Need help with picking head unit
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 490
From: South Florida
Need help with picking head unit
Hello everyone, purchased a 2011 Grand Sport and looking for something to where I can use my phone to play music. Electronics are rocket science to me, don't know anything about them nor how to use most of them. I still havent even figured out what all the buttons are for in the car yet.
What am I looking for? Something not too expensive that will allow me to hook my phone via blue tooth to play music off of youtube. I want to keep the stock speakers as to me theyre good enough. I don't want something thats going to make the sound worse. It doesnt need to have a backup camera or anything, basically just needs to allow me to hook my Iphone up to the head unit preferably via bluetooth but I am not completely against using a wire. I am obviously open to any suggestions.
Car is going to Redline Motorsports Wednesday for first mods. Thank you!
What am I looking for? Something not too expensive that will allow me to hook my phone via blue tooth to play music off of youtube. I want to keep the stock speakers as to me theyre good enough. I don't want something thats going to make the sound worse. It doesnt need to have a backup camera or anything, basically just needs to allow me to hook my Iphone up to the head unit preferably via bluetooth but I am not completely against using a wire. I am obviously open to any suggestions.
Car is going to Redline Motorsports Wednesday for first mods. Thank you!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,423
Likes: 2,304
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
I suggest you go to https://www.crutchfield.com/S-de9kqfCwDnc/ to see what double DIN head units have the features and price you want and take it from there. I personally suggest you don't cheap out to much and get a quality unit. I personally prefer Pioneer stuff. You'll also have to get an interface, the most commonly used one is the (PAC RP5-GM11) https://www.crutchfield.com/p_541RP5...e.html?tp=3486 and a dash kit (Metra 95-3304) https://www.crutchfield.com/p_120953...t.html?tp=3121 to install it, also a XM tuner if you want to retain XM radio. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_220SXV...0V1-Tuner.html They also have a service where they'll wire up the interface to your head unit harness so a small fee which pretty much makes it plug and play if you're not comfortable wiring it up yourself. .https://www.crutchfield.com/p_264PAS...e.html?tp=1661 I also suggest installing a back-up camera while you're at it, you'll be glad you did in the long run. If you enter your car info on their site, it make say a particular double DIN head unit won't fit, which is incorrect, any double DIN unit should fit in your car. Let us know if you have any other questions, there's a lot of us on this site who have a lot of experience installing this stuff that are more than willing to help. By the way what brand of phone are you using ? There are a lot of head units that are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible
Last edited by madsonp; Jan 27, 2021 at 07:30 PM. Reason: spelling
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,423
Likes: 2,304
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
That's good to hear, just stay away from the cheap Chinese units. What's your budget ? Perhaps we could suggest a few head units that we think would work well for you.
Last edited by madsonp; Jan 27, 2021 at 09:32 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 439
From: Spring Texas
Does your GS have AUX input in the center console? I used this in my 13 GS before I replaced the head unit. It worked great. Automatically connected when the car turned on. I could stop/play, FF/RW whatever was playing on the phone. It also had a MIC, but I only connected it for audio.
I put it right below the shifter and cables ran right into the center console.
I put it right below the shifter and cables ran right into the center console.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 490
From: South Florida
Does your GS have AUX input in the center console? I used this in my 13 GS before I replaced the head unit. It worked great. Automatically connected when the car turned on. I could stop/play, FF/RW whatever was playing on the phone. It also had a MIC, but I only connected it for audio.
Kinivo BTC450
I put it right below the shifter and cables ran right into the center console.
Kinivo BTC450
I put it right below the shifter and cables ran right into the center console.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 490
From: South Florida
I would like to stay under $500 for the materials if possible, not really up to date on what this stuff cost am I way off?
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Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,324
Likes: 6,507
From: Melbourne, FL
You've got well over 100 bucks in install materials required. If you have steering wheel controls you want to retain, add another 70. Are you capable of doing it yourself? If not, add another 150. Want sat radio? That's like a hundred bucks more too.
You can get an OK unit for 400 bucks, but not a really good one.
If all you want is bluetooth streaming, I'd just get an I simple interface to add bluetooth, assuming you're going into a unit without an aux input already but with the xm capability.
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 21,136
Likes: 212
From: Long Island New York
Congrats on your new GS
Last year I got a new Kenwood DDX6906s for my C6. It’s the Execelon which is their upper end series. It has gold plated 5v outputs. It doesn’t have Nav or Sirius but my phone has waze, Sirius, iTunes , Bluetooth, phone contacts on phone so it goes direct to the head unit, Also plays CD’s. I decided to not go wireless, it’s easy enough to plug it in when entering and exiting. Rear camera( trust me, you will be glad you got it) now thinking I might add a front camera. It runs my 5 channel, 1,000+ watt system very nicely.
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-oB1DKF...-DDX6906S.html
Last year I got a new Kenwood DDX6906s for my C6. It’s the Execelon which is their upper end series. It has gold plated 5v outputs. It doesn’t have Nav or Sirius but my phone has waze, Sirius, iTunes , Bluetooth, phone contacts on phone so it goes direct to the head unit, Also plays CD’s. I decided to not go wireless, it’s easy enough to plug it in when entering and exiting. Rear camera( trust me, you will be glad you got it) now thinking I might add a front camera. It runs my 5 channel, 1,000+ watt system very nicely.
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-oB1DKF...-DDX6906S.html
Last edited by NYC6; Jan 29, 2021 at 10:41 AM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 490
From: South Florida
In a word, yes.
You've got well over 100 bucks in install materials required. If you have steering wheel controls you want to retain, add another 70. Are you capable of doing it yourself? If not, add another 150. Want sat radio? That's like a hundred bucks more too.
You can get an OK unit for 400 bucks, but not a really good one.
If all you want is bluetooth streaming, I'd just get an I simple interface to add bluetooth, assuming you're going into a unit without an aux input already but with the xm capability.
You've got well over 100 bucks in install materials required. If you have steering wheel controls you want to retain, add another 70. Are you capable of doing it yourself? If not, add another 150. Want sat radio? That's like a hundred bucks more too.
You can get an OK unit for 400 bucks, but not a really good one.
If all you want is bluetooth streaming, I'd just get an I simple interface to add bluetooth, assuming you're going into a unit without an aux input already but with the xm capability.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,324
Likes: 6,507
From: Melbourne, FL
Thanks for that. I may postpone this because I love speed and exhaust sound way more than music sounds. Spending $700+ to be able to use my phone for music seems silly. I wonder if it would make more sense to just buy one of those small bluetooth speakers in my case?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 490
From: South Florida
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Spring Texas
Google search
Last edited by VinceC5; Jan 31, 2021 at 04:41 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,423
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From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
True, the FM transmitters work but they lack in audio quality in the stock head unit that also lacks in audio quality, you'd see that up grading your head unit not only improves your audio quality, but gives you all the features you want, and then some. I think your budget of $500 is a little shy of what you should spend on a head unit and everything needed to install it but that depends on the features you want. What kind of system specifically are you looking for ? Do you want a Nav system that also plays CD/DVD's ? Are you using an iPhone or Android ? Do you want HD radio, XM radio ? If so I'd suggest this one for a start which is Pioneers lowest priced Nav system. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-MVXZoK...t=&awug=109977
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 490
From: South Florida
True, the FM transmitters work but they lack in audio quality in the stock head unit that also lacks in audio quality, you'd see that up grading your head unit not only improves your audio quality, but gives you all the features you want, and then some. I think your budget of $500 is a little shy of what you should spend on a head unit and everything needed to install it but that depends on the features you want. What kind of system specifically are you looking for ? Do you want a Nav system that also plays CD/DVD's ? Are you using an iPhone or Android ? Do you want HD radio, XM radio ? If so I'd suggest this one for a start which is Pioneers lowest priced Nav system. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-MVXZoK...t=&awug=109977
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,423
Likes: 2,304
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 490
From: South Florida
Ok, then might I suggest the Pioneer MVH-1400NEX https://www.crutchfield.com/p_130140...H-1400NEX.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,423
Likes: 2,304
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west