I am thinking about Buying a CD/MP3 Player For my 2000 F-150.

But Not Sure which one to Buy, I've had my eye on a Clarion, here.

CLARION

I like the features it has, but I am wondering how it stacks up against others. Such as

JVC, Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony, Etc.

Any Feedback, Thanks

 

i don't know about the price difference from the clarion you're looking at, but look at the pioneer p8mp or alpine cda-9855. if you are thinking there's any remote possibility of upgrading your speakers or adding a subwoofer, then look for something with more than just one preamp output as the Clarion you're looking at has. A good headunit nowadays should keep you up to snuff in terms of keeping up with technology for awhile. the one's i've listed above and below are your middle of the line headunits that provide a great variety of options...

there have been some issues with the alpine regarding the motorized faceplate in hot weather as well as the "slide-touch" feature sticking. however, alpine has since fixed this problem and is now distributing the "fixed" one's. ebay has some for very cheap, but i'm afraid that they're the one's that are before the fix. i'm not a big fan of getting stuck buying from an unauthorized distributor and having no warranty should any issues rise up. in any essence, the customizability of the alpine's EQ is awesome and the appearance looks sharp, too. if you're not a fan of the grayscale look, the alpine cda-9853 boasts the same features except a color display and 2v preamps.

as for the pioneer p8mp, overall it's a solid headunit as are the majority of headunits pioneer ships out. to me, i like the smooth metal look and simple appearance of the faceplate. don't let the basic layout fool you though, there's a ton of preset levels you can adjust to, as well as the option to create up to 2 different EQ settings (i believe).

either way, in my hunt for a good mp3/cd headunit i think i'm leaning towards the p8mp.

 

I have this Clarion in my 2000 F150. Very nice and it blows away any Kenwood in it's pricerange.


This is last years model before Clarion went to the bling aluminum front. About U$200 on the net.

Fritz

 

Well I've already upgraded to 4 New 6x8 Pioneer 4 Ways. And The stock cd player just doesn't have enough oomph for what I like. It did increase the sound, but I am figuring a new Head Unit will do the trick.

On Interior I'm kind of into the Stock look, so I've debated about hooking up an Amp to the stock CD player. But the main reason I am getting it, is for the MP3, and for sound.

I've browsed through numerous Pioneers, JVC's, Clarion's. Etc. And So Far, I like the Built in Mni-hard drive that holds 80 songs. But I am wondering if the sound quality will not be as good as a pioneer. And if it is just a selling point.

Any feedback much thanks....

 

About anything Pioneer, Clarion Pro Audio, Eclipse, and Alpine will be good. All make very nice HU's.

The Alpine 9855 is cool, but personally Id go with the 9835.

How much are you looking to spend?

 

I really like the Kenwood HU's. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the silver accents, I keep going the Kenwood route -- the main reason -- Kenwood MUSIC KEG. I can't say enough how excellent it is. If you do it right you can pick up a VW phatbox and kenwood cable and for a total of $200 you just added 20gigs of storage to your head unit. You'll never have to insert a CD again (except as you walk out of the store with that new CD and want to listen to it as you drive home to rip it). Plus, the Kenwoods sound great (and you can tailor that sound a lot). I also really love the steering wheel remote you can get for it...

 

I've always used Kenwood. Very reliable and durable.

 

I have a Kenwood kdc-mp7028. Great HU once I got used to the manual. Lots of adjustments. Got it last month for 219.99 shipped, which included all the required harness and dash piece. Have my iriver hooked to it, so no more cds.

 

I've got the Kenwood KDC-X789 and a Music keg in my f 150 with Sirius Radio and with the Keg I think I've managed to get almost 50 cd's on it that I have ripped from original cd's . And it all depends on what speed you want to rip your cd's to the Keg at for killler sound quality .
I've been using Kenwood home units and mobile units going on 10 years and they have never disappointed me yet .
With the X 789 only trouble that I am having is getting used to way the display operates and how to fine tune the adjustments .