Would keep JBL
I have the JBL w/ one CD, like it, and will keep it for these reasons:
1) Steering wheel controls - I will never get another car without them. I love being able to control volume, presets, tracks, etc. without having to reach over, look at the dash, and take my eyes off the road.
2) Great factory stereo for the price. It can keep up with the best of them. If you want to shake the neighborhood, by all means upgrade aftermarket and throw a sub in there. My old 1990 pathfinder had all aftermarket components with a 10" 300W sub. I guess I've gotten older and can appreciate the music without it having to bother the car next to me.
3) I'm planning on installing a Phatbox, and the steering wheel controls will still be able to control it. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's an mp3 changer.
www.phatnoise.com
4) For the cost, not a bad option.
To get good sound, you do need to tweak it. I have the bass and +4, mid at 0, and highs at -2. Fade to rear at -3. This balances out the sound, which at default settings comes mainly from the center with too much treble.
At these settings I find I have a good soundstage up front with a good amount of bass. Beastie Boys and NIN both shake the interior well, while DMB or John Lee Hooker sound clear and balanced.
Finally, I'm not going to try to say it beats an aftermarket setup, because it doesn't. But for a factory stereo I am satisfied.
If in doubt, go to your dealer and play around with it for a while.
john dode
