who makes a good head unit

My brother-in-law is looking for a new deck he really likes my old Eclipse. He wants something that sounds as good as it and with the build quality. Now that Eclipse is nothing like they used to be and Nak is done as far as I know.

I spent 500 back in the day for mine, so would he have to double that now to get a really good deck?

What head units should he look at?

ive used JVC radios for the past few years. probably the best HU under $400. great quality for what you pay for. really clean sound and the higher models have nice audio features with good crossover settings and a nice EQ.

a lot of people here will tell you alpine too but ive never been a fan of alpine.they might still be good but i still feel that they have lost a lot of ground from where they used to be even though they still charge you like they are the best in the world.

kenwood is now owned by jvc so i dont think jvc is going to let kenwood out-shine jvc.

i steer clear of poineer even though they have good features they have chronic noise problems. they have a pure sound quality radio in their "stage 5" line of high end stuff and it has every possible feature imaginable for sound quality but it also retails for $1200.

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Ah - I remember the old Naka domestic cassette I always wanted to have... (I settled for a $1k Yamaha twin-deck instead.)


Lately I have been realising how good Alpine is.
Though always "told" about them, it wasn't until refitting my old Alpine after a year with cheap HUs that I realised the quality.
Even on its initial power-up default settings it blew away the equalised sound from the others. (Just as well, the faceplate is blown on that Alpine - that's why I eventually replaced it.)

Eclipse is just as done as Nak, and I just learned today that Boston Acoustic is now out of the Car Audio Market.  For 500 dollars today you can get a Double Din DVD player with a 7 inch screen as well as built in bluetooth as well as bluetooth streaming. 

As far as build quality and sound quality, at least look at the Alpine lineup.

If you do not want to take my and spark's word, check out the following link. https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp~TID~97511~PN~1

Great link IAAI! Maybe I should vote...?


Of course that just proves that Alpine is the cheapest around, hence its popularity.
(I'm, kidding! But IMO Alpine WERE expensive, whereas now I consider my "2nd model up from base" CD/Radio to be inexpensive, and certainly my minimum (but excellent) baseline. I've also had Pioneer, Kenwood, Stirling.)

And though I hear or read various recommendations, what strikes me is the number I know that truly appreciate music & sound that also recommend Alpine. And never any negative - except for a recent "Alpine has the least features" - not that I noted any lacking.

Thanks your just the people I wanted to chime in on this. Ah my first deck was a pull out tape deck made by Nak RD4602 if I remember right. My brother has is now in storage somewhere.

JVC really, ok I will have him look at them. Never been a fan of Alpine even the older stuff, then again I had my Eclipse.

I meant I did not want just a bunch of random post saying stuff like Sony Explode ,I place more value in people who know their stuff.

Been trying to find out more about my Nak RD-460 I just found a pic of it yep its the one I have. Found some one trying to get $550 for it wow!

Its still that good?

dragon51 wrote:

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JVC really, ok I will have him look at them.

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yea it seems strange but they have been making some really nice stuff lately(radios only)im not saying its the best but its up there. a lot of companies now wont make a decent single din, they build their high end features into their tv and navi units to try and get that extra money out of you. a lot of brands will sell their top of the line unit with every thinkable feature for audio playback like USB, iphone app streaming, bluetooth streaming, etc, but those will still only have slightly better than average sound quality features maybe because they know that 99% of people will be listening to compressed audio formats anyway so why bother with sound quality features because it will make compressed formats actually sound worse.

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I also mourn the loss of Nakamichi and Eclipse, and also McIntosh and the quality that making those heads for Mc filtered into the old Clarions.  I still think high-end Alpine heads have outstanding SQ, and the Excelleons are not bad.  Blaupunkt is coming back with a line of higher-end head units that should sound good, but only time will tell.  I am not a fan of JVC although I must admit I haven't even touched anything from them in years.

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Alpine...! I too havent used JVC for some time.

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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!

Thank you all for your help.

So I looked at a few decks from Alpine and JVC and the JVC had a much better S/N ratio then Alpine.
JVC 92
Alpine 65

I'm trying to compare the two to so he gets the best one.

dragon51 wrote:

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So I looked at a few decks from Alpine and JVC and the JVC had a much better S/N ratio then Alpine.
JVC 92
Alpine 65

I'm trying to compare the two to so he gets the best one.

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What Alpine head lists S/N as 65db?

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Maybe someone is confusing FM S/N in the base models... (CD is >96dB)

Not that SN defines sound "quality".

oldspark wrote:

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Maybe someone is confusing FM S/N in the base models... (CD is >96dB)

Not that SN defines sound "quality".

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Lol yep I was tired.

What else do you look for?

I have been trying to compare the deals by the numbers to get the best one for him.

Well I look for SQ.
And that depends in part on music type and environment.

But since your brother in-law won't have Alpine because he else you don't like Alpine, I guess you;'d better ask him what he thinks is best.
Maybe he prefers bling to sound? Or finds some things unacceptable.

You can define sound on paper. (Well you can, but even the experts here don't use those specs nor test for them...)
The closest I get is distortion for whatever source at whatever power over the band - eg, 15-22kHz 1% @ 16W RMS, plus te other bits - like 15-22kHz +/-1dB, s/n & dynamic dB, etc.

Thank you for that, he is not into bling. I told him to check out JVC and Alpine. He may like them it's not mine apjmmg as he is happy with it.

FYI...

Last weekend I went to a local car sound place as they had an annual sale and sound competition.
Wanting to see the prices & new 2012 Alpines, I ended up buying a 2011 CDE-121E (CD, AM/FM, mp3 & USB) for AUD$99. Their normal retail is $199 though usually obtainable for $179.

Apparently the only difference with the 2012 CDE-121E equivalent is the front-panel's LED color.

The next day I went back and bought FOUR more (at a lower unit price) for others I had mentioned my buy to.


I'm still happy with Alpine.
The others are yet to receive else fit theirs. (I'm dreading the "can you help" call. I might do the same old "you fit it, I'll wire it".)


And FYI-2, I witnessed my first SPL comp.
I was amused that there were no AGM batteries in sight (all were wet cells).
I was also amused that quality had nothing to do with it -it was simple dB(A) measured in the passenger's position. Maybe I'll enter next year an win using a stock battery and physically small tweeter? (I only have to beat ~159dB.)

Pretty sure JVC doesn't own Kenwood, more of merger, either way Kenwood took the lead in audio development and JVC took video(not mobile) both were areas where they were best at.