Car audio?

[b0redom]

Hi All,
I'm thinking of replacing the double din unit in my 2011 Ford Galaxy with something a bit more modern. Ideally I want something which will work with the steering wheel/handfree kit, works with Apple car play and has DAB+. If there's something which will talk to the parking sensors and a rear cam (cam not currently fitted) too that'd be great.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Ta....

b0redom

[Jonj1611]

I would look at one of the android units, plenty on Amazon/ebay. Something from a reasonable brand. I have used Pumpkin before and they are ok, support is a bit sketchy though.

[peterb]

The Alpine iLX-700 seems to get good reviews and looks as if it integrates pretty well with various car electronics. Alpine are often the OEM mfr, and they have a pretty good reputation. Not a cheap option though.

Review here http://www.carplaylife.com/review/al...eceiver-review - Amazon list it slightly cheaper!

This company fits them https://www.cartronics.co.uk/BMW-3-s...ALPINE-iLX-700 (yes, fitting to a BMW - 'cos you got me intrigued but I'm sure they could advise on the Galaxy.)

(Disclaimer - I haven't used the company or the radio myself)

(I see Pioneer and Kenwood also do a unit - costs more than the Alpine though)

[Jonj1611]

The Apple car play is a bit touch and go on android devices which are much cheaper.

[b0redom]

I would look at one of the android units, plenty on Amazon/ebay. Something from a reasonable brand. I have used Pumpkin before and they are ok, support is a bit sketchy though.

My experience with Android devices is not great. I'm sure at the top end, they're great, but not at the middle to low end. A quick bit of googling tells me that Android and Carplay don't work well together, so I'm stuck with a 'real' head unit builder.

I saw the one that PeterB linked, and it looks good on paper. Whether it'll be any good in real life is a different matter though! If I give it a go, I'll report back.

[peterb]

Thank you - I'll be interested to see how you get on with it (if you go ahead!)

[Saracen]

Thank you - I'll be interested to see how you get on with it (if you go ahead!)

So will I, as I'm after a new head unit. Not anything fancy, feature-wise, though. Just something majoring on sound quality that plays CDs (yes, I said CD's) and rips from HD/memory-stick, etc.

Oh, and component-out to external amps.

[peterb]

My experience with Android devices is not great. I'm sure at the top end, they're great, but not at the middle to low end. A quick bit of googling tells me that Android and Carplay don't work well together, so I'm stuck with a 'real' head unit builder.

I saw the one that PeterB linked, and it looks good on paper. Whether it'll be any good in real life is a different matter though! If I give it a go, I'll report back.

The alpine unit I linked to doesn't have a CD slot - and looking more closely, I don't think it does DAB either . Sorry - my bad

[Saracen]

The alpine unit I linked to doesn't have a CD slot - and looking more closely, I don't think it does DAB either . Sorry - my bad

For my needs, if I can load up a storage device (HD, memory stick, etc) with high quality (by me) CD rips, I can do without (and would prefer) not to carry the CDs.

DAB doesn't bother me, at least while major BBC stations are still on FM. Does need FM reception, though.

I'm not bothered about interfacing to modern sensors, smartphones, stresming services, GPS, , etc, as I don't have any (except external GPS unit).

[Ttaskmaster]

Just something majoring on sound quality that plays CDs (yes, I said CD's) and rips from HD/memory-stick, etc.

Oooh, look at you, Mister Ultra-Modern-Technophile, with your CDs and your memory sticks...!!!

My ICE unit only has an audiocassette with the Use Your Illusion album on... There's a 6-disc CD changer in the boot, but it's only got 5 discs loaded.

[badass]

So will I, as I'm after a new head unit. Not anything fancy, feature-wise, though. Just something majoring on sound quality that plays CDs (yes, I said CD's) and rips from HD/memory-stick, etc.

Oh, and component-out to external amps.

For my needs, if I can load up a storage device (HD, memory stick, etc) with high quality (by me) CD rips, I can do without (and would prefer) not to carry the CDs.

DAB doesn't bother me, at least while major BBC stations are still on FM. Does need FM reception, though.

I'm not bothered about interfacing to modern sensors, smartphones, stresming services, GPS, , etc, as I don't have any (except external GPS unit).

Food for thought:

Instead of playing CD's, would being able to play FLAC instead be acceptable?

Secondly, agree on the DAB thing. It's useless currently. The signal is too weak so don't expect to be able to even hear stations that are currently available. I seriously regret bothering with going for a headunit with DAB rather than not bothering at all. I've got a DAB radio in the kitchen, a waterproof DAB radio in the shower but they don;t get all stations they should because the switchover (along with the DAB signal boost) didn't happen.

[Saracen]

Food for thought:

Instead of playing CD's, would being able to play FLAC instead be acceptable?

Secondly, agree on the DAB thing. It's useless currently. The signal is too weak so don't expect to be able to even hear stations that are currently available. I seriously regret bothering with going for a headunit with DAB rather than not bothering at all. I've got a DAB radio in the kitchen, a waterproof DAB radio in the shower but they don;t get all stations they should because the switchover (along with the DAB signal boost) didn't happen.

FLAC? Yeah, don't see why not. I'd have to redo my CD collection, and it'd take a while but ... yup.

I do have DAB in the home, but fed from a roof-mounted antenna. My first DAB unit was in the fairly early days, when a tuner (for my hifi) was a £700 add-on, and there are some DAB stations I quite like. Problem is, they have adverts which I loathe with a vengeance and, as I get older, what little ad-tolerance I had evaporates incrementally.

But in a car? Nah.

[Saracen]

Oooh, look at you, Mister Ultra-Modern-Technophile, with your CDs and your memory sticks...!!!

My ICE unit only has an audiocassette with the Use Your Illusion album on... There's a 6-disc CD changer in the boot, but it's only got 5 discs loaded.

Did I mention that my current unit is Minidisc, with CD changer. Well it is in one car, not in t'other. Also, more audiophile than technophile .... though I can hear the screeches about audiophile and Minidisc being used in the same sentence already.

[peterb]

..... though I can hear the screeches about audiophile and Minidisc being used in the same sentence already.

Well unless you are using Oxygen free copper bus bars of 100mm cross sectional area, smelted from pre-nuclear age salvaged copper, covered in finest Egyptian cotton insulation and carefully routed to neutralise the effect of the earths magnetic field and screened to avoid the contaminating effects of cosmic rays, I doubt you will notice any difference from any other audio source.

(And don’t try baffling me with science about skin effect of copper, or Shannon’s sampling theory or any other shenanigans)

[Saracen]

Well unless you are using Oxygen free copper bus bars of 100mm cross sectional area, smelted from pre-nuclear age salvaged copper, covered in finest Egyptian cotton insulation and carefully routed to neutralise the effect of the earths magnetic field and screened to avoid the contaminating effects of cosmic rays, I doubt you will notice any difference from any other audio source.

(And don’t try baffling me with science about skin effect of copper, or Shannon’s sampling theory or any other shenanigans)

Let me stick my head behind audio gear ..... <whistles while studying crack in ceiling> .... yup, check on the low oxy thinggymajig whatjamacallit wothesaid.



/Note to self - wonder if he'll buy that?

Oops, did I say that out loud?

[b0redom]

The alpine unit I linked to doesn't have a CD slot - and looking more closely, I don't think it does DAB either . Sorry - my bad

It’s slightly newer descendant does the ilx-702d - that’s currently the front runner. I’ve not had a problem with DAB, but then my car came fitted with a DAB head unit and I live around London. That being said when I get about 20 miles north of Luton on the M1 the signal can get patchy.