I am wondering what people think is the best 2DIN screen. I have been looking at the alpine W505. I dont want it for navigation, I would rather pay a couple hundred bucks for a garmin that is much better. The main things I want are an intuitive interface as well as a good ipod interface with a high resolution screen. Let me know what you think and why. Thanks.
Best 2DIN Screen?
- Thread starter dheeter
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tarheeltp17
New member
Kenwood's navigation is the same you find on a Garmin.
I don't like Alpine screens... I'd suggest Kenwood or Pioneer.
I don't like Alpine screens... I'd suggest Kenwood or Pioneer.
I have the alpine iva-w505. It has the best picture quality, especially for DVDs. Only gripe is that it is a pain in the ass to install due to the number of wires in the back. Especially if you add more options like HD radio or Sat radio. I had the eclpise avn-6600 before...easy to install but screen not as good and less functions.
Elusive
New member
i recommend the kenwood. You get bluetooth and the Garmin nav built in. The DVD pic quality is not bad at all, but i would say my buddies Alpine is a little better, however i dont really care about dvd's in my car except for my snowboard flix on the drive up to get me stoked for the day
nquaint
New member
i have the kenwood ddx 712 and its great, good resolution and the ipod interface is easy to use and navigate through. You have to buy the ipod cables separately though. I routed the docking cable to my glove box. Just plug it in and you never have to touch it, everything is controlled through the touchscreen.
Now I am looking more at the kenwood 7120 or the pioneer avic-z3, mostly due to the horrible reviews I have read about alpine's navigation. I changed my mind and actually do want a quality navigation setup, having a seperate unit would not be as clean.
My buddy has an older kenwood deck, and the ipod control is horrible. I have heard that kenwood products tend to be counter-intuitive. Is the 7120 the same?
I guess now I am wodering, is the pioneer worth the extra $$ over the kenwood?
My buddy has an older kenwood deck, and the ipod control is horrible. I have heard that kenwood products tend to be counter-intuitive. Is the 7120 the same?
I guess now I am wodering, is the pioneer worth the extra $$ over the kenwood?
nquaint
New member
well I have the kenwood 712 in my truck, and buddy has an alpine double din in his car, not sure on the model. We both have ipod connections and the "ease of use" are about the same as far schrolling through ipod menus and finding certain songs or playlists.
After I bought my 712 I read a couple articles saying they did not sync well with ipods but I went ahead and tried it out and it worked fine.
Also I know that my 712 is the same as the 7120 except for the navigation feature, and you can buy that separate if you want to.
After I bought my 712 I read a couple articles saying they did not sync well with ipods but I went ahead and tried it out and it worked fine.
Also I know that my 712 is the same as the 7120 except for the navigation feature, and you can buy that separate if you want to.
smokey7722
New member
dheeter said:
I've got an AVIC-Z1 and unless they changed the iPod interface for the new one its going to be unbearably slow. All I can use it for is playing playlists. Its just too slow to navigate through artists or genre's or anything, especially while driving. The NAVI on mine is ok, but is now outdated and I refuse to spend the $$ to get an upgrade dvd for it when I have a perfectly good Garmin Nuvi I use for work during the week (I travel every week so I don't drive my runner then). The NAVI, despite being outdated, has the most random selection methods. I took the XM NAVTRAFFIC off the system thinking it was that that was creating issues but even without that, it literally sends me 10 different ways for 10 trips from the same source and destination. It does have a "learning" ability that basically captures your driving habits and bases the routes on that, but I've disabled that too as it doesn't really work. Overall, my next unit will be a Kenwood screen (or I'll install the Xenarc I have into the dash) most likely with a computer in the car to control the A/V and other stuff. In regards to NAVI, I'll probably end up just using my garmin at this point. I haven't found one 2DIN unit I like (I've had various eclipse models as well).
That is good to know about the pioneer. The thing is I have heard a lot of awful things about previous models of kenwood too. I dont know, I cant belive that when you are spending $1000 on hardware, that it doesnt perform exactly how it should. So far I have concluded that alpine's navigation is horrible, pioneers ipod interface is horrible, and the kenwood seems to be alright. What about the eclips screen? Does anyone have the pioneer z3? Can yoiu confirm if they have fixed the problems with the navigation and ipod interface?
Eclipse AVN6620
...also get the Back Up Cam, iPod Connector & Bluetooth
BEC106 + iPC-106 + BT-E600
Yes...it's plug & play. Just need to buy a harness or make one yourself.
And yes..you will retain the steering wheel audio control
My friend installed the Eclipse AVN5510 in his Camry.
Tutorial: Eclipse AVN5510 Install For 5th Generation Camry w/ JBL
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213067
via Gilbert (Lilboi)
...also get the Back Up Cam, iPod Connector & Bluetooth
BEC106 + iPC-106 + BT-E600
Yes...it's plug & play. Just need to buy a harness or make one yourself.
And yes..you will retain the steering wheel audio control
My friend installed the Eclipse AVN5510 in his Camry.
Tutorial: Eclipse AVN5510 Install For 5th Generation Camry w/ JBL
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213067
via Gilbert (Lilboi)
K.C. said:
Sounds pretty good....
Do you have this unit? How are the ipod controls? How is the navigation? Is the interface intuitive?
For the amound of money that these things are I do not want to be disappointed. I want the navigation to work as well or better than a garmin/tom tom type unit. And I want an ipod interfave that is as easy to use as an ipod, nothing more or less. And I also want the interface to be intuitive, so I dont have to search through the manual for hours to set the time. I would rather spend $2000 on something that works than $700 on something that doesnt do what it is supposed to.
Anyone have first hand experience with the eclipse or the pioneer z3?
tarheeltp17
New member
I don't suggest the Eclipse units based on the fact that they don't offer bluetooth built in. With all there units you have to add a separate control for the bluetooth which in my opinion is ridiculous for an aftermarket product.
Pioneer's iPod interface is one of the top now... I agree their original was terrible and slow but so was everyone elses.
Their nav is on the spot too... they have a wire that connects to the vehicle speed sense which helps with accuracy in areas where elevation changes rapidly (mountains)
I highly suggest checking into the Kenwood units. iPod interface is the easiest to use and there is no way you can go wrong with it and the navigation is done by Garmin.
Pioneer's iPod interface is one of the top now... I agree their original was terrible and slow but so was everyone elses.
Their nav is on the spot too... they have a wire that connects to the vehicle speed sense which helps with accuracy in areas where elevation changes rapidly (mountains)
I highly suggest checking into the Kenwood units. iPod interface is the easiest to use and there is no way you can go wrong with it and the navigation is done by Garmin.
tarheeltp17 said:
Yeah I am ruling out the eclipse, everything I hear about them is they are just "ok" screen and navi are grainy and outdated.
So is the pioneer z3 user interface, ipod interface and navigation $500 better than the kenwood. Between the two which is the better product and why? and which is the better deal and why?
Thanks for all the responses. I didnt think that this would be that difficult of a decision. Thanks again.
tarheeltp17
New member
The Z3 is a killer unit, but the Z3 I think has features that aren't exactly necessary which are causing a price increase compared to similar units. The built in hard drive is nice in a way that you don't have to use the disc like you do with their other nav units, but giving storage for music is useless when most of us are hooking up our iPods anyway. The nav is nice, but I still vote for the garmin.
The DNX8120 is a killer unit and has built in bluetooth. I've got a DDX8019 with bluetooth and nav added on that I'll part with just because I want to upgrade to the 8120.
The DNX8120 is a killer unit and has built in bluetooth. I've got a DDX8019 with bluetooth and nav added on that I'll part with just because I want to upgrade to the 8120.
tarheeltp17
New member
high volt preouts, 2 year warranty, built in bluetooth, 5.1 decoding & playback
