Best Buy radio malibu 2002 installations

Economical simple and flexible, January 9, 2010

Simple little device that is very flexible. The radio reception AM and FM is good both in the city and on the highway. Music from the SD card is the easiest way to use the “mech less” device. Be aware that the unit is limited to 16gb, not a real limitation with the SD card but I have an older generation ipod that is 20gb and it will not play through the USB port. However, I can use the auxiliary port with the ipod just fine. The built-in amplifier is not terribly powerful but does put out some good sound in my 1988 VW Vanagon which has a big interior space. I need to turn up the volume control almost all the way if I want it to play loudly. But there are jacks on the unit to connect an external amplifier. Hey, what can you expect for $40. All in all, I am quite satisfied and think that you get a lot of basic features for a cheap price. We shall see how it’s long term durability is in a few years but I assume since it’s all electronic (hence the term mech less)that there’s not much that can go wrong from a wear standpoint. I would highly recommend this unit as a strong value and candidate to replace/upgrade any stock unit in your car.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comment (1)

Full of suprises!, June 22, 2010

Dual XR4110 Mechless Digital Media Receiver

Wasn’t sure what to expect after reading the variety of impressions in previous reviews, but figured it was worth $40 to take a chance.

PROS:

- Better than expected AM/FM tuner with 18 FM and 12 AM presets. Range is better than the premium stereo in our Chrysler Town & County. No memory loss with this unit.

- All 3 digital inputs worked on first attempt and volume level was even with the radio tuner. That’s good as there is no way to adjust it.

- I input internet radio from my Moto Droid thru the Aux input. It works great! If you are a Pandora user this is the way to go!

- Sound is decent. If you need booming bass, you already have an external amp and sub, right? Hook it up!

- My car has a separate clock, so I don’t miss that.

CONS:

- My only real complaint is that the display doesn’t dim with the lights. Anybody got a left-over scrap of light grey window tint?

I’m a retired USN ET & CATV Engineer who started as a teenage hillbilly car stereo installer. A good 8-track in those days put out a whopping 14 watts!

My experience tells me that even a simple unit like this can sound fantastic with good speakers. Maybe replacing old, worn-out speakers with quality new ones of the proper wattage would satisfy those who aren’t impressed with the sound.

If you’re an audiofile who lives in the vehicle, what are you looking at something like this for anyway?

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (4)

Memory loss, January 15, 2010

This is the second xr4110 I have tried (after awaiting a three week return/delivery). The unit sometimes loses the memory during starting of the vehicle. I have read this is a problem for this unit and wish someone had warned me. It is obviously something Dual wants to sweep under the rug, because they do not act suprised when you call with this complaint. They just say to return it, no questions about wiring or anything.

It is a cheap unit, so I guess you get what you pay for.:(

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

>Report abuse
| Permalink

 Comments (14)