New (secondhand) car - fitting it out.

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Lizard1977

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#196017 16-May-2016 10:07

I'm looking at a new (secondhand) car and the current headunit will need to be replaced, as it offers none of the functionality that I'm looking for. It's a double-din slot.

I listen to very little radio and almost no CDs, so the main functions I want are bluetooth and iPod/iPhone integration. In my current car, I have one of the first Alpine units that had iPod integration, and have a 3rd gen iPod (B&W display) connected via a 30-pin firewire-based connector to the rear of the headunit. It's been great, and basically lives on shuffle. I probably won't be able to continue using this iPod with a new headunit, but would like to be able to either plug in an iPhone for music playback, or connect via bluetooth for the same effect.

I've been considering Carplay (as we are an iPhone-centric household), but I'm still not really sure what benefits Carplay might bring. It looks like it's still a bit glitchy and limited, but I'm wondering if that's going to improve with software updates.

Another function I want to explore is a reversing camera, but it's not a deal breaker.

So my questions are:

1. What headunits would you recommend that offer Bluetooth and/or iPhone connection, and possibly a reversing camera?

2. Would you recommend Carplay, and if so what headunit would you recommend with this feature (and with Bluetooth/reversing camera)?

I'm in Palmerston North, so I'm also looking for a reputable supplier/installer in Palmy.

trig42

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#1553452 16-May-2016 10:18

Pioneer FH-X775BT if you want just a plain headunit. I put one in SWMBOs car about 6 months ago and it is great. Does everything you need except Reversing Camera.

Pioneer also have the AVH285BT: http://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/online-store/products/Pioneer-Touch-Screen-Smartphone-DVD-Player-with-Bluetooth-AVH285BT.aspx?pid=405468#Recommendations

Looks like it does reversing camera input too.

sonyxperiageek

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#1553527 16-May-2016 12:37

For $700 why not get the Parrot ASTEROID Tablet instead? It's basically an Android unit but customised especially to use as a car head unit. It's got a wireless touchpad remote for the steering wheel as well as iPod/iPhone connectors too.

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dickytim

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#1553532 16-May-2016 12:47

I use the Alpine ILX-007E Carplay unit, it has steering wheel interface, reverse camera option, hands-free but NO BLUETOOTH.

The only functions on CarPlay that mean anything is the integration with Siri and Apple maps, if you use Pandora or Apple Music that may be something for you but not for me. I was hoping some more apps would become useful on CarPlay like ECU monitoring but Apple is not really allowing the interface for a lot of the companied that do these apps.

What I use HEAPS is voice to text, search when driving and "hey siri"

It really comes down to if you want to spend $1500 on a head unit or not. I did and ended up importing one from Australia as I was told by Rapid Radio that CarPlay wasn't coming to NZ for a long time, as it turned out a couple of months after I got mine they were released.

I believe the Carplay units are only compatible with Iphone5 or later and not ipods or ipads, of which the latter I can confirm.

Lizard1977

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#1553574 16-May-2016 14:04

It sounds like Carplay is not that big a deal. I hardly ever use Siri, and don't really have a need to text or call while driving. From what I've read, Spotify (which I do use) is patchy and glitchy, so I'd probably use Bluetooth more than Carplay. I'd also prefer the convenience of having a wireless rather than a wired connection.

GPS/maps/navigation would be nice, but it's not really a necessity. Having it integrated with the larger headunit display (rather than on the iPhone 6) would be handy, but it's probably not worth the premium I would need to pay to get it as part of Carplay. If a regular headunit had GPS navigation built-in, then that would be a bonus, but again probably not worth much of a premium to me...

Dratsab

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#1553597 16-May-2016 15:08

I installed a JVC KW-V21BT into my 2007 Ford Focus about a year ago. Double din unit and had an input for a reverse camera which I picked up at a good price from jaycar. Has a cd/dvd player in it which I don't generally use, USB input and I can connect a couple of devices at once via bluetooth. Usually these are my Tomtom watch (streaming music) and my Android phone for phone calls.

dickytim

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#1553877 17-May-2016 06:26

Lizard1977:

It sounds like Carplay is not that big a deal. I hardly ever use Siri, and don't really have a need to text or call while driving. From what I've read, Spotify (which I do use) is patchy and glitchy, so I'd probably use Bluetooth more than Carplay. I'd also prefer the convenience of having a wireless rather than a wired connection.

GPS/maps/navigation would be nice, but it's not really a necessity. Having it integrated with the larger headunit display (rather than on the iPhone 6) would be handy, but it's probably not worth the premium I would need to pay to get it as part of Carplay. If a regular headunit had GPS navigation built-in, then that would be a bonus, but again probably not worth much of a premium to me...

You can use navigation on your phone and the audio go through the stereo while playing music, you just need to mount the phone where you can see it. I used to put it on the dash in front of the speedo etc. Reversing camera is nice, especially when I am backing up to my horse float but to be honest not too much else. but I have a station wagon so it is easier to judge to distance, and a towbar ;)

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MikeAqua

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#1553918 17-May-2016 09:07

Do you have room for a double DIN head unit?

Pioneer and Sony produce double DIN units that have bluetooth functionality and reverse camera input. I can't remember model numbers sorry, I just happened to be looking at Super Cheap last week.

I haven't seen a single DIN head unit with a reversing camera input, the physical dimensions of a single DIN unit suggest you would end up with a very small image

Mike

trig42

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#1553921 17-May-2016 09:12

MikeAqua:

Do you have room for a double DIN head unit?

Pioneer and Sony produce double DIN units that have bluetooth functionality and reverse camera input. I can't remember model numbers sorry, I just happened to be looking at Super Cheap last week.

I haven't seen a single DIN head unit with a reversing camera input, the physical dimensions of a single DIN unit suggest you would end up with a very small image

First line in OP - Double Din slot

MikeAqua

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#1553930 17-May-2016 09:24

trig42:

MikeAqua:

Do you have room for a double DIN head unit?

...

First line in OP - Double Din slot

Oops. Better put my glasses on.

Mike

Lizard1977

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#1553937 17-May-2016 09:32

Yep, there's already a double-din unit in place, but it's Japanese and doesn't offer bluetooth. I'd rather get something new with everything I need all included.

I've gone off the idea of Carplay. It seems like it's a premium that isn't justified at the moment. I think bluetooth will give me everything I need, and a USB port will probably mop up whatever other devices might need to connect.

So far, people have suggested Pioneer and a JVC/KW unit. I looked at the Parrot Asteroid idea but it didn't really appeal. Browsing around a few sites, they all look good, and I suspect it will come down to how the interface operates and the "feel" of the unit. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if there are many (if any) places in Palmerston North that do demo models. The last time I bought a headunit was through SSS, but I think they have closed down now. I think JBHifi had a demo wall but not sure if it's still there. I'd prefer to buy it from the supplier, but the only dedicated audio installer I know is Auto Sounds on Taonui St. Anyone know of any others they can recommend?

KiwisOnLand

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#1554340 17-May-2016 18:43

I bought a car a couple of weeks ago and I got a Joying Quad Core 7 INCH 1024*600 2 Din Android 4.4 Car Audio Stereo Radio

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/7-INCH-1024-600-2-Din-Android-4-4-Fit-NISSAN-QASHQAI-2007-2008-2009-2010/32316931768.html

I got the dealer I bought the car from to install it for free

It works well so far

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Lizard1977

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#1556301 20-May-2016 15:04

I had another drive of the car today and got to play with the existing headunit (Panasonic Strada CN-HW860D). If it weren't in Japanese it might be pretty decent as an interim unit. Google suggests that converting to English isn't possible. It would help if we could flash the firmware to change the language, but I can't see any way of doing that. It appears to have a built-in hard drive that can copy CDs, and also has an SD slot. i tried playing from the SD card but it came up with a message in Japanese which Google Translate suggested was "Play is being prepared." So maybe it was trying to copy it to the HDD? I feel that with a bit of patience and some judicious Google Translating I could probably make it work for the meantime. But it doesn't have Bluetooth, which I really need, so I'm still looking for a new headunit.

I had a bit of a look around Palmy this morning, trying to find places that demo headunits. Looks like most of the specialist places have shut down, so ended up at Supercheap Auto. They only had two double-din touchscreen units (the rest were just "oversized" single-din) - one was the Pioneer AVH-285BT and the other was a Sony unit. The Pioneer one felt nicer to use than the Sony, and has a reasonably responsive interface. But it felt hobbled somehow, and didn't really blow me away. For instance, the Bluetooth connection (which worked perfectly first time, but then stopped working and wouldn't reconnect) didn't show track information, whilst the Sony did. For the price, neither really felt like a compelling purchase.

But now I'm in a tricky position of not having any other place to demo alternatives. I had a look at Auto Sound on Taonui St but there were kind of closed (garage door open, no one around, reception door locked) and didn't look like they had a demo wall. I think SSS on Tremaine Ave have closed down. I'd prefer not to buy online, without a demo, unless it's universally-acclaimed and amazing. But if it's online only, then there are many more choices to consider. The Nakamichi brand seems to keep popping up, but I've no idea what they are like.