hihoslva

I wasn't going to change out the deck on my P5. But my lady just bougt a 98 Jeep, and needed a CD player. I found the Kenwood 8017 MP3/CD player on eBay for just over $200, and flipped. Bought one for her, and one for me! (two different sellers, also - price came out EXACTLY the same - the cheaper buy cost more for shipping, the slightly pricier auction was less shipping.)

$256 each, delivered. Crutchfield (and Circuit City, PC Richard) has them for $359 - retail is over $400.

Guess I'll be ditching the speaker-level inputs now!

Can't wait to install this puppy.

ToMaC

Sweet deal! I dont know what I would do without E-bay. BTW, I have the CA-C1AX Auxilary adapter for that deck, I don't need it anymore since my new deck already has inputs. I will just give it to you if you want

nightowl

look familiar

hihoslva

Will look familiar real soon! Nice to see what it'll all look like beforehand - thanks for the pics.

"ToMaC" - If that adapter is for speaker level to RCAs, I won't need it. I'm going with straight RCAs now. If it's something else, well what the hell is it?

"nightowl" - How do you like the deck? Have you changed the stock speakers? Just curious as to how it'll sound. I usually like Kenwood stuff, and I bought Kenwood speakers for the doors, too (you just GOTTA love eBay).

Is it confusing, with the MP3 folders and all that crap?

BTW - I love the way it looks, too.

ToMaC

Its a Auxilary adapter that plugs into what would be the CD Changer plug, it just offers 2 female RCA jacks that you can plug whatever into. Good luck with your Kenwood HU, I know I love MINE

hihoslva

Don't think I'll need that adapter, ToMac - but thanks a ton anyway.

Hey Nightowl - I got the same pocket to install below the Kenwood - did you use theose clips that come with it to install the box? Mine is sort of a universal kit (I guess they all are), and there are several sets of clips for the sids of the box, so that it just snaps into place. Did you use these, or did you do something else?

nightowl

the one anoying thing about this deck is that it only displays 8 character for the file name of the MP3 song, so you have to go through each MP3 and make sure the ID3 tag is filled out, and yes i replaced the stock speakers with 6 1/2" speakers all 4 doors and a bazooka amplified 10" sub tube.....total cost including installation about $1700

hihoslva

$1700 - yikes - I haven't spent nearly that much. But I know bazooka's are sometimes pricey, and I'm guessing you put some primo speakers in the doors.

All told, I'm looking at about $600 total:
Amp, box, and Kenwood Sub: $200
Kenwood 6-1/2"s for all doors: $50 (eBay!)
Kenwood 8017 deck: $250 (also eBay)
plus all the other crap - pocket underneath, wiring, etc.

I think I remember reading that you can set the display to "scroll" so you can see the whole ID3 tag. I think I saw that on a display model in a store. Maybe the manual has some info? 8 characters sorta sux - that's not nearly enough to see what you're playing.

Also, just in case ur interested - I got this cool FREE program from ZDNet.com that automatically tags the mp3's for you. If you rip your CDs to mp3 (I got a FREE program for that from ZDNet, too), this thing finds the album info online, and downloads all the song names and other info, then tags them with the click of the mouse. Renames the files, too, so your mp3 collection is organized and accurate. Just go to ZDNet.com, and search for Internet Renamer in PC Downloads.

Bizob

Wil, how much did you apy for your JVC and where did you get it? What's the power output? Is it a cameleon, or a detacheable face?

I've always stayed away from Kenwood. I could have bought that HU you guys are talking about, but I thought it looked really cheap. I figured the only reason it was over 300$ (CAN) was because it played MP3s... Didn't like the sound either... I noticed that need for the LOUD even in the store.

I don't even know why I'm saying this stuff 'cuz it's already bought. Sorry doudz... I hope you prove me wrong!!

Bizob

Why don't you paint you dash white? It's so much easier than you might think... Your head unit will fit in better if it's silver...



It's not a very good pic (no HU, no drawers, no shifter, no pedals, dirty floor....) but you get the idea... Looks better than stock, IMO.

hihoslva

Well, I don't have the deck yet - hopefully I will be satisfied.

I don't care much about motorized faceplates. It's just one more thing to break. And, truthfully, I'd rather have the D-Mask look cheap when it's turned over. If it looks cheap, maybe the guy who wants to steal it will think it's not worth it. Besides, I usually take my faceplate out of the car when it'll be sitting for a long time, especially overnight.

As far as the ID3 tags go - well, I'll just have to wait and see. It is supposed to read them - maybe you didn't tag yours properly, or maybe you are correct and it doesn't display them right. Whatever. The display is cool enough for me. Especially to be able to play MP3s for the price I'm paying.

And the sound quality? Is it possible that you had this deck hooked up to speakers that need a little more oomph? I'm installing speakers with a fairly high sensitivity rating (91db), so I should get good volume. Maybe your speakers had a lower rating, and were underpowered by this deck.

I'm not really into playing with a million controls while I'm driving, either, so the button layout, "three-second" stuff, and fancy EQ's - again, I really don't care much. And a remote? It is available as an add-on for this deck. Besides, the dash of the P5 is so well designed - like my Miata - everything is within easy reach, and I'm not a tall guy. Unless it is a steering-wheel mounted remote (which IS very cool, BTW ), I don't see the point.

I've always had good experiences with Kenwood stuff. I'm sure that I'll be much happier with my components than I am with the stock system, and that's what really matters to me. I feel that I'm doing real well for a limited budget. Besides, (this has been said too many times before) car audio is very much about opinions. It's too subjective to argue about. But I do appreciate your input, and respect your view.

Shawn

I've been wanting to bring this up for some suggestions. I have a steering wheel remote but haven't installed it yet. I'm trying to decide where would be a good place to put it. The p5 has the three spoke steering wheel so I was thinking of putting it in the same area as the cruise control. Maybe right beneith were the 'spoke' attaches to the wheel. Any idea of a better place or something? I am right handed BTW.

Where would other people put it?

hihoslva

The only type of steering-wheel remote I've seen mounts to the rim of the wheel, on the inside edge, usually with some kind of strap. I don't know if you could put it next to the cruise buttons - don't know how yours mounts to the wheel. Seems like the inside of the rim is good, though - you can work the buttons without taking your hand off of the wheel.

Just pay attention to where your hand usually is (on the steering wheel, that is! ) and put it close to that position.

hihoslva

Again, no matter how "good" the speakers, the sensitivity rating matters a lot - probably more than the rated wattage. The deck pushes 22 watts per ch. RmS, and nearly all aftermarket speakers can handle that. But some speakers NEED MORE to get loud (low sensitivity). Doesn't make them bad speakers, those will just work much better with a separate amp. I'm installing a sub also, so I think not having much bass from the door speakers might be a blessing.

The ID3 tags might not have been embedded properly in your mp3s if you didn't tag them yourself. I'm assuming you used Napster when it was up and running. Well, I'm not sure if the ID3 tags came through on those - Napster recognized mp3s by the file name, not the ID3. The ID3 might not have even been there, and I don't know if Napster even downloads the tag as part of the file.

The text in the display can be set to scroll across the screen, so the whole ID3 can be seen. According to the photos I've seen, the display is also 11 characters long. Here are the specs according to Crutchfield, if you care to look:
Kenwood 8017 Spec page

Ah, well.....still waiting for my delivery.

azrakain

I own the 8017 Deck and have not had any problems with the ID3 Tags that I set on my own. I have been able to display "Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal" that is a lot more than 8 OR 11 characters. As for it not powering speakers to your desired decibel levels maybe you should invest in a 4 channel amp or better speakers. I purchased MB QUART speakers: x2 5x7's for the front doors and x2 6½'s for the rear doors (the factory sizes). These speakers have titanium tweeter domes and soudn awesome. Next time before you down someone's stuff do your research and learn how to use your electronics. I would recommend any of the above products to anyone.