Hey All, first post here, this is a great source of info. I have a 2k1 screw FX4, and have decided that i would like to get an in dash double din(non flip out) screen. My requirements are
-Double Din
-As Factory of a look as possible (no flashy chrome or ****, dont want this puppy to get ganked)
-Navigation (Prefereable one that can do navigation without having to swap in a DVD)
-Bluetooth for phone is also prefereable.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

without a doubt the Kenwood DNX7100 all-in-one. Or even the DDX7019 or DDX8019 with nav upgrade. Hit Travis up with KC Autosound for the full indepth info. He's had them all in his truck.

 

this is easy. Alpine W205 Wait 3 weeks and pick one up.

comes with integrated Bluetooth, DVD, easy to bypass and best of all, it uses the new Blackbird for nav so you can take to other cars etc. Price? Sit down. 899.99 for the W205....add 499 for the blackbird and you won't find anything that will beat it.

But, please read this MOST units in that price point are going to have what you want.

 

Yeah, the alpine kind of turned me off because i'd read some bad things about the blackbird from independant reviews. I would almost prefer to have it all integrated. If i lost that damn thing, i would be up **** creek. I have been leaning towards the pioneer avics, just havent decided which ones fit what i need the best.

 

Alpine has a new smaller updated BB that is miles above the last generation.

But again, most are going to do what you want.

 

Kenwood is crap. I've been trying to tell people that for years, and people I know continue to cut corners (ie not get alpine) and go with Kenwood to save a few bucks.

what happens? the crap breaks on them, sound horrible, and ends up getting replaced with an Alpine and in the long run it costs them a lot more.

Most recent example is my best friend...got a new Kenwood flip-out screen; 3 months later it busts. It's now been 3 months it has been "in for repair" and he still doesn't have it back yet. What a joke.

Kenwood < Alpine.


BTW, I have the Alpine W200 and it's great...easy to use, and sounds fantastic. My buddy with the kenwood downgraded from an Alpine 9856 and without a doubt I can tell a difference in sound quality.

 

Not in my world. I've had like $2500 worth of alpine crap out on me over time from car alarms, headunits, stand alone DSP and these were all their top of the line stuff. I've had my Kenwood for coming on a year now and it's still working flawlessly. So lets keep this <=> that out of here unless you want to talk specific models.

 

Exactly. No need for wars. If youve had person experience thats one thing, but im less concerned about something breaking or a freak occurence than its general functionality. Unless its something like " I've noticed the sound quality of X-model has been bad in multiple cases" Thats helpful, ford vs chevy but in headunit form is not so helpful.

 

Can anyone make an argument for the w205 being better than the avics?

 

I'm not starting a war, just stating personal experience.

I have yet to listen to a single kenwood head unit that I liked. My best friend has had 2 different alpine head units, and his kenwood. Kenwood was the highest end model of the 3, and sounds the worst.

Also, Alpine is known for quality, kenwood has a rep for poor quality...it IS a cheaper product. Do independent research and you will find more problems per X number of units with kenwood than Alpine.

As for Alpine vs Avix..

My Dad has an Avic z1. He has yet to even use the navi because it is such a ginormous PITA to use. The interface is really, really bad. I got my alpine and without even reading the manual just jumped right in. I spent an hour with the manual and screwing with my dad's head unit and still didn't have it all figured out.

 

Well also not to start a war, but your Dad must not have tried it very much, I have the Z1 and it is a piece of cake to use Nav. I have never had a problem trying to locate a destination, by eitehr POI or address. My wife often uses it as well and even commented on the ease of use.

 

Keep in mind that this new blackbird has been totally redesigned. I got my hands on a demo model at CTIA and it's sweet. The two fit together like a glove, and once the screen slides back into place, you wouldn't guess they were actually two seperate units. For my money, at this price point, the 205 is impossible to beat.

 

When has alpine ever made car alarms? I've had Alpine in my vehicle since they used to make headunits that pulled out completely, before someone invented the removeable face, and I've never seen an alpine branded car alarm of any sort.

You just shot your credibility in the foot not once, but twice, as Alpine's real top-of-the-line F1 series has always sold for a lot more then 2500k, and has always come with one of the industry's best warranties. As long as you bought it through an authorized dealer, and had it installed by a professional, they will either fix it, or replace it, no questions asked.

The only people that bag on Alpine to that extent are those whom have never actually owned one. You see the same kind of thing with cars in general (chevy owners bashing ford, vice versa) so I guess it really isn't all that suprising to see it here too.

 

Impact9 I got your back.

JohnnyCashAK.... Do some research before you shoot your mouth off. Alpine made alarms about 7 years ago. I used to install them when I was Roadshop Manager for three Circuit Citys here in Kansas City. They were excellent systems that would also integrate with a CVA-1000. One of the very first indash fold-out monitors with navigation upgrade. Alpine has long been out of the alarm business but they were one of the first ones to have a pager/beeper notification and also a 2-way LCD remote long before the other companies followed with thiers. Below are some examples that I found with a quick search. Not trying to start anything but can't let you jump all over him without giving you a history lesson. I've been installing professionally for going on 17 years now. Seen alot of products in my years. Some make it some don't.

 

Guys...c'mon now.

Back on topic...I did a little more digging on the W205....it does NOT have integrated BlueTooth...that functionality comes from docking the blackbird....prior to this, we all thought it was integrated. But at any rate, I agree, using the new BB with the W205 is going to be slick. Too bad the BB won't be out to summer....

JP