Switching Radios...

You only need the code if you put the old one back... and you can get it from the dealer with the VIN number from your car... They'll do it for free, unless they're a not so good dealer.

Buy the appropriate wiring harness adaptor kit from the stereo shop, and the mounting bezel so it looks nice and clean.

But remember - there really aren't too many radios on the market that will look good in a Volvo (tell me if you find one, I'm looking), all the new headunits seem very flashy and rather ugly... nothing with class, sophistication, and quality all wrapped up into one nice package... Tho Alpine's aren't bad in this repect- at least they glow green and are a good brand... Too bad the buttons are small and its metal finish... I haven't seen a double-DIN radio at a stereo shop yet... Would be nice if there were more around.

Hi, what does Double DIN mean with regards to these radios? Thanks Brad

There is a standard radio size (most aftermarket radios are this size) called "DIN". A double DIN radio would be the same size as 2 DIN radios stacked together. See any of the aftermarket radio manufacturers websites.

Hi, Thanks for the interpretation of Double DIN. Do the letters D, I, and N have any interpretable meaning themselves? Brad

I think it stands for something like Deutsche Industrie Norm as I think it was originally a german spec which has propagated around the industry...

I believe DIN stands for "Deutsches Institut fur Normung" (put an umlaut over that "fur"), which I presume is the German government standards body - the equivalent there of ANSI in the US.

There are lots of DIN standards floating around. Those round plugs and jacks that IBM-compatible computers used to use for keyboard and mouse connectors, before everything went to that USB crap, are one type of DIN connector, for example.

Here's a possibility, and one that I'm considering myself -

Blaupunkt make a single DIN sized, six-disc, in-dash CD changer, which can be controlled from most of their head units. You can stack the two together in a double-DIN aperture...

John

For the ultimate in "class" take a look under Products/Car Audio at the link to the McIntosh web site. They are pricy, but to those that know, there ain't nothing like a McIntosh.

I can't find a dealer around here... Thats the problem, or else i'd have one or at least i'd be saving up some pennies for one.

Apparantly there is limited selection of home audio dealers, and no car audio dealers in all of Canada.

Now that's some slick stuff, it'd look right at home in a Rolls Royce, certainly beats all the stupidly flashy rice rocket stereo crap out there.