Help me pick a good HU
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 43
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Help me pick a good HU
Please add anything helpful you might have to recommend.
Car is a C5 with full 1400watt stereo.
My Pioneer HU took a dump on me and I'm not sure what model I want to replace it with. Here's what I want out of my next HU. It must have some sort of memory or battery backup so when the battery gets disconnected I don't have to reset anything. I disconnect my battery a lot and the Pioneer would default into a bunch of super annoying demo’s and everything needs reset. And that leads to another requirement, it must not **** me off. And by that I mean it must be easy to use, ie user intuitive. My Pioneer has some things that can only be set by turning the unit off then you have to know what buttons to push while it’s off. You pretty much have to get the manual out once a week to set things the way you want. And lastly I’d like something that picks up AM without the high pitched whine, for some reason factory HU’s sound much much better on AM than most aftermarket. I’m not sure why, maybe factory HU’s filter out certain frequencies when switched to AM, whatever it is I’d like it in an aftermarket unit.
I don’t really need a lot of features, just a simple CD player with front, rear, sub RCA outs. No changer control or satellite needed.
Thanks,
Kevin
Car is a C5 with full 1400watt stereo.
My Pioneer HU took a dump on me and I'm not sure what model I want to replace it with. Here's what I want out of my next HU. It must have some sort of memory or battery backup so when the battery gets disconnected I don't have to reset anything. I disconnect my battery a lot and the Pioneer would default into a bunch of super annoying demo’s and everything needs reset. And that leads to another requirement, it must not **** me off. And by that I mean it must be easy to use, ie user intuitive. My Pioneer has some things that can only be set by turning the unit off then you have to know what buttons to push while it’s off. You pretty much have to get the manual out once a week to set things the way you want. And lastly I’d like something that picks up AM without the high pitched whine, for some reason factory HU’s sound much much better on AM than most aftermarket. I’m not sure why, maybe factory HU’s filter out certain frequencies when switched to AM, whatever it is I’d like it in an aftermarket unit.
I don’t really need a lot of features, just a simple CD player with front, rear, sub RCA outs. No changer control or satellite needed.
Thanks,
Kevin
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,752
Likes: 3
From: Bethlehem PA
Originally Posted by C5turbo
Please add anything helpful you might have to recommend.
Car is a C5 with full 1400watt stereo.
My Pioneer HU took a dump on me and I'm not sure what model I want to replace it with. Here's what I want out of my next HU. It must have some sort of memory or battery backup so when the battery gets disconnected I don't have to reset anything. I disconnect my battery a lot and the Pioneer would default into a bunch of super annoying demo’s and everything needs reset. And that leads to another requirement, it must not **** me off. And by that I mean it must be easy to use, ie user intuitive. My Pioneer has some things that can only be set by turning the unit off then you have to know what buttons to push while it’s off. You pretty much have to get the manual out once a week to set things the way you want. And lastly I’d like something that picks up AM without the high pitched whine, for some reason factory HU’s sound much much better on AM than most aftermarket. I’m not sure why, maybe factory HU’s filter out certain frequencies when switched to AM, whatever it is I’d like it in an aftermarket unit.
I don’t really need a lot of features, just a simple CD player with front, rear, sub RCA outs. No changer control or satellite needed.
Thanks,
Kevin
Car is a C5 with full 1400watt stereo.
My Pioneer HU took a dump on me and I'm not sure what model I want to replace it with. Here's what I want out of my next HU. It must have some sort of memory or battery backup so when the battery gets disconnected I don't have to reset anything. I disconnect my battery a lot and the Pioneer would default into a bunch of super annoying demo’s and everything needs reset. And that leads to another requirement, it must not **** me off. And by that I mean it must be easy to use, ie user intuitive. My Pioneer has some things that can only be set by turning the unit off then you have to know what buttons to push while it’s off. You pretty much have to get the manual out once a week to set things the way you want. And lastly I’d like something that picks up AM without the high pitched whine, for some reason factory HU’s sound much much better on AM than most aftermarket. I’m not sure why, maybe factory HU’s filter out certain frequencies when switched to AM, whatever it is I’d like it in an aftermarket unit.
I don’t really need a lot of features, just a simple CD player with front, rear, sub RCA outs. No changer control or satellite needed.
Thanks,
Kevin
1. What's your budget?
2. How important is SQ to you?
If you're pushing 1400 watts, it's likely you like to be loud as heyall, or have the power to control your sound accurately.
The problem I find is that the more basic HU's out there have average tuners (may find the am section inferior) and have lousy pre amp sections (1 bit DAC's) Thats a rotten signal to pass on to 1400 watts on ANY speakers.
To get a deck with a good tuner and better than 1 bit DA conversion, you're going to spend $500+ and its probably going to have a fairly involved menu. I haven't found one yet that I'd call "simplistic" to navigate. Although it shouldn't be a nightmare to get through either.
My Eclipse wasn't too bad and my current Clarion (fairly high end) is easier, and the sound quality is far superior to all 1 bit DAC's even to the untrained ear.
Scott
Last edited by simpleman68; Mar 15, 2006 at 09:52 AM.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 43
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I use to be all into SQ, I really don't care that much anymore. Any decent aftermarket CD player will be acceptable. 5v outs would be a nice plus, but don't need them. $500 is fine if that's what I have to spend.
Kevin
Kevin
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,394
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From: Bay Area CA
I like my Eclipse 8053 (that scott mentioned as well). Relatively easy to navigate and have pulled the battery once or twice now and not had to reset everything but they were brief pulls (5-10 mins).
I have always run either Pioneer (my early audio days) or Alpine (3 decks until this Eclipse) and find the Eclipse has better SQ and a much cleaner signal as well as better options (crossovers, 13 band peq etc).
If you want IPOD connectivity I would look at the new Alpine stuff. I have always thought that the Pioneer decks had the best tuners .. but this Eclipse is right up there (and far improved over the factory)
Fej
I have always run either Pioneer (my early audio days) or Alpine (3 decks until this Eclipse) and find the Eclipse has better SQ and a much cleaner signal as well as better options (crossovers, 13 band peq etc).
If you want IPOD connectivity I would look at the new Alpine stuff. I have always thought that the Pioneer decks had the best tuners .. but this Eclipse is right up there (and far improved over the factory)
Fej
