[abucla]

All,

After nearly 6 years of having my IS, I have decided to keep it for the long haul and as such, would like to upgrade my receiver to support Ipod, USB, etc. I know there are many opinions on this matter but I don't want to go overboard and change my speakers, add an amp, etc. I just want to replace the receiver and the following are my requirements.

1. The replacement solution needs to look good. I love the look of the stock interface; it fits perfectly. What replacement receiver would you suggest that fits nicely in the space of the original stock deck?

2. Which replacement receiver that fits perfectly in the stock receiver space supports, ipod integration, aux in/out, usb in, bluetooth?

3. Is there a way I can leverage my existing 6-disc changer with a new receiver? This may be a dumb question and the answer may be a direct no, in which case can you suggest a multi-disc changer that supports mp3, wma, etc?

That's pretty much it. Looks and functionality are key. I am not looking for a flashy system nor am I looking to overhaul the entire mobiletronics of my car. I know it may be addicting once I get started but this is where I want to start.

Your help and suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.

-AB

 

[hotcracker69]

i got a suggestion:

use the search function available in this site!

 

[abucla]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've been searching for quite a while but can't seem to get an answer to 1 and 3. Of course there are a ton of posts on new receivers and installations but nothing consolidated that addresses these specific questions. I may be wrong and may be searching for the wrong strings. Either case, my apologies if I am re-inventing the wheel.

 

[Jumpshot7]

Umm...as far as question 3 is concerned, to my knowledge, that's a no, and I'm not aware of a decent multi-disc changer to replace the stock one...

As far as looks...are you looking for a Double Din or Single Din, or don't care??

 

[abucla]

I'd assume a dual din would look better

 

[ItalynStylion]

There is no way to use the 6disc from the stock changer since it is actually inside the stock unit that will be removed.

I would suggest looking at some double din units from Eclipse, Alpine, Pioneer, and Kenwood. All the double din units by them will support MP3 so switching discs is a thing of the past. If you own an IPOD i would suggest getting the Alpine because of the fullspeed hookup.

 

[TO_IS300]

I just installed this over the weekend. It's a JVC KW-XG700. It's got an USB input plus aux jack on the front, which were pretty much all that I needed. It can be used with blue tooth with an adaptor for your purpose. I hooked it up thru the Metra TYTO-01 and it sounded quite good. I chose this initially cause I thought it has a very "stock" look, but that's subjective to people's taste.

 

[-JDOG-]

lol I saw your climate controll and was like... WTF? 26 degrees. Then I noticed your from canada lol.

Sweet JVC.

 

[abucla]

Perfect, I'm looking at dual din Alpines. Any specific models? Looking to spend about $400 - $500 at most.

 

[abucla]

TO_IS that looks great! Does the JVC have Ipod integration?

 

[destron25]

Pioneer D3 you cant go wrong. I think its like 700 bucks right now for a new one.
Has ipod integration which also plays videos on ipod as well as dvds. It is bluetooth compatible and has navigation.

 

[TO_IS300]

Both Blue Tooth and Ipod connection requires seperate adapters for JVC systems. Another thing you should know though is that the USB can only read info up to 10gb... I haven't tried hooking up my ipod to it cause the music on my 2gb flash was enough for me. It's a relatively cheap system if you don't need the D3. It also comes with a frame adapter to conceal any gaps between the JDM faceplate and the stereo unit. The RCA jacks from the metra unit plugs right into the JVC unit too, so there are less splicing and sound distortion.

 

[zelakil]

My JVC reads more than 10 GB. In fact, it will read an entire hard drive if you have time to sit around and wait...:boring:

 

[abucla]

Thanks to all of your responses, I have refined my criteria a bit and need your help finding the right dual din receiver that fits the bill.

1. Need Ipod audio/video integration.
2. Need usb and aux input
3. Preferably touch screen interface to search ipod library quickly.
4. Bluetooth is a definite plus

4. Don't need NAV!

I like the Pioneer D3 but it doesn't have a USB input.

Is there a comparable deck at the same price range as the D3 that includes all the above features?

Thanks everyone. Hopefully I'll get this hashed out this weekend.

 

[abucla]

TO_IS the more I look at your install the more I like it. Do you know if the install will be significantly more complicated with my stock NAV in place? I would need to get this installed by someone; I don't know much about installing these things and as such, want to make sure the labor would not outweigh the cost of the unit itself. If the shop had to touch the existing NAV, I'd assume the labor would go through the roof. Thoughts?

 

[TO_IS300]

Ab, I don't have Nav in my car so I can't offer you any help there... can other members with Nav offer some advice? Like I said in my PM the space in the back of the unit is extremely tight with all the wiring...the JVC is a deep unit. Hopefully the wiring for the stock NAV doesn't take up more space.