Thread: Head unit (stero/mp3 player) recommendations

Hi Rick
Yep - l went the $150 Kenwood unit. I run my iPhone through it with Bluetooth/MP3 etc. It is fine.

I have not upgraded speakers as yet - but it would be better with a speaker upgrade.

I am in a TD5 - and the Kenwood unit has stood up very well to off road / dirt track abuse!

Hass't missed a beat.

Mike

Thanks Mike, good to hear.

I have all my music on my Galaxy ATM, just the way it's worked out.

I still only have the little 4" speakers in mine too but upgraded them with 'better' quality ones years ago.
Had to take the passenger one out when I removed the a/c unit as it was too deep, so need to get a speaker spacer too.
Hmm, I wonder if 125mm/5" ones will go in ?
Then I can mount some woofers in boxes in the back of the cab too

I fitted a JVC unit in the S1 Disco. USB in front and rear. Rear one has an 80Gb hard drive with music on it (No Cd skipping). Front USB has the bluetooth dongle. Good thing about the Usb ports are that they are 2Amp outlets.

Seriously thinking of going mechless and great tip re the USB socket.

A Deefer is full of dust and moisture, one less front opening and motors, etc to gum up is an attraction IMO

Bluetooth/USB head units are pretty much impervious to dust - no CD drives. They have a heat sync, no fan. Even if you did manage to get dust all over the internal logic boards it probably wouldnt do any harm. There are almost no moving parts.

Any known brand should be good - no need to spend lots so long as it has the connections you need. I got a low range pioneer in 2008 (with CD/FRONT AUX / FRONT US and its still good after heaps of dust. Just don't go wading over stereo depth!

Oh + I have NEVER used the CD drive.

I've got a Sony head unit atm that doesn't do phone/bluetooth/ipod controls or usb/sd in, but it has input for the ipod and the radio includes short wave. Good for the desert areas. It's been on many dusty trips and still works fine. As for speakers, I too upgraded my little 4" jobbies that point to the floor, but in addition I put a 6" pair above in the headlining and a 6"x9" pair also in the headlining ,but at the back ,facing forward and down. Those in the headlining are mounted on shaped timber blocks (western red cedar scraps) glued to the inside of the roof with silicon. The headlining becomes sandwiched between the blocks and the speaker. I also got a small fader unit to alter the balance between upper and lower front speakers. The sound is very good, though not such that it will 'blow the windows out'. I could organise some pix if you're interested.
Don.

Thanks Don, I was thinking of a pair of boxes at the back pointing forward too.

I want to tidy up inside a bit and was thinking Mud Console and of course the standard radio is pretty sad and someone's b/day is coming up so...

I recently replaced the JVC that was in mine when I bought it, as it self destructed with a CD inside it.
I Replaced it with a low end Alpine unit with USB front, but without the blueteeth etc, and I replaced the two factory front speakers with some old 2 way 4" Alpines I previously had in my XF ute 7 or 8 years ago. It sounds pretty good I reckon, way better than before. I also put some speakers in the back corners (110 wagon), but I don't know why I bothered, as I can't hear them at all.

I bought the Alpine over the others in the price range as it has a nice simple screen, and big volume knob controller etc, many of the others were too glitzy, and fiddly.


Hope this helps

Cheers