Brothers or else?

[andrewk]

Hi sifus out there,Need some advice on where is the best place, in terms of selection, price and work quality, to purchase and install a HU. I've checked out Brother's website and they seem to have a large selection. Anyone got any experience with them? Also, any other place to recommend?I'm not looking for anything fancy. Just a simple HU (CD/MP3) and using the stock speakers. No amp, no bling blings... Thanks in advance!

 

[tyke]

Originally posted by andrewk@Jun 20 2006, 03:48 AM
Hi sifus out there,

Need some advice on where is the best place, in terms of selection, price and work quality, to purchase and install a HU. I've checked out Brother's website and they seem to have a large selection. Anyone got any experience with them? Also, any other place to recommend?

I'm not looking for anything fancy. Just a simple HU (CD/MP3) and using the stock speakers. No amp, no bling blings...

Thanks in advance!

thn i recommend going to the alpine centre in ss1 pj....its nxt to restoran Ros...

pm sithwarrior...mebbe he can get u a good deal.price aint tht cheap but workmanship is good..if u buy fm brothers thn i suggest u buy it frm thm but install it elsewhere.

rgds,
-brad-

 

[popeadrian]

So here;s the thing.... and the guys at Rockford Fosgate will confirm...

Alpine is good BUT its now made in China and as such the quality has dropped over the last couple of years. THis is especially evident in their amps. Gone were the days when Alpine was at the pinnacle of sound systems... no pun intended. This is based on sending one of my cars to get kitted out by them....wasnt pleased with the sound quality (and yes, i wasnt being cheap with choosing the products) so ended up changing to Rockford in the end.

If anything, go for Blaupunkt, RF, Pioneer or Harmon K.

When in doubt, send Valkryie a PM. His set up is a sight to behold, or should i say an earful to experience! Crystal clear decibles on nearly every channel.... Sweeeeeeeet! k:

 

[sithwarrior]

I would have to agree with you halfway bro. Yes Alpine did move their factory to china to cut the labor costs and raw materials down. They did this because they cost of manufacturing an alpine player in Japan would mean they will be out of buisness in a year.

To say Alpine's sound quality has droped tremendously is a very strong claim. It has not dropped much. Alpine has a range of amps, head units, speakers etc etc etc... to cater for a bigger market now, hence the wider price range and option now.

If you had to pay for a brand new CDE 9846 or CDE 9842 models then please dont expect much. These are basic models that are just going to produce average adiou quality.

Try the CDE 9855, 9853 models... even the older CDE 7588, 9813 and 9815... these head units kick ass man...

Just like the head units the amps and the speakers too have diffrent ranges

just my 2 cent

sith

 

[BlueMixWhite]

I would'nt let my UDM in the hand of Brothers. Better go for installer which are more reputable. Furthermore ICE is quite addictive, so better to get a better HU if budget permit. So no regret later. k:

 

[affan66]

and where would RF stuff be manufactured in?

 

[popeadrian]

Originally posted by affan66@Jun 20 2006, 06:16 PM
and where would RF stuff be manufactured in?

....quality still there, that's the point that was trying to be made. :blink:

 

[popeadrian]

Originally posted by sithwarrior@Jun 20 2006, 06:08 PM
I would have to agree with you halfway bro. Yes Alpine did move their factory to china to cut the labor costs and raw materials down. They did this because they cost of manufacturing an alpine player in Japan would mean they will be out of buisness in a year.

To say Alpine's sound quality has droped tremendously is a very strong claim. It has not dropped much. Alpine has a range of amps, head units, speakers etc etc etc... to cater for a bigger market now, hence the wider price range and option now.

If you had to pay for a brand new CDE 9846 or CDE 9842 models then please dont expect much. These are basic models that are just going to produce average adiou quality.

Try the CDE 9855, 9853 models... even the older CDE 7588, 9813 and 9815... these head units kick ass man...

Just like the head units the amps and the speakers too have diffrent ranges

just my 2 cent

sith

Sith.... the exact phrase was "dropped" not "dropped tremendously".

Anyway, to each his own..... for me, RF on the Jap and Bavarian Soundwerks on the UDM....well, it WAS on the UDM till it was sold off.

 

[mafia]

wei tailor.....brothers ah?...pls la...

cum puchong...i take you go fit.....

whose car and wat car you got???

 

[ichiwan2]

Anyone can do the fixing. But the sound system will need tuning. Every single component that u have will have an impact on the sound quality, even down to the power and speaker cables. You need to find someone with whom you are comfortable with to do up you sound system. Don't forget that the installers will have to open door panels etc when installing the system and could break something. Suggest that u observe how these guys work before you take the plunge.

 

[ah lian]

maybe you all shud ask wot is the budget first... no point recommending high end installers.... if not willing to pay for at least entry level stuff of reputable brands.

an entry level alpine head unit costs rm580 at least. :wink:
no mp3, not many features. wan more?? pay more.

 

[andrewk]

Ah Lian is right. No point you guys recommending high end fellas when my budget is only peanuts!! hah hah!

Ok, my budget is really RM500 - 600 for the HU plus installation. Simple setup - HU to speakers only. No additional amps, no additional EQ, no special cables/wires etc. etc. So, I just plan to use the stock speakers already installed in the car (clarion i think).

Oh, the car is a 1990 E34. I think the wiring already done, coz previous will remove his ICE and install the ori speakers back with the wiring. So, essentially, its just plug and play ler (i think/hope ).

Ya, I've pretty much ruled out Brother's ler... I don't mind pay a bit more for the workmanship if the guy is good.

So, anywhere I can see a good range of HU (Alpine, Blaupunkt, RF, Pioneer or Harmon K.)? What about Jap brands like Sony?

 

[popeadrian]

Hmm.....want recommendations on places to "window shop" Head Units?

Where you living/workinglah? How forum members going to recommend without geographical indicator?? :dunno:

:yahoo:

 

[andrewk]

Pope,

Klang valley...

But if you tell me in Penang (or Kota Baru/Johor Baru/Ipoh etc. etc.), its cheaper by 50%, then I'll drive there lor... heh heh

 

[popeadrian]

Dude,

Check out KK Lau in SS3, PJ. Right next to Fosgate so can kill two birds with one stone. Then ofcourse there's the Sunway guys....

Personally, I'd PM Valkyrie to find out where he did his setup.... it really is fantastic!

Good luck!

 

[andrewk]

Originally posted by popeadrian@Jun 21 2006, 04:16 PM
Dude,

Check out KK Lau in SS3, PJ. Right next to Fosgate so can kill two birds with one stone. Then ofcourse there's the Sunway guys....

Personally, I'd PM Valkyrie to find out where he did his setup.... it really is fantastic!

Good luck!

Thanks Pope. Will do that.

 

[three28]

Hear the guy out propoerly u guys...

he wants to maintain stock speakers ... no BLING BLING!!!!!!!!!!!

Just change head unit only ...

Bro.. just get a pioneer or a alpine whichever fits your budget . and just make sure it comes out from a reputable brand..

That should do the trick. I paid 800bucks or so after a 20% off for a new alpine head unit cd / mp3 bla bla... couple months back. decent sound.

cheers

 

[popeadrian]

Originally posted by three28@Jun 21 2006, 05:30 PM
Hear the guy out propoerly u guys...

he wants to maintain stock speakers ... no BLING BLING!!!!!!!!!!!

Just change head unit only ...

Bro.. just get a pioneer or a alpine whichever fits your budget . and just make sure it comes out from a reputable brand..

That should do the trick. I paid 800bucks or so after a 20% off for a new alpine head unit cd / mp3 bla bla... couple months back. decent sound.

cheers

Hmm...... still think (and most might agree) that its usually a safer bet to ask someone who's done up their UDM ICE for a recommendation..... and Valkyrie is a really cool guy who not only does his homework on mods that catch his interest but is also willing to share his knowledge. Besides, its also a question of getting the most for your money, regardless of amount. I mean, if you can get a better Head Unit for the same price and there's a "jalan" or contact, then why not go down that route, right?

Unless there's a brand loyalty issue or something.....

Anyways.... to each his own.

 

[vinson]

As the pope said, Valkrie...your technical advice and theories are needed

 

[valkryie]

I am glad that popeadrian and vinson like my setup. Thanks for the nice comments. Also have to thank brother stephen for his advice on the tweeter placement.

But my knowledge is pretty basic as I am fortunate enough to get a good installer that recommended the right solutions to me. No bragging rights compared to some other people.

As for bro andrewk, your budget is realistically not enough to buy a decent deck and significantly improve the sound quality. There will not be any sound stage and the sound can't be tune much if any at all. The tuning is significant to the overall quality.

If your requirement is just to be able to listen to mp3, cd and you are not fussy then any reputable brand names will do. HU selection comes into play when you want to shelve out more $$$. Which deck to choose all depends on the type of music you prefer to listen to. You have to ask the installer to install different HU and listen to it real life in your car to decide which one you like better. Since no bling bling then some factors to consider are ease of use/operation, LED colour, general asthetic (i prefer flat HU rather than those with knobs protruding out).

Here's the warning:

When you decide to shelve out more $$$ to buy a better HU then your real dilemma will come. You have a good HU but no amp and speakers to gain the full potential. Your wallet will be crying :cry:

Sorry to say I cannot confidently recommend my installer to you because I think they are too busy and the quality of the workmanship is questionable now unless you can get the boss to personally supervise your car.