Reasonable Replacement Radio ?

[dtmpower]

We’ve just bought a Laguna, my wife’s old company car.

The car was purchased as, is with its faults and nuances. The main annoyance was the CD player packed up about 3 months ago and I had to disconnect it as a short circuit was flattening the car’s battery. Now the car is in our ownership I am looking for a replacement CD player.

I am not looking to spend more than about £100, would preferably like Bluetooth handsfree and a USB/AUX IN.

Would this fit the bill? I have already ordered a single din surround for the car.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

I thought I would ask on PH just before I hit the trigger and see if anyone can suggest a better alternative.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Alpine CDE-103BT if you can get one.

[dtmpower]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Alpine CDE-103BT if you can get one.

Everywhere I look that model is out of stock / discontinued.

Anyone else ? Is my cheapy Kenwood selection ok ?

[Efbe]

it will be ok.

personally i'd look for one with a USB slot in the front. soo much easier for putting music on.

unless you are hooking up an amp etc, any radio will do the job really.

[anonymous-user]

dtmpower said:

We’ve just bought a Laguna, my wife’s old company car.

The car was purchased as, is with its faults and nuances. The main annoyance was the CD player packed up about 3 months ago and I had to disconnect it as a short circuit was flattening the car’s battery. Now the car is in our ownership I am looking for a replacement CD player.

I am not looking to spend more than about £100, would preferably like Bluetooth handsfree and a USB/AUX IN.

Would this fit the bill? I have already ordered a single din surround for the car.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

I thought I would ask on PH just before I hit the trigger and see if anyone can suggest a better alternative.

For a ton, you can get a cheap (probably chinese) DAB stereo from Halfords, with USB/SD socket/iPod input. It's got a red display (which I personally find hard to read) but for £100, it'll play absolutely anything, and in decent clarity too. (My friend had got one and as soon as my holiday is booked and paid for, I'll be getting one.)

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

[paulmoonraker]

At that price point they are similar. You would be better getting a low spec Alpine, Kenwood or JVC even rather than some feature rich Halfords own brand tat... The amp circuit etc will be much better and the sound quality therefore better. You will be surprised how good standard speakers will sound with a good head unit.

[HellDiver]

To futureproof, buy a HU with DAB. FM is being turned off in a few years.

I got the Philips CEM3000B (only available off Halfrauds), and it's really very good. Replaces an Alpine CDA-105R. Sounds just as good, the DAB is excellent, does iPod, MP3, doesn't look too blingy. I'm just using one of those stuck-to-the-screen antennas too - the magnetic external antenna supplied is a bit Police-Squad for my liking.

[anonymous-user]

HellDiver said:

I'm just using one of those stuck-to-the-screen antennas too - the magnetic external antenna supplied is a bit Police-Squad for my liking.

How do you find the screen-mounted antenna? The only thing putting me off a DAB is the aerial - my car doesn't even have an external FM aerial so wouldn't want to have a twig mag'd to the doot/roof/wing. Do the screen-mounted ones give good reception?

[SamPet]

This:

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/178...

If you have an iPhone, you can stream the music via bluetooth straight to the head-unit and it'll cut the music when the phone rings and you have intergrated handsfree!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

[NiceCupOfTea]

dtmpower said:

NiceCupOfTea said:

Alpine CDE-103BT if you can get one.

Everywhere I look that model is out of stock / discontinued.

Anyone else ? Is my cheapy Kenwood selection ok ?

It's replacement, the CDE-113BT Will be out of budget, but does everything very well. I also have a Kenwood HU - quality and features are good, fiddly to use on the move though.

[dtmpower]

NiceCupOfTea said:

It's replacement, the CDE-113BT Will be out of budget, but does everything very well. I also have a Kenwood HU - quality and features are good, fiddly to use on the move though.

Bought this - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

[edo]

What is the existing radio in the laguna like - is it single din sized? Is the screen part of it, or elsewhere on the dash? may be easier to get a like for like replacement off ebay?

[dtmpower]

edo said:

What is the existing radio in the laguna like - is it single din sized? Is the screen part of it, or elsewhere on the dash? may be easier to get a like for like replacement off ebay?

Single Din - bought a surround for it. It's a phase 2 Laguna II

[NiceCupOfTea]

dtmpower said:

NiceCupOfTea said:

It's replacement, the CDE-113BT Will be out of budget, but does everything very well. I also have a Kenwood HU - quality and features are good, fiddly to use on the move though.

Bought this - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Yeah, think mine is the 60U. Rear mounted USB, but pretty much any function involves menus and scrolling which is impractical when driving. Alpine does most stuff with one button press.

[Kiltox]

Can't you just buy a Lag II headunit off the bay?

It's surprisingly good for a standard radio. (maybe it's the speakers that are good, I don't know, but the standard audio setup in my PH2 Lag II was the best I've ever had in a standard car)

TBH any aftermarket radio will do the job though. I'd avoid rear USB for the Lag because there is absolutely no room behind there for running cables, I've tried and an epic amount of swearing will testify to that