Favorite M3 headunit

[m3f_tlvanden]

What's your favorite/best headunit for your M3?



Please post pics and state opinions.



Thanks for helping me choose

[m3f_CarQz17_da02e24fb5]

Nakamichi is great quality and great color match, almost looks stock



Clarion isnt bad either.



I love alpine but it doesnt match in the least.

[m3f_99DakarM3_146594ecf1]

The new Alpine's will match - something like 250+ colors or something. As far as the older ones.... well lets just say green is the opposite of red so.....

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

I love the sound quality of alpine. I really dont' go with any other headunits. I could really care lessa bout color match. In fact, my next alpines going to have blue lighting... right now its green, and I think it looks nice against the orange.



http://members.cox.net/dark_sirius/images/console.jpg

[m3f_erliban]

So how hard is it to install the aftermarket head unit yourself? Is there any danger of damaging the trim pieces? If it's just plug and play (with some sort of wire adaptors I assume) then I may be tempted to swap in a new one. I don't really like the stock CD changer that's in the trunk. I'd rather have a single CD up front.

[m3f_99DakarM3_146594ecf1]

Very easy. Pop the 2 plastic tabs on the corners, then us an allen or torx head to remove the screws. After that it slides right out. You will need 2 wiring harnesses to plug into the factory harness - one from the factory harness to universal & then a universal to Alpine.

On my universal to Alpine I had to splice one wire b/c when I switched from stereo to cd it was shutting off the factory amp & I was getting no sound.

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

Very easy. Pop the 2 plastic tabs on the corners, then us an allen or torx head to remove the screws. After that it slides right out. You will need 2 wiring harnesses to plug into the factory harness - one from the factory harness to universal & then a universal to Alpine.

On my universal to Alpine I had to splice one wire b/c when I switched from stereo to cd it was shutting off the factory amp & I was getting no sound.



Lol, exactly the same problem I had, I was up till 1 am installing that and trying to figure that out one night... with all my trim in my car out too... what crazyness

[m3f_erliban]

Very easy. Pop the 2 plastic tabs on the corners, then us an allen or torx head to remove the screws. After that it slides right out. You will need 2 wiring harnesses to plug into the factory harness - one from the factory harness to universal & then a universal to Alpine.

On my universal to Alpine I had to splice one wire b/c when I switched from stereo to cd it was shutting off the factory amp & I was getting no sound.



Thanks. I was browsing crutchfield.com and they say on their web site that they will include all necessary adaptors and wires. Does this mean I'm home free if I order from them. Anyone dealt with them before? Or you think it better to deal with local shops (like BB or CC)?

[m3f_99DakarM3_146594ecf1]

You might be ok with crutchfield - dont know cause I haven't used them personally, but they have a great reputation. It's also possible that they have their own harness that wont have the blue wire w/ white stripe that needs to get spliced.

[m3f_MikeM3(Holland)]

I also think Alpine is great.

I don't like the green either but I can live with it.

http://www.m3forum.net/gallery/data/501/15105dash1kleinformaat.jpg

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

I would get the head from crutchfield, and then get the adapters from like CC or another place like that.

[m3f_scoutmaste_032b7adda2]

I have the Nakamichi CD-400 (http://www.nakusa.com/master/cd400.htm) in my car, and I LOVE it.



http://www.nakusa.com/master/img/press/am_am.gif

[m3f_2k_889896e9da]

Just in case you have some sort of mp3 player, look for headunits that have a mp3 line in on the faceplate. I just use a male/male headphone cord and plug that into my ipod. 10gig's of tunes to listen to :dance:

[m3f_MDS]

Ive ordered this for mine, shall be receiving it tommorow, and installing it after that.



Heres a pic of the Best Colour Matching Alpine i could find, Lets hope it looks ok ... Didnt want to go wild, and wanted to keep that clean bmw look and colour scheme.... :hmm:



http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/images/b_cde9827rm.jpg

[m3f_MDS]

BTW, check out this similiar thread of mine posted a few weeks ago, just when i was deciding on the unit i wanted... :tongue:



http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=28902