What head units/deck do you guys have in your 80?

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I think circuit city is pulling your chain (wire?). There is a wiring adapter that is designed to connect to the OEM stereo harness. You just take that adapter and match the color coded wires to the wires coming off of the head unit. I used crimping connectors and a crimping tool. Then just plug the adapter to the harness and your off to the races. It was really easy and I think I got the adapter at Wal-Mart
 
mot said:
I wouldn't if I were you.

I think head units/amp make some difference especially if you are just stepping up from the stock unit, but I would save that $100 and put it in speakers as I believe speakers make the most difference in the stereo set-up.

IMHO
Click to expand...

I have done a lot of research in car audio and talked to a lot of expirienced audiofiles, and from what I have come up with the above is true. Most head units today all give about the same sound quality(for a non audiophile like most of us). External amps and quality but necessarily expensive speakers will do the most for you.
 
I have a mid level Pioneer Premier with XM radio. It works and sounds great. The XM receiver hides under the dash and is controlled by the deck. My shopping criteria was that the unit had to have a real volume knob and no fancy graphics. It seems like an excellent unit. I know almost nothing about car stereo, but I do remember from my college stereo days that speakers should get half the budget.
 
EnDLeSS said:
I think in early 90 thru 98 Lexus signed the contract with Nakamichi and had agreement, to provide all the lexus vehicle with Nakamichi equipped factory system.And if you go back to 94-97 ( all the lexus vehicle equipped with Nakamichi sound system ) Nakamichi was very expensive, very good sound quality and was one of the JBL hard competitor, but i dont know why for some reason the Nakamichi dissapear also not in the market anymore.
Click to expand...

Not all LX450s came with Nakamichis and I'm not sure if any did. If they did, they would say Nakamichi on the radio. It is something they are proud of. Pioneer made the unit with changer in my dad's 97 LX450 and I did a stereo in a 94 LS400 that also had a Pioneer unit, he went with a Nakamichi aftermarket unit with a 5 disc in dash changer. It was a nightmare!

I believe Lexus tried to go with an even higher end stereo in their new models, the name escapes me right now. The whole thing is sort of funny because they are marketing a stereo name not necessarily quality. Infinity put their name on Dodge stuff. Clarion, Pioneer, and Alpine have all made Honda radios at some time. Blaupunkt and Clarion made radios for VW and Porsche. Bose supposedly did radios for GM and Nissan. Really I think they only did the speakers and Delco did the stereos. But I've heard stereos from lessor names that sounded better.

Your most bang for the buck in an 80 series is in replacing the door speakers.
 
ginericfj80 said:
Not all LX450s came with Nakamichis and I'm not sure if any did. If they did, they would say Nakamichi on the radio. It is something they are proud of. Pioneer made the unit with changer in my dad's 97 LX450 and I did a stereo in a 94 LS400 that also had a Pioneer unit, he went with a Nakamichi aftermarket unit with a 5 disc in dash changer. It was a nightmare!

I believe Lexus tried to go with an even higher end stereo in their new models, the name escapes me right now. The whole thing is sort of funny because they are marketing a stereo name not necessarily quality. Infinity put their name on Dodge stuff. Clarion, Pioneer, and Alpine have all made Honda radios at some time. Blaupunkt and Clarion made radios for VW and Porsche. Bose supposedly did radios for GM and Nissan. Really I think they only did the speakers and Delco did the stereos. But I've heard stereos from lessor names that sounded better.

our most bang for the buck in an 80 series is in replacing the door speakers.
Click to expand...

Nakamichi made the speakers for the lexus pioneer did the head unit and sub.
 
Stock unit. Seven years, 135K miles...still working.
 
The LX450's were never fitted with Nakamichi stereos. The later Lexus' were (LX470 included), were fitted with the Mark Levinson stereos.

On a different note, has anyone tried fitting a later model Toyota DVD/CD/Nav system in their 80? Here is a company that offers retrofit on this:

http://www.oemvalue.com

John
 
I've been looking at Kenwood that is Sirius and HD ready. Not sure what HD is yet, but I would like to have Sirius. I would have to buy a box for Sirius and an antenna as well.

My other option, is a stock unit I just found $150, WITH working lights. Then I could just get the portable Sirius unit, and use it from car to car. I'm still trying to decide. I think I would like the stock unit. I'm kind of a "purist."
 
97 FZJ80 said:
The LX450's were never fitted with Nakamichi stereos. The later Lexus' were (LX470 included), were fitted with the Mark Levinson stereos.

On a different note, has anyone tried fitting a later model Toyota DVD/CD/Nav system in their 80? Here is a company that offers retrofit on this:

http://www.oemvalue.com

John
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the speakers in your 450 are nakamichi...either way if you ever get rid of them I'll take them! And as soon as I get around to it, everyone will know how the nav units work, oemvalue seen really good to work with
 
Oh, the only thing I'm worried about is how much I'm going to have to trim off my cover. It may end up being more than I had hoped. The plastic cover has alittle trim on each side, which is all I hope that needed to be trimed but the deck still looks larger....so I may have to cut more and then it won't look so stock.
 
WOW!
You've got some serious gadgets in your rig. :eek:

I think you are turnin' Japanese. :D
Do you really have HID's in your headlights? If so have you ever been pulled over for it?

Nice surprise to see a Cruiser being used for something other than Rock Crawling. :D ;)

Best,

Mot
 
Alpine 7998 FAce with the open compartment where the CB is going.
2, 15" Kicker subs
2 Fosgate amps, 75x4 for the highs and 850x1 for the BAss
2 1.0 Farad capacitors
And don't worry the amps don't take up space and the BAss is a quick disconnect for when I want to head out to the trails. Haven't had time to fiberglass the side panel so it looks tackie.
 
Bear80 said:
I'm pretty sure the speakers in your 450 are nakamichi...either way if you ever get rid of them I'll take them! And as soon as I get around to it, everyone will know how the nav units work, oemvalue seen really good to work with
Click to expand...

All the OEM speakers in my 450 were Pioneer including that silly center console subwoofer.
 
maxnharry said:
All the OEM speakers in my 450 were Pioneer including that silly center console subwoofer.
Click to expand...

Actually, the center console sub actually works okay, much better than the decorative one that Toyota put in the side panel on the Landcruiser. Overall, I still think the Lexus stereo sounds like Bose... no high, no low....


John
 
97 FZJ80 said:
The LX450's were never fitted with Nakamichi stereos. The later Lexus' were (LX470 included), were fitted with the Mark Levinson stereos.
Click to expand...

The head unit on our 99 LX470 is Nakamichi. I think Lexus went to Mark Levinson around 2001 - 2002.
 
I've got an alpine 78something or other that i'm trading out for a kenwood EZ-500. Great little deck in my opinion. I've also got an infiniti kappa perfect 12 sub. Good sub, hooked up to a really crappy amp. Check out kenwood as they seem to have the best sound for the price. Everything else in the 2-300 price rance is just way too harsh. But then again everything car audio is just toooooo frickin harsh and toneless. The only thing I would get if i could afford it would be....

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/...s+&+CD+Changers&prodid=1077&product=MX406

with

dynaudio system 340

powered by

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/...=Power+Amplifiers&prodid=1062&product=MCC404M

yay for delicious sound crammed into a car.
 
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