Head Unit Replacement

Is there a general consensus on which aftermarket head unit is the best for the gen 3 Tundras? I’ve seen the Kenwood mentioned a few times. Is that considered the cream of the crop?

Also, how much improvement can I expect from just changing the head unit out? I’d like to do the whole system at some point, but I may need to do it a little at a time. There’s quite a few home projects on the list I need to pay for.

 

Kenwood and Pioneer have really stepped up and floated to the top and I would include Alpine in that mix. Sound quality and phone integration is much cleaner/easier.

 

Good starting points in a nutshell- I personally have the Pioneer

Both have-
Apple Carplay/Android Auto
Dual camera input
iDatalink Maestro Compatible

$300-500 - Pioneer AVH-4200/4201NEX - resistive touch screen, no additional built in nav (beyond google/apple maps and waze)
$1000-1200 - Kenwood DNX994S - capacitive touchscreen, built in Garmin nav

 

You can get a kenwood without the nav also. I have the 994s which has nav but if your trying to save money get it without especially if you have an android. You can use android auto with waze which i would rather use waze then anything else personally.

http://www.kenwood.com/usa/car/excelon/dmx905s/ - $650
or
http://www.kenwood.com/usa/car/excelon/ddx795/ which is closer to that pioneer in tech - $419

Its all preference though. Go to your local shop and play with them.

As for just changing the head unit. Do you have JBL or not? If not you can just change the head unit. I have read it helps but cant say. IF you you have JBL you can not just change the head unit.

 

OP has an SR5, so no JBL. However, the extra $160 or so for a Maestro RR and related harnesses would be a good purchase even on a non-JBL truck.

 

No JBL.

 

What is the Maestro? I’m ignorant to the audio stuff.

 

at the most basic level it's a wire harness on steroids: http://maestro.idatalink.com/product/product/product_id/102 - basically a more robust interface module between your vehicle and head unit

 

do you guys know if the tesla pheonix head unit has good sound quality? im building a really nice sound system and want my sound quality to be top of the line

 

If you want really good sound quality, don't get the phoenix. Low powered outputs and not very clean. Better off with Kenwood or the latest Sony that James Randy Taylor reviewd, or even the Alpine units. I went Kenwood and love it, ditched the Phoenix tesla unit.

 

thank you!!

 

Just installed the Pioneer DMH-8600NEX. $1200. And holy cow does is make a difference in sound. Even with the stock system. Just ordered all the speakers and subs from James yesterday, so can wait for that. But yes, Maestro RR or RR2 with the appropriate year harness (2020 is different), and it works great with the stock JBL or non-JBL systems. Plus you can program extra features into you steering wheel buttons. Pretty awesome

 

I have been super impressed with my 8600NEX like the post above. I have mine mounted a bit lower however.

pros:
-Amazing sound quality improvement (I had speakers / sub / amp previously and TOTALLY woke system up by replacing factory garbage headunit and signal),
-WIRELESS CarPlay (game changer, especially when coupled with wireless charger,
-Easy to use and fast interface (even faster and smoother while using CarPlay),
-Capacitive high def screen,
-Really modernized interior of truck while matching flow / lines of dash

cons:
-Not cheap,
-High def oversize screen really shows how low quality the back up camera is,
-Some folks don’t like the floating tablet look,
-Some folks have had issues with android auto, or the unit in general not operating as fast / clean as they expected

Simply put, if you want a name brand factory tablet style headunit with capacitive high def screen, high quality audio, wireless CarPlay / Android auto, etc. Then the Pioneer is the only one currently out. Will be great to see what Alpine / Sony / Kenwood answer with!

 

I know you said its high definitition. but does it say exactly what quality? i know the halo 9 is 480 which is really pushing me away. after the maestro and harness this one is about the same price as the alpine ilx-f309tnd (halo) which is specifically made for tundras so im trying to understand the pro of this over the halo. if you have any input on that i would greatly appreciate it!!

 

1280x720, so quite a bit better screen. Also has wireless CarPlay / AA, which the Alpines do not. Pretty big difference.

I don’t really understand the difference between Alpine making the Halo specific for the Tundra. The Pioneer is made to fit any single din and used whatever adapter kit you like. Mine looks great, but even then you can’t see much since the screen covers a bunch if it.

Also, Alpine is coming out with a Halo 11. Doesn’t say what screen resolution is, but still does not have wireless CarPlay. Good luck with your decision!

 

I would recommend the Alpine Halo 9. I’m piecing my system together and that is the first thing I changed to get rid of that horrible Toyota NAV.

 

thank you so much! yeah crutchfield only has the silver though and i heard everyone saying the silvers dont match but i figured i wouldnt see much of it anyways. yeah those halo tnd's really seem like crap i just thought cause it was specifically made for tundras it would be the best bet but now i have made up my mind to definitely not get one so i appreciate it!

 

Wouldn’t say the Halo’s are crap. They have a really good reputation for their reliability, and we’re the first major manufacturer providing the tablet style head units.

Just the way things go with electronics, Tech moves so fast and everything gets outdated quick. I am sure in a couple years my Pioneer 8600 is going to be an overpriced / outdated unit while something newer / better / cheaper is out.

 

I try to be brand loyal until I feel I’ve been taken advantage of by them. They have never used a sandpaper condom on me and I’ve always had great experiences with Alpine products so I go with what I know.

 

I got mine from crutchfield and it matches perfectly on color