Head unit/stereo suggestions for cassette/radio replacement

I have an '05 with the cassette/FM,AM Radio option and I'm Looking for a replacement that will fit in the space well. requirements: AUX/USB input

 

I just installed this Pioneer unit in my truck and I love it! The apple car play feature basically puts your phone and apps (waze/spotify) on the screen. Im cheap so this is an older unit and I bought it refurbished from Pioneer. I would get something with android auto/apple carplay capabilities.

Pioneer AVH4200NEX 2-DIN Receiver with 7in Motorized Display/Built-In Bluetooth/Siri Eyes Free/AppRadio One/NEX (Renewed)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BKPKH8D/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_rfb

 

Are you looking for a single or double din option?

 

I did single din JVC a couple years ago for about $75. I regret it now and wish I had spent $350 on a double din with Android Auto/Carplay and backup camera support.

 

Me too

Me too

And finally, me too.

 

Double din fits right in

 

Apline

$280 iLX-W650 digital multimedia receiver with carplay and android auto compatibility

iLX-W650 - at $299 it's probably the best value double din with apple carplay / android auto on the market.

 

Are these newer stereos making the sound better? In other words, apple to apples with OEM speakers... Will a new stereo make better sound?

 

Yes, it should. Is it going to be night and day? Probably not. But it is noticeable. Also, it's just nice having some 2019 features like bluetooth in 2002 truck.

 

Agreed. Since your non JBL I'm sure you'll notice some improvements. Once you have bluetooth, car play, back up cam, etc. you'll wonder why you waited so long to upgrade!

 

Yes this is what I was thinking as far as not night and day. The new speakers will be my priority if anything. My XM receiver I have Braille’d in. I’ll be reinvesting into a new phone instead of a new stereo based on your info.

 

I could be wrong, but I believe you won't see a big improvement in speaker sound quality without replacing the stereo. Hopefully someone else will chime in on this. But I think they new the extra bump from the stereo.

Keep in mind new stereo's are extremely cheap. You can get a new one for less than $100. I certainly understand the need for a phone though.

 

Sure thing. Honestly, since doing my sound deadener enhancing last year, my stereo sound has improved tremendously. I’m happy with it. At the least I’d do new speakers all around down the road for $100ish?

A new stereo with all the bells and whistles sounds good, but I’ve no need for a touch screen (thats what my phone is for when not driving). No need for cameras at this point, although they are nice.

I’ll take the $400 and spend it on a new phone versus a proper double din.

 

I second the pioneer NEX series, got the 8200 myself, but there’s much cheaper models with nearly identical features. Your speakers will sound better, most new stereos are at least 50 watts x 4 and I can’t imagine stock is much better than 30 watts. Mo’ power to speakers equals mo’ better sound. Alpine is excellent, just not quite as user friendly imo...

 

I just purchased and installed this Pioneer unit about two weeks ago. I am glad I went with the double din but I had to slightly the trim pieces to allow the stock metal bracket sides to fit in the mounting holes of the headunit. A $17 wiring harness from Best Buy matched up perfectly to the pioneer harness colors so it was a simple matching job and it works like a charm. Sound is more customizeable and slightly better but the carplay and space for a backup cam was necessary for me. The only downside to the touch screen is the glare reflected from the seats. My fix for that was to put the bottom two bolts into the dash frame BEFORE mounting the top two bolts through the bracket to the frame the normal way. This allowed me to make the bottom bolts act as adjustable risers to tilt the screen up a little bit and really reduce the glare. The top two bolts hold the unit securely enough to keep the unit from rattling.

$550 PIONEER CAR AVH2550NEX 6.8-in Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and SiriusXM-Ready - Multimedia DVD Receiver

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MXNXB5N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Your requirements are quite modest -- as are mine. I need BT connectivity for music and phone, and a wired external mic for phone (makes a big difference in call sound quality for the folks you call). The BT connectivity is nice: once you connect it the first time, it automatically connects every time you have the phone in the truck. (I listen to Pandora alot and stream some syndicated radio shows.) I don't care about Apple Play or the Android equivalent.

I bought a head unit from Crutchfield a while back for my daughter's car, so now I get almost daily emails with specials. I wasn't in the market for a new head unit -- I have a single DIN Sony that came with the truck when I bought it -- it has BT connectivity which I use all the time, and aux and USB input, which I never use. And it has the wired external mic. So I don't NEED a new head unit.

But this came in my inbox the other day:
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_130S600BS/Pioneer-MVH-S600BS.html?omnews=14834480

I was blown away by the functionality and look for the $110 price.

Now it appears I NEED a new head unit!

And a plug for Crutchfield. I bought a bottom of the line JVC stereo for my daughter's first car -- a Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix). I wanted her to have hands free phone for safety reasons. She's militant about not texting and driving, but I wanted the phone to be safely accessible.

I bought a single DIN head unit. It came with a FREE double DIN mounting adapter, a FREE wiring harness that was completely plug-and-play with the Toyota factory radio harness (and this car has a factory external amp). I've installed a lot of car stereos in my youth when I had no money, and I couldn't believe how well thought out this install kit was. The grand total was $90 delivered to my door.

I will be a repeat customer!

 

I wouldn't spend the money on new speakers if you're keeping the stock unit, you will get a negligible improvement if any at all.

 

Thanks for this. Your experience is what I expected per research. It’ll be a few years at the minimum before investing into a new head unit, if at all.

 

Which one did you end up getting? Hello fellow Mainer as well!

I want to keep the stock unit & look and have BT and Aux abilities, but a cheap double din looks pretty attractive at this point.

 

I'll be honest I didn't think Android Auto or Carplay was that big of a deal, until I drove a car with it. Compared with the single din JVC unit I have now that does Pandora, BT calling, etc. The AA/CP units do the job easier and faster.

 

+1 this!

Pioneer NEX 8100 here, Great HU with much improved sound!

 

Hello!

I got the JVC KD-X255BT for my daughter. And I was wrong about the price: it was $80, not $90. To be honest, I'm not crazy about the JVC. It's worked perfectly fine, it's just a little cheaply built.

If I had to do it over again, I'd have gotten her the Pioneer I linked to in my earlier post. It's a much better value for just a little more money.

If you really want to keep the factory system, you can get a BT/FM modulator. I had

$24 Scosche BTFM BTFREQ Universal Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit with FM Transmitter for Vehicles

THIS for the last 5 years in my 3rd Gen 4Runner. Worked perfectly for BT music, has an AUX in if you're intent on going wired, but the hands free phone function was useless because the mic is on the unit -- so callers can't hear you because the mic is down by the floor.

 

Thanks for that. I don't want to go the FM transmitter route, no offense I've heard even the modern ones are no good.

I will probably be purchasing the GTA car kit and praying that works.

 

I'll gladly pay the extra $50 for a Pioneer with a volume knob. No knob is a deal breaker. My last screen didn't have one and it got old fast

 

The JBL on our first gens isn't that impressive. I already replaced the craptastic premium speakers. Next is replace the 6 disk changer/tape deck radio for a touch screen.

 

If you really want to get the best sound (clarity and loudness) out of any speakers you get, you need to get an amp that is properly matched to the speaker RMS power.

 

So from my understanding, it looks like a double din radio fits right in the stock location with no additional parts needed? I just bought a cheapie off Amazon so I could put a backup camera. Is there a secret spot to run the wires from the head unit to the rear license plate?

 

I believe you need the brackets from the original radio.

Under the drivers seat there is a grommet that's pretty easy to get there wires though and zip tie them to the rear wiring harness.

 

I am assuming the brackets are there because it already has a single din in it now?

Perfect! I will look for that since my Tahoe had one similar that made it really easy to run the wires with some loom.

 

My brother installed that headunit in his 2008 Passat. Its not bad. I don't care for the touch buttons but it sounds great. Its also like 2 or 3 inches deep only since there is no CD/DVD. There is also a bracket that can be attached to the back to attach the Alpine 4ch Powerpack. Nice.

I'm gonna save some money to put the AX5000 Sony in my 2005 DC I think.