[QUOTE]Originally posted by lucid
[B]Lucid already shipped your harness today Tampa!

 

There's a delay where it takes a second to register what you hit. I'm using it less and less each day.

 

Why is there a delay? How does this thing work?

 

It baffles me that we can make things such as pocket pc's, cell phones with wireless internet, plasma TV's, etc... but no one can fugure out how to effectively keep our dash controls for aftermarket HU's. Not that I have been any help, but that's not my bag. It seems like someone could just come up with a plug in harness to enable the dash controls to continue to function. We'll see I guess!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by germ79
[B]It baffles me that we can make things such as pocket pc's, cell phones with wireless internet, plasma TV's, etc... but no one can fugure out how to effectively keep our dash controls for aftermarket HU's.

 

Indeed, I have read your thread already DJ Qube. From what I understand, however, I could buy a 2nd HU for the price of this new invention of yours.

 

I do commend you on a job well done. You must be quite the electronics guru to take on a task like this.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by germ79
[B]So Lucid, since you have the Kenwood, does that mean you use the SWIX adapter?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by germ79
[B]Indeed, I have read your thread already DJ Qube.

 

To answer your original question, I'd PASS on the Alpine 60 watts x 4 and go straight to an amp and head/tuner of choice.

I've got an Alpine CDA-7876 "60 watts x 4" head with heavy gauge wire and ground and wired through the firewall direct to the battery. The head is driving Kenwood xr600 front speakers and Lucid/Polk 403a (?) rears. I've also got upgraded wiring for the front speakers. That was totally unnecessary considering the 27 watts MAX that the head puts out.

I've also got a JLAudio S2000 stealthbox with power from a JLAudio 350x1 amp to handle the bass chores.

Up to about 25 out of 35 on the head volume control, everything is great. Above 25, the distortion is huge.

I'm considering adding an amp even without more expensive speakers. I was "scared" to let a good installer wire up my car. Now that I've got one amp, I'm less scared.

"Amps" and the words "truth-in-advertising" have never appeared in the same sentence. The standard for rating heads does not call for driving all four channels when rating power.

No head can physically have the guts to large amounts of signal at high output without distortion to fill a top down "space."

Having said that, fifteen months ago, when I bought my CDA-7876, I didn't know better and I've enjoyed the learning process.

Concerning dash controls, I think the PAC unit is trouble-free and effective.