Hey there guys, looking at upgrading from the factory system finally, and instead of installing all the parts i have lying around want to sell some and pick up some new toys :happy:

Most importantly i want a double din HU. Most preferably with touch screen, plays most formats, has ipod connection, is from a reliable brand and doesnt cost me an arm and a leg. After a bit of searching i have come up with the Clarion MAX386VD DVD Player (http://clarion.com/au/en/products/2008/multimedia/multimedia_source_units/MAX386VD/au-en-product-pf_1172393796070.html). I think it fills most of the things i am looking for.

Now is there any other units out there for a similar price i shuold be looking at? Dont wanna spend too much more on the HU really, if i get the clarion i plan on buying it off RYDA.com. As can get it for a bit over $500 delivered, its Aus stock and comes with 1yr Clarion warranty so its not dodgy. Has anyone got one of these HU's, or installed or played with one at all, any opinions wanna hear all the positives and negatives.

Cheers
Timmy

heaps of others out there mate
tho they can get pretty pricey
some other brands to look at are: JVC, pioneer, alpine and eclipse
really depends on how much you wanna spend

Yeh most of the alpine way outta budget, max i wanna spend is $600. JVC has one for about that price but this has pretty much everything i think i need though. Dont wanna go and spend a whole lot more money than i have to, like i did last time :headbange when im never gonna use half of the features lol

my favourite head unit has got to be the kvx810 from JVC, check it out dude, it's nice.

Kenwoods another one to look at

Clarions range of DD HU's are quite nice, especially the one's that have USB capability.

They however seem to lack good colour on the screen, things seem dull, almost 'matt' finish. JVC on the otherhand are a lot more vibrant.

my favourite head unit has got to be the kvx810 from JVC, check it out dude, it's nice.

Hey mate tried searching google for that nothing came up :confused:

So far for the price which is about $510 delivered for the Clarion MAX386VD cant seem to find anything else that compares, and is brand new. Kenwood and Pioneer do some very good units but all come in couple hundred more than the Clarion, would love someone to prove me wrong lol

For a bit over $600 i could get the JVC KW-AVX710 In Dash DVD Monitor, but im not sure i could justify the extra $100...

Should also mention that im in no way interested in a fold out/pop up screen, only interested in a straight double din HU :)

I've got the pioneer avh4050 in both of mine, direct ipod control and cable, usb, lots of dvd formats and multi coloured display. Gives off a good quallity sound, my only problem with the unit is the standard background is pretty boring. Recently picked one up for the wifes car for $650 on an end of model runnout.

There are plenty of good deals to be had with the economy going the way it is so shop around, but stay away from the hong kong cheapies on ebay as most have a really crappy sound quallity.

I've got the JVC AVX-810 in my car and, personally, I wouldn't recommend it. It's got a huge featureset but the interface is slow and clunky. Browsing through the ipod on there isn't even worth the hassle, it's easier to disconnect, select and then re-plug in. Songs titles take ages to display and you can't skip until they appear and I've had it lock up on me a few times. Also you can't play ipod video straight through it unless you buy an extra module.

The quality of the screen is pretty damn good though and it allows a fair bit of customisation in the settings.

Just my opinion, that I'm sure will get torn apart by the JVC lovers on here.

I've got the JVC AVX-810 in my car and, personally, I wouldn't recommend it. It's got a huge featureset but the interface is slow and clunky. Browsing through the ipod on there isn't even worth the hassle, it's easier to disconnect, select and then re-plug in. Songs titles take ages to display and you can't skip until they appear and I've had it lock up on me a few times. Also you can't play ipod video straight through it unless you buy an extra module.

The quality of the screen is pretty damn good though and it allows a fair bit of customisation in the settings.

Just my opinion, that I'm sure will get torn apart by the JVC lovers on here.

Thanks for the honesty dude, great to get info like this as its damn hard to find anything of note on the net anywhere so far :headbange

So far clarion unit is in the lead, as im pretty sure it has all features i could need, and dont think i could justify spending another $100+ to get more features which i will more than likely never use.

Any more opinions, advice regarding the models listed so far, especially the clarion?

I'm also in the market for a double din unit.
However I discounted the Clarion unit as those buttons on the side decrease the screen size.
Another you may consider is the Response QM3784 full 7" screen from Jaycar for $599.
Its new on the market, so not much on the net about it.
You may get a better price from Megatron here in the forum.
Would love to hear from other forum members about their experiences with double din units.

Not sure on any other brands but i know that the jvc models have a thing called giga mp3, which is like an mp3 cd but its an mp3 dvd, much more storage on a dvd :). plus the jvc models have DIVX, which will be required with most AVI files you download off the net. if u want to PM ur email or fax i can send u a complete spec sheet of all the jvc models.

Should also mention that im in no way interested in a fold out/pop up screen, only interested in a straight double din HU :)


:thumbsup:

Good point above about the DivX support, definitely something you want. I don't have a DD headunit, but being able to dump loads of DivX files on my car PC is great, and with some of the headunits I'm sure you can connect a USB HDD loaded with videos.

Not sure on any other brands but i know that the jvc models have a thing called giga mp3, which is like an mp3 cd but its an mp3 dvd, much more storage on a dvd :). plus the jvc models have DIVX, which will be required with most AVI files you download off the net. if u want to PM ur email or fax i can send u a complete spec sheet of all the jvc models.

smart cookie he is

I'm also in the market for a double din unit.
However I discounted the Clarion unit as those buttons on the side decrease the screen size.
Another you may consider is the Response QM3784 full 7" screen from Jaycar for $599.
Its new on the market, so not much on the net about it.
You may get a better price from Megatron here in the forum.
Would love to hear from other forum members about their experiences with double din units.


Megatron can source the QM3784 for $480 plus postage.
This puts it within your budget

hi

just a new angle...

my friend bought a unit from ebay ..lol from china...lol

It has every thing..full stop...well except for touch screen but was 2 year ago. still working fine only had to upgrade the antenna for tv.

Sounds good with factory speakers ..better than std h/U as his 100 series landcruiser has a good setup anyway.

also had a mate get a faulty one and was replaced with a bit of stuffing around but at no cost.

depending on what you need maybe these are worth looking at?

great value for money but i wouldn't trust them to last as long as a good brand unit. maybe 5 years as a good brand will last longer but who keeps there car longer than that.

sound quilty im sure isn't as good but still is acceptable for a street car even with amps etc.

if you go this way you will need to fit it your self as most dealers don't touch them.

just an option......

i was looking at the same clarion one but i though might aswell spend an extra $100 on a pioneer and get DIVX and other +'s, and i think that pioneer have a better standard for sound and all but thats just me.... so i would spend a bit more and have a product im 100%%% happy with

and heres the link http://www.ryda.com.au/Pioneer-AVH-P4050DVD-In-Dash-DVD-Player-p/avhp4050dvd.htm

cheers tony:happy:

Thanks for all the info guys great stuff so far. Yeh def not going for a ebay special, would much prefer to get a respected brand with support in the country.

That jaycar unit looks pretty sweet, especially is Megatron can source it for such a good price, any one has experience with one of these? How is jaycars build quality, never come across much of their car audio stuff yet