both very ugly options... I think people looking at these "chinese options" are looking for a factory look which Pioneer or whoever, simply won't make for our cars... They make good HU's but always look like they were added to the car after and not like they came with it... At least that's how I feel about those HU's...
Wow, you are the first person to every say that either of those is ugly. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion I guess. But after installing several hundred of those and similar units, I can honestly say no one has ever called it ugly, lol.
ugly in the sense that it is clearly aftermarket... not ugly units on their own... if I had a 1992 Civic I was installing it in lol... new cars IMHO should look factory with aftermarket HU's...
I plan to hold onto my factory audio system as a backup just in case the "Chinese" one breaks. With that being said I have heard nothing but positive reviews/feedback from people that have bought them so I'm not worried
Exactly... And with Pioneer etc costing $500+ for a decent system that doesn't look factory... I'd rather buy two of these Chinese HUs and have one break on me and replace it with another rather than paying for Pioneer that doesn't match my interior at all...
He's probably a car audio installer for a company that's contracted with Kenwood & Pioneer so it's his job to promote the products. I do like buying and supporting American products but not for double the price and the glaring aftermarket look
Those are Japanese companies not American...
Nice to hear from an installer who's done a good number of these!
Yes I am an MECP certified installer. And yes I do work for a company that carries those products. However, I do NOT get paid per sale. I get paid by the hour regardless of what I am installing. My opinion stems from my experience installing car audio, security and leather products for 20+ years. Whenever a client shows up for an appointment with one of these radios, I warn them ahead of time. If they choose to install it anyway, I do so. And yes, the radios usually look much better than most brand name units once installed. The issues come into play a year or two ( or sometimes less than a year ) down the road when the radio starts giving the client issues. The most common problems I've encountered are usually cosmetic ( touch screen losing touch sensitivity, buttons falling off, etc.... ), but more often then I'd care to count the clients had complaints with the software. For example, GPS updates, if you purchase a unit with onboard GPS getting an updated map of the US is near impossible. Another complain that I've dealt with stems from units that claim to pick up local TV. These units aren't manufactured to pick up our local HDTV frequencies, they can usually only pick up frequencies seen and used in Asia. Yet another complaint I've dealt with involves units that come with built in steering wheel control interfaces. They also rarely work 100%, and if you're not aware of how your OEM steering wheel controls are wired or how they communicate, then you'll have an even harder time getting them work. Lastly there's the sound quality that these units provide. Not only do these Asian radios not give you the same amount of control of your audio system that the American equivalent does, but they use significantly cheaper sound processors. This can of course be offset by purchasing a separate amp coupled with an external sound processor, but Kenwood, Pioneer, and Alpine radios have this included already.
May I ask what reasons you were given, that prevented an aftermarket radio from being installed in your vehicle?
I think most people looking at them are looking at sort of a bang for buck perspective...
Probably no kits to install the radio in place of the factory setup...
I'm sour on Kenwood after my experience with the Kenwood HU for my 2003 Wrangler. Awful radio and even more awful customer service. Thank goodness for the good, kind folks at Crutchfield for taking care of me and letting me swap it for something different.
I would like to know this as well
