does the head unit matter?

[Sick916]

8v FTW...i got the cd5100 altho it only has 5v pre outs....but it has time alignment so im happy for that...

i went from 6.5 pre outs to 4v and dint notice much difference just as long as its not low your fine

[SQMonte]

DOES THE TYPE OF HEAD UNIT MATTER?? LIKE FOR INSTANCE..IF U HAD A JVC AND THEN WENT TO AN ALPINE HU, WOULD U B ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE (SAME AMPS N SPEAKERS)??

Sometimes yes, other times no. For example, when I first got my Civic I was impatient and instead of saving up for the deck I really wanted I ended up getting what I could afford at the moment, a craptacular Sony Xplod. It did the job, but then I upgraded to an entry level Clarion deck and the SQ difference was night and day. I noticed that at the end of tracks and in between tracks when it was quiet, the Sony had a horrible hiss that I couldn't get rid of. The Clarion didn't. I think that was the most glaring difference, but it was a big one to me.

Later, when I had my Accord I had a Alpine deck w/a Clarion EQ right below it. I ended up getting a Clarion deck to match the EQ and didn't notice any difference in SQ.

I say the head unit matters alot because some have features others don't, some sound better, some are easier to use, some look better, you just have to find the right balance for you. I suggest you go to as many stores that sell decks and mess around with them, see how easy/hard they are to use, learn what features you want/need, etc. and then get the one you want.

Oh yeah, turn the caps lock off

I had an Alpine and I could not figure out how to set treble, bass, mids, etc.

Ever heard of an owners manual? Edited July 6, 2009 by SQMonte