Nakamichi head units...

[jdusty4]

I'm looking to replace the alpine HU i have currently in my e30. I want something with an AUX-in, and it seems like a few of the Nakamichi units have these. I like that Nakamichi will preserve the stock look. TD-35z, TD-45z, TD500, TD700 - apparently these all have AUX-in


What I'm wondering is if these require a separate amp. I'd like something that I can just switch out for the current set up, rather than dealing with new wiring, etc.

Also has anyone installed any of these - are they standard DIN? How do they look?

EDIT: looks like the TD 400, 500, 700 dont actually have an AUX in.

Anyone know anything about the RD series? apparently RD-450 and RD-460 have the same connection as the CD400 that will allow a CD or AUX in. Hard to tell if these are really stand alone amps - the RD450 and 460 are 4 x 4 watts (http://www.nakremotes.com/Images/Nak/RD-450.jpg). Is that enough to drive the (6) speakers in the e30 "premium" system?

Also can't find wattage ratings on TD-35, TD-45. This guy says hes driving speakers with just the TD-45

[StereoInstaller1]

You are aware that this isn't the Nakamichi of yore, correct?

The RDs were made by JVC after they original company failed. Most broke, they all sucked in one way or another. If it was made after 1990, its "New Nak" and has nothing in common with the classic Nakamichi.

BTW, if you have a lead on a TD700, LMK. I still have (one of) my old Nak cassette decks and I miss my old one I bought new in '86. One of the best bits of car audio ever, but I bet a $100 Pioneer of today still kicks its ass.

Since you have PS, the 4 watts won't mater if you use the stock amp. The amp runs the speakers, the deck only feeds a signal to the amp. The 4 watts X 4 would be perfect, that is the same as the stock E30 deck.

Good luck!
Luke

[jdusty4]

I think when I had the current Alpine HU installed they may have bypassed the stock amp, though I'll need to check.

It does seem like quality went down on those later amps, from what I can tell. Do you know anything about the TD-45z? Clearly from the same era but I wonder if the quality is any better? Also, would it be a big improvement to get the TD-45z and bypass the stock amp (it has 43 wpc, apparently). The RD series does have a bit more of a stock look to it though.

[jdusty4]

Oh and there is a TD-700 on ebay right now, but they're selling as-is with tape problems...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NAKAMICHI-TD-700-CAR-AUDIO-CASSETTE-PLAYER-RARE-OLD-SCHOOL-/111287492761?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item19e9406099

It seems like there is no good choice for a Nakamichi HU that can take AUX-in and is also really good quality/stock look. The one thing I've found is the 1000TD but that goes for thousands on ebay...

EDIT: ok last pile on. Luke, according to this http://www.usedprice.com/items/car-s...5z-129719.html, the RD series was made 1987-88. The TD-x5z was made in 1999. According to Wikipedia Nakamichi went bankrupt in 1998 and was bought by a Chinese company that owned Sansui and Akai. Was JVC manufacturing their HUs before this?

This thread has some good info. http://www.tapeheads.net/archive/index.php/t-7461.html. Lots of negative comments about the "Mobile Tuner Series," made 1991-4. Some conflicting stuff about the RD series. Interestingly mostly positive about TD-35/45z.

[StereoInstaller1]

I cant tell you exactly when, but I would guess that around 1995 or so is when they just lost it. They did bankrupt in 1998, but struggled for years before that. Worse than that, I had just sent my beloved TD1200ii off for repair, all the way to Japan...never to be seen again. I was working at a Nak dealer in LA for quite a while. I had a TD500, TD700 and TD1200 before I got this TD1200ii. Just after I sold the others, the ii died. I paid $1275 in 1985(ish?) for that thing, it was magical.

The z decks have/had skipping issues, but if it is on the road now, it likely got fixed. They skipped on new CDs with the engine off, I can only assume all of them got fixed. I would believe those to be the last "real" Naks, but they were nothing compared to even a TD200 in terms of build quality and performance. I was not working at a Nak dealer in those days, I left the fold before they ever made an indash CD player.

I did install plenty of them, especially just before I left San Diego in 1988. Did a pair of E30M3s for two brothers, both were all Nak, until the thing skipped so bad we ended up using nasty old Kenwoods...whatever.

I don't understand why you would choose Nak over something like a DCTZ1 though...well, OK, there is a bit of a price difference...LOL

Luke

[mcskibadee1]

I run a cd400 that is running my alpine type r speakers all around and it sounds great for what it is and it looks "stock". I mean, ya, the CD player doesn't fit the era but most people have no idea. I use the ai-net for the aux and I'm all good.

[StereoInstaller1]

I run a cd400 that is running my alpine type r speakers all around and it sounds great for what it is and it looks "stock". I mean, ya, the CD player doesn't fit the era but most people have no idea. I use the ai-net for the aux and I'm all good.

See, I like the CD400. I think it is a good deck, considering its limited input and output options. That is something I can work with to get that clean a look. It definitely has great SQ, but they just went't reliable.

If yours behaves properly, doesn't skip, get good FM and AM, the amp remote still works, the volume knob works properly and the lights still light up, that is a miracle deck.

Very nice to hear a real success story with a "Modern" Nak! I remember their glory days, I worked in LA, right in the middle of the money, doing Ferraris and Mercedes in downtown Santa Monica. I loved their stuff, everything, all of it. I sold and installed hundreds of pieces, it was always just wonderful. When they went to crap it really hurt. When someone wanted "really nice clean sound" all I had left was the mainstream stuff. Nothing was as good as old Nak, nothing.

[mcskibadee1]

Lol, funny you talk about reliability because the din doesn't light up sometimes so I can't see the adjustments at night. Other than that it sounds and looks great.

[jdusty4]

I looked at the cd400 too, but in the end I think I want a tape deck. Does anyone know if the ai-net interface will work with an older Nakamichi deck with CD-changer input? I found a TD-560 that fits the bill...

I run a cd400 that is running my alpine type r speakers all around and it sounds great for what it is and it looks "stock". I mean, ya, the CD player doesn't fit the era but most people have no idea. I use the ai-net for the aux and I'm all good.

[jdusty4]

Got the TD-560 installed last week. Paired with MMATS SQ4070 amp. I will put a picture up this week - it looks a lot better than the aftermarket Alpine, though it sticks out quite a bit from the dash, I think because it's a "pull-out chassis."

The Nakamichis of this era with CD changer input had the RCA input separate from the controller/power cable to the CD changer, and the unit will allow you to select "CD" without any handshake from the changer. From what I have found on the internet, this covers the TD-560 and 540, the "Mobile Tuner Deck" 1 and 2, and maybe the RD-460. The TD-500C also accepts AUX-in. So I just used a RCA-to-30pin iPhone cable to get the line-out signal from my phone. Also charges the phone. http://www.amazon.com/Axxess-AIP-RCA.../dp/B003FPB09C. I ran the cable through the glovebox.

Sound is great, though I discovered one front tweeter is blown and the other barely working, so am replacing those.

Unfortunately the guy who installed it wasnt able to get the illumination cable to work. I was too embarrassed to tell him that probably the main reason for going through this whole process was to get the correct illumination color that the Nakamichi deck offered. He said that the Nak cable is positive while the one coming from the stock wiring harness is negative. Also couldn't get the deck to send up the antenna. I don't quite understand how this could be the case, I'm going to look into it when I pull the deck to put a ground loop isolator on the AUX-in (noise is not too bad, but noticeable).