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tidy work even for newbies. One bonus is that the wiring unplugs from the unit itself. I installed this into my son's 1991 Geo and found it to be a excellent radio overall. The wiring manual was good but with the diagram you can wire it without worry. By using an aftermarket electrical connector letting you solder leads on the workbench vs upside down cutting of the harness and splicing of wiring.
The removable face plate is nice. The illumination is either ON or OFF.does not dim.All in all, I would buy again at $80.Recommended:Yes Amount Paid (US$): 80 I'm talking 140 degrees F (no telling how hot after it is crammed into the close quarters of the dash and the car is sitting in the sun. This will allow me to put the old stock radio back in when I sell the car. I utilized the rear screw hole to install an old computer heat sink and its still red hot.
Good:Installation in a 1995 Ford Tauras was perfect and a snap when using a Metra 19-1770 wiring kit.(Get the equivalent at Walmart for $7). The sound is excellent and the CD plays MP3 and WMA files.Sounds great with a Jensen ALX2000 100 watt RMS bridgeable amp driving a 15" sub-woofer. The adjustable equalizer (sub-woofer too) is nice.BAD:The radio gets damn HOT on the back. I wanted to run a computer cpu heat sink fan but there wasn't enough room in my dash.The little un-lit red labeled features above the memory buttons cannot be seen at night. I just bought the Sony CDX-GT330 in dash AM/FM CD Player and I have good and bad.
The RCA pre-outs are handy for a active Sub-woofer. This thing may not last long, since it gets that hot (1yr warrantee).
With triaxial speakers, the system sounds great. So, the 52 watts per channel was more attractive over other head-units with 50 watts per channel. I am using this system stock without an amp. I am also using a remote Kenwood sub under the seat for additional bass. This product installs just like any other car stereo system. The hardest part about the install was connecting the speaker wires. 2 watts is not a big difference, but I want all that I can get.
Plays every format of music I wanted. Not enough of an issue for me to deduct a star; still a great radio. Good radio for the price. My only complaint is that there is no auto dimmer feature which makes the unit a bit bright at night and the manual dimmer is buried in the settings menu.
It is easy to use, and is small enough where you can store it out of the way with ease. On that same note, this unit also comes with a slim remote control that has glow-in-the-dark buttons. It didn't match my green interior illumination at all. It's a nice way to avoid getting jarred in your seat when you turn on the ignition. Not an advertised feature, but I like it.8) This stereo comes with a card that you can use in various places all over the country to have it professionally installed. I'll just list some of the pros and cons I found on this unit in the few days I've owned it:PROS:1) The controls are easy to use, and set up so the driver can access the various functions quickly.
However, the illumination is subtle and attractive, and avoids turning my car into the 'Christmas car'.3)It was pretty easy to install. Between the included instructions and those that came with my mounting kit, it was fairly obvious what I had to hook up. (I would recommend buying a cheap pair of wire strippers, as the Sony wiring harness does not come pre-stripped).4) The features for the price are great. This was one reason I didn't go with a comparably priced Pioneer (which is otherwise a great unit also). The red coloration of the face buttons at first was off-putting.
Again, though, there is a custom preset so you can tweak the sound however you prefer. It really supports you if you want to have an elaborate and powerful system, but is great if you're just replacing factory equipment (like me).6) Radio reception is quite good. I personally prefer the knob controller to a button, but that's me. I really wanted to do it myself so didn't use it(must be a guy thing).
You also get access to a full suite of pre-set equalizer settings and a custom setting so you can tweak the sound however you like.5) The stereo itself has three port sets (not sure the technical term) in the back so you can hook up amps, subs, etc. Combine it with some nice speakers (and other items if that's you desire), and I think you'll be happy with your purchase. (The one that I do like is 'Xplod' which really articulates and emphasizes the bass of a track but doesn't neglect the highs or midrange). The presets all have cheesy names like 'Gravity' and 'Space' and their differences aren't obvious just by reading them.
Overall this is a great sounding receiver, and I'm sure when I replace my 12-year-old factory speakers, the sound quality will improve even more. I can pick up all of the major stations, as well as the lower-frequency college stations around town.7) There is a subtle feature this Sony has that I really appreciate: When you turn on the unit, it brings the volume up from totally silent to whatever your last setting was. There is a large knob that adjusts volume and lets you scroll through menu options. Some of the presets are way too trebble-heavy for my tastes (Space for example) so as to be fairly useless. 2) It would be nice if the remote buttons lit up via LCDs or something, as opposed to just glowing in the dark. But that's a minor niggle.Overall, this is a great unit for the price, and I really recommend it despite some of the sub-par presets. Or simply turn the EQ off which yields a pleasant neutral sound. Most of the buttons (aside from the presets) are clustered on the right of the face so you can hit them without reaching too far.
2) The white on black LCD display is nice and bright even in direct sunlight. Beside the FM/AM radio and CD, you get an aux input so you can plug in your MP3 player (The main reason I installed an aftermarket stereo). However, if you don't want to go through the hastle, it's nice to just drop it off soemwhere and have a pro hook you up.CONS:1) Some of the presets are kind of crappy. To me, the pros outweigh the cons. I bought this stereo because of the Sony brand name and the price. The design and the clear, crisp display of the Sony won me over. But trust me: if I can install this thing successfully so can you.
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