I'm thinking of splashing out on a CD player for my elderly 944. Anything to look out for when buying?
regards kev
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I have always had Alpine. Firstly because it is the staple VW enthusiasts ICE make but secondly, I have never been more impressed with a piece of electronic kit (bar my Technics home hi-fi)
The Alpine head units are extremely well laid out and tend to be simple. Some top end models are fussy but the bulk of their range is ergonomically simple. IMHO, Kenwood and others are very fussy and I can't get the hang of working with them "on the move" - not that they are inferior, the sound from all units are equal. Kenwood tend to be at the forefront of innovation but that can sometimes get in the way of functionality.
I've never been that impressed with the Alpine tuner tho. I have an Alpine head unit with single CD player and a 6-CD changer in the glovebox. I know of some lowered VW's fitted with Kenwood units have had failures in the multi-changer due to failure in the silicon fluid dampers that protect the CD mechanism. I have never heard of Alpine failures.
I would look for simplicity and durability before any fancy gizmos. Remote control is handy. EON a must. RDS not so. Anti-theft design is still a bit dated. The Kenwood "Mask" TM design simply folds the face back - I would stick with complete face removal.
Most suppliers offer an insurance policy for the first year if the face has been removed.
Go for a 6-CD or 10-CD Alpine shuttle - slim, clean and very, very durable.
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The most important thing is to make sure it fits. I don't know what the wiring on the 944 is like, but a lot of modern cars don't have standard ISO connections, and need special harness adapters. I'd bet there isn't one for a 944.
If it's the standard ISO connector, then any CD player will fit. As for which make, they're all much of a muchness. The internals tend to be made by one of a few manufacturers. I've the Kenwood CD-MP3 player, which is brilliant. Several of my friends have £150 JVC units, and say they're good.
One thing though, don't buy one from Halfords!
Andy
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I have a Kenwood single CD with MASK. Truly Excellent.
Used to have a removable face plate Kenwood but couldnt be a***d with removing it and carrying it around. Ask yourself if you can be bothered carying the front of the unit around. Think of the scratches and damage that will be caused.
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I was thinking of replacing my Volvo radio thingy as the tape player no longer works but what is wrong with Halfords. I would have probably gone there first.
I have also wondered about changing the car, as I have mentioned previously. Still can't decide which one is simple enough to avoid costly electronic repairs and a £75 bills for two poxy keys.
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The only problem with Halfords is the price. They seem to be consistently more expensive than anyone else. The unit I have was £350 in Halfords. I paid £250.
Andy
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Cheapest place to buy ICE is on the net.
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for £250 you can have my sony minidisc player.
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The original Kenwood MASK would only turn the faceplate around (like mine), but the new ones (MASK+) will either turn it around, or let you remove it like any other stereo.
Best of both worlds!
As regards to what kit to get - my Kenwood has never given me a problem and is great, although it was 1998/99 top range model (I got it 2nd hand) and so should be.
My bro has just bought a Pioneer headunit, single CD with the fancy screen on it. Good spec for cheap price - 50w per channel, cd-text, programmable equaliser thing (thats good), high pass filters, 2 preouts, rds/eon/news/etc.
Think I'd stick with Kenwood though. If you can afford an Alpine, go for Alpine, but personally I'd buy a Kenwood or similar and spend the money saved on upgrading your speakers. Go to halfords and have a play, then buy off the net.
M.
p.s. LAS's virtual Minidisc sounds like a bargain to me. Especially if its still in its virtual warranty period. You might even be able to get him to throw in some virtual minidiscs. :-)
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i would give you the model number, but you still wouldnt believe me.
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