dab radio in-car *with* an input = expensive

toasterman

I've got DAB in my current car already, bought a dab aerial for it...etc. All working well.

I'm about to change cars, and I'm wondering about connecting an ipod up in the new one as well, but radios with both dab, *and* ipod inputs seem to be quite rare.

Current stereo (without input) is a JVC KD-DB711. It's good, but has no inputs at all. Good sub-£100 (reasonably priced) stereo.
The KD-DB101 has input at the front AND dab (sorta next model up from mine, I guess). Again, it can be got for just under £100.

While browsing, I couldn't help but notice that JVC now do stereos with proper ipod connections.
I don't mean input sockets on the front and an extra £50 for being "ipod ready".
I mean the headunit is compatible with steering wheel remote controls, and the ipod track name is displayed on the headunit..etc.. all links through very nicely, like one of those proper dock units you can get for home.
However, they don't do any radios that have this *and* dab. On the ones with an ipod dock system, dab is an "optional" component, which seems to cost an additional £130-£200.

How come at home, I can get a dab radio for £20, or an ipod dock for not much more, but the two together in a car is over £200?
How can a dab add-on cost £130 anyway?
Cheapest place I can find the JVC dab add-on is £130...but JVC sell a cd/fm/dab radio for under £100! How does that make any sense? No wonder dab isn't getting the uptake that the radio stations would probably like.

InCarExpress also do a kind of bundle where they take a normal JVC fm/cd player, add a separate dab add-on box, and a separate ipod add-on connector box, and an aerial, and it comes to about £230 and a mess of addon boxes.

Seems mad to me.
Rant aside, has anyone bought from InCarExpress before? Good/bad experience? They seem to be quite a lot cheaper than some other places, on various car stereos...

misterh

In-car hi-fi seems to be about 10 years behind the rest of the technological world!
I'm sure they still supply cars with tape decks in them.
You spend so long in cars, you want a decent media player that can use a variety of different sources (DAB, FM, CD, USB, MP3 input).
Is it really so difficult?

toasterman

My point exactly.
My sister's brand new car (renault clio) came with a tape player as standard. £100 extra to have a standard cd player (no mp3 cds, etc).
You can't even buy cassettes in Virgin/HMV/etc anymore....god knows what they expect you to do with it.

I don't get why a cd player that would be £20-£30 (because they're never very good, usually picky about cdrs, etc...aren't they) becomes £100, if it runs from a car battery.

And manufacturers make it very difficult to change sometimes. A friend of mine had a Toyota Yaris, and to change the radio, you have to take the whole dashboard apart, because the radio comes out from the inside.. if that makes sense. Then you need to buy a fascia thing to fit the new standard-size radio, in the original non-standard-size hole left by the factory-fit radio.

You'd think the whole thing was against some kind of anti-competitive rules... because they're essentially obstructing aftermarket companies from easily selling and fitting alternative stereos.

anewman

DAB is soon to be supersceded by DAB+ so I wouldn't shell out serious money on DAB unless it is guaranteed to be DAB+ compatible, which is unlikely.

toasterman

So nobody used incarexpress then?
Just concerned they're cheaper than everywhere else...

I don't think DAB+ is as close as they reckon. The speed the broadcasters/operators go at with these kind of things.. it won't make it here in the next 5 years. Half the stations in Bristol haven't even made it as far as DAB yet.

It might explain why DAB isn't catching on with radio manufacturers though.. if everyone is expect it to be replaced in a year or so.

anewman

I've used caraudiodirect and they were very good, although had no need for after sales service. This post doesn't lend a good impression of incarexpress http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=8683683

toasterman

How about Audioimages.co.uk - anyone used them?

Caraudiodirect have the radio I think I want but it's £120.
Audioimages and incarexpress have it for 99.99.


That post linked makes incarexpress sound pretty bad. Although the whole dispute seems to be over making the buyer pay for return postage.

As for having it back to test, instead of just swapping straight out..while that's annoying, a lot of companies do the same. Comet had a minidisc player of mine for over a month "testing" it, despite the maximum being 28 days I think (by law). They sent me a handwritten note on around day 25, saying literally like "your minidisc player will be available to collect <on such a such date>". No apology for further delay, explanation, or even any "thanks for waiting patiently and not harassing us constantly about it".

They fixed it, at a repair cost of apparently £120, as the salesman told me when I went back in.. expecting me to be happy at how much they'd apparently saved me (when it was under warranty anyway..it developed the fault when it was 5 weeks old).
I explained to him that it was £112 new, and so if it was up to me, I'd have been smart enough to know it was beyond economical repair....

toasterman

Thanks for anyone's comments on this.

I bought my new radio today from Audioimages for 99.98 I think it was. (Plus 9.99 postage).
It's the JVC KD-DB101 model with the input on the front. I think I decided you'll never get as good control of an iPod as you do actually on the iPod..so I'll get a £5 windscreen holder for it, and make my own iPod controller.

I can't find any good or bad reviews of audioimages, so we'll see.

burnageblue

toasterman wrote: »

Thanks for anyone's comments on this.

I bought my new radio today from Audioimages for 99.98 I think it was. (Plus 9.99 postage).
It's the JVC KD-DB101 model with the input on the front. I think I decided you'll never get as good control of an iPod as you do actually on the iPod..so I'll get a £5 windscreen holder for it, and make my own iPod controller.

I can't find any good or bad reviews of audioimages, so we'll see.

How are you finding this – I’m looking to buy this model? How good is it picking up 6 Music and Radio 5 Sports Xtra

Arfa__

FYI JVC are the only company still making after market DAB radios. Everyone else who used to have given up on it and have discontinued any models with DAB... says it all really.

BTW how is your DAB reception in the car? I've read nothing but reports of terrible reception, ranging from none to continually dropping out.

Either way, why not pop over to https://www.talkaudio.com, which is a friendly forum people interested in car audio. I'm sure you'll find posts there recommending different radio head units and reputable companies to buy from.