Looking for a new headunit in 15-20k Budget

makanaka · 27th July 2010, 19:31

Hello bhpians,
I am looking to buy a new single din headunit, i would prefer pioneer because of it's signature sound ( i have grown used to it) and it's easy to use user friendly interface( for non technical people like me), however i am open to other brands and choices, my second choice would be alpine/clarion/ kenwood in descending order of priority( because i have heard alpine it sounds good but i find hard to play around with it's choices and lastly clarion and kenwood because i simply have not heard them, neither it is possible for me to do so, no one i know is using these hu's here), i know the gurus would suggest to give every product an ear before buying it, i will do so too but because i will be coming to delhi on an extremely tight schedule for this so i would like to narrow down my options to make it easy for me, too many choices out there, i would be purchasing the headnuit from Delhi and my budget is in the vicinity of 15-20 inr, not more than that( emphasis is on the word not for apparent reasons lolz), now my requirements are as follows: first and foremost sound quality, i dont want any frills or fancy stuff , plain sq is what im looking for, secondly 24 bit DAC, third time alignment, fourth a good equalizer with more band options, pioneer is giving a 16 band eq in p80rsII , 3 rca's jack for obvious twin amp setup, High volt preouts 5 or 6 volts( the more the merrier, right?) and if possible front usb slot for pen drive(not mandatory though), i have the following headunits in mind Pioneer p80rsII, alpine 9887 and well thats pretty much it, i tried to procure the p80rsII from delhi but everyone here at dehradun kept telling me that this model is not available anymore , is it true? anyway if thats the truth then i have to opt for alpine, i will not be getting the imprint so i guess without the imprint p80 would be a better buy right, if it's still available?, any other choices or suggestions? I know i wont be able to use the usb with p80RSII but i will be buying the external device soon enough, so what do u gurus and friends suggest.

p.s.: i am running a JBL GTO 3501 with pioneer sub( soon will be changing it to an idqv3 12 inch, JBL GT5S644 , 2 channels are powering front comps, rainbow slx, no rear fill, sounds good but on high volumes the tweeters are a bit harsh for my taste, after the hu upgrade if the harshness remains then may change the 4 channel amp, after a thread on the sshhhh noise, still not able to cure it so if the hu change cant do it either then maybe its the amps glitch, however i will get to it later, will start from the scratch

abhibh · 27th July 2010, 19:39

Go for P80RSII and your harshness problem will be tackled. USB adapter for P80RSII is a piece of crap stay away. Rather get an iPod (if you don't have one) and iPod adapter for P80RSII.

If you go 9887 way i assure you either you will end up selling the HU or the components. I have tried 9887 with Rainbow SAX and trust me within 1 hour that HU was out of my car. If you do not want any thing fancy and can live without Active capability look at Kenwood KDC-X7016! It has everything you need:

- 4 Volt Preouts
- USB/ iPod / iPhone support in built
- TA
- Nice sounding at least better than 9887 (for me)

makanaka · 27th July 2010, 20:05

thanks for the prompt response and reiterating my view about the pioneer hu abhibh , so i guess it is available at delhi, right?

abhibh · 27th July 2010, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by makanaka

thanks for the prompt response and reiterating my view about the pioneer hu abhibh , so i guess it is available at delhi, right?

It should be there in Delhi. Try contacting GYRO / driven. There might be a few pieces left in Chandigarh too, not sure though.

nitinralli · 28th July 2010, 05:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhibh

If you do not want any thing fancy and can live without Active capability look at Kenwood KDC-X7016! It has everything you need:

- 4 Volt Preouts
- USB/ iPod / iPhone support in built
- TA
- Nice sounding at least better than 9887 (for me)

+1
I have the Kenny 7016 and trust me, after spending (i dont know how many years) with Pio HU's, Kenny was a real good change. Kenny sounds sweet, Mids sound much better compared to Pio.

CrackedHead · 28th July 2010, 05:43

There was an eclipse 7200 for sale on the forum - you might want to check that out if you are ok with getting a used HU without an audition.

makanaka · 28th July 2010, 19:32

hello friends,
crackedhead i guess you are referring to frank's hu but as far as i know it has been sold to mi10, not sure about the id though, excellent hu as far as my limited knowledge goes, anyway nitin can u please tell me the difference between the 7016 and 8016, i guess the latter is bluetooth capable, anything else which is significant, by the way what is the difference between the models like KDC-X8016BT and KDC-XBT8013U?

abhibh · 28th July 2010, 19:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by makanaka

hello friends,
crackedhead i guess you are referring to frank's hu but as far as i know it has been sold to mi10, not sure about the id though, excellent hu as far as my limited knowledge goes, anyway nitin can u please tell me the difference between the 7016 and 8016, i guess the latter is bluetooth capable, anything else which is significant, by the way what is the difference between the models like KDC-X8016BT and KDC-XBT8013U?

There is no difference between 7016 and 8016 except for in built bluetooth capability.

KDC-X8016BT and KDC-XBT8013U again no major difference in sound but looks a whole lot different. The latter is a bit better in terms of mids compared to 8016. But both sound good for the money.

I have tried 7016 and 7013 so above comparison is based on that.

makanaka · 29th July 2010, 21:38

ok so the choice is inbetween the p80rsII and the kenwood 8016, are there any clarion dealers available at delhi ? how do you guys feel about the clarion ?

abhibh · 29th July 2010, 21:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by makanaka

ok so the choice is inbetween the p80rsII and the kenwood 8016, are there any clarion dealers available at delhi ? how do you guys feel about the clarion ?

P80RSII if you are not fussy about USB / iPod. Clarion is dead

they don't want to sell in India or even abroad (considering their current lineup)

whizzkid_ram · 29th July 2010, 21:52

@makanaka

Go for 8016. You won't regret & I own the X994 HU which is equivalent to 8016. So go for it with eyes closed.

mohitd · 30th July 2010, 01:47

I own a Pioneer 5050 or something and a Kenwood X693.
I would strongly suggest the Kenwood KDC-XBT8013U, which is equivalent to the X693, since I feel the Pio HU are a bit harsh whereas Kenny HU's lack a bit of bass but have beautiful Mids and don't make your speakers sound too bright either. Since you have a sub and are planning an ID you have nothing to worry about. The Kenny wont disappoint.

abhibh · 30th July 2010, 01:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohitd

I own a Pioneer 5050 or something and a Kenwood X693.
I would strongly suggest the Kenwood KDC-XBT8013U, which is equivalent to the X693, since I feel the Pio HU are a bit harsh whereas Kenny HU's lack a bit of bass but have beautiful Mids and don't make your speakers sound too bright either. Since you have a sub and are planning an ID you have nothing to worry about. The Kenny wont disappoint.

But pioneer we are talking about here is the top of the line and is is no way harsh in sound.

mohitd · 30th July 2010, 15:39

Yup, thats there but I can't comment on that particular unit since I haven't heard it.

makanaka · 30th July 2010, 19:20

ok friends so it is either p80rsII or the 8016 , will try and listen to both and will buy whichever i feel sounds better, abhibh one last question , have u heard the kenwood hu with the rainbow speakers, any input? and if i find both of them available should i go for kenwood because it offers front usb slot and i would prefer to have a usb pendrive rather than a cd , in such a case would i loose on the sound quality of a p80 or are they equivalent?

27th July 2010, 19:31	#1
makanaka BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dehra Dun Posts: 154 Thanked: 7 Times	Looking for a new headunit in 15-20k Budget Hello bhpians, I am looking to buy a new single din headunit, i would prefer pioneer because of it's signature sound ( i have grown used to it) and it's easy to use user friendly interface( for non technical people like me), however i am open to other brands and choices, my second choice would be alpine/clarion/ kenwood in descending order of priority( because i have heard alpine it sounds good but i find hard to play around with it's choices and lastly clarion and kenwood because i simply have not heard them, neither it is possible for me to do so, no one i know is using these hu's here), i know the gurus would suggest to give every product an ear before buying it, i will do so too but because i will be coming to delhi on an extremely tight schedule for this so i would like to narrow down my options to make it easy for me, too many choices out there, i would be purchasing the headnuit from Delhi and my budget is in the vicinity of 15-20 inr, not more than that( emphasis is on the word not for apparent reasons lolz), now my requirements are as follows: first and foremost sound quality, i dont want any frills or fancy stuff , plain sq is what im looking for, secondly 24 bit DAC, third time alignment, fourth a good equalizer with more band options, pioneer is giving a 16 band eq in p80rsII , 3 rca's jack for obvious twin amp setup, High volt preouts 5 or 6 volts( the more the merrier, right?) and if possible front usb slot for pen drive(not mandatory though), i have the following headunits in mind Pioneer p80rsII, alpine 9887 and well thats pretty much it, i tried to procure the p80rsII from delhi but everyone here at dehradun kept telling me that this model is not available anymore , is it true? anyway if thats the truth then i have to opt for alpine, i will not be getting the imprint so i guess without the imprint p80 would be a better buy right, if it's still available?, any other choices or suggestions? I know i wont be able to use the usb with p80RSII but i will be buying the external device soon enough, so what do u gurus and friends suggest. p.s.: i am running a JBL GTO 3501 with pioneer sub( soon will be changing it to an idqv3 12 inch, JBL GT5S644 , 2 channels are powering front comps, rainbow slx, no rear fill, sounds good but on high volumes the tweeters are a bit harsh for my taste, after the hu upgrade if the harshness remains then may change the 4 channel amp, after a thread on the sshhhh noise, still not able to cure it so if the hu change cant do it either then maybe its the amps glitch, however i will get to it later, will start from the scratch
	() Thanks

27th July 2010, 19:39	#2
abhibh Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Back in the HOOD near you! Posts: 2,768 Thanked: 39 Times	Go for P80RSII and your harshness problem will be tackled. USB adapter for P80RSII is a piece of crap stay away. Rather get an iPod (if you don't have one) and iPod adapter for P80RSII. If you go 9887 way i assure you either you will end up selling the HU or the components. I have tried 9887 with Rainbow SAX and trust me within 1 hour that HU was out of my car. If you do not want any thing fancy and can live without Active capability look at Kenwood KDC-X7016! It has everything you need: - 4 Volt Preouts - USB/ iPod / iPhone support in built - TA - Nice sounding at least better than 9887 (for me)
	() Thanks

27th July 2010, 20:05	#3
makanaka BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dehra Dun Posts: 154 Thanked: 7 Times	thanks for the prompt response and reiterating my view about the pioneer hu abhibh , so i guess it is available at delhi, right?
	() Thanks

28th July 2010, 05:43	#6
CrackedHead BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seattle Posts: 585 Thanked: 81 Times	There was an eclipse 7200 for sale on the forum - you might want to check that out if you are ok with getting a used HU without an audition.
	() Thanks

28th July 2010, 19:32	#7
makanaka BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dehra Dun Posts: 154 Thanked: 7 Times	hello friends, crackedhead i guess you are referring to frank's hu but as far as i know it has been sold to mi10, not sure about the id though, excellent hu as far as my limited knowledge goes, anyway nitin can u please tell me the difference between the 7016 and 8016, i guess the latter is bluetooth capable, anything else which is significant, by the way what is the difference between the models like KDC-X8016BT and KDC-XBT8013U?
	() Thanks

29th July 2010, 21:38	#9
makanaka BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dehra Dun Posts: 154 Thanked: 7 Times	ok so the choice is inbetween the p80rsII and the kenwood 8016, are there any clarion dealers available at delhi ? how do you guys feel about the clarion ?
	() Thanks

29th July 2010, 21:52	#11
whizzkid_ram BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 168 Thanked: 7 Times	@makanaka Go for 8016. You won't regret & I own the X994 HU which is equivalent to 8016. So go for it with eyes closed.
	() Thanks

30th July 2010, 01:47	#12
mohitd BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Calcutta Posts: 140 Thanked: 2 Times	I own a Pioneer 5050 or something and a Kenwood X693. I would strongly suggest the Kenwood KDC-XBT8013U, which is equivalent to the X693, since I feel the Pio HU are a bit harsh whereas Kenny HU's lack a bit of bass but have beautiful Mids and don't make your speakers sound too bright either. Since you have a sub and are planning an ID you have nothing to worry about. The Kenny wont disappoint.
	() Thanks

30th July 2010, 15:39	#14
mohitd BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Calcutta Posts: 140 Thanked: 2 Times	Yup, thats there but I can't comment on that particular unit since I haven't heard it.
	() Thanks

30th July 2010, 19:20	#15
makanaka BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dehra Dun Posts: 154 Thanked: 7 Times	ok friends so it is either p80rsII or the 8016 , will try and listen to both and will buy whichever i feel sounds better, abhibh one last question , have u heard the kenwood hu with the rainbow speakers, any input? and if i find both of them available should i go for kenwood because it offers front usb slot and i would prefer to have a usb pendrive rather than a cd , in such a case would i loose on the sound quality of a p80 or are they equivalent?
	() Thanks