Stereo For My Baby

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Ace 325i
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:53 pm

Ratch - The becker is tempting me as I've found it at a nice price - well, nice meaning a bit lower than 600!!

How is the sat nav on it? And how does it sit in the E30? Any pics?

Oh - and the ipod adapter. Is that suitable for the ipod touch/iphone?

Thanks!
billgatese30
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:01 pm

E30nut, it looks almost identical to the pics Kieran posted up above. I can go and take some day shots too if you prefer.
Baz666
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:06 pm

Look dude i get it there good stereo`s it`s just my opinion OK i would rather keep my eyes looking ahead.

am i looking at this all wrong or something :mad:

please someone come up with another stereo :roll:
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Dezzy
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:06 pm

Dezzy wrote:A quick search turned up this. Seems a good price no?

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electro ... av+Systems
which one is this. Sat nav well under £600 or am I missing something
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billgatese30
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:10 pm

Thats the one with the sat nav Dezzy, although with a 2 min search on ebay it can be had for about £450
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:18 pm

Dezzy wrote:
Dezzy wrote:A quick search turned up this. Seems a good price no?

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electro ... av+Systems
which one is this. Sat nav well under £600 or am I missing something
Its not colour.
billgatese30
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:25 pm

Here's the cascade (colour screen with sat nav) for just under £600

http://www.saverstore.com/product/20037 ... Navigation


Here's the indianapolis pro (non colour screen and sat nav) for under £450

http://www.sextonsdirect.co.uk/becker/p ... ER=Froogle


and here is the grand prix (non colour screen and no sat nav) for less than £250

http://www.saverstore.com/product/20037 ... ue-Display



Now lets get back to answering Baz's original question. He wants a head unit but not a Becker. :D
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Royalratch
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:26 pm

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Sat Nav is all you need, EUROPE-WIDE postcode entry, TMC info, points of interest etc,. iPod interface is great - just check the latest info for compatibility.
Baz666
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:28 pm

Now lets get back to answering Baz's original question. He wants a head unit but not a Becker.
thanks dude.
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:11 pm

billgatese30 wrote:Here's the cascade (colour screen with sat nav) for just under £600

http://www.saverstore.com/product/20037 ... Navigation


Here's the indianapolis pro (non colour screen and sat nav) for under £450

http://www.sextonsdirect.co.uk/becker/p ... ER=Froogle


and here is the grand prix (non colour screen and no sat nav) for less than £250

Sorry last question on the Becker. The one you want is the £600 one for everything. The only difference between the first 2 is colour screen? Cheers.

I have always thought alpines are good sound. Look to modern though.

http://www.saverstore.com/product/20037 ... ue-Display



Now lets get back to answering Baz's original question. He wants a head unit but not a Becker. :D
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Royalratch
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:30 pm

Blaupunkt? German again - OEM supplier to the E30!

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I would go with alpine if I could stomache their looks. I have a brand new 2-channel Alpine amp if anyone wants it - £50.
Baz666
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:30 pm

i`v been looking at the Blaupunkts for few weeks now but didnt really know the range of them what was good and what wasnt.
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:34 pm

Royalratch wrote:Blaupunkt? German again - OEM supplier to the E30!

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I would go with alpine if I could stomache their looks. I have a brand new 2-channel Alpine amp if anyone wants it - £50.
Blaupunkt are a bit argos.....

not as good as they used to be from what i have heard
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:36 pm

Alex wrote:
Royalratch wrote:Blaupunkt? German again - OEM supplier to the E30!

Image

Image

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I would go with alpine if I could stomache their looks. I have a brand new 2-channel Alpine amp if anyone wants it - £50.
Blaupunkt are a bit argos.....

not as good as they used to be from what i have heard
Sound quality from blaupunkts is not great at all
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:44 pm

I had this in the sport and it now lives in the touring, nice piece of kit and the bluetooth works well....

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=147707
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 9:23 pm

I have a softspot for Blaupunkt and I've had a couple now. Maybe it is something to do with all the features that they come with. As for sound quality, I'd say its perfectly good but I've only ever hooked them up to OEM speakers - not a very conclusive test.
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Baz666
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 9:56 pm

what do you guys think of theses then, Parrot RKi8400

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nomadx
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Thu Dec 24, 2009 11:22 pm

I have the Becker Grand Prix in my A4, and think I will have another in the e30, its a lovely bit of kit. Looks standard to the untrained eye as well which is a bonus.
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Fri Dec 25, 2009 11:28 am

Do any of the Becker units have USB connection?

I'm assuming they can play mp3/WMA CDs?
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Royalratch
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Fri Dec 25, 2009 2:45 pm

They don't have USB but some do have card media slots.

They do play every file format via the card media or burnt CD.
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sl
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Fri Dec 25, 2009 3:36 pm

I wanted a HU that offered good sound quality without looking like a UFO, but didn't want to spend a lot of money on a Becker or such like. I went for the Pioneer P77MP, a steal second hand for 50 sheets (sorry no photos of it in my car);

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If you can spend a little more, I'd go for the P88RS also Pioneer as it has even superior sound quality;

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Hope this helps.
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Fri Dec 25, 2009 6:15 pm

Just got this.

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Fri Dec 25, 2009 6:48 pm

Nice looking hu but far too new fir an e30 dash IMO
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Baz666
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Fri Dec 25, 2009 7:51 pm

i agree with Dezzy on this one really nice looking units tho.

sl : good price you payed there fella
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Fri Dec 25, 2009 11:54 pm

I really like the look and concept of the parrot HU, I just worry about the sound quality and audio features as they're not a well known audio brand although they are one of the leading names in in car communications, just a bit more than I personally would like to spend on a headunit especially as there are similarly styled units from alpine for less.

But then I virtually never use the phone in the car so wouldn't use the call functions of the parrot, but I do like the looks, iPod compatibility and storage.
cheers,

harry
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:30 am

Royalratch wrote:They don't have USB but some do have card media slots.

They do play every file format via the card media or burnt CD.
I thought the card reader was for the Sat Nav?
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Royalratch
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:34 am

Yes but can also read audio when not 'navving.' What's the capacity on modern CF cards? 8GB?

Yum.
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:15 am

Royalratch wrote:Yes but can also read audio when not 'navving.' What's the capacity on modern CF cards? 8GB?

Yum.
I see.

So when Sat Nav is active - only CDs (or iPod via link)?
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Royalratch
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:23 am

Ya - but the CD can have any file format on it so can be stuffed with MP3's, WMA's etc etc.
Last edited by Royalratch on Mon Jan 04, 2010 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
inlovewithRWD
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:37 pm

Another vote for the Alpine unit. I got this one for Christmas: http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/produc ... 10496.html the colour can be changed to amber to make it look in place, and because it is plain it doesn't stick out too much as modern. It also has full iPod compatability, so I can hide my iPod in the glovebox and control it through the stereo. Looks 8) IMO. It is also competitively priced.

I wanted to get a Becker Grand Prix, but they are no longer available with amber backlight, and the iPod lead costs an extra £90-100 8O
Baz666
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:54 pm

The Becker is a really nice unit, to spend that much on a hu is insane as there are other units that with do the same and give you the same sound for half the price....just my opinion

you can get a good named HU in a price range of £130-200

alpine do some really good HU`s
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Ali-bumble
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 8:09 pm

You don't have to break the bank for a Becker unit.
I got a Mexico pro new from ebay for £200 for that nearly oem look
Great sound from it and as others have said it will play all file formats on a cd
Has auxilliary input in the rear so you can plug other media into it
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:57 pm

Baz666 wrote:The Becker is a really nice unit, to spend that much on a hu is insane as there are other units that with do the same and give you the same sound for half the price....just my opinion
It's not an opinion, it can either be done or it cannot - and it cannot.
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:16 pm

Those becker units are savage money :s and no USB on some...

The alpine cda-9880r is a nice unit, think it's been replaced by now though.

I'm also looking out for a good unit, considering the 9880 because it has rear usb
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Royalratch
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Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:19 pm

Looks Right
Sounds Good
Cheap

Pick two.
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