I just bought this unit and will be having it installed next Tuesday. I'm keeping my high end Nakamichi head unit to directly drive the audio, and having the Pioneer linked to run through the Nak to get to the speakers. Couple of questions for those of you who know about this stuff: 1) Do you all like the Pioneer unit? 2) Is this approach to hookup ok and does it make sense to keep the Nak. as controller for main audio? 3) Can my bluetooth phone kit be hooked up through the Pioneer, in this configuration, so the stereo mute will work and sound will come through the speakers(the Nak unit won't allow direct connection, I guess the head unit is an older model and doesn't have all the connection options)?

Thanks for any help.

 

Just had it installed Saturday in my SUV and am quite happy with it so far. The purpose of this particular unit is that it's "all in one". What your considering does not make alot of sense. If you want to use your Nak then don't use the AVIC and get a stand alone Nav system. I'm not a fan of Nak and if it were me I would ditch the Nak and use the AVIC for everything. Just add nice amps to run your speakers. The AVIC does have a phone mute but unsure if it will work with bluetooth.

 

CA 996,

Thanks for your feedback. My Nak headunit is about a $2000 item and I and the installer were thinking that I'd lose a good bit of sound quality by relying on the Pioneer. I've got about 1000 watts worth of amps driving ADS speakers as well as built in under the back seats pair of 8" subs. I may have him connect audio to Pioneer first and see how it sounds, then just take out Nak if it sounds as good. I got the Pioneer for Nav, DVD movie and MP3 use.

 

Didi you look at the Kenwwod DDX 7015? The sound quality should be closer to the Nak, and it has better Nav as well as DVD and Mp3 capabilities....I liked it better than the Pioneer...

 

Newport,

I believe that you have to then purchase and install additional Nav components. Also, I like the ability to adjust the screen angle from glare. Thoughts?

Regards

 

Yes the Nav is seperate, but the screen is adjustable from almost horizontal to vertical. The beauty of a seperate Nav unit is that you don't ever have to put the Nav disk in the unit. With th ePioneer, when you want the Nav system, you ave to stop what you are watching or listening to, put in th eNav disk then let the Nav system find the route, then take out the Nav disk and then reinsert the DVD or CD...Now what happens if there is traffic and you want to change your route...well pull out the DVD/CD put the NAV disk back in and then reroute, then put th eDVD/CD back in....With the Kenwood, stick the NAV disk in th eNAV unit, and leave it alone. You still have your DVD/CD slot free in the head unit. Not sure about the AVIC, but th eKenwood also has a bunch of audio ins and outs and video ins and outs for iPod, playstations, hands free car kits, more monitors, and has a satelite radio controller built in so you just get the module and antenna ($100) and you still control it from the touchscreen.

 

I agree with newport996. That was my unit of choice also. I ditched the becker unit.

 

Newport that is one drawback about the AVIC, but it is still the only "all in one" out there that i am aware of. I'm using it for space saving reasons primarily. But so far so good. In my Pcar I'm running Alpine separates including the Head uniit, separate 7" screen,Nav, TV, DVD changer and 3 amps. Funny it all fit in the Pcar and the SUV has no room. I have not done any critical listening to the AVIC as the speakers and amps go in next week. But the unit so far seems easy to use and sounds much better than stock because "STOCK SUCKS"

 

Yes all in one, but it costs more than the Kenwood head unit and the Nav unit. And the Nav unit mounts in the front trunk, not in the car so it'd not as if you need to find a place for it in the car.

 

I put it in an SUV........no room without effecting storage space

 

Ah....ok....enjoy it and the P-car...one thing, how does the engine monitoring functions get transmitted to the head unit?

 

Good question.......I assume through the speed sense wire

 

But doesn't it do tachometer and temp as well? This was always one question I had...Not that I would ever use that feature....why? It's right in front of me? Just curious.

 

I have the pioneer, and the matching 6 disc changer, so the only thing that I use the head unit disc slot for is the dvd navigation disc. can't watch a dvd while driving anyway in the porsche -- no rear screen. The driving dynamics (speed, lateral and braking g force) works off the gps positioning. it is cool to see the max readings when taking your favorite on ramp, etc. There is no engine monitoring. the sound of the avic thru the factory bose is pretty good IMHO. I also like that I still have the storage cubby, and have the wire for the mini plug to take the ipod in that location, which works well. the ipod is hooked up to a signal sensing switch.

 

ah.....ok.