• 01-13-2004, 05:13
    msrance
    My CD Reciever's acting up - HELP !!!
    I got this Aiwa CD reciver headunit just about 5 months back. Just to cut out on the budget, i opted for Aiwa - after the company's after sales department had packed up and left India - but it was quite a steal - at the price of a cassette player - i got a cd player and a pair of Aiwa coaxial ovals (6"x9") - the head unit says 45Wx4.
    The problem is that all of a sudden its started skipping cds and 8 out of 10 attempts at running a cd it just beeps and says Error. what could have gone wrong? I live in a desert - could it be the sand working out on the lens? What's your guess at the source of error? and where do u guys suggest i get it repaired?
  • 01-13-2004, 08:32
    FordXplod93
    I'm gonna go with something is wrong with your lens, and sand may be part of the culprit. If the HU is still under warranty (not sure if it even had a warranty to begin with), take it to a certified Aiwa repair shop, or call Aiwa and ship it to them. If it isn't, a reputable electronics sales and repair shop should be able to help you out. Call around. ;)
  • 01-16-2004, 01:46
    msrance
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by FordXplod93
    If the HU is still under warranty (not sure if it even had a warranty to begin with), take it to a certified Aiwa repair shop,

    Xplod - The HU was a billed Aiwa product with all paper work in place but the company found it hard to live up in the indian competition - all their products had similar problems in the Indian climate. So now Aiwa has stopped production and distribution in India and now they provide no after sales support here.

    A company owned service center of Sony or Philips or Samsung would be able to handle the thing - I hope !!
  • 01-16-2004, 05:28
    rccars411
    Well dust can be a huge factor in the desert. Aiwa isn't known for hi-end products, so it could also be the end of the products life.

    I wouldn't recommend taking it apart, but if you can't find a place where they can take it back and give you a new one... time to look into a new HU.
  • 01-17-2004, 18:52
    msrance
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by rccars411
    Well dust can be a huge factor in the desert. Aiwa isn't known for hi-end products, so it could also be the end of the products life. time to look into a new HU.

    So its good bye to the head unit and extra spending for a new one !! I think i will have to go without one for some time then. Thanks for sharing my loss !!!
  • 01-18-2004, 12:28
    rccars411
    For price/quality, depending on how much you are willing to spend... Blaupunkt is pretty decent. My buddy had a F150 with only AM radio, so he complained and then i told him about the MP3 player they sell, and its pretty great considering the price ($129 U$D). Otherwise, go Kenwood, Pioneer, or even Sony, those are some of the better HU's I have experienced.
  • 01-19-2004, 04:06
    msrance
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by rccars411
    For price/quality, depending on how much you are willing to spend... Blaupunkt is pretty decent. its pretty great considering the price ($129 U$D). Otherwise, go Kenwood, Pioneer, or even Sony, those are some of the better HU's I have experienced.

    My friend, I dont know if this would come as a surprise to you or not - but in India - Pioneer is the cheapest brand - feature to feature. Then come - Sony, Kenwood and last Blaupunkt - in order of increasing prices - feature for feature.

    Alright, what are the features you suggest i should look for in a mid-end car cd reciever? I dont believe in buying the least expensive component even if its a load of crap - and i dont have the dough to spend on a high end system.

    What would be an ideal car setup - when you are on a tight budget and you are looking for no frills and show off - nor do you want the world to turn around when your car passes by - I am not looking for sheer SPL. Something that gives you a decent , warm sound without going overboard on the budget.

    And mind you i am not just talking brands of cd recievers - I mean a complete set up - including the HU, speakers, speaker cabinet, positioning of the speakers, no of speakers, sub, amp and the works - all mid and lowmid end products.

    As it is I own a diesel car which on the indian roads rattles and squeaks like a roaring lion - so no amount of high end sound is going to sound clean in that sort of sound ambience.

    Looking forward to some real good advice from all you guys out there!!
  • 01-19-2004, 09:50
    rccars411
    Well generally Blaupunkt is cheaper here of course, but they are good for mid quality.

    But since I don't quite know what brands are all out there, for what your lookin for, Jenson or JVC might have some ok upgrade speakers.

    I am not sure what you are looking for in a HU, but over all, this might be the way to go: http://onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/...roductID=11788 . You get 2 rca pre-outs for amp if you want some bumps (subs). If you are lookin for speaks, what size are your stocks? For a amp, you can get a good mid/upper quality one : http://onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/...roductID=12542 for around $80 usd.

    What size sub do you want?
  • 01-20-2004, 22:17
    Professional
    Aiwa is made by Sony (advice on service or new equipment)
    Sony should still be able to service your deck. In my experience, Aiwas get sent back far too often and it is usually cheaper to sell it before your warranty runs out instead of paying to keep it in repair. If Pioneer is cheaper in India, look for the best available (it used to be known as the Elite). The Kenwood Excelon will be similar in performance. If you listen to radio should check to be sure it has good sensitivity (lower is better). In the U.S. Sony offers good sensitivity on its lower end but Kenwood and Pioneer tend to be slightly worse and Blaupunkt is consistently poor. As for CD performance, more money will not necessarily buy better sound but the cheaper units might not play CD-Rs and CDs with MP3 files. If it is true that you have problems with sand getting inside your unit, look for a unit that has a flip down face that covers the CD slot. Whatever you decide, remember that you will hear more improvement from uprgading speakers than buying a hi-end head unit. Many retailers will offer specials on a deck with speakers so make sure you shop around for what best fits your needs.

    Cheers
  • 01-21-2004, 04:09
    msrance
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Professional
    Sony should still be able to service your deck. In my experience, Aiwas get sent back far too often and it is usually cheaper to sell it before your warranty runs out instead of paying to keep it in repair. If Pioneer is cheaper in India, look for the best available (it used to be known as the Elite). The Kenwood Excelon will be similar in performance. If you listen to radio should check to be sure it has good sensitivity (lower is better). In the U.S. Sony offers good sensitivity on its lower end but Kenwood and Pioneer tend to be slightly worse and Blaupunkt is consistently poor. As for CD performance, more money will not necessarily buy better sound but the cheaper units might not play CD-Rs and CDs with MP3 files. If it is true that you have problems with sand getting inside your unit, look for a unit that has a flip down face that covers the CD slot. Whatever you decide, remember that you will hear more improvement from uprgading speakers than buying a hi-end head unit. Many retailers will offer specials on a deck with speakers so make sure you shop around for what best fits your needs.

    Cheers



    That was news to me that upgrading speakers will help more than the HU. But presently I have no amp fitted too - so how do i go about finding the best in the lowest budget.

    You know , they must be having economy and extravagant series for everything. What I looking forward to is a system with a flipdown CD reciever, a preout to connect amp, a pair of coaxial ovals in the rear, a pair of 4.5" rounds and a pair of tweeters and a subwoofer.

    Please explain to me what would be the best layout of speakers in the cabin? Most poeple say too many speakers just spoil the broth. And where exactly to place these speakers - like i had my rounds in the front door but someone suggested that was the wrong place.

    How many and which of the above speaker regions be powered by the amp? and how many channel amp should one go for and what wattage?

    Should one buy a passive or an active powered subwoofer? which one has a better sound output and why? what should be the enclosure of the subwoofer like - where and how should it be ported?

    I own a midsize diesel hatchback - so that hepls you visualise better the cabin volume and the internal ambient sound levels. Keeping these in mind - what would be an ideal setup - just taking into account the features i should look for in each of the above components?

    As for the brand, now i am pretty sure i am opting for Sony and no one else - but thenh what abt speakers - what and how many speakers, which amp and how many channles and which sub?
  • 01-21-2004, 13:53
    rccars411
    Well, if you have 6x9 speakers in the back, get 4-ways if you want tweeters (there are a couple in a 4 way speak). They will produce good hi's mids and some bass too. And as for subs and a amp... subs are just plain garbage at a cheap price. The lowest I would spend on a sub is $60 USD on a 400 watt 12 inch. If you go too cheap, then you can end up with the similar issue with that HU of yours.

    But for 4.5 rounds huh? You better be sure it isnt a 4" or 3.5" because I could only find one out of god knows how many heh. : http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu...roductID=12434

    It is not a bad idea to put the speaks in the doors, but if that is where the stock ones were, put the upgrades in that same spot. But TWEETERS, they are a little spendy compared to just getting a speaker with tweeters in them. On the other hand if you just want subs and tweeters in the rear, that makes more sense i guess.