Car Stereo Recommendations in Audio Forum

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Car Stereo Recommendations

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Cameron	Car Stereo Recommendations	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 5 05 8:30 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None So as I was driving out to Victoria for a 2 week trip, my stock Bose CD player quit working. When I can get a CD to stay in, the sound gets distorted and then the CD ejects. I thought the lens was dirty, so i got a lens cleaner and managed to get it to work for another day. But alas, it's day has come and now needs to be replaced. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good replacement? I'm wanting one that plays MP3 CD's, ideally displays track titles from those MP3's, sounds good and fits without any problems. I've never had to worry about replacing a stock unit, so I don't know what the good brands are... I really don't need a remote, but from what I've seeen they all come with one (just something else to loose). I'll have to remove the bottom tape deck as well (it's a 2 part stereo), so I think I'm going to have to order the plastic insert from Mazda to fill in the space. Anyone know of a web comparison / review of some different models? Thanks Cameron '99 Twilight Blue Mica Wild Rose Miata Club
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drummer	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#1	[-]
Posts: 1615 Oct 6 05 6:08 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Satellite radio maybe??? Bill C got a heck of a deal from JB's. I think he only paid $179.00 which is half price. I think most of them have built in FM transmitters,which means they transmit on an unused FM frequency on your existing radio. Get a hold of Bill for his comments. I had a chance to listen to his set up,at the Fall Colours Run....pretty impressive. No commercials,no annoying announcers and over 100 channels of CD quality music. The only drawback is that you are the mercy of the guy that programs the channels. If you are like me and like to put together your own compilation of music,then you might as well stick with a CD /MP3 combination. My.002 Barry N Events Director-Wild Rose Miata Club Edmonton,Alberta miataevents@telus.net _____________________
MX5 Fan	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#2	[-]
Posts: 419 Oct 6 05 6:51 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	This last spring I replaced the aftermarket Jensen deck (that came with the car) with an Alpine. It plays both WMA and MP3 files. Some will only play one or the other. I chose to pay the extra bit of cash so that I didn't have to take time converting compressed files from one type to another. The Jensen got garbaged because a bug hitting the windshield seemed to make it skip and it would stop playing all together when I turned left (traffic circles were always very quite). I've yet to experience the Alpine skip. On the drive down to Kelowna Elaine and I listened to one WMA CD and didn't start hearing any repeated songs until well into the drive back home. Amazing. I paid an additional $40 for a cable that would allow me to hook up my (non-iPod) MP3 player. This was a waste because I underestimated the amount of music I could put on a CD. I've yet to find the need to hook up the MP3 player. Some players have direct links to iPods which could be nice if you had one. Some are SAT radio ready, meaning they properly interface with the type of unit Barry is talking about rather than using an FM modulator. It doesn't have a remote, which I agree is pointless in a Miata. The only practical application of the remote would be for the kids in the back of a minivan/SUV. As the car already had an aftermarket deck, the DIN mount was already installed. My understanding is that you'll need to factor in the cost of a DIN mount/installation as well as your storage tray. I went with the Alpine because it didn't have a lot of "bling" that I thought might break down. The motorized face plates on others are cool, but I found them difficult to mount/remove the face plate. Being a convertible, I'm often removing the face plate. I figured the Alipne's simple architecture would serve me better. My 2-bits Darren
jayc72	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#3	[-]
Posts: 514 Oct 6 05 9:28 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I second the recommendation for Alpine. I had a number of their head units and zero complaints. The current unit I've had for four years (was in my Protege and now lives in the Miata) has a motorized removable faceplate. No issues with it at all. And I bought it as a factory refurbished from A&B for a song. The older HU in my miata is not MP3 capable, which is fine with me. I couldn't be bothered to burn CD's specifically for my car anyway since I don't have anything else that will play MP3 CDs. If you have an ipod I'd strongly recommend a HU that will interface via firewire/dock connecter. This allows you to turn the ipod into a CD changer with control and display if id3 tags at the hu. The HU I have doesn't not have the ipod link that the newer units have, but I was able to buy a $20usd cable that plugs into the CD Changer control to act as an AUX input. I bet it's been 2 years since I've listened to a CD in the car, everything off the ipod. Set up to shuffle over 2000 songs and enjoy. I also use a iTrip in my Tribute with decent success (FM transmitter). I use the iPod at work, in the car, at home and on the go. The best electronic gizmo I've purchased in years. Go over to Miata.net and read about HU replacement with the Bose systems, I get the impression that it is less than straight forward and has some gotchas. I'm not sure if this will apply to the stereo in your car. The physical install in an M2 should be a piece of cake. If you take it on yourself buy the wiring harness, it'll make the install plug 'n play ... sort of. Jay
dc2696	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#4	[-]
Posts: 342 Oct 6 05 10:21 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Pioneer decks are usually cheaper than alpine and work great, lots of audio adjustments and display names of tracks ect. make sure u check into them b4 u spend a lot on an alpine. -the faster u go -the longer u live
MX5 Miata Guy	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#5	[-]
Posts: 3926 Oct 6 05 12:26 PM Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I third it for Alpine. Bullet-proof reliability in a harsh environment. Regards, Richard D President - Wild Rose Miata Club - Edmonton, AB 1990 Mariner Blue with double white stripes........o~`o
Cameron	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#6	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 7 05 1:20 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks for the reply guys. I think I'll be looking at Alpine stereos... Barry: Good thought on the Satelite Radio. I'm not sure I want to go there yet, but it is an option. I'm not a huge fan of paying for something that I can get for free (and I don't mind the radio here in Edmonton)... Darren: As you found out in Kelowna, that's the exact reason why I want an MP3 compatible deck! I just love the idea of being able to load up a CD with tons of music and hitting Shuffle. And considering that I have roughly 15GB of MP3's and growing, I should be able to burn some good CD's! Jay: Thanks for the heads-up about the Bose systems. I was worried that there may be some gotchas. I'll have to do more digging on Miata.net... So what exactly will I need for this? What's the deal with this DIN mount / wiring harness? I guess I was wrong thinking (hoping) that the connectors would simply match... Where can I pick this up? Cameron
Cameron	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#7	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 7 05 1:36 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Link found: www.miata.net/garage/nbaudio/index.html#1DINBOSE Man, way too complicated... I'm fully confused now...
MX5 Fan	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#8	[-]
Posts: 419 Oct 7 05 1:52 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I would think any qualified install shop would quickly be able to tell you what's needed. The first question I was asked was if I had a factory deck or aftermarket. Since it was aftermarket there was no issue. However, they all seemed to be aware of the conversion issues when they were quoting install prices. On a DYI job, I'm not sure where to get one . . . although I'm sure you could order one through an A&B Sound, etc. Darren
Cameron	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#9	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 7 05 2:37 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It's looking more and more like I'm going to have to pay someone that knows what they're doing to get this done. I've been reading for the past 1.5 hours (as opposed to doing work... ) and I'm not sure what I've learned...
Pwrdrftr	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#10	[-]
Posts: 395 Oct 7 05 6:51 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Cam, Sorry to hear about your CD player woes. If it's just the head unit (CD player) that needs to be changed & you're happy with the OEM sound & power then you don't need to worry about a particular system's power output. That means you can go slightly less expensive (less watts) but still with the features you want. As for a comparison website you can try crutchfield.com. Some models may not be available in Canada & you may not want to purchase mail-order but they have a comparison feature, write-ups & comments from users. Alvin
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Cameron	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#11	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 11 05 2:45 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I talked to AutoTemp just today and they gave me what I think was a resonable quote. They said that since this is the Bose system, they would be most comfortable replacing everything (deck, amp, wiring & speakers) and I think that I'm in agreement. It sounds like there is so much pain in trying to keep the stock speakers that it isn't worth it. AutoTemp installed my car alarm for me a few years back. I think that I'm going to talk to them about club sponsorship & a club discount. I've been happy with their work and don't mind recommending them... Cameron
MX5 Fan	Re: Car Stereo Recommendations	#12	[-]
Posts: 419 Oct 12 05 6:01 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Auto Temp fixed the a/c in my minivan. It lost its charge 2 days later as a result of yet another faulty part (that probably couldn't handle the new pressure). They fixed it and re-charged it at no extra cost. I was pleased with the service. Shortly after there was an "under new mgt" sign up . . . I'm not sure which regime was in place when I had my work done. Darren
Cameron	Autotemp quote	#13	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 19 05 7:21 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	So I stopped by Autotemp on Monday to get a quote from them. Without knowing too much going in on what I wanted, I settled on an Alpine CDA-9851 deck (which they have listed as $100 off) and Alpine Type-S component speakers. The install estimate was about $250 for 4.5 hours of labour, which I think is pretty reasonable. So, for $800 all told, I can have me a new stereo in my car! Just thought I'd share... If anyone else thinks they know of a better place for a better price, I'll give them a call... Cameron
Cameron	Re: Autotemp quote	#14	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 19 05 7:23 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Oh yeah, that Alpine deck is Satelite ready and iPod compatible. Not too shabby...
MX5 Fan	Re: Autotemp quote	#15	[-]
Posts: 419 Oct 19 05 5:23 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Mine is a CDA-9845 (one or two steps below yours). You'll be very pleased with it. I paid $250 (installed) in the spring. No speakers and no DIN mount needed as I already had one. The install was probably 5-minutes because of this. Your price sound reasonable to me. I ended up getting mine at International Stereo just up the road (assuming you're talking about the Argyle Autotemp). You could check there for a comparative quote. A&B, and Visions also carry the Alpine decks, if i recall. Darren
Cameron	Re: Autotemp quote	#16	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 20 05 7:01 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I didn't even know there was more than 1 Autotemp! I have been dealing with the shop on the west end, just by Mayfield...
jayc72	Re: Autotemp quote	#17	[-]
Posts: 514 Oct 20 05 8:11 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Or you could save yourself $250 and do the install yourself. It isn't that difficult. Removing the Bose system, speakers and amps is well documented on miata.net. It isn't like you have to tie into the ECU like a car starter or something.
Cameron	Re: Autotemp quote	#18	[-]
Posts: 1155 Oct 20 05 9:48 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	That is true Jay, i could do it myself and save the money. That was my original plan... But, the way I see it, $250 buys me some piece of mind that everything has been done correctly and efficiently. As you can tell, I don't have much confidence in my car-stereo abilities (I'd bet you money that it would take me 4 times as long and I would still mess something up)...
jayc72	Re: Autotemp quote	#19	[-]
Posts: 514 Oct 20 05 10:46 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ah, but you assume that the people at Autotemp will do the job properly and well I have no experience with Autotemp, so can't say if they are good either way. If I were you I'd print off all the info from the Miata.net/garage about the bose system and installing an aftermarket HU/speakers. While they may know a lot about installing stereos, they may not know about the quirks of this setup. The Miata is pretty easy to install stereo equipment in. I've got an HU, seperates in the doors, head rest speakers and bass shakers in the seats. The doors and bass shakers are driven by the 2 amps mounted in the trunk. Once I figured out how to deal with everything the install was pretty easy. Your biggest challenge would be getting all the bose stuff out of the way. my two cents. Jay
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