how do aftermarket stereos look?

  • Thread starter Thread starter juniper
  • Start date Start date
J

juniper

I have a '97 850 and am thinking about getting a "real" AM/FM/CD player
unit. Something from Crutchfield's or locally. Do these look bad
installed? TIA.
 
I installed a radio cd player in my 850 taking out the standard radio
cassette CD head unit that the car came with. I needed a fitting kit which
includes the wiring and a small box which fits under the radio. So you
actually gain somewhere to put stuff. The box looks a bit plasticky but on
the whole looks ok and fitting is dead easy.
 
I have a '96 850 wagon and did the exact same thing.

The key is to find a model that has a simple BLACK face. Many of the
units have a silver face and more lights than a Christmas tree. Those
would just look horrible on the nice clean Volvo dash.

I found a AM/FM/CD player that also plays MP3s that are burned to CD.

If you buy from Crutchfield they give you a pocket to take up the space
needed if you get a standard sized unit, since the stock unit is a
"double" sized unit.
 
I have a '96 850 wagon and did the exact same thing.

The key is to find a model that has a simple BLACK face. Many of the
units have a silver face and more lights than a Christmas tree. Those
would just look horrible on the nice clean Volvo dash.

I found a AM/FM/CD player that also plays MP3s that are burned to CD.

If you buy from Crutchfield they give you a pocket to take up the space
needed if you get a standard sized unit, since the stock unit is a
"double" sized unit.
Click to expand...

What unit did you purchase/install?

Beverly
 
I don't know off the top of my head, I'll check tonight and take a
picture. I'm quite pleased with it and how well it matches the rest of
the dash.
 
Here is a picture of what it looks like in my 850 with the car off.
 
Sorry that the url was on two lines, but if you cut and paste both lines
as one line into your browser's address line the "total" address will
take you to the right Crutchfield page.

I don't know if the picture worked. I don't really know how to embed a
picture into a post.

*sorry*
 
It is a clarion DB345MP
Click to expand...

Atif - thanks for the information. That unit is aesthetically
pleasing. Shame they don't have it anymore.

Beverly
 
correct me if i am wrong...but...aren't the volvo sound
systems pretty good generally?

the 2000 and newer models have rcd some pretty good
reviews (i thought)...and the s80 system pumps out
some decent sound...in the stock, factory set up.....(I
thought....)

in my 1993 940t, i left the stock volvo head unit alone, and
added the volvo cd changer (trunk)....we then went through
and upgraded the speakers, added a few, and added a
tube bass kicker along w/a power booster and a "splitter"
(whatever that's for...i am not sure about all the stereo gear
these days).....but the system sounds decent, and still looks
stock..."sleeper system".....
 
Atif said:
I have a '96 850 wagon and did the exact same thing.

The key is to find a model that has a simple BLACK face. Many of the
Click to expand...
units have a silver face and more lights than a Christmas tree. Those
would just look horrible on the nice clean Volvo dash.

I found a AM/FM/CD player that also plays MP3s that are burned to CD.

If you buy from Crutchfield they give you a pocket to take up the space
needed if you get a standard sized unit, since the stock unit is a
"double" sized unit.
Click to expand...

Agreed; the hardest part is to find a face that doesn't try to emulate
the ginza at midnight. The Japanese brands seem to be glitzier than the
eurobrands.
 
yea...thats for sure...i have come across some pretty "wild units"..in
the local
sound stores...lots of "bells and whistles", buttons, do dads, viedo,
and i few
things i am not sure what they are...they l@@k pretty cool....i
guess....
 
Depends what you start with and what you want.

I had the stock volvo radio with just a tape player. I never listen to
tapes, only CDs. So no need to keep the stock unit. The unit I put in
has a CD unit that also reads MP3 burned to CDs. This new unit is also
SMALLER, so I have another cubby hole/CD holder pocket in the dash which
is nice.

So for what I wanted and needed replacing the stock worked out well.
 
~^ beancounter ~^ said:
correct me if i am wrong...but...aren't the volvo sound
systems pretty good generally?

the 2000 and newer models have rcd some pretty good
reviews (i thought)...and the s80 system pumps out
some decent sound...in the stock, factory set up.....(I
thought....)
Click to expand...


The newer ones may well be good, my 240 on the other hand came with a crappy
old (factory) casette deck that had spotty FM reception and the tape speed
wobbled all over the place. The tape deck in my 740 was better but still
didn't sound that great and had no aux input for a CD player. In both cases
I like the aftermarket decks MUCH better.
 
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