car stereo heads

[kdlp]

Anyone have any preferences between the Kenwood and Custom USA stereo heads for Corvettes? I'm too cheap to cut up a $100 console panel and I don't think anyone makes one for '81 model year that will accept DIN size stereos.

I'm not looking to knock down walls with a super-thumper, but just want some good clean sound from a head through an amp and to some upgraded speakers for the dash and rear panel. I doubt I'll go the sub-woofer route.

Seems I recently read some less than flattering things about the Custom USA, but haven't heard/read anything about the Kenwood.

Anyone?

kdlp
(Kelly)

 

[81 Corvette]

i dunno, i've got an Alpine in mine, although the bezel is chopped.

 

[Culprit]

A friend of mine has the USA 5 or 6 in his early 60's Impala wired up to a pair of Bose indoor/outdoor speakers sitting on the back seat of his convertible (so he can throw them in the trunk depending on where he's parking or set them up on the rear deck at tailgates). His simple setup gives just what you said you were looking for: good clean sound. And if you actually have 4 speakers mounted in the car instead of 2 rolling around on the back seat, it probably won't sound any worse.

The only negatives I've heard about the Custom Autosound is that the display is hard to read in bright sunlight - especially if you have glass tops on the car.

All that being said, (I think) I've decided to replace the factory Delco radio with an in dash CD/MP3 unit instead of going with the USA and a CD changer mounted in the back. I'm going to fix my leaking power steering then make a decision on the radio.


Culprit