A few of you have asked me to put together a matrix containing what I consider to be the top 5 high-end aftermarket head units.
In no specific order or level of importance, the criteria I've used to determine these models is below. All criteria will be ranked on a scale of 1-5. Higher numbers are better...
1. Aesthetics - while beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this criteria is based solely on my opinion of how pleasing the unit is to the eye as well as how well the unit fits into the Element decor.
2. Features - outside the most basic features such as bass, treble, fading, volume, presets, etc. this criteria describes how feature rich in general the unit is as compared with others in it's class.
3. Integration - all units in this comparison will be able to integrate completely into the Element stock audio system. This number will reflect ease of integration.
4. Price - higher numbers indicate a lower than average price. Lower numbers indicate a higher than average price.
5. Scaleability - this rating relates to how much future system expansion such as outboard amps, components, etc., the model will support.
6. Security - this criteria rates the security features of the unit.
7. Sound Quality - this crieria relates to how flat and uncolored the unit sound response is according to my ears. This is not scientific, it is simply based on my own experience.
8. Usability - this criteria indicates the intuitiveness and/or ease of use of the controls, features and functions of the unit.
The 5 units will be ranked according to these criteria and the scores added up at the end. The winners will be ranked in order from highest to lowest rank.
The results are in! See the post below...
In no specific order or level of importance, the criteria I've used to determine these models is below. All criteria will be ranked on a scale of 1-5. Higher numbers are better...
1. Aesthetics - while beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this criteria is based solely on my opinion of how pleasing the unit is to the eye as well as how well the unit fits into the Element decor.
2. Features - outside the most basic features such as bass, treble, fading, volume, presets, etc. this criteria describes how feature rich in general the unit is as compared with others in it's class.
3. Integration - all units in this comparison will be able to integrate completely into the Element stock audio system. This number will reflect ease of integration.
4. Price - higher numbers indicate a lower than average price. Lower numbers indicate a higher than average price.
5. Scaleability - this rating relates to how much future system expansion such as outboard amps, components, etc., the model will support.
6. Security - this criteria rates the security features of the unit.
7. Sound Quality - this crieria relates to how flat and uncolored the unit sound response is according to my ears. This is not scientific, it is simply based on my own experience.
8. Usability - this criteria indicates the intuitiveness and/or ease of use of the controls, features and functions of the unit.
The 5 units will be ranked according to these criteria and the scores added up at the end. The winners will be ranked in order from highest to lowest rank.
The results are in! See the post below...
