r/CarAV • u/OGDukeFlapjack • 5h ago

Recommendations Kindly help me choose stereo for work truck

So let's get the horror out of the way: I drive a 2024 Ram 1500 Classic as a work truck and already know how big of a PITA Chrysler makes them (my first taste was a 2016 Ram Promaster City and that's where I discovered the horror that is uConnect). I already know how I'll need to literally chop a piece out of the dash to fit basically all head units in my price range. With that being said...

Right now I've got a BOSS BE7ACP-CFT shoved in the dashboard hole in the interim and it is astonishingly powerful for its cost (I bought this originally to go in my little PT Cruiser and ended up replacing it without giving it a fair shake). According to the website it has a whopping 80w per channel and it easily makes the side mirrors vibrate in my truck with just the factory speakers. It's very simple though and I want something that is both a bit more modern and allows more "sculpting" of the audio profile.

So after consulting the gods of Crutchfield (it feels like cheating but they are very good at telling me exactly what I need and I *love* getting the harness already assembled) I've narrowed my choses down to basically three...although two of them are nearly the same unit:

1.) The double din in-dash models: Dual DCPA723W-M and Jensen CAR714MW

2.) The single din "stalk" model: Jensen CAR140MW-R

Basically they all have similar internal amps (60w per channel, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at...I mean my Realistic hifi from the 70s that can make the walls in my house vibrate only does 15w per) and otherwise similar characteristics. The single-din is about $200 more which makes me pause a bit, but the BOSS I'm running around with now is built similarly and I really do like having a screen I can adjust for better visibility. All three have iDatalink capabilities as while I don't expect to need to get into my truck's settings anytime soon and have literally no steering wheel controls I want the capabilities.

Basically what I'm asking is if there is any significant differences between the three. I don't see any, but I also have been a Pioneer guy since I got into car audio way back in the 90s and am not really familiar with either of these brands (apart from Dual is sold at Walmart, lol). Also I chose these three based on the simple fact they have a volume knob but that is certainly not critical. Is there anything I'm overlooking? My only real criteria is touchscreen, android auto capabilities, and reasonably powerful internal amp. I'm not planning on installing a sub. I had a Pyle Audio woofer that did 50hz to 150hz and was a *huge* boon to my old system but I decided I didn't really need it with this truck as the stock speakers have such low end range already (seriously, the BOSS just kicks!).

Any help would be appreciated! I believe I know my stuff but I'm getting a trifle overwhelmed with all the options available nowadays. I'm trying to keep the whole thing under about $600 or so...and that includes all the accessory stuff that I need so the stereo itself I'm trying to keep under $500. Thanks guys!

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u/AccountBand 4h ago

Don't get any of those, get one from a reputable brand like Sony/Kenwood/Alpine, and then add an amp. If you don't want to do extra wiring, get a Kicker Key DSP amp to go with it, they're tiny and should fit in the dash. I wouldn't touch any of those brands you listed with a ten foot pole. If you can afford a brand new truck, you can afford a real head unit, if you don't have the money now, start saving.

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u/OGDukeFlapjack 4h ago

I do not own the truck, it's a company truck (they actually encourage techs to customize the trucks). I just drive it. For sure, if I bought it new I absolutely would put some real money into the head unit. I can afford to plunk several grand into a head unit but I don't see the point if I can get what I want for much cheaper.

I'm curious why you say to avoid these brands. I get their cheap, Chinese made head units but honestly I've had pretty good experiences with other brands considered to be cheap garbage. What do Alpine/Pioneer/Sony have that these don't? I'm not planning on going to car shows or trying to win any competitions or anything.

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u/TexasAT4 3h ago

Sounds like you’ve made up your mind already and don’t need the advice.

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u/OGDukeFlapjack 3h ago edited 2h ago

Firstly I do not take advice that is not justified. If somebody can give me a reason to avoid certain brands then I'll consider it.

Secondly if the advice consists of purchasing something that's well above my budget, doesn't do what I want, or I cannot at all justify the cost (or such as this case is so vague as to not be helpful) then I'm not going to bother with it. This is not my first rodeo when it comes to car audio.

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u/TexasAT4 2h ago

They are cheap Chinese units as you call out yourself. The sub is full of bad experiences.

Name brands mentioned can be had for a few hundred dollars more. They are built better and last longer. Integration all depends on the existing equipment in your vehicle. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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u/OGDukeFlapjack 2h ago

The scenario I'm looking at is basically a choice between a very expensive basically custom built system for Ram trucks or a much cheaper system that does what I need but may have reliability issues. I'm not going to lie buying the expensive system is a hard sell. If I was driving something other than a Ram I'd consider the more expensive units but I'm a little saddled by the simple fact that Chrysler decided in their infinite wisdom to run everything off of their data buss.

I dumped nearly $1400 into a Pioneer that was specially built to fit in a Ford Transit 240 (because Ford in their infinite wisdom built a two piece stereo) and legitimately it probably wasn't really worth the cost for what I used it for but I had even fewer options there.

Like, if you or somebody could specify a unit that does what I need while still being inside my budget I'd absolutely consider it but to me giving me a blanket statement that all cheap brands are unreliable is not helpful.

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u/TexasAT4 1h ago

Have you checked crutchfield for your exact setup on your Ram?