hey guys, it is finally that time....
 

i will be replacing my OEM head unit in the near future. im aware of the modifry dash harness and will pick this up. just need quick advice on a few headunits and an idea of preferences over the others and why...

i am not working with a budget but do not want to dwell around 350-400.. the two i have interest in are

the sony DSX S300
-for this head unit i have read a thread that states the predecessor of this head unit fits in our cars, but im wondering if anyone has installed this head unit since i cant pull a search on it

and the alpine IDA X305
-there are many threads on this, but im interested in a comparison or preference between these two

thanks in advance guys, i know how it is sometimes difficult reading those this or that, but i have narrowed it to two...i enjoy that the sony DSX 100 can store the ipod inside of the head unit, whereas the alpine is a popular head unit for our cars and i read good things about it. my biggest confusion is the sony DSX s 300 not pulling in our search, leads me to wonder what is up with that

also, cannot find a video of the sony on youtube.... ?

I just installed a Sony DSX-S200X. Considering the questionable sound quality I would get with Bluetooth in an open car, I went with the DSX-S200X vs the DSX-S300BTX. It's a weekend car and the weather has been horrible here, but I've had a chance to try it out a couple times and really like it. Being able to just stow my iPod inside the HU with no wiring is great. Install was a breeze and it's a very easy unit to operate as well. I have no complaints whatsoever. I was amazed at how much better it sounded than OEM. I'm still going to upgrade the speakers and add an amp tho'.

thanks a lot man. do you know if the headunit works with most newer generation ipods? that was another one of my concerns...im thinking about not worrying with the bluetooth since i will not be using an iphone and i hear pretty significant info about bluetooth with our cars top-down

The manual says made for...
iPod touch (2nd Generation)
iPod touch (1st Generation)
iPod classic
iPod with video
iPod nano (5th generation)
iPod nano (4th generation)
iPod nano (3rd generation)
iPod nano (2nd generation)
iPod nano (1st generation)
iPhone 4G
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 3G
iPhone

...that's just about all of them. I've got an old iPod mini I was gonna use, but it didn't work, so I put an older nano in it. I can always hook up my iPhone too.

It also states to update to the latest software.

Most of what I've read indicates Blutooth is not very clear with the top down in just about any car. That's why I went for the DSX-S200X.

ya man that is the model i will most likely purchase myself..and thanks a lot i have no idea where the hell you found that though?? but thanks so much for the help man

I would stay away from sony

Sony is a very reputable company and makes nice quality equipment. They are an electronics giant. Everyone has their preferences, and to each their own, but to say "I would stay away from Sony" makes absolutely no sense. If he were speaking of off-brand equipment, then you could possibly say something like that.

Sony may be a name brand electronics company but that doesnt mean theyre good at everything and theyre definitely not good on their mobile audio division. they do not put in as much R&D as say Alpine or Pioneer. in fact its nearly impossible to find a company that makes a great headunit, speaker, amp, and sub.

I agree with this statement as an MECP certified installer. sony's main market driver will be in their in-dash... their standard din HUs are not their real focus... Alpine's X305 are really good, no doubt about it. if you have the money, their PDX amps are really good. for speakers, they are somewhat better then most brands for the price. depends on what type of music you listen to realistically.