how to pick a deck

Ok im a noob, it seems most decks have 200watts........So my question what else do i need? how do i pic a deck. I  looked at a kenwood deck (KD-S890)that is cd/mp3 and satilite radio ready and its only a 150 bucks. those are the basic features i want. why would i spend more, what features are important and why. i know this is a broad question, but any opinions apreciated.

Thanks Paul

You get what you pay for, most companies build their cd players to hit a price point, bells and whistles first, sq and performance later. Decide first on a price range that you want to spend on a cd player. Here is the basic's to consider, in no particular order. 

(1) price

(2) MP3

(3) subwoofer preout

(4) front / rear preout

(5) Aux input

(6) sound quality

(7) warranty

(8) performance

(9) where it is purchased from

(10) who installs it

Flip down fold over detacheable light shows have nothing to do with how a cd player sounds, they have to do with sex appeal and they take money away from how the cd player will perform.

High end cd players: Nakamichi, Denon, Eclipse, Grundig

Mid fi cd players: Pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine, JVC, Panasonic, Clarion, Sony, Fusion, Premier (Pioneer) and others.

The criteria in order of importance IMO is:

1.  Sound quality.  Listen to several decks playing the same track on the same speakers (if possible) and choose the one that sounds best to you.  There is no substitute for actually listening to the deck.

2.  Features.  Pre-outs, built-in amps, aux. inputs, whatever is important to you.

3.  Buy from a local authorized dealer.  There is no substitute for having warranty work if needed done to have a good relationship with a local dealer.  The internet is a cool place to get low prices, but try to return a defective unit and (at best) wait for weeks, while at worst lose your investment.

4.  Price.  Once you find what you want and have several local choices, shop for price.

5.  Brand name.  Some brands are simply better and more reliable than others and are worth a higher price because they will last longer.  But never pay JUST for a brand name.  Pay attention to 1 through 4 above first.

6.  Looks.  Now lots of (especially young) people will put this one first, but that is just plain silly.  Of course you have to look at the equipment, but man, you are supposed to LISTEN to it and that's what you should really be paying for.  Paying for looks first is just plain silly.

7.  Specs and power ratings.  Again, many (especially young) people put this one first or second, but to me that puts too much emphasis on things that may or may not mean anything.  ANY stereo can get loud, and specs can vary so much from manufacturer to manufacturer that they tend to become meaningless.  If you have paid attention to the first five criteria, the specs start to become N/A.  Plus, one company's "watts" is not the same as another's.  Indeed, I have a Carver magnetic field amplifier that is "rated" at 20 watts per channel into 4 ohms.  I have personally bench tested it to 150 watts and it still meets its stated THD numbers.  I have also tested amps that state they are "rated" at 1000 watts that blow fuses when they hit 80.  Specs come last.

Like what you buy and buy good brands that will last a long time from your local dealers.  Bottom line, it's you who has to live with it, so buy whatever makes you happy.

A seldom heard about higher end manufacturer. You thought Eclipse had simple cd players, the bottom of the line Eclipse has nothing on simplicity as compared to these guys. The last cd player from them that I saw had an ingenious theft deterrent system, a removeable volume knob. I don't think that they are still in the car audio world but when they were they had some respectable gear.