I have the original system in my car. It's a 2003, 350Z - Frost / Black interior. Everything in the interior is stock. My radio has been shorting out for the past few months and I have a credit at an audio radio place in town to get this fixed. I've gone in a couple times to try to figure out what I want to do. I took a moment to look through the sound systems that all of you have installed (at least the ones where the images still work) and you guys have some pretty substantial systems. The reason why I haven't moved forward is because I haven't yet found the balance that I wanted and I'm hoping that you guys can help. I love the stock radio because it's part of the vehicle and doesn't look like an afterthought or that it was installed afterward. That's the problem that I have with the new radios is that they're going to look aftermarket and I think I'd rather have the blended look that the original radio provides. If I were to re-purchase the stock radio and put some good tweeters and speakers in my car would the sound be good? What are your thoughts on this?

 

No matter what you do, the stock head unit is going to sound like crap. I didn't want anything to different my self so I made sure that the head unit i used (Pioneer fh-x720BT) had the exact same color of orange that the rest of stock one (as well as all of the orange guages)



Otherwise if you want a stock head unit I have my old stock one out in my garage (non bose) that I would sell cheap.

 

I have my factory bose cd/tape player in the garage if you have that instead of the regular.

I love my Pioneer 7" touch screen.

 

JVC makes a basic model that looks almost stock due to its simple design:
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...C-KW-SX68.html
...and yes you can adjust the color of the lights to match the dash.

If you are going to put ANY money into aftermarket speakers you are going to want a better radio then the stock POS.

FYI if you are looking to stay stock I can tell you that Infinity's Reference 6030CS component speakers fit behind the stock grills, even the tweeters.

 

I went through 3 stock head units before biting the bullet and upgrading if that tells you anything about stock radio quality.

Sony XAV-68BT

 

You nailed it. That's an absolutely great idea in having the color of the radio be the same color as the rest of the lights in the car. I didn't even think of that. That actually solidified two questions that I had which were: how do I choose a radio to fit into my car, and do I choose a full-sized touch-face or the "half" sized one with a storage compartment to take the other half. I really like what you did with yours. I'm going to go take a look at the radios they have in their store and see if any blend/flow. Thanks!

 

You should get a new H/U. Here is my experience.

The first project on my new 2003 350z was updating the CES. My car had the OEM Clarion system (H/U, 4 speakers, no SubW, and no external amp.).

• Initially I kept the H/U and added an external amp and 4 new high quality speakers (components in the front and coaxials in the rear). The result was disappointing.
• I then swapped the H/U for an aftermarket device. Now the quality was great. My high quality speakers were delivering the great sound they are capable of providing.

Here is a picture of my single din installation. The H/U shown is an aftermarket Clarion that exactly matches the Z’s instruments’ color (Clarion call the color Warm Amber).



Please forgive the harsh flash. The installation actually looks better than this picture, but you do notice that a single din installation looks more like an “add on.” I also installed a non-slip rubber mat (not shown) on the shelf in the lower open compartment to keep things on the shelf quiet and in place. It also covers the access slots you see at the back of the bottom compartment.

The single din configuration offers some advantages:

• You have an additional storage compartment in a very convenient spot.
• The access slots in the back of the lower open shelf are handy for running connecting cables (e.g., USB, power, etc.)

 

Glad you like it. I really wouldn't go with a single din with the storage compartment. Nothing kills the flow like that. Anyway, having the larger buttons, and the more spread out design you get with a double din without a touchscreen is really nice looking compared to a single din. If you use apple devices, pioneer has the best support for advanced apple features like siri and such over bluetooth of any "Non-touchscreen" head unit.

 

Junk your stock radio. That thing is garbage and sounds horrible. Even a budget radio will sound much better than what you have.

I also wanted that "original" look which is why I went with the DDX470. Its a double DIN with touch screen and flows with the car. I even changed the lights to amber so it matches the interior. IMHO, it updates the interior so it looks like the newer cars and even adds features like bluetooth and a reverse camera.

People that have sat in my car thought it came with the car.


Stay away from single DIN! That def. doesnt look clean and uniform.

 

Thank you everyone - I decided to go with the same radio that RobinHood5 had. Currently it's on backorder but I have enough of a credit at the store that I'm also getting a set of front speakers / tweeters installed. I really didn't like the touchscreen option, it just doesn't feel balanced to me whereby this radio is perfect for what I'm looking for. Pictures will be uploaded once installed.

 

Have you tried mounting the radio maybe 1/4" back? It wont stick out as much and look more "oem".

 

i have a similar unit as RobinHood5, mine is the 700BT model though. difference? no idea, but it has the same color options. i set the colors like the gauges...the display is the color of the needles, the keys and accents are the same as the gauge faces. keeps the interior flow going IMO. i do change it from time to time, but i always go back. looks great, sounds great, and i love the fact i can answer calls though the radio (the mic picks me up just fine, and i can hear people really well through the system).

youll be pleased with the HU.

 

The difference is the one I have has a lot of bluetooth advancements over the 700.

I really like the head unit, I just found out that to turn it off you hold down the source button XD. I had always just turned it all the way down.