JVC vs Pioneer

[Ghost]

im not looking to upgrade...yet. i jus like to keep my eye on possible future upgrades/purchases. i have kept on my watch list a JVC KW-AV70BT. i like the look of it, only a few buttons, and my first stereo was a JVC. and it was good with no issues. but now i came across a Pioneer AVH-X4500BT or a AVH-X5500BT. its almost the same price as the JVC. similar in features. but feel like Pioneer might be of better quality. any thoughts on the brands or models?

[Ringo64]

I might have a Pioneer AVH-P3400BH for sale that I never got around to installing because I fixed my stock headunit. Haven't decided if I want to sell it or install it, make an offer if you want it lol

[notallthere]

Ringo please post for sale in the for sale section of the forum.

Seriously, I have a JVC in the truck and the Fiero. Not bad just good and reliable. I am more of a fan of the Alpine line as they have never given me any problems. Pioneer was good 15 years ago I just do not see the quality that they once did.

[FuriousGXP]

I've had a couple single DIN JVC radios in the past since that were cheap but overall very decent radios for the price. I just installed a Pioneer AVH-1500DVD in the Grand Am last night and I must say that it's pretty nice. I went with a lower end model of the Pioneer since all I cared about was the iPod interface (shows what's playing on the screen) so that I could hide the iPod out of sight. Honestly, I find both Pioneer and JVC to be decent mid-priced/performance brands so either one should be a good buy depending on what options you want in it. I know I'll never need Nav, backup camera or phone options in the Grand Am so I saved about $100-$200 by finding a "lesser" model of the radio rather than the fully loaded versions.

[bricooper78]

Install PIc Furious? Curious to see how that looks in there

[FuriousGXP]

Install PIc Furious? Curious to see how that looks in there

I'll try to snap a pic tonight or tomorrow morning. I didn't finish until nearly 8:30 last night due to the door chimes and steering wheel modules having such poor instructions. And I learned how to remove the center console from the car so that I could get to the e-brake switch. Which I now wonder if that was even really necessary since I'm not really sure why the radio cares whether or not the e-brake is on...

[bricooper78]

Should be for the ability to watch dvds, which I remember several work arounds for that, but I can't remember where I've read how to do it lol

[FuriousGXP]

I figured that but since I have no plans to watch DVD's while driving I went ahead and hooked it up the way it should be. I had to remove the entire center console to find the wire but I'd rather have it hooked up right.

[bricooper78]

Yea, Something with park and e-brake, I think it's dumb, and probably fairly easy to defeat, and honestly, shouldn't be on there anyway. I just want to put a double din in mine so I can get to eliminating that monsoon system. If I can't trade that car, I'll end up sinking so much money in it that it'll never leave me lol

[FuriousGXP]

Well, I already know that I'm never parting with my GAGT willingly. Even with the G8 GXP sitting in the garage now I will still pull the GAGT out every week or so since I still love this car. It was my first brand new car (nearly 10 years ago now) and I learned most of what I know about cars/engines from working on this one. The trip around the Nürburgring in this car solidified my unwillingness to part with her. I'll probably never get that chance again with my own car and the fact that the GAGT was such a rarity over there only makes it even better. I can't confirm it obviously, but I'm claiming to be the "fastest 5th Gen Grand Am GT" on the Nürburgring only because I assume I'm quite possibly the ONLY one. I get funny looks when people see the Ring stickers on a car that most Americans have little to no respect for.

[Ghost]

Ringo please post for sale in the for sale section of the forum.

Seriously, I have a JVC in the truck and the Fiero. Not bad just good and reliable. I am more of a fan of the Alpine line as they have never given me any problems. Pioneer was good 15 years ago I just do not see the quality that they once did.

thats why im kinda stuck on the JVC. so Pioneer, pass?

I've had a couple single DIN JVC radios in the past since that were cheap but overall very decent radios for the price. I just installed a Pioneer AVH-1500DVD in the Grand Am last night and I must say that it's pretty nice. I went with a lower end model of the Pioneer since all I cared about was the iPod interface (shows what's playing on the screen) so that I could hide the iPod out of sight. Honestly, I find both Pioneer and JVC to be decent mid-priced/performance brands so either one should be a good buy depending on what options you want in it. I know I'll never need Nav, backup camera or phone options in the Grand Am so I saved about $100-$200 by finding a "lesser" model of the radio rather than the fully loaded versions.

they are both similar. but by looks, leaning a bit more towards JVC cuz minimal visible buttons and seems more OEM by todays standards. but i can live with the amount of buttons on the Pioneer. i cant remember if the JVC is rear camera capable. i do like the bluetooth/calling feature on both. both home screens look good and not cheap.

[FuriousGXP]

From the models you're looking at in your original post, I think i like the Pioneer ones better. The JVC looks cleaner but I think that's just a trick of the background image each of them used. The reason I would choose the pioneer over the JVC is that since the JVC doesn't have dedicated buttons at the bottom, they put them on the screen instead. This would be a plus if they had used that blank plastic space at the bottom to enlarge the screen but they didn't. It's just wasted space that, once mounted in your dash might be compounded by the mounting hardware also having it's own blank space (similar to the blank surrounding my stereo.) It's up to you on what you prefer but that would possibly annoy me over time.

They both seem fairly comparable as far as options go. I think it all comes down to the aesthetics of what you prefer since the prices are very similar too. Also, the Pioneer has a detachable USB jack on the back whereas the JVC is hard wired. not only will that make it harder to route to where you want it positioned (since you can only feed it one way) it also means that if the cord gets cut somehow, you can't easily replace it. Probably not a major concern but something to think about from an installation viewpoint.

[Ghost]

true on the screen size. wish they can maximize to the edge. so quality would be good on both? at least last me a fee years. anyone else on these or others? oh and Alpine seemed a tad too expensive.

[FuriousGXP]

I don't know about your usage but I know I will probably set mine on iPod and rarely touch the screen so it should last for a very long time. Both JVC and Pioneer are similar in quality so I would expect that both of them will last for many years under normal conditions. When it comes to car audio, there's always something better but only the true audiophiles will know the differences. The average listener will think their JVC/Pioneer sounds just as good as the high end systems. Don't forget, part of the sound quality is based on the input device too. You can only get as good as your lowest quality device and higher end systems will often amplify the imperfections from a poor input device and make everything sound worse.

Long story short, both of these systems are so similar that you should be happy with either one. Read a few reviews and cross reference all the options you require to make sure they fit all your needs. Then just decide which one you like best. If you're near a Fry's or Best Buy, try to see if they have display models you can look at to decide. Based on the number of people who mess with them in the store, you might even see a few clues as to how well they hold up to wear and tear.

[notallthere]

thats why im kinda stuck on the JVC. so Pioneer, pass?

I figured you would like the for sale joke.

I would not necessarily pass on the pioneer if it was a good price its just that they made better product a few years ago. If cost was the same I would go for the JVC

[G8chick]

I've always gone with JVC, I had one that was a DVD player as well, it was hooked up to watch movies while driving ( I never did that tho I got it for my lunch breaks at work) no problems at all with it! Touch screen too it the G8 one craps out ill def get another JVC

[Ghost]

iv been watching a few youtube videos to get a sense of the interface. and im kinda 50-50 now. at least im in no rush to buy one. thanks everyone. ill keep an eye out for other possible units too.

[Ghost]

i didnt want to make another thread so ill ask here. i also want to "upgrade" my wiring and been looking at the amp kits. when i installed it, i used what i had laying around. but which brand wires/amp kits are good? also speakers. which are good sound quality ones?

[bricooper78]

RCA wires, get good shielded ones, all the main players have them, mainly, get SHIELDED... that's the main point. Wire in general, as long as it has good rubbery coating, not plastic feeling, the rubbery stuff works better for making bends and twists, the plastic stuff will get hard and crack (could cause shorts) over years and heat/cold cycles.

Thats my experience with wires, been doing it for 20 years and am not brand specific.

Speakers....... now that, you gotta tell us a price range, and what size speakers. Generally, cheap but "pretty decent", Pioneer speakers aren't all that bad, but they're low end stuff, that is a big improvement over stock.

[Ghost]

ok. i was looking around then this showed up:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KnuKonceptz-Ultra-Flex-KCA-4-Gauge-Amp-Install-Kit-CCA-/390407977260?pt=US_Car_Audio_Video_Amplifier_Kits&hash=item5ae620f92c

and for speakers, um.. i wanna say no spending limit but ya i can get some good mid level maybe high end depending how much.

[bricooper78]

Well, yea, I haven't really ordered lead wire like that online, I just either hit a shop, or if whoever is wanting the old budget build, I use the Scosche stuff from walmart.. I've never had any issues with it, I also don't go all 25,000 watt systems, so for normal installs, 1, 2 amps, 500 watt type stuff, they do fine, now if you're going full balls out, it's different..

As for speakers, the usual suspects, Kenwood, Infinity, Bose, Boston makes some VERY nice sounding stuff, the big problem is the subtle differences in the high end stuff makes no difference to some people, and then will drive others nuts, it all depends on what you like it to sound like, and how good your ears are.

Some of the "mid brand" stuff like Rockford and Kicker (which now are sold at effing walmart!!!!!!!!!) have some pretty good speakers, that are decently adjustable, take some power, don't distort easily, and if paired with a sub, are nice and clear, but that's my opinion, yours may be different.

My last build in my own vehicle was a Jimmy, and I wanted to go all 2 way Kicker in factory spots, did 4x6 dash, was actually disappointed in them, they had NO bass at all, granted that size isn't known for much, it's a tough speaker to make sound good and full, but they didn't do well at all, but the 6.5" in the front and the rear door sounded pretty good and balanced, had good volume, no distortion until the head unit (pioneer premier) started losing it's crap at nearly full volume.

Add in a 200w amp on a single 12 in a sealed box, and that thing was rocking! for a few hundred bucks, it was a good trial run.

http://www.halfpricecaraudio.com/Kicker-DS65-6.5-Inch-50W-Car-Coaxial-Speakers-11DS65.htm

those are what I used in the doors, and I will admit there are several better choices, but for a "cheap" speaker, these do pretty good

[Ghost]

with those comparison pics from Knu Konceptz, do you think i would have an issue? i have had a Bullz kit on the watch list cuz of the affordable price. and my amp is giving 2400W. alrighty, ill check some of those brands. and what do you think on matting/sound proofing (anywhere in general)?

[bricooper78]

4 gauge will do a 2400w amp okay, Anything bigger is pretty much really used to split off of, doing a 0 gauge back to the trunk to a fusebox/splitter to run 4 off of that to multiple amps. hell I've jump started cars off 4 gauge wire lol *do not do that btw, it was an emergency and I had it in the car*

Brand to brand, like I say, I've never really put a lot of thought into any of it besides that coating, with it being a car, things shake and rub.. I've also used electrical tape wrap with duct tape over that in a firewall hole(drill the hole a hair bigger, then you have some extra room to make the wire bigger through the grommet should it ever move) just as a secondary safety valve so to speak. I worry about stuff that probably shouldn't be a worry, but I would not ever want someones car burning to the ground due to me doing something halfway.

But, if you got wire that says 4 gauge, and the covering is the same thickness as the wire, send it back! Something's not right there lol that actually looked like 12 gauge wire that had been dipped in plasti-dip for tools to me, I'm sure they're just trying to make a living too...

That bullz kit looks a lot like the kit that came to me with my amp, I went to halfpricecaraudio and ordered everything, and they had a free install kit promo, and I got the 8 gauge kit with that little 200 watt amp, but it was good, I worried that the ends of the RCAs looked like they were ready to come off, but they were shielded wires and I had them mounted on a seat that flipped up and down, never had an issue with them, so I'd say it was okay.

For soundproofing, the trunk lid, and the entire area of the trunk is a REAL good start if you're running subs, the inside of the door skin is a pretty loud area on vehicles, coating them will really help deaden the outside noise, and that is where I'd start, I mean you can go do the roof (big power will vibrate the roof, but sometimes you lose a sheet of dynomat onto your noggin) and help keep some more sound in, and even deck lid, firewall(passenger compartment side), and anywhere you can get to and see bare metal, metal resonates sound, so anywhere it is, theres the chance for road noise to come in, or your sound to escape.

That's what I like about it, you can seal up a car real good, be inside jamming, and everyone around you doesn't know you've got something worth stealing, so to me it's worth it's weight in gold!