I have three grand to spend on my new system. I have already changed my mind 50 times and now have no idea what I really want. I want a DVD player with the screen in the factory nav spot. I can only use either clarion, eclipse, or pioneer. Any thoughts?

 

eclipse is the best ive ever heard..and there screens are said to be the best on the market..get eclipse.

 

What all are you looking to get besides the DVD player and screen? I could spend $2k alone on a screen and player leaving only $1k for misc other stuff (which wouldn't be much).

 

My suggestion is find out what other components you want first; speakers, HU, amps, subs... and keep it to a minimum. Then see how much you have left for your LCD and DVD, and narrow down or eliminate parts of the system you feel you wont rather have. then mix and match to fit your price....or do a two stage operation ..(example: subs and amp in 3 months...).

Another suggestion is the Alpine screen and CD based NAV. I ve seen a few people with it on this site, seems to work great.

AND ALWAYS TRY TO BUY WHOLESALE>>>>!!!!

 

I get everything at store cost and I already have MB Quarts q's for my highs. I am not going to do a sub yet, So all I have to get is the DVD player, head unit, and a screen and a amp for my highs. I don't want one of the integrated units with the screen and the dvd combined. I want the screen to be in the stock nav spot. I am considering either the eclipse DVD headunit with a generic screen, or a similar clarion or pioneer setup.

 

DVD players are very reasonable. You won't get any more with a more expensive unit, unless you are looking for a navigation unit.

Get the screen you like. It gets seen the most. I have a DVD and a screen in the factory navigation spot. I had a local supplier call for the latest high quality screen. It is a Micron ???something screen. They just got it out and it looks so much better than existing screens. I took the cover off and mounted it flush behind the panel. No frames, just solid screen. It is sweet.

I was set on keeping the original HU, but went ahead and bought the WX7700 because it looks so nice. I am so glad I did. Hooking up a DVD, subs, line drivers, everything works much better with an aftermarket HU.

However, I really don't care for the single din head units that make your dash look like a High School kid's DIY install job. The Z is too sleek for that.

Good luck!

 

Eclipse does have good screens. They are on par with Kenwood and Pioneer. Panasonic may be a bit better, but any of these are great. A good off brand screen will also look just as good. You can't tell the difference unless you get a real lower end one. With that said, it is a must to see the screen work first. You can order screens for about $250-$350 from a private audio store. That is about what you get them for online. Have them hook it up and show you. Compare that with other screens in the store. If you don't like it, order another one and try again. Once or twice won't hurt them.

In Japan, Eclipse has the most awesome HU with built in monitor. The monitor takes up the whole double din space and all the audio controls are on screen. It is very sweet. It costs a lot but it is totally high end. Too bad they don't sell it over here.