So far:
Blaupunkt London MP48
Clarion FB275BT and FB275BTB

Based on forum posts, you can plug both directly into the factory harness with no modification except for the antenna adapter. Are there any other head units that install this way?

 

the adapter really isn't a big deal. They used one on my poineer, and with the exception of not switching the red and yellow wire, no problems.

 

Blaupunkt ST Louis MP56
Plug and play -- went in in 5 minutes
Was $349.00 retail now $140.00 new on e-bay
Silver finish matches dash and backlighting can be set to green or shades thereof.
CD, SD card for MP3s and IPod compatible
What more could you want ??

 

check out in-dash units with navigation

 

The wiring colors are "standard" and the harness plug for the Crossfire is widely available. It's darned easy to connect it.


Info here

 

And its named after my city. Sweet! Looks like, unlike the Clarion FB275BT, it has AM radio.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-NEW-Blaupunkt-St-Louis-MP56-Car-Radio-CD-MP3_W0QQitemZ250360253120QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCar_Au dio_In_Dash_Receivers?hash=item250360253120&_trksi d=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12| 39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

$130 shipped. Does it have a rotary volume ****? I can't tell from the pictures.

 

Rotary volume button -- center button for on / off and mute and it comes with a remote control pad as well !!

 

[IMG]file:///Users/nellenn/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG][IMG]file:///Users/nellenn/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-1.jpg[/IMG]
Can anyone tell me if this KD-AVX44 is going to be difficult to install.

I'm looking at all those RCA jacks. The six on the left are self explanatory (antenna, aux audio & video), but I find that the eight RCA jacks on the right are labelled: Center Out (Blue x 2) Line Out Front (Brown x2), Subwoofer (Green x2), Line Out Rear (White x 2). I'm wondering how this fits in with our system as I want to use the Crossfire Amp in the car.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...KD-AVX44.html#

 

Notice in the upper left there is a connector with a bunch of wires? That's what you would connect a Schosche VW-01B harness connector to. Then you have a harness that plugs into the head unit at one end and plugs directly into your car harness for existing power, amp and speakers.

Then you have all the other RCA connectors for more speakers, amps and subs.

You will need a Euro antenna adapter to go to the type connector shown here.

The toughest part of installing this head unit looks to be finding a way to stuff all those cables into the small space behind the unit... You will probably have to remove the panel below the head unit and fish those wires down behind the head unit after you feed it into the DIN1 opening. Not really a big deal - just a little tedious.

The install manual is Here - Click this drawing:


Pretty much all of the wires in the section labeled "1" are going to be connected to the harness adapter. The wiring chart sums it up.

The speakers in the section labeled "9" (left and right front) are the existing factory speakers. You can run new speakers off the Left and Right rear leads (don't connect those from the head unit to the harness adapter because they don't lead anywhere in the car harness - just run them directly to new speakers).

Reverse Gear signal only needed for backup camera (white "B")

Line Out Front, Rear, and Subwoofer go to amps for more speakers/subs (above and beyond what's in your car when stock from factory) (black "B")

"C" Connectors are auxiliary lines in and out for stuff to add. You will probably want to run lines from the AUX In if you don't install another source component so that you could plug stuff in without popping the head unit. There's the video channels too...

 

I hate dealing with wiring harnesses. I've installed a dozen stereos before, and its so tedious. And my handywork is terrible

 

Does this unit require an antenna adaptor or does everything just plug in?

 

The free downloadable Blaupunkt St Louis MP56 owners/install manual is located here:

http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/Man...023STLMP56.PDF

According to Crutchfield, no installation kit is required to install this in a 2004 Crossfire with factory Infinity (Non-Navigation) stereo.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_023STLM...6.html?tp=5684
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-nuKwNU4...archivedItem=Y

That suggests that it has euro antenna connection and already has the proper harness connector.
Here's the drawing from the Blaupunkt Owners/Install manual of the harness connection

Here's the Crossfire Socket Config

Use this legend for the colors


It looks like Connector A, Pins 1, 2, and 3 are not assigned the same
- Pins 2 and 3 appear swapped
- Pin 3 in the car is not installed (but available from Becker)
Bottom line - Since Pin 1 is unused on the radio, Pin 2 and 3 are unused on the car, these three pins don't matter - if you decide to install a handsfree and want mute function, or install a sub, you'd be dealing with these pins)


But the remaining A pins and B pins are a perfect match. It looks like "plug and play" - but your mileage may vary.

 

Don't hit submit twice or you will post twice...Doh!

 

Thanks for the iput.

So, what you are saying is that those 8 wires (blue, brown, green and white) on the right are going to be used only if I decide on another amp and when I connect the Scosche plug to all those other wires I will be still be using the the amp already in the car?

I have the Nav Unit with Infinity upgraded system I want to use. The only thing I want from this unit is the head, but I'm totally unfamiliar with car stereos. It does require the antenna adaptor (which I already have) as I tried to set up an FM transmitter, but I'm totally unhappy with the sound.

I want to hook a backup camera to the unit, use it to pair with my iphone 3G and stream audio via bluetooth or better yet, use the iphone 3g like an ipod-I haven't found a unit that will admit to streaming with the iPhone much less operate through the ipod connection.

 

Uh-oh. Looks like someone just bought it.

I'll let you know how installation goes while taking pictures.

 

Right, and power for the head unit will also come from the car through the harness.

Yeah, I had the same experience there. It was not acceptable which took me down the path you are now on....

You might find a bluetooth music "adapter" that plugs into the headphone socket and gives you a primitive connection but I have a feeling the user interface (run the music through the iPhone while listening through the head unit) would be clumsy. Also can't speculate how good the bluetooth adapter might be for getting quality sound. I imagine if the iPhone interface was like an iPod, it might work with iPod compatible units but I don't think that's the case...

I tried running a Samsumg Instinct (iPhone-like) with Bluetooth wireless to my Pioneer. That was fun. I was able to control the Instinct with the head unit controls but the music wasn't coming out of the head unit. That was useless. Bluetooth standards compliance with some aftermarket stereo manufacturers leaves a lot to be desired....

But basically yeah, plug the antenna adapter in, connect the harness adapter with attention to the correct red and yellow wire config, and you will be running the head unit through the factory amp.

The nav system has a couple other considerations. There is a connection for the speed signal (Nav) and reverse (Nav). You may have to disconnect those since they don't go through the harness. Also, you have the GPS antenna which when installed by the dealer is stuffed up under the dash behind the upper part of the middle dash. See the Navigation system install guide for info on how to get that out of there. It doesn't look too bad...

 

Bad News. Good News (maybe).

Bad news is that I found out this unit will not pair with the iPHone 3G

The good news is that maybe the Pioneer DEH-7000BT will. I've read several reviews from people that are saying that this will pair with the iPhone. As much as I like the DEH-980BT I've found several people that are not happy pairing it with the iPhone 3G.

Paul, What is your opinion of the DEH-7000BT?

 

A quick read of the owners and install manuals for the DEH-P7000BT suggests it is a very capable unit. You can add HD, XM, Sirius, iPod, USB, remote CD-changer, even TV. It makes the same claims for Bluetooth phone and music as the DEH-P980BT.

My advice would be to find one on display at a store and make sure your iPhone pairs with it the way you want it to. (print and bring the relevant pages from the manual because the store people might not know much about the features and be little help). The manuals are on Pioneer's site.

I don't have any experience with the DEH-7000BT. My experience is with the DEH-P980BT. Bluetooth pairing with the DEH-P980BT is fair. It pairs with my Blackberry but I have to do it manually every time. (All my other cars' Bluetooth pairing is automatic when I get in). As a result I have no address book features or any of the other extended features promised by the DEH-P980BT. Of course my Blackberry doesn't play music. But I tried pairing the Samsung Instinct for Bluetooth music and got pairing of the device but only to control the Instinct, not getting music. That's dumb.

I was disappointed with the Bluetooth on the DEH-P980BT and even after calling Pioneer, got no satisfaction. On that point, had I known, I would have purchased a different unit (or kept my plans for separate bluetooth support for my phone - like the Motorola IHF-1000).

 

I agree with you.

I've checked the Crutchfield site:
e:The Apple folks seem to be getting along with the 7000BT and the iPhone:
http://tinyurl.com/cr28ta

I will take your advice and see if I can find one at Best Buy and hook the two together.

 

Tomorrow I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the Pioneer DEH-P7000BT w/Hi Def & XM. Where did you stuff all the extra "boxes"

Oh, I'll follow the advice from your web site and order out the antenna splitter, too.