After lots of going back and forth, I just installed a Kenwood unit into my Z and am super happy with how it turned out. I read a great deal of reviews of brands and models here on the boards and I decided that Kenwood was a good option. I was able to work out a deal with someone to get the HU, Bluetooth, and iPod additions which was considerably less than what I was expecting.
Here are the items I installed – all were purchased on eBay though the HU was found on eBay but negotiated over email and the seller relisted it with the negotiated price as a new buy-it-now and sent me the link
- Scosche NN04B Nissan 2007+ Radio/Stereo Wire Harness
- Scosche Naa2b Nissan 2007+ Car Radio Antenna Adapter
- Kenwood DNX5120 Navigation; BLUETOOTH; IPOD
The only reason I didn’t use the DNX6140 was because the only differences I could find were that the 5120 did not have built-in Bluetooth or iPod and the one I bought already had those features included with the unit
I thought AK’s install looked really clean and more professional than what you’d see at audio shops…so…I contacted his installer and began asking his opinion on equipment as well as a possible install by him. Throughout the whole process, he was easy to work with and I really enjoyed talking with him. So, for those out there who would like to get a system put into the car, I’d have no reservations about recommending him to anyone for any audio need. The rain was on and off while we worked, but didn’t serve as much of a problem because 85% of what we did was done inside the house.
I figure because I basically had the same install as AK, I didn’t include quite as many pictures, however, I did want to post a few up so that you can see the consistency and care done between both installations.
Just as AK pointed out, all connections were soldered and shrunk by Matt…def not something you see most audio places do…sometimes it’s the little things that make the difference.
Quite the mess we had going on…..
It took a little time and manipulation (due to the excess wires in the dash at this point…) but the HU fit in nicely and already started to look really good….
I chose to place the iPod hookup in the glove box for a few reasons. I wasn’t crazy about cutting a hold in the dash piece and felt like I wasn’t going to need to be as active in controlling the music from the actual unit….so, by fishing the iPod wire through the dash and into the glove box, it’s hidden and out of the way but still accessible for me to change when I want to.
I’ve only tested the Bluetooth once as of yet, but it was crystal clear. I had no problems hearing my callers and they said they had no trouble hearing me. My mom has Bluetooth in her Acura and I’ve to date not been a fan of it because it can be hard to hear what she’s saying, but it seems like anyone I’ve talked with thus far has had no trouble on either side of the call.
GPS antenna was placed at the front of the dash. I was worried about it looking obvious that it’s there, both from the inside and outside, but was concerned about potentially losing reception if it were placed behind the dash. So, though I would have ideally liked it to be out of sight, I do think this was a more than fair compromise for functionality and esthetics.
Couple final pictures to check out….I thought it went great on the whole. Matt and I had a few bugaboos about getting the unit to work, but after some quick trouble shooting, we were able to get her fired up with no problems. I’ve used the nav and it was super quick about calculating/recalculating/locating/etc, the iPod and radio features work well (oh…by the by…the sound it ten times better just be exchanging the HU alone…seriously….a huge notable difference from the stock radio), and the Bluetooth works just like I had the phone to my head. I have not had time to check out the DVD features yet, but, I’ll imagine that it works just as well as everything else.
Thanks, Matt….job well done!