# Looking for Car Stereo Recommendation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-car-stereo-recommendation/323033>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 23, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-car-stereo-recommendation/323033 "2005-09-23T12:43:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-car-stereo-recommendation/323033/1 "2005-09-23T12:43:01Z")

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I hate the factory radio in my Dodge Ram. I also hate the iTrip on my iPod Mini and how staticky it is.

I’d like to replace the factory radio with something that has the following features:

- AM/FM/CD
- 1/8" line in for my iPod
- Integrated satellite radio (XM)
- A decent EQ (something beyond Bass/Mid/Treble knobs) with EQ presets that can be recalled easily.
- Can read CD-Rs and MP3 format with the CD player (not critical, but would be nice)

Does such a thing exist? I used to install car stereos to earn extra money when I was in college, but that was quite some time ago and I haven’t followed the developments in car audio (at all). Anyone have a good recommendation for me?

TIA.

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**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-car-stereo-recommendation/323033/2 "2005-09-23T12:52:19Z")

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One word: Kenwood.

[The Kenwood catalog, unfortunately in PDF](http://www.kenwoodusa.com/PDF/Car_Catalog_2005.pdf)

Scroll down to page 6. The first three closely resemble what you’re looking for.

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**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-car-stereo-recommendation/323033/3 "2005-09-23T13:03:28Z")

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Thanks, Airman. These look pretty close, but I’m looking for XM, and I’d prefer to have an 1/8" jack rather than an RCA Aux. Many years ago, I put a Sony deck in my VW Super Beetle that had an 1/8" aux input right on the front panel. I wonder if that ever caught on…