carl669 wrote:how do i know if this fits in me car?

It's double DIN, so it's pretty big. I've always liked Crutchfield's site when trying to find what'll fit my vehicles.
Try this: Crutchfield Outfit Me Car
Put in all the info about your car and it should tell you the dimensions of the stock stereo and give you a list of what'll fit. Compare the dimensions or look to see if it lists and double DIN sized receivers.

I don’t think crutchfield is selling this unit currently, but they do have a compatible back-up cam!

Wow, what a nice toy to give to car radio thieves! Probably slides right out for them. Hope you all have good car alarms.

turf12 wrote:before you buy, make sure that this head unit is compatible with your car.

http://signature.crutchfield.com/app/car/carselector.aspx?vb=Y&ss=Y&sl=Y&lp=%2fApp%2fProduct%2fItem%2fDefault.aspx%3fi%3d500IXAW404%26tp%3d27783&

Ah nuts, you beat me to it. I stand defeated...

worldofjohnboy wrote:The wiring harness doesn't require crimping or soldering... a simple twist of the cables and some electrical tape will suffice as will cable "couplers" (sold for about $2 for a box of 20 at your local Hardware store). I've done 6 stereo installs for myself and my friends and only used the twist and tape method and all six are still playing music today.

lol.

People, please do not splice wires and tape over them. That is super hood and will lead to problems later.

Either crimp it to your chassis wiring (still ghetto--why are you going to hack up your perfectly good harness?), buy a conversion harness from Best Buy and crimp/solder it to the harness included with the deck (better), or buy plug-and-play harnesses from Metra (best and easiest solution, but most costly).

I used to install these for a living. Don't Mickey Mouse it. Can't even begin to tell you how many decks had "problems" that were fixed as soon as we soldered the harnesses together (we never crimped anything).

Harnesses: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Car-Deck-Installation/Car-Deck-Harnesses/pcmcat165900050034.c?id=pcmcat165900050034

Dash kits (you will most likely need this if you have a stock deck): http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Car-Deck-Installation/Car-Dash-Installation-Kits/pcmcat165900050033.c?id=pcmcat165900050033

You can also buy them from Crutchfield if you hate Best Buy for whatever reason.

brucedoesbms wrote:Any suggestions for the best speaker system to utilize with this device?...

Car speakers are simpler to buy than home speakers. Only certain ones will fit. Generally, you should use replacements the same size as the ones already in the car, unless you want to drop some serious cash on custom installation. Also, check the depth: if the old speakers are 2.5" deep, new 3" deep ones may not fit.

I used to work in a high-end stereo store that sold car stereos, and I could never tell customers this (because they wouldn't believe me), but it's basically true:

Once you have the size right, it's a good rule of thumb to just use the most expensive speakers you can afford. Up to around $50 per speaker, you generally get sound that everyone can agree is better, by spending more. Just pick a budget and get the best speakers you can afford under it.

But unless you're a serious tweak-o-phile (true: I have almost always had speakers worth more than my car, and do now), spending over $50 per speaker is probably a waste: you're unlikely to hear the difference.

If you really want to spend a few extra bucks, get a subwoofer.

And if the store doesn't want to give you a better deal (they should), they may at least give you free installation. There is absolutely no harm in trying to bargain, even at a big chain store.

so if it says my mini cooper isnt researched...does that mean it will not fit....

kazama wrote:lol.

People, please do not splice wires and tape over them. That is super hood and will lead to problems later.

Again, I have done 6 stereo installs this way and all 6 of the radios have had no issues. It's not the method, just the quality that matters.

I wouldn't expect a "professional" installer to understand because they are used to installing stereos for customers in under 30 minutes and charging 3/4ths of the cost of the head unit to install.

kazama wrote:
People, please do not splice wires and tape over them. That is super hood and will lead to problems later.

QFT.

wjonesiv wrote:so if it says my mini cooper isnt researched...does that mean it will not fit....

It most likely won't. I've driven a few Minis through car-share services and it probably requires some sort of crazy dash kit, assuming it will even fit.

You'll also probably need to re-wire the speakers since the Mini probably has some sort of "premium sound" system.

Check Crutchfield and/or Best Buy's site for fitment options. If you can't get an answer from either one, you can try calling a local car stereo shop in the morning for advice.

Also, these things start at around $280 on eBay, so $200 seems like a good deal:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=IXA-W404&_trkparms=65%253A15%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1&_sc=1&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_sop=16&_sc=1

I want one and I don't even have a car. Is there instructions to mount this to a bicycle somewhere?

I love alpine, and I love woot, but this is not a great deal. I spent a little more than this and got an elcipse head, minus the touch screen, but does everything else, plus mp3 cd, and full Bluetooth (both for music and phone)

my iPhone is jailbroken and I installed the accessory screen bypass so the touchscreen on the head means nothing to me

just a word of warning, figure out what you want to do with it and price everything out, usually can get a better deal at your local car audio shop (not best buy)

just my 2 cents worth

worldofjohnboy wrote:Again, I have done 6 stereo installs this way and all 6 of the radios have had no issues. It's not the method, just the quality that matters.

I wouldn't expect a "professional" installer to understand because they are used to installing stereos for customers in under 30 minutes and charging 3/4ths of the cost of the head unit to install.

if you are suggesting you have used electrical tape on install then you are crazy and just asking for a short. as above the best way is to buy a premade/plug and play harness. soldering is second best with heat shrink tubing. third best option is crimping. twisting crap together and taping over it is never a solution.

I really wish that this would fit in my car. This is precisely what I would like to install.

it looks pretty and would definitely take care of my ipod/iphone hookup needs but i can't pull the trigger on a unit that does not play CDs and does not have a detachable face. this is just screaming for a break-in and i don't want to make myself a target.

hairybarrier wrote:I want one and I don't even have a car. Is there instructions to mount this to a bicycle somewhere?

all you need is a 12vdc power source and some speakers and you can mount it anywhere you want.

After checking and seeing that it will indeed fit my car, the Crutchfield site also told me that this unit is discontinued. Maybe that's why this is such a good deal...

worldofjohnboy wrote:Again, I have done 6 stereo installs this way and all 6 of the radios have had no issues. It's not the method, just the quality that matters.

I wouldn't expect a "professional" installer to understand because they are used to installing stereos for customers in under 30 minutes and charging 3/4ths of the cost of the head unit to install.

The "quality" of the installation is compromised when you're splicing wires and taping over them. They can come loose and cause all sorts of problems, and can lead to other issues like electrical shorts that can damage the deck and possibly other electronics on the car. You end up doing the job twice when you could have done it correctly the first time. Using plug-and-play harnesses is even faster than being ghetto and splicing and taping.

Not a good look. Do it right--use conversion harnesses or solder it.

worldofjohnboy wrote:Again, I have done 6 stereo installs this way and all 6 of the radios have had no issues. It's not the method, just the quality that matters.

I wouldn't expect a "professional" installer to understand because they are used to installing stereos for customers in under 30 minutes and charging 3/4ths of the cost of the head unit to install.

Sorry, I'm with kazama on this one, that's great you got away with ghetto 6 times, still doesn't mean it's a good idea and everyone should do it. If you're doing that many installs, spend the $10 on a cheap soldering iron and do it right, and spend the $20 for a wiring harness, it's worth it in the wrong run.

darcotter wrote:Uhhh.. Radio tuner sold sep.?!
Something this big should have CD, radio, mp3 storage and make me toast in the morning...

HD radio tuner (and Sirius module) sold separately. That's not the same as regular radio, which should be included.

Also, it's big because it's meant to fit cars with that size hole in the dash (2-DIN), which is fairly common.

I'm cautiously tempted, myself.

Jeus wrote:if you are suggesting you have used electrical tape on install then you are crazy and just asking for a short. as above the best way is to buy a premade/plug and play harness. soldering is second best with heat shrink tubing then crimping. twisting crap together and taping over it is never a solution.

I agree with you (and everyone else that's said it) that the best and quickest way is to buy a wiring harness. (They are readily available from Best Buy, Auto Zone, etc.)

I will stand by my 6 installs (as will the car owners) and say that you statement about "asking" for a short is unequivically FALSE. Anyone that has done electrical wiring in a house can attest to this... those wires are a much heavier gauge and carry more current and the use of twist caps and electrical tape is standard practice.

Agree to disagree.

kazama wrote:lol.

People, please do not splice wires and tape over them. That is super hood and will lead to problems later.

Either crimp it to your chassis wiring (still ghetto--why are you going to hack up your perfectly good harness?), buy a conversion harness from Best Buy and crimp/solder it to the harness included with the deck (better), or buy plug-and-play harnesses from Metra (best and easiest solution, but most costly).

I used to install these for a living. Don't Mickey Mouse it. Can't even begin to tell you how many decks had "problems" that were fixed as soon as we soldered the harnesses together (we never crimped anything).

Harnesses: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Car-Deck-Installation/Car-Deck-Harnesses/pcmcat165900050034.c?id=pcmcat165900050034

Dash kits (you will most likely need this if you have a stock deck): http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Car-Deck-Installation/Car-Dash-Installation-Kits/pcmcat165900050033.c?id=pcmcat165900050033

You can also buy them from Crutchfield if you hate Best Buy for whatever reason.

i bought a double din JVC unit two years ago for my corolla (i'm so hood i guess...) everything inside is taped. the unit works great and has a 7 inch screen. my wife wants a similar unit for her car, but based on this guy's tiny screen i wouldn't recommend it. professional installation can cost you an arm and a leg, but all the wires are color coded and the work can be done in an hour. i even have the USB cable routed through a separate "drawer" in my dash which has plenty of room to store the ridiculously long 3.5 audio cable for misc mp3 players and a 2.5" 60gb HDD all out of site and easy to access. this seems like a pass to me, but installation isn't a good reason why.

It's cute....can I watch 'True Blood' on it? I have cruise-control, so will just set my car to drive itself and watch my shows wherever I go!

worldofjohnboy wrote:Again, I have done 6 stereo installs this way and all 6 of the radios have had no issues. It's not the method, just the quality that matters...

I did it that way, too, when I was younger. It worked great, in a cooler clime, for about 5 years. Down South, I would expect it would take the tape 3 years to start to fail, unless it never sat in the sun.

Do yourself, or the next owner, a favor. For a few dollars difference (at most), you can make it permanent, instead of a time bomb.

Even very high-quality electrical tape simply "un-sticks" after some number of years.

For all you mac/linux lovers you can't update the firmware of the unit as it is windows based.

This is NOT a CD player. I researched this model and several others just months ago. Make sure you realize this is an "add on" to your current system, as WOOT has stated. It offers great expansion possibilities if that's what your truely looking for.

worldofjohnboy wrote:I agree with you (and everyone else that's said it) that the best and quickest way is to buy a wiring harness. (They are readily available from Best Buy, Auto Zone, etc.)

I will stand by my 6 installs (as will the car owners) and say that you statement about "asking" for a short is unequivically FALSE. Anyone that has done electrical wiring in a house can attest to this... those wires are a much heavier gauge and carry more current and the use of twist caps and electrical tape is standard practice.

Agree to disagree.

if you reread my post i stated that tape alone is asking for a short and if you'll notice in your post you said "twist caps" aka wirenuts and tape is standard.

heat from the sun makes the tape lift after a while. i did wirenut install too when i was 16 they worked fine, but just because it works doesn't mean it's right.

mattlscc wrote:iPod connect... sweet! Assume that works with iPhone 3GS!?

Check iPod compatibility on this page.

you can sell these for quite a profit on Amazon……….

jeffiekins wrote:I did it that way, too, when I was younger. It worked great, in a cooler clime, for about 5 years. Down South, I would expect it would take the tape 3 years to start to fail, unless it never sat in the sun.

That logic defies the normal properties of electrical tape... When the tape gets warm/hot, the tape actually gets stickier and "gooier." On the other hand, when you cool the tape, not only does it stiffen the tape, but the adhesive becomes less sticky.

Of the six vehicles that I have installed on:

-3 of the vehicles were done over 4 years ago... those decks are still in the vehicles and with original job I did and have not suffered any of the effects that anyone speaks of.

-4 of the vehicles are in the state of NY, which can top out at 100 degrees in the summer and cool down to -15 degrees in the winter.

-2 of the vehicles are in the state of Florida... 'nuff said in regards to weather.

Jeus wrote:if you reread my post i stated that tape alone is asking for a short and if you'll notice in your post you said "twist caps" aka wirenuts and tape is standard.

heat from the sun makes the tape lift after a while. i did wirenut install too when i was 16 they worked fine, but just because it works doesn't mean it's right.

I am currently 32 years old and have helped wire many household outlets, lights and fans. I beg you to find a ceiling light without electrical tape and wirenuts on them.

worldofjohnboy wrote:That logic defies the normal properties of electrical tape... When the tape gets warm/hot, the tape actually gets stickier and "gooier." On the other hand, when you cool the tape, not only does it stiffen the tape, but the adhesive becomes less sticky.

Of the six vehicles that I have installed on:

-3 of the vehicles were done over 4 years ago... those decks are still in the vehicles and with original job I did and have not suffered any of the effects that anyone speaks of.

-4 of the vehicles are in the state of NY, which can top out at 100 degrees in the summer and cool down to -15 degrees in the winter.

-2 of the vehicles are in the state of Florida... 'nuff said in regards to weather.

i suppose you are going to try and tell us that you suggest going from a 10 gauge stranded to a 22 gauge solid core wire as well? as i stated before time will tell. i live in florida and i know what happens to electrical tape in this weather. if electrical tape was good enough dont you think that auto makers would use only electrical tape rather than quick connects and special harnesses?

Dont Buy this.

If you want to
a) future proof yourself
b) impress riders.

Get a unit with in built bluetooth.

You can sync your music via BT, no aux cable necessary. Assuming you have a smart phone/BT compatible media player.

You can listen/deny/answer calls using the mic that comes with it. I hvae had mine for 3 plus years (pioneer) and its served me very well.
Syncs with any phone!

Also if you have an xm subscription then you can listen online. which you can then stream via BT to the stereo.
Also Tmobile just started rolling out 4g so you can use that to ensure you have quality music pandora/xm/online radio if your in the fortunate cities.

worldofjohnboy wrote:I am currently 32 years old and have helped wire many household outlets, lights and fans. I beg you to find a ceiling light without electrical tape and wirenuts on them.

i didnt say that reread, i know its late, but READ. btw this is a car stereo you might not have read that either.

Nice that it hits the magic $199 price point. Alpine makes a quality product, I own two Alpine units, they are very reliable and the sound quality is impressive. If you need a double-din and want ONLY iPod or USB connections, you can seriously consider this product.

On the downside, only a 2 band EQ does not offer much sound adjustments, and the touch screen seems very small and is also noted as being fairly unresponsive and unorganized. Although there is a big jump to get a full sized screen with GPS/DVD/the works, that is what I am holding out for. By the time Alpine nickle and dimes you getting this thing tweaked out you could have picked up a more full featured unit with room to grow.

But again for $199 it's a great deal for what it is, just don't make to many concessions to jump on it soley because it's an Alpine on Woot! ;)

carl669 wrote:how do i know if this fits in me car?

You can check if this deck fits your car Here.

Just click the "Please Select Your Car" link and it will let you know whether it does or not.

I watched the CNET video on this product and the screen does not look like it has color display. Does it or does it not?

worldofjohnboy wrote:I agree with you (and everyone else that's said it) that the best and quickest way is to buy a wiring harness. (They are readily available from Best Buy, Auto Zone, etc.)

I will stand by my 6 installs (as will the car owners) and say that you statement about "asking" for a short is unequivically FALSE. Anyone that has done electrical wiring in a house can attest to this... those wires are a much heavier gauge and carry more current and the use of twist caps and electrical tape is standard practice.

Agree to disagree.

As yet another ex-professional car stereo installer on Woot tonight, I'm going to agree with the others that it's much wiser to go with crimping. Not only can tape unwrap as it ages, risking a possible short, you also stand a risk (albeit not a safety issue) of connections becoming poor over time. This can manifest itself in crackling or distorted sound as the connections deteriorate. Bet that would sound kinda ghetto...

Plus, a crimped connection simply lasts longer. Sure, your 6 installs could last a year or two, but I would bet my next paycheck that my crimped installs would last much longer than yours. Heck, it was almost 20 years ago...some of mine are probably still working today, that is if the cars are still running!

Do you actually know any "real" building electrical contractors, or are they just ghetto buddies? Using tape on those connections is a VERY bad idea also. Check your local building codes and I'm sure you won't find electrical tape as an option. Oh yeah, I've done home electrical wiring also...using tape is not standard practice. Except maybe in the hood.

Please stay away from my home AND my car...I want them to last!

I have toyed with this one in the store, and it's pretty nice. At this price, it's definitely worth it. I wasn't super impressed, but it's nice nonetheless.

how does woot determine a "quality" post? I will assume this isn't one. Still, i am kinda curious.

Also, for my two cents on this.. 50 watts a channel used to be alot and I am sure it is fine for 85% of everyone out there but can you use more powerfull amps with it?