Luso

Thank you, understood

Beatsonic= hassle free translation of practically any new head unit to stock speakers
No Beatsoni= potentially laborious, risky, and expensive nightmare

I suppose I will look for the appropriate beatsonic system when my time comes to purchase

SrWilliams

Yep looks like Mohrd's post above sys it all.

I was hoping to avoid the Beatsonic cost given that I did not need the steering wheel functionality or the stock nav. But it looks like the less complicated Beatsonic is the way to go and maybe I can save costs by installing the unit myself if the Beatsonic is truly owner-install friendly as everyone suggests.

Luso: You spoke about some Apple Headunits that allow you to control everything by voice. Couls you elaborate on these units as I had only been considering Pioneer

Luso

. Basically, Apple has created software called Carplay that this year will start becoming available in new cars. In addition, aftermarket companies like Pioneer and Kenwood have announced they will also be adding the software to their head units.

It basically mirrors your apps and pulls data from your phone connection to your car's screen. This allows you to use Navigation (think about it, always up to date because its from your phone) music, text with voice, listen to texts, and make phone calls. It will also have streaming audio apps like pandora and stitcher. Think of it as using siri through your car to control all your media needs. In my experience, siri is inifintely better than any car system I've ever used (You can just say "play song Hells Bells" and it will go instantly) You literally never have to mess with your head unit manually, unless you want radio or to adjust the volume. (siri, navigate home. Call John. Play AC/DC. etc etc)

Now Pioneer is the only company that right now has a line of head units out, that in a month or so, will be able to be upgraded with a firmware update that will give it Carplay. So you can buy them now and have Carplay before any of the other car manufacturers even put them in their OEM stereo units. Additionally, this opens up a new paradigm, where instead of you spending $1000 bucks on an expensive head unit because you want it to have a hard drive, built in Nav, bluetooth, and voice command, you basically just need something with a silly screen and your cell phone and run everything off your phone's processor, while it sits their charging.. It will probably be the most intuitive hand's free system on the market along with Google's who is also developing a a uniform Android platform for cars as well, but certainly better than anything any car manufacturer can make. At the end of the day, they aren't software people, and they end up outsourcing their systems to other companies anyway (I.E. Ford to Micrsosoft, Mercedes to Blackberry, etc)

Here are some links and a demo that will show you what it is:

http://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/
http://www.pioneer-carglobal.com/CarPlay/


I can't wait for this system. Basically, you can take the oldest car, put in a headunit with carplay, and it will do anything the fanciest Mercedes or Audi has in terms of media tech instantly. It's not exactly revolutionary as many head units have similar features, but none as cohesive and integrated as a uniform apple system speaking on both ends (head unit and phone)

Luso

the SC430's head unit being so outdated, this is the reason I am so animate about getting the Pioneer "Nex" headunit so I can eventually run carplay, and I don't so much care about the old Navigation still working on the second screen. It will be 10xs better and always fresh working through carplay. This is why I kept asking questions about the possibility of putting in the Pioneer unit without needing the beatsonic - i don't care if anything on the OEM stereo ceases to work so long as the pioneer unit with carplay does. it's a gamechanger.

Companies will stop investing so much into native media systems, and eventually when you buy a car you will just pick on the screen "Apple, Google, Blackberry, Microsoft, etc" and the car's media unit will just pull all your media, data, and navigation needs straight from your phone and mirror it to the stereo. it's genius.

pvong713

Here a great video to do headunit removal for sc430

SrWilliams

Luso:

Yep, I am familiar with the mirrored feature that is available on the new Pioneers, but I recalled the feature going by another name. In fact that is the unit I am going to purchase from Pioneer as I do not have to pay 1500 for a head unit w/biuilt in nag, especially since my nag on my Galaxy Note 3 is ten times better than most head units. Thank so much for taking the time to provide me the detailed info

Pvong:

Thanks for that great video. I will now feel comfortable ordering the Beatsonic and doing my own install with the video you have provided. By the way the pictures of your car you sent me were absolutely beautiful

Luso

Yeah they currently mirror some apps, that is a separate feature that belongs to pioneer. Carplay is on another level and much more seamless

FLYCT

I am an Apple fan. I like what they are doing but for now I don't want to jump into the early release units.

My iPhones and iPads are all connected through my factory radio via a vaistech Bluetooth adaptor. I find I use my iPhone to navigate because Siri allows me to enter destinations while moving. Siri gives guidance commands through the radio audio.

I also prefer pandora radio over FM stations.

This weekend i drove a 250 trip at night and had my wife tune in Comedy central on yo the iPhone HBO-GO APP. Listening to Chris Rock and Ray Romano standup made the 4 hour trip feel like 1 hour and kept me alert and awake.

Having a moving map down low in the radio area is not the best place for it.

Moondog

I will chime in here on this thread. There is a lot written about this. There are some very good threads written by some of the moderators. Mandyfig, and also VVitBob...they have written some good stuff on this very subject. I did the upgrade with Beatsonic, Pioneer radio and maintained the OEM speakers...but but new Fosgates in (which I am not really happy with...OEM ML were better). I had some issues with the steering wheel controls recently, but other than that...perfect. I love the new system. It was costly, but in my humble opinion I am very, very happy with the install. By the way, there was one guy on here that did something differently. I don't remember what he did or who it was, but he went another pathway and loved it. It ended up being cheaper and didn't use the Beatsonic. You can search the forum and find some other ways of doing the radio upgrade.

Luso

After spending over 400 on the beatsonic, I wonder if at that point it doesn't almost become worth it to replace all the audio and forgetting the whole oem system?

SrWilliams

Moondog:

I wish you had provided more info. I mean it is a little tough with the lead yu provided: "Some other guy I don't know what he did or who he was but he did something different." Man that is tough to go on. I wish you had more info as I would have really loved to know what the guy did, especially before i purchase the beatsonics and go that route

Does anyone else know who and what Moondog is referencing

DarthSid

+1, I agree with mohrd on what was shared in his thread. In 2011 Beatsonic had a special discounted price based on the number of CL members who agreed to buy their interface. The more who chimed in and agreed to buy a unit, Beatsonic lowered their price. Maybe they could offer the same deal providing a positive number of members make the request. Just a thought!

Moondog

No deal on the beatsonic unless they have changed their minds.... SR, I will look to see if I can find the person I was referring or forum...

Moondog

Here is the thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...m-upgrade.html

SrWilliams

thanks Moondog, I read the thread and I believe it would cost me more money hiring an installer and him trying to follow the rather complicated steps the forum member laid out. I mean my head was spinning. I think I better go with the Beatsonic plug and play method. Seems less frightening