Anyone know of a decent DIN HU that doesn't jut out 1/2" in our cars?

Is it safe to assume that 1.5 DIN units will fit fine depthwise (although I don't like their appearance much)?

I'd like to go with a Kenwood, Alpine or Eclipse DIN HU that pref. plays MP3s but I don't want it stickin' out like all the other aftermarket stereos I've had in my third-gens.

Will I end up having to tweak my A/C passages behind the HU to get what I want?

And is Eclipse still considered by many to be "better" than Alpine?

I'm so out of the loop on car stereo stuff over the last several years, so any info will help a bunch.

Thanks

Sean

 

Are you talking about the deck its self sticking out or the aftermarket install kit sticking out? You can use a different install to flush mount the HU if you wish but you're going to have to modify the inside of the console for the HU to fit. I did something along those lines to my Fiero back when I owned it. That extra 1/2" lets the HU clear a bump in the console.

Yes, Eclipse still makes the best decks around. I run an 04 Alpine though. Love the look/feel and I can't hear any sound problems. I might be able to hear a difference if I ever had the chance to switch back and fourth between two heads but I will probably never have the chance until I buy my next unit. Newer (05) Alpines are to be avoided for the most part due to cheap parts used. Not sure as to the new line.

Not sure if 1.5 DIN units are not as deep as a single DIN unit so no comment. Also, 1.5 DIN units are pretty few and far between so you don't exactly have the best selection of features.

 

Thanks for the input, Gummie.

I guess I mean a little bit of both. At the very least I'd like to use a normal (non-flush) install kit without the crappy adapters that push it even further out...w/o modding my air passages would be awesome.

But, flush installed AND not jutting out would be great...

So does your HU put out 5V? I know when the higher end Alpines and Eclipses started having 5V outputs that was a big deal. Now I see 8V!

I'll be wiring this to a Soundstream Reference 5 Ch amp so I'm thinking 5V is the way to go...

 

Every single aftermarket deck I've ever seen sticks out a 1/4" or so beyond the plate the unit mounts to. They have to because they have a flange type thing that secures to the mounting surface. I’m sure you could get the thing that juts out of the dash to sit flush but it would require some modification to the guts of the dash as I said before.

Yes, my Alpine has 5 volt preouts. Most of the newer Alpine stuff seems to have dropped to the 2-4 volt range. Also, some (read virtually all) decks start clipping before they reach their max preout voltage. Eclipse decks don’t do that from what I understand.

Preout voltage isn't necessarily required. If you want to run higher rca voltage you can always buy a line driver. The downside of having a low rca voltage is that you will have to raise the gain on your amp to reach your output level more than you would have to if you had higher voltages. This becomes a problem when dealing with an amp with a low noise floor but I doubt it will matter with your soundstream.

I’m sure that Jim, needaz, or mean will jump in and voice their two cents if I’m wrong.

 

You need a different type of mounting kit. Metra makes a generic GM kit that flush mounts the head unit instead of sticking it out. Sounddomain.com sells it, but I'm sure plenty of other places do too.

However... understand that the reason the generic kits stick out so far is because without modification, there isn't enough depth for the radio to sit farther back. In the camaro you need to remove the metal bar that supports the back of the factory radio, as well as perhaps trim the heater vents depending on the deck. In the firebird, you've got to cut the hell out of the rear plastic piece, move the metal mounting tab, and cut the hell out of the heater vents.

I would have shown you pics of the installation in my IROC, but Sounddomain seems to be getting retarded with their pictures this morning.

Anyway, here's a pic of the finished product. It doesn't sit 100% flush because I didn't want it to, but with a couple spacers it could:

 

Just about anything is better then Alpine this year, I'm getting really bitter over this junk.
Just about any radio can be mounted just about any way you'd like (with in reason), just gota be crafty. One easy trick is buy the dash kit cut front off and glue on flat piece of black textured ABS plastic, cut a DIN square where you want it. Want switches under or above the radio, drill some holes. I'm going 'Junkyard Fishing' in the spring for some dash pockets/holder thingys (don't know what to call what ever I'll find and will work out right) for a couple of projects I've got going. One I'll be looking for is a small one that would hold a CD or two and would fit under the radio if it was mounted higher in the dash kit.

 

Thanks guys. Jim, that looks excellent! Nice and clean. Needaz, good tips.

I noticed Alpine products are a lot less expensive than they used to be. BITD, I don't think Crutchfield even carried them...Kenwood was probably their most expensive product.

Unfortunately, it sounds like Alpines have become cheap too...not just inexpensive.

I'm 31 now, after wanting an Eclipse deck for over 10 years now, I'm gonna get one What's a $100-$200 more when you're gonna spend that much time and money on the system...

I like the custom idea...where do you guys find textured ABS?

 

I would have bought an eclipse deck if they weren't so awful ugly. I bought a Kenwood XXV-01D for my Corvette and I'm very happy with it.

I may wind up putting it into my IROC and buying a cheaper deck for the Corvette.

 

Yeah, they're pretty traditional looking. A 10 year old Eclipse HU looks about the same as a new one. Right now I've got a 10 year old Sony ES series cass. deck in there...so anything will be a nice upgrade.

 

I don't know about traditional looking. The 2005 eclipse decks are tacky, flashy, carnival attractions. They look like the crack ***** of radios.





Hmm...

 

Heh, point taken. I guess I was looking at the wrong ones...I'm not sure who they're marketing them for...kinda reminds me of the Sony Xplode "loudness".

 

So I'm not the only one who noticed it? My next deck will probably be an eclipse. Hopefully they will change their style at some point in the near future. They are pretty ugly right now but I'm willing to live with it in the name of quality.