Anyone have experience with Dual brand Head units?

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Chaotic_Warlord
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So yeah I posted this in the audio/video section but since it gets next to no traffic I thought I'd re-post the same question here for a better chance at feedback. So here goes...

I currently have a Pioneer DEH-1500 (yeah I know it's old) and am currently in the market for a new head unit that will allow me to listen to my Ipod, as well as have HD Radio built in. Dual has a couple of head unit's that have all the features of the name brand receivers at bargain prices, and honestly for the price of 1 new stereo I can get 2 Dual's (1 for me and 1 for the GF). Problem is I don't know anyone that has any of Dual's head units so i don't know if they are any good. I can read up on reviews all over the internet but would feel more comfortable if I got some honest hands on feedback from people who I know (that would be you guys). I'm not impressed with their power output (17 watts RMS doesn't sound like a whole lot) and I am into having my music sound the way it's supposed to sound, especially when it's been compressed to fit on the Ipod. I will say that the bulk of my MP3's are 192 Bit so while they aren't exactly CD quality they're not to terribly far off.

My only hang-up about the Dual's are that they aren't all that attractive and I'm kinda big on the aesthetics of my car head units (which is one of the reasons I've stayed Pioneer for 15 + years.)

So who has a Dual head unit in their car and how do you like it so far? Please share the model number, where you got it, and how long you've had it please. I not only want to know about experience with them but also the longevity and reliability of their head units. While I'd love to stay with Pioneer I'm not really looking to spend $250+ on one of their new stereos, though the DEH-4200MP is kinda gotten me interested, plus it's older so I can score it for cheaper.


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r34 gtr
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They are great if you like to buy cheap crap. Buy a nice Alpine, it will be the best car audio decision you ever make.

Edit: if money is an issue, get a hold of an older Alpine 9851. It kicks major a**, but no HD radio.

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roadboy240sx
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i have had 2 of them there good not great.

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Jesda
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I've had good luck with them. The cheaper ones might lack a dimmer, and the lighting can be pretty annoying.

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bobotech
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I have 3. Two were gifts to me and one is just something I got for dirt cheap. One is a dvd slide out unit and never gives me any problems. The other two are just generic cd players with AUX input so i can listen to mp3s and stuff.

They work fine.

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bundy26
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This is the third one I've had in a my car, never had any problems, have the xdvdn8290 with navi, not the best but great for the price.

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anti_flag_army
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I have owned a total of 3 of them in various cars, never had a problem with them, though im not a person that has to have a perfect sounding, bass thumping stereo, just want to hear my music. The current one i own was $40 from walmart, it has sd,aux, and usb inputs, and no CD, which is perfect for me as i hate to carry cd's with me and would rather pack a flash drive with music.

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Just to clarify, I was implying that an Alpine car stereo would be a great buy not because of price or anything, but due to the fact that I have two and both have lasted for ever, while all my other stereos have crapped out. A good one ought to last as long as you take care of it (indefinitely??)

Alpine 7894 that works just as well as when it was new. So worth it.

Alpine 9851 that works great despite some jackass stealing the face plate, leaving me to buy one that is not in such good shape off ebay.

And then I have had two Sony head units crap out, one was the awesome MEX-5DI (which lasted 6yrs).

And I had 2 Kenwood units crap out, both nice units, but not long lasting (4yrs)

One Pioneer head unit that was just freaking garbage. Never again Pioneer!

Roommate had a Dual, and it was okay (didn't sound great) but the DVD function allowed one to watch p0rn while driving. It lasted 2 yrs before it started tearing up discs.

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Chaotic_Warlord
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I've owned 2 Pioneer headunits in the 18 years that I've been driving, the first was a KEH something or other that was stolen out of my car some 5 years after I got it, and the DEH 1500 I've had for like 10+ years, it's been swapped in and out of 3 or 4 cars, been jostled around, beat on and still works like a champ. I've never owned any other brand before and before I replaced the stolen speakers that are in my car now I've never owned anything but Pioneer 3 way speakers. I'm a huge fan of Pioneer, they have excellent sound quality, their stuff lasts forever, they are stupid expensive until you get into the AVIC or Premier stuff (which is called Stage 4 now) and honestly there head units are some of the most attractive out there with a clean faceplate design that is simple to use, engaging to look at and doesn't have any of stupid knobs or dials you have to turn.

Bottom line I'm not a fan of the way the Dual stereos look, they have a ton of stupid buttons and/or knobs, there screen is rudimentary at best, but they seem to have all the features I am looking for without having to plug in a USB cable into the front or buy any ancillary hardware to make feature like the HD Radio work. Plus they are all pretty dirt cheap, which a definite bonus in my book.

I am also interested in the JVC units as they have everything I'm looking for but they are a bit more expensive and I'm really not a fan of there faceplate design or colors. Looks like I need to do more research.

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Why not walk into a store and listen to them? Let your ears do your research for you? Everyone has different tastes in what they think sounds good, so in order for you to be happy with your purchase go in and listen to it, then find an internet shop(Broadfield sells decks and is a NICO sponsor BTW) and buy one from there that will give you a cheaper price.

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zer...h-nav

Link for his Alpines, but I'm sure he sells other decks as well.

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Xdisaster240sX
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I hae the Dual mp3 only head unit. I personally love it. No CD player but it has Ipod, USB and AUX in inputs. It awesome!

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hitbychance
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i have one in my winter beater, it does the job but cannot pick a random song at all, It picks the same ones all the time

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Broadfield
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Dual is definitely going to be at the bottom of the list when it comes to head units.... quality, looks, performance etc. However, they are at the top of the list as far as low price. So it really comes down to what is most important to you.

Also, a couple things to keep in mind: 1) 17 watts RMS is actually good for a head unit. Now whether Dual actually rates it like all of the "good" quality head unit manufacturers is another story. 2) Keep in mind that just because brand "a" and brand "b" head units both claim to have iPod control, or any other feature for that matter, doesn't mean they function similarly what so ever. Some will simply have an 1/8" jack and claim to be compatible with iPod.... sure, I'll give them that. Others will have a USB jack and claim to be compatible with an iPod and charge it but not control it..... fair enough. Pioneer for example claims to charge it and control it through a USB.... correct, but it's slow to surf through the songs and you can't search by all categories. Then you have something like an Alpine that was the 1st to do iPod control on the market. Their Full Speed iPod control is lighting fast, will charge "ALL" iPod/iPhones and the search mode is identical to an iPod.

However, you are going to pay more for an Alpine over a Dual..... and there are many reasons of course. I literally have customers that have had Alpine tape and CD players last over 20 years.... and some of those are used everyday.

If you are wanting something that is a decent price and quality, I would look into the new JVC stuff. It actually looks pretty good and they have always had fair prices. I have thought about picking the line up so I could have a cheaper head unit option for my customers. I could also use them in all of the dealer cars we do.

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Chaotic_Warlord
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OK let me just clarify something, I am not a fan of Alpines or Clarion head units Clarions look like they are cheaply made but charge you an arm and a leg and Alpines look exactly like every Kenwood out there but charge you twice the price. Blaupunkts, are just to expensive for a stereo that pretty much comes OEM in every VeeDub, BMW, and Porsche. I could just go to a scrap yard and get the exact same head unit sold in stores for $250+ for $90, I'll pass.

I have done a listening test but an in store test is not the same as an in vehicle test, the sound stage is waaay different, the speakers are position right in front of your face and really you can't really test out your Ipod with it in the store because of the ugly plastic security gathe they have over them.

I don't expect it to sound like I'm sitting there watching it all live in a stadium or a nightclub, but I do expect the highs to not be tinny, the lows to have some thump to them and the head unit to have enough power and a EQ curve to make the Highs, Mids, and Lows all not a big jumbled mess. In other words, I like for the vocals to not be garbled, drums to sound like drums, and a guitar to or string instrument to sound like it's there, not 10 miles away and overpowered by anything. I listen to pretty much everything from Classical, to country, to rap , to metal, to techno, with a little Pipe and Drum bands thrown in for good measure. Just saying...

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Broadfield
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Chaotic_Warlord wrote:Alpines look exactly like every Kenwood out there but charge you twice the price.
Uhhhh, do you need glasses or something? Alpine looks nothing like Kenwood..... and they are within $20 or so of each other for the same type(features) of a radio. I carry both brands, but hell, what do I know

These 2 units are direct competitors as far as features. The Kenwood is $20 cheaper retail and looks nothing like the Alpine. The Kenwood looks like a cheap piece of crap in my opinion. I would take the aesthetics, performance, better iPod control etc. of the Alpine, for only $20 more, any day of the week.




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Chaotic_Warlord
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Sorry, the Alpines look dated to me, now don't get me wrong, I'm sure they are quality head units. but I don't $250 to spend on a new set of tires for my car let alone a car stereo that I've had to replace twice because they were stolen. Even with a detachable face, they can still steal the headunit and just pay $30 for a replacement faceplate and just sell it for $90 and make a 300% profit.

My budget is < $150 while is perfect for the Dual's and the older Pioneers. I don't care if it takes forever to pick songs on the Ipod, I was just planning to plug it in and hit shuffle play, if a song I don't like comes up I'll just hit next. Or I can just build playlists and let them play like my own personal radio station. I have like 1800 songs on my computer right now and another 350-400 CD's in books and the mp3 list is constantly growing almost daily.

Oh and I really hate the USB port in the front, I think it's ugly and takes up valuable faceplate real estate that an LCD screen can use for text or graphics. The Pioneer DEH-4100UB is aesthetically pleasing as it has no unnecessary buttons, knobs, and it doesn't have that stupid USB port in the front, plus it's in my price range and says it has everything I'm looking for.



Meanwhile the Dual's have a lot of great features, Ipod control-ability, HD radio built in and a couple other things that I'm looking for, but damn are they ugly.




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Broadfield
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I agree, I don't like the USB port on the front either, but that's only on the base model Alpine. All others are on the back. My customers hate that Pioneer and other similar radios because there are no hard preset buttons on the front. Looks are subjective of course. I prefer the classic look over that of the Pioneer, that looks like a spaceship from the year 2120, in my 1992 vehicle. I am under the impression that you assume Alpine is way more expensive. While that was the case in the 80's and early 90's, they are price competitive with Pioneer, Kenwood etc. these days. At any rate, this isn't about Alpine, it's about getting you to not buy a Dual. If you buy the Pioneer then I am happy!

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Chaotic_Warlord
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At this point 90 bones for a new head unit that not only will let me play my Ipod in the car and give me built in HD radio sounds like a a deal I can't pass up, especially since the videos of the DUal's on Youtube appear to have decent sound quality.

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First you say this,
Chaotic_Warlord wrote:I can read up on reviews all over the internet but would feel more comfortable if I got some honest hands on feedback from people who I know (that would be you guys).
Then you ignore the advice of the audio guru and say this,
Chaotic_Warlord wrote:sounds like a a deal I can't pass up, especially since the videos of the DUal's on Youtube appear to have decent sound quality.
Does not compute. You've made up your mind in your head already. Sounds like the price you pay will make you much happier than the actual sound quality so just go for it already.

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Chaotic_Warlord
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Actually, you took what I said completely out of context. $90 is a hell of of a deal considering that the Dual's have Ipod support and HD radio built in, but so do older model Pioneers, JVC's and most of the other brand names, and because they are older they are generally cheaper. Yeah the Dual videos appear to have good sound to them, but a video doesn't speak for reliability, usability or longevity.

I could probably get an older JVC that has all the same features as the new duals for the close to $90, and because it's a JVC it's probably a better quality product. Just not a fan of there faceplate design or color schemes. I'll take a look at some of the older model Alpines, if I can find one that I like that is in my price range then I'll consider it. My mind isn't entirely made up. I still need 2 headunits, only one has to have HD radio , but both have to have Ipod support.

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AZ89two4Tsx
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Just get an Alpine deck and be done with it.

- Great Value (in my opinion)- Last forever, aren't cheaply built- Look the cleanest and the materials used aren't junky feeling- Best Ipod controller on the market

I have a CDA-105 and couldn't be happier. Super fast Ipod control and the quality of sound is awesome.



Don't buy that Dual crap from Walmart.

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Jesda
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Check Crutchfield for deals on JVC, Dual, Clarion, and Kenwood. Theyre usually cheaper than Wal-Mart and Best Buy when theyre running special offers.

I'm a Nakamichi guy at heart.

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Jesda wrote:I'm a Nakamichi guy at heart.
These words make me hard.

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Duals are generally not recommended by those who actually have installed them in multiple vehicles. I personally do not recommend any dual with the motorizing face or flip out dvd. Although a buddy of mine has had a dual double din for a bout 2 years now and hasn't had any issues. Sadly that's the longest i've actually heard of a dual deck lasting haha. I'm more of a pioneer guy myself. I have a pioneer in both of my cars, and i put a jvc into my girls eclipse. Only thing i don't like about the newer jvcs is that a lot of them have the usb on the front, which looks tacky to me, and most average people over the age of 24 that actually care how their car looks.So basically. I'd stay away from the duals personally. But get whatever suits you best i suppose.

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I DESPISE the layout of Alpine's headunits. Not just aesthetically, but functionally.

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Best deck I ever had was an Eclipse CD8053. The sounds were AMAZING, but it was plagued with issues. A year or so after purchasing, I started getting a thump noise everytime I switched channels, and then the CD player eventually crapped out on me. Kept my amps ice cool.

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Jesda
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MinisterofDOOM wrote:I DESPISE the layout of Alpine's headunits. Not just aesthetically, but functionally.
The menu system is awful. Some head units have their own internal "logic" for how menus and functions are accessed. Alpines don't even go that far, giving every separate function a separate way of being configured and adjusted. Its god awful.

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Broadfield
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MinisterofDOOM wrote:I DESPISE the layout of Alpine's headunits. Not just aesthetically, but functionally.
Jesda wrote:
The menu system is awful. Some head units have their own internal "logic" for how menus and functions are accessed. Alpines don't even go that far, giving every separate function a separate way of being configured and adjusted. Its god awful.
Are you guys for real? I guess to each his own, but I have always considered Alpine the easiest. Depending on whether it's a screen or radio: hit "settings" or "menu", then scroll through the options, hit "enter" to go into that option and "return" to back out. How the hell does it get much easier than that? Maybe if you are talking about a 10 year Alpine, maybe!?!

Oh well, I have carried every good brand under the sun, at some point in the last 17 years, and have always kept Alpine around because of it's simplicity and overall performance. However, I will admit that logical to one person is not logical to another. I think PC's are ridiculous hard to use compared to Macs. Others think the opposite. It's a good thing we have choices

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I agree completely with Broadfield. I'm on my second alpine unit after a long history with pioneer. I find the menus easy to navigate, but maybe that's just me.

Thread jack: Broadfield, you carry Kenwood, correct? Any change you have the DNX6160 (with iPod cables and sirius add-on)?


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