Japanese Stereo Supplier

[Paul H]

Does anyone know anything about this company?

http://www.melting-pot.com/

They have some SWEET Japanese car stereos that are far nicer than anything that we can get here in the States.

[Eddie]

The radio tuner won't work,Japan has different radio frequencies than the US. Actually it will work but you'll be very limited with the available stations you can tune into.

[Paul H]

Apparently, double-DIN is a Japanese innovation. It was developed a while back, when electronics were not as small as they are now. It allowed them to make bigger, more powerful stereos than the single-DIN form factor allowed. Electronics have advanced to a point where that is no longer necessary, but most of the Asian vehicles still come with double-DIN mounting points for the stereo.

My wife has a 1995 Camary with a double-DIN. I one had to rent a 1999 Corolla, and that had a double-din. Most of the "rice-burners" used in street racing do as well, from what I've been able to learn.

The wiring harness should be the same. Usually stereos come with a variety of adaptors so that you can connect them to pretty much anything that you want. Some vendors here in the States will even include the exact adaptor for your vehicle if you ask for it. These imported units probably have a plug for the back of the cage that just ends in bare wires that you have to splice and solder.

[keiphers]

Originally Posted by hovisimo

i never knew these products existed. do they wire up the same way? i wonder if the alpine W988J is XM compatible?


alpine double din ^

That's an awesome HU. I'd bet that it could do XM though but I'm not sure...

[Gilley]

I don't think XM is available in Japan, so if it is a Japan only model, then there would be no need for XM compatibility. You could probably get a SkyFi or Roady unit and plug it into the back of the Alpine though.

Regardless, if the frequencies are wrong, then it's no good anyway, unless you don't need the tuner part.

[Agent WD-40]

They have adapters that will allow you to tune into American RF boradcasts. Some of these headunits have a switch that allows you to choose the American band or Japanese bad of radio on it.

There are one or two people over on the 350Z board that have Jananese head units in their American Z's. Go to www.my350z.com and search. You can read their experiences with them.

[Gilley]

I did not know that, Agent.

Maybe we can find an importer for these and do a group buy thing. That would be cool.

[Agent WD-40]

Lifted directly from http://www.melting-pot.com/ home page:

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