What head unit?
Discussion
Ok so I know zero about this area... I'm getting my old Nissan Pulsar Gti-R on the road again, and its time to rip out the old japanese head unit with band expander in it and stick in something modern.
My only particular criteria are that I need bluetooth, and streaming from iphone. I'm vaguely toying with DAB, but everyone says the reception on the window aerials is terrible, so I'm not too sure.
I spoke to one company and they recommended the Kenwood BT73 DAB. They recommended Kenwood as being easier to use?
http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/car/rec/dab/K...
But they want £125 to install it. So I'd be in for about £285
I can't particularly tell the difference, but the lower model is the BT 39 DAB
http://www.halfords.com/technology/car-audio/dab-c...
which halfords do, and are much cheaper to install. I think I'd be in for about £150-£170
Firstly, is it particularly worth the difference, secondly is there anything else thats worth a look at. since being told that I wouldn't be able to control my cd changer in the boot with anything, I'm totally open to suggestions. This car is hardly used (undriven in 7 years to give some idea!) so no point going crazy!
My only particular criteria are that I need bluetooth, and streaming from iphone. I'm vaguely toying with DAB, but everyone says the reception on the window aerials is terrible, so I'm not too sure.
I spoke to one company and they recommended the Kenwood BT73 DAB. They recommended Kenwood as being easier to use?
http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/car/rec/dab/K...
But they want £125 to install it. So I'd be in for about £285
I can't particularly tell the difference, but the lower model is the BT 39 DAB
http://www.halfords.com/technology/car-audio/dab-c...
which halfords do, and are much cheaper to install. I think I'd be in for about £150-£170
Firstly, is it particularly worth the difference, secondly is there anything else thats worth a look at. since being told that I wouldn't be able to control my cd changer in the boot with anything, I'm totally open to suggestions. This car is hardly used (undriven in 7 years to give some idea!) so no point going crazy!
defblade said:
I've got the Kenwood BT73.
The only (and I'm a fussy bugger) gripe I have about it is that it has to re-read the USB source each time you change back to it - my previous HU would just read it once on start-up, then remember until you switched off again.
CD changer totally negated by rear USB - just run the cable to the glove box, mine's got a 64Gb flash drive attached with well over 4000 tracks on it!
A very MAJOR advantage of this HU is that the volume control doesn't allow you to turn the power up into clipping. Clipping the signal is what really kills speakers. Also, if you do expand your desires/system a little, you can turn the internal amp off completely to give the cleanest pre-amp output (again, no clipping).
I did run it for a few weeks using the internal amp until I had time to fit my externals; it was pretty impressive for a HU; if I didn't know just how good an amped fronts + sub set up sounds, I'd have been quite happy with it.
BTW, man up, fit it yourself! Chances are you'll need little more than a wiring adaptor to connect the HU loom to the car's loom (normally only issue is which power is ignition switched and which is permanent live; the HU loom has plugs on those 2 wires to make it easy to swap them over) and an aerial plug converter. You''ll need to take off or loosen the a-pillar trim as well (if it's got any?), otherwise it's 90% poking wires around behind the dash to get the DAB aerial and the microphone installed.
Hmmm, I was getting swayed by other units, but you seem to like it.The only (and I'm a fussy bugger) gripe I have about it is that it has to re-read the USB source each time you change back to it - my previous HU would just read it once on start-up, then remember until you switched off again.
CD changer totally negated by rear USB - just run the cable to the glove box, mine's got a 64Gb flash drive attached with well over 4000 tracks on it!
A very MAJOR advantage of this HU is that the volume control doesn't allow you to turn the power up into clipping. Clipping the signal is what really kills speakers. Also, if you do expand your desires/system a little, you can turn the internal amp off completely to give the cleanest pre-amp output (again, no clipping).
I did run it for a few weeks using the internal amp until I had time to fit my externals; it was pretty impressive for a HU; if I didn't know just how good an amped fronts + sub set up sounds, I'd have been quite happy with it.
BTW, man up, fit it yourself! Chances are you'll need little more than a wiring adaptor to connect the HU loom to the car's loom (normally only issue is which power is ignition switched and which is permanent live; the HU loom has plugs on those 2 wires to make it easy to swap them over) and an aerial plug converter. You''ll need to take off or loosen the a-pillar trim as well (if it's got any?), otherwise it's 90% poking wires around behind the dash to get the DAB aerial and the microphone installed.
There is no way on gods earth I will be attempting to fit anything, I can follow flat pack dining table instructions and end up with firewood.
How is stuff on the flash drive presented? Do you put tracks into folders? or just dump them all in and search? How long does it take to re-read the USB source?
very very handy thanks! you're way way more technical then me on this, so think I'll just get the thing and be done with it!
Edit: Interestingly just spoke to halfords, their system shows it as discontinued, but they're still willing to fit it for £30. Strangely they don't know what has replaced it!
Edit: Interestingly just spoke to halfords, their system shows it as discontinued, but they're still willing to fit it for £30. Strangely they don't know what has replaced it!
Edited by HotJambalaya on Saturday 13th February 16:49
NiceCupOfTea said:
My knowledge might be a bit out of date but I would go for Alpine - my last 2 Alpine units with USB and bluetooth have been great, but the Kenwood I bought, whilst being technically very good and a good sound is stupidly all menu based so you have to spend all your time faffing looking at the screen. The Alpines were a very simple pushbutton affair. Also had problems with the menus on the Kenwood.
Biggest annoyance with all of them was a limit on the number of files on the USB stick making it impossible to have all my music on them. The only thing I have found that will read a big USB stick with lots of files is a Parrot handsfree (which has its own issues)...
I'm hoping things have moved on in the last 3 or 4 years!
Interesting, I was told by one audio company that the kenwood was specifically easier to use!Biggest annoyance with all of them was a limit on the number of files on the USB stick making it impossible to have all my music on them. The only thing I have found that will read a big USB stick with lots of files is a Parrot handsfree (which has its own issues)...
I'm hoping things have moved on in the last 3 or 4 years!
Messaged kenwood, and asked if this model was discontinued, they said no, I replied asking when their new model was out and they said in a couple of months, so I think I'll wait...
C70R said:
Honestly, the Alpine unit will be equally as good, if not better. At this end of the market, you won't really see a huge amount of difference...
Yeah, I'm honestly not that fussed what I get as long as the music streams, theres a usb, and the bluetooth works ok. The other main thing is straight ease of use.Gassing Station | In-Car Electronics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff