What’s the best head unit available?

[The Flying Scotsman]

Which replacement head unit, less than £500

Hello, just purchased a T6 and unfortunately the head unit has no BT from factory... Im looking to replace it with an aftermarket one and would be nice to keep just the sensors on the screen and to have apple car play. Any recommendations which one to fit for less than £500. Thanks

www.t6forum.com

 

[jdillon8]

I'm looking to replace the original unit on my T6. I was looking at the rcd360+ but I think I'm going to splash out a bit more on the pioneer 360dabs or Kenwood 8021dabs. What experiences do people have with these units?

 

[BIgben]

I'm looking to replace the original unit on my T6. I was looking at the rcd360+ but I think I'm going to splash out a bit more on the pioneer 360dabs or Kenwood 8021dabs. What experiences do people have with these units?

A page back on this thread @Absolut5 mentions the 8021dabs being the most popular unit they sell.
I’m in the same boat and looking to upgrade a t6 when I get my new van.
Last time I dithered and got the rcd360 and ignored the advice about spending a bit more on a unit with wireless CarPlay. The rcd360 worked ok, a bit glitchy but cheap and passable. Plugging the phone in on every trip got a bit tiresome and worried me about wearing the connection to the phone. This time I’m aiming for an inductive charge phone holder and wireless CarPlay. In my old T5
I think it was back in 2021 I had this kenwood wireless CarPlay unit. It worked well but the buttons felt so horrible and cheap. I’m sure someone will know the model number.

 

[Absolut5]

Out of the 3 , I would go 8021 all day long.

The pioneer is a Chinese rebranded unit with a very high failure rate.

I don’t have any real experience on the rcd360 but again a Chinese sourced unit that has no dab or rds radio

The 8021 has been a big seller with great features, easy to use and very reliable

 

[BIgben]

Out of the 3 , I would go 8021 all day long.

The pioneer is a Chinese rebranded unit with a very high failure rate.

I don’t have any real experience on the rcd360 but again a Chinese sourced unit that has no dab or rds radio

The 8021 has been a big seller with great features, easy to use and very reliable

8021 That would be an upgraded one of the unit in the picture above wouldn’t it? Are the buttons any more reassuring on the 8021?
Do you have a forum members price list for units to self fit into a T6 along with required parts to make everything work?
Is there a unit that is mostly plug and play without having to get a bagful of adapter harnesses and plates etc?
I actually swung by Absolute before buying the rcd360 and the fella I met there was pushing me towards buying well over a thousand pounds in stuff which at the time was not really on my radar.

 

[Absolut5]

The picture looks to be a 8021 , the only issue where the buttons stopped working is where someone spilled coffee down it and didn’t tell us .. until it was taken apart and it dripped out and corroded lol

The only units that are generally plug and play are the copies , anything Kenwood , pioneer, alpine etc require a collection of parts unfortunately.

The Kenwood 8021 plus parts is around £785.00ish

 

[BIgben]

The picture looks to be a 8021 , the only issue where the buttons stopped working is where someone spilled coffee down it and didn’t tell us .. until it was taken apart and it dripped out and corroded lol

The only units that are generally plug and play are the copies , anything Kenwood , pioneer, alpine etc require a collection of parts unfortunately.

The Kenwood 8021 plus parts is around £785.00ish

Excellent.

The picture looks to be a 8021 , the only issue where the buttons stopped working is where someone spilled coffee down it and didn’t tell us .. until it was taken apart and it dripped out and corroded lol

The only units that are generally plug and play are the copies , anything Kenwood , pioneer, alpine etc require a collection of parts unfortunately.

The Kenwood 8021 plus parts is around £785.00ish

Thanks for the reply.
That unit came with thoroughly uninspiring buttons from the get go as a new unit. Perhaps it was just a dud.

 

[BIgben]

@Absolut5, do you have a good stock Kenwood dmx9720xds? Which fitting/connection kits do you need to send with it for me to fit it myself? 19 plate T6 highline, front and rear sensors, factory reverse camera currently into the basic VW 6 button colour DAB/CD radio with no APP or NAV. Thanks.

 

[Absolut5]

@Absolut5, do you have a good stock Kenwood dmx9720xds? Which fitting/connection kits do you need to send with it for me to fit it myself? 19 plate T6 highline, front and rear sensors, factory reverse camera currently into the basic VW 6 button colour DAB/CD radio with no APP or NAV. Thanks.

Yew we do have stock of 9720s and the genuine Kenwood-t6 interface for parking sensor display, and factory camera connection etc

 

[Tanstalf]

I'm looking to replace the original unit on my T6. I was looking at the rcd360+ but I think I'm going to splash out a bit more on the pioneer 360dabs or Kenwood 8021dabs. What experiences do people have with these units?

I just fitted the Kenwood 8021dabs. It's a massive improvement over the stock T6 unit. Here are my thoughts after one trip.

Good points:
- Easy to fit with the kit sold by @Absolut5
- Android Auto works wireless
- Comes with USB-C
- Has a built in compass!
- Reverse camera works even when you only have sensors fitted
- Looks bulletproof and solid.

Bad Points:
- Screen can be hard to see in direct sunlight even at the highest brightness
- Screen gets lots of fingerprints
- I can't find a way of playing music with one phone and using Android Auto with a second phone
- Comes with USB-C but the adapter out is USB-A (see my retrofit guide)

Comments:
- Apple Carplay ONLY works if you connect a DAB Ariel. I used a screen mounted one as my factory fitted one was goosed.
- Volume buttons are annoying (I don't have a MFSW)

 

[BIgben]

I just fitted the Kenwood 8021dabs. It's a massive improvement over the stock T6 unit. Here are my thoughts after one trip.

Good points:
- Easy to fit with the kit sold by @Absolut5
- Android Auto works wireless
- Comes with USB-C
- Has a built in compass!
- Reverse camera works even when you only have sensors fitted
- Looks bulletproof and solid.

Bad Points:
- Screen can be hard to see in direct sunlight even at the highest brightness
- Screen gets lots of fingerprints
- I can't find a way of playing music with one phone and using Android Auto with a second phone
- Comes with USB-C but the adapter out is USB-A (see my retrofit guide)

Comments:
- Apple Carplay ONLY works if you connect a DAB Ariel. I used a screen mounted one as my factory fitted one was goosed.
- Volume buttons are annoying (I don't have a MFSW)

When you say volume buttons are annoying, what do you mean by this? Like they’re a bit dead and uninspiring? Sometimes they click sometimes they don’t? This was my experience of a similar unit’s buttons.

 

[Tanstalf]

When you say volume buttons are annoying, what do you mean by this? Like they’re a bit dead and uninspiring? Sometimes they click sometimes they don’t? This was my experience of a similar unit’s buttons.

It's a personal thing. A dial would be better I think. The buttons work fine but you need to press them firmly and they look identical and the lit icons are too small. I don't like taking my eyes off the road and fiddling about pressing/holding up and down.

My solution is to get a MFSW fitted at some point.

 

[Absolut5]

It's a personal thing. A dial would be better I think. The buttons work fine but you need to press them firmly and they look identical and the lit icons are too small. I don't like taking my eyes off the road and fiddling about pressing/holding up and down.

My solution is to get a MFSW fitted at some point.

If you have a rotary control, then the screen will be smaller , there is never a solution to fit all. But it does most things very well.

Yes agree with the screen, but all in dash touch screens suffer from finger prints, you want to see my discovery media in my T6.1 it’s awful for this

The gps is for wireless not the dab aerial ..

 

[Jamiev]

What benefits does the Kenwood units have over the Alpine halo?
I'm looking to fit in a 2019 T6 Startline without mfsw and like the idea of the larger screen.

 

[Absolut5]

Kenwood dmx9720xds has the best screen on the market, super easy to use, wireless Apple CarPlay, android auto but it’s a bit chunky

Alpine halo 905/11 , not so easy to use , slightly harder to install, but better sounding, more powerful. And sits better on the dash

 

[Tanstalf]

I've had the Kenwood for a while. The glare remains a problem (might be fixed with a visor). Working the unit is easy and fitting is something anyone can do.

Cannot comment on the Alpine, but it's more £££

 

[da_murphster]

Kenwood dmx9720xds has the best screen on the market, super easy to use, wireless Apple CarPlay, android auto but it’s a bit chunky

Alpine halo 905/11 , not so easy to use , slightly harder to install, but better sounding, more powerful. And sits better on the dash

I've just fitted the dmx9720xds and think it sits very well in the T6. Screen is a massive step up from my old DMX-8019DABS.

Easy to fit, does not overlap the vents excessively, I've got mine set as low as possible.

I considered the Halo but I think the 9 inch wasnt big enough to justify the floating screen and the 11 would have been too big.

Check Amazon europe sites - got mine for £800 from Amazon.de

Edit: Its actually 20% off on Amazon uk now:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-DMX9720XDS-Mechless-Multimedia-Smartphone/dp/B08N56DDQJ

Only niggles - my reversing camera quality seems poor (standard OEM camera) and there are no 'dynamic lines' when reversing (not really needed but would have been nice)

 

[Absolut5]

I've just fitted the dmx9720xds and think it sits very well in the T6. Screen is a massive step up from my old DMX-8019DABS.

Easy to fit, does not overlap the vents excessively, I've got mine set as low as possible.

I considered the Halo but I think the 9 inch wasnt big enough to justify the floating screen and the 11 would have been too big.

Check Amazon europe sites - got mine for £800 from Amazon.de

Edit: Its actually 20% off on Amazon uk now:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-DMX9720XDS-Mechless-Multimedia-Smartphone/dp/B08N56DDQJ

Only niggles - my reversing camera quality seems poor (standard OEM camera) and there are no 'dynamic lines' when reversing (not really needed but would have been nice)

9720xds is a superb screen, we are doing installing the 992RVS sat nav version today, fantastic screen quality second to none. We sit them as low as they can go too. And the rotary control is nice. But many still prefer the slightly smaller bezel/screen of the `Alpine.

However we do sell more Ke wood overall ..

 

[da_murphster]

@Absolut5 would you say this is normal quality for an oem camera? I’m using your adapters etc

Edit: Sorry terrible quality picture - I'm really struggling to upload images.

 

[da_murphster]

link to better quality picture