Remote control question

Kazuya Mishima

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Where can I find information regarding the compatibility of CD tuner head units with steering wheel remote controls already fitted to the car as standard?

Specifically, I have a Vauxhall Astra with steering wheel controls and I am thinking about a Sony MEX HD1 - the hard-drive / CD tuner unit. I was wondering if the controls would operate the basic functions on the Sony.

Thanks

Kazuya.
 
Most head unit's require an adaptor of some sort before they'll work with standard steering wheel controls.

Autoleads tend to be the primary supplier of aftermarket adaptors but I think Sony also make adaptors for their own Head Unit's... I'll have a dig about and see what I can find out for you. Alternatively, your local ICE dealer will probably carry a range of adaptors, or will be able to advise you as to which one you need...

Good luck!

K.
 
Having had a look around, if your Astra was built after 1998 then you will need this adaptor here :)

I doubt that CAD are the cheapest place to buy from but I've used them several times now and never had any problems :smashin:

What made you decide on the Sony MEX-1HD out of interest?

K.
 
Thanks for advice Kelvin.

The reason I am after the Sony (and I wouldn't say I have fully decided yet, it's bloody expensive) is because I am the kind of person who likes to listen to one track, change the CD, pick another track, change again etc..... I don't have a changer in my current car but in my last car I ended up with huge piles of CDs in the car, it was a pain in the butt. I would spend ages picking a dozen CDs for the car to last me a week but by Tuesday my mood had changed and I fancied listening to something completely different.

Phew....

So the Sony will eventually (after ripping my CDs) let me listen to anything I fancy from my collection.

The thing is, I suspect I could get better sound quality with other makes, but the hard drive thing is really important.

Do you think more of these units will come out in the not-so-distant future? I saw a review of something called a "Dension" which is a hard-drive which you plug into your PC to transfer your music. However, I still like the idea of having the CD player in-car.
 
I suspect that HD technology will indeed become commonplace amongst different manufacturers - certainly it's far more versatile than "bog standard" CD players for the very reasons you mention, but there are current alternatives - certainly at far less cost than the Sony.

Have you considered HU's that have MP3 or WMA functionality? You may not be able to fit quite so much on a single MP3 or WMA CD as you could on the Sony's HD but you could certainly reduce the number of discs you would need to carry around by about 90% - it would also open up your options as far as picking a HU is concerned.

If you're after the "best" sound quality that you can obtain for your money, Sony are not necessarily the best option (that's not intended as an unfair criticism - they do make some nice kit but Alpine/Pioneer/Blaupunkt make some "nicer" stuff (IMHO) for the same sort of money :))

Hope this is of some help,

K.
 
Thanks for all the help so far Kelvin - one last (quite open-ended) question:

If I install this myself (complete newbie) are there any specific things to be aware of eg. car alarm, disconnecting battery.....

As I understand it, these adaptors / ISO connectors preclude the need to figure out individual wiring specs. Do these adaptors include power from the battery?

The thing is, I am probably going to order this online, and don't really want to shell out cash, and time, going to an installer if it is a fairly simple job.
 
generally the adaptors from autoleads are designed for you to plug and play. you may have to swap the yellow and red around on the iso. you autoleads should have this already one. the only problem you might have is fitting all the adaptor cables behind the back of the radio ;) ..

if you buy all the adaptor cables then for an installer it would be a 5 minute job.. would maybe take you 20 mins.. but can save you up to £30 so well worth having a go yourself.

just make sure you dont go @ your old stereo with big hammers and screwdrivers to get it out ;) treat it like a women .. (that could be bad advice :rotfl: :rotfl: )
 
Thanks Zoidy. I think I'll give it a go!
 
As Zoidy says - installation in 90% of cases is a piece of cake :) There is a chance you may need to do a bit of "fiddling" - you may need an aerial adaptor, and there is a chance that the switched live, and the permanent live may be the wrong way round but there's also a good chance it'll just be a case of "plug 'n' play" - try it and see! If you have any problems you know where to come :)

If you end up going for one of the Alpine units then installation is slightly different as a direct connection to the battery is normally required. If you decide on an Alpine then post in here, or PM/Email me and I'll let you know what you need to do.

All the best,

K.
 
straight to the battery is not 100% necessary.. a direct connection to the main live on the ignition barrel is ok . and saves taking the wires into the engine bay :)
 
Thanks guys! :smashin: I'll let you know how I get on...
 

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