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Head unit recommendations

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XavierMace

Diamond Member
Looking for a new double DIN headunit for my 04 IS300. Currently using an Alpine deck with the factory JBL speakers. Looking to spend $500 max, under $400 would be nice.

Must Have: Touchscreen, Bluetooth pairing with my HTC WP 8X.

Would be nice: MicroSD slot, Backup Camera ready, minimal physical controls/buttons, hidden/no disc slot, hands free calling.

Don't care about: HD Radio, Pandora, CD/DVD Play back, Steering wheel controls.

Models I'm looking at right now are the Kenwood DDX470, Kenwood DDX770, Kenwood Excelon DDX790, Pioneer AVH-X3500BHS, Pioneer AVH-X5500BHS but I'm open to any suggestions.
 
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THose are all good, although I wouldn't buy one without a volume knob (I can't stand +/- buttons).

When I researched these a year back lack of Android integration forced me to not even bother.

Any decent single din + USB in the back = gold

I ended up with $70 Clarion (we now have 2). They are great for our needs (but pretty basic).
 
I rarely touch my volume knob on my stereo now except to try to navigate through my music collection to find the album I'm looking for, hence wanting a touch screen.

I've got an iPod hookup on my current system but the cable is wearing out so I have to fiddle with it to get the connection back. Plus it doesn't change the phone. But that's moot since I'm using a Windows Phone now anyways.
 
If they ever make one that has complete Android integration thru Bluetooth (as in, I'm able to see/hear exactly what's on the phone and use touch screen on the head unit to navigate).

Until then, I will get by with basic head unit + Usb.

I'm not a fan of using Aux and navigating on the phone......bleh
 
Hence the requirement for bluetooth. Bluetooth streaming works quite well. Also, has anybody used one of the above mentioned Kenwood units? I went down to Fry's to check them out in person. I found it to be incredibly slow and unresponsive. Curious if that's normal or if their unit has just seen better days. The Pioneer on the other hand worked great, but they had bluetooth disabled so I couldn't try that out.
 
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