Tag: Apple CarPlay

Sony XAV-AX100 Review – Best Value for CarPlay and Android Auto

Meet the value packed Sony XAV-AX100

I’m so happy Sony finally made an Apple CarPlay and Android Compatible head unit. For at least the last couple of years, Sony has definitely had an edge over its competitors in terms of sound quality and value and this model is no different in that regard. Retailing at only $499*, this is the lowest priced Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible head unit that I’ve carried and based on the features and ease of use, I think it’s a phenomenal value.

*Update 10-8-17 – Sony has lowered the retail price on the XAV-AX100 to $399.95 in anticipation of the XAV-AX200.

So what do you get for the money?

Ease of use – One thing I love about this unit is how simplistic it is. Because this unit lacks a lot of bells and whistles, the Sony XAV-AX100 is relatively easy to use and has an easy to understand layout. What you see is what you get. Other than Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, this unit features:

AM/FM Radio
Bluetooth audio streaming and handsfree functionality
Reverse camera input
Front, rear and subwoofer preamp outputs (Sony says rated at 2 volt, but it sounds slightly higher, I have not measured it)
10 Band EQ, built in crossovers, sub level control
5 wallpaper options, plus option for custom display (uploaded via USB drive)
Remote steering wheel control input*

Sony XAV-AX100 Review - backside of the head unit — Sony XAV-AX100 Review – backside of the head unit has a single din chassis

*Sony typically does not support phone functionality through their steering wheel control inputs, however when test flashing either the iDatalink Maestro RR or Maestro SW module I found that this model will support some phone functionality although it’s kind of weird because it gets all lumped in under one button. Phone related flashing options (listed as function per button) look like:

Start Voice (Android Auto & Apple CarPlay) & Answer/Hang up call
Source & Hang up or Reject Call & Power On
Source off & Hang up & Power Off

Perhaps they configure it this way in case you don’t have voice control or phone buttons on your steering wheel.

Sometimes it’s the little things that matter

I’ve had quite a few customers comment on the volume knob. They like it, they find it easy to use. If you appreciate volume knobs you will appreciate the nice rotary volume knob on this head unit. It has a stiffer and more rigid feel to it compared to the volume knobs on other head units and it’s backlit.

Sony XAV-AX100 Review - Display panel options. — Sony XAV-AX100 Review – Display panel options.

Sony XAV-AX100 review – sound quality counts

Aside from the basic features of this model, the sound quality of Sony receivers is something I need to talk about in this Sony XAV-AX100 review. Sony head units, in general just sound great. My customers are always surprised when I play a basic Sony receiver like the MEX-GS610BT or MEX-XB100BT and let them hear that compared to an Alpine CDE-164BT or Pioneer DEH-X6900BT. It is a noticeable difference even for a car audio novice.

Sony XAV-AX100 Review - EQ screen. — Sony XAV-AX100 Review – EQ screen.

Right off the bat, the Sony units just sound smoother, richer and more natural in tone. Once you hear it, it’s hard to buy anything else. Except maybe Kenwood, they’re pretty close. And even though this unit is only rated at 2 volts on the preamp output, I have a feeling if I measured it, I’d find it was slightly higher. It’s definitely punchier than the other 2 volt preamp output models I have on display.

Sony also provides plenty of audio control tools such as a 10 band EQ, built in crossovers and sub level control. Internal amplification on this bad boy is rated at 20 watts x 4 RMS which is slightly higher than your average head unit (most are 18 watts x 4 RMS).

Sony XAV-AX100 review – radio reception

Radio reception in general is a tricky thing because it’s so susceptible to interference coming from every angle – power lines on the road and even power lines in the car itself can cause static and interference. With evolving technology and many consumers turning to streaming services from their mobile devices, most car stereo manufacturers are not dumping a ton of money into their tuners.

Despite that, I have been impressed with the reception of Sony head units, this model included. We recently installed this in an older Subaru with one of those terrible amplified windshield antennas and this thing was definitely pulling in more stations than the customer’s previous Pioneer double din head unit (which was equipped with the Pioneer supertuner).

Sony XAV-AX100 Review - FM radio screen. — Sony XAV-AX100 Review – FM radio screen.

What’s missing from the Sony XAV-AX100?

Although Sony packs a lot of popular features into the XAV-AX100, it is missing a few items some consumers may still be interested in.

Buyer beware, the Sony XAV-AX100 lacks the following popular features:

CD/DVD Player**
HDMI input
AUX input
SiriusXM Capability**
HD Radio
Mounting sleeve and trim ring*

*For most vehicles you will not need a mounting sleeve and trim ring as most installation kits these days support iso mount, however, if you have happened to have a vehicle that does not support iso mount and requires a mounting sleeve and trim ring you can use Pioneer’s ADT-VA133 – that is what I used to mount this in my display board.

**Check out the Sony XAV-AX200 if these features are important to you.

Remember the old saying you get what you pay for? Well, if these features are truly important to you, you’ll have to fork over a bit more money and go for something like either the Kenwood DDX9703s or the Pioneer AVH-4200NEX (soon to be replaced by the 2017 model AVH-4201NEX which I believe is the same as AVH-4200NEX, but is bundled with a reverse camera).

Sony XAV-AX100 review conclusion

Although the Sony XAV-AX100 lacks a couple features, I find for most customers it ticks off all the key boxes. If you are looking for an easy to use, great sounding Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatible head unit, you should seriously consider the Sony XAV-AX100. This model has that whole less is more approach and won’t overwhelm you with bells and whistles -aka features you don’t need or won’t use.

Sony XAV-AX100 Review - CarPlay display — Sony XAV-AX100 Review – CarPlay display

In conclusion, Sony did a great job with the XAV-AX100 focusing on the key features consumers are interested in:

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Ease of use
Bluetooth
Reverse camera input
Steering wheel control input

Do you really need anything more?

Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade – Double Din Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX Navigation Installed

Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade - Apple CarPlay

This week in the shop – 2005 Porsche Cayenne, Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX and Murphy’s Law.

Well, it was more like 2 weeks ago in the shop I had the pleasure of doing an installation for a reader who graciously made the 2 1/2 hour trek from Boston to our shop in Brookfield, CT. Raj has experience in the tech and infotainment industry and he was just as excited about seeing Android Auto in action as I was.

Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade - Android Auto — Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade – Android Auto

He was seeking an upgrade for his 2005 Porsche Cayenne navigation radio and was leaning towards the Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX. This model appealed to him because of its Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Additionally, it features on board navigation and a capacitive touch screen, much like the capacitive touch screen used on many smartphones.

I had some reservations about doing an install for a client driving all the way down from Boston. Only a few weeks prior, we had another customer down from the Boston area with a BMW E46 and we ran into some minor issues that were made much more difficult due to the logistics involved. It was late Friday afternoon. The vehicle was in the garage and the installation was in progress when we realized the dash kit company shipped us a 5 series double din kit in a 3 series E46 double din package. Hello Murphy! We were left with few options and very little time to remedy the situation. So, my husband John did what he could – pulled an all nighter and fabricated his own kit.

So, needless to say, I was a little hesitant about another Boston client coming down on a Friday for an installation. I thought to myself, “What could go wrong this time that would be difficult to remedy based on the customer’s place of residency?” John reassured me it was a lot more straightforward than the 3 series and there was a lot less that could go wrong. It was essentially a head unit install with some cables routed to the center console. Plus, he reminded me we would be using tried and tested Nav TV parts. I convinced myself everything would be fine with this Porsche Cayenne navigation upgrade, but in the back of my mind I was still paranoid about what could go wrong when a client travels such a long distance for the purchase and installation of car electronics.

I’ve been alive long enough to know that Murphy is always lurking around, but let’s forget my paranoia for a moment. The Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX really was the perfect solution for bringing this 10 year old vehicle’s navigation system up to date. The goal was to replace the old outdated Porsche navigation radio with a capacitive touch screen navigation radio that supported both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Even though the Porsche Cayenne was equipped with the fiber optic MOST Bose audio system, with the right parts, it was going to be a relatively straight forward job. Nav TV makes a pretty cool interface that allows you to retain the stock fiber optic Bose amp called the MOST HUR-955.

Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade - MOST HUR 955 — Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade – MOST HUR 955 – And, yes, that’s my red swingline stapler in the background.

Having sold and installed several of these kits before, I wasn’t too worried about that part of the install. Besides the interface, there are several different dash kits available for this vehicle. Metra makes one and so does Nav TV. We used Metra’s ASWC-1 steering wheel control interface and Nav TV dash kit. Although the Nav TV Porsche dash kit is more expensive than the Metra version, it is made in Germany and has the same exact appearance, quality, texture and finish as the factory radio.

Shortly after Raj first inquired about the 2005 Porsche Cayenne navigation upgrade, we touched base on the phone to go over details. I quickly typed up an estimate that he agreed to. With an install date set, I started ordering in parts.

This is when Murphy made his first appearance in our 2005 Porsche Cayenne navigation upgrade. After taking a deposit and ordering up parts I realized I made a pretty big mistake. Although I told him about the Nav TV MOST HUR-955 – I explained to him what it was and how it worked – I umm, sort of somehow forgot to put it on the estimate and subsequent invoice. Yikes! Talk about an expensive error. Unable to absorb that additional cost, I made the phone call to explain the error I made in my estimate.

I didn’t know what to expect. I would be pretty peeved if someone sprung an additional $600 part onto my estimate, but Raj was quite understanding and still wanted to move forward with the job. Sweet! I was excited. This was going to be our first install with a customer who actually had a compatible Android Auto device, the Google Nexus 6.

The Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX comes with two USB ports. USB 1 for Apple CarPlay and USB 2 for Android Auto. Additional inputs include HDMI and AUX. We planned to route all 4 into the center console for the 2005 Porsche Cayenne.

Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade - USB's Center Console — Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade – USB’s Center Console

Everything with the installation was going as planned until about 4:00 in the afternoon, right about when John would have been wrapping things up. Uh-oh – here comes Murphy again! With the radio powered up and the interface wired in we had no audio. John removed the Nav TV interface and tried to do a software update. It was not recognized by our computer.

John spent over an hour testing and checking while on the phone with Nav TV tech support. Meanwhile, I had a major meltdown realizing we had been shipped a bum part. After explaining the situation to Nav TV (“You know, the customer is not from our area and can’t just pop back in Monday after you ship us a new part”) they managed to ship a replacement part out next day Saturday delivery which I’m sure cost them a pretty penny. We explained the situation to Raj and I drove him over to Enterprise to pick up a rental so he could drive home while we waited for the replacement part to arrive.

Raj was extremely understanding about the situation and he attributed this to being in the tech industry and having been in similar situations. On the way over to Enterprise he asked me, “So what was the part that was defective?” I responded, “It was that $650 part that I forgot to put on your receipt.” He burst out laughing. I’m glad he thought it was funny, he handled the news much better than I had.

The next day UPS arrived at 9 AM with the replacement interface and it worked like a charm. I have had such a low defective rate with this manufacturer that I was really surprised to have a defective part. Nav TV makes nearly all of their parts right here in the USA and quality control tests each and every one before shipping. Thankfully they stand by their product and they were quick to make it right.

Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade - Google Play Music — Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade – Google Play Music

At the end of the (next) day we had a very happy customer with a pretty sweet 2005 Porsche Cayenne navigation upgrade. Raj, I hope you’re enjoying it!

Android Auto Apple CarPlay Navigation Pioneer Porsche Cayenne Porsche Cayenne Navigation Upgrade

Parrot RNB6 – Supports Android Auto & Apple CarPlay

Parrot RNB6 – Award winning head unit supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

UPDATE – 8-4-15 – Parrot RNB6 Cancelled – Find out why the Parrot RNB6 got eighty-sixed.

While at CES 2015 I was able to take a peak at the new Parrot RNB6. The Parrot RNB6 definitely has the most vibrant and responsive touch screen of all Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible head units that I have come across. It’s a high quality screen and it shows. The image was not at all washed out despite being under bright display lighting. I assume the Parrot RNB6 will be replacing the Parrot Asteroid Smart which is a head unit that I’ve always had mixed feelings on.

The Parrot Asteroid Smart worked on a similar platform, running an Android operating system and then tethering off your cell phone for wifi to allow access to various apps including a web browser, email, navigation apps and various audio apps. What I didn’t like about the Parrot Asteroid Smart was it’s sound quality. It was sub-par. For a $500 stereo it sounded like a $50 Walmart special (think Boss stereo). It also lacked standard steering wheel control integration, it required the Parrot Unika which had limited vehicle compatibility and lacked many American vehicles. Thankfully, Parrot has teamed up with Metra and together they have come up with a solution for that. The AX-SWC-PARROT will allow for Metra’s ASWC-1 steering wheel control interface to work with Parrot products.

Parrot RNB6 – Sound quality

The verdict is still out on sound quality. Unfortunately, Parrot did not have an in car display set up for a true audio demonstration. In fact, I don’t even recall any audio playing from the Parrot RNB6 models themselves. At each display stand, there was also a monitor above demonstrating the features and capabilities.

The Parrot representatives were more than happy to scroll through the various pages of audio adjustments under the Parrot AudioFX menu. Ever the skeptic, I’m not convinced just yet.

Parrot is known for their innovation, their Bluetooth hands free and their Drones. They’re not exactly a car stereo head unit company so I will not be convinced on sound quality until I hear it. If it’s anything like the Asteroid Smart, I will be sorely disappointed. On paper however, the Parrot RBN6 looks like it should perform well. It features:

Multiple band EQ
Digital time alignment
Built in Crossovers
6 Volt pre-amp outputs
Preset EQ based on vehicle – Parrot says they’re uploading more and more vehicles to their database, but the unit should come pre-loaded with many popular vehicles (probably mostly European models)
Option for using either a simple EQ or advanced EQ depending on user preference

Parrot RNB6 - Preset EQ by Vehicle — Parrot RNB6 – Preset EQ by Vehicle

Parrot RNB6 – Vibrant and responsive touch screen

I definitely think the Parrot RNB6 has the brightest and most responsive capacitive touch screen of all Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible head units so far announced. You can truly see the vibrancy. The RNB6 screen quality is probably the closest in quality to your actual smart phone screen. These sample models were all under bright show room lights and still incredibly vibrant. This is an important feature and I think it’s a key advantage Parrot will have over Alpine, Kenwood and Pioneer.

Parrot RNB6 – Extra features over Alpine, Kenwood and Pioneer

Like the new Pioneer and Kenwood Apple CarPlay and Android Auto models, the Parrot RNB6 will support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – not at the same time of course. However, the Parrot RNB6 offers a lot more than its competitors. Besides being both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, the Parrot RNB6 itself is running the latest version of the Android operating system, Lolipop 5.0. This means users can simply pair their phone to this stereo and tether off their cell phone for internet connectivity. So if you don’t feel like connecting and using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, simply use the onboard Android operating system and apps for your navigation and music. This unit also includes Bluetooth so you can make and receive phone calls or stream your music wirelessly.

Additionally, it includes Parrot’s stereo microphone – this appears to be the same microphone that comes with their MKI9200 Bluetooth which is the best sounding handsfree kit I have heard or used. Meaning call sound quality is great – very little background noise, calls are heard clearly thanks to the noise canceling stereo microphone.

Parrot RNB6 - Shallow design makes for easier installation — Parrot RNB6 – Shallow design makes for easier installation

The Parrot RNB6 is similar is size to Alpine’s iLX-007. It’s quite shallow making installation easier in many vehicles. For example, I doubt heat and A/C ducts would have to be modified if installing this in a BMW E46. Other cool perks include Parrot’s Dash Cam. It’s unclear whether or not this unit will be shipping with the Dash Cam or not. I believe that is Parrot’s intention.

In Europe it is mandatory to have a Dash Cam installed. I think that’s a great idea. I know I’ve been looking at installing BlackVue’s Dash Cam DVR in my own vehicle. I’ve had too many near miss accidents due to idiots that can’t drive and don’t know or care who has the right of way. In fact, recently it scared me how angry and aggressive I became after 3 different idiots pulled out in front of me within less than a 1 mile stretch. I think driving around with a Dash Cam DVR would calm me down a bit and make me a safer, less aggressive driver. At least I would feel like I had a built in witness on my side should I ever be unable to avoid one of these morons.

Other cool features include OBD2 integration for on screen vehicle information. Check out all the ports on the back of this stereo. Besides OBD2, there are two HDMI inputs, one standard USB (assuming for Android Auto) one USB for iPod/iPhone (assuming for Apple CarPlay), external GPS antenna connection, Steering Wheel Control connection, Dash Cam connection and an Ethernet connection – which I was told will be for future use and expansion.

Parrot RNB6 - Connections on back of radio — Parrot RNB6 – Connections on back of radio

But wait – there’s more! Here are the features that people get really excited about, but will probably only work with a handful of cars. Parrot’s demo of the RBN6 included screen shots of:

Heat and A/C controls on screen
Park assist sensor integration
Front/Rear camera integration
Lane assist integration

Parrot RNB6 Climate Control – Most likely a CAN bus only feature

I asked Parrot how this is being accomplished and they told me it was through CAN. CAN stands for Control Area Network (little side note here – I learned about CAN years ago from Larry Perzan who sadly passed away last weekend. Larry owned and ran Perzan Auto Radio in Upper Darby Pennsylvania. He was a true innovator and genius when it came to car electronics and installation. He was an invaluable asset to this industry and he will be missed dearly.). CAN is basically just communication lines. It’s kind of like positive and negative, cars with CAN have CAN hi and CAN lo wires. Information from the vehicle computers and modules flow along these lines. By tapping into and reading CAN this information can then be displayed and even integrated with (this is how iDatalink’s Maestro works). So I have a feeling that in order to use these features, your vehicle will already have to be equipped with these systems and this information must also be communicated on the vehicle CAN Bus system.

Overall, the Parrot RNB6 looks quite promising. I can’t wait to take a listen to one in my shop on my own sound board. Parrot did not have an estimated price or release date at this time – they are still working out the details. My guess is it will be similar to other soon to be released Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible models and fall in the $700 – $800 price range, but please understand that’s just my professional guess. If they do end up packaging it with the Dash Cam, I would expect it to be in the $1100 – $1200 price range. I will be sure to post an in depth review once the product ships and I get my hands on one.

Android Auto Apple CarPlay CES 2015 Parrot Android Auto Parrot CarPlay Parrot RNB6