Aiwa CDC-X504MP Car CD / MP3 Player

I've been looking to upgrade my car stereo to one that can play CD's, but I also wanted one that is MP3 capable for those long road trips. Many that I've seen with those features were a little too expensive for me. Then, this one came up for $120 on sale at Best Buy, and I thought I'd have to get it. The first thing I noticed after installation was the crisp sound compared to the stock radio that was in my truck. CD's sounded just as great if not better. However, I thought some of the controls were a little quirky. For instance, I was wondering where the "on" knob was. The unit only has an "off" button, but no "on" as far as I could tell. Come to find out, you need to push the "source" button to turn it on. Strange, but I guess that's how it is for modern radios today. Also, finding and getting through some of the menus for things like the EQ settings, volume leveling, etc. was a little perplexing at first. Had to consult the manual a more few times to figure things out, but now that I'm used the the controls, it doesn't seem as bad. By the way, the manual could include more detailed information about the functions and features. Speaking of the EQ, there are several presets for what you might be listening to like rock, pop, or jazz music. I've been able to tweek a custom setting to find a happy medium. The "h-bass" is basically a loudness button and enhances the low end. It helps give my stock speakers the umph they need. The amount of h-bass output is affected by your setting for the low end of the EQ. Also, you can have a different EQ choice for your FM and AM bands. The display is a bright, electric blue. This is especially noticeable at night. On the first night I drove with the new stereo, the intensity was just too much. I found the dimmer control, but to my surprise, it only reduced the intensity of the LCD screen, not the rest of the illuminated parts. For instance, the blue ring around the volume knob remained the same. I think it's still too bright and should be able to be dimmed as well. The rest of the illuminated parts, like the buttons, are so small that the intensity does not matter. In all, I'm happy with the stereo because it fits what I was looking for at a very good price.