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Any Car Head Units that support DAB & Bluetooth integrated?


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Old 24-02-2008, 00:10
CJSnet
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Hi all, have had terrible nightmares with the latest Pioneer head unit, trying to get it to work with A) my phone, and B) 3 (so far) Pioneer DAB IP-Bus adaptors.

Have given up on Pioneer as their support and product design has been very bad in this case.

Anyone know of any past or present head units that support the following all integrated, in order of preference?:
[LIST][*]DAB Tuner[*]Bluetooth Mobile Hands-free[*]MP3 CDs[*]Impressive Colour Display[*]Bluetooth Audio A2DP[/LIST]
I would consider having the Bluetooth either not integrated at all, or available via an adapter. The key points for me are DAB, car kit, and MP3.

Many thanks!
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Old 24-02-2008, 12:37
fat controller
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I'm looking at buying a new headunit in the next couple of weeks, simply because the stock stereo fitted to my new project car has a rather odd balance to the sound, so I see no point adding on the changer, I'd rather change the headunit and try to improve the sound.

Because I receive quite a lot of calls that I currently cannot take when on the move, I was looking at Bluetooth hands free (I'm not worried about bluetooth audio to be honest) - and was also interested in DAB.

So far, it seems that the selection is an either/or situation. The likes of the Sony MEXBT2500 or MEXBT5000 (with the 5000 probably nearer to the spec you were looking for) give virtually everything but no DAB.

I have a friend that has the BT2500 who is reasonably impressed with it - although reckons the microphone for the bluetooth phone calls could be better (then again, he has it fitted to an Escort so the stereo sits quite low). And I have another friend in a car club that has the 5000, and reckons its the bees knees.

When you look at DAB headunits, there seem to be remarkably few to choose from, and none that I have seen have bluetooth capability either built in or via an adaptor.

I have the added problem of trying to get a headunit that has illumination sympathetic to the car it is going into, and to get the colour I need I am really looking at an Alpine - however their bluetooth isn't built in which I have heard makes things more complicated to install. Besides which, DAB seems to be a swearword to Alpine

One solution I was considering was the Pure Highway in addition to one of the Sony headunits. The drawbacks being that this unit needs a power supply from the cigarette lighter and is mounted on a goose-neck similar to a sat-nav which can only serve to draw the attention of undesirables.
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Old 24-02-2008, 12:56
CJSnet
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Thanks for the info. Sadly DAB is really a killer app for me. I have since found the following JVC products, as JVC seem to be the only ones who still produce DAB. I think these two in tandem should do me proud:

KD-BT1 Bluetooth CD Receiver
KT-DB1000 DAB Receiver

The head unit seems to have good reviews, and both units together are only about £300! I paid twice that for my annoying Pioneer products that consistently failed to work.
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Old 24-02-2008, 13:24
fat controller
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Thanks for the info. Sadly DAB is really a killer app for me. I have since found the following JVC products, as JVC seem to be the only ones who still produce DAB. I think these two in tandem should do me proud:

KD-BT1 Bluetooth CD Receiver
KT-DB1000 DAB Receiver

The head unit seems to have good reviews, and both units together are only about £300! I paid twice that for my annoying Pioneer products that consistently failed to work.
Looks like a nice combination. If it weren't for my car, I'd probably go for them myself I'm making my life harder by trying to get a headunit that won't look too out of place in This dashboard - but at the same time, looking for the most discreet way of getting bluetooth and DAB if possible.

I've always found Pioneer products (not just in car) to be either stunningly good, or absolutely awful, with nothing in between - sadly, it sounds as though the kit you had was the latter. JVC on the other hand, never seem to be the first up with new technology, instead coming in a little later with a product that is generally well sorted.
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Old 24-02-2008, 13:31
CJSnet
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Dad? Is that you? Sorry, you've got my father's Jaguar XJ Sport there Give it back!

I see your dilemna. But thanks for your confirmation that JVC is the way to go.

Mine is going in a Ford Cougar S that looks like this inside and outside Nice to see we both like big cats
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Old 24-02-2008, 14:35
fat controller
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Dad? Is that you? Sorry, you've got my father's Jaguar XJ Sport there Give it back!

I see your dilemna. But thanks for your confirmation that JVC is the way to go.

Mine is going in a Ford Cougar S that looks like this inside and outside Nice to see we both like big cats
Glad to hear that your father has good taste in cars too! Your Cougar looks the dogs dangly bits - theres one lives across the road from me, but it doesn't look anything like as good as yours. I'd love something like a Cougar, but between the trappings of having a family, and osteo-arthritis, the XJ seemed a good compromise - besides, its a nice car to restore as a bit of a hobby

I notice that the Cougar has what looks like a double-din stereo from the factory - might you be better looking at the likes of This one? Coupled with the DAB unit?
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Old 24-02-2008, 14:48
CJSnet
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Thanks mate, mine is based on the USA 'Cougar S' concept which never went into production, so there's 1 in the US and 1 in the UK now

Sadly it's not double DIN, but the standard Ford 1.5 DIN, so I use a single DIN adapter there. I wish more people made 1.5 DIN stereos as there are so many Fords out there, but sadly not.

Anyway, I'm about to order the JVC so thanks again and keep up the 'restoration' of the XJ. You can start on my folks' one when you're done with yours
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Old 24-02-2008, 15:01
fat controller
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Thanks mate, mine is based on the USA 'Cougar S' concept which never went into production, so there's 1 in the US and 1 in the UK now

Sadly it's not double DIN, but the standard Ford 1.5 DIN, so I use a single DIN adapter there. I wish more people made 1.5 DIN stereos as there are so many Fords out there, but sadly not.

Anyway, I'm about to order the JVC so thanks again and keep up the 'restoration' of the XJ. You can start on my folks' one when you're done with yours
Good luck - I see you are in London, so if you see a turqoise XJ flash its lights at you, you'll know who it is

I'm really lucky, my mate is a Jaguar trained mechanic, and is coming this afternoon to see if his diagnosis matches mine before I go ordering a pile of spares . Tell your dad to look after his XJ, the values are starting to go back up for good ones.
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