I'm pretty happy with this head unit so here's and FIY:
I installed it on a Gen'1 with premium sound, removed the old head unit and CD changer. I actually plan to reuse the CD changer harness to hide another hidden cigarette lighter in the center console box.
What I find nice with the head unit is the following:
- Main speaker high pass filters. I cut the stock speakers at 50Hz, and then I can tune the bass and highs to make them sound actually decent without them clipping or blowing. They can now provide a nice bass response that makes the sound whole instead of a drab tin can. I can also tweak the speaker timing delays with their basic software DSP which change how the cabin sounds.
- Torque with 2nd bluetooth antenna, I can see all kinds of specs real time.
- Super shallow, if you don't put the provided brackets or cut them, the unit fits without fighting the molded dash slope behind the unit. You still have to cut the front because the stock head unit is not quite 2 DIN size.
- Comes with GPS and can connect to my home wifi, so I can load offline google maps on the head unit.
- Works with Android and Apple phones, though the carlink doesn't seem to work too well with my iphone after my cousin used his android phone. I need to troubleshoot what happened.
I also bought and installed the matching amplifier. After I added it the stock speakers were way louder and felt crisper. It fits in the back of the head unit, just clipping harnesses with no splicing. There's a more powerful add-on amplifier but that one needs to be wired to the battery so it's more hassle and i didn't bother. Overall this already gives me very decent sound for jazz/classical/voice/rock.
I feel once I replace the speakers with top shelf 6.5" infinity, that I won't need to install a sub for everyday music. I don't need to vibrate everybody's house when I pass through though I do like very deep bass when I listen to EDM.
Downside:
it's android so it's a bit of a mess of an interface to understand and troubleshoot. Also the default layout of apps is stupid so you need to drag the useful apps (like carlink and/or BT music) to the main screen.
The carlink is over wifi/BT (not sure), and not via a direct USB connection. So you charge your phone on something else. It means if your wireless connection is not done right, it won't connect. I like the reliability of a wire myself. But if it works the head unit unlocks when your phone is there, plays, etc. without messing around with wires.
The head unit was $160, or $255 including the amp, which is reasonable vs a brand considering you get much better sound and features. It comes with a beefy CPU and memory configuration, better than other android alternatives when you do some research so it doesn't lag.
I did try a $30 chinese head unit with 7" screen. They're actually NOT android head units and kinda work if your bar is low. They only mirror your phone screen (control is on the phone, and it needs to be rotated correctly), and sound OK but don't allow you to solve the limits of your speakers with filters and DSP.
I installed it on a Gen'1 with premium sound, removed the old head unit and CD changer. I actually plan to reuse the CD changer harness to hide another hidden cigarette lighter in the center console box.
What I find nice with the head unit is the following:
- Main speaker high pass filters. I cut the stock speakers at 50Hz, and then I can tune the bass and highs to make them sound actually decent without them clipping or blowing. They can now provide a nice bass response that makes the sound whole instead of a drab tin can. I can also tweak the speaker timing delays with their basic software DSP which change how the cabin sounds.
- Torque with 2nd bluetooth antenna, I can see all kinds of specs real time.
- Super shallow, if you don't put the provided brackets or cut them, the unit fits without fighting the molded dash slope behind the unit. You still have to cut the front because the stock head unit is not quite 2 DIN size.
- Comes with GPS and can connect to my home wifi, so I can load offline google maps on the head unit.
- Works with Android and Apple phones, though the carlink doesn't seem to work too well with my iphone after my cousin used his android phone. I need to troubleshoot what happened.
I also bought and installed the matching amplifier. After I added it the stock speakers were way louder and felt crisper. It fits in the back of the head unit, just clipping harnesses with no splicing. There's a more powerful add-on amplifier but that one needs to be wired to the battery so it's more hassle and i didn't bother. Overall this already gives me very decent sound for jazz/classical/voice/rock.
I feel once I replace the speakers with top shelf 6.5" infinity, that I won't need to install a sub for everyday music. I don't need to vibrate everybody's house when I pass through though I do like very deep bass when I listen to EDM.
Downside:
it's android so it's a bit of a mess of an interface to understand and troubleshoot. Also the default layout of apps is stupid so you need to drag the useful apps (like carlink and/or BT music) to the main screen.
The carlink is over wifi/BT (not sure), and not via a direct USB connection. So you charge your phone on something else. It means if your wireless connection is not done right, it won't connect. I like the reliability of a wire myself. But if it works the head unit unlocks when your phone is there, plays, etc. without messing around with wires.
The head unit was $160, or $255 including the amp, which is reasonable vs a brand considering you get much better sound and features. It comes with a beefy CPU and memory configuration, better than other android alternatives when you do some research so it doesn't lag.
I did try a $30 chinese head unit with 7" screen. They're actually NOT android head units and kinda work if your bar is low. They only mirror your phone screen (control is on the phone, and it needs to be rotated correctly), and sound OK but don't allow you to solve the limits of your speakers with filters and DSP.
Goes down to 35Hz. It doesn't have the kick of a dedicated sub, but it's enough I need to find what in the door resonates at 50-60hz when I crank the volume.
