jrv2000

Please bear with me since I am a total newb at car audio.

I was looking at crutchfield for a new head unit, and came across these that i like.



and



Now since I know absolutely nothing about car audio, what I want to know is...

1. Is kenwood a good brand.
2. What other brands should I consider
3. Main differences between the dpx501 and dpx701.

I am also open to other suggestions for other brands of HU's, but I have some criteria.

1. I prefer it to be a double din, I dont really like how the single din looks, but I will take single dins into consideration
2. It must be compatible with an IPOD. If the HU doesnt need any sort of ipod connector kit that would be even better.One of the things I liked about the two kenwood HU's I listed above is that they have USB input on the face of the HU, which I would be able to use to hook my ipod up to.
3. I am leaning towards a HU that is High Definition capable.
4. Must have a FM sensitivity of 8 to 12 dBf, preferably 8-10dBf.
5. Must be in the price range of $500-600 and below.

If all you audiophiles could chime in and help me that would be great.

Thanks,

John

Yanki01

kenwood is a good brand, and can compare to others like alpine, eclipse, pioneer.

If you want double din i would suggest going with the dvd/navi 6.5" screen type. I like the pioneer d1 which is what ill be getting by the end of the summer!

I would look into others since im not a kenwood fan? others can see different? for a double din your looking into between $5-700 used on ebay and between $7-1200 for a new one, both depending on which brand and model you choose. I know alpine and pioneer are ipod compatible. do some searches on ebay.

heres some from our fellow scion owners......
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...=asc&&start=25

jrv2000

Thanks for the reply, although even though a DVD player and Navi unit would be cool, in reality I would personally never really use it.

Any suggestions for a non navi/dvd unit with the specs I listed above?

Thanks

John

soup006

The dpx-701 has steering wheel remote capability so you can use it with the pac swi-alp and retain the use of your steering wheel remote controls.

Yanki01

^^ thats for the 06 models. Not 05'

jrv2000

ya, I dont have steering wheel control on my car, so thats something I'm not too worried about

BirdManIDC

you mean with that radio i can still use the controls on th steering wheel???

melvynray

walmart has one. lol. its $488 with all that stuff. check their web site

diegocs

I think the key differences are:

DPX 701 has:
- three sets of 5-volt preamp outputs
- 64-color fluorescent display
- compatible with Kenwood's optional Bluetooth adapter (available in the fall)
- Warranty: 2 Years

I think DPX 701 is the way I'm going too.. it looks awesome and I don't care much about a dvd/gps right now.. I just want a simple but effective sound system..

I'm going to look for deals on this one now and I suggest you do the same.. if you find something let us know

thanks

diegocs

found it for $283 plus $25 shipping

http://cgi.ebay.com/KENWOOD-EXCELON-...QQcmdZViewItem

sounds good to me!

melvynray

so these are same size as stock?

diegocs

yes..

I actually read a review from a guy that owns a tc and he said it fits perfectly..

Johnm248

anyone have any pics of this installed? I just got the dpx-501 for my xb.

bellnier

Johnm248...can you post a pic of this unit in your xB? I'm thinking of getting one. If you plug iPod into USB port what kind of controls do you get for iPod...is iPod then controlled by HU or by iPod clickwheel? Also, I'm worried about theft. Since it does not have a removable faceplate, does the run-of-the-mill stereo thief know not to bother with this unit because it has a security code? Thanks.

RoswellScion

It seems the DPX701 is the way to go. It is very affordable if you go through E-Bay(all around $300 shipped).

bellnier

Could someone with this unit (501 or 701) PLEASE tell me how the iPod interfaces with this via usb? Does HU control iPod or does clickwheel control iPod? Please provide details. Also, what are AUX inputs on back...RCA plugs or do I need to buy an adapter to connect my Sirius Plug-n-play receiver? Thanks.

avelanchefan

So is anyone happy with their units? I am looking at the 501, and really cannot see that much of a diference between the units (701) except for the display.

Also what adapters are needed for this unit? Is there anything specific or the regular ones from Cardomain that I have seen here before?

bellnier

I've been doing some online searching about controlling iPods via usb ports and am discouraged. Apparently the file structure on the actual iPod is nothing like that in iTunes, ie files on iPod are all over the place and may not appear in any logical order. In addition, purchased songs may not play via direct usb connection. If anyone knows any better, please tell me. The bottom line...if I buy the 501/701, I probably won't use the usb port for anything. But what other choice do I have? There are very few double-din HUs out there, and I don't want one with a cassette player. The 501/701 still have 2 ports on the back, one AUX and one Changer port (that can be easily converted to an AUX)...this would accomodate my iPod and Sirius radio. So here's what I'd need: HU, AUX adapter for HU, Metra kit to fill out sides of HU, a couple audio cables...not sure it's worth it...I'm still deciding.

avelanchefan

HmmI have not read that about the IPOD. If that is true I find that very disapointing. But you could solve it buy purchasing thishttp://www.crutchfield.com/S-KTkjoj6...asp?i=113IP500 for the head unit. I would like to hear some actual experiences with this unit.

bellnier

I don't have any hands-on exp. with this, but the GENERAL criticism of this and most similar controllers is that they are quite slow to respond, don't show much text, and you give up all control at the iPod level.

I've got a single-din unit now that has an AUX input on the face plate...it's incredibly convenient for iPod use, but I'm not crazy about the look. I'm using FM mod for my Sirius w/o any signal problems/interference here in upstate NY.

My other concern about these Kenwood doubl-dins...fixed faceplates invite theft.

I'm STILL deciding...