So I feel like I can find my way around a car audio store, but I need a little help in deciding which HU to get. I was thinking that I don't need a dvd player (the cobalt has a double din) and I'm more looking at a little better sound quality. I was kinda thinking along the lines of Kenwoods Excelon kdc-x996 or the Clarion cz702 that Altoncustomtech keeps mentioning. My price range is 200 - 300 but if there is something for 500 out there that is worth it, then I'd be ok with spending it. This will be paired with my rockford 6x9s and I'll be picking up a set of T3 components along with the new HU when I get my tax return.

 

The Kenwood 996 will give you some great controls over the crossovers, equalizer, and time alignment and it will do so a little more intuitively and all the menus for making those adjustments are easier to navigate through. The Clarion CZ702 gives a great deal more control over all the crossovers and equalizer. The time alignment is every bit as powerful as the Kenwood and fairly straightforward but not as intuitive to use if you've not done manual DTA adjustments before.

The main thing to make sure of is that the HU has the controls and features you NEED. You can get pretty great SQ from most all units on the market in a relative sense. The adjustability to possibly get better than average SQ by fixing response errors and making sure the speakers are playing their best range of frequencies with the crossovers are where all the adjustability and power of units like the Kenwood 996, Clarion CZ702, Alpine units with the Imprint controls coupled with that controller, and the likes of the Pioneer DEH-80PRS come into play. If you think you really need that much control then by all means go for it but please understand that with all that added power comes quite a bit of extra time in tuning it. A person could go with a lower model Kenwood unit for example that will have crossovers and a parametric EQ (maybe even DTA) spend less and get just about as good SQ as with the higher model units.

 

I just installed an Alpine IVE-W535HD, you can get it for just under six hundred if you hunt around a little bit. The sound quality was an amazing improvement over the stock head unit in my GTI. I haven't had the chance to play around with it all that much yet but the bluetooth and hd radio are awesome features. And it also still has a CD/DVD player which many of the touchscreen head units don't do.

 

Yeah I've only just heard of DTA so I've never played around with it. I had an older excelon in my blazer and I liked all the features with crossovers and equalizer stuff. This is the first time I've actually tried to do any SQ in my car. If I get in over my head (which I'm sure I am) I can pay a shop to tune it for me.

 

DTA with the Kenwood is really straightforward. While it CAN be manually adjusted it's much easier to go through the menu's, select your speaker configuration, vehicle type, and their respective locations and it will do all the adjustments. It gets pretty damn close on it's own too. The only thing I had to adjust with the 991 (older version of the 996 obviously) in the van was the sub's DTA, the rest were pretty much spot on. Even with the Clarion I don't think you'd be overwhelmed. Setting the DTA is as easy as measuring the distance from you head when you're seated in the drivers seat to the center of the speaker, then setting the DTA in the HU to match that measurement. Then it's just fine adjustments from there to get the stage height right and things like that. As with anything else, if you need help with it just ask.

 

[QUOTE=BlazerGuy2001;567469]I just installed an Alpine IVE-W535HD, you can get it for just under six hundred if you hunt around a little bit. [QUOTE]

I got the same for mine and love it. In Canada the day after Christmas is referred to as Boxing day (allegedly the biggest sale day of the year)and a local retailer was letting them go for $299. I found a "trigger module" at another audio place for $50 which bypasses the park brake circuit and allows DVD playback all the time.

 

[QUOTE=Curt B;567699][QUOTE=BlazerGuy2001;567469]I just installed an Alpine IVE-W535HD, you can get it for just under six hundred if you hunt around a little bit. $50?? I hate to say it but you got screwed on that module for more than one reason.

 

Sorry..brain fart. It was $50 total for install stuff. $10 for the harness, $10 for antenna adapter and $30 for the module. Eliminating the sequence of events with the parking brake makes it seem worth it IMO.

 

$30 for the module is better but I still don't think I would ever spend that much money on something like that when I know I can do it with a couple of switches for a few bucks.

 

Make sure you get one with a internet browser my buddie has one in his sports car and its awesome, not sure what brand hubit is