I am thinking about putting in a new MP3 player in my car, and i want upgraded sound, which i know i will get with a new deck...

I have always been a big fan of pioneer, and was on my way to get one when i saw this new panasonic...

Panasonic info

With that much rms, its hard to resist... do you guys feel like those are realistic numbers? will i have to re wire all my speakers or can the stock wire handle that wattage? i know i will probably blow my speakers pretty fast with that much, but that will just lead to an upgrade..

my basic question is, will the pioneer with 22x4 be enough to power the speakers in the X and sound good? or would that panasonic really be worth it?

what do you guys think of that new model? anyone have it?

If you haven't read the Crutchfield advisor review for that deck, here it is: http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/reviews/20040406/panasonic_cqc9800u.html

They were very impressed by it. Apparently it's not all hype.

As for 22x4 powering the speakers, I guess it depends on your listening habits. I don't blast my music, and have a Kenwood Excelon 22x4 unit that sounds great for my habits. If I crank it very loud there is some distortion, but since I prefer lower volumes it's not an issue.

well, most of the time i like to listen at a moderate level and have a very deep feel of the music, not bass filled, just deep sounding... the stock speaker size is nice for this, but the stock deck just isnt flattering anymore...

i also like to crank it up pretty high on occation or on the freeway.. so i dont want to hear popping and hissing..

it looks like the deck is a success... but does this mean pioneer and the others are going to be making a change soon? is it worth while to wait and see? sounds like it might be a bad time to buy...

Umm, I have the Panasonic CQ-C8200U. The thing sounds excellent with my factory speakers and my two subs. And you can change the movies and stuff. If you don't want to spend 500 bucks on that 9800 I would suggest the 8400. From what I hear the panasonic HU's are VERY durable! Go for it man. Panasonic has my vote.

It's never a good time to buy electronic equipment. Something always comes out 2 weeks later that is cooler, better, cheaper.

A good 22x4 unit should sound very clean at volumes high enough to drown out any road and engine noise. At least the Kenwood I have does. I get distortion at (completely arbitrary number, I know) around 22-25 depending on the source, and generally listen at around 10-11. 17 is more than loud enough to drown out engine and road noise... And your passengers.

Whatever you get I'd reccomend making sure it has satellite tuner controls... That way if you decide down the road you want to get on that, you just need to plug the tuner into the back of the HU, and you're good to go.

I think the idea of satelite radio is awesome, especially for my across country trip... but i HATE bills!! but thats the only way...

i am still leading towards the pioneer... i like the easy EQ.. and i just feel like there build quality is awesome, but i feel like i can get more features out of a kenwood for the same price... aiming under $200...

I used to think it was crazy to pay for satellite radio. But someone justified it to me like this. You buy CD's don't you? At least one a month? That's more expensive than Sirius. Now that I have it, I can't imagine not having it.

So far my Kenwood Excelon 579 model has been very good to me. It's 229 at Crutchfield, the only problem I have at all with it is it's hard to read when the sun glares on it. It sounds good, no problems with any of my MP3 disks and has a nice EQ system built in. For a middle of the road model it's pretty good.

Coop - you paid $229 for an xcelon 579!!!! I got mine on ebay for $170 ..... $185 shipped

I agree, it is a great radio though.....

I put in the Alpine 9831 and I absolutely love it.

I'm pretty happy with the deal I got. It was $206 and they were giving away free Sirius tuners at the time. I also got a $50 discount for bundling it with speakers. And you get the dash kit and wiring harness free with crutchfield... If you watch them they get some pretty good specials every once in a while.

All said and done, I got the Headunit, Sirius Tuner, Antenna, 4 speakers and all the installation parts for $305, shipped free.

searching around crutchfield i found this... not my style, but worth a look...

Xterra Demo Car

I am always looking for a deal and i found one... so i thought i would share it. i love pioneer stuff, so i decided to go with the Pioneer DEH-P7600MP XM Ready CD Receiver w/ MP3 Playback.

I got what i think is a great deal at...

Digital Foto Club

They had all good reviews from Bizrate and such, so i decided to go with them... They were also $90 less than crutchfield... granted i dont get the handy free stuff, but i wanted to get the factory dash kit anyway and the connecting plug is only $5...

just thought you guys would like to see a good deal...

Why do you have to get a new head unit to play MP3s? This week I'm working on docking my iPod into my X. There are a couple posts on this site on how to switch the factory CD player to an AUX mode.

Uh, possibly because one doesn't have an iPod, or really want to shell out for one?

or possibly that those instructions don't work for all years or models of the factory stereos. I know for a fact the 2003 RF system does not have an aux input.

Personally I have no use for a $250-500 mp3 player when I can have one that's always in my truck ready to go. Buying a iPod, accessories seems like overkill when I have one that costs less and sounds better thanks to the stereo upgrade.

thats why! i wanted better sound, less CD's more music and i hate apple... i know the ipod is a great product, but its expensive and i dont need it... the new cd player is a better way for me to go. its not for everyone, but it is for me...