So, I'm going to Autosound in Arlington tomorrow

[Adam Payrot]

Not a problem at all. Thanks for letting me take the Si out, it was nice to see what my car's "cousin" is like Some subtle differences; that speed readout would make life a little easier for me

I couldn't believe that invoice Definitely give Earmark a try. Any luck on deciding which HU to use?

[srivendel]

I couldn't believe that invoice

That makes two of us. I know it was some expensive , but they still need to cut a brother a break. I suspected I was in trouble after the first guy tried to sell me the Boston Pros for rear fill. It's like they're testing the waters to see whether you're a sucker. Not a professional way to do business.

Any luck on deciding which HU to use?

I'd like to go with this Eclipse unit. 5v pre-amps, Eclipse quality, and a built-in 11 channel EQ are big pluses. I also think the styling is relatively inoffensive.

S.

[Adam Payrot]

That HU looks good, the only thing I would worry about is the FM sensitivity at 15dBf. Not too much of a worry if you don't plan on listening to regular radio that much. I didn't notice, but is the antenna in the rear glass on the Si? There's some areas where I lose a lot of stations because of the RSX antenna being in the rear glass.

[srivendel]

I'm also a fan of the aesthetics and features of this Pioneer unit:


But Earmark, at least, doesn't carry Pioneer.

FM sensitivity is completely irrelevant to me. I can't remember the last time I listened to FM radio.

S.

[Adam Payrot]

You're going to have a hard time finding a place that carries Pioneer's Premier line. I plan on getting mine online, but it's a toss-up between the 880 and 980 for me, they are pretty much the same HU with the 980 having BT and a couple other things. I really like the built-in mike w/ auto EQ feature (both have it).

[Radio-Active]

I would definatley look online and through the back of some of the car magazine adds. I purchased a premier head unit 3 years ago for less than the price of the equivalent pioneer model. Prior to that, I purchased a Kenwood head unit from a magazine add in the back that was two notches up in model numbers for $100 less than the Circuit city price of the lesser model.

BTW, I know that nobody like Cartoys aaround here, but the guy over at the Mckinney store was telling me that they were having a lot of bad Eclipse head units come back for this year model. You might want to scout around the internet and see whether there is any valididty to this.

[Adam Payrot]

BTW, I know that nobody like Cartoys aaround here, but the guy over at the Mckinney store was telling me that they were having a lot of bad Eclipse head units come back for this year model. You might want to scout around the internet and see whether there is any valididty to this.

There is, Eclipse is known for that in recent years; but it's hit or miss. It's really too bad, they have some great head units, just for some reason their QC has gone downhill.

[juxt3r]

BTW, I know that nobody like Cartoys around here, but the guy over at the Mckinney store was telling me that they were having a lot of bad Eclipse head units come back for this year model. You might want to scout around the internet and see whether there is any valididty to this.

I thought this problem was mostly isolated to the '05 models. Shame to read it's still an issue with the '06s. I got an ECD-414 in '94 and used it for a solid decade with no issues whatsoever. Wish I still had it, really.

If you want an Eclipse, look for NOS, pre-'05 heads on fleaBay and various audio forums. They're definitely around and dropping in price nicely.

Haven't been a fan of the Premier heads due to the crappy one my uncle had in his '91 A-pkg back in the day.

[Adam Payrot]

Haven't been a fan of the Premier heads due to the crappy one my uncle had in his '91 A-pkg back in the day.

The current offerings are considered to be some of the best on the market. The higher end Kenwoods (x889, x890, and x990) are also very good head-units. The functionality and SQ of the 05-06 Kenwood and 06 Pioneer Premier units are top-notch.

[TurboDuane]

I had Audio Sound put in a DVD system in my last SUV. The price was right and they did good work.

Ask for one of the owners, last name Vlassis, he is a friend of mines brother. Tell him that Duane from Arlington Computers referred you, and ask him what George (brother) is doing now. He's liable to warm up and give you better pricing.

Then again, he may add 20%