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Undertoad · 12-16-2002, 10:49 AM

www.crutchfield.com

I have bought three items from Crutchfield and their process is perfect in every way. Their web site works perfectly. The install instructions that come with the units make it simple to do your own handiwork, saving a ton of money.

The latest buy was exactly what you're looking for: a $200 MP3 unit, and I bought the Clarion that Crutchfield has the special on right now. I am generally happy with it although once in a while it seems to "lose its place" in a folder of MP3s. This is rare though (so far). I installed it myself even though it wasn't listed as an "EZ" install.

In the case of my veedub that means I have to take the entire dash apart, but the instructions list everything you have to do, and I did it and am overly pleased with myself as a result. They do suggest you solder a connector together yourself to match up the output from the unit with your car's input thingie. I am handy enough with a soldering iron and the soldering needed for this is the most simple and basic kind. Plus, you don't have to do that part while sittin gin the car.

I did not buy the Sony, because I had a Sony head in this car from 95-98, and I grew to hate that thing, and vowed never to buy another Sony automotive product.

The Clarion seems to read the MP3 folders fast enough - it's only like 4-5 seconds between turning the thing on and having it start to play the first track, and that's fine. When it loses its place, which it has done 3 times on 2 different discs, it won't play anything in that folder and moves on to the next folder. This is a better failure mode than, say, shutting down entirely. Every time it has done it I have just ejected the CD and reinserted it, and it finds the folder and plays it. There may be a simpler workaround that I haven't found yet.

The thing is laid out well enough. It doesn't have a remote but its most important controls are on the driver side, and you can work out which button to hit easily enough.

The only thing it doesn't have, that I would like, is an input jack on the front of the unit. The cheaper ones don't generally have that.

12-16-2002, 10:49 AM	#5
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	www.crutchfield.com I have bought three items from Crutchfield and their process is perfect in every way. Their web site works perfectly. The install instructions that come with the units make it simple to do your own handiwork, saving a ton of money. The latest buy was exactly what you're looking for: a $200 MP3 unit, and I bought the Clarion that Crutchfield has the special on right now. I am generally happy with it although once in a while it seems to "lose its place" in a folder of MP3s. This is rare though (so far). I installed it myself even though it wasn't listed as an "EZ" install. In the case of my veedub that means I have to take the entire dash apart, but the instructions list everything you have to do, and I did it and am overly pleased with myself as a result. They do suggest you solder a connector together yourself to match up the output from the unit with your car's input thingie. I am handy enough with a soldering iron and the soldering needed for this is the most simple and basic kind. Plus, you don't have to do that part while sittin gin the car. I did not buy the Sony, because I had a Sony head in this car from 95-98, and I grew to hate that thing, and vowed never to buy another Sony automotive product. The Clarion seems to read the MP3 folders fast enough - it's only like 4-5 seconds between turning the thing on and having it start to play the first track, and that's fine. When it loses its place, which it has done 3 times on 2 different discs, it won't play anything in that folder and moves on to the next folder. This is a better failure mode than, say, shutting down entirely. Every time it has done it I have just ejected the CD and reinserted it, and it finds the folder and plays it. There may be a simpler workaround that I haven't found yet. The thing is laid out well enough. It doesn't have a remote but its most important controls are on the driver side, and you can work out which button to hit easily enough. The only thing it doesn't have, that I would like, is an input jack on the front of the unit. The cheaper ones don't generally have that.