New HU opinions
October-24th-2002, 10:59 AM
#1
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 16
New HU opinions
I'm thinking of getting the Panasonic MXE CQ-DFX972U
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...fo&i=133DFX972
I just wanted to know opionions about it. I really like the slick aluminum look and uncluttered layout ...and the cool blue is awesome too!.
Anyone have any opinions? I'm a total newbie to audio upgrades, so was wondering if going with crutchfield would be a good idea, though they are pricey.
Also do you think getting a tint on windows will deter theft?
Thanks.
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...fo&i=133DFX972
I just wanted to know opionions about it. I really like the slick aluminum look and uncluttered layout ...and the cool blue is awesome too!.
Anyone have any opinions? I'm a total newbie to audio upgrades, so was wondering if going with crutchfield would be a good idea, though they are pricey.
Also do you think getting a tint on windows will deter theft?
Thanks.
October-24th-2002, 07:06 PM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 129
welcome to the board!
I once had a Panasonic CD player and I liked it. However it got stolen and I replaced it with a Kenwood Excelon CD unit which I liked much more.
I looked at this Panasonic unit when I was looking for a system and I didn't care for the blue display that much, it can be difficult to read and I didn't care for the way their menu systems worked. If your looking at Crutchfield take a look at this Alpine: http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...DA7894&o=m&a=0 It's the same price and you get what is pretty much the best amp you can get in a head unit. It pushes 27watts rms and you'll have to hook up a lead to your battery for it, but it's worth it. This is what I was going to get before I decided to go with the 7995.
I just put a system in my Pro5 and I looked around at everything and decided on the Alpine, which I like more then any stereo I have previously owned.
Crutchfield is pricey on somethings and not so pricey on others. Do a search around here and you'll probably find some good dealers along with part numbers for the wiring harness and dash kit. One thing to think about when purchasing especially with some of the higher end brands is about whether or not the dealer your buying from is certified. Some manufacturers won't honor warranty claims if your not buying from an authorized dealer.
Window tent most likely won't deter theft, and may in fact encourage it when it comes to car audio. The best theft deterrent with an after market system is to remove the faceplate and take it out of the car with you and a good alarm system. However if they are really determined there is nothing you can do to stop them. but a detached face plate goes a long ways when it comes to the casual thief moving on to another car.
my 2 cents.
I once had a Panasonic CD player and I liked it. However it got stolen and I replaced it with a Kenwood Excelon CD unit which I liked much more.
I looked at this Panasonic unit when I was looking for a system and I didn't care for the blue display that much, it can be difficult to read and I didn't care for the way their menu systems worked. If your looking at Crutchfield take a look at this Alpine: http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...DA7894&o=m&a=0 It's the same price and you get what is pretty much the best amp you can get in a head unit. It pushes 27watts rms and you'll have to hook up a lead to your battery for it, but it's worth it. This is what I was going to get before I decided to go with the 7995.
I just put a system in my Pro5 and I looked around at everything and decided on the Alpine, which I like more then any stereo I have previously owned.
Crutchfield is pricey on somethings and not so pricey on others. Do a search around here and you'll probably find some good dealers along with part numbers for the wiring harness and dash kit. One thing to think about when purchasing especially with some of the higher end brands is about whether or not the dealer your buying from is certified. Some manufacturers won't honor warranty claims if your not buying from an authorized dealer.
Window tent most likely won't deter theft, and may in fact encourage it when it comes to car audio. The best theft deterrent with an after market system is to remove the faceplate and take it out of the car with you and a good alarm system. However if they are really determined there is nothing you can do to stop them. but a detached face plate goes a long ways when it comes to the casual thief moving on to another car.
my 2 cents.
Last edited by jrodhotrod; October-24th-2002 at 07:08 PM.
October-24th-2002, 10:05 PM
#3
Protege Owner
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 720
Re: New HU opinions
"I'm thinking of getting the Panasonic MXE CQ-DFX972U"
- I have never like the Panasonics, but thay are doing alot of developement to be able to better compete against Alpine.
"http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...fo&i=133DFX972
I just wanted to know opionions about it. I really like the slick aluminum look and uncluttered layout ...and the cool blue is awesome too!. "
- It definitly looks simple and uncluttered but that stupid LED display pisses me off. Everytime you add useless feature to a headunit you decress sound quaility and increase price. Looks very similar to a high line pioneer a few years back.
"Anyone have any opinions? I'm a total newbie to audio upgrades, so was wondering if going with crutchfield would be a good idea, though they are pricey."
Crutchfield sells for MSRP, no higher no lower. ANy authorized dealer that can give you the makes factory warrenty will be the same price. Take Alpine for an example. If you cut the price on anyy peice of Alpine with out permission and Alpine finds out they will pull the line from you.
"Also do you think getting a tint on windows will deter theft? "
- it will do the exact opposite
If you need security go with an amp upgrade not the head unit.
- I have never like the Panasonics, but thay are doing alot of developement to be able to better compete against Alpine.
"http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...fo&i=133DFX972
I just wanted to know opionions about it. I really like the slick aluminum look and uncluttered layout ...and the cool blue is awesome too!. "
- It definitly looks simple and uncluttered but that stupid LED display pisses me off. Everytime you add useless feature to a headunit you decress sound quaility and increase price. Looks very similar to a high line pioneer a few years back.
"Anyone have any opinions? I'm a total newbie to audio upgrades, so was wondering if going with crutchfield would be a good idea, though they are pricey."
Crutchfield sells for MSRP, no higher no lower. ANy authorized dealer that can give you the makes factory warrenty will be the same price. Take Alpine for an example. If you cut the price on anyy peice of Alpine with out permission and Alpine finds out they will pull the line from you.
"Also do you think getting a tint on windows will deter theft? "
- it will do the exact opposite
If you need security go with an amp upgrade not the head unit.
October-24th-2002, 11:40 PM
#4
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 16
Thanks for your reply's. The main reason I was to upgrade is coz the stock HU SUCKS at playing CD-R's and NEVER plays CD-RW's. It takes about 20 try's before the laser picks up.
Does anyone else have the same problem?
Does anyone else have the same problem?
October-25th-2002, 02:21 AM
#5
Master of All Things :{D
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: southeast texas, near houston
Posts: 4,118
Originally posted by kxap
Thanks for your reply's. The main reason I was to upgrade is coz the stock HU SUCKS at playing CD-R's and NEVER plays CD-RW's. It takes about 20 try's before the laser picks up.
Does anyone else have the same problem?
Thanks for your reply's. The main reason I was to upgrade is coz the stock HU SUCKS at playing CD-R's and NEVER plays CD-RW's. It takes about 20 try's before the laser picks up.
Does anyone else have the same problem?
NOPE...don't have that problem...in fact there is nothing but CD-R's in my stock head unit....never had a single problem with them.
October-25th-2002, 08:25 AM
#6
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 16
Ur kidding me right? ****! I feel like I have a dud audio system now. It plays original CD's well though it does spit them out every now and then, but CD-R's just come spitting out 90% of the time.
You think the warranty will cover that? Maybe my line of approach should be it used to play CD-r's but not anymore.
I have a 2002 ES sedan btw.
Aaaah why did i get stuck with a faulty CD-player....
You think the warranty will cover that? Maybe my line of approach should be it used to play CD-r's but not anymore.
I have a 2002 ES sedan btw.
Aaaah why did i get stuck with a faulty CD-player....
October-25th-2002, 12:56 PM
#7
Protege Owner
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 720
If you burn the disc to play in any cd player and not any cd rom your should be fine. Its most likely the way your burning the disc's. If the cd player plays any cds it will play a properly burnt one.
October-25th-2002, 01:04 PM
#8
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 16
yeah i came across another thread while doing a search that said CD-r's should be burnt on slow speeds, which may fix the problem. It's weird tho coz it plays sometimes and sometimes it doesnt...completely random too. I dont understand it.
October-25th-2002, 02:14 PM
#10
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Kanata, Ontario
Posts: 146
Originally posted by kxap
Ur kidding me right? ****! I feel like I have a dud audio system now. It plays original CD's well though it does spit them out every now and then, but CD-R's just come spitting out 90% of the time.
You think the warranty will cover that? Maybe my line of approach should be it used to play CD-r's but not anymore.
I have a 2002 ES sedan btw.
Aaaah why did i get stuck with a faulty CD-player....
Ur kidding me right? ****! I feel like I have a dud audio system now. It plays original CD's well though it does spit them out every now and then, but CD-R's just come spitting out 90% of the time.
You think the warranty will cover that? Maybe my line of approach should be it used to play CD-r's but not anymore.
I have a 2002 ES sedan btw.
Aaaah why did i get stuck with a faulty CD-player....
1. Original CD - never a problem (no skipping)
2. Bruned CD-R - an occasional skip, never in the same spot (some kind of read error)
3. Burned CD-RW - 3 to 4 skips each time played
b.t.w. I use Music Match 7.2 to burn CD and I always burn at 4x speed
Conclusion: I can live with it, but to some its worth looking into changing your player if you make your own mixes...
~4rubBeR
October-25th-2002, 02:34 PM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 129
Another thing to think about when using CD-Rs is the media that you use. There really is a difference between cheap media and namebrand stuff.
I used some no name stuff that i got at Office Depot (Prime Peripherals) and it wouldn't play all that well. Before that and ever since I have been using TDK media and it NEVER skips. I just thought I would give this other stuff a try, it didn't work so well. It's worth the extra money to get the higher quality media because it will work in more players. And if you have a costco card you can get TDK CD-Rs for cheap and beat the price of the no name stuff.
my 2 cents.
I used some no name stuff that i got at Office Depot (Prime Peripherals) and it wouldn't play all that well. Before that and ever since I have been using TDK media and it NEVER skips. I just thought I would give this other stuff a try, it didn't work so well. It's worth the extra money to get the higher quality media because it will work in more players. And if you have a costco card you can get TDK CD-Rs for cheap and beat the price of the no name stuff.
my 2 cents.
October-25th-2002, 05:40 PM
#12
Passion for Zoom Zoom!
Join Date: May 2002
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 372
I used to be able to play CD-Rs on my stock HU just fine. However, ever since I started playing them, the HU has been slowly degrading. When the HU was accepting CD-Rs, they would play fine for about 20 minutes... then the track numbers wouldn't display... then the clock wouldn't display (even in FM/AM mode until the CD-R was ejected)... then the CD-R would stop playing... eject the CD-R and reinsert... HU would spit it back out...
That was a year ago. Now, I have to fight the CD player to take just about any CD. Funny though... some CDs it really likes and never has a problem. Most, however, involve inserting the disc about 30 times before it will accept it... then it's a struggle to play it... and once it starts playing, don't change the tracks... it will stop playing and spit the CD back out.
None of this started until I started playing CD-Rs. Now, I can barely play anything but a few CDs the HU really likes (Scorpion King Soundtrack and Mission Impossible 2 Soundtrack, for some reason). I am not happy to hear that people are having this problem with the new HUs. I was going to upgrade to a newer one, but it looks like I probably won't now. And I hate aftermarket... teensy little buttons, blinding light displays you can't read in the sun, too many useless features, and attracting thieves.
Maybe I'll just buy an iPod and play it through the cassette deck or with an FM modulator.
That was a year ago. Now, I have to fight the CD player to take just about any CD. Funny though... some CDs it really likes and never has a problem. Most, however, involve inserting the disc about 30 times before it will accept it... then it's a struggle to play it... and once it starts playing, don't change the tracks... it will stop playing and spit the CD back out.
None of this started until I started playing CD-Rs. Now, I can barely play anything but a few CDs the HU really likes (Scorpion King Soundtrack and Mission Impossible 2 Soundtrack, for some reason). I am not happy to hear that people are having this problem with the new HUs. I was going to upgrade to a newer one, but it looks like I probably won't now. And I hate aftermarket... teensy little buttons, blinding light displays you can't read in the sun, too many useless features, and attracting thieves.
Maybe I'll just buy an iPod and play it through the cassette deck or with an FM modulator.
October-25th-2002, 09:14 PM
#13
Wok the Wok
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Calgary, Canada
Posts: 785
Originally posted by 4 rubBeR
My track record with stock HU CD player:
1. Original CD - never a problem (no skipping)
2. Bruned CD-R - an occasional skip, never in the same spot (some kind of read error)
3. Burned CD-RW - 3 to 4 skips each time played
b.t.w. I use Music Match 7.2 to burn CD and I always burn at 4x speed
Conclusion: I can live with it, but to some its worth looking into changing your player if you make your own mixes...
~4rubBeR
My track record with stock HU CD player:
1. Original CD - never a problem (no skipping)
2. Bruned CD-R - an occasional skip, never in the same spot (some kind of read error)
3. Burned CD-RW - 3 to 4 skips each time played
b.t.w. I use Music Match 7.2 to burn CD and I always burn at 4x speed
Conclusion: I can live with it, but to some its worth looking into changing your player if you make your own mixes...
~4rubBeR
October-25th-2002, 09:18 PM
#14
Wok the Wok
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Calgary, Canada
Posts: 785
Originally posted by jrodhotrod
Another thing to think about when using CD-Rs is the media that you use. There really is a difference between cheap media and namebrand stuff.
I used some no name stuff that i got at Office Depot (Prime Peripherals) and it wouldn't play all that well. Before that and ever since I have been using TDK media and it NEVER skips. I just thought I would give this other stuff a try, it didn't work so well. It's worth the extra money to get the higher quality media because it will work in more players. And if you have a costco card you can get TDK CD-Rs for cheap and beat the price of the no name stuff.
my 2 cents.
Another thing to think about when using CD-Rs is the media that you use. There really is a difference between cheap media and namebrand stuff.
I used some no name stuff that i got at Office Depot (Prime Peripherals) and it wouldn't play all that well. Before that and ever since I have been using TDK media and it NEVER skips. I just thought I would give this other stuff a try, it didn't work so well. It's worth the extra money to get the higher quality media because it will work in more players. And if you have a costco card you can get TDK CD-Rs for cheap and beat the price of the no name stuff.
my 2 cents.
October-26th-2002, 12:48 AM
#15
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 16
Jstand..
yeah thats the exact same problem im having on my 2002 stock HU. I used to play cd-r's once in a while...and now it doesnt at all...it usually ends up with me trying to mind control it into accepting it...obviously fails..
IT does read normal CD's fine tho... cept for every rare time when it will spit it out at me and then get me REALLY mad.
I'm so disappointed that I cant listen to my music in my car... that I've been looking into replacing the HU I thot that by burning on 4x might help...nope....nero....nope... still spits it out... I used verbatim discs, fuji... and crappy circuitcity ones... no luck recently tho in the past ( a month ago) they used to play them every now and then... ah well.....
yeah thats the exact same problem im having on my 2002 stock HU. I used to play cd-r's once in a while...and now it doesnt at all...it usually ends up with me trying to mind control it into accepting it...obviously fails..
IT does read normal CD's fine tho... cept for every rare time when it will spit it out at me and then get me REALLY mad.
I'm so disappointed that I cant listen to my music in my car... that I've been looking into replacing the HU I thot that by burning on 4x might help...nope....nero....nope... still spits it out... I used verbatim discs, fuji... and crappy circuitcity ones... no luck recently tho in the past ( a month ago) they used to play them every now and then... ah well.....