Thank you all for your help! I've been reading the latest Crutchfield catalog like it's the Bible, reading and comparing features and specs. Actually, I've experienced reliablity problems with Pioneer in the past, not so much with car audio however, so I don't know that much on how they rate compared to the big guns, like Alpine, Eclipse, Nak, etc... I know Eclipse is probably one of the very best as far as SQ, but their units are a bit pricy, and the lower end models usually skimp on specs for the money at least. I've also heard Clarion units are pretty good on the upper end, but I don't know much about their lower priced models. I do know their specs aren't as good as the Alpine or Pioneer in some areas, but they seem like decent overall receivers for the money. So many choices!!! Every time I compare another brand though, I always end up drawing direct comparisons with the Alpine and they always fall short, so maybe the Alpine is the best for the money, who knows.... I just wish there was a way to demo each unit in the car and see which sounds the best without just ordering blindly, or a lame demo at the local electronics store running on crappy speakers. Well, thanks for your help so far and I'm keeping all the sugestions in mind. I think I tend to over-analyze things a little (hey, I am an analyst by trade!), and I'm a value shopper, so I like the most bang for the buck, thus the reason I make a big deal about any purchase over $100. Heh, along those lines, it's taken me 3 years to pick out a new car, but I can say that after that much research, I'm more knowledgeable than most any dealer on cars I'll probably never own! Such is life....
