Question of the Night: Who makes the best overall aftermarket head units?

"boxrocket" (boxrocket) 09/16/2015 at 01:11 • Filed to: question of the Night, qotn, audio, aftermarket, stereos

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A lot of us own or have owned used cars, many of which benefit from an aftermarket stereo (and sometimes speakers). While a lot of modern head units seem stuck in 2005 (look at the graphics on most units, yikes!), with the biggest accomplishments since being the addition of HD radio, inputs, and newer Bluetooth settings, they still can be preferable to the factory stereo.

Nice and simple: which company makes the best overall aftermarket head units for the money?

My choice: JVC.

I had the same KD-G700 in all 5 of my previous cars (the Mazda’s works and would be too much a PITA to swap) and I bought it new when it came out. It had a motorized face which was still impressive to the buyer of my Volvo that he opted to keep it rather than me knock $50 off the price of the car for it. I only wish it had an AUX in and a USB port, otherwise I would have kept it. It still compares favorably to modern offerings, despite the lack of features. Much like the Volvo, I kind of miss it, but I also like having an in-dash six-disc player with steering wheel controls from the factory.

How about you, Oppo? Pick a brand and state your case. Keep it within the realm of DIY and less than the cost of a LeMons racer with extra tires.

Expo2k > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 01:30

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I’ve had my Kenwood DNX 7140 DVD/Nav head unit for 6 years and it’s been flawless. Kenwood’s got the best (Garmin) nav if you don’t like using your phone for that, and decent bluetooth streaming quality (even in my old one). Even in their lower end models they have good EQ options and power output in their ranges, and have straightforward useful controls and displays.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 01:35

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JVC, because thats what my cars have my families cars have used for years

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 01:43

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Pioneer because Stage 4

IT’S SO PRETTY





(it’s also freaking expensive)

Urambo Tauro > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 02:26

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I had a JVC unit that I liked, but I’ve since replaced it with a Pioneer that I like much more, for several reasons. (I can’t remember the model numbers; I’ll update later.)

The Pioneer has a flat black appearance that matches my interior trim, as opposed to the JVC’s gloss black, which stands out.

Although the JVC was able to display a variety of colors, the Pioneer unit is much more adjustable, and I can fine-tune the RGB channels to match my clock and dash lighting perfectly.

The Pioneer has a pixel screen, which reads better than the JVC unit’s 7-segment characters.

The Pioneer has a USB input that I use a lot more than I thought I would. It’s better than burning MP3 CDs or plugging my Sansa player into the AUX jack.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 02:48

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i stck to JVC, Kenwood (same parent company) Pioneer, and Alpine

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 03:03

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Generally speaking, every manufacturer offers similar features. So let’s ignore those and talk just about quality and value and stick to what I think are the top four brands, from best to fourth.

Quality: Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC

Value: JVC, Pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine

Personally I usually stick to JVC because they cost so much less than the others for the same features and only slightly less quality.

pip bip - choose Corrour > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 04:53

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no one , they’re all shitty looking!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 09/16/2015 at 06:31

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Wow. Thats actually one of the best looking aftermarket units ive ever seen

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 09/16/2015 at 06:47

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you’d want it to be for $1349rrp.. and that’s without the matching amp.

Master Cylinder > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 07:11

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They are all terrible. All I want is a head unit that has an SD or USB input (and no disc drive), a nice LCD screen to display track info, and a polished UI, that costs less than $300. I have been unable to find such a thing so I gave up and used a cheap Chinese eBay unit that checks all the boxes except the UI (which is awful).

FlimFlamMan > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 07:56

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Sony because MEX-GS810BH

I got it for $197 shipped, so good deals can be found.

Premium sound (I installed a pair of nice quality Alpine’s a while back with an under-seat sub)

Bluetooth has been seamless with my iPhone 6, and the hands-free phone use has been surprisingly great, even with my nearly gutted out WRX interior.

This stereo rocks!

BJ > pip bip - choose Corrour 09/16/2015 at 08:09

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The Blaupunkt units are attractive, but I have no idea if they are any good.

misfitmascots > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 09/16/2015 at 08:12

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The P99rs is even more pleasing to listen to.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > misfitmascots 09/16/2015 at 08:28

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Even more pleasing to listen to than what?

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > BJ 09/16/2015 at 09:01

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Having had way to many cars that I've put stereos into over the years, I can confirm that the Blaupunkt ones really aren't bad. And as you said, they're much less gaudy then most of the other offerings out there.

functionoverfashion > Master Cylinder 09/16/2015 at 09:28

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http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-MVHX56…

Axel-Ripper > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 09:28

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I haven’t done any stereo installs for anyone in about 8 years. Last I did I was partial to Alpine, but the interface on the old one in my truck is definitely clunky and dated. I’m sure there’s better shit out there now, but hey at the time it was ipod integration for under $500!

functionoverfashion > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 09:36

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I’ve had JVC, Alpine, Kenwood, and Pioneer. I find Pioneer to be the best balance of value and quality.

I use regular car stereo head units in my boat, and I used to just buy a new one every few years, selling the old one on ebay. But I stopped doing that about 5 years ago with a pioneer unit I got, and it’s lived in the boat 100% of the time since then. It lives in a damp environment, it gets super hot, and it gets pounded to death when we’re driving around on a choppy day. It’s taken FAR more abuse than any head unit ever should, and it still works flawlessly. I think it was about $130 new (ebay), and it had to have multiple preamp outs and various related settings because that’s how the system is set up in the boat.

When it dies, I’m replacing it with one of Pioneer’s newer “media” receivers, it’s a full-din face but half the depth because no CD drive (I’ve never used a CD in my boat).

The best part for the boat use is that it has an auto-dim setting you can choose, where after a few seconds the whole screen goes black except for one button. This is HUGE at night, where you really don’t want a bright light in your face trying to find your way around a dark body of water at night.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 10:36

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My Pioneer unit has been pretty awesome since I got it a couple months ago.

Master Cylinder > functionoverfashion 09/16/2015 at 12:00

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Looks like a decent unit. Thanks!

NaturallyAspirated > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 12:56

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I really, really like my cheap Blaupunkt Melbourne head unit. SD card reader, USB port, and line in (no disc drive), decent built-in amp, and not too plasticky looking. I’d get another in a heartbeat.

Urambo Tauro > Urambo Tauro 09/16/2015 at 13:08

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The pioneer unit is a DEH-44HD. The JVC unit was a KD-S26.

The JVC was a good unit; I’m sure they make ones with similar features as my Pioneer. But I still like Pioneer’s design better, with the flat black trim. Another thing I really disliked about the JVC unit was the square rocking button on the left. It was very easy to accidentally press the wrong part of it.

boxrocket > Urambo Tauro 09/16/2015 at 13:50

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One design trend I’m not liking about recent/current aftermarket head units is how far to the right the volume knob is (if equipped, some have up/down buttons, which suck). Put it almost on the left-most edge (for LHD markets) and make a bigger screen instead.

johnmpc94 > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 14:02

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Overall, I prefer the current line of JVC products - it’s what I use in my NA Miata. Sony’s XPLOD used to be great (my dad’s ‘96 Ram has a 10-15yr old XPLOD CD player hooked up to the factory Infinity audio), but the quality has definitely gone down. Pioneer units are infuriating to use.

Urambo Tauro > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 14:04

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One design trend I’m not liking about recent/current aftermarket head units is how far to the right the volume knob is (if equipped, some have up/down buttons, which suck). Put it almost on the left-most edge (for LHD markets) and make a bigger screen instead.

I agree. Now, having it all the way on the left can be a bias against the passenger, but I’m okay with that. In my mind, the driver has full authority over the audio anyway.

The thing I don’t like about aftermarket units (in my experience) is the digital nature of the volume knob. It doesn’t keep up with high-speed rotation; it can only register a limited amount of input at a time. I like older OEM analog knobs that you could turn all they way from loud to zero at the flick of a wrist. In an aftermarket unit, such a motion might only reduce the volume by “8” or whatever, requiring another spin.

functionoverfashion > Master Cylinder 09/16/2015 at 14:23

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Can’t say I’ve used it, specifically. But it’s basically an updated version of the one I’ve been (ab)using for 5 years, but without the CD - which I won’t miss.