here's the deal, i put an aftermarked HU in, it crapped out. don't wanna go back to factory because there's no input for my ipod or DVD player, which sucks. The factory system even has an AUX button on the face, but i think that was GM's way of teasing me. No input anywhere on the HU. Is there another input i could use? i was considering gettin a HK drive+play, but that's a $150 expense, i could just get another HU with an input for that price. any way to wire my ipod directly into my speakers' harness or som'n? i'm considering all options right now!

 

If you have an amp you could get a mini phono to RCA splitter and plug that into the inputs on the amp, I think that headphone levels are pretty close to pre-out levels. To get an ipod to play through big speakers you need power, the only way to get that power is to pass the signal through an amp, you can't just hook up your speaker wires to the ipod. If your headunit has an aux input you can use the headunit's internal amplifier, if not you'll need an external amplifier.

 

if ur desperate....

FM transmitter

 

well i thought about running my ipod to my amp, but if i do that, i have no way of getting sound through my other speakers, that suggestion would only put signal through to my subs. if i had an input on my factory system i would do that, back to square one. if my amp was running to my other speakers, i'd be fine. not the case. as fas as FM transmitters, they're all about $80-$100 for the ipod, and other ones may be $50 or more. i could just re-wire my factory speakers to my amp, but that kills the idea of having other options like fade, and bass, and treble. crazy. might just go back to factory and try to add a crossover. i'll keep ya posted.

 

If you want to make shortcuts you're going to loose some functionality and convenience, there's no way around that but spending more money. Doesn't the ipod have some kind of tone control? Fade could be controlled by adjusting the gains on the amp. You'll loose the ability to listen to music from your headunit without physically switching the inputs to the amp although one of those switch boxes for home A/V could make that quick and easy, it would save you $100 and should sound cleaner than the FM transmitter route. On the other hand, with the money you'll spend on cables and adaptors and the time it will take to wire your speakers you might as well buy a low cost headunit that will work with an ipod. Doesn't Panasonic make a pretty good ipod compatible headunit for around $150?

 

actually everyone makes a HU that'll work with the ipod for under $150. i know i shouldn't but walmart has this little bundle pack from Sony. HU, 2 6x9's, 2 6.5's, which gives me replacements to my factory garbage and a HU for the price of any HU, plus it had sub control and an AUX input. not a bad deal. its lookin like i'm back wih Sony again

 

nothin wrong with wal-mart stuff.... thats where my HU came from...

 

i'm sorry guys, lol. i have to disagree. the only think i buy from walmart is fuses and speaker wire. oh, and i bought my dash kit from there too, lol. everything else, ordered it online.

 

If it's Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, etc. it doesn't matter where it's sold. It's manufactured right next to the other ones that go to other stores to get sold for more..... Lowest price generally wins. And you can return almost anything to Wal-Mart for any reason for at least store credit. I have heard reviews though that Sony headunits tend to just all of a sudden stop working, it also happened to 2 of my friends.

For the original post... your Blazer doesn't have any 6"x9" speakers if its a four door, <EDIT saw in another post you have a 2 door> then that kit would be okay, 6.5"s in the front doors, 6"x9" in the back.

 

On a budget, there's nothing wrong with Sony, although I question the quality if you're getting the headunit and speakers for $150, I doubt it's going to be much better than a Jensen, Kraco, Sparkomatic, Dual, Audiovox, etc. Unless you're really looking to upgrade the system now for $150 and never touch it again I'd look for a better headunit and save some money for better speakers down the road, those bundled speakers can't be much better than the factory speakers. Unless you've already blown the factory speakers I'd stick with them for a few months until you can afford some better speakers. It all depends on you though, I hear things in music that some people don't, or I hear things that bother me that aren't annoying to other people, ground faults and alternator whine drive me nuts but I know people who are happy as clams with their bangin' system with whiny tweets. I know you already said you just want a system that people can hear from across the road, if that's your thing you might as well just get the Sony HU with sub controls so you can tune your sub and rattle your neighbor's windows, even if it sounds marginal when you're sitting in the driver's seat.