THE SHEPHERD Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Having decided to replace my cassette playing radio in the camper, I decided to research on the internet, I feel I have entered a parallel universe.All I wanted was a radio that had good reception and played CDs. But have to admit defeat, I do not understand the jargon. So help please. Wanted an easy to understand radio/Cd player with exellent reception at around £200.Over to the experts.TS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I suggest that you GOOGLE-search on "car radio cd reviews" (omitting the quotes) and trawl through the comments. http://reviews.halfords.com/4028/165655/category.htm http://tinyurl.com/dxjc6vx On paper, the Sony CDX-GT450U unit (available via Amazon for under £60) seems as suitable as any, with plenty of output power and good reviews. Obviously, if you insist on spending £200, you might be able to get something better, but I suspect much of the additional cost will go towards extra bells and whisteles that you won't exploit. As it is, I suspect that the Sony unit, features-wise, will already be overkill for your requirements. It does need highlighting that you could spend a fortune on a car radio/CD unit but, if the radio signal provided to the unit by your vehicle's aerial is inadequate, the radio/CD unit won't correct this. Similarly, if your speakers are rubbish, the radio/CD unit won't perform a miracle and provide wonderful sound quality. If you want great sound output, you'll need speakers that can produce this: if you want the radio to function properly, you'll need an aerial that will provide good reception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 ......there are rather too many variables to recommend any given set, but it is worthwhile fully considering your requirements before buying. I appreciate you seem to want to keep things simple, but if you use CDs at the moment, I would strongly advise you to consider buying a unit that will play back MP3/WMA from a USB memory stick. A unit that can handle (say) at least an 8GB USB stick (costing around £5) will allow you to hold the contents of hundreds of CDs on an easily-managed and portable source. It depends on your ability to create MP3/WMA files, but for anyone with a reasonably up-to-date Windows PC, that is a very simple matter. Many (even basic) sets offer this capabilty, and indeed, the one Derek has highlighted appears to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthomson Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 My experience has been that Sony Radio/CD units deliver very good sound quality, subject to the signal received by the aerial and of course the speakers. They don't seem to be quite so good at switching between alternative transmitters to choose the one with the best signal, and for that you might need a Blaupunkt (ideally with their Digiceiver facility) or a Pioneer with a similarly capable means of switching to the best signal (I can't recall the name of the Pioneer product). It's worth considering a Sony unit with Bluetooth, because it can automatically pair with your mobile phone as soon as you switch it on and you then have hands-free phone calls, even if the radio or CD volume is set to zero. These units can cost less than £100 and I can strongly recommend them based on the one we have in our car. Like the other responder, I am not convinced that it's worth spending much more than £100 on a CD/Radio. Better to upgrade the speakers, perhaps. You get a remote control with some of these Sony CD/radios: not ideal for use when driving but absolutely great for when you're in the living area (or want the news in the morning but don't want to get out of bed!). These days it's more difficult to find a new Sony that will have the means to control a CD changer, but it's just about possible. Sony CD changers are now quite cheap secondhand and easy to stow away using Velcro under a passenger seat. I can recommend them, based on my experience of a 10-CD changer. eBay is your best bet for one of those, and also perhaps for the head unit. Best of luck! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dipstick0_0 Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 think if it was me I would just pop down my local Halfords and pick one you can see it and hear it there whatever you do good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE SHEPHERD Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Many thanks to all,I decided to take the advice of an expert, so my 11 year old grandson settled on a Alpine CDE-136BT-DAB. Im told it sings and dances and is OH so easy to work,I might sit him on the dashboard to shout instructions. Cheers to all TS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 ,,,,I like DAB (particularly for DAB-only stations, but also for Radio5, as the reception is much better than MW). My current car has DAB, and I fitted a DAB unit to my last 'van. Be aware, however, that technically you should have a different aerial for DAB reception, though you may be able to get it to work (less than optimally) from your existing aerial if you install a splitter. The good news with the particular model you've picked is that it has DAB+ compatibility, which means that it should work abroad (where, of course, a different standard to the UK has been chosen). (The USB connector is at the rear, however, which may make it more difficult to use). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 THE SHEPHERD - 2012-08-06 9:11 PM Having decided to replace my cassette playing radio in the camper, I decided to research on the internet, I feel I have entered a parallel universe.All I wanted was a radio that had good reception and played CDs. But have to admit defeat, I do not understand the jargon. So help please. Wanted an easy to understand radio/Cd player with exellent reception at around £200.Over to the experts.TS Any Pioneer but make sure it has MP3 facility and a USB input. MP3 will play any files burnt to blank media from your PC......and USB input (as has been mentioned) enables you to load a flash drive with 1000's of tracks, and play via that. Incidentally you don't need to spend anywhere near £200. My Pioneer CD/MP3/USB radio cost me £80 and a few weeks later Argos had it on offer at £50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Derek Uzzell - 2012-08-07 8:56 AM On paper, the Sony CDX-GT450U unit (available via Amazon for under £60) seems as suitable as any, with plenty of output power and good reviews. Obviously, if you insist on spending £200, you might be able to get something better, but I suspect much of the additional cost will go towards extra bells and whisteles that you won't exploit. As it is, I suspect that the Sony unit, features-wise, will already be overkill for your requirements. We have the CDX-GT450U, we both find it much to fiddly to use compared to the 'standard' ones fitted to our latest cars (Philips and Blankput ?), maybe ok when on site, but on the move we've always hitting the wrong button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Just proves that practical experience is more valuable than an on-paper specification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 If you are going to spend a couple of hundred quid on the head unit you should be looking to upgrade your speakers as well or you won't really hear the benefit of it. If you have an ipod or iphone well worth getting one that will interface with it as is can be expensive buying an adaptor for the head unit. I wouldn't be without my ipod in the van as I can take my entire music collection with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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