I had ordered a Passion with upgraded stereo w/sub but ended up with an orphan with a radio 9. To the folks with the radio 10, sub, etc, how do you like it? I want to upgrade, but prefer to not alter the appearance of the dash with an aftermarket unit. I believe I can get the optional system from the dealer. I'm not a headbanger but like good clean sound. Any suggestions? Thanks Steve (Tacoma, Wa)
I had ordered a Passion with upgraded stereo w/sub but ended up with an orphan with a radio 9. To the folks with the radio 10, sub, etc, how do you like it? I want to upgrade, but prefer to not alter the appearance of the dash with an aftermarket unit. I believe I can get the optional system from the dealer. I'm not a headbanger but like good clean sound. Any suggestions? Thanks Steve (Tacoma, Wa)
That is what I had and it is crap. If you enjoy listening to music, satellite radio, iPod, etc. then don't get a smart based system. Go aftermarket and you will be much happier!
I cringed listening to the CD load, change, play and the difference between loudness on/off was a joke. The sub - L A M E.
An aftermarket will give you more choices and BLUETOOTH! Look at it this way, you won't have to clutter your ride with a bunch of add-on dash parts if you go aftermarket.
Good luck and have fun with your smart - I thought I loved my CLK-500 but this car is sooooooo much fun
That is what I had and it is crap. If you enjoy listening to music, satellite radio, iPod, etc. then don't get a smart based system. Go aftermarket and you will be much happier!
I cringed listening to the CD load, change, play and the difference between loudness on/off was a joke. The sub - L A M E.
An aftermarket will give you more choices and BLUETOOTH! Look at it this way, you won't have to clutter your ride with a bunch of add-on dash parts if you go aftermarket.
Good luck and have fun with your smart - I thought I loved my CLK-500 but this car is sooooooo much fun
So, what setup did you go with and $$$ cost to get there.
I have the radio 10 but in all honest its not that great. The sub is no more then a regular speaker with a little more size and a little enclosure. The 6 disc is nice and play burned CD's. The jack plug in is just inside the glove box but isn't anything to admire.
But on the other side of things... I am like you and don't want a custom looking head unit... I like stock and clean!
On that note the stereo is nice but I plan on adding a small sub in the rear of the car with a amp.
That is why I set up the link for you. This allows you to keep the stock system but uses a better amp and receiver to power the speakers through the car. I personally would get rid of the original speakers, as they are probably nothing more than paper cones.
Behind the dash or under the seat. It's just an option for those that want to keep the original stereo, but want a better quality sound. There are other brands out there besides this one. Rockford Fosgate, not my favorite brand, also has two models. Look under factory sound processors.
By the way, Crutchfield is not the cheapest source, but a well known and reliable source to buy from. Dealing through some sources on line may get you a cheaper price, but with a gray market warranty(i.e. none at all).
Personally, I would change the whole radio out and pay the $50-80 plus shipping for a double din radio bezel out of Germany, but I know others are definitely opposed to this. That is why I brought it up.
At the risk of sounding "mental", is there any chance of getting an aftermarket unit and somewhat closely matching the backlight color as the dash? Thanks Steve
I've seen a bunch of aftermarket units that let you set a custom color from a palette of about 256 colors, so you should be able to get a good match. I'm in that category of people who upgraded but am left underwhelmed by some aspects. The sound comes only from the front and isn't quite good enough for being an upgrade. On the other hand, it looks very good in the dash, has clean, easy-to-use controls and not only plays MP3 discs but also displays CD text when you include that on your burned audio CDs (iTunes has this feature). If there were two speakers at the door pillars or behind or if it could control and iPod, that would have been great.
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