car audio in Durham/Chapel Hill - where to buy?
May 1, 2013 12:18 PM Subscribe
_Other_ than Best Buy, how/where would one obtain a replacement car audio system near Durham, NC? I have no idea where to shop. I'm OK with installing it myself if it's not too involved, but installed is good too.
We have a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid; my dude just got a new job with a _commute_, so I think he should have a new audio system so he can play audio from his phone (or an MP3 player). He wants a CD player too.
We have a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid; my dude just got a new job with a _commute_, so I think he should have a new audio system so he can play audio from his phone (or an MP3 player). He wants a CD player too.
If it's just a head unit and you aren't replacing the speakers, I'd just buy one from Crutchfield. They will give you instructions and the replacement bezel pieces. There are also a ton of howto videos on Youtube that you can watch, just by googling for "2003 civic head unit replacement"
If you want to do all the speakers at the same time as the head unit, then it might make sense to pay for installation. But I'm not sure I'd do it for a head unit, and I'm not sure I trust the idiots at my local Best Buy not to generally mess up my car. (I have heard some horror stories about the "installers" at BB breaking plastic tabs off and then just gluing stuff back together, so that it's absolutely impossible to ever open again without damage ... but by that point it's not their problem!) So if you were going to pay for installation I'd go to a real car audio store.
But I'm pretty sure that car takes a pretty standard single-DIN head so it's basically just going to be removing the old unit, putting together the wiring harness for the new one (which you do out of the car, e.g. on your kitchen table, where you have room to work!), and then putting the new one in possibly with a new bezel piece depending on the model you choose. For something basic with a front-panel line input you are looking at maybe $50-60 from Crutchfield.
If that's the generation of Honda that I think it is, with the little "crap catcher" hinged-lid compartment below the stereo in the dash, you can also upgrade to a double-DIN head unit at the cost of losing that compartment. That opens up possibilities like in-dash DVD and big blingy navigation screens and stuff. Substantially higher cost and might be a theft risk depending on where the car gets parked, but some people like them.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:44 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you want to do all the speakers at the same time as the head unit, then it might make sense to pay for installation. But I'm not sure I'd do it for a head unit, and I'm not sure I trust the idiots at my local Best Buy not to generally mess up my car. (I have heard some horror stories about the "installers" at BB breaking plastic tabs off and then just gluing stuff back together, so that it's absolutely impossible to ever open again without damage ... but by that point it's not their problem!) So if you were going to pay for installation I'd go to a real car audio store.
But I'm pretty sure that car takes a pretty standard single-DIN head so it's basically just going to be removing the old unit, putting together the wiring harness for the new one (which you do out of the car, e.g. on your kitchen table, where you have room to work!), and then putting the new one in possibly with a new bezel piece depending on the model you choose. For something basic with a front-panel line input you are looking at maybe $50-60 from Crutchfield.
If that's the generation of Honda that I think it is, with the little "crap catcher" hinged-lid compartment below the stereo in the dash, you can also upgrade to a double-DIN head unit at the cost of losing that compartment. That opens up possibilities like in-dash DVD and big blingy navigation screens and stuff. Substantially higher cost and might be a theft risk depending on where the car gets parked, but some people like them.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:44 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: No new speakers; we're keeping the old ones.
He loves that compartment! No need for bling, just CD, radio, MP3 connection of some kind (USB or whatever), and -- he specifically said this -- a good user interface.
Oh, and no Best Buy. That's kind of set.
Also, I can do basic soldering if necessary.
posted by amtho at 12:51 PM on May 1, 2013
He loves that compartment! No need for bling, just CD, radio, MP3 connection of some kind (USB or whatever), and -- he specifically said this -- a good user interface.
Oh, and no Best Buy. That's kind of set.
Also, I can do basic soldering if necessary.
posted by amtho at 12:51 PM on May 1, 2013
I've done this a couple of times with Crutchfield. They narrow it down to the units that will fit with your car, and most of their products come with the wiring harness and whatever adapters you might need. No soldering necessary. $60-70, or maybe $100 if you want something fancier. Set aside an hour or so to get it in place, but it probably won't take you that long.
posted by echo target at 2:06 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by echo target at 2:06 PM on May 1, 2013
I purchased a replacement system at the audio shop inside of Bunkey's Car Wash of Durham and the service was great.
posted by JuliaKM at 2:33 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by JuliaKM at 2:33 PM on May 1, 2013
I installed a unit from Crutchfield in my 2004 Civic a few months ago, and the main problem I had was screws that were stuck in place and in small spaces or at awkward angles to work on. I'm not especially strong and I don't have a lot of practice with stuck screws. If they had just unscrewed, it wouldn't have taken more than an hour or two, and Crutchfield includes an instruction packet specifically for your car model.
posted by songs about trains at 4:19 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by songs about trains at 4:19 PM on May 1, 2013
just an fyi - when i lived in chapel hill i had my car window smashed and a (fairly cheap) aftermarket car stereo stolen TWICE. after i got rid of that car i stuck with the stock ford stereo and added an in-line FM modulator so that i just plug my phone in now and my basic stereo is ignored by thieves.
posted by noloveforned at 10:13 AM on May 9, 2013
posted by noloveforned at 10:13 AM on May 9, 2013
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If you were in Atlanta, I'd recommend BrandSmart. You could get a system with installation for $300.
The actual unit's are pretty cheap. I'd pay for installation all day, because it will take you all day to do it. Especially if speakers are involved.
Why not go to Best Buy? Just don't get the $$$ system. I would recommend getting a unit with an iPod jack and Satellite (I love satellite!) They have a Sony for $79.00, that's pretty cheap.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:29 PM on May 1, 2013