Help out with a headunit.

[AlexS]

My standard Clio headunit is making funny noises and I think is on the way out to be honest. I ve been looking around to find a replacement.
-I want it to be compatiable with the steering wheel controls.
-Have Ipod connectivity
-I like Alpine stuff
-Not look to tacky.

Budget is around £150 but im not buying for a month or so any ideas/ experiences as i ve never bought an aftermarket headunit.

Cheers guys,

Alex

 

[Noodle999]

Just some general advice on what you're trying to achieve rather than recommending a particular head unit...

For that price your iPod connectivity would almost certainly have to be through the use of an FM modulator e.g. an iTrip... I was looking at getting this one for the gf, it looks quite good and at a reasonable price on play.com -> http://play.com/Electronics/Electro...obile_FM_Transmitter_Tunecast_II/Product.html

However I just got a Dension iLink 2 (Proper cradle and circuit board which makes it work like a CD Changer) which I'd highly recommend if you can stretch the budget a bit as it's a lot easier

As for the steering column controls, most manufacturers do an adaptor to make the controls usable and make the cd/radio info show on the dash screen, but the bad news is they're often quite expensive - when I looked at Sony head units once I think the Sony<->Renault adaptor was about £100! Although of all the companies you can guarantee they were working to a 500% markup or something silly :dapprove:

Hope this helps

 

[AlexS]

Just some general advice on what you're trying to achieve rather than recommending a particular head unit...

For that price your iPod connectivity would almost certainly have to be through the use of an FM modulator e.g. an iTrip... I was looking at getting this one for the gf, it looks quite good and at a reasonable price on play.com -> http://play.com/Electronics/Electro...obile_FM_Transmitter_Tunecast_II/Product.html

However I just got a Dension iLink 2 (Proper cradle and circuit board which makes it work like a CD Changer) which I'd highly recommend if you can stretch the budget a bit as it's a lot easier

As for the steering column controls, most manufacturers do an adaptor to make the controls usable and make the cd/radio info show on the dash screen, but the bad news is they're often quite expensive - when I looked at Sony head units once I think the Sony<->Renault adaptor was about £100! Although of all the companies you can guarantee they were working to a 500% markup or something silly :dapprove:

Hope this helps

Thats interesting, i ve got an older Alpine head unit in the boat I could stick in and buy one of those fm modulators would save me abit of money.

Best deal i ve found so far is:

http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/4526.html

Cheers for your help fella, it appears I need to do more research!

 

[martino]

Same headunit i'm looking at, but i'm unsure what would be needed to connect to the collumn controls as it states that it is Steering Wheel Remote Ready... Does that mean only the renault adapter would be needed and not the additional radio interface adapter???

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/29652-steeringstalk-control-adaptor-p-3474.html

 

[Tigger]

Yes Alpine are good HUs :approve:
"Steering Wheel Ready" is very misleading as you still need an adpater (such as above) to connect the HU to the steering wheel stalk controls

 

[BrianR]

I can recommend the Alpine CDE-9850Ri. It has direct access for your Ipod via a supplied lead.

You can leave the Ipod in the glove box as the radio gives control and charges the Ipods battery at the same time.

The only slight downside is, you don't get full album lists on the display, but for £150 I am sure you can live with that.

It can also be connected to work with the steering wheel controls using the Autoleads PC99-X12 adaptor with the PC-99-ALP patch lead.

This wont give you use of the display however.

Alpine have an adaptor of there own but the only thing that does in addition to the Autoleads one, is show the word /////Alpine in the display., and its horrendously expensive.

I would avoid the RF modulator devices. All they do is take a high quality signal from your MP3 player, and reduce it to the quality of a radio station. :dead:

If you do go with Alpine, the cars wiring plugs straight in, but you must swap the red and yellow wires on the loom, or the set wont switch on/off with the key and it will loose all the memorised stations when you switch off.
Its a Renault thing !!!

 

[AlexS]

I can recommend the Alpine CDE-9850Ri. It has direct access for your Ipod via a supplied lead.

You can leave the Ipod in the glove box as the radio gives control and charges the Ipods battery at the same time.

The only slight downside is, you don't get full album lists on the display, but for £150 I am sure you can live with that.

It can also be connected to work with the steering wheel controls using the Autoleads PC99-X12 adaptor with the PC-99-ALP patch lead.

This wont give you use of the display however.

Alpine have an adaptor of there own but the only thing that does in addition to the Autoleads one, is show the word /////Alpine in the display., and its horrendously expensive.

I would avoid the RF modulator devices. All they do is take a high quality signal from your MP3 player, and reduce it to the quality of a radio station. :dead:

If you do go with Alpine, the cars wiring plugs straight in, but you must swap the red and yellow wires on the loom, or the set wont switch on/off with the key and it will loose all the memorised stations when you switch off.
Its a Renault thing !!!

Cheers, Brian a wealth of knowledge as ever I think you've covered everything! Will get it ordered in a few weeks.