Hello all,
I'm looking at replacing the H/U in my TransAm and really like the looks of the Sony 8800. I will be using outboard amplification and not the onboard Sony amps. Is this a decent unit as far as quality is concerned? I don't need perfect SQ as I'll be listening to MP3's and it is in my TransAm which is pretty damn loud, but I do want clean, level sound.
I really like the looks and all of the features, just want to make sure it's not going to fall apart in a year, or have a frequency response that looks like a roller coaster.
Thanks for the opinions,
Russell
Friends don't let friends buy Sony. If you want a good cd player then ignore all the flashy graphics etc., they have nothing to do with build quality or sound quality. My advice is get your self a good Eclipse cd player like the CD3424 at a minimum, it will effectively spank that Sony but good.
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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
If you're listening to MP3's, it will probably do the job just fine. Sony heads are very bright, however, and can make even neutral speakers sound shrill. Also I have never had much luck getting Sony car audio electronics to last longer than about 6 months or so, so don't be surprised if all those bells and whistles stop whistling sooner than you'd probably like.
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Support the12volt.comforbidden,
I realize that flashy graphics have nothing to do with the SQ of the HU, but I do like all of the features that the sony has. The 7 band parametric EQ, 3 pairs of 4V pre-outs, mp3 w/text display, and I really like the way the face fades to black when off. It gives a very clean look. I personally don't like the looks of the Eclipse units, but do appreciate their quality. I'll look into them more closely to see if they have similar features at a reasonable price. As an aside, I was drawn to the Sony because I have a friend that works at BB and he can get me about 30% off the price of any HU's they stock.
DYohn,
That's exactly the type of info I was looking for. If the Sony's are bright I probably won't want to get one. One of the main reasons that I'm upgrading from the factory system is because the factory system is distorted and shrill when turned up to higher levels (a la driving with the T-tops off).
Russell
MP3's tend to be "distorted and shrill" no matter what you do. At least I have never heard them (even when professionally mastered) that sounded very natural. I suggest you simply take a disk that you like and know how it's supposed to sound to a good shop or store that has a variety of heads (BB might be fine for this.) Listen to the same track on different head, but on the same speakers. Then you can judge what each head is doing to the sound. Cheers and good luck.
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Support the12volt.comThanks DYohn,
I'll be doing that this afternoon.
Russell