after market stereo..
 

i know most of you think the stock one is good.. and this probably been discussed before but.. but wat if you really want a aftermarket stereo, like a colorful deck, where would be a possible spot to install one

It wouldn't.

That's the whole thing. You would need to take out the entire console, get different temperature knobs and such and a custom fit enclosure (unless somebody manufactuers one to fit right).

You'll lose your volume controls as well (though that can be solved by wiring it somehow...).

All for blinky lights?

If you want to do aftermarket stuff that's fine it's very ready to do it, other than a head unit. Just replace the amp, speakers, and wire. Dynamat the doors and trunk and such. And you're set. The stock head unit will control everything JUST FINE (provided the right outputs are on it, which I'd gather they are), and you'll have kickass sound coming from the new speakers and amp you've installed.

But to replace the head unit just to get blinky lights... no, thanks I'll pass.

By the way wrong forum :) needs to be moved ! :D

good point good point.. i've been thinking that since im ordering a GS w/o the moonroof.. maybe i can remove the thing ont he room where the sunglasses compartment is and put a LCD screen there or something

hey i wonder if its possible to cut open the part where the Navi would normall go and make a custom box there or something

XM Radio and MP3 Support?
 

Will the stock head unit be XM compatible? I just put in a new head unit in my FD and it's XM compatible. Sure enough a week later I ordered the reciever. Between the head units ability to play back MP3's on CD/RWs and the XM I haven't touched the FM dial in a month. I hope the RX-8's head unit supports thease features. Does anyone know the manufacture of the head unit?

Re: XM Radio and MP3 Support?
 

I would suspect that it would be SIRIUS rather than XM, if it is offered at all. Ford and Mazda full list are investors for SIRIUS. GM and Nissan full list are aligned with XM.

I have toured the studios in DC for XM. A really cool place. 40+ studios in one building from small one person control/edit rooms to a full orchestra sound stage! And the master network control room has a "Captain Kirk" chair for the supervisor.;)

I have XM in my current car and I love it. I never listen to FM anymore... except to listen to Howard in the morning. :)

There are many reasons to get a new head unit, besides the blinky lights. Some have been mentioned in this thread already: XM and MP3. Other reasons include:

CD-Text (when you have as many CDs as I do, it is nearly impossible to remember if that song you want to hear is track 3 or track 4, with CD-Text, you just read the title of the track)

Higher quality RCA outputs. It hasn't been confirmed whether there will even be RCA outs from the stock head unit. If not, you'll be stuck with having to use speaker to line-level converters.

As for a steering wheel controls, you can do what a friend of mine did, he velcroed the remote control to the back of the steering wheel. Fingertip controls.

The head unit should have at least Line-In, as I believe it is the same internals as the Mazda6 stereo. These stereos are a modular design, that will allow you to install either an MP3 player, or a Tape player in them. On the RX-8, it is the Lower half-moon section. I plan on trying to hack into this to get to the Line-In to connect my XM tuner. I am not getting the Nav, and I have the Delphi tuner, so I plan on installing it recessed into the Nav space's cover. This will hide the wires, as the base of the craddle will be inside the Nav space. I think this will end up with a really clean look, and allow me to just press teh Tape/MD button and then turn on the Delphi. I do with they would make an XM module for it, but like was mentioned above, FoMoCo is teamed with Sirius, not XM (YUCK!) hehe...

They say that Sirius is better than XM... But that's just what I think :)

I just really like XM Comedy... I think that station alone is worth the $10/month...

idiocy.....they should both offer the same channels, after all, cable is cable and satelite is satelite, same channels with any cable company, same channels with any uhhhhh satellite co.
________
Ass Tight

Its a lot different concept than Cable TV. A cable TV company is just the transmission medium for someone else's content. Sattelite radio companies (both of them) carry mostly they're own content. The content is what draws people to XM/Sirius. The great variety of music and talk without near the commercials that FM has.

SHOULD offer the same stuff.

I like blinky lights:(

Xm sounds hot only 10 bux a month?

Even better than blinky lights are things like remote (my g/f uses it constantly) and a much more informative LCD for MP3 navigation. Moving through multiple "albums" and tracks would be a nightmare without enough text to show the path to the directory.

Tony

but will it play burned CDs, cuz my stock honda did for about 2 years then right now it takes shxt long time to read the tracks and CD

Dont forget features like lopass and hi pass filters, level adjustments, EQs, DSO, etc....

Theres way more to aftermarket headunits that "flashy lights"