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Best aftermarket head unit??

Intenz888

Ready to race!
I replaced my rcd 510 w an aftermarket alpine ics-x7hd. Unfortunately the radio is slow, functionality is weird and its disappointing for 599.00.

What's unit are you running? Any suggestions.

Looking for something responsive, quick, that plays pandora clear, and has iphone 4 or 5 accessibility, Bluetooth, and hd radio. I don't care for DVD or video playback. My deck is a already a distraction without the video piece. It also doesn't have to be double din. Oh yes and really good radio tuner.
 

chinolatte

New member
I have a JVC KW-NT510HDT and I'm more than happy with it. Fast, responsive, has all the options I want and then some.
 

engineered2win

Ready to race!
I would highly suggest playing around with one in the real world if that's possible. You can only learn so much with it by playing with it on the display at Best Buy. Stuff like piss poor bluetooth call quality and horribly awful GPS routing won't be noticed until you plunked down your cash and have it installed. I had a Pioneer Z130bt for about a year before I ripped it out and put in a RNS510, which I should have done in the first place.

Unless you have a Pandora subscription, you will be limited to the same low bitrate audio regardless of your device.


$250 for a dash kit to fit a non standard radio is an awful lot of money. You can get a double din kit from Scosche for <$20.
 
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e-dub

New member
I would highly suggest playing around with one in the real world if that's possible. You can only learn so much with it by playing with it on the display at Best Buy. Stuff like piss poor bluetooth call quality and horribly awful GPS routing won't be noticed until you plunked down your cash and have it installed. I had a Pioneer Z130bt for about a year before I ripped it out and put in a RNS510, which I should have done in the first place.

Unless you have a Pandora subscription, you will be limited to the same low bitrate audio regardless of your device.



$250 for a dash kit to fit a non standard radio is an awful lot of money. You can get a double din kit from Scosche for <$20.

RNS510 would be fully compatible with a MK6 GTI, correct?
 

squall

Ready to race!
i have the pioneer avh 5500bhs and i love it. pandora works great on it, the iphone connectivity is excellent and you can run your apps on it as well. not to mention great sound quality, i get compliments on my setup all the time.
 

e-dub

New member
i have the pioneer avh 5500bhs and i love it. pandora works great on it, the iphone connectivity is excellent and you can run your apps on it as well. not to mention great sound quality, i get compliments on my setup all the time.

Did it affect the stock hands free setup?
 

pmturner1

New member
I just got the Pioneer AVH-8400 set up with App Radio and the VGA adapter. I put in the head unit last year and just got the app radio done. App radio is cool. A little bit complicated but in general I like it because I am a techie. I think in a couple generations it will be seamless.

The connectivity for app radio is a hassle since you have to use an awkward series of cables and adapters. The car media player is sluggish. The Motion X app is awesome, really nice navigator. Bluetooth audio finally works properly with the song information. Only issue is that you cannot use Sirius and the Motion X - since the app radio apps all require Bluetooth audio be active.

One note - watch out how much time you spend configuring the system. I have a JL Audio HD900 with a JL Audio stealthbox sub and after four hours of wiring and testing I drained the batter and had to call for a jump start. Pretty embarrassing. The AAA guy thought I was a dope as did my wife. I guess the next step is a separate battery for the sound system.
 

Johnny Two Tone

Ready to race!
Just to be clear ALL aftermarket decks eliminate the car's OEM bluetooth. You can get adapter modules that allow you to keep everything else - steering wheel controls, change the voice button into a mute button (with some coding), etc - but there isn't a single deck that keeps the bluetooth. You'll still have bluetooth through the aftermarket deck itself, but it won't be linked through the car's original bluetooth module (basically, it means that the bluetooth quality is entirely dependent on the new deck's quality, and you are forced to place the deck's bluetooth mic somewhere).
 

quality_sound

hmm.......

quality_sound

hmm.......
Just to be clear ALL aftermarket decks eliminate the car's OEM bluetooth. You can get adapter modules that allow you to keep everything else - steering wheel controls, change the voice button into a mute button (with some coding), etc - but there isn't a single deck that keeps the bluetooth. You'll still have bluetooth through the aftermarket deck itself, but it won't be linked through the car's original bluetooth module (basically, it means that the bluetooth quality is entirely dependent on the new deck's quality, and you are forced to place the deck's bluetooth mic somewhere).

Just disconnecting the OEM BT module does it automatically for every Alpine and Pioneer unit I've tried in my car. No coding or anything.
 

Johnny Two Tone

Ready to race!
Just disconnecting the OEM BT module does it automatically for every Alpine and Pioneer unit I've tried in my car. No coding or anything.

I'm not sure what you're saying. Are you saying that if you install, say, a Pioneer deck (that has built in blue-tooth) that if you disconnect the OEM blue-tooth module that the new deck will become linked to car's original mic/button hardware? Or are you speaking strictly of the MFD pages?
 
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