What's up folks. Hope your day is going as well as mine. It's a horribly humid day and my skin feels like it caught fire just walking to my car, joy joy.

I'm starting my search for a new headunit for the tC. I am not about to dump thousands into a huge system, I may not even replace the stock speakers for another year or more, but I am looking for a new headunit. Running the base Pioneer, just could not convince myself to spend the insane cash Scion wanted for the SNS200 as the only factory unit with a nice large screen.

Here is what I am primarily looking for (keep in mind the last time I bought a headunit I was 24 and rocking a single-DIN on a GS-R so this is new to me):

- Bluetooth A2DP for calls, and possibly music streaming from my phone
- No menu options for iPhone, iPod or any iThings (I don't have an iAnything, don't need my radio to work with them)
- DVD
- Large Screen (over 6" hopefully)
- Inputs for a backup camera
- Able to play burned CDs/DVDs
- Steering Wheel control via adapter for the OEM setup
- Inputs for the OEM USB/AUX

Now, before you just say, go look on websiteXYZ... I'm looking at if you've used a brand and suggest it, is everyone just abandoning the OEM USB/AUX inputs, does the Bluetooth on said brand work well at all...

And above all, how was installation.

I've seen some options, just wanted to see what you opinionated people have to offer out there.

 

in my opinion

Pioneer AVH-4300DVD...check my build thread for photos and such...retail is like $599 or something, but on eBay you can bid on it for as low as $300-$380

-while i have not tested the bluetooth/backup camera...there are options for those to add on...in addition to satellite radio, navigation, and AV Input
-not really sure what u mean by "no menu options"...but with the ipod pluged in u can scroll through songs/videos/playist via the screen...but i think u can change the option to control via the ipod...not 100% on the 2nd part, i just THINK i saw it in the manual
-DVD yes, burned yes and tested -look into a video break bypass to play videos without the e-break up
-the screen is like...7"?
-get the AXXESS ASWC to get the steering wheel control to work
-has a USB input in the back and comes with a pretty long USB cable....i spliced this cable with the OEM input

in addition to ur questions
-there is also SD card input
-itunes taggin
-touch screen, but still has the basic buttons along the bottom just in case
-comes with a remote
-side drop down menu to pick the source (radio, ipod, etc) will auto adjust itself to what is available/pluged in...so u dont have so many icons cluttering the screen
-very customizable-chose from included backgrounds (still and animated), or pick ur own from USB/SD and save 1 photo to the HU, pick the color of the background, pick the color of the lights
-customizable features, EQ - auto eq, presents, or 2 custom settings...as well as a lot of other options. there are options for video as well

install
-get a wire harness and its easy
-check my thread for the dash kit i used and how i modded to sit flush and use the oem brackets
-the only thing that gets a little complicated is the steering wheel control, just take it slow and read multiple times until u are confident u know what wires to connect (u will not use them all)

hope that helps

 

Pioneer SNS200 - its 100% plug and play, includes blue tooth, navigation, can play burned CD's, decent screen size(7inch I think), inputs for back up camera and can be wired to play DVD's... oh! and it retains your factory steering wheel controls and your factory USB/AUX connectors...

and its sold at your local dealership

 

 

LULZ

 

Do you have a backup camera hooked up in yours? If so, how did you do it?...type and mount of camera that is...

 

I dont have it hooked up, heck, I dont even have the SNS200, I just know it does everything Skratch wants it to. but to get you the info your looking for...

http://www.optomizescion.com/Product...px?ProdID=3251

 

I've got the SNS200 and this is how I've installed the backup camera...





I was just interested in seeing how others have done it...

 

I appreciate the input KJ...

For no menu options, I meant I don't have any apple products so I hope to find a headunit that doesn't have a section in the main menu that says "iPod" or whatever.

Your steering wheel controls, how well do they work? Any delay issues when changing the volume, can it still power on/off by hitting/holding MODE?

USB... I'm about to go hit your build thread but how/what you spliced it into the OEM input? I've seen many units where the back of the unit has one USB built in, and another on a longer cable. How did this splice work and is it functioning well?

 

for the menu...there is an ipod section...but get this it ONLY says IPOD and has an ipod plug logo WHEN THE IPOD IS PLUGGED IN! if you have a USB drive...it will be a USB logo with it saying USB instead...the system reads what u got and put the logo that matches...cool huh?

steering wheel control is awesome, no problems....one time i was using the remote (well my bro from the back seat) and my controls stopped working until i turned off and turned on the car...only happened once. not sure why

and yes, i can use the mode button to cycle through DVD-RADIO-IPOD/USB-etc OR hold it to turn off the HU

...by the way when u turn it off...it goes into demo mode and has a factory-like screen saver i guess that previews all the menus

if u press the "mode" button on the HU the screen will turn off (black)...u can do this for both when the HU is on or off (like if u r driving at night and want it to stay dark..i turn off the screen but the music still plays)

USB...i just cut the tip off the OEM plug that connects to the factory HU...then cut the end off the USB cable that comes with it...then just matched the wires....2 power wires and 2 data wires

my build thread mainly has photos and a few tips...for anything specific feel free to PM me

 

I spent the better part of my day yesterday looking at backup cameras and ONLY backup cameras. (also spent a great deal of time looking at MightyP's Rump which was odd)

Almost have that segment narrowed down, just need to do some measurements this weekend.

Now, on headunits, are there any brands to just avoid? I'm talking about the big names out there now. Have any of you run into issues with any units from... Sony, JVC, Pioneer, Alpine, Clarion, Jensen, Valor (who the heck is Valor??), Rosen (again WHO?)...

Seriously the last thing I bought was a Blaupunkt, and that was back in the day.

 

i only stick with big brands in this order (but mainly personal preference other factors i cant remember all)
1. Pioneer
2. Alpine
3. Sony
4. Kenwood
5. JVC

...anything else i dont even bother. i know sound is important and all...but looks also

go to each site and pick out the best looking HUs from each brand...u want something nice to show off in ur car...then from the best looking ones, look at the features/specs and start crossing things off until u find what u like

 

Well Kid, seems you're the only one with brand loyalty around here!

I'm still shopping, was just really hoping to get more feedback from the nutters around here, someone coming in yelling not to buy XYZ or something along those lines.

One thing I did love about the AVH-4300DVD is the rear USB input, like you said I can run an extension cable out of it to the OEM USB/AUX input, but that system does not have bluetooth built in. Compared to the AVH-3300BT which does, but no USB in the back, so I might lose the OEM USB/AUX hookup.

Bleh... so much looking.

 

yea that's main drawback with pioneer...one HU has this but not that and vice-versa

i guess that's how they make their money...the add-ons (which are pretty expensive)

ex. if the 4300DVD was about 370ish on eBay...the navigation add-on is about 250 on eBay....kinda pricey for just and add-on imo

i dont hear much negative things about other brands....thought i have heard the Sony Xplode brand amplifiers have a tendency to uh....explode...(no joke)
...but that's amps not HU

u cant really go the wrong way with either....brand really, just find one u like (looks) with all the features u want

...just buy it form eBay or even Amazon...those are the cheapest places

 

Imo alpine is the best and i plan on getting an Alpine INA-W910 soon!!

http://www.crutchfield.com/s_500INAW...AW910&tp=20212

 

Whoa now, that Alpine is a bit baller there son... Not sure if I can float a cost like THAT past the wife!

 

Wow, I'm amused and saddened at how things work these days. I've been browsing on Crutchfield to look at some of these head units, always puzzled me as to why they say none of the DD units fit our car, so I asked...

"I'll be glad to help with your question about upgrading the radio in your 2011 Scion tC. You're correct in that the stock radio in your car is around 4" tall; however, there are unfortunately no mounting provisions in the radio cavity of your tC to support the mounting of an aftermarket Double-DIN receiver. For this reason, Double-DIN receivers are not a recommended fit."

lulz

 

just because they don't sell an official part that says "2011 Scion tC" doesnt mean there is "no mounting procisions" at all for a DD

...send them an image of my HU...or anyone else on here with a DD and say "IN UR FACE"

this worked fine for me...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...d=243414932519

HU are practically universal, just find the one u like and then figure out what kits/harness/modifications u need to make it work

 

No, that was more of a /facepalm moment. If you go into the Crutchfield image sections of their website (don't ask) you can find the kits they often use are the Metra ones, and Metra uses the same DD kit for the 2010 xB and the 2011 tC. Same wiring harness as well.

Just amazing no one there has bothered to look into this, they could really increase their sales potential by showing that you can install a DD into the tC.

 

My first investment was a nice Alpine Deck, I got to love it and missed it till now, been trying out JVC, Kenwood, Sony, their sound quality and software (FW) not even close! go for Alpine if you can you'll never regret it, besides a good deck will go with you forever even if you change car, I'll swap it back to oem. and slap that on the new ride... the sound quality output really nice, which I had some good componet speakers, but now with some decent component speaker on my Sony/JVC are just like stock deck... only that I got a nice touch screen and reverse camera...