rtm5003

I'm currently head unit shopping for my new-to-me 05 s2k.

The The Kenwood units are the only units I can find that have dual (front and rear) USB ports, which would be convenient for me - semi-permanent ipod in rear USB and I can charge my phone up front with a short cable.

But the idea of the Alpine Power Pack hidden away in the passenger side knee/dash area (I'm new here, idk what to call it) convinced me to wait for the new Alpine units - available April 8 for reasonable prices according to Crutchfield.

http://www.alpine-usa.com/company/pr...-cd-receivers/


Here's the full-featured Kenwood with front and rear USB

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113BT95...C-BT955HD.html


Make sure the head unit you get is compatible with steering wheel controls!


Edit - my plan is to run a USB extension cable and let it stick out the bottom of the dash on the passenger side near the little storage net. Along with a set of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Techno...dp/B003T5KXJQ/

JD NC

The current Alpine power pack (KTP-445U) works with any head unit, not just alpine. The 445U isn't plug and play like the original KTP-445, but it's still very easy to connect and is even a little cheaper than the 445. Mine is spliced into the Modifry plug and play harness and works great. A nice feature of the 445U that is not in the original is a switch for bridging the amp to output 90W x 2 channels. Very nice if you're only running front speakers.

I agree that a rear USB is a must, and your solution with the new Alpine units and the extension cable will work, but if you do decide to go with the Kenwood or another dual USB HU, you can definitely still use the 445U amp.

rtm5003

Thanks - very useful info! I hadn't considered trying to the Power Pack without an Alpine HU...

I was hoping that it was bridgeable - I might need to give this a shot with the irresistibly-priced Polk DB6501's running 90W RMS per channel. With this much power I could even drive a set of Type-R's pretty nicely.... Hmmmmmmm.

I'm definitely not putting a sub in this car so I'd like to get as much bass from the door speakers as possible..... Uphill battle, I know!

JD NC

The DB6501s are what I have, and the 445U has waaay more power than I need for them. The amp does a nice job of maximizing the performance of the Polks, but it also means you can easily get them loud enough to hear the limitations of the speakers. If my budget had allowed, I would have gotten better speakers in the first place, but not at the expense of the amp, since most nicer speakers need more power than the HU can put out to sound their best. It was a bit of a catch 22, but the Polks were so cheap I don't mind using them as a stopgap until I can get speakers that really take advantage of the extra power. I'd still only recommend the Polks if your budget is super tight, though.

rtm5003

OP - sorry for threadjacking

That's disappointing to hear of the Polks. They are rated for 100W RMS! I'm pretty set on the 445/U since I can stash it in the dash somewhere and not worry about messing with my seat movement.

90W RMS can drive some semi-serious speakers. Do you have any input on 90W x 2 to the doors vs. 45W x 4 with some mid-priced coax's behind the seats?

It's not that my budget is super tight - it's that I don't expect audiophile-quality sound in a rattly roadster! Just need to get rid of this stock garbage.

wsteun

I'm in the market for a headunit myself. I keep leaning towards the Pioneer DEH-80PRS now that it's under $300. I just haven't heard much about how well it fits and if the volume knob hits the door.

There doesn't seem to be too much activity in this subforum unfortunately so it's hard to get decent input.

Vee2k

i just installed the pioneer 9400bt and the volume does hit the door...might have to do some trimming...

figured while i'm posting here's my usb mounts

rtm5003

The panel-mount USB ports look great! Does that pioneer deck have dual USB inputs?

Is that your alarm brain in the glove box??

edit - I think it's a prox sensor?

JD NC

Very good question, not sure there's a right answer. My preference is probably 90Wx2 with better speakers, but that has as much to do with wanting to everything as close to stock as possible so I can convert back if I want. My next upgrade is probably a low profile powered sub like the Sound Ordnance B-8PT first to fill out the low end, then replace the fronts with something better before I circle back to considering rear panel speakers.

If you have more to spend on fronts, I've heard very good things about Hybrid Audio speakers - their Imagine and Unity lines are $300-400/pair. The polks are still a nice upgrade over stock, though, and they do benefit from the amp. They can handle the power fine, they just don't sound very good that high because they start to distort and the treble gets too harsh when they get too loud.

OK, threadjack over.

Vee2k, those USB plugs look very slick. Nice work!

Vee2k

The clear box is my proximity sensor for the alarm...the pioneer deck has dual USBs in the back...I figured I use the one in the knee panel for phones and the glove box one for my flash drive...once I have 1000 songs shouldn't really have to pull it out! Lol
Edit: came to have my alarm adjusted at Custom Car Stereos in Concord and they offered to readjust the stereo so the door closes for 30 bucks. Saves me the hassle of pulling it out and drilling the brackets!