Hey guys, I am doing an install for a friend on Friday (2003 A4). He wants a double din with...

1) bluetooth
2) some way to interface his droid (aux)
3) internal storage for music HDD or memory card
4) good interface
5) (optional) changeable light color
6) (optional) Nav.. doesn't need or want it but its not the end of the world if it has it..
.. His budget is $950 or less so best bang for the buck and best choice! Thanks

 

anyone? I was thinking this one
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130AVIC...ble%20Software

 

You need to go to the G35 Audio Guru. His name is something like Wrathernaut. He posted a very detailed DD thread.

 

I know him well and I have seen it.. but it doesn't go into the units

 

Ahhhh... GL with your project!

 

Finally.

Somebody with a budget and solid list of requirements.

1) bluetooth - Finally becoming built-in in most good units.
2) some way to interface his droid (aux) - Everything has this now.
3) internal storage for music HDD or memory card - Internal storage is stupid when iPod support is so much faster, larger, databased, modular and less expensive. Pioneer units are almost all shipping with SD or MicroSD slots though, but an iPod classic is still far superior for storing massive amounts of data. USB inputs are almost standard on everything too, so you can go that way if you're just looking to store a couple of gigs of music.
4) good interface - Pioneer still remains one of the best interfaces, however JVC has surprised me with the speed of some of their upper-tier units (ugly, but fast).
5) (optional) changeable light color - Pioneer and Kenwood have this on all their higher-end units.
6) (optional) Nav.. doesn't need or want it but its not the end of the world if it has it..
.. His budget is $950 or less so best bang for the buck and best choice! Thanks

Okay, with that list and nav not being important, Pioneer 3300BT, hands-down. $360, bluetooth, and a slick interface. Throw in $250 for a 160gb iPod classic and you'll have pretty much limitless music storage, and you still have $250 left over to buy a Damn Good Garmin around and laugh at all other navigation systems.



The X930BT at $700 should be good and the detachable face is a huge plus, but it's not currently available at a lot of places, so you may have to wait. I'm also certain that the navigation won't be as good as even a cheap $100 garmin either.

 

great advice^^^^ btw I personally believe that pioneer's x920bt and x930bt are the two top HU's in the audio game right now...but since navi isnt so important then as wrathernaut said the 3300BT is your best bet

the navigation comment is also very true...any $100-$200 garmin or tomtom navi will perform better than any $500+ HU but some people like the idea of having it integrated into one device...like i do

 

Thanks for the advice. With the USB port, can you plug in a portable HDD/ SDD with folders of audio files and read off that? He doesnt want to go the ipod route becuase he has a droid 2 which he uses for music and hates apple (same as me). Also the 5.8 inch screen looks very small.. I was looking for a full 7 but it looks like the x930bt is the best for what he needs. Another friend of mine has a Pioneer from a few years back with a build in HDD.. do they not do that anymore? Another other full 7" screens to look at with everything im looking for? Thanks

 

Ok we took your advice and I placed an order with my audio guy today.. should be in on Thursday.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...H-P3300BT.html

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...of-SWI-PS.html

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...-99-9107B.html

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...a-70-1787.html

Boyo 425 backup camera

and European antenna adapter

 

I hate apple too, but support for USB is disgustingly pathetic when compared to support for iPod.

Get an iPod classic, put 100% of your music on it, and hide it somewhere. Nobody has to know you have one.

Yeah, they used to put HDDs in units, that was because they needed enough storage to put the map data on it, and since there's no hard drives small enough to only hold that, they let you fill them with some music too. Their hard drives were pathetically small, the price premium for the HDD units was more than a huge iPod. There's really no reason to not use an iPod except some geek pride. Tell your fanboy friend to suck it up and hide the iPod.

Screen size - I've got a 5.8" in my wife's and a 7" in my car. I don't really notice any difference between the two when using it.

 

I use my EVO (droid) for pandora streaming and nav in the car.. everything else is on my Ipod classic using the 3200DVD and love it.. and NO I hate Apple too but Wrath is right.. right now it's the best supported device and standard.
Its a royal pain via USB to have to scroll down on the phone to find what i want to play. when the Ipod is fully integrated into the head unit and steering wheel controls.

 

But cant you use the usb for a mass storage device and access it from the head unit and steering wheel controls? And lol he would rather pay more for less storage on an SD card than walk into an apple store and get an ipod.. same with me.. if the USB HDD is possible I will get an SSD (128 gb best bang for buck rite now) in a usb powered external enclosure and is there a back usb on that unit? if not I will open her up and extend the wires from the front to the back for a stealth drive in the glove box

 

Yeah, you will get steering wheel controls with it.

But you won't be able to search by artist, genre, album, song title at all. Yeah, you can arrange your folders however you want, but you're never going to get anywhere near as convenient or fast as using it with a device with a built-in database of all the music metadata.

There's no USB on the rear:


So buy it at any one of the hundreds of other stores that carry it, or order it online. I hear it comes in discrete packaging

A 128 GB SSD can be had for under the less than the 160gb iPod, but the loss of functionality by using USB over iPod just isn't worth it.

Anyway, you've got USB devices and if he gets the headunit, you can try it out, see how you like it, then get your friend's iPod and plug that in. See how much better the experience is (you'll need the iPod sync/charge cable and probably a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable to work around not having the "official" iPod cable from Pioneer).

 

If you get the 3300BT plus a Garmin, where are yall mounting the garmin?

 

Building a mount in the center cubby hole so it sits where the stock navigation screen was is a good option, otherwise windshield mounts are also popular.