Audio Systems: car radio not working, car stereo store, honda dealership

Question
I have a 2003 Honda Accord and the radio stopped working 8/10/06. The unit comes on but no sound from the speakers, I tried playing the CD but still no sound. The radio displays the station and volume increase but still no sound. I heard some static and hissing but that went away when I turned the volume up.  

Answer
This could be from any number of failures in the car, but most likely either control of the VCA chip that increases gain in the amp or the amp itself has gone on the blink.

If you are feeling handy, you can try a hard power-cycle:
Slide the unit out of the dash and disconnect the power cable, wait a minute, and reconnect it. Power it up and see if this solved the problem.

If not, I'd recommend getting a new head-unit.  You might be able to find a local car-stereo store that has a "$150" deal for a new CD-player/radio installed.  I would wager that would be as much as the Honda dealership would charge to "repair" it, and you'll likely end up with something a little higher in quality.

If you have the extended warranty still in effect, it may also be worth a shot to check with the dealership to see if they'll replace the unit for free.  I'd be pretty peeved if any equipment of mine broke down after just three years of use.

I wish you the best of luck, sorry about the radio!