Need help. Want a CD Player for Baleno. Budget Strictly max Rs. 6K.

aaggoswami · 7th January 2009, 15:28

@mods : I did use the search facality, but did not get the precise answer I required considering my budget. So started a new thread.

We have October 2005 Baleno VXi. The music system/ICE it came with is Kenwood KRC-489 cassette receiver with remote control. This is Single DIN setup ( sorry for a poor language, I am new to ICE section ).
Now when my parents travel, they want a CD player where they can play old songs available on CD in MP3 format. What we are looking forward to is a single DIN HU. We dont want to upgrade the speakers, etc. Speakers will remian the same. We dont want to change in any internals, just take this HU out and put in a new CD player to play MP3 songs.

Note that this will not be used to play songs at even midrange. Mostly just below midrange and sometimes also at midrange.

And most importantly, the budget is Rs. 5K-6k max. Strictly not beyond Rs. 6K.

Few points :

1) Want a CD player to play MP3 songs that can be straight away fitted into the slot. We have to just take out KRC-489 and put in this new HU.

2) Can I have a CD changer for Rs. 6k ? If yes, which brand.

3) CD player from which brand ? I am inclined on Kenwood. Open to Blaupnukt ( sorry if spelling is wrong ), Sony Xplod also. Not beyod these.

4) Will the motored radio antenna be affected. This new CD player HU must play radio also.

5) Of course we would like to have anti theft mechanism of removing front panel.

mnhegde · 7th January 2009, 15:49

Hello sir, regarding your requirements I think pioneer models fit into your budget. Pioneer headunits are way better than sony xplods. It plays mp3s, radio reception is good, usb slot. Regarding the motorised antenna issue, experts shed some light on this please. But only thing is you need to check with the models for detachable front panels.

aaggoswami · 7th January 2009, 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnhegde

Hello sir, regarding your requirements I think pioneer models fit into your budget. Pioneer headunits are way better than sony xplods. It plays mp3s, radio reception is good, usb slot. Regarding the motorised antenna issue, experts shed some light on this please. But only thing is you need to check with the models for detachable front panels.

Thanks for the reply!
I thought that Kenwood are more affordable, but it looks like I will be heading for Pioneer now.
Any idea on HU ?

I am also waiting for the experts to comment. And yes the detachable panel is what worries me. I dont want the Hu to get stolen.

mnhegde · 7th January 2009, 16:03

Pioneer 2050, 3050 and 4050 models will clearly fit into your budget. i think 4050 comes with a detachable front panel. need to confirm on that.

greenhorn · 7th January 2009, 16:19

get a Pioneer 3050/Kenwood 5039 grey
MP3 CD's make Changers redundant!

mnhegde · 7th January 2009, 16:30

@ greenhorn : he wants a headunit with a detachable front panel. does kenwood 5039 come with the same??
@aaggoswami : Pioneer 4050 suits the requirement, but the only thing is the price. It may be a bit more than your budget.

aaggoswami · 7th January 2009, 16:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnhegde

Pioneer 2050, 3050 and 4050 models will clearly fit into your budget. i think 4050 comes with a detachable front panel. need to confirm on that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenhorn

get a Pioneer 3050/Kenwood 5039 grey
MP3 CD's make Changers redundant!

@greenhorn and mnhegde:
I am not able to locate Pioneer 2050, 3050 and 4050.
But I am able to locate DEH-2090MP( http://www.pioneer-india.in/aspFn/Pr...&CatId=2,24,33 ), DEH-3090UB ( http://www.pioneer-india.in/aspFn/Pr...&CatId=2,24,33 ) and DEH-4090MP ( http://www.pioneer-india.in/aspFn/Pr...&CatId=2,24,33 )

I am providing the links to what I am able to find. Are you bot talking about the models you I am able to find ?

@greenhorn:
However, I am able to locate Kenwood 5039U ( Kenwood Corporation | Car Electroics | 1DIN Receivers | KDC-MP5039U ).

EDIT :
@mnhegde:

Quote:

does kenwood 5039 come with the same??

Yes it does come with one. I think they call it TDF(Theft Deterrent Faceplate).
Is this same as detachable panel ? I am confused.

mnhegde · 7th January 2009, 16:45

@aaggoswami: The models mentioned by me are grey market models. The one's you have mentioned are officially available models with 2 years warranty. The Technical difference is nothing much between grey and official. Regarding the 5039 detachable panel greenhorn can confirm this.

@ greenhorn : Does the kenwood 5039 come with front detachable panel??

Pioneer models available :-

grey 2050 - official 2090
" 3050 - " 3090
" 4050 - " 4090.

aaggoswami · 7th January 2009, 16:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnhegde

@aaggoswami: The models mentioned by me are grey market models. The one's you have mentioned are officially available models with 2 years warranty. The Technical difference is nothing much between grey and official. Regarding the 5039 detachable panel greenhorn can confirm this.

@ greenhorn : Does the kenwood 5039 come with front detachable panel??

Pioneer models available :-

grey 2050 - official 2090
" 3050 - " 3090
" 4050 - " 4090.

That was informative!
I dont think I will going in for grey market. Also greenhorn has mentioned 5039 grey. So I hope he does check back and answer whether he was talking grey or official and about detachable panel.

@greenhorn : Were you talking about grey market 5039 that would come in my price range or the official product ? Does 5039 have a detachable panel ?

What is difference between grey market peices and official peices ?
If possible, I would like to know atleast approximate prices of 4090, 3090 and 2090 and 5039, all official.

mnhegde · 7th January 2009, 17:01

@ aaggoswami : Thanks. the main difference is price. grey models are cheaper than official products. but I consider grey models a bit risky. Official models come with warranty which is a major relief. Another difference is in the lighting (front panel). glow colors vary. information display is the same in both.

shuvc · 7th January 2009, 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

4) Will the motored radio antenna be affected. This new CD player HU must play radio also.

The antenna has a cable that runs to the back of the HU. It is connected with a jack to the HU. Ideally all you would need to do is to jack it into the new HU.

I had one issue with integrating my Pio 4950 with the antenna. Apparently, the Pio triggers the antenna motor to extend it, the moment the HU is switched on - ie. it does not have a separate trigger when the source is set as 'Tuner'. Hence it stays extended even when a CD is being played. Not sure if this is an issue with other Pio models.

I had the OE Kenwood HU which did not have this problem. With that - the antenna would extend only when 'Tuner' was selected.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

I dont think I will going in for grey market.

Official Pio prices could be around 2K higher I guess. Go for Pio grey. 2050 or 3050. My friend got a 3050 for 5.5K recently. It has a detachable front panel.

greenhorn · 7th January 2009, 17:09

check the pioneer singapore site for details of the *050 pioneer series
I'd suggest grey becase these HU's are pretty reliable , and the 1 year warranty doesnt help much. The only HU you should buy which B&W is sony xplod , because of their crappy build quality
both these HU's cost 8~9k with B&W , and <6k grey. It makes a lot more sense to buy grey in this case

the 5039 does have a detachable faceplate, confirmed with a friend who has one

aaggoswami · 7th January 2009, 17:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnhegde

the main difference is price. grey models are cheaper than official products. but I consider grey models a bit risky. Official models come with warranty which is a major relief. Another difference is in the lighting (front panel). glow colors vary. information display is the same in both.

Thanks for the information.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenhorn

check the pioneer singapore site for details of the *050 pioneer series
I'd suggest grey becase these HU's are pretty reliable , and the 1 year warranty doesnt help much. The only HU you should buy which B&W is sony xplod , because of their crappy build quality both these HU's cost 8~9k with B&W , and <6k grey. It makes a lot more sense to buy grey in this case

the 5039 does have a detachable faceplate, confirmed with a friend who has one

I want to avoid sony, but looks like I will now be revisiting them.

@greenhorn, mnhegde : Thanks for the fantastic information you are providing to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuvc

The antenna has a cable that runs to the back of the HU. It is connected with a jack to the HU. Ideally all you would need to do is to jack it into the new HU.

I had one issue with integrating my Pio 4950 with the antenna. Apparently, the Pio triggers the antenna motor to extend it, the moment the HU is switched on - ie. it does not have a separate trigger when the source is set as 'Tuner'. Hence it stays extended even when a CD is being played. Not sure if this is an issue with other Pio models.

I had the OE Kenwood HU which did not have this problem. With that - the antenna would extend only when 'Tuner' was selected.

Official Pio prices could be around 2K higher I guess. Go for Pio grey. 2050 or 3050. My friend got a 3050 for 5.5K recently. It has a detachable front panel.

Now what if I plonk in a Kenwood HU ? Will I face same problem ?
Right now in our Cassette player ( we have played cassette only twice ), the antenna wont be triggered till we have radio playing for us.
I will have to convience dad for the antenna always extended. Will be tough.

Last but not the least, thanks for pointing this out.

@ all:

Actually, I am new to even grey market. Can someone reveal more about this ? 3050 for 5.5 is nice. Also we are planning to sell the KRC-489. What is the price that I can expect ? I think I will be getting atleast 1K for this unit with remote.

Also can I go to dealer ? I think he will charge us more so I am avoiding this.

The cassette player is rarely used not for more than twice. Almost always used for Radio function. This is the reason why we want CD player. When mom and dad are travelling, the radio plays songs that they dont like. So I will write CD of old songs from my collection.

mnhegde · 7th January 2009, 17:40

@ aaggoswami : I dont think the cassette player can fetch 1k. Both grey and official are available at almost every accessories shops. only thing is you should check out for a good dealer. pioneer, kenwood are better than sony. So please think about it.

aaggoswami · 7th January 2009, 17:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnhegde

@ aaggoswami : I dont think the cassette player can fetch 1k. Both grey and official are available at almost every accessories shops. only thing is you should check out for a good dealer. pioneer, kenwood are better than sony. So please think about it.

If its less than 1K, then I think I will be using it as my daily radio at home ( presently the home radio is 1987 Realistic from USA, still using it ) it wont go for sale.
Thanks, I am also not receiving good reviews about Sony and even greenhorn told about the poor build quality.
Will be looking forward to Pioneer and Kenwood.
Is it that Kenwood at this price range offers better sound than Pioneer ?

7th January 2009, 15:28	#1
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,982 Thanked: 2,931 Times	Need help. Want a CD Player for Baleno. Budget Strictly max Rs. 6K. @mods : I did use the search facality, but did not get the precise answer I required considering my budget. So started a new thread. We have October 2005 Baleno VXi. The music system/ICE it came with is Kenwood KRC-489 cassette receiver with remote control. This is Single DIN setup ( sorry for a poor language, I am new to ICE section ). Now when my parents travel, they want a CD player where they can play old songs available on CD in MP3 format. What we are looking forward to is a single DIN HU. We dont want to upgrade the speakers, etc. Speakers will remian the same. We dont want to change in any internals, just take this HU out and put in a new CD player to play MP3 songs. Note that this will not be used to play songs at even midrange. Mostly just below midrange and sometimes also at midrange. And most importantly, the budget is Rs. 5K-6k max. Strictly not beyond Rs. 6K. Few points : 1) Want a CD player to play MP3 songs that can be straight away fitted into the slot. We have to just take out KRC-489 and put in this new HU. 2) Can I have a CD changer for Rs. 6k ? If yes, which brand. 3) CD player from which brand ? I am inclined on Kenwood. Open to Blaupnukt ( sorry if spelling is wrong ), Sony Xplod also. Not beyod these. 4) Will the motored radio antenna be affected. This new CD player HU must play radio also. 5) Of course we would like to have anti theft mechanism of removing front panel. Last edited by aaggoswami : 7th January 2009 at 15:34.
	() Thanks

7th January 2009, 15:49	#2
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	Hello sir, regarding your requirements I think pioneer models fit into your budget. Pioneer headunits are way better than sony xplods. It plays mp3s, radio reception is good, usb slot. Regarding the motorised antenna issue, experts shed some light on this please. But only thing is you need to check with the models for detachable front panels.
	() Thanks

7th January 2009, 16:03	#4
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	Pioneer 2050, 3050 and 4050 models will clearly fit into your budget. i think 4050 comes with a detachable front panel. need to confirm on that.
	() Thanks

7th January 2009, 16:19	#5
greenhorn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,745 Thanked: 4,402 Times View My Garage	get a Pioneer 3050/Kenwood 5039 grey MP3 CD's make Changers redundant!
	() Thanks

7th January 2009, 16:30	#6
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	@ greenhorn : he wants a headunit with a detachable front panel. does kenwood 5039 come with the same?? @aaggoswami : Pioneer 4050 suits the requirement, but the only thing is the price. It may be a bit more than your budget.
	() Thanks

7th January 2009, 16:45	#8
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	@aaggoswami: The models mentioned by me are grey market models. The one's you have mentioned are officially available models with 2 years warranty. The Technical difference is nothing much between grey and official. Regarding the 5039 detachable panel greenhorn can confirm this. @ greenhorn : Does the kenwood 5039 come with front detachable panel?? Pioneer models available :- grey 2050 - official 2090 " 3050 - " 3090 " 4050 - " 4090.
	() Thanks

7th January 2009, 17:01	#10
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	@ aaggoswami : Thanks. the main difference is price. grey models are cheaper than official products. but I consider grey models a bit risky. Official models come with warranty which is a major relief. Another difference is in the lighting (front panel). glow colors vary. information display is the same in both.
	() Thanks

7th January 2009, 17:09	#12
greenhorn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,745 Thanked: 4,402 Times View My Garage	check the pioneer singapore site for details of the *050 pioneer series I'd suggest grey becase these HU's are pretty reliable , and the 1 year warranty doesnt help much. The only HU you should buy which B&W is sony xplod , because of their crappy build quality both these HU's cost 8~9k with B&W , and <6k grey. It makes a lot more sense to buy grey in this case the 5039 does have a detachable faceplate, confirmed with a friend who has one
	() Thanks

7th January 2009, 17:40	#14
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	@ aaggoswami : I dont think the cassette player can fetch 1k. Both grey and official are available at almost every accessories shops. only thing is you should check out for a good dealer. pioneer, kenwood are better than sony. So please think about it.
	() Thanks