Finally Getting Some Decent Sound in the Cockpit...

[RayfieldsWRX]

So I did a small stereo upgrade. I had found a really cheap double din Kenwood unit for the wagon right after buying it, but it's never made me happy. I wanted iPod integration, better quality, and a few more bells and whistles. We got a small windfall, so I searched eBay for a good deal on an Alpine IVA-W205, a touchscreen dd unit that would do pretty good iPod control. I also dropped a couple hundred on a sub setup. It's nothing special, but I'm not a "thumper". It works great for rock, jazz, classical, etc.

I'm pretty happy with the HU. The Alpine is taking much better advantage of my Polk fronts, though I'm sure I could still hear a difference if I went to an external amp. Maybe someday...
iPod integration is very nicely done. You can scroll through all of your playlists, podcasts, artists, songs, etc, the same as they appear on your iPod. As with most units, it's not quite as fast as dialing it up on the unit itself, but this one's better than other units that I've seen demonstrated. Plus I don't have to take my vision too far from the level of the road to use it. Install was a snap, but then I've installed about 5 HU's in WRX at this point.

The display angles down to permit the entry of DVD/CD's. I positioned the iPod cable so it is in the tray right behind the ashtray. My iPod's in that little soft case.

So here it is, first the HU:
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Here's a pic of the 2 subs in the enclosure in the back. It's hardwired in at the moment, but I'm going to put in quick disconnects so I can remove it at a moment's notice:
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And here's a pic of the wagon, because I haven't posted one in a while.
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[TheJ]

Sweet!

Very nicely done Ray.

[kiger0183]

very nice! I love my alpine single-dash deck with ipod integration. I haven't burnt a single CD since!

Now that i think about, i'm not even sure if the CD player works! haha

[RayfieldsWRX]

very nice! I love my alpine single-dash deck with ipod integration. I haven't burnt a single CD since!

Now that i think about, i'm not even sure if the CD player works! haha

Yeah, I don't make much use of in-dash CD players, myself. Or much of any CD player, now that I think on it...

[josnroh]

Nice setup,wagon looks good too.

[abhiwan]

i have the IVA-w200, great unit. are you going to get the black bird II when it comes out?

I had issues with my blackbird I, i brought it back to the stereo shop and alpine ended up sending me a new one. it skips alot as well and just shuts down if you hit a really big bump. just a heads up, if you do infact plan on getting a blackbird.

[RayfieldsWRX]

I already own a Streetpilot (another eBay find), so there's not really a reason for me to get a Blackbird, though it would nicely integrate with my setup. I wouldn't mind seeing pics of yours in use, though.

[abhiwan]

I already own a Streetpilot (another eBay find), so there's not really a reason for me to get a Blackbird, though it would nicely integrate with my setup. I wouldn't mind seeing pics of yours in use, though.

i'll try to get pics up today. i have the IVA-w200, so i have a seperate dock. there isn't a slot for it in the headunit itself, like the 205. i'm sure the maps are the same though.

[abhiwan]