Which Alpine iPhone compatible headunit ??

[calum001]

Looking to get a new headunit for the Evo but it's been a while since i last went on the search for a headunit so not quite in touch with the latest models.

Criteria for the new headunit:

Alpine (always had Alpine and always will)
Has to be iPhone compatible (charging would be a plus aswell)
Ease of use when searching for tracks on iPhone
LED illumination - has to be red or blue (green etc.. just looks rank)

Main thing would be ease of use as there would be nothing worse than having a clunky menu system to search through. Not bothered about it having a CD player at all as i will very rarely if ever use it.

I've been looking at the independant iPod headunits and they look great but just wondering if anyone has any experiance of them (links below to the ones i was looking at) ?

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/alpine-ida-x301rr.html
http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/alpine-ida-x313.html
http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/alpine-ida-x305s.html

obviously the more expensive they are the more features they will have but more wondering if they are justified in the price or if their all as easy to use and have the same menu systems

then there is the more standard layout but still with full iPhone control
http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/alpine-cde-9882ri.html

 

[Justin]

The IDA's are all good. The full colour display is a must

 

[Justin]

Just looking at them, 305 would be the one I'd go for.

 

[calum001]

cheers Justin, yeh i like the look of the colour screen

you ever used one ? if you have then whats the menu like to navigate ?

i'll be going to find somewhere localish thats got some of them in to try but just trying to narrow down the search

 

[Justin]

The control is superb, best in car iPod control I've used. Its just as simple as the iPod itself.

I've had one in past cars, and fitted one to my GF's mini, and my brothers twingo. Both love them

 

[markkram]

I have the 305s. Top quality kit can't recommend it enough.
Blue display looks against the orange dash lights and there are no inputs on the front of the unit spoiling the looks.
Use mine with my iphone 3G and it is very easy to navigate to albums/tracks/artist with the big search wheel.

Just clicked the link you provided. Have come down in price a little since I got mine last year so even better value.

 

[ScarySquirrel]

I have the IDA-305, and here are my thoughts on it.

+ Very easy to use, I LOVE using the thing just like an iPod menu system. Very easy to navigate.
+ Sounds quality seems good from it, then again I'm not an audiophile so don't really notice the difference from one unit to the next
+ It 'looks' quite nice....however:

- It feels really really plasticky! The screen and the main dial is great, but the rest of the front fascia (the bit you can remove) feels really cheap and lightweight. Not a massive issue, but for such an expensive unit I'd want something which is a bit better quality
- When you tune a radio station it just shows the frequency, and not the station name (ie. 98.80, rather than Radio 1)

Nice unit though

 

[Justin]

^The Radio display, you can change that. Ours shows 'Radio 1' or 'Northsound 1'

 

[ScarySquirrel]

NO WAY? How do I do that?

Oh, another positive, all cables come from the back, which is awesome as I have routed mine through to my glovebox.

 

[Justin]

I think you just press 'Display'

 

[ScarySquirrel]

I think you just press 'Display'

Nope. I've just been out and tried everything, couldn't get it to display the station name. I think I have a 305, not a 305s, maybe that's why

 

[calum001]

the 'plasticky' and not well built feel of the facia isn't exactly great but i'm guessing the other ida's will be the same, one of the really good things about the other 'normal' Alpine headunits are how sturdy and well made they feel

all other points sound promising though cheers gents, just need to search about for the cheapest price/deals

 

[coxy777]

I know you said you only want Alpine but check this out.

I did a fairly decent amount of research into iPod/iPhone headunits a short while back as I was looking for one. It came down to an Alpine (I forget which) and this Kenwood. In the end I went for the Kenwood as it has a bigger display. It also has the option to change the colour of the lights so it suits any car interior. It's not face off so doesn't creak or anything and is really, really easy to use. Also has a changeable display mode so you can make the album art bigger or get rid all together.

Add to that it won best headunit award.

http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/products/car/cd_receivers/ipod_iphone/KIV-700/

 

[calum001]

cheers coxy i actually like the look of that, copying the button layout of the iPod and the scroll bar is a nice touch, will go on the list to have a look at

 

[MT AUDIO]

scarysquirrel make sure you have RDS on, if you have a shortened aerial this can affect the reception and ultimately you receiving the data also.

 

[calum001]

you able to do any decent deals on any of these headunits MT Audio ?

 

[Justin]

Nope. I've just been out and tried everything, couldn't get it to display the station name. I think I have a 305, not a 305s, maybe that's why

You can definately do it, but I'm not at home so can't be much more help I'm afraid.

That kenwood one looks nice!

 

[Goodj]

the Alpine output to the dash-display can be a bit toss, but you should get RDS if available.

Mine will give track names and radio frequency/name, with the HU doing artist / album / time / radio info.

 

[coxy777]

cheers coxy i actually like the look of that, copying the button layout of the iPod and the scroll bar is a nice touch, will go on the list to have a look at

No worries dude, I would deffo try it out before you commit to anything. It really is super.

 

[MT AUDIO]

Scarysquirrel is it a UK product?
Calum drop me a pm/email as id rather not clutter up a thread

 

[ro55o]

The 305 is a cracking headunit and remains the best I've used for iPod control, although pricey, the colour display is a must over the others. I've now got the kenwood headunit above, albeit without the display. It's also very good and has similar iPod control to the 305, but I do feel the alpine does it slightly better. The Kenwood however looks the better out of the two, much simpler and less fussy. Both have the same outputs (The Kenwood has a higher pre-out) and all wires to the back of the headunit, nice and hidden away. The Kenwood has a video display, but don't know how important that is on a tiny screen. I wouldn't know what to pick, but having already had the 305, I'd be inclined to try out the Kenwood (It was originally the one I was after, but at the time couldn't afford the extra for the display).

 

[Justin]

^Ross, IIRC.. Did I sell you the Bluetooth adaptor for the Alpine?

 

[calum001]

Calum drop me a pm/email as id rather not clutter up a thread

pm'd mate cheers

 

[calum001]

had a look at a few of the videos and the Alpine does look quality, one thing that was bugging me about it is that the text seemed to be constantly hanging off the screen, even in the settings menu etc..

the Kenwood look really good aswell but just not as 'flash' with the menu's like the Alpine

also noticed thats Alpine do a few things like the Pandora app and Imprint which is quite impressive

 

[Nickw88]

I know the OP has said that he wants to stay with Alpine however I've recently done a bit of research for myself as i had a new headunit for xmas

The one i went for was the sony dsx-s300btx:

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/mfi-ipod-car-audio/dsx-s300btx.

Firsty i feel the appearance of the unit is very important and so far everything not only looks solid and sleek but also feels solid so is all good
The navigation through tracks etc is practically the same as the ipod/iphone menus and is very simple to use once you've got your head around the features (eg Zappin is pretty cool!). It's got a pretty decent bluetooth kit included (built in mic etc) and again you can easily use the unit to navigate through contacts. The red illumination is the nicest IMO and works pretty well with the clio colours as it's not too much in your face. My favourite feature is the tune tray (check out a demo on youtube or whatever) as the ipod/iphone, mp3 player can be stored inside the unit with the built in connectors. This also charges both ipod and iphone. The only feature lacking is the video playback, but then tbf i'm not that bothered as i'm never going to sit in the car and watch a film if i'm driving, and i have a portable DVD player should i ever need it.
Personally I'm well chuffed with it. It's approx £200 depending on where you get it from so is a fair saving on some of the other units out there and IMO is just as good if not better

 

[robbygraham]

i have an Alpine X100, which is a great unit, does everything that needs doing, very easy to navigate and a decent quality colour screen. Only thing i find is that it can be abit of a problem if you have loads of music on your ipod/iphone, if you want to get to an artist beginning with "m" for instance, takes ages to scroll, the newer ones i'm sure are faster. Also i don't like the blue backlighting, i think it looks pretty crap when all the other light in the car are an orangey colour. Wish i kept my Alpine 9883r because it had the correct backlight colour to fit in with the rest of the car.

 

[ScarySquirrel]

scarysquirrel make sure you have RDS on, if you have a shortened aerial this can affect the reception and ultimately you receiving the data also.

How do I turn RDS on?

Scarysquirrel is it a UK product?
Calum drop me a pm/email as id rather not clutter up a thread

I think it's a UK product, how can I check?

I'm just using the standard Clio 182 aerial. My radio reception never seems great though I must admit, it's ok, but can be a bit funny sometimes.

 

[ScarySquirrel]

I have the X305, not the X305S, which I believe it why I do not have RDS, based on a user review here - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QDOOVQ/?tag=cliospnet01-21

 

[calum001]

cheers Nick and robby

i've had Sony ICE (headunits and speakers) in the past and tbh i've always been disappointed with it (sound and build quality wise). It does look nice and i'm sure they have came along way since i last used any Sony bits, i'm going to have a look at a few tomorrow so will see if they've got it in and have a look anyway

it's going in my Evo not my 172 so red/blue will match my interior nicely

i've had a look at the older X100-300 Alpine units and they were actually the ones that made me think about getting a dedicated iPod headunit. It's only when i had a look that i realised that they had all been replaced with newer versions ! They still hold their value second hand (been keeping an eye on eBay) so might aswell just get one of the new units

 

[ro55o]

^Ross, IIRC.. Did I sell you the Bluetooth adaptor for the Alpine?

I had sold you the 305 mate.

Callum, I'd go for the Alpine then. It is a great headunit, perfect for iPod/iPhone control.

 

[Nickw88]

cheers Nick and robby

i've had Sony ICE (headunits and speakers) in the past and tbh i've always been disappointed with it (sound and build quality wise). It does look nice and i'm sure they have came along way since i last used any Sony bits, i'm going to have a look at a few tomorrow so will see if they've got it in and have a look anyway

That's a fair comment mate, I've only ever had Sony and an old cheap kenwood so can't really compare to an alpine from personal experience. My previous Sony was one of the first iPod headunits to come out and tbf it's been great for 4 years (except for the volume knob sticking at max once...bad times!) but this one so far seems better by leaps and bounds

 

[BioHzrd]

cheers Nick and robby

i've had Sony ICE (headunits and speakers) in the past and tbh i've always been disappointed with it (sound and build quality wise). It does look nice and i'm sure they have came along way since i last used any Sony bits, i'm going to have a look at a few tomorrow so will see if they've got it in and have a look anyway

it's going in my Evo not my 172 so red/blue will match my interior nicely

i've had a look at the older X100-300 Alpine units and they were actually the ones that made me think about getting a dedicated iPod headunit. It's only when i had a look that i realised that they had all been replaced with newer versions ! They still hold their value second hand (been keeping an eye on eBay) so might aswell just get one of the new units

Ive got the X100 in the R26 mate if you havent bought by the meet in Feb more than welcome to have a ***** around with it see what you think

 

[calum001]

yeh i'm still swaying towards the Alpine ro55o but will try and keep an open mind the now till i see/try them in person

ah right nice one Dean, i will prob be looking to buy one in Feb so if i can make it to the meet i'll def have a wee nose around

 

[BioHzrd]

If your near Dundee sooner mate just give me a shout

 

[calum001]

cheers bud will do, doubt i'll be up your way anytime soon though

went to the local Halfrauds to see if they had any of the headunits in and as usual they only had overpriced crap, will need to scout out a decent car audio place arounf Fife/Edinburgh area and go and have a look this weekend

 

[197-F1]

i have an Alpine X100, which is a great unit, does everything that needs doing, very easy to navigate and a decent quality colour screen. Only thing i find is that it can be abit of a problem if you have loads of music on your ipod/iphone, if you want to get to an artist beginning with "m" for instance, takes ages to scroll, the newer ones i'm sure are faster. Also i don't like the blue backlighting, i think it looks pretty crap when all the other light in the car are an orangey colour. Wish i kept my Alpine 9883r because it had the correct backlight colour to fit in with the rest of the car.

I have the x100. You do realise that you can set the wheel to jump alphabetically when the dial is pressed in before turning? This makes it very quick.

Also the lighting can be changed from the blue to red which matches the clios dash better.

 

[mrhvilla]

I know you said you only want Alpine but check this out.

I did a fairly decent amount of research into iPod/iPhone headunits a short while back as I was looking for one. It came down to an Alpine (I forget which) and this Kenwood. In the end I went for the Kenwood as it has a bigger display. It also has the option to change the colour of the lights so it suits any car interior. It's not face off so doesn't creak or anything and is really, really easy to use. Also has a changeable display mode so you can make the album art bigger or get rid all together.

Add to that it won best headunit award.

http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/products/car/cd_receivers/ipod_iphone/KIV-700/

Hi Coxy - newbie here!

Just been researching ipod/sd card head units and I like the look of the Kenwood but I'm worried it may look a bit too 'flash' especially as the fascia can't be removed.

How does it look in your Clio, and is it a security worry the fact that it can't be removed?

If you have any pictures of this in your car that would be great, similarly if any other users have pics of their alpine/pioneer ipod HU's i'd really appreciate it :approve:

Ideally I'm after a head unit which has Ipod/SD card connectivity with any cables coming from the rear... I also want a head unit which is fairly discreet and suits the standard Clio interior. Thanks!

 

[robbygraham]

I have the x100. You do realise that you can set the wheel to jump alphabetically when the dial is pressed in before turning? This makes it very quick.

Also the lighting can be changed from the blue to red which matches the clios dash better.

Yeh I it set to the red now looks a bit better, pushing the wheel in before turning does work but still a pain cause I have to much music on my phone, should sort through it or be bothered to make some playlists, then I wouldn't be able to complain.

 

[calum001]

just thought i'd mention that a virtually brand new Alpine IDA-X305S came up for sale last week and i couldn't say no so ended up buying it and i fitted it at the weekend

have to say this is the best HU i've ever had by far, had a Kenwood in there before and the Alpine/Pioneer speakers that i had in the car sounded awful through it, with the new HU it has totally changed the sound quality and it's soo much clearer, bassier and crisp

menu's are simple to navigate and really easy to search through (alphabetical search would be handy though), a lot of options to customise display and sound aswell

 

[ScarySquirrel]

If you push the centre dial surround in and turn, it will scroll through by alphabet. It's not perfect, but it works if you have loads and loads of albums/tracks/artists to scroll through.