Aftermarket Deck Opinions

[headhunt3r]

I'm looking to replace my non-Bose Stereo in my 2.5S Coupe with a double-din deck. With a few things not certain, I thought I'd ask you guys for opinions.

- Built in GPS: is this of much use at all? Do you people who have this feature use it much often? Worth the extra money for it to be built in?

- Opinions on JVC (KW-AVX810)? I can get this for quite cheap since this unit is going on clearance soon in BestBuy. Is Junk Very Cheap really that bad of quality?

- Screen size matter much? the difference of 7" and 6.1"?

- General thoughts are welcome

Thanks!

[AppleBonker]

I'm looking to replace my non-Bose Stereo in my 2.5S Coupe with a double-din deck. With a few things not certain, I thought I'd ask you guys for opinions.

- Built in GPS: is this of much use at all? Do you people who have this feature use it much often? Worth the extra money for it to be built in?

- Opinions on JVC (KW-AVX810)? I can get this for quite cheap since this unit is going on clearance soon in BestBuy. Is Junk Very Cheap really that bad of quality?

- Screen size matter much? the difference of 7" and 6.1"?

- General thoughts are welcome

Thanks!

I love having in dash GPS. I'm pretty good with directions, but having the map up and running at all times is an added benefit (plus it has a bit of a wow factor for passengers). If you're going to go with a double din, I would certainly recommend getting GPS on it, you wont be disappointed.

Personally, I'm a fan of Alpine stuff (might be able to find an IVA-W205 cheap as the W505's are out now - both double din). I've also seen good things out of the Kenwood DNX8120 (Doc has a thread on this you might want to check out). I also know a lot of people who are fans of the Pioneer units. If it were me and my money, I'd probably try to stick with one of these three brands. However, it is your money so you'll have to be the judge of what you're willing to spend for the HU.

For screen size, I'd love to have 7". My Alpine W205 is only 6.5". The new W505 is 7" I believe. The extra space is very nice to have on the screen, rather than having a large border. When I bought mine I couldn't wait for the 505 to come out though. The Kenwood I mentioned above also has a 7" screen.

If screen size isn't the primary concern, crutchfield has the Alpine IVA-W205 listed for the same price as the JVC (I would be willing to bet that any big box store would have roughly the same prices on both units). Neither of these units (or the new Alpine W505) have navigation built in, whereas the Kenwood does. However, both Alpines have the ability to add it on (it is called Blackbird and it docks inside the head unit). The nav unit can then be removed and used as a portable like a Garmin/Tom Tom/whatever. One of the features I like about mine. As far as I can tell, adding nav to the JVC would be a bit more complicated.

[rjdmmfl1]

I love having in dash GPS. I'm pretty good with directions, but having the map up and running at all times is an added benefit (plus it has a bit of a wow factor for passengers). If you're going to go with a double din, I would certainly recommend getting GPS on it, you wont be disappointed.

Personally, I'm a fan of Alpine stuff (might be able to find an IVA-W205 cheap as the W505's are out now - both double din). I've also seen good things out of the Kenwood DNX8120 (Doc has a thread on this you might want to check out). I also know a lot of people who are fans of the Pioneer units. If it were me and my money, I'd probably try to stick with one of these three brands. However, it is your money so you'll have to be the judge of what you're willing to spend for the HU.

For screen size, I'd love to have 7". My Alpine W205 is only 6.5". The new W505 is 7" I believe. The extra space is very nice to have on the screen, rather than having a large border. When I bought mine I couldn't wait for the 505 to come out though. The Kenwood I mentioned above also has a 7" screen.

If screen size isn't the primary concern, crutchfield has the Alpine IVA-W205 listed for the same price as the JVC (I would be willing to bet that any big box store would have roughly the same prices on both units). Neither of these units (or the new Alpine W505) have navigation built in, whereas the Kenwood does. However, both Alpines have the ability to add it on (it is called Blackbird and it docks inside the head unit). The nav unit can then be removed and used as a portable like a Garmin/Tom Tom/whatever. One of the features I like about mine. As far as I can tell, adding nav to the JVC would be a bit more complicated.

I'll let Apple handle the Alpine stuff... somewhere on here, I have a comparison of Kenwood vs Pioneer.. as Apple stated, please read my kenwood thread

To be short, I also say YES to the GPS.. it'll come in handy more than you think! I bought my mom one for Christmas, and she stated it was one of the most useful gifts I've ever given her!

I say 7" over 6.1", I had the 6.1" Pioneer D3, and I noticed the difference... however, if yuo've never had a 7", the 6" should be fine!

The discussion over which unit is preferable... but in car audio/video, you get what you pay for!!! I would never recommened any of the JVC units to anyone, but if you're looking for a cheap unit, I guess its OK!

[headhunt3r]

Mm... the Alpine Blackbird Dock is pretty nice, but the fact that the BBII alone is like another 500 at least is a killer for me...

I looked at the Kenwood 8120 and that thing looks amazing. I just have to see if I can afford it... haha. But while I was checking out Pioneers, I found this AVIC-F900BT and I didn't know why it was so much more $$ compared to the D3? I checked the D3 out and it seems like a pretty nice model, so if I can't afford the Kenwood I might fall back on the D3.

Thanks for the help!

[AppleBonker]

Doc and I are going to continue to tag teaming this one. If you are interested in the price, I would STRONGLY recommend the Alpine IVA-W205 (which will be the same price and has a similar feature set to the JVC). The Alpine will out perform the JVC any day.

If you're looking at getting navigation, Doc and I probably paid about the same for headunit and navigation. Between mine and his head unit, I would highly recommend the Kenwood (Doc would be able to walk you through all the features etc). I'm not recommending mine, because the Alpine really doesn't shine until you add the external processor to it (which is about another 4-5 bills). Most people aren't as crazy as I am to go this route, so I wouldn't recommend it for most.

I forgot to ask what else you were planning on doing. Are you going to replace speakers or add subs down the line? That might help with the recommendation even more.

[headhunt3r]

I'll probably eventually go down the same route as I did last time I put sound in a car... throw a sub in the back, most likely like a single 10" or single 12 unless I find a pair of decent 8"s. And then just use the deck's HPF for the stock speakers to minimize wear and tear....

[AppleBonker]

Yeah, the Blackbird isn't too terribly cheap. That's why I said the Alpine and Kenwood are pretty close in price (the newer Alpine with the nav added to it). The D3 is significantly older than a lot of the other options mentioned here, which is why it is cheaper. Also, while the D3 (or even the JVC originally mentioned) may have the same features listed as some of the other units, the Kenwood will do them a lot better (Doc made the switch from Pioneer to Kenwood with his current unit, so he can give you more insight on why he thinks Pioneer's quality has gone down a bit).

If you are planning to run the inside speakers off the head unit (which it sounds like), you will get better performance out of a better unit. We all know a budget is the key factor in almost all purchases, so I understand your reservations. If the Kenwood ends up out of your price range, then I would go back to seriously considering the Alpine W205 (crutchfield has it on sale right now for about $700). With this, you would then have the option of adding the BB nav later when money allows it (if you decide you want nav), or find a used BB for cheap.