New member here looking for some good guidance and advice for a new double DIN head unit.
I'm not sure where the market is at right now for capabilities so I thought I'd come here and ask the dudes that know!
I recently bought a minivan (yeah I know... but it's great for the kids) that has what appears to be a regular double DIN stereo (2010 Kia Sedona). I have a pretty comprehensive and specific list of features I want, as well as some more ambiguous stuff I'm not sure about. The audio abilities is actually low on my list, I'm looking more along the lines of multimedia and smart features. It will be used with the vehicles stock speakers (for now, may upgrade later if I feel the need).
First off, some straight forward features I want:
• Bluetooth phone/music (obviously)
• Good Bluetooth phone sound quality (remote mic?)
• Video playback from a variety of sources
• SD/USB input
• Back up camera capable
• Integration with a rear seat video screen or screens to be added
• The option of steering wheel controls that can be added (vehicle doesn’t have any). This is most important for Bluetooth phone and audio controls because the dash is actually a far reach from the driver’s seat, especially for my wife.
• Good voice control ability
• Good on-screen traffic GPS, or the ability to tether to a smartphone for GPS (more on this later)
Now to the ambiguous part. What I really want is a “smart” radio. Web surfing, apps, email, all of that. Like an iPad in your dash but with full vehicle integration. I have heard of some units that can “mirror” your smart phone and basically replicate it on it’s screen and give you the ability to use all of your apps and phone features. The kicker is I want something that will work with both iPhone and Android as my wife and I don’t share the same tastes in phones. I *might* be willing to switch if there is a head unit out there that does it all.
It seems the car audio market is poised on the next big step to go to something like that rather than the fairly limited devices I’ve seen the last few years. Is there anything out there yet that does it all and does it fairly seamlessly? Also, as it will be a fair sized investment, I’d like to be as far ahead of the curve as possible. Price isn’t a huge issue but I don’t want to get ridiculous because who knows when the van will go in exchange for a new one or SUV/truck.
I appreciate any insights guys, thanks.
I'm not sure where the market is at right now for capabilities so I thought I'd come here and ask the dudes that know!
I recently bought a minivan (yeah I know... but it's great for the kids) that has what appears to be a regular double DIN stereo (2010 Kia Sedona). I have a pretty comprehensive and specific list of features I want, as well as some more ambiguous stuff I'm not sure about. The audio abilities is actually low on my list, I'm looking more along the lines of multimedia and smart features. It will be used with the vehicles stock speakers (for now, may upgrade later if I feel the need).
First off, some straight forward features I want:
• Bluetooth phone/music (obviously)
• Good Bluetooth phone sound quality (remote mic?)
• Video playback from a variety of sources
• SD/USB input
• Back up camera capable
• Integration with a rear seat video screen or screens to be added
• The option of steering wheel controls that can be added (vehicle doesn’t have any). This is most important for Bluetooth phone and audio controls because the dash is actually a far reach from the driver’s seat, especially for my wife.
• Good voice control ability
• Good on-screen traffic GPS, or the ability to tether to a smartphone for GPS (more on this later)
Now to the ambiguous part. What I really want is a “smart” radio. Web surfing, apps, email, all of that. Like an iPad in your dash but with full vehicle integration. I have heard of some units that can “mirror” your smart phone and basically replicate it on it’s screen and give you the ability to use all of your apps and phone features. The kicker is I want something that will work with both iPhone and Android as my wife and I don’t share the same tastes in phones. I *might* be willing to switch if there is a head unit out there that does it all.
It seems the car audio market is poised on the next big step to go to something like that rather than the fairly limited devices I’ve seen the last few years. Is there anything out there yet that does it all and does it fairly seamlessly? Also, as it will be a fair sized investment, I’d like to be as far ahead of the curve as possible. Price isn’t a huge issue but I don’t want to get ridiculous because who knows when the van will go in exchange for a new one or SUV/truck.
I appreciate any insights guys, thanks.
