Was looking at getting my OEM head unit (no Bose, no NAV) replaced. The guy at the sound shop tells me that I need to buy some sort of interface that is like $130! This is not the dash kit, but something else. He said that this is only a problem with the 04's, not the 03's. Has anyone run into this? Is this guy FOS? Thanks.

 

Yep! I just installed a Sony head unit in my 04 and only needed the dash kit and wiring harness.

 

Certified ********

 

Well, thats a pretty vague post, but could it possibly be a line-level adaptor for running an aftermarket amp off of a stock headunit? I have no idea why he would say this is only applicable to '04s (sounds like you need to walk away from the shop), but it also has absolutely nothing to do with anything if you're talking about replacing your headunit.

I would find somewhere else to go.

 

that is how much the piece cost for the bose, maybe he doesnt realize it isnt the bose. or he is just trying tor rake you ofr $$

 

Yea I think this is going around alot, "BS" I just came from Best buy... I wanted to buy a metra kit to install an aftermarket head unit And the guy at the install shop told me I needed a kit that would cost me around 600. I laughed at him and told him I just want a plastic kit! how can this cost me 600 you must be mistaken. He said no if you have the nav installed it would cost you this much for the kit. I said there is no way. Good by! went to Circuit City and bought it for 20 bucks!

 

BS...if you have the non-bose, you're talking $18 for dash kit, $18 for wiring harness...that's it.

 

Dont let audio shops push you around, you do the pushing. They will rake you for every last cent if they can and know you know nothing about stereos.

 

I had a speaker in my Toyota die a couple of months ago. I went into Best Buy to get a pair of plain speakers to replace them with.

They tried to tell me that the speakers wouldn't work. They wanted to install some $150 magic box that would allow those type of speakers to work with the factory Toyota stereo. I knew better and just bought the speakers and took them home.

Called the Toyota service dept. and they knew of no reason that regular speakers wouldn't work with the stereo in the car. Installed them myself and they work like a champ!

 

Hmm, as a former Car Audio store manager, I don't want the "damned audio shops" thread to go too far.. He he ... but yeah, there are some shistey bastards out there. . .

Biggest problem with Best Buy is that they don't train very well. No commission = no real need to know your product. Also people selling car audio could've been selling washers the week before. No specialization.

DavesZ#3, the only thing that comes to mind is that many MANY OEM speakers are not 4ohm speakers (car audio standard). Oftentimes companies will install higher resistant speakers with less powerful amps - gives more volume but sacrificies quality. Most people don't actually care about their car sound system so they are happy with what they're given.

I wish it were possible to just buy a car with "expansion ready sound system" - ie fully wired with Monster cable or something. No headunit. No speakers. Just wiring run for 2 amps, headunit, fronts, rears, and sub. Then you could go out and get whatever you wanted.

Now I just have to start my own car company.