Sherlock

So since I'm bidding my freaking POS TL goodbye very soon, I'm spending money on my 98 Accord again. And I've found this:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...etailComponent

DVD-A, 5.1, DTS, DVD-V, MP3, touch screen, all the stuff, TV tuner, 7" screen, I will probably put the Navi in too. And it has extra input ports for anything you want to hook into the breakout box under the passenger seat. Can do rear camera as well, and rear seat seperate video as well as audio (cd in front, xm in rear. xm in front, dvd movie in rear)

One thing will be different tho, my Accord has TREBLE. It has been upgraded with Polk dX speakers in the front, MBQuartz 6x9 reference series in the back, a JL 12w3 sub, JL 300/4 driving the 4 main speakers and a 250/1 driving the sub.

I won't have the leather and the 270 horse, but my ears will bleed and I'll get a nice back massage..

Luckily Im not paying the posted $2700 for it, not even close.

I drop good ole Watson off tonite to get it put in and pick him up tomorrow.

I will miss the quietness in the TL though..

Anyone wishing to duplicate the tl audio might want to look around like this.

InstallerJohn

why not just go with the Avic-N1 with navi included for much less? You dont get the Dvd-A, but from what you have described it doesn't sound like you have a center channel to really get any use out of the 5.1 anyway. The Avic -N1 does have an optical output thhough that you could hook up to an amp that has an optical input and dts/ dolby decoding (pheonix gold makes an amp that does this) so if you added a center channel you would get the surround sound on dvd's. Just thinking that this would be a much more economical alternative that would give you everything but the dvd-audio.

Sherlock

Installer: I have the Avic-N1 in there now, I let the salesman talk me out of the 7500. The salesman who didn't know his ass from his elbow. I am very disappointed with the AvicN1 and I'll list why:

Avic is 1v preout, not 4v, PDF manual says 2v, salesman said 4v, install manual said 1v.
Avic doesn't have a full function remote, many taps on the screen to do very simple functions.
Avic navi is inaccurate, even after 3 recalibrations, nearly 200feet off. (yes it's installed level and the speed sensor is picking up)
Avic was DTS (ready) in tiny print, not DTS built-in. I'd like to have the surround, and will probably add the center channel.
Avic didn't have DVD-A, so my collection from the TL became coasters.
Avic can't even read MP3 ID3 headers, just filenames.
7500 has tv tuner for OTA stations.
7500 has .5" bigger screen.

The Avic skimped on so many features just to stuff the Navi in for the same price. I was really hoping for the 4v preouts for the sound quality, and the salesman said it had it when he was trying to pursuade me.

One thing that I dislike about both of them is the XM display.. you get a 1 liner like a simple lcd panel on a single din radio, why have a 1440x238 display and make a 1 line xm output, why not display all 4 fields like the TL does, that's just assinine.

Future upgrades will probably be the 6-dvd changer, maybe the rear-view camera. And possibly the Navi if they can tell me why it was so inaccurate in the Avic-N1 install.

Watson should be ready after work today so I'm excited to get out of here in 10 mins.

InstallerJohn

The preout voltage does suck on those- you would think for throwin down 2G's they would be able to throw 4v preouts in there. I am not super knowledgeable on the whole optical output deal as it is a fairly new addition to the car audio world-but from what I understand if you run the optical cord to any amp with an input and dts decoding you would still be able achive the true 5.1 surround-I could be wrong about this though. If I am correct though I imagine this is what the designers were thinking when they gave it weak preouts and didn't include the dts processing in the unit-That way they would be able to incorporate the dvd and navi all into one unit. As with anything you have to look at it in cost-benefit annalysis. For me personally I would choose the Avic because I dont think the gains from the 7500 and seperate navi could justify the huge cost difference between the two options. I am not into the dvd-a format though so that really isn't a factor for me also. But, to each his own. I was kinda wondering where you were getting all this stuff too. I am an installer working my way through school at Circuit City and I would be fairly confident in saying that you would be hard pressed to find a salesperson either at circuit or bestbuy that would really have indepth product knowledge on this stuff. The salespeople are paid hourly and have no real personal incentive to be able to wow you and answer all of your questions with regard to product knowledge-they get paid whether you buy or not.

Sherlock

this was at HiFi Buys.. and as far as the salesmen not knowing ?? If they have the 12-volt department, that only deals with the car audio, and their sales floor is 20 sq/ft of 2 rooms and the install bays, and you only have 20 or so headunits, I would be damned sure I knew all the important common facts about every single one of them. The excuse of they are paid hourly and can't know that is bullcrap. They have all the manuals there from the open box displays, they have plenty of time when they're sitting around twiddling their fingers and playing solitaire and PSX games on the demo units. They got real attentive when I brought it back and said take the damn thing out and give me my $2300 back cuz I hated the Avic.

I worked sales for minimum wage once and you can bet you I knew everything about everything I sold, I took the time to read the labels and ask the vendors. I busted my @$$ for my $5/hr. That's cuz I have work ethics.

Already, just in last nite and this morning, the sound quality of the 7500DVD is so much higher, I am elated.

And yes you're right with the optical out in the car, it's just like at home, pass it to another DTS decoder and then back to the head unit and you get the surround, but it's yet another add-on.

Even tho I will eat $1500 more to add Navi to this one, I have read that the add-on works much better, which right there is worth its weight in gold as the Avic was very inaccurate on it's step by step directions. And to have the clarity of this amp, makes me just puddle.

InstallerJohn

well as long as you're happy with your purchase and the cost is justified to you (and the old lady). As for your work ethic I would have to say that you are the eception to the rule in that department from what I have seen. For the most part these sales guys are treated like they are a dime a dozen by the retailers and that coupled with the fact that there is no personal financial benefit at stake for them makes it very rare to find someone that has invested time and effort to learn the indepth facts about every product that they sell. Just my observations on what goes on though. enjoy your stuff man.

VelfarreClubber

Off topic, but how do you downgrade from a New TL to a 98 Accord? If you have major lemon type issues with your TL, why can't you get another one? and bump up the system?