Anyone know anything about car stereos?

Matblack · 15-02-2010, 10:05

I am begining to get used to my new car, it's OK to drive, is more fuel economical then the MINI and I can take more than one passenger, however I have a niggle.

When I first went to see it the guy said it had an aux input for the stereo, so I could plug in my iPhone, but he was wrong and there was no way to get it to play music from the phone despite the fact it had Bluetooth phone capability which I liked. The unit is a double DIN with a multichanger built in so it has no changer prep and there really is no way to get a direct input. In the end the dealer agreed to put a hard wired radio frequency aux port in, which apparently would give me 'digital' quality sound.

Well quite frankly unless you listen to your ipod underwater and played though a piece of string and a paper cup then the sound quality isn't very good.

So I need to change the head unit; I want to keep mmy steering wheel controls and Bluetooth but I'm happy to have a single or double DIN replacement, doesn't need to be all singing and dancing but will ideally control my iphone from the deck and have Bluetooth phone capabilties.

What I've found is that unlike when I was in my 20s and actually interested in car stereos all the independant dealers seem to have disapeared and there isn't anyone around even in the chavy areas I work in who has walls and walls of stereos I can go and choose from.

I'm thinking Alpine or Clarion or Kenwood at the moment but does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks

MB

15-02-2010, 10:05	#1
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	Anyone know anything about car stereos? I am begining to get used to my new car, it's OK to drive, is more fuel economical then the MINI and I can take more than one passenger, however I have a niggle. When I first went to see it the guy said it had an aux input for the stereo, so I could plug in my iPhone, but he was wrong and there was no way to get it to play music from the phone despite the fact it had Bluetooth phone capability which I liked. The unit is a double DIN with a multichanger built in so it has no changer prep and there really is no way to get a direct input. In the end the dealer agreed to put a hard wired radio frequency aux port in, which apparently would give me 'digital' quality sound. Well quite frankly unless you listen to your ipod underwater and played though a piece of string and a paper cup then the sound quality isn't very good. So I need to change the head unit; I want to keep mmy steering wheel controls and Bluetooth but I'm happy to have a single or double DIN replacement, doesn't need to be all singing and dancing but will ideally control my iphone from the deck and have Bluetooth phone capabilties. What I've found is that unlike when I was in my 20s and actually interested in car stereos all the independant dealers seem to have disapeared and there isn't anyone around even in the chavy areas I work in who has walls and walls of stereos I can go and choose from. I'm thinking Alpine or Clarion or Kenwood at the moment but does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"