I'm Looking for a New Car Stereo Deck...

[Jason Dunn]

I'm in the market for a WMA-capable audio deck for my car. I don't need anything extremely fancy (though I saw one that rotated around into the dash to make it look like it was removed. Any suggestions for a quality car deck that is highly WMA-compatible?

[zrock]

Jason,
I've had great results with my Alpine CDA-9813

60W x 4 V-Drive™ Amplifier
• Bass Engine® Pro
- 6-Channel Digital Time Correction
- 6-Position HP/LP (24dB/Octave) Digital Crossover
- 5-Band Parametric EQ
- Subwoofer Level Control with Phase Selector
- 3-way or 2-way electronic crossover with adjustale slope
• MediaXpander™
• XM Satellite Radio Ready
• MP3/WMA/CD-R/RW Playback
• CD Text and MP3/WMA Tag Information Display
• Quick Search Function
• CD Text, CD Text Display, CD Text Scroll
• Versatile-Link™ Ready
• MaxTune SQ Tuner
• BlackOut Display
• Regulated 1Bit DAC
• 3 PreOuts (4 volt)
• MM Driver (Hard Disc Drive) Ready
• MobileHub™ Ready
• Swing Mechanism with Detachable Face
• RUE-4187 Wireless Remote Control Included

it plays WMA and MP3 like a champ, but it won't play "protected WMA's" ie. Velvet Revolver WMA's included on the CD's (plays regular songs fine). It's "XM ready" but I'm using a Sirius plug n play unit via the V-Link cable and you could also run an iPod thru V-Link cable if desired.

I've used this unit extensively for over a year now and can attest to the qulaity. There are several Alpine models that offer WMA playback, but make sure the unit has the V-Link if you're interested in playing an iPod or other mp3 player through the unit. WMA and V-Link are also available on the CDA-9827 and CDA-9830

On a related note, Alpine just introduced the KCA-420i adapter, which displays iTunes vital information on the head unit - you can view artist, album, and song names during playback. You can also fit the KCA-420i under the dash, in the trunk or under the seat for mounting applications and stash the iPod in your glove compartment out of sight and out of mind.

I'm very happy with my Alpine - it's very cool being able to listen to listen shuffle thru a disk full of WMA's or MP3's and be able to switch over to Sirius. Best wishes on your search and rock on!

[Mojo Jojo]

NO!!! You said iTunes to him!!! Run for the hills! :lol:

Just out of curiosity, are there any head units that play protected WMA files? I mean directly stored on the unit and not a pass through from a player.

[Doug Johnson]

I was once in your situation... not sure what to get, so I actually have gone through 6 CD players in my Jeep trying to find the "right" one. I finally landed on a Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, and I love it! It's a little bit more on the expensive side, but they do have cheaper models that I can highly recommend from prior experience.

Here's their list of MP3/WMA compatible models:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/article/0,,2076_4035_48463,00.html

One thing that steered me toward the Pioneer over some others is that they support WMA tags, so you get to see the artist/title/album. For some reason, a lot of the "WMA" players out there don't. Very strange.

But my P860MP (very similar to the P8600MP) works great, and has TONS of cool features. Some of the cooler ones: create your own graphics on a PC, automatic volume adjustment to compensate for road and engine noise, variable crossovers on all channels, BBE sonic enhancement, time alignment so the sound from different speakers arrives at your ears at the same time, automatic equalization to compensate for speaker and vehicle anomalies, can jump around to different tracks without having to hear each one (continue listen to current song while selecting the next), the best FM tuner out there... and tons more. It's really sweet!

I'm normally a Sony guy, but I feel like they have really dropped the ball lately on the quality and features of their nicer products, (no WMA support in ANYTHING for one) so in my other car I'm still running their CDX-C90, which, other than lack of internal MP3 support, is an amazing deck as well.

The other stereos I went through... I don't remember the model #s, but there was a Kenwood (never again! hideous interface, skips when you breathe on it), Panasonic (somewhat disappointing feature-wise, though otherwise a quality unit), Blaupunkt (low build quality; started skipping too easily after a while), Sony (no WMA), and I can't remember what else. There were a couple others in there that I only had for a couple days before I couldn't stand them any longer.

Hope that helps...

[Chris Gohlke]

Not exactly what you are looking for, but I got this about a month ago http://www.crutchfield.com/S-gtmfm5cymCp/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=3&g=62700&I=055CDCX504&o=p&a=1&cc=01&avf=Y&search=

It does not natively play WMA, but it has a front input. I just plug my iRiver in and have 40 GB in the car. If your MP3 player plays wma, then you could do the same.

[bryhawks]

Will the Pioneer decks play high-quality WM9 VBR encoded files? I believe Jason wants what I want - a unit that will play back all versions and encoding types (VBR & CBR) of WMA, not just 'a' version (e.g. WM8 CBR only).

I have an old Pioneer, and Pioneer was my first choice to replace it with, until I heard there may be limited WMA support and that they have crappy tuners. Can't confirm this - haven't tested them myself, and my unit's 9 yrs old.

[Jason Dunn]

Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions guys - it's especially nice to see some first-time posters coming out of lurking mode to give advice. :-D

Bryhawks is right, I'd like to have something that plays WMA CBR and VBR - a year ago I did some tests and the decks couldn't play 9 Series VBR files.

It looks like Pioneer is the leading player - do their decks play VBR files?

[Doug Johnson]

It looks like Pioneer is the leading player - do their decks play VBR files?
I haven't encountered any problems with any MP3s or WMAs at all yet, and quite a few of my WMAs are v9 VBR.

Here's what the manual on my DEH-P860MP says:

* This unit plays back WMA files encoded by Windows Media Player version 7, 7.1, 8, and 9.
* You can only play back WMA files in the frequencies 32, 44.1, and 48 kHz.
* The sound quality of WMA files generally becomes better with an increased bit rate. This unit can play recordings with bit rates from 48 kbps to 320 kbps (CBR) or from 48 kbps to 384 kbps (VBR), but in order to be able to enjoy sound of a certain quality, we recommend using discs with a higher bit rate.
* The unit doesn't support the follwing formats: Windows Media 9 Professional (5.1 ch), Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless, Windows Media Audio 9 Voice

[Perry Reed]

I have a Pioneer unit as well, though one of the cheaper ones -- the DEH-P5500MP (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4039_35228,00.html).

It plays WMA files, although I couldn't honestly say it's "highly" WMA compatible. In fact, it has problems with a fair number of WMAs, stuttering and skipping when it tries to play them. It's also very intolerant of MP3s with any flaws in the encoding, although generally it does better with them than with WMAs.

Now that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, but I actually do like the unit quite a bit. If you've ripped the MP3s cleanly (and avoid any pirated ones from Kazaa or the like), it plays them very well. It's also got about a billion adjustments to the sound it produces making it very customizable to any car.

The MSRP, according to Pioneer, is $270, but you can find it much cheaper than that. I got mine from eBay for about $135.

It's also XM Radio and CD-changer ready.

[Jason Dunn]

I talked to a local car stereo guy and he said one of the things about the Pioneer units is that they take several seconds before they start playing the WMA files, and this happens with EVERY load. He said Alpine decks support some sort of buffering, so they start playing the songs instantly, and you can even seek other songs while the current one is playing. That sounds pretty nice. Any feedback about Alpine decks? I've never owned one before.

[Doug Johnson]

...he said one of the things about the Pioneer units is that they take several seconds before they start playing the WMA files...
I haven't noticed this on mine.

Any feedback about Alpine decks? I've never owned one before.
I have never owned one because most of the long-time Alpine owners I have been unsatisfied. They don't tend to last as long as other brands. Could be that I've just known everyone that has had problems, but there have been more than a handful. Mostly build quality issues. If you don't plan on keeping it a long time, I wouldn't let this be a deterrent, however.

I have installed well over 100 stereos over the last few years, and here's a brief summary of the feedback I have gotten (some from my own experience as well):

Alpine: Good at first, but don't seem to hold up well over time compared to some other brands.
Blaupunkt: Decent, but there are better choices.
Clarion: Ok, but a bit overpriced.
JVC: I would avoid. Problematic.
Kenwood: Overrated. Feature-laden models tend to have complex interfaces. Don't handle scratched CDs well, and tend to skip a lot.
Pioneer: Tons of cool features, ok/good interface, very good reliability.
Panasonic: Excellent reliability, generally barebones on features, and are therefore simple to operate.
Rockford Fosgate: Nice decks, but small selection, and can be harder to find. Excellent pickup mechanisms. [I had one that wouldn't skip if I had beat it with a baseball bat... I should have never sold it]
Sanyo: I would avoid. Problematic.
Sony: Higher-end products are good. Just avoid the cheaper models. Newer models are feature-weak compared to other brands. Cheaper models can break quickly.

Of all of the manufacturers above, the ones that seem to last longest are Panasonic, Pioneer, and Rockford Fosgate. I have installed a ton of these two brands, and not a single one has yet acted up as far as I know. It doesn't look like RF offers WMA support, though, so they're probably out.

[Perry Reed]

I talked to a local car stereo guy and he said one of the things about the Pioneer units is that they take several seconds before they start playing the WMA files, and this happens with EVERY load.

There is a delay before the unit will play any CD-R disc (as opposed to a store-bought CD), but that happens only when the disc is first inserted, not before every song, and it happens regardless of the format of the disc; whether it's CD-Audio, MP3, or WMA. I've never noticed any lag before playing any particular song.

[zrock]

Any feedback about Alpine decks? I've never owned one before.

I've owned three Alpine decks over the past 17 years and have been 100% satisfied with each one with no problems whatsover.

[Suhit Gupta]

Ahh, so you aren't going for that BMW so you can buy an iPod connector cradle? :-P

Suhit

[boeman]

I owned the Alpine CDA-9815 and I have to say it was the best Head Unit I have ever had. I sold it to my cousin when I purchased my new truck, since I decided to leave the audio stock for now. This HU had the cleanest signal for my subs that I have ever had with any aftermarket HU (and this was my 3rd Alpine HU).

The WMA/MP3 playback was superior to any others I had tried. There is a 2 second buffer that takes care of most skips and pauses in playback.

I don't think you can go wrong with Alpine products.

[AKBishop]

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027164&pathId=87

I have the JVC Exad LHX5000 which is great. It's got a touch screen LCD. You can change the LCD color to whatever you want. I have it set to match the other interior lights in my car. It plays WMA CBR & VBR. It plays MP3 too, although I've never tested that. I'm a WMA freak. The only delay is on the first time you insert the disc. Other than that it plays rock solid.

One of the reasons I picked this over other decks was it's price (around $300). And also it's the only one I could find (in stock at local stores like Circuit City, Best buy, Car Toys, etc.) that showed folder names. All the other ones numbered the folders and you had to know exactly which number you wanted. I have most of my discs organized so that each artist is in a separate folder (or album if it's all the same artist on the disc). That way I can choose to play only that artist or I can choose the whole disc. It does shuffle disc and shuffle folder. It's got a good equalizer with several built in settings and 3 user spots. 3 FM and 1 AM. It also talks to you. When you press buttons it'll say things like "FM 1" "CD" or "Folder Up" "Menu", etc. Kind of nice. (It speaks in Spanish, English, and French).

It does have a silver finish which doesn't match the black interior of my car, but I still love it.

Oh a couple more things, it has a few lame visualization things that I never use. You can also change the starting and ending movies it shows. The face plate is motorized to move out of the way when you want to eject or insert a CD. It also has an IR remote (which has survived coffee and water balloons).