I'm looking to upgrade the sound in my car, but I really hate the aftermarket-looking head units. So I'm having a really tough time deciding which head unit to go with. Hopefully you guys can provide your suggestions based on my criteria:

- Must be all black with amber lighting (no silver/brushed aluminum)
- Volume control should be a **** and not up/down buttons
- Should have aux input
- Single or double-din, but no all-in-one units with nav, etc. (I already have a computer with StreetDeck hooked up to a touchscreen monitor in the OEM nav area)
- Looks OEM and not flashy at all


Just based on sheer looks alone, I am looking for something plane and simple like this:


This, on the other hand, won't cut it:

(although the design is relatively simply, I don't like the brushed accents or the curvy design; also the volume control looks like buttons vs a ****)

Just searching the forums and looking online, it seems like some of my options may be either Nakamichi or Blaupunkt. To some of you, these head units may look ugly and bland. Personally, I like things to look like they came like that from the factory. So what do you guys suggest? Please look at my criteria above and don't just say "get an Alpine! I got one and it sounds great!" Please give me a SPECIFIC model if you are going to make a suggestion (and just by how it physically looks, most Alpines look way too busy for me anyways).

Thanks everyone.

 

Bump!

 

that nakamichi one looks pretty close to the OEM HU. We have similar taste, and I don't like that fancy blue buttoned hi tech look. How much does that Nakamichi one go for? They used to be high end and more popular in the 90s, not sure how much they still go for nowadays.

 

That Nakamichi is probably the best sounding one you will get that looks oem i guarentee. They make awesome products. It also looks good as well if you are going for the oem look. I think you have your choice right there.

 

The Nakamichi does look nice, and I think I would possibly go for the CD400 or CD500. Problem is I can't find where to buy it anywhere online? The only place I found is Amazon, and they only have the CD400. And it's very tough to even find a comparison between the 400 and 500. Price is around $300-350 or so.

 

for the cd400:

http://www.ugotadeal.com/product_inf...68?ref=froogle

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...product_id=760

http://www.gpsblowout.com/product/Na...d-froogle.html

cd500:

http://techronics.com/index.cfm?fuse...3575&aff=72182

http://www.google.com/products?q=Nak...+cd500&show=dd

i have delt with ugotadeal and wooferetc. Teh gps place, is the cheapest but i haven't delt with them before.

the cd500 is suppose to be very very very close the cd700 but a lot cheaper.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for the links! The CD400 I see on Amazon for $299 (available through DiscountJungle). Or I can purchase from ugotadeal for the same price.

I'm not really good with electronic/audio, so I'm not sure if I should go for the CD400 or CD500? Like I said, I can't find a place that does side-by-side specs. What's the exact differences between the CD400 and CD500? Is the ONLY difference that the CD500 has mp3/wma compatibility? Are there any other advantages in terms of sound quality or anything else? If they're EXACTLY the same, just that the 500 has mp3/wma, then I'll go for the 400 since I have a computer with all my music anyways.

Thanks for your help!

 

yeah, that is the only difference. The 400 is probably better suited for you. Sound quality is the same. The only complaint my friend had with the 400 is that it skips very easy. So if you have a big system or ride on rough roads, it might be a problem since our cars are not the smoothest. I will guarentee you will love the sound quality and clarity of their head units.

 

So when you are talking about skipping, you're referring to the CD player, correct? Are there any issues with the unit skipping with the aux connection? I'm thinking no, but might as well ask

 

no just skipping with the cd. For some reason, it's really sensitive. You can actually just hit your hand on the unit and it will skip. But i really don't know anyone who buys this headunit and has big subs. I just wanted to let you know before hand. You should be ok though as long as you don't play superloud music.

 

Yeah I won't be using the CD, so it shouldn't be an issue. But you friend who has the CD-400, does he have it in a 350Z? What other components is he using (speakers, sub, etc.)? You can PM me if you want, or list them here in case anybody else is interested.

 

for car CD players, their ability to absorb the bounce and movements associated with the ride will be a big factor on your music playback. Other than that, if you were to find the spec sheet, I'd consider the quality of the DAC(digital to analog converter) within the CD player to find which one uses better parts. The acoustics of the car is so different than any other settings, so the slight differences in quality parts won't matter much at all. Unless you're talking about doing a complete high end install, where you go as far as doing sound proofing and acoustic deadening, I'd highly doubt you'll hear a difference between the 2 players. Go for the one that's less likely to skip and features that you'd use (MP3 capabilities, if you use MP3s).

 

If your primary input will be AUX from the CarPC, and skipping, DA converters etc. are not a big concern. What you need to find out is if the AUX input is full range. The reason I bring this up is, like you I have a CarPC, I never use the CD or built in hard drive and hardly use the radio but use AUX all the time with my Clarion dxz845mc ( http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/IS..._dxz845mc.html ). The color does change to something quite close to the Z interior but this is an old model and all the new ones look like @ss.

Anyway, for some reason the AUX input on the unit cuts off the real low bass. I have tried three different source units and they all do the same thing even when they work fine with other systems. I have adjusted the bass up on the PC and it works ok but it is more of a band-aid and I can't help thinking things sound a tad muddy because of it.

I would hope and assume that Nakamichi built a nice unit that would not have this issue, but it might be worth checking out, the Clarion looked good too. This looks promising though, I may end up switching just for the cleaner looks and the hope of better bass.

Chris

 

I'm thinking about picking up one of those soon, but I'd like to hear more about how easily they skip...the freeways around me are not always the smoothest. Also, would you happen to know how they are with CDRs?

I'm not the best at evaluating audio equipment, but would this HU have inputs for XM/Sirius?

 

CD400 specs are here: http://www.nakamichi.com/pdf/Naka%20-%20CD400%20FA.pdf
CD500 specs are here: http://www.nakamichi.com/pdf/CD%2050...0-%20Final.pdf

So when you say consider the quality of the DAC, which of the two is better? I'm guessing they're the same? FWIW, I guess if they're the same I would opt for the CD-400 since I don't care for the mp3 playback (or even the CD player). I just want a clean, OEM looking, high-quality receiver that has aux inputs.

 

Yes, my primary use will be from the AUX (and possibly the radio). But as for "What you need to find out is if the AUX input is full range", how do I do that?

But in any case, I really like the clean look of this HU. Hopefully it works out.

 

From what I've read online, they're pretty prone to skipping, whether its an original CD or CDR

If you want inputs for XM/Sirius, I would think you can use the AUX-in to hook up?

 

Isn't Eclipse part of Nakamichi?

 

it's not as bad as you think. Like i said, if you are not for a bass head or trying to go to competitions and hit high DB numbers, there is nothing wrong with it. My friend has the same one and it doesn't skip at all with his two 10's.

 

Nakamichi was a top manufacturer when high end cassette was part of home audio. They produced some legendary equipment. They are still a very good audio company so I bet these units have a good sound quality. What do they look like though installed into the large Zcar opening?