good, I'd get some opinions from the people who know best and who have always steered me right in regards to audio.

Firstly, I need to choose a headunit. If I'm simply retaining the stock Bose speakers and amps, obviously I don't need anything spectacular. I'm also not looking to spend a ton of money (read: under $150 preferably) and would like to retain a relatively clean and simple layout so that it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in an otherwise stockish interior. Here is what I'm coming from in the '98:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...rs/DEH-P4000UB

Surely I can do better than that. That unit had great controls and integration with the iPod, and I'd like to retain that on the new car. I've been looking at units like this:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_020CZ20...0.html?tp=5684

But I'm unsure of what to look for when comparing specs, and I don't know what makes something "good" in regards to audio

My other priorities include:

-retaining the use of the steering wheel controls
-retaining decent radio reception (this was a problem in both 4th gens., but it may have had more to do with the antenna in those cars)
-a clean installation

Someone steer me in the right direction!

 

Unfortunately the Clarions RCA voltage output is a bit on the low side. I would look for something with at least 4+ volts of output. As far as radio reception Pioneer has poor radio receivers. This is what I had in my 96 w/Bose http://www.kenwoodusa.com/KDC-X993 . It had great sound and picked up lots of far radio stations, plus it controls Ipods. Not sure about the steering wheel controls but that is more than likely a wiring issue. Hope this helps and good luck with your audio set-up.

 

F pioneer. There new stuff is cheap. My OLD pioneer lasted 6 years. New one crapped out in 2 months, replacement crapped out in 2 as well

 

Why is that? I'm an audio newb still after all these years, I don't know what equals good
I had a Pioneer in my '95 about 6 years ago and it was fantastic. That's the exact reason I ended up with a newer Pioneer unit for the '98, but it turned out to be pretty lacking.

 

you don't NEED to have high preouts if you're not planning to run aftermarket speakers with an external amp. basically the higher the RCA preout voltage, the less work the head unit will need to send the amp(s) a clean audio signal. but all this is null if you're just planning on running the onboard amp.

the older pioneer units were excellent, but their quality of degraded as of late. i'm not sure on their new stuff though. i ran through 3 or 4 different sets of pioneer head units a few years ago because of their faulty pico fuses. one headunit even managed to blow one of my channels on my amp, which i had don warranty out for me

 

Like I said in the original post, I will be running the stock Bose speakers and amps. I have no intentions of upgrading down the road, either. You're saying the higher voltage isn't as necessary in my case? Would there be any benefit to the higher voltage on the stock Bose equipment?

 

yeah, the higher preout voltage won't be necessary in your case if you're just going to keep the existing speakers, whether it's bose or not.

 

Then I will most likely go with the CZ200 then. I like the simple, clean design and it matches every single one of my requirements, even the picky ones. For example, my previous Pioneer unit had USB rear input and AUX front input, and I like that specific layout. I always do something custom with the iPod input so I like the USB hidden (and it doesn't seem well integrated on most faceplates anyway) and the AUX in the front for those random times when I'm on a road trip or something and a friend with a Zune wants to plug in some tunes.

So I need to figure out the rest of the setup then. I'm not going to get the steering wheel control adapter yet. Am I correct in thinking all I will need wiring-wise is the Metra 70-7551 kit? I'm also going with the Scosche kit for the trim, does that need modified in any way? Anything else I'm forgetting?

 

Nevermind, after reading the reviews for the CZ200 it sounds like it is garbage for it's iPod interface (90% of the reason I'm getting a new HU). So, I still need suggestions on a cheap(er) headunit that fits the following:

-Rear USB input (front and rear both is ok, but not front only)
-Preferably front AUX input
-Preferably CD included, but digital media only is ok

 

I'm in EXACTLY the same boat Tatanko. I'm going to replace HU in my '03 GLE, but keep the rest of the Bose existing system. Please keep posting your progress, AND pics, once you install. Maybe I can learn from you. From all I've been reading, choosing a compatible HU to the Bose peripherals AND that fits the trim is most of the battle.

 

buy a decent in dash dvd nav mp3 ipod. that is all.

 

Can do. I think I've got it all figured out now and I'm ordering everything.
I have no use for such a thing


EDIT: Just ordered the following:

-JVC KD-R720 (headunit)
-Scosche NN1648B (dash kit)
-Metra 70-7551 (wiring harness)
-Metra 40-NI10 (antenna adapter)