Head unit with amber lighting, bluetooth for ~$100?

[agent]

The JVC KD-X50BT is $70 on Amazon now.

[jeffnhiscars]

I know the budget is $100 but info is all useful. I just installed a Kenwood KDC-BT752HD. It has bluetooth, Pandora, HD radio & 24 colors with a good amber match. I also think the esthetics are more e30ish than JVC even though it seems they are both owned by Kenwood.

I paid $142 shipped on Amazon

[Sarx]

I know the budget is $100 but info is all useful. I just installed a Kenwood KDC-BT752HD. It has bluetooth, Pandora, HD radio & 24 colors with a good amber match. I also think the esthetics are more e30ish than JVC even though it seems they are both owned by Kenwood.

I paid $142 shipped on Amazon

No rear USB, 2.5v outs and the chrome kills it for me. I think the best move would be to step up (~$200) and get a proper deck or spend less. IMHO, that X50BT is the better bargain, but I'm looking at the CZ702 and the 80PRS right now.

[bastianshaw]

JVC 925/thread
its $160 ut its the last one you will ever need
6 rcas, 5.0v
front and rear usb,aux
bluetooth
matches stock interior lighting

[Dozyproductions]

Why is that? Do NOT tell me it has anything to do with sound quality. All of these HUs use the same crappy 4-channel amplifier ICs that start to clip at output levels above 14W (at the rated 50W, the output resembles a square wave). I repeat, all head units are functionally the same, $50 to $400. The only differences are in the extra features, the name of the brand and the decoration level of the face plate. All members of a manufacturer's HU lineup for a given year have the same PCB, with a few ICs left off for the cheaper HU variants of the lineup.

For example: a lot of times, a more expensive version of a HU will advertize having 6 RCA outputs versus the base model's 2. The only difference between them is that the one with 6 outputs has $0.50 worth of DAC ICs, some resistors and the bigger RCA header (the cheaper model has the same PCB, with those components left-off). I've had enough of them apart, as well as the manufacturer's schematics, to know this. A more expensive HU is better in the same way that a more expensive watch is better. They all tell you the time perfectly well, but one is nicer to look at and you might get bragging rights with your buddies.

OP, just go find the cheapest HU that fits your criteria. They are all the same thing.

Those extra features do come in handy when you need an equalizer and cross overs for an active 3 way ;)

[bmwman91]

Those extra features do come in handy when you need an equalizer and cross overs for an active 3 way ;)

I run an active 3-way XO setup in my rig and it only uses one RCA input pair. Any decent active XO will let you use a single input and internally split the signal into low/mid/high. There is no sound quality penalty to doing so.

Anyway, it doesn't really matter in the end. Different strokes for different folks.

[Dozyproductions]

Discussion is on HU's. How did you set your system up anyways?

[bmwman91]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=170725

So I guess I used 2 RCA inputs from the level converter...forgot about that. Anyway, the XO would have taken a single input and it all would have been fine.

[willworkfore30s]

No matter whether the lighting matches the e30s lighting or not, it is still not going to look anywhere close to a stock radio. So is it really that important to go out of your way to get one that matches? I mean I guess I get it, I just feel like a head unit that overall looks more period correct would be important to you if the lighting color is.

Only thing I've come up with is something like this just because it looks like a radio blank when not on. Its not $100 but its not outrageous. I have its older brother the KD-AVX33 in my truck and I love it.




****With that being said, I just checked out that JVC KD-X50BT you guys were talking about and really like it! You may have changed my mind.

[ecsk]

Not sure if OP has installed anything yet.
This Fusion CA-CD800 http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu...n_CACD800.aspx is within OP budget. Fusion is no big name compare to Alpine, Pioneer, etc. but they do make quality stuff. I have just installed it in my E34 (similar dash scheme as E30), it matches perfectly fine. It is flat black finish without all gloss look as many other brand, colour is fully customised but its standard amber light matches close enough so I didn't bother to customise any further.

It has all moderm HU features (bluetooth, MP3, front/back USB, iPod/iPhone connection, etc) and does not break the bank. So far I'm very happy with it.

some screen shot after install

[StereoInstaller1]

Not sure if OP has installed anything yet.
This Fusion CA-CD800 http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu...n_CACD800.aspx is within OP budget. Fusion is no big name compare to Alpine, Pioneer, etc. but they do make quality stuff. I have just installed it in my E34 (similar dash scheme as E30), it matches perfectly fine. It is flat black finish without all gloss look as many other brand, colour is fully customised but its standard amber light matches close enough so I didn't bother to customise any further.

It has all moderm HU features (bluetooth, MP3, front/back USB, iPod/iPhone connection, etc) and does not break the bank. So far I'm very happy with it.

some screen shot after install

Holy Crap!

Dual USB and a sub level controller on the face of the deck?

interesting....

[Cabriolet]

Holy Crap!

Dual USB and a sub level controller on the face of the deck?

interesting....

omg Luke! this is exactly what you have been asking for.
last thing would be motorized to make it perfect

[StereoInstaller1]

omg Luke! this is exactly what you have been asking for.
last thing would be motorized to make it perfect

Sad to say I may be doing the weirdest deck I have seen yet in my E34, the Soundstream 9.3" detachable screen VR-931.