Double DIN head units

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

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17 Oct 2002
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Does anyone here run a double DIN head unit? I'm looking at going this way in my long long long overdue proper ICE install in the E39 because I think we've finally reached a point where it can be done without looking totally horrendous (Though opinions on this side of things are not required thanks very much). It is roughly comparable in cost to the only other real alternative - the OEM Nav retrofit.

I think I've narrowed it down to two units and I'd be after any advice or opinions on either unit - has anyone got one or used one?

I'm looking for something that gives me full multimedia capability in the car - bluetooth telephone, iPod control, SD card reader, USB interface radio and Satellite Navigation all integrated.

The two units at the top of the shortlist are:

Pioneer AVIC F20BT



This unit seems to have the best and most modern looking interface of all. It's slick, seems nice to use, modern fonts, etc etc. It's also a Pioneer so its likely to be the better head unit from a sound quality perspective. It's also reasonably priced - you can pick it up for £800 as it was recently replaced by the F30BT which adds almost nothing worth having. The downside is the navigation side of things - I believe it uses iGo8 for navigation which is appparently pretty sub-par.

Sony XNV-L77BT



This unit doesnt quite have as slick an interface as the Pioneer. It's also a Sony, so whilst I've never been unhappy with any of the Sony ICE products I've had before, it's pretty much a fact that the Pioneer will have better sound quality. It's also more expensive than the Pioneer, coming in at £900. They do a 66BT but it has a smaller screen and a thicker bezel with more buttons on it which begins to look a bit crappy - the benefit of the 77BT and the Pioneer is that almost all of the unit is simply screen - which makes it look far less aftermarket than it otherwise would. The 77 is almost entirely unbranded whereas the 66BT is plastered with stupid XPLOD and DivX logos.

You might therefore think its a no-brainer and that the Pioneer wins hands down. But the Sony has an ace up its sleeve - the navigation side of things is basically the latest TomTom unit with IQ routes. Say what you like about navigation but I firmly beleive TomTom is the market leader. I love the interface, I love the routing, I just love the products full stop. I rate Tomtom higher than any navigation system I've ever used and as a result it's really making me lean towards the Sony - having a large, widescreen version of the current generation TomTom units - with full European mapping, Live services and all the other jazz you get with the top end £200+ TomToms, is just hugely appealing.

So, anyone got one?

Or am I overlooking another unit?
 
I've used similar late-model Pioneer units with the same interface and they're nice to use, but as usual, the navigation falls short of TomTom's abilities.

Unless you're an audiophile and will be running with aftermarket speakers with separate amplification, I doubt you'll notice any sound quality deficit with the Sony. It seems to me that the interface is more important to you :)


Do double-din units fit in the E39's dash? I would have thought they weren't tall enough!
 
Whilst I've not got direct dealings with the particular Pioneer in question, I've used, installed, and played around with a number of AVIC systems, and they always (without question) feel better built, have better menu navigation (of the software, not satnav), and far better audio and multimedia functions than anything else.

Sony still have their inherent sound quality issues, and the hardware always feels cheap, I guess the looks are subjective, but I've never liked the look of Sony's interfaces, although as with the Pioneer, I've not seen the unit in question.

I guess you've ruled out OEM then? If this is the case, you've got an opportunity to get decent sound quality very easily, so I'd sway away from the Sony for this reason alone.
 
Can't help with any opinions bar looks. The sony one is the one I would pic from the above 2, it looks nicer and as you say tomtom is a great satnav. Would the rest of the audio system really notice the difference in sound if there is any?
 
I think I've ruled out OEM simply because it is so antiquated. The interface looks 9 years old - because it is - it wont do postcodes, etc etc.

These units appear to offer all the latest technology for the same sort of money as an OEM retrofit.
 
I always thought double din units looked iffy in a E39 due to the fascia/ bezel ?
not the actual unit itself.


l015.jpg


l013.jpg
 
Thats the best bezel you can get - the Janus design one. I think it looks acceptable enough to be worth it for the massive additional functionality you gain.
 
The Pioneer interface and iPod connectivity is fantastic, never had an issue with the pioneer derived Nav through all the upgrades I’ve always had full Europe coverage, mapping detail is fantastic and you still get traffic notifications and re-routings on the screen.

Must admit TomTom on the Sony would tempt me, problem is the unit will play second fiddle to the Pioneer for everything else, and given how good I’ve found the Pioneer Nav i simply don't think i could buy the Sony.

The only issue i have with double din none factory nav units is it's a huge theft target.
 
I'm looking at getting the F20BT for my Focus, just need to get the cash together first, the phone and ipod interface looked very good on the Pioneer.
 
I don't think the nav in the Pioneer units is that bad either, certainly useable and far better than many OEM navigation systems I've used. As Firestar said, the iPod/phone integration is brilliant. I couldn't buy a Sony device. So unless you really, really like the interface.. :)
 
on some of these double din units, they can be tilted left and right, is this true of the pioneer / sony?. just wondering were it sits in the dash that you can see everything clearly.
 
I guess it all depends on how important Nav is to you.

If it's something you use once in a while then I'd go Pioneer (I'd probably go Pioneer either way though, but that's just me :) ).

If you're the sort to have Nav on every single destination that you go to then maybe better off plumping for the Sony and it's superior navigation.
 
Everyone on the AVIC forums seems to think its an amazing unit let down by crappy nav.

My intention is to always have the Unit in nav mode with the map showing - controlling Audio via the steering wheel. I think is why I'm placing so much weighting on the Nav side of things.
 
paradigm said:
Sorry, but that (installed in an e39) looks foul. The mass of bezel you end up with is comical.
Click to expand...

It looks less foul than the dual line monochrome display I currently have fitted. For ages I agreed with you, but then thinking about it, it's not really that bad. Especially as the interior of, say, the F10 also has a huge mass of bezel each side of its factory fit screen on some models...
 
Depends what you want out of the Nav side of things i suppose, for me it's; top down / drivers map view with full postcode search and good europe coverage with points of interest and traffic re-routing with voice search etc.

I only have the map's showing when i'm using the nav, otherwise it's the iPod interface screen.
 
[TW]Fox;19951661 said:
It looks less foul than the dual line monochrome display I currently have fitted. For ages I agreed with you, but then thinking about it, it's not really that bad. Especially as the interior of, say, the F10 also has a huge mass of bezel each side of its factory fit screen on some models...
Click to expand...

It does yes, but not a huge piece of separate bezel that tries to continue the lines of the dash either side of it. Just looks out of place. Perhaps if you could paint the top half in the same as the trim, and get the bottom half covered in soft-touch vinyl, then maybe, but as it stands in that picture... eurgh.

I'd retrofit the BMW nav and be done with it tbh. Granted you don't get full postcode search, but the 4-5 digit search was good enough for me, and a recent map disc is all you need to have decent european-wide routing.
 
Can you get any DI-NOC stuff that could make the bezel look a bit more integrated?


If it's a choice between spending £900 on a brand new device with a modern interface and features, or spending the same amount on a decade-old nav/interface design, just to gain that extra bit of aesthetics, then it's a no brainer to me really :)
 
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