How important is the Head Unit to the quality of the car audio?
I’m upgrading my car audio. I want the best quality audio without spending a lot.I bought new speakers, a subwoofer, and 2 amplifiers.Is a new Head Unit necessary?How important is the head unit to the quality of the car’s audio system?
Not nearly as important as the marketing would lead you to believe.
I’ve read for years (in the engineering side of car audio) that the source unit is not a major player in the sound quality of an audio system.
Basically all the source needs to do is get a clean signal to the amp(s). It does NOT take an expensive, ultra-high quality source to do that.
Obviously the features of higher priced hu’s, such as crossovers and equalizers, make them desirable to a lot of people, but a basic $100 unit will provide a clean, flat signal just as well as a $500 unit. Strong pre-amp outputs are a nice bonus as well, but that is simply to provide the best resistance to signal noise, and if you have a "quiet" signal path then a 2v pre-amp will work just as well.
Personally - I have recently switched from an $80 2v Blaupunkt to a $250 5V Eclipse, expecting an easily noticable improvment in sound, and surprisingly - I was not able to detect a difference. Although I love the Eclipse, significantly increasing sound quality is something a nice HU simply isn’t capable of doing.
It’s not the most important thing, but it can make a big difference in sound quality
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Very important. Head units allow you to connect additional amps. As you mention cost, head units are important because a Pioneer Reference unit for £1,000 compared with a £50 unit. Think about your budget. Something between £100-200 should do the job. For crystal clear sound and bass you want an Alpine. Listen with your ears. Go to an auto audio store and take some music with you to try out. See what you like. You don’t need to spend £1000’s but a few hundred would help get a decent system set up.
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Not nearly as important as the marketing would lead you to believe.
I’ve read for years (in the engineering side of car audio) that the source unit is not a major player in the sound quality of an audio system.
Basically all the source needs to do is get a clean signal to the amp(s). It does NOT take an expensive, ultra-high quality source to do that.
Obviously the features of higher priced hu’s, such as crossovers and equalizers, make them desirable to a lot of people, but a basic $100 unit will provide a clean, flat signal just as well as a $500 unit. Strong pre-amp outputs are a nice bonus as well, but that is simply to provide the best resistance to signal noise, and if you have a "quiet" signal path then a 2v pre-amp will work just as well.
Personally - I have recently switched from an $80 2v Blaupunkt to a $250 5V Eclipse, expecting an easily noticable improvment in sound, and surprisingly - I was not able to detect a difference. Although I love the Eclipse, significantly increasing sound quality is something a nice HU simply isn’t capable of doing.
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i think it is very important. it is the 2nd step in the process of repoducing the music. first would be the recorded material. you dont need to spend more than a couple hundred on a head unit but all manufacturers units have a different sound to them. i think kenwoods are harsh and high pitched, i think sony has mushy bass, etc etc.. personally i like the old alpine and blaupunkt units. the most important thing to look for when purchasing a new head unit are the features.4volt preouts at least with a dedicated subout.. high pass filters for your fronts and rears aree nice so you can take the bass out of em since your sub will cover that.and make sure you get good wiring kits for your amps cause ya didnt say anything about picking those up. dont buy into the i need a cap either. they are a waste of cash.one more thing thatll make or break your system is the cabinet for your sub.. vented or sealed… the cabinet has to fit the specs for the given driver… easier to design and build a sealed vs a vented.. tune a cab too high and itll sound like crap
a good one http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_22376_Pioneer+DEH-P4200UB.html
not a fan of kenwood but all the features… bought this one for my sonhttp://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_31015_Kenwood+eXcelon+KDC-X494+w-+FREE+Aux+Cable+-+iPod+Cable-.html
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