show me your double din touch screen head unit radio upgrade (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

2fpower

SILVER Star
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Threads
455
Messages
12,404
Location
lenexa, ks
Did a bunch of searches and found very little out there for what folks are installing in their rigs.

I like the Ipad Mini, but looking for what radio's I can install and have back up camera, Bluetooth, phone, etc on.



Thanks,
 
I installed a pioneer nex 4000 last year. Dvd, xm ready, removable/adjustable angle screen , back up cam and best of all Apple car play ready. The CarPlay has been great for music selection and making calls. It uses Apple maps and has been reliable.
image.jpg
 
I put in a kenwood DDX470 about a year and a half ago. No complaints here. I have a USB/AUX cord extension, front camera, reverse camera, and microphone all hooked up to it.

I was even able to set the colors on it really close to the dim yellow/green of the dash lights.
image.jpg


image.jpg


image.jpg
 
I went on the cheap and got the JVC KW-V20BT. Has bluetooth, reverse camera input (had to buy the camera separate but only paid $18 for the camera), usb input from the rear, phone, change the colors, etc, etc. The only complaint I have is the screen doesn't tilt so in full sunlight I can't see the screen from the driver's seat. Not a huge deal. I think I got the HU and camera for under $250.......get what you pay for. But with a Pioneer amp under the driver's seat and bazooka powered tube in the cargo area it rocks the inside of the LX. ;)

 
I put in a kenwood DDX470 about a year and a half ago. No complaints here. I have a USB/AUX cord extension, front camera, reverse camera, and microphone all hooked up to it.

I was even able to set the colors on it really close to the dim yellow/green of the dash lights. ]

How do you flip between cameras? Did you have to buy additional items to get the cameras to work? Do you have to buy the Kenwood brand camera kits?
 
I just went to Crutchfield and compared 5 different kenwood HU, and found very little difference between them. What should I be looking for?

For navigation, I would prefer to use the Iphone vs. some Garmin service that I have to subscribe to get updates. Does that limit me to using the Pioneer units?
 
My 770 does not have ability for a front camera if that's your bag... Some will give you the ability to hook your Iphone / pad via thunderbolt connector to an adapter to watch movies.

Honestly, I called Crutchfield and they spent 30 minutes on the phone with me helping me decide. I spent a bit more vs Amazon, but in the end it was worth it... See below -

I installed my HU about 60 days prior top my inaugural Colorado Adventure that I had been planning for a year.. Well 15 days before I left the HU crapped out. Called Crutchfield and they state the HU has to go back to Kenwood for warranty... Yep - that would leave me on a week long road trip without my HU.. Explained my situation to a nice gal in customer service and she OK'd a brand new HU sent direct to me which arrived next day air.. No cost...

Hope this helps... Let the nice people at Crutchfield give you good advice between models.

J
 
Just comes down to what you like. I almost went with a pioneer, but it didn't have a physical volume knob. I enjoy having a physical knob to control the volume than having to figure out where the volume spots are on a touch screen and fight them while driving.

I don't remember exact specs on mine, but I think more expensive models just had navigation features built in and maybe better displays. I have no real complaints with mine and without running an amp it really made my speakers sound a lot better than the old head unit.

The only thing about the DDX470 is that they stopped updating it for new iPhone versions so you have to change a setting for the lightning cable, and streaming navigation from some Garmin app on the iPhone to the head unit does not work.
 
I'll get pictures up a little later today, but I have the Pioneer Nex 6000, and it really is a wonderful unit. I have had no problems with it. It has Apple Carplay, and I know their new unit the Nex 6100 has Android Auto. It has input for two different camera sources, but I only have the backup camera installed. It also has an auxiliary output on the back as well as 2 USB outputs. I ran one right under the gear shift to come out to next to the E-Brake, and the other to the glove box. The unit pretty much does anything you want, and the maps are some of the best I've used in a car. It supports Bluetooth music streaming in case you don't want to plug in your phone. It also has an hdmi port, but I think that it is for the android auto/ video output for iphone, so you can just mirror your iphone screen instead of just using carplay. Not sure about that one. Also, as @SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr mentioned, it doesn't have a physical volume knob, which bugged me at first, but I got used to it, and I don't really care anymore. Lastly, the most important thing... The Pioneer units are the easiest to bypass, so it doesn't bug you while the car is in drive. Your passenger can input stuff into the nav without it making you stop to input stuff.
 
I just went to Crutchfield and compared 5 different kenwood HU, and found very little difference between them. What should I be looking for?

For navigation, I would prefer to use the Iphone vs. some Garmin service that I have to subscribe to get updates. Does that limit me to using the Pioneer units?
I have a Kenwwod DNX890HD in my F250 with Garmin Navi. Cool unit but mine as well as lots of others have problem with the maps. It will give a memory error. So, no Navi for the past year. Make sure you get a version that doesn have this problem.
 
Those that have the 2din unit installed, is it hard to read the screen? The unit is in a fairly awkward location to begin with?
 
Those that have the 2din unit installed, is it hard to read the screen? The unit is in a fairly awkward location to begin with?

Its not hard to read the screen at all. But depending on the software/skin the icons can be too small or there could be just way too much going on and it not be conducive to standard driving operation. Not having tactile feedback has proven to be sucky for me which is why I totally agree with the volume knob statement. The physical buttons I do have are pointless because there is no physical demarcation which means I can't just use touch/feel to make sure I press the correct button.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom