Car Audio Head Unit...
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] Car Audio Head Units - Budget options...

4 Posts
5 Users
0 Reactions
105 Views
Posts: 13617
Full Member
Topic starter
 

I'm looking to replace the rather shite Alba unit that is in my car and wondered if this Kenwood unit was any good...

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/ken-kdc4057ur-kenwood-kdc-4057ur.html

...RRP says £119, but I imagine this is a made-up price.

I need USB and 3.5mm Aux inputs.

I don't want to spend a fortune (£70 tops) as the car is 14 years old and could expire any time!

Ta!


 
Posted : 01/10/2013 8:13 pm
Posts: 33325
Full Member
 

Kenwood are, and always have been good. I was using Kenwood/Trio kit in the early 80's, so you can trust the unit, and the price looks about right. I have a very similar DAB unit in my car, and it works fine, a hell of a lot better than the expensive Alpine unit that preceded it.
Oh, and it might be worth going up a bit and getting the DAB unit, if the car falls off its perch, just take the unit out and put it into its successor, they're all DIN fitting, if the replacement has a double-DIN, you can get a little pocket to go underneath, handy place to stick the phone/pod/whatever; it's what I do with mine in my thirteen year-old Skoda...
[edit] Here's the unit I have, it's twenty quid over your budget, so not a deal breaker. Good unit, good buy:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_categoryId_165474_productId_925241_langId_-1?cm_mmc=GooglePPC-_-Google%20Product%20Search-_-In-Car%20Technology%2FCar%20Audio%2FCar%20Stereos-_-Kenwood%20KDC-DAB4557U%20DAB%2FUSB%2FCD%20Receiver&source=ppc&adtype=%7Badtype%7D&%7Bcopy:_$ja%7D&%7Bifdyn:_$$ja=tsid:35588%7D%7Bifpe:_$$ja=ad=pe%7D&_$$ja=cgid:4920894949%7Ctsid:35582%7Ccid:116522269%7Clid:50391571429%7Cnw:%7Bifsearch:search%7D%7Bifcontent:content%7D%7Ccrid:22214547229%7Cdvc:%7Bdevice%7D%7Cadp:%7Badposition%7D%7Cbku:1&gclid=CJjV9cS_9rkCFYfMtAodHjAAUg


 
Posted : 01/10/2013 8:34 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Spotted a Sony unit in Halfords today for £60 which had 3.5mm and USB, and had replaced the space normally taken by the CD drive with a small compartment where an IPod or other media player could be stuffed - quite a neat idea to help tidy the cables away.


 
Posted : 01/10/2013 8:53 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Doesn't fit your requirements as it's without USB functionality, but I'm looking at bodging one of these into my car:
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261229851471?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 ]Lepai Amp[/url]

I've got one as my home amp, and it's great for the size and price. It does have a whining in 1 channel, but I'm getting a replacement through, and it's not a common issue, although has been reported on forums. The change in power supply from an inverter I've got to the DC from the car battery may be all that's required to shift the noise.


 
Posted : 01/10/2013 9:40 pm
 LMT
Posts: 543
Free Member
 

If your birmingham based ive got a usb/ipod connectivity headunit, £50 its yours, i took it out my last car when changing but due to new car having all the electrics fed through the stereo its no good to me now. Its a sony, has bluetooth for wireless telephone calls, its a couple of years old but still fully functional.


 
Posted : 01/10/2013 9:58 pm

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!