What is the best HU to install in place of the factory Shaker 500 junk? I am looking for a setup that plays DVD and has Navigation capability. I am looking for something with a high quality screen. And I want it to look clean once its installed!

Any suggestions or is this just a waste????

 

One of you electronic junkies has to have comments... just kidding.
But seriously, nobody replaced their Shaker 500 system on here?

 

cryptic26djp,

I spent most of today going from audio place to audio place asking the same question (see my post for replacing the 500 with iPod vidao capable unit) and am no better off now than I was when I started. Most of the associates at the big box stores (Circuit City, Best Buy, Wal Mart, etc) didn't realy know anything about what they offered - if I pointed at two units and asked what the differences were all I got was the price difference, or at most the associate would read the specs off the display card and then try to tell me what they read. Pathetic. I also hit a couple large audio speciality places (Tweeters and Freeman's Stereo) and while they knew more, their prices for similar equipment (but never the exact same model #) were 75-100% more than the big box stores.

So, here I am back at home. The Shaker is still in the car and I'm still not satisfied with it. The 4" speaker in the driver's side door buzes if I put the volume up past 1/2 way and even with the bass set low and the treble pushed to the max the bass is still intolerably high. A couple installers who looked at (I guess I should say listened to) my system today said that I should bring it back to the dealer and have it checked out. I might just waste an hour or two tomorrow and see what the dealer has to say...

mark h

 

What I used to do was go spend the majority of my time at the specialty store asking all the questions about the best of the best. Their items are marked up a lot, so I would simply go to Crutchfield, Ebay, or somewhere else online and get the item for the best deal. I guess what I am saying, to help you a bit, is spend the time at the large audio specialists and write down the item you decide on - then get back on the computer and find it.

I have no access to any of these stores..... so I am sorta SOL right now. Hopefully someone will post something so I can check it out online and decide if I am gonna dump the money into it.

Good luck with your searches!!!

 

Almost all brand have their high quality gear, just depends on brand you like. Personally I would go with something from Alpine if you want high end screens, bu they can cost alittle more $$$. Check the brand websites and pick want you like and find it at crutchfield.

 

I have. I was just wondering what everyone else is going with. Some units just fit better than others - name brand or not.
Thanks for the feedback!

 

I just got a Pioneer Avic Z-1 installed. Has navigation touch screen, Sirius (or XM), IPod hookup, and it even burns your cds to its hard drive. You can import photographs, too. Love it so far! I went to a specialty car stereo center where they know what they're doing, asked a lot of questions and paid the big bucks to have them do it right. I figure that if you keep a car five years, then the cost per day isn't too bad
Go to Pioneer and Alpine's websites and they'll tell you who their authorized dealers are...

 

Just curious if you had to buy a bypass or anything. I heard that some units will not let you use certain features while driving. Meaning the parking break must be on to have a DVD playing while you are driving. I also heard that if you turn on and off your headlights three times while the unit is initializing - it will bypass that. Its hard to know if you dont actually have one.

Let me know what you think of it.....and how it works.

If I click my heels three times will it install a Saleen supercharger?

 

I installed a Z1 about a month ago. If you have a Z1 made before July 06 you can bypass the unit by flashing the headlights once when the unit first starts to load. After july06, you need to purchase a bypass. Go to AVIC411.com. They have all the info you'll need.

The Z1 is an excellent unit. I installed all the adapters with it, ipod, XM, bluetooth. The only thing I don't like, the ipod interface is real slow to navigate through, if you don't have a lot of playlists set up.

 

I made my own for about only $600. It has all of those features including a full working computer. So your pretty much limitless on how much music, videos, or anything else it can hold and you don't need to put a dvd in to run the gps. It's still touchscreen, boots up in about 5 seconds as soon as you turn the ignition on, and uses a piece of software to control everything.