AliveBoy Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 lol sorry! No idea why aftermarket head units have a confirmation beep. Was there ever a problem with people reaching out and pressing the unit without realising they'd done so, then complaining that the radio was spontaneously changing station of its own accord? It's one of those "features" that drives me bonkers. Thankfully most units that have this allow you to disable it. Probably a safety feature - So you don't have to keep looking at the headunit to see if it has done what you wanted it to do. Surely the whole thing is, if you press skip track you know if it's happened or not... if the track changes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmorg4 Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Exactly - and unless the buttons are really low quality, the tactile feel of the button press should be a better confirmation than a synthetic beep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 It's gotta be a generation thing If my head unit doesn't beep, I know I haven't switched tracks or my phones died/DC'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 It's gotta be a generation thing If my head unit doesn't beep, I know I haven't switched tracks or my phones died/DC'd I'M THE SAME GENERATION AS YOU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippypooz Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 I plumped for a pioneer avh-x2500bt, with the RGB colour choices I got the buttons and screen to match the OEM orange interior LEDs for the heater/AC unit/dash etc. You can also load up a personalised wallpaper, so you could easily just use a plain black wallpaper, the only element some might feel is chavy is the album artwork - but then that would mean you buy music with chavy covers, so it's time to stop listening to Scooter Works with Bluetooth USB steering wheel buttons etc Ahhhhh thats interesting, thats one of the models i was looking at!! how much did you pay for it? and hows the performance compared with the oem system? can you post a pickie of it in the car?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I plumped for a pioneer avh-x2500bt, with the RGB colour choices I got the buttons and screen to match the OEM orange interior LEDs for the heater/AC unit/dash etc. You can also load up a personalised wallpaper, so you could easily just use a plain black wallpaper, the only element some might feel is chavy is the album artwork - but then that would mean you buy music with chavy covers, so it's time to stop listening to Scooter Works with Bluetooth USB steering wheel buttons etc Ahhhhh thats interesting, thats one of the models i was looking at!! how much did you pay for it? and hows the performance compared with the oem system? can you post a pickie of it in the car?? Here you go bud, pic of the unit installed, chavtastic background image is optional I paid £465 for the work, not sure how much of that was headunit, adapter for steering controls, fascia panel, iPhone cable and labour - but that was about a year ago now, I bet you could get the headunit on its own for about £250-£300 Performance is hard for me to say as I only had the OEM for about a fortnight before ripping it out, couldn't live with no iPhone connection for my music or lack of bluetooth. Also, shortly after I replaced the headunit I also had the amp, sub, front and rear speakers replaced. So I couldn't say how much was just down to the headunit, but for me to have done the extra work so quickly afterward I can't have been that happy with the sound (the functionality was a massive step up though, I can say that). As a general rule of thumb in audio, your system is only as good as your weakest component, so if you just did the headunit I would expect an improvement, but not massive as the bose amp, sub and speakers will still be holding you back. Also when you spend money on audio you WANT it to sound better so generally you convince yourself it does In terms of the whole setup versus OEM, I can promise you it's night and day, but the Hertz amp and speakers are a huge factor in that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chromatic Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I put the Kenwood DDX-470 in mine recently with my nuts audio install.. (In my build thread) .. Flushes up reasonably well with a simple Metra Double Din Trim piece.. Here is a picture just after installation .. the "lights" on it have been matched to the factory Amber now.. I much prefer the function of something with DVD, USB, built in bluetooth, CD, Tuner, Satellite, Nav, Smartphone cap,.. etc that looks pretty good than an absolute perfect flush of the factory system.. But I also needed a head unit that had the beef of three sets of 4V pre-outs for a 5 channel amp and 7 speakers/sub. Still this thing was $300 .. great bargain for it's features and is touch screen plus has just the right touch of analogue controls on the left hand side. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chromatic Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Have to agree with Superstu here: Once you go to a good Aftermarket headunit you won't think twice about it. You will get so used to your favourite functions of the aftermarket.. ie: whether it's playing Pandora, or Spotify, or your Ipod, etc from your Iphone (or any of the tons of app music streaming services).. or Loading a 64Gig USB stick like I tend to do,... Having your phone synched auto to your headunit USB with USB built in the car for phone, texting, etc (hands free).. or you may like watching DVD's if you spend time in the car sometimes needing to "burn" time.. point is,.. as you can see the aftermarket units all "flush up" about the same.. Yes, you can see there is a trim piece that makes them look , well, good.. without a gap around them.. but them sticking out just a touch is just really an aftermarket look frankly.. and 99 out of 100 people will tell you your new aftermarket unit looks better than the old flush factory unit even before they know what it does.. As for beeping.. I'm not trying to sell you on "my" chosen unit (It was just a good deal a few months ago for what I wanted).. but it has an option to turn the "beeps" on and off.. The Pioneer units are fairly popular, though a small percentage of people have had issues with them just dieing on them after hitting a rough pothole or similar.. (happened to me).. and then I read online .. But I'm sure that's rare as usually only problems are reported online. Otherwise the Poineer AVH-P4100DVD (a somewhat older unit) was fantastic unit I had prior to the Kenwood DDX470. I recommend you just accept our line of thought of going aftermarket,.. and just start shopping around.. take your time. Figure out what features you don't want to be without.. .. ie: Some units may be $500 (pounds) and still need a bluetooth adapter to enable bluetooth.. and similar things. Which is why I really liked the Kenwood DDX470 as I couldn't believe it was so cheap for a 6.1" touch screen, Analog controls (that you need (volume knob, Phone, Power, etc..) ) , USB built in (no extra adapters),.. Good mic to hook to it for In car bluetooth, 4V preouts (if you plan on using Amps in the future or immediately), CD player, Tuner, DVD player, etc. Has it all.. Now, the DDX470 does *not* have built in Navigation, but that didn't bother me because my Iphone links right to it for navigation.. so I couldn't justify going to the next model that had all of the features the DDX470 had + nav built in for over double the price of $300 US. But built in Nav is nice, if you use it a lot.. may be worth it. Also, don't forget the factory system WILL run on a factory headunit.. but the rear speakers likely will be VERY quiet, and just not run SUPERB as it did with the stock headunit. But,.. the factory speakers aren't that great to start with.. I've seen them all.. torn them out, replaced them of course etc.. It's very easy to spend say $300 on headunit, and $75-$100 on a pair of front speakers and power them off the headunit and be done with it (if you don't require a crazy stereo).. If you want something nicer - And are willing to self install -- You can do like I did and spend $300 on headunit, $150-$200 on front speakers.. (I happened to have a pair of 6.5" high end rears (which you DO NOT need in a 350) -- $100 on a 10" JL Audio sub,.. and $100 on a Custom Sub Box that fits in the Factory sub location + $200(ish) give or take on a nice Class D Amp with 2 channels and mono sub channel -- Or even a 4 channel Class D amp where you use two channels for front speakers, and rear two you bridge together (it's just EASY wiring that takes about 10 seconds to "bridge") to combine the channel 3 + 4 for a large number for your Sub (should you go that route). OR.. of course.. Get a professional to install where you buy.. (Can get pricey, which is the main reason I tackled my own..).. but if installation just isn't your thing then by all means pay for it. Esp if you get something like the Aftermarket headunit + front speakers that are substantially better than stock fronts to be powered off headunit (That install wouldn' t be long, or too expensive.) Just some things to think about. Take care, P.S. -- Flushing is also up to the skill and persistence of the installer (which is why it pays to install yourself (I learned how)) you can really get it looking nice with just a little patience and lining up. You also have good stereo shops around who do incredible installs that are only limited by money.. and could flush anything into your car aftermarket if you are willing to pay for it. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippypooz Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Have to agree with Superstu here: Once you go to a good Aftermarket headunit you won't think twice about it. You will get so used to your favourite functions of the aftermarket.. ie: whether it's playing Pandora, or Spotify, or your Ipod, etc from your Iphone (or any of the tons of app music streaming services).. or Loading a 64Gig USB stick like I tend to do,... Having your phone synched auto to your headunit USB with USB built in the car for phone, texting, etc (hands free).. or you may like watching DVD's if you spend time in the car sometimes needing to "burn" time.. point is,.. as you can see the aftermarket units all "flush up" about the same.. Yes, you can see there is a trim piece that makes them look , well, good.. without a gap around them.. but them sticking out just a touch is just really an aftermarket look frankly.. and 99 out of 100 people will tell you your new aftermarket unit looks better than the old flush factory unit even before they know what it does.. As for beeping.. I'm not trying to sell you on "my" chosen unit (It was just a good deal a few months ago for what I wanted).. but it has an option to turn the "beeps" on and off.. The Pioneer units are fairly popular, though a small percentage of people have had issues with them just dieing on them after hitting a rough pothole or similar.. (happened to me).. and then I read online .. But I'm sure that's rare as usually only problems are reported online. Otherwise the Poineer AVH-P4100DVD (a somewhat older unit) was fantastic unit I had prior to the Kenwood DDX470. I recommend you just accept our line of thought of going aftermarket,.. and just start shopping around.. take your time. Figure out what features you don't want to be without.. .. ie: Some units may be $500 (pounds) and still need a bluetooth adapter to enable bluetooth.. and similar things. Which is why I really liked the Kenwood DDX470 as I couldn't believe it was so cheap for a 6.1" touch screen, Analog controls (that you need (volume knob, Phone, Power, etc..) ) , USB built in (no extra adapters),.. Good mic to hook to it for In car bluetooth, 4V preouts (if you plan on using Amps in the future or immediately), CD player, Tuner, DVD player, etc. Has it all.. Now, the DDX470 does *not* have built in Navigation, but that didn't bother me because my Iphone links right to it for navigation.. so I couldn't justify going to the next model that had all of the features the DDX470 had + nav built in for over double the price of $300 US. But built in Nav is nice, if you use it a lot.. may be worth it. Also, don't forget the factory system WILL run on a factory headunit.. but the rear speakers likely will be VERY quiet, and just not run SUPERB as it did with the stock headunit. But,.. the factory speakers aren't that great to start with.. I've seen them all.. torn them out, replaced them of course etc.. It's very easy to spend say $300 on headunit, and $75-$100 on a pair of front speakers and power them off the headunit and be done with it (if you don't require a crazy stereo).. If you want something nicer - And are willing to self install -- You can do like I did and spend $300 on headunit, $150-$200 on front speakers.. (I happened to have a pair of 6.5" high end rears (which you DO NOT need in a 350) -- $100 on a 10" JL Audio sub,.. and $100 on a Custom Sub Box that fits in the Factory sub location + $200(ish) give or take on a nice Class D Amp with 2 channels and mono sub channel -- Or even a 4 channel Class D amp where you use two channels for front speakers, and rear two you bridge together (it's just EASY wiring that takes about 10 seconds to "bridge") to combine the channel 3 + 4 for a large number for your Sub (should you go that route). OR.. of course.. Get a professional to install where you buy.. (Can get pricey, which is the main reason I tackled my own..).. but if installation just isn't your thing then by all means pay for it. Esp if you get something like the Aftermarket headunit + front speakers that are substantially better than stock fronts to be powered off headunit (That install wouldn' t be long, or too expensive.) Just some things to think about. Take care, P.S. -- Flushing is also up to the skill and persistence of the installer (which is why it pays to install yourself (I learned how)) you can really get it looking nice with just a little patience and lining up. You also have good stereo shops around who do incredible installs that are only limited by money.. and could flush anything into your car aftermarket if you are willing to pay for it. Good luck! Thanks for taking the time to write this, much appreciated!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippypooz Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 I plumped for a pioneer avh-x2500bt, with the RGB colour choices I got the buttons and screen to match the OEM orange interior LEDs for the heater/AC unit/dash etc. You can also load up a personalised wallpaper, so you could easily just use a plain black wallpaper, the only element some might feel is chavy is the album artwork - but then that would mean you buy music with chavy covers, so it's time to stop listening to Scooter Works with Bluetooth USB steering wheel buttons etc Ahhhhh thats interesting, thats one of the models i was looking at!! how much did you pay for it? and hows the performance compared with the oem system? can you post a pickie of it in the car?? Here you go bud, pic of the unit installed, chavtastic background image is optional I paid £465 for the work, not sure how much of that was headunit, adapter for steering controls, fascia panel, iPhone cable and labour - but that was about a year ago now, I bet you could get the headunit on its own for about £250-£300 Performance is hard for me to say as I only had the OEM for about a fortnight before ripping it out, couldn't live with no iPhone connection for my music or lack of bluetooth. Also, shortly after I replaced the headunit I also had the amp, sub, front and rear speakers replaced. So I couldn't say how much was just down to the headunit, but for me to have done the extra work so quickly afterward I can't have been that happy with the sound (the functionality was a massive step up though, I can say that). As a general rule of thumb in audio, your system is only as good as your weakest component, so if you just did the headunit I would expect an improvement, but not massive as the bose amp, sub and speakers will still be holding you back. Also when you spend money on audio you WANT it to sound better so generally you convince yourself it does In terms of the whole setup versus OEM, I can promise you it's night and day, but the Hertz amp and speakers are a huge factor in that. Thanks buddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmorg4 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Many thanks for the informative posts Some of the units suggested here do actually look OK when installed and with the colour adjusted to match the car's illumination. One thing that does concern me after watching a few demos on YouTube is that some of the units look very laggy (i.e. when you press something there is a noticeable delay before anything happens). I'm one of those people who can't stand interface lag, so I'll need to try and find somewhere with the units on display so that I can have a play and make sure I'm happy with the interface before going any further. Fussy type I know 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 (edited) It's a very valid point, particularly on the resistive rather than capacitive touchscreen. Mine is a bit laggy when you compare it to say an iPhone or iPad. It's quite quick when compared to an android phone though Definitely try them if this will be a PITA for you. Edited April 10, 2014 by SuperStu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spursmaddave Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Why is it not flush? Probably because it opens up to reveal the slot for the CD so needs room to open.... My JVC was the same but as I didn't use CDs I mounted it flush and disabled the opening just in case I hit it by accident! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spursmaddave Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I plumped for a pioneer avh-x2500bt, with the RGB colour choices I got the buttons and screen to match the OEM orange interior LEDs for the heater/AC unit/dash etc. You can also load up a personalised wallpaper, so you could easily just use a plain black wallpaper, the only element some might feel is chavy is the album artwork - but then that would mean you buy music with chavy covers, so it's time to stop listening to Scooter Works with Bluetooth USB steering wheel buttons etc Ahhhhh thats interesting, thats one of the models i was looking at!! how much did you pay for it? and hows the performance compared with the oem system? can you post a pickie of it in the car?? Here you go bud, pic of the unit installed, chavtastic background image is optional I paid £465 for the work, not sure how much of that was headunit, adapter for steering controls, fascia panel, iPhone cable and labour - but that was about a year ago now, I bet you could get the headunit on its own for about £250-£300 Performance is hard for me to say as I only had the OEM for about a fortnight before ripping it out, couldn't live with no iPhone connection for my music or lack of bluetooth. Also, shortly after I replaced the headunit I also had the amp, sub, front and rear speakers replaced. So I couldn't say how much was just down to the headunit, but for me to have done the extra work so quickly afterward I can't have been that happy with the sound (the functionality was a massive step up though, I can say that). As a general rule of thumb in audio, your system is only as good as your weakest component, so if you just did the headunit I would expect an improvement, but not massive as the bose amp, sub and speakers will still be holding you back. Also when you spend money on audio you WANT it to sound better so generally you convince yourself it does In terms of the whole setup versus OEM, I can promise you it's night and day, but the Hertz amp and speakers are a huge factor in that. Thanks buddy Great taste in music 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippypooz Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 I plumped for a pioneer avh-x2500bt, with the RGB colour choices I got the buttons and screen to match the OEM orange interior LEDs for the heater/AC unit/dash etc. You can also load up a personalised wallpaper, so you could easily just use a plain black wallpaper, the only element some might feel is chavy is the album artwork - but then that would mean you buy music with chavy covers, so it's time to stop listening to Scooter Works with Bluetooth USB steering wheel buttons etc Ahhhhh thats interesting, thats one of the models i was looking at!! how much did you pay for it? and hows the performance compared with the oem system? can you post a pickie of it in the car?? Here you go bud, pic of the unit installed, chavtastic background image is optional I paid £465 for the work, not sure how much of that was headunit, adapter for steering controls, fascia panel, iPhone cable and labour - but that was about a year ago now, I bet you could get the headunit on its own for about £250-£300 Performance is hard for me to say as I only had the OEM for about a fortnight before ripping it out, couldn't live with no iPhone connection for my music or lack of bluetooth. Also, shortly after I replaced the headunit I also had the amp, sub, front and rear speakers replaced. So I couldn't say how much was just down to the headunit, but for me to have done the extra work so quickly afterward I can't have been that happy with the sound (the functionality was a massive step up though, I can say that). As a general rule of thumb in audio, your system is only as good as your weakest component, so if you just did the headunit I would expect an improvement, but not massive as the bose amp, sub and speakers will still be holding you back. Also when you spend money on audio you WANT it to sound better so generally you convince yourself it does In terms of the whole setup versus OEM, I can promise you it's night and day, but the Hertz amp and speakers are a huge factor in that. Thanks buddy Great taste in music nothing wrong with a bit of stone roses (with a little RATM thrown in too!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I plumped for a pioneer avh-x2500bt, with the RGB colour choices I got the buttons and screen to match the OEM orange interior LEDs for the heater/AC unit/dash etc. You can also load up a personalised wallpaper, so you could easily just use a plain black wallpaper, the only element some might feel is chavy is the album artwork - but then that would mean you buy music with chavy covers, so it's time to stop listening to Scooter Works with Bluetooth USB steering wheel buttons etc Ahhhhh thats interesting, thats one of the models i was looking at!! how much did you pay for it? and hows the performance compared with the oem system? can you post a pickie of it in the car?? Here you go bud, pic of the unit installed, chavtastic background image is optional I paid £465 for the work, not sure how much of that was headunit, adapter for steering controls, fascia panel, iPhone cable and labour - but that was about a year ago now, I bet you could get the headunit on its own for about £250-£300 Performance is hard for me to say as I only had the OEM for about a fortnight before ripping it out, couldn't live with no iPhone connection for my music or lack of bluetooth. Also, shortly after I replaced the headunit I also had the amp, sub, front and rear speakers replaced. So I couldn't say how much was just down to the headunit, but for me to have done the extra work so quickly afterward I can't have been that happy with the sound (the functionality was a massive step up though, I can say that). As a general rule of thumb in audio, your system is only as good as your weakest component, so if you just did the headunit I would expect an improvement, but not massive as the bose amp, sub and speakers will still be holding you back. Also when you spend money on audio you WANT it to sound better so generally you convince yourself it does In terms of the whole setup versus OEM, I can promise you it's night and day, but the Hertz amp and speakers are a huge factor in that. Thanks buddy Great taste in music nothing wrong with a bit of stone roses (with a little RATM thrown in too!!) My first pic had Xanadu on repeat so I switched it around for the second photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exotic Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Here's my Kenwood DDX -6029 screen, liked the minimalist design and the fact that the screen fills out to create a thin bezel. Matches the colour pretty well too, only sticks out a cm but shot at an angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Here's my Kenwood DDX -6029 screen, liked the minimalist design and the fact that the screen fills out to create a thin bezel. Matches the colour pretty well too, only sticks out a cm but shot at an angle. That looks well that mate, fills the space much better than mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exotic Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 The GUI is starting to show its age though compared to newer ones but it's served me well. I was considering Pioneer but was a bit more expensive and black. Changing the OEM unit is a must if you love audiophile sound, mine was terrible! Here's a couple more pics I took today of my sub and power amp, which I tried to match with the silver Z plaque:: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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