sleek, simple, affordable.
The unit had very clear soundstage and a very able bass. Nothing got in the way of just listening to the music, i.e. no extra annoying do-dads that sometimes just get in the way (non-technical description).
Has a very powerful on-board amplifier
The BEST radio tuner.

cd-loading device very fragile (cheap)
There is no anti-skip provision, if put anywhere near vibration it skips, and skips, and skips.

I would definately recommend this player for those looking for an untouched sound stage with crisp highs and tight lows. I would recommend it in a normal installation, i.e. a flat mounting angle, and in a car or truck with minimum virbration (smooth ride).
I personally had a lot of trouble with the skipping and the cd-loading device on the unit. I must admit that this unit has the strongest radio receiver I've seen, very impressive.

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None

Sonic performance above reproach. No wimpy 1-bit DACs need apply. Bigger than norm controls, real level knob. Looks great in amber.

No sub level out (BIG IRK). Suceptability to damaging CDs during load/unloads. Power/source switch placement. Cheezy faceplate case (don't leave out in the sun if you expect it to close properly again). Had to go to a 2nd unit to make things right.

Chose this on the basis of Nak's reputation (and all of their home and past car gear that I've been through). Bought retail ($450) from an authorized Nak dealer. Won't do THAT again; way too arrogant ("Where's the Modena you're planning on putting this in?"). The replacement second unit has been rock solid; all you had to do was breathe to get the first unit to skip. Aesthetics is typical Nakamichi understated elegance; flash is for the kiddies. However, would still have preferred a matte finish over the shiny plastic (my quirk).

My first aftermarket head unit purchase in 15 years; previous one was a Nak TD-700 (now THAT was a player!). Lived w/ factory "hi-fi" (Bose-massaged stuff, Monsoons, etc.) for the past eight. Sorry I waited so long before coming back into the market.

It's not perfect, but even at it's retail list price it's a bargain for the performance level you get, though I just bought another one (new, fully boxed) for my wife's car on eBay for significantly less than list. Funny, the seller was a local guy who happened to have bought the unit from the SAME Nak dealer I bought mine from. Guess he just couldn't put up w/ the snooty treatment either, and just gave it up. His loss.

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Dunno, it's been a long time since I went aftermarket w/ a head unit.

The sound quality is amazingly clean. The two RCA inputs are very useful for upgrades as well as the 3 RCA preouts (4v). Heck... this deck puts out the best cd playbacks I've ever heard in a car.

Although this doesn't bother me, it could be a neg to other people... It's not the fanciest deck around for the money you pay. It looks like my girlfriends RAV4 stock cd deck... I'm more concerned about sq.

I paid $300 US on eBay for this deck... it normally retails for a bit over $600 canadian so it was a good deal for me. I have it hooked up to my stock speakers in my 99 Civic 4dr and I have never heard my stock speakers sound this good (replaced with planet audio speakers now). I'm using the sub preout into two Rockford 100a2 amps and into two 10" McIntosh subs. The bass is clean coming out of subs and are much better than when I used it with my kenwood deck. The overall listening experience is almost shocking... an audiophile myself, I doubted this could ever be duplicated in a car but now I know I'm very wrong. Granted this is not like a $1000+ home audio system in a car but I have never hear anything sound better. I recommend the CD45z to anyone who is in search for ultimate sq!

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Kenwood KDC-8009: This deck had bad FM reception and it skipped on me a few times... the DAC isn't the greatest and imaging doesn't compare.
Alpine tape deck: It was old and really can't compare.
Other decks my friends have... sony's, JVC's and pioneer's: They're nice but the quality of cd playback lacks the transparent imaging the CD45z has.

Great sound quality, clean design and display, ease of use, rotary volume control.

None that I've found.

$320. This unit has all the features anyone would want. No useless garbage like swimming dolphins. This head unit is all about performance and simplicity. The display is simple and easy to view, the buttons are well laid out and simple to distinguish, and the lighting is pleasant. In addition, Nakamichi is one of the few manufacturers to include CD and Aux inputs, 3 sets of RCA outs, bass, mid, and treble control. And the best part is that Nakamichi is one of the few manufactuers to offer an in-dash changer to go with their first rate head units, which sealed the deal for me! The only other manufacturer with a nice head unit AND an in-dash changer was Eclipse, and the price was much higher. So far I'd highly recommend this equipment.

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Alpine, Eclipse, Sony. Too early to tell, but I'd say it's atleast the equal or better than Eclipse, somewhat better than Alpine, and way better than Sony.

Very clean sound, well lit at night, easy to use. Does not wash out in sunlight, and the analog volume nob is splendid.

Lack of subwoofer control. That and the inability to play damaged or cheap CD-Rs are the ONLY 2 weaknesses. Otherwise it is A+ quality throughout.

I paid 330 with shipping for it, which I consider a really good buy. For 200 more dollars you could buy the Pioneer 9200r or the Clarion 9575z, which are both quality HUs, but they wouldn't even come close to matching the pure sound quality provided by the Nak's 20 bit d/a converter. In my mind this is the best head unit deal out there... simply because Nakamichi decided to focus on quality instead of looks (unlike Pioneers for instance). The radio was also a pleasant surprise after reading people badmouth it... it gets better reception than both of my other head units.

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Superb Sound quality, incredible resolution, excellent ergonomics, aux in
and remote. Fits in well in a German car interior !

None if your aim is sound quality

Best $350 ever spent !

The sound from this head unit is incredible for the money. The detail and resolution are mind blowing. I also own a TD-1200 analogue deck - the sq is very close. The CD45z is great if you love music and approaches the quality of my home set up costing much more. If the purpose of car audio is music, not lights, then this is one to go for. Superb remote control does every thing you need. When I first got this, I was awake until 2am rediscovering music. Can't imagine what the CD-700 is like ?

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Better than any Sony, Alpine or Kenwood I have used/heard.

What should be used in Quality Installs/vehicles, its ease of use, and 20-bit D/A converter with 8X oversampling digital filter are exceptional

None

I recently had this unit, the 45z installed in my 1998 Corvette at Freeman's car Stereo in Charlotte. I was an advocate of Alpine products, which are solid in sound quality, but were too flashy for my corvette. I decided on the Nakamichi because it looked factory and didn't mess the ergnomics of the corvette. I have had experiences with Nakamichi home audio and know that they have a solid reputation there. So, why not in the car? i accompanied this unit with the Rockford Fosgate 600a4 and Alpine and JL speakers. The sum of these parts in my corvette create a warm and enjoyable sound. The Nakamichi is a serious receiver for those who are searching for one.

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Previous stereos evolved around Alpine head units

SQ. This deck is one of the best decks I have ever used.

None. Well maybe to plain looking for most people.

Only paid $300 for it and it is worth EVERY penny. Most of the fancy decks lack sq. This deck may not be Fancy looking but it sure is great for sq.

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Simple display, ease of use, sound quality, sound quality, sound quality, high power, amber display, remote, etc.

Umm...hang on a minute...I might have to get back to you on that one.

I was very taken with a Nakamichi tape head unit and system a few years ago that was installed in the Importer's Citroen. The imaging and sound quality was head and shoulders above anything else at the time.
I purchased the CD-45z cd player for NZ$999 (circa US$500) which is the full retail price (the tight dealer wouldn't give any discount at all, the brand is hard to get here and I wanted it enough that I didn't complain too much).

The improvements over the Clarion (which was surprisingly good) are better imaging, ie. more solid and higher up in the windscreen, more power which seems to give better dynamics and more volume with a much cleaner and detailed sound.

I also like the simple facia which makes it much easier to use ( I don't know how people can navigate their facias on some of the Other Major Brands and still stay on the road) and the amber/orange display which is a nice change from the usual green.
I also have more ability to add power amps because of the multiple outputs of which the Clarion had none of.

I have used a Sony CDX3100 in a Mazda 323 sedan which gave good results. I now drive a 1994 Subaru Legacy wagon which offers much better acoustics than the Mazda so a fair comparison is not really possible.
I am using the factory Clarion splits and no power amp at the moment but I am looking at Boston or Dynaudio 2 way spks with an Infinity 10" tube subby and a high quality 4ch power amp for the future.

So, I'm very pleased so far and would definitely recommend this unit to someone who was after an improvement in sound quality over alot of units out there.

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Clarion dbl DIN factory which was very good, Sony cdx3100 that I had in my Mazda which was also very good

ergonomics, sound quality, price

No sub adjustment.

I paid 300$ for this from soundhabit.com and this unit blows away other's in any price range. There isn't a real lot of tweaking you can do or whistles and bells but this HU does all the important stuff well and I love it. I love the look too which is one of the few that look good in the Porsche 993.

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