Car Stereos: head unit and amp set up, rca output, channel amp

Question
i am putting a new stereo system in my car. I am putting in a sub on an amp and 2 from speaker and 2 rear speakers sharing a 4 channel amp. i am not sure what kind of head unit i need to get satisfactory quality. Am i right in thinking that i need a head unit with a front RCA preamp output, a rear RCA preamp output, and a preamp sub output? will the head unit at this site work?  http://www.wegotbetterdeals.com/panasonic-cqc7105u-cd-receiver-with-mp3wmaaac-pl...

Answer
Hi Andrew,

For a system like you're planning, a head unit with front, rear and sub pre-outs isn't strictly necessary, but it's certainly recommended.

If you had a head unit with only front and rear outputs, you could still connect the sub amp; either by using a splitter on the rear RCA output, or by using the RCA output jacks on the 4-channel amp (if it has them).  However, using a head unit like you're describing will give you independent control over the front and rear fade control and the subwoofer's volume. Again, not strictly necessary, but nice to have.

If you're happy with the other features of the Panasonic deck in your link, then it should work very well for your system.  It is equipped with the front, rear and sub pre-out set you're looking for.

Hope this helps!

Brian