I want to keep my radio controls, and don't really understand the whole setup that allows you to swap HU, and keep the controls. Waht kind of parts do I need to buy to be able to get a new HU, and still keep my left side radio controls?

 

Lucid sells a PAC SWI-X for $59.50 and the Multi-Radio Dash Controller Interface for $84.99. The more expensive one has more features such as speed variations and more, whereas the pac swi just gives your dash functions back. I have the MRDCI, and it's sweet.

http://www.lucidautomotive.com/radio/

-Trung

 

Why has nobody mentioned that it will be da*n hard to hook the rear speaker wires to the rear outputs on the stock HU. There are no pins in those positions. Thus you will not be able to use the fader controls on the HU. Adjusting the levels on the amp will work but you can't do so on the fly.

 

Although I've never used one, I suggest the MRDCI from Lucid over the PAC unit. While the PAC was nice while its fame lasted, it isn't what I would call an optimal solution.

I would suggest spending $250-$300 to get a decent head, then $300-$350 for the amp. Skip the sub for now, but add the rear speakers. You're going to get much better sound than your current system just by upgrading the speakers. Sound will be even better when you add in the new head, and the new head will push a reasonable amount of power for the rears, as well. Once you have some money saved up, THEN you can install another amp and a sub. Besides, I prefer to run subs off of a different amp than the mids and highs since it's less expensive when you go swapping things around in 6 months (as we always do ).

 

Heh heh...Spending $600 means it *has* to sound better

 

Thanks for the info Macgyver.

 

The first thing I would do over anything is get an aftermarket head unit. The thing about aftermarket headunits is that you have the advantage of using clean unamplied RCA outputs. On higher end head units, you also have higher-voltage line-level outputs in addition. Get the aftermarket head-unit, get the MRDCI and you'll be good to go.

Sure you can get an amp, but you're amplifying a dirty already-amplified signal.

Here's what I'm running right now:
Kenwood Excelon 959 mp3 cd whatever
Lucid's Multi-radio DCI (thanks Lucid)
Alpine MRV-450
MB Quart RSB 218 components w/ Lucid adapters (thanks again Lucid)
MB Quart RKB 215 coax
Kicker 8" L7 (on it's way, thanks WLAURENT)

And what the hell kind of 5 channel Kicker amp are you running? Model KX700.5 is like $325 or whatever <---should be good for you

And don't even begin to tell me that the MRV-450 or the KX700.5 won't be good enough for you, unless you are running $600+ retail costing components. My RSBs are doing just fine on 40RMS.

Save the dough on your $600 amp, spend the $300 on a headunit.

 

I have another question:

How about this setup?

I get an aftermarket deck, the Lucid MRDCI Controller, new components, add rear speakers. Then buy a smaller amp for the sub enclosure later on down the road. Will this work, or do I need an amp right off the bat to drive the components and new rear speakers? I'm so damn confused.

 

Why don't you run the rears off the deck?

But you might need an amp depending on which components you pick.

Have you got a budget?

 

depending on what speakers you get then that might be okay.

in all honesty, the 03 stock speakers if you look at them are actually kind of halfway decent for stock speakers. once you slap a new head unit in with no other changes, you will notice a world of a difference just with the additional power from an aftermarket head unit compared to stock.