I’ve finally had enough of the shitty-ass aftermarket stereo that some numb-nut installed in my (used) car at some point before I became the owner. It has no Aux input, so I can’t use my iPod with it. It says it plays MP3/WMA files, but at least have the time I pop in a burned CD it doesn’t read it, so I’m forced to burn then as audio CDs and have less content per CD, so to have my whole music collection I would have to bring a ton of CDs with me. That’s a pain, so I listen to the radio…but half the time that doesn’t work right. Stations go in and out of static all the time. I pulled it out and it looks solidly conencted to the antenna wire, so I don’t know what the deal is.
So I’ve decided to replace it, if I can do so without spending too much. Basically, all I want is a car stereo that will fit (99 VW Passat,) doesn’t sounds terrible, and has an aux input (in the form of a 1/8" stereo jack.) Also, no dumb flashy graphics or anything like that.
So, with that in mind, and knowing I don’t want to spend a lot, is it an easy installation? I know a good deal about wiring and electronics, and as far as I can tell it’s just “plug this wire into here” type of thing…the biggest issue to me just seems that the car’s set of wires will have a plug of a certain shape, size, and configuration, and the stereo will have a different one. But I imagine that when I buy the stereo I can buy an adapter for it to work with my make and model? If it’s too complicated for me, what’s an average price for a decent installation? I wouldn’t trust the high school guys working part time at Best Buy to do it, so I’d go to a real place that specializes in stereos, car electronics, etc…
Go to crutchfield.com. They have a good selection and good reviews, and will sell you the wiring harness for any vehicle, so you just plug it in. I have very little electrical knowledge, but I’ve installed 3 car stereos from them with no problem (actually, that isn’t true. Blew a fuse doing the first one because I forgot to disconnect the battery after changing something. Don’t do that.) Takes about 1/2 hour. They have great customer service if you have any problems.
High school kids can install stereos as well as you can meaning it it isn’t that hard. An installation is either right or wrong. I have installed four of them over the years and 3 of those were in high school. A friend just described the procedure and I went out and did it.
I don’t think the experience of the person putting the head unit in matters much. It is much like hooking up a new electrical socket. Either both plugs work or they don’t. I needed a new head unit a few years ago and went to small audio store and picked out a nice Clarion unit from the discount bin. It was about $100 discounted and the installation fee was $40. I had more money than time at that point but I could have done it myself. It sounds very good. You may have blown speakers and that will make anything sound like crap.
I don’t like flashy (tacky) head units but you can get decent ones for well under $150. Just get one with lots of power per channel. Speakers are probably more important than that and you should replace those as well even if it just Pioneer speakers from Wal-Mart. You can certainly replace those yourself. Just listen where the sound is coming from, take the old ones out and buy new ones that are the same size. There are just two connection wires and screws to hold them in place.
Speakers are more important than the stereo is when it comes to sound but the head units offer nice features that you may need.
Just don’t get Sony… it’s um, not very good unless you get into their high-end stuff.
I’m partial to Panasonic, but get just about anything by the commonly heard names like Panasonic, JVC, Clarion, Alpine, and you’re pretty safe to be getting something of decent quality. Most decks these days will play mp3’s off CD, but some will also have a USB port for a USB drive, which can be really handy, and I kinda wish my deck had that…
Hopefully, whoever installed your current deck used a harness, and didn’t do something stupid, like cut and splice the wires, or something. If the stock wiring harness is still intact, then it makes installation much easier. I’ve installed all my past decks, except the last one, because I had a free install with the purchase. It’s not too complicated, as long as you take your time and just follow the instructions.
I got the old model of this stereo from Crutchfield. I also got the iPod adapter. It’s been an awesome stereo and I installed it myself in under 20 minutes. I highly recommend Crutchfield. They tell you what does and doesn’t fit in your car and include the stuff you need to put it in free.
I wanted a stero with a Aux port. The one I got had the Aux port, USB port and a SD/ MMC card slot. Have never even put a CD in it doudt I ever will just so much easyer fill a thumbdrive and plug it in.