So yet another stock stereo failure story, in a 2005 EX coupe (single climate control) - mine is the death of six-disc changer. It's been about a year and a half, and I've gotten it to eject three of the six discs it had in it (the last one about a month ago), so I suppose it's about time to give up on it.

I had an old JVC stereo that had served me amazingly since MP3 compatibility was brand-new which moved through several cars since I was a teenager back in the '90s. I finally left it when I bought this Accord two years ago, as the display was on its way out. I'm fine doing an old-style standard installation, but I want to make sure I'm covering all my bases with this silly dash replacement and wheel-control adapters and what-not.

I'm considering the Kenwood KDC-BT755HD, which comes from Crutchfield for $190. I was going with this because I want a front USB port and a 1/8" jack, HD radio and BT support for using Pandora on my Android phone. Other suggestions are, of course, welcome.

If I buy a stereo with what seems to be Metra's new dash adapter (as opposed to the old dash adapter), I purportedly get the adapter for half-off, at $125. I would rather have *****, but it seems Crutchfield doesn't sell the old model anymore, and everywhere else I have found it has it for the full $250, which is just a stupid amount of money to pay for that item. And I hate the idea of losing full fan control for OFF-LOW-HIGH. I guess it's a question of whether the dials are worth $125 to me. . .

I take it I also need a steering wheel interface, and I was going to go with the Maestro over the Axxess simply because the reviews are slightly better, though this may be because it's new, unlike the Axxess.

Is there anything I am overlooking? Anything stupid I have unwittingly decided on? Anything that's extremely cheaper somewhere else, or just better overall quality? I assume the proper harness will be included in Crutchfield's "installation gear for most cars."

One other thought - if I replaced the lower pocket and kept the stock stereo, I wouldn't have to replace the stock HU/climate controls, right? Would I still need to buy the wheel interface adapter? I'd be giving up on my missing CDs, but I'd be saving ~$175 and getting to keep my *****. Plus, it would be a lot easier to pull the new stereo out and continue my musical chairs game whenever it's time to retire the Accord. . .

Edit: Realized right after hitting submit that I was in the wrong tab - I meant to put it in the AV forum and got mixed up (and I can't find a delete button) .

 

I can move it over to A/V Elect. At the bottom of your own posts is an "edit" button. After you click that, a "delete" button will become available.

 

Thanks, Jim. I tried that, but I don't have a "delete" button. Just "edit." If I hover, it says "Edit/Delete," but when I click on it it just takes me to the advanced edit screen, again with no delete option. The forum software also doesn't give me the option to set an avatar, the only option is "Do not use an avatar."

I suspect these issues may be because I'm a new member?

 

if you put thedeck in the lower pocket and want the steering wheel controls to work you will still need the same adapters. you can keep the factory a/c controls though. you can also get your cd's back. just take the stereo apart, retrieve the cd's, then replace it in the car. you wont be using it anyway. that is what i did with mine. the radio and everything still works just not the cd player, but I dont use it cause I got the stereo in the lower pocket.

 

I figured I would give an update and mention my impressions of the head unit (Kenwood KDC-BT755HD) and kit, in case anyone else has the same questions I did.

I ended up going with the lower pocket, as you can see below in my terrible photo. In the end, I just couldn't justify the cost of the replacement dash.



The SWI that I purchased, the Maestro, had really terrible documentation, so I eventually gave up trying to guess where the switch wires were supposed to go and installed the head unit without it.

The pocket would not align to all the screw holes, so I ended up leaving the bottom two (underneath the cigarette lighter) unattached. It also had a large enough gap (which would have been bigger if I had put the last two screws in) that I could run the microphone wire out of the side instead of through the pocket like I had originally intended.

As far as the head unit goes, I'd give it 3.5/5. The BT options are really nice (I use it for Pandora and the hands-free calling), though it took me a while to figure out how to get Pandora to play through the rear speakers (the HU defaults to front-only for BT, assuming you will use it for calls, which is where the setting is hidden). The head unit sounds perfectly acceptable to me - my only real issue is the display. It's only twelve characters wide, and it's kind of limited. You can set it to Clock or Station or Artist/Title or Play Time, but no combination thereof. Ideally, I'd like it to display the artist/title every time a new song comes on, scroll through it, and then switch to the clock or the station until the next song. Heck, I'd be happier even if it scrolled constantly - but after the initial scroll, it just sits on the first twelve characters - so if it's anyone besides Rush, there's a good chance you will see at most only two or three characters of the title.

I know, as far as issues go it's very minor - I just find it obnoxious.

Other issues - no automatic dimming, and the volume **** has no light on it. Being down low like that, it makes it mildly difficult to find in the dark - as in I have to look, can't just use my peripheral vision.

Also, I'm annoyed that I had to have the factory code to set the time on the stock head unit after swapping the plugs in and out - talk about taking anti-theft to the extreme.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw this out there in case it helps anyone else, and to thank you guys for your help.

Oh yeah, and the cabling to the dash unit was short enough that I couldn't pull the stereo out enough to get my CDs out without cutting the wiring. *grumble*