One last request for help with HUs

[leonardotmnt]

I think I'm going to end up getting a HU now and get some cheap speakers for the front to replace my Kappas until I can afford an amp. I think I'm going to pass up getting an amp with speaker level inputs because I want to buy another PG X100.4 unless there's a reason I shouldn't? Anyway at the moment I have the HUs I want narrowed town to the Pioneer DEH-P680MP and the Kenwood Echelon KDC-x790. They're both about the same price on ebay (around $200) and seem to have about the same specs as far as I can tell. Is one significantly better than the other or which do you think would be the better choice? I'd also looked a little at the Eclipse CD3000 but it didn't seem as good spec wise. Thanks in advance for the help and sorry to ask so many questions about this stuff. I just want to make sure I make the right decision.

[2ndGenGuy]

Damn I killed this post... To resummarize:

I like the Pioneer better personally, but it's just brand opinion.

The theft recovery is better in the Eclipse. Because your register the deck with the company and nobody can unlock it except you with a special CD. Eclipse will send you a new deck if yours is stolen.

[2ndGenGuy]

Holy multiple posts batman. Can somebody delete those and this post?

[leonardotmnt]

Do 5v preouts make any difference over 4v? And do you know if Kenwood has the same deal as Eclipse with the theft recovery? I know there's a security code you can put into the Kenwood deck I want but I wasn't sure about the sending it in and stuff. The only reasons I was going with the Kenwood over the Pioneer was because of the security code since my last deck was stolen and the 5v preouts over 4v.

Edit: You know you took your original post down too right? :P

[2ndGenGuy]

The 5v preouts will give you a bit more output to the amp and cause them to drive a bit harder. But if your amp can't handle preouts with that kind of voltage you risk ruining the amp.

[leonardotmnt]

Thanks for the help. I hate when I can't decide about these things. I'd just go with the Pioneer if I weren't already snake bit from getting robbed all the time here in Cleveland. The Eclipse just doesn't seem to have as good of specs and I can't afford the next model up. Oh well I guess I'll have to decide. Any more opinions from people?

[2ndGenGuy]

Let me just throw in one more quick comment. I believe Eclipse to be a little bit higher end company. When they say their ratings on wattage output, I tend to believe it to be a little more accurate. I really think that Kenwood and Pioneer bloat their power output ratings a bit.

Besides that, you're not going to get any better sound performance off of any of those three head units. Even if one really does deliver 5 or 10 watts more per channel. If you're picky about sound quality, you'll wind up amping your speakers anyways... What is it that the Eclipse lacks that the others have that you're looking for? Maybe we can go off of that to help decide which deck to get?

[leonardotmnt]

I guess it just seemed that since it was the same price and had a little lower s/n ratio than the Kenwood and a little lower FM sensitivity I figured it wouldn't be worth it. Honestly, I don't know how much a slightly different sensitivity or s/n matters when you actually hear it, but I figured all things being equal it wouldn't be as good. That and I can't seem to find the full specs on the CD3000. It also only has 14W RMS which is lower than the other two but like you said I'm going to amp my Kappas as soon as I can and just buy cheap speakers for now to start up. Do you think the Eclipse would be worth getting over these two then? I know it seems to be a higher end brand but I wasn't sure if one of their lower models would beat the ones I'm looking at. I think between the Pioneer and the Kenwood I'd get the Kenwood but if you can convince me the Eclipse is worth getting I might just do it. The new HU program is only for the first year but I do like the idea of security.

Little things like the volume knob not sticking out far and it being hard to use the controls from what I've read also made me put it a bit down the list but I want to get a remote for it so it's probably not a big deal.

Edit: The equalizer is also better on the Pioneer with 7 band instead of 3.

[2ndGenGuy]

Yeah it sounds like you're going to have to make the ultimate decision on that one. Just weigh the options and decide on what you like the best. I'm not trying to convince you to go either way, just trying to help you make a decision.

[leonardotmnt]

Thanks a lot for the help. I just wish the Pioneer came with some theft detterant system, it'd probably make my decision easier. I might just wait a while and see if one gets to a lower price. I've also read good things about Pioneers P860MP from last year with 6.5v preouts. If I can actually find a new one on ebay for a decent price I may go that way. Is factory refurbished worth looking at or should it be avoided?

[MessyHonda]

i would invest in a alarm like that your stuff does not get stolen.

[Listen2myBASS]

Is factory refurbished worth looking at or should it be avoided?

its worth a gander, but if it isnt significantly lower in price then most likely not...shold try to find out why it was refurb'd too...

[leonardotmnt]

Do car alarms really work? I live in a dorm now so wouldn't even hear it and from what I've seen car alarms go off all the time with no one paying attention at all. The reburbed deck I'm looking at is the Pioneer DEH-P860MP. It's refurbed because it's last years model and it might be 30-40 cheaper over new which would mean I could probably afford it if I stretched my budget.

[MessyHonda]

Do car alarms really work? I live in a dorm now so wouldn't even hear it and from what I've seen car alarms go off all the time with no one paying attention at all. The reburbed deck I'm looking at is the Pioneer DEH-P860MP. It's refurbed because it's last years model and it might be 30-40 cheaper over new which would mean I could probably afford it if I stretched my budget.

yeah you can get a 2 way pager alarm...the new ones have a range of one mile so it tells you if some one has triped your alarm....i would just take the faceplate off every day..you will get used to it...hehe

[leonardotmnt]

Yeah, that's the best part. This was the first time ever while at school that I hadn't taken my face plate with me. It was in the case but I forgot to take it back to my place with me. I'm sure they wouldn't taken the unit without the faceplate but still. Maybe I'll check out an alarm sometime in the future when I have money.

[leonardotmnt]

Hmm I'm really thinking about a refurbished P860MP if I can get it for slightly more than what the others cost. I'm just not sure whether I should be worried about factory refurbished or not.

[MessyHonda]

refurbrished means that its been repair b4....hope it works out for you.

[leonardotmnt]

I know what it means. I'm just not sure whether or not to be worried about durability. I mean most functional car parts you buy are remanufactured/refurbished and they work fine but I'm not sure how it is for electronics. I just don't want to get a bad deal on something fairly expensive.

[leonardotmnt]

I ended up getting a factory refurbished Pioneer P860MP off of ebay for about 20 more than a P680MP would've cost. :) Thanks for the help everyone.

[MessyHonda]

I ended up getting a factory refurbished Pioneer P860MP off of ebay for about 20 more than a P680MP would've cost. :) Thanks for the help everyone.

i got my pionner installed today...but i cant figure how to control it...LOL...maybe tomorrow when i get spare time or if i can find the manual

[ghettogeddy]

i say go with eather the eclipse first chose then the kenwood and as far as the pioneer's go its hit or miss

[leonardotmnt]

I'd probably have gone with an Eclipse if I had more money to spend but I think I'd rather have one of the top Pioneer models over almost the lowest eclipse model which is all I could afford.

[ghettogeddy]

then go kenwood lol u wont get me to say go pioneer

[MessyHonda]

then go kenwood lol u wont get me to say go pioneer

lol...mine is a bitch....i might go over to the guy who sold it to me if i cant get a maunal.

[leonardotmnt]

I already went Pioneer but why do you hate Pioneer? I've heard pretty good things about their Premier decks. I've heard just as bad things about Kenwood as I have about Pioneer and I really can't believe that a bottom of the line Eclipse is better than Pioneers second to the top Premier.