Need advice for selecting a Stereo

Id put in Mccintosh or nakamichi
http://www.nakamichiusa.com/

 

Just a warning about those: Sonys in general have dreadful sound quality, and on that particular design there is no rotary knob for the volume which may not sound like a big deal, but trust me it is very annoying.

While the design appears clean because of the lack of buttons, in person it looks very aftermarket and rather cheap, not at all fitting for an F-car. I would not reccomend one of these headunits.

 

I recently bought a Nakamichi CD400 for my car. The price was great ($300) and it doesn't look like a UFO crashed into my dash. I wanted something that looked like it could be stock. I often have the tops off of my car and didn't want anything that attracted attention to it. Face plate is removable and a very classic design. I installed it myself after buying an adapter harness from Fry's. It plugged directly into my stock wiring harness and I then wired the adaptor to the stereo. You can by the adaptors from any car stereo store. Usually range from $12 to $30 dollars. It was so easy it wasn't even funny. I actually walked my girlfriend threw the installation as she was curious on how to do it. Sound quality is excellent and I don't need extra power source to boost the sound. It also has separate outs for sub-woofers with separate volume control for them if you like.

Check it out:

http://www.nakamichiusa.com/
http://www.shopping.com/xPF-Nakamichi_CD_400

 

Thanks for the input - I had wanted it for my '85 380SL and don't want the goofy looking stuff that is popular (UFO comment is a good one). Just looking at the Nakamichis and they have a classy look so will investigate further.

Cheers
Kevin

 

Hello,

I know there is a website that specializes in retro car radios.

They can make it look old but still have all the bells and whistles you gentleman are looking for.

Very sorry I cannot recall the url.

 

http://www.antiquecarradio.com/radios.htm

 

Perfect description! I do like the Alienware super gaming computers. How does Alpine rate these days? Old news?

 

I'm having probs w/ my Nakamichi

How is yours??

 

No, none! Don't jinx me! The only thing I don't like about it is the crystal seems to be very easy to scratch. And the face plate holder is rather large. Other than that, no problems what so ever. What problems are you having?

I forgot to mention one of the other reasons I bought it was it had a knob for the volume. Which by the way has a nice feel to it and very nice subtle internal clicks as its rotated.

 

I got one of the first CD400's available ~18 months ago. It's been great (knocks on wood). No issues. FWIW, stack includes:
Nak CD400
Helix HXA 500Q MkII
Helix Equalizer
Phase Linear Aliante Sub
McIntosh Tweeters
Diamond Audio Hex Mids

Sounds pretty good/accurate/musical. Aux input for Rio or iPod for those long drives up/down I-5.

 

Sony decks aren't all that great, I wouldn't get one. Their SQ is terrible, not to mention their designs.

Removable face plate designs have a tendenct to "lose" their connection between the face, and pins they connect to. By lose I don't mean lose, but the contact itn't as solid as it was before.
Their are also folding faces that turn completely around and look like nothings their at all.

McIntosh is an excellent choice if you want to retain the "classic" look.

A general rule of thumb is that you want to keep with in the same stereo family. I.e. Alpine deck, spkrs, amps, etc. They are designed to work best with their own "siblings"

www.crutchfield.com is an excellent place to shop for the DIYers, or finding good deals and having a shop install it.