factory stereo to rca adaptor

we are in agreement there. Factory decks with loc's should be for people who just want to add some "oomf" to thier stock system or for vehicles where deck swaps are too expensive or where  extensive modifications are required and the customer is not willing. Like I stated, I have gotten LOC's to make factory decks sound pretty good, well good enough for the average listener but a factory deck/system will never have the fidelity or flexibility of a properly designed aftermarket.

take it light buddy

hey cva, good to see you again. You are opening a potential can of worms by asking anyone here to reccomend a product based on brand name, or anywhere else for that matter. I use about 8 different name brand head units and all serve thier purpose. Depends alot on the customers tastes and needs.

As far as kenwoods not being good as they used to be I find that to be the case with most brands these days, they just are not the same, probably due to all the overseas farming. However, reliability is up in most cases unless you get a lemon and the kenwood decks (in my opinion) are one of the best sounding out of the box compared to others.

But since it appears you are using amps simply pick a unit in your price range that has the features you require. In addition, I would also base your selection on what is pleasing to your eye as you have to live with that everyday and if you can't stand something that looks wrong in your dash you will eventually regret the purchase.

Best of luck.