Good, cheap Iphone friendly Head Unit
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Columbus, OH
Good, cheap Iphone friendly Head Unit Hi guys, I've owned my TA for a little over a year now, and although the stock Monsoon head unit is definitely a good HU, it's time to replace mine with something that can play music my iPhone with an auxiliary port. What are some suggestions for cheaper units, that work well and look at least decent? I've been looking at the JVC 50W-4 MOFSET HU since it's iPod/iPhone friendly, but don't know if there's any drawbacks to it being a much cheaper HU. Any feedback welcome!
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2010
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Iphone/Ipod compatible usually means the HU can control it through a USB adapter, but you're talking about using it through a 3.5mm AUX port.
If you just want use an AUX port, just about every low end unit will do that now. If you want to control the IPod through a USB adapter, then you're usually moving up a tier in available models.
If you just want use an AUX port, just about every low end unit will do that now. If you want to control the IPod through a USB adapter, then you're usually moving up a tier in available models.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 2
From: Westminster, MD
As stated, any one with a front facing aux port will work. Or get one with both that and USB.
Capricio, I'm getting the Pioneer DEH-X6500BT that features a USB port and an aux port. I have a DROID BIONIC. The charger (not car charger) that came with my phone is the standard to mini USB cable. I can plug it into a computer to charge it so along the same thinking, would plugging the phone into the head unit allow it charge and therefore act as a car charger? If so I won't buy a car charger lol
Capricio, I'm getting the Pioneer DEH-X6500BT that features a USB port and an aux port. I have a DROID BIONIC. The charger (not car charger) that came with my phone is the standard to mini USB cable. I can plug it into a computer to charge it so along the same thinking, would plugging the phone into the head unit allow it charge and therefore act as a car charger? If so I won't buy a car charger lol
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2010
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Most HUs don't have lot of current available for their USB ports. They are mostly for data transfer, but may be able to keep your phone alive or slowly charge it. New JVC units use their 1 amp capable USB ports as a selling point.
Since your phone has Bluetooth steaming (A2DP) and control audio (AVRCP), you should try that first and go wireless to the HU.
Some HUs are Android compatible for control and navigating the file system through the USB port, but yours does not appear to be. Your HU may be able to see the root directory of your phone, and you may be able to drill into a file folder with some music in. I don't know because I've never tried with an Android phone on a USB non-Android capable HU. If it doesn't work, you can always use a 3.5mm AUX cable.
Since you didn't get an Android compatible HU, I'd recommend spending an extra $15 or whatever on a 32G USB flash drive for your music and another $3 on a 12VDC cigarette lighter USB charger. To me, trying to use my phone for music in the car seems like more of a hassle than it's worth with flash memory being so cheap. Just leave the flash drive in the car and don't worry about setting up your phone everyt time you get in the car... just get in and go.
Anyways, it would have been cool if you got an Android compatible HU, but you still have a lot of options.
Since your phone has Bluetooth steaming (A2DP) and control audio (AVRCP), you should try that first and go wireless to the HU.
Some HUs are Android compatible for control and navigating the file system through the USB port, but yours does not appear to be. Your HU may be able to see the root directory of your phone, and you may be able to drill into a file folder with some music in. I don't know because I've never tried with an Android phone on a USB non-Android capable HU. If it doesn't work, you can always use a 3.5mm AUX cable.
Since you didn't get an Android compatible HU, I'd recommend spending an extra $15 or whatever on a 32G USB flash drive for your music and another $3 on a 12VDC cigarette lighter USB charger. To me, trying to use my phone for music in the car seems like more of a hassle than it's worth with flash memory being so cheap. Just leave the flash drive in the car and don't worry about setting up your phone everyt time you get in the car... just get in and go.
Anyways, it would have been cool if you got an Android compatible HU, but you still have a lot of options.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 2
From: Westminster, MD
My intention was to use the USB to charge the phone but for playing music I was hoping I could just plug it into the front aux port and then navigate to my music on the phone and listen to it from the aux. My girlfriends old Sony head unit has a front aux port in her 2002 Explorer and her Galaxy S3 plays fine.
Didn't think about the flash drive idea, that's pretty smart lol I have a spare 16GB one at home..but how do you navigate music with that?
Didn't think about the flash drive idea, that's pretty smart lol I have a spare 16GB one at home..but how do you navigate music with that?
i have have a pioneer deh-3400ub in my camaro right now and it has a usb input on the front and i love it, it charges and plays and was pretty cheap at best buy. i had an older pioneer in the same car that had a dedicated ipod port going to the back of the headunit, but the only thing that sucked was that it didnt charge it, just played it.
In my dd i have a cheap jvc that was like $80 off crutchfield with all the installation stuff and that does a good job charging/playing my phone as well.
maybe its just me but i cant have a stock radio in any car i have lol.
In my dd i have a cheap jvc that was like $80 off crutchfield with all the installation stuff and that does a good job charging/playing my phone as well.
maybe its just me but i cant have a stock radio in any car i have lol.
Last edited by mjs1012; Nov 9, 2012 at 10:24 AM.
Same here every time I bought a car the first thing on my list was a radio. I like my kenwood radio I currently have on my car and truck same radio, it had a usb cable in the back of the unit so I just lug my thumb drive and keep it in the glove box, also charges my ipod and phone. Only one port though
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AUX (3.5mm) inputs are all but standard equipment on aftermarket radios these days, the bluetooth idea you gotta read up on because some headunits only do HFP and not A2DP so you can do calls but not stream audio, also on most bluetooth audio effects (equalizer settings on player) won't stream so as easy as that is avoid it, believe me I had it before and just to many little details, cables are much easier, there are 2 generations of Ipod control on Pioneer headunits and you have to look into it carefully, basically what happened was somewhere around the Iphone 3/3G Apple changed which pin on the connector supplied charging power and pioneer only had the one pin getting power instead both (like when its plugged into a computer) which is why newer Iphones don't always charge thru the ipod cable.
All that aside, don't just buy the cheapest HU you can get away with, get one with proper features, like 3 sets of RCA's (front, rear and subwoofer) 4V+ preferably and make sure it has HPF and LPF's, tell you the one I have goes quite well with the red lighting of the firebird dash is the Pioneer DEH-P6200BT but I don't think they make this model anymore and the replacement lacks key features.
you can see how well the HU I have blends with the dash color wise in this video http://youtu.be/76N9u80ztM8
All that aside, don't just buy the cheapest HU you can get away with, get one with proper features, like 3 sets of RCA's (front, rear and subwoofer) 4V+ preferably and make sure it has HPF and LPF's, tell you the one I have goes quite well with the red lighting of the firebird dash is the Pioneer DEH-P6200BT but I don't think they make this model anymore and the replacement lacks key features.
you can see how well the HU I have blends with the dash color wise in this video http://youtu.be/76N9u80ztM8
