I notice there's a lot of audiophiles in this group... I'm picking parts out for my Blazer. I've narrowed it down to these 2 head units... any recommendations?

Compare: Car Receivers at Crutchfield.com

things I want in a HU :
front USB
Bluetooth
changable colors (I want it easy on the eyes at night)
MP3 capability

What I could care less about:
any premium services (pandora, XM, etc)
any upsale radio features (I haven't listened to the radio in 15+ years)

Where I'm headed with this build:
I've got a couple of big Kenwood amps I've had for years, and two 8" JL Audio subs still in the box. I'm thinking 4x6 plates in the days, 6.5" in all 4 doors, and the subs.. I just dont know yet. I'd prefer to keep ALL the cargo space I can in the rear, so I might do a sub install to where the Onstar is currently located (pass side rear cargo area) or even doing something in each rear door. I'm into hidden installs, not looking for 'flash' or showing off anything. And I listen to classic rock, blues, instrumental stuff.. no rap, modern country etc. So I need clean and strong, not thump-thump.

 

Just on the fact you're thinking about putting in an amp to run your highs as well as a set of subs has me thinking the Kenwood would be the better unit for your application due to the six (front, rear, subwoofer) RCA preouts. However, if you're not going to amp the highs (both amps are for the subs) then the six preouts wouldn't really be necessary. Another note would be that considering the price difference between the two it should be fairly easy to find other HU's in the range that had the features you're wanting which begs me to ask, why pick between these two?

I like where you're headed with the build, it should turn out pretty decent. If you can do some fiberglass work it should be fairly easy to put the 8's in the corner of the cargo area. As for the 4x6's and rear speakers I think you've probably seen enough of my posts on that to know where I stand there, but I also know everyone has their own tastes and processes.

 

kenwood. preamps and style were what swayed me...

 

I'm a Pioneer guy. I've had 4 that never failed me. Always did what I wanted. I am currently running a DEH-5100UB. Runs a 1000 watt 4 channel and a 1500 watt mono all day. I can change everything I need to from the deck. What about these?

 

Thanks. Actually no I haven't seen your posts on the subject, I'm a recent member. I'm not looking for a audio competition system, just something good sounding for roadtrips and such. I'm a musician, so I want realistic playback not that bolt loosening redlight thumper stuff.

As for the choice of HU, I'm not a HU-phile. In the past I've had some good stuff, but do not keep up with the trends or models, or really even features. I do NOT like Alpine, Clarion or Blaupunkt. I'm open to other brands though. What do you suggest? The biggest reasons for the 2 I posted, was cost vs features.

 

Lol, sorry about that. Just about anytime someone talks about replacing their rear speakers and putting 4x6's in the dash I usually go into a lengthy rant about why the rear speakers and 4x6's aren't the best idea for quality reproduction of music. Not that anyone listens, but at least I feel better, lol.

There's no putting a quality system and competition system in the same comparison. A good quality installation can be had without spending thousands and definitely won't be a one note wonder. Spending money in the right places and paying attention to the details can yield a fantastic sounding setup that some may think is competition worthy but so much better than that.

The options you want in a HU are all pretty standard anymore. A quick search on SonicElectronix got about two dozen units with the options you wanted under $200. I think my biggest question is how realistic are you wanting it to sound? Average clean and clear or more like recording studio quality? If you're just after the average clean and clear then it won't take much more than any HU with the options you want and replacing all your speakers, pretty cheap and easy. If you're after more of a studio quality response and are willing to put some effort into the installation along with a few bucks then I can make some recommendations to take you that direction.

 

If you are planning on running amplifiers, I would go with the Kenwood, hands down. It has more preamp outputs, as already stated, but also has a higher preamp voltage of 2.5 volts, vs the 2 volts from the Pioneer. The higher the output voltage, the stronger the signal, and the cleaner the sound. Honestly, for the price of the Kenny, I would look into a JVC with all the features (USB, changing colors, etc.) and a higher output voltage. Try the JVC Arsenal
JVC Arsenal KD-AHD75BT CD receiver at Crutchfield.com
It has 2 USB inputs, flash memory slot, front AUX 3.5mm input, and a much higher preout voltage of 4.8 volts, which is just about as high as you are going to get.

 

Thanks guys. That JVC looks interesting, I've never had a JVC unit.

I'm looking to keep the whole rig under $300. I've already got the 4x6's, which may not be ideal but it's a pair of brand new yet quite old in the box JBL Titanium plates. So there's no sense they just sit in the box, right? As for the door speakers, I'm just looking to replace what's there with the best sounding and reasonably priced units I can find... right now, after a casual researching of the web, I'm leaning toward the MTX TN653's. They seem to bring more bottom to the party than the Polk 651 everyone seems to like on here. Also - splitting the load between 2 front plates and 2 front doors, that will drop the ohms from 4 to 2, which should drop the volume level I think? So maybe it WOULD be best to forget the dash speakers all together and just go 4 in the doors?

I may skip the subs, and just go factory locations, no amp, just HU power. What would be the recommendation for that?

 

The resistance the HU sees will depend on the way you wire the speakers together. If there are no factory dash speakers, you have more flexibility with your wiring. If you run the door speakers and dash speakers in parallel (both sets of wires run together off the same output) your HU will see a lower resistance number. The common misperception is that the lower the number, the lower the power output, but that is not the case. Most amplifiers, be it internal to the HU, or an external, will give you output numbers for different resistance levels. The lower the ohms, the more the amp will put out to compensate for the increase in resistance. You other choice would be to run the speakers in series (the positive terminal of speaker 2 is wired to the negative terminal of speaker 1 and then speaker 2 grounds back to the HU). This will cut the resistance in half, raising the ohm level to double the rated level of the speakers (2, 4ohm speakers in series will show an 8ohm load on the HU) HUs generally like a higher ohm load, because there internal amps generally are not the greatest, and any increases in resistance put that much more stress on the amps, which are generally only powered by a 14 gauge wire. The best bet for sound quality, is an esternal amp, even if just for the full range speakers. External amps are more forgiving to different ohm loads from speaker to speaker, as well. Hope this essay helps a little bit

 

P.S. a decently priced set of 6.5 speakers that will give the best comparative SQ, IMO, are the infinity reference 6.5s from Infinity Reference 6032si 6.5-Inch, Shallow Mount High Performance 180-Watt Two-Way Loudspeaker (Pair):Amazon:Car Electronics
they are on the cheap side of the price scale, and are shallow enough to clear the window track on the front doors, which was one of the biggest problems with these trucks. Even with the cheap price, they have very clear and bright sound output, and also have +3/-3db adjustable tweeter. They lack somewhat on the bottom end, but they fill out the mids and highs very well. Couple that with an infinity 860W, 8 inch subwoofer for the same price (you will need to build your own box, as prefabs will never bring out the full potential) and you have a very budget friendly setup that will fill out the entire spectrum of frequency response from 20-25Hz all the way to 25,000Hz range. Any gaps in the lower to mid frequencies will generally be filled by cabin resonance, and give a very warm, bright, full and rich sound.