P38 head unit thoughts

My 99 P38 pioneer cassette head unit has given up the ghost. The unit came with the car which I purchased about six months ago. Any suggestions on a replacement please - have considered an original alpine unit off a well known auction site - assume it would have been the alpine unit - other forum members might have much better ideas for something more up to date -
but I do not mind going back to an original unit if the sound is half decent.
Would prefer something that does not look too add on and in keeping with the dashboard trim. Thanks

If yours is Alpine i'd go back to original. I think mine sounds very good with the HK set-up.

I was thinking about getting the Alpine as well - is there a way of checking if it should be the Alpine unit - believe 99 was a change over year for P38 head units - thanks

Before you go down the route of buying one from the 'well known auction site', PM me - I've got a spare Alpine head unit that's looking for a good home!

Its worth checking what's been chopped when the Pioneer was fitted. The HK system is low-level out with 5 distributed amplifiers (4 in the doors and one for the sub) and then there are the steering controls, all through a non standard harness. If yours has had the amps bypassed it might have been for a reason and if the speakers were replaced they won't match the HK tuned profile and could sound ****e. One nice thing thing of going back to the original is that you'll get back the steering mounted controls (if fitted) which until recently would have been lost on conversion. One nice thing of just replacing the head unit with a new integrated one is that you get mod cons like bluetooth, DAB etc.

edit. I forgot to mention to check your CD changer in the boot, if its stock or aftermarket and what type of cable connection.

Thanks for the info - no steering wheel controls to worry about - pioneer cd changer in the boot - will have to get some proper extraction keys for the pioneer cassette - have fiddled with pieces of metal with no luck - so proper keys and find out if the wiring has been chopped - hope not ....

Ok p38 pre 1999 have a pink plug on rear of stereo so a carlion unit quite good really and you can send it off to have a aux lead installed Nexia do a very good audio replacement lead to install aftermarket h/u to work hk subs I have the lead its very very good and using a alpine h/u


Ok if range rover is 99 on then its a alpine unit any aftermarket unit will work no wire cutting..... Hope it helps

tridentbus said:

Ok if range rover is 99 on then its a alpine unit any aftermarket unit will work no wire cutting..... Hope it helps

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Are you saying a standard off-the-shelf stereo will work in a 99 onwards P38? Despite the amps scattered all over the car?

Cool! I'm off to Halfords tomorrow then! Bye bye cassette deck - hello bluetooth and DAB!

Have a good read of that page to be sure first, it varies depending on the standard fit one you have.

speedyyellow said:

Have a good read of that page to be sure first, it varies depending on the standard fit one you have.

Click to expand...

Mine's the first one on the list.

DVD with pop out screen
Go on you know you want to!!!

Can you fit a 2 din unit in ?

A standard head unit on the alpine HK set up will NOT work. I speak from experience

I ended up swapping out HU and main speakers, and just running new cable to each door. Great sound, bluetooth etc. but lost the steering wheel controls (which I knew I would and can live with).

There are some after markets harnesses around, a member on year (long time back) created one which left the steering wheel controls working (can't remember who) but don't be surprised if your new HU sounds awful when wired through the HK setup.

Well, a quick visit to Halfords, £129 and 15 minutes poking around with wires in the car park later (I couldn't wait to get home!) - I drove home listening to the music collection on my Samsung S3, I also picked up a call using the car stereo as a handsfree kit. It sounds great, everything is working (apart from the steering wheel controls of course) sub woofer, panning and fading. I bought Halford's own Sonichi DB50X which is a CD, MP3, DAB, USB and Bluetooth player with built in Bluetooth hands-free - cracking value.

gfromleeds said:

DVD with pop out screen
Go on you know you want to!!!

Click to expand...

I just wanted handsfree phone and the ability to play the mp3 collection on my phone.

StuckAgainSteve said:

Well, a quick visit to Halfords, £129 and 15 minutes poking around with wires in the car park later (I couldn't wait to get home!) - I drove home listening to the music collection on my Samsung S3, I also picked up a call using the car stereo as a handsfree kit. It sounds great, everything is working (apart from the steering wheel controls of course) sub woofer, panning and fading. I bought Halford's own Sonichi DB50X which is a CD, MP3, DAB, USB and Bluetooth player with built in Bluetooth hands-free - cracking value.

Click to expand...

Good for you!

Fair play, I stand corrected Good on ya. Mine really wasn't so easy

marcinbrighton said:

Fair play, I stand corrected Good on ya. Mine really wasn't so easy

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Odd - I wonder why? Lucky I didn't see your post before I went coz it would have put me off trying!