I’ve been looking into replacing the reciever in my car with a new one, and was wondering if any dopers had advice about it?
Some questions I had:
Would you install it yourself? I was gonna order from crutchfield.com, who make it sound like self-install was pretty easy.
Does price = quality or are you mostly paying for style? The one I was considering (Aiwa CDC-X237) was well under the max price I wanted to pay, but was one of the only ones with the features I wanted (AUX input, no fold-down face, volume knob, decent ergonomics). Do cheap radios tend to sound like crap / feel like toys / etc?
What’s the remote for? It would make sense if it mounted on the steering wheel, but it looks like a regular household remote. I’m not letting my backseat passengers control the radio 
How big a concern is security? Do y’all detach the faces of your recievers and carry them around with you? Should I look into one with a “stealth” face?
Are the fold-down faces as annoying as I think they will be?
Any other words of wisdom would be appreciated.
Hmmm, let’s see.
First, what kind of car is it? Is it a factory radio, or are you replacing another aftermarket unit? Are you replacing any speakers as well, or only the head unit? Do you have any extras installed, (custom tweeters, subwoofer, etc…)
I would install it myself. As a matter o fact, if you wanna drive up to Encinitas, I’ll help install it.
Price does not necessarily equal sound quality. For stock speakers, the brand of receiver is going to have a minimal effect. Subs and high powered aftermarket stuff is another matter.
Security is highly dependent on what you drive and where you park it. Detachable faces can be a very good deterrent. Fold downs are mildly annoying. One more motor to break, too.
Remotes are for competitions. No one wants to be inside the car during a decibel war. I’ve had friends give themselves nosebleeds at half volume.
Maybe if you let us know exactly what you are looking for out of the stereo (boom, fidelity, convenience, looks), we can give some more advice.
Thanks for the reply.
I’ve got a 99 saturn, it currently has the “premium” factory package (which at the time meant “CD Player” I think). And I’m only looking to replace the head unit. The existing speakers work fine for me.
The main reason I’m looking for a new head unit is that I want an aux input for my mp3 player. I tried an FM transmitter that hooks on to the mp3 player, but it sounds pretty bad and it runs out of batteries fast.
Of the things you mention above, I think convenience is most important. Its gotta have good ergonomics. And I do want it to look nice, nothing too flashy. Volume and fidelity aren’t as critical.
The ones I liked were the AIWAs because of their front-panel aux inputs, and the Blaupunkts because they looked nice. Does anyone have experience with those brands? Recommendations for/against?
Check AudioReview for the specefic model.
http://www.carreview.com/CD,Receivers/PLS_2861crx.aspx
Blaupunkt tends to have better ratings that AIWA, and there are some AIWA models you just want to steer clear of.
If the AUX input is in the rear of the unit, it is a simple matter to run a jack out the side of the center console. Parts would be about $10 at Radio Shack. Remember not many head units even have AUX inputs, so be very careful before you purchase.
Also, make sure you get the wiring harness for your make and model. Nothing sucks more then having to solder a dozen tiny wires while you’re upside down under the dash.
tastycorn - thanks for all the advice. That website was really helpful. I had checked epinions and some car audio forum w/o much luck.
I ordered my new head unit thursday (ended up getting a Blaupunkt) and it should be on its way.
PS: Woohoo! another Encinitas doper!
Kinbote,
No problem.
If you run into problems installing it, let me know. I’m at Leucadia/I5 and I have way too much free time since they moved my job to India (without inviting me, of course).