Hey guys!

I like the infinity radio that came with the car, but unfortunately it does not have an Ipod hookup and therefore I'm thinking about buying a new stereo system. I am not looking to spend a fortune but definitely want a system which utilizes the sound quality of the speakers in the car. Don't want to sell myself short and end up with a system that is worse than before.
What should I look for?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Nick

 

I replaced the radio on my coupe with a Pioneer that has USB and Bluetooth. It has an auxiliary port on the front for my Zune and I can stick a USB thumb drive in there as well to play music. The sound is great. I think you can use the USB port to control an ipod as well.

 

Crutchfield has a catalog with stereos in it. Their "marine" versions are silver to colormatch your dash. I'd get one you can plug your iPod into.

I want the Clarion that has the flip out GPS, but it won't colormatch

 

I have a Sony Xplod GT 530 ui head unit in my XF... (black face plate, blue lights.. oh well). It came out of my other vehicle... but I love how easy to use it is. There is a bit of a learning curve to master the ipod controls (as you cannot change your music from the ipod itself, only from the head unit) but once you get it down it's really quite simple.

I would get the Sony Xplod CDX-GT640UI head unit.... mainly because as far as I can tell it has green lights. (Personal opinion though, as I like the Sony head units)

Here's a pic:



Aux input as well as USB. Single CD player I believe.


Edit: Right after I posted this I looked at Crutchfield's website... and it says this model is discontinued. Though that is not to say some car audio place near you does not have it in stock. Oh well, it was just a suggestion anyway. P.S. This stereo got 4.5 / 5 stars from 85 consumers on Crutchfield.com

 

Thanks for the tips guys, I do like the Sony one. But, it seems a bit weird that I won't be able to play songs directly from the controls of my ipod.

 

As far as that goes.. I would say it's safer because you're not looking down at your ipod, you just have to glance at your stereo.

The stereo shows the name of the song based on what it is in your itunes.

And it lets you pick playlists, so you can customize the genre of music you want to listen to that way.

Usually I put songs I want to listen to into an individualized playlist on itunes, then plug my ipod in (and I have velcro on the back side of my ipod, as well as on the space near where your feet would go as a passenger) that secures it in place during travel.

All in all it works out really well. You should check out youtube if you're skeptical. I bet there are videos showing how to navigate through the settings of the head unit. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Regards,
Eric

 

You know what, you convinced me. After looking at reviews I think for 100 bucks I can't go wrong with that unit. NOW, how do I replace it with the old one? haha Is it a tough procedure or can I do that by myself?

 

I am running an Alpine iDA-X100M. This is a silver Marine head unit. USB is out the back, so nothing to stick out of your stereo.



I also ran all four speakers down to the amp and did the "clip" and made the factory amp take true four channels. THIS is what makes all the difference with a head unit swap!

Cheers!

 

I just got the Sony one from above. It looks good!
Does anybody have step by step instructions on how to replace the stock radio with this one?
Will I need anything else? I got the key tool to pull the old one out!

 

I would recommend you the Alpine brand for stereo systems. The sounds are great and it works well with the ipod. That’s really awesome!