When I saw the thumbnail I thought it was hi low honestly. I was just re watching some yesterday and I thought it was recommended based off that. Prob still was but diff video than I thought it would be! Glad too.
Carl Anthony “After this bit the rest will be a breeze!” 2 hours later “Now this is the last hard bit left, and the rest will be a breeze” 2 more hours later Repeat
So much has changed technology wise since I was putting stereos in cars in highschool, but what apparently hasn't changed is Kenwood charges way too much for too little 😆
I had one and i instantly returned it to get my $$$ back after trying it out, their interface is terrible when it comes to being user friendly, i bet they try to force you to play music with spotify
I used to install car audio and alarms and crap back in the day and Pioneer was always my preference. Solid MOSFET transistors and just an overall good build quality, user interface and reliability
While I dont have the exact one in the video, I have the one without the dvd, dmx907s. It is a little cheaper than one in the video at $650 but it's worth every penny. It was an unfair comparison, cause they really didnt go through a lot of the stuff that makes it expensive.
@@danielhebard1865 Speakers are more of a pain in the ass than just doing the stereo, depending on the car of course. The satisfaction when everything is in and youve done it yourself is great though imo.
Just be thankful your shopping for a car...you gotta start somewhere and it's better than public transit. Also every trip in a 500 dollar car is an adventure.
I worked in car audio for over a decade. I left the field in 2011. It’s amazing how much double din video units have dropped in price since then. In 2011, a $500 unit would’ve been a trash heap and the top of the line Kenwood, Pioneer or Alpine was $2000.
I bought a "cheapie" Jensen VM-9313 flip-screen DVD stereo back in 2009 for my chevy van (was a 1.5 DIN) for $300. I got the bluetooth adapter. I figured I wasn't going to get but a few years out of it being it was dirt cheap, but was amazed how good it sounded with the JBL GTO629's I put in it at the same time. That deck still works to this day going strong! My only gripe is it doesn't have a screen dim mode for nighttime.
Honestly, it blows my mind seeing the price of these things. We're living in an age where you can get some amazingly pixel-dense screens, some badass processors, and even $50 Amazon tablets with bigger screens rock better resolution than what you can find on most modern $500 units. Finding capacitive touch is way harder than it should be, and the resolution of the cameras you can attach is downright laughable. I should be able to get 720p no problem for that balance of resolution and hardware demand, yet most of them are sitting at like 480p or less. When you get out of a modern vehicle with a modern backup camera and go into an older car with a headunit retrofitted, it's a downgrade unless you drop like $1,000 on a high-res head unit. And that's nonsense. Furthermore, bootup times are awful. Either you need a current-sucking mode that fast-loads, or you're looking at somewhere in the 30-40 second range for a bootup. I don't want to wait 40 seconds to be able to use my backup camera, and I don't want to have a dead battery if I go on vacation for the pleasure of having fast-boot.
@@jackdedert2945 And? I bought a $3,000 item for $600 because someone didn't know what they had. Doesn't mean that you should suddenly expect that to be normal value or even think it can be compared to new costs.
@@rustler08 I rarely if ever buy medium to big-ticket items new. I'd rather spend a fourth of the money to get last generation stuff. I follow prices closely and buy when I can afford what I want, and snag things even below that price-point by being willing to wait. I dont have anything to prove.
it's weird that the cheapest one has the ONE thing I want the most in a head unit(other than the obvious)...a manual knob to turn for volume/channel etc. I hate not having a physical way to change volume/channel/song select, and I think it makes driving just a bit more dangerous, since you have to look AT the head unit, at least until you get used to it, in order to do anything at all. I liked the Pioneer the best, there's no reason to spend more than $300 for a car stereo, the rest of that money could be spent on speakers, insulation, better wiring, amp, etc.
I agree with you. I have a pioneer double din installed on my car and while I love it, I don't like how it doesn't have a volume knob. That said, it's not a big issue for me because I use the steering wheel to change the volume and radio stations. Most of the double dins I saw at Best Buy didn't have a volume knob, with the exception of a Sony that only had apple carplay (I use Android).
The newest pioneers have a touch pad version of volume buttons. While I would MUCH prefer a volume knob, the touch function is a little nicer than physical buttons Imo
omg this, I love my Sony 2din unit, but I miss my volume knob, despite having steering wheel controls. There is a trend in removing wheels for volume adjustment on things, I even find hard to get a wired keyboard with a volume knob on it! WTF
@@dild0sled I had the bigger version of that screen in my car for a few months, the boss BE10ACP-CFT. It looked ok, and it sounded ok. Overall for the price it worked pretty well. But there were a lot of bugs. The resolution on the screen wasn't great, but that doesn't really matter a whole lot. For the things that did matter, like power output, it didn't have a ton of power. Had enough to work the stereo, but not enough to make it sound like "effortless" power. It SOUNDED like it was having issues keeping up. Also for the last few months of me having it, it gave me a lot of issues such as crashing randomly, not connecting to android auto, freezing, etc. But all those were only once and a while. 95% of the time they never showed up. But the one thing that REALLY made me mad was it had a glitch that when it booted up it would glitch to full volume and you wouldn't be able to turn it down. For someone like me who has a significantly large stereo in my car, it caused some panic and scared me out of it. I didn't need to damage the hearing of someone else in my car if they ever were in it at the wrong time I don't know what application your using it for, but if you have a full stereo set up, this head unit isn't going to allow you to get the full potential out of the stereo. BUT If you just wanted to do the head unit, you'll be just fine, just be aware, there are a few small bugs. But like I said earlier, for the price, you definitely can't beat it.
@@RyanCorner2001 I'll have it outputting to an amplifier and all new speakers. Android auto is touchy, my WRX has a pioneer and android auto has never worked on my phones for more than an hour. My wife's and family's android phones all work perfectly on it. I have a pixel 5 too. I'm hoping it works better on this one.
Money pit is one of the high points of my week! I love working and having it on, thanks for the great videos guys, Zach explains things in a fantastic understandable way
Being completely honest, its a part of whats driving me to maybe go back to school/take some online classes and learn more about mechanics just because its so interesting and cool!
Went with the pioneer from the video a couple months ago when I got sick of not having Apple CarPlay in my truck (my work vehicle spoiled me, when you use it regularly it’s so hard to go back) and man I couldn’t be happier. The sound quality is great, never had an issue with calls, and it’a super responsive. It sucks that most vehicles made in the past decade or so ditched the din system, it looks kind of ugly but that ability to upgrade every once in a while is awesome
To be fair, wireless carplay is a huge pain to set up first time. Even in new Audi's that I've driven it has been difficult. Hard to tell if this is kentwood's fault, or apple.
Speaker loudness could also be associated with the speakers designed to be used with the unit. If the $700 unit is designed to work with different speakers, the $300 unit might sound louder with the same speakers, but potentially reduce speaker life or give the opportunity to blow them at max volume.
Noo i’ve had Kenwood before and the sound quality is not even close to that of Pioneer, i use to install stereos also and have compared many brands, Pioneer has the best sound quality over the others, and thats a fact.
That 1000-yard stare when the birds started squawking killed me. Another banger of a video; I always learn so much from these ones. Luh u Donut and Zach
Zach maybe my favorite of the new hosts, he didn't make me skip a second of this video because I was really interested. Cam score on this episode is def a 9.5-10
Same. Bought a 700€ pioneer a couple of years ago and it's still out there with its features. Backup AND forward camera support, CD/DVD-changer built in, plenty of preouts...
Ngl, my pioneer avic w8500NEX... is by far the nicest stereo I’ve ever had or seen in my 2006 magnum with Infiniti speakers and 2 lightning audio 12” subs and 5000W competition amp... it bumps. Lmao. That being said, as it was the flagship model... “affordable” isn’t really the case. Still happy with my purchase though!!!
I just got my Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX in the mail today. I haven’t been able to get it to work properly yet unfortunately. Sucks cuz I was excited to finally have it, hopefully I can figure out the issue soon. Update: I got my radio working, the problem wasn’t with the unit itself rather my car using a data stream to power on the radio rather than an accessory power wire. Had to add my own by tapping into the internal computer wires. Really enjoying the unit so far, but haven’t spent too much time with it yet
I've been binge-watching Money Pit in preparation for buying a 2011 Crown Vic P71, and I am learning a ton and making decisions about what I want to upgrade. Thanks for the awesome content!
I also made that a year ago. A big Bluetooth Speaker on the backseat. Until I started Car-Hifi. I made the Front doors, New speakers on an amp. 4 speakers in the back. Also on an amp. And a Subwoofer on 1.100 Watts RMS. Everything from Hifonics. It sounds a little bit better than the bt Box. Just a little bit lol
I’ve literally been looking for a decent way to start looking for head unit. But I’ll be dumb and buy the 700 dollar one only because of the wireless car play. I’ve been wanting that for awhile.
I've been tempted to snatch a miata.. been seeing them on the road a lot more lately, is that your fault, Mr. Jobe?! Makes me want to put more money in my B16... Last year I upgraded my speakers and head unit to a Pioneer AVIC-W8600NEX from my stock navi Nissan radio... Worlds different!!!
The MAIN grievance I’ve always had with stereos is the U.I. It’s almost as if none of them have enough “RAM” and they always lag or aren’t as responsive if they’re touchscreen.
Agreed! My old head unit was a Pioneer (in my old car from 99), was reliable and sounded great! But I've heard Kenwood is just as good. I've been really close to putting a Pioneer back in my new car, but they don't make any options that make putting an "aftermarket" radio in my car look nice. So I've stuck with my GM factory unit.
Installed 2 pioneers radio`s. One was a single din where a display would pop out with android auto support. Thing still works, now I have a double din pioneer radio. And works like a charm. Never had any problem and even when I had a question there was always a nice answer from their support page.
Sometimes it's real good, other times you recognize that manufacturing-facility-somewhere-in-East-Asia smell. To be honest, they're probably all made somewhere in East Asia, but you know what I mean.
This video provides a helpful comparison between cheap and expensive car stereos. It's great to see both options tested side by side so viewers can make informed decisions about their audio needs.
In my first car I couldn't afford good speakers so I wired in a big pair of home stereo speakers in the back seat. Held in with the seat belts. Sounded pretty good in the 80's.
I put a midpriced double din headunit in my '01 F250, gave me the same features as the Sync system the newer Ford trucks had. (Bluetooth, GPS, USB, hands free calling, reverse camera, etc.) Worked pretty good.
Thats no fluke either. I put a top of the line Nav system similar into my wife's Jeep and just basic operation is garbage. tons of features with NO!! memory.
@@chads8267 I wish you could put the UConnect head units in other makes, Chrysler did a really good job with the UConnect system, features, sound, and quality wise.
I’m far from a pro, but I’ve been installing radios since roughly 2013 and feel slightly qualified discussing them. I’ve had boss, sound stream, SSL, pioneer, kenwood, jvc, and even the cheap o. IMO, kenwood was my least favorite. It had decent sound quality, but was a total pain to navigate. I’ve never had a pioneer let me down and even with their cheaper Walmart touch screen, the quality is great! The touch is responsive, call quality is great, very sturdy, and very simple. I love the audio quality of it, it can even make a low buck set of scosche speakers sound ok. Hands down my favorite head unit of all which I would love to see you try is the Sony XAV series. I’ve bought 2 and have ZERO issues with either. Simple interface, great layout, matte rubber bezel which matches OEM dashes really well as opposed to the glossy black bezel around the screen. Bluetooth connects immediately after initial pairing. It is a CarPlay/ android auto unit for under $250, and works perfect in that department. My only complaint(not a big deal at all) is when your listening to UA-cam, there’s a slight disconnect when pausing a song and the radio catching that pause. It has a volume knob, it’s a single din with a double screen, and my most favorite feature which I have yet to see on anything else is the option to import your own wallpaper. For under $250, I don’t think your going to find a better unit with the same features. There’s a CarPlay dual for $200 which looks nice, but after 6 months in my daily the screen started to have issues going black. With a backup camera attached, it started to go black after the camera triggered off and the car had to be shut off to restart the unit.
@@ivanraguz3103 I read some reviews about the Sonys earlier today and literally not one said they had a positive experience using Android Auto. Most said that it simply failed to work but Apple Carplay worked fine. Strange.
I’m definitely not a fan of touch screens. But in my car I have a pioneer DEH-X6600BS and I love it! It sounds amazing and I have never cranked it to max power because it pushes my speakers too far. I have spent many hours making tiny adjustments to the ridiculous amount of sound settings to get the exact sound I’m looking for. That combined with a 10” sub, makes for an epic sound system.
I totally agree with that Statement, but when He looked at the Kenwood he named everything that doesn't matter! COMPLETELY Jumped Over the Most Important Feature! Hi-Res Audio!!! Not Only CDs and DVDs but I'd be hoping it can Play Your SACDs in there being Hi-Res and All...But It IS WAV / FLAC / Vorbis Compatible at up to 24Bits and 196KHz! (not sure but it might even do 32Bits [what the specs said] but aside from DSD and DXD Sources which won't be read here I don't see much use for it yet...) But Hi-Res Sources is pretty much a MUST Nowadays...For Music Lovers, it's sure worth a Try, though you might be disappointed or not even hear the Difference on Cheap Hardware, Especially Cheap Earphones! Cheers! Happy Listening to ALL Audiophiles! ;)
I literally installed the pioneer DMH-1500NEX a week ago into one of my cars, all I can say that it it totally worth $300. It has so much features and the android auto and apple carplay really makes the interior look modern. All in all I would highly recommend that unit.
I have the same radio as well and I love it. One major thing Zach forgot to speak about was for convertible owners we all go with the middle of the road anyways to keep good sound with wind noise and also how much easier it is to be stolen if someone wants to. I own a 300zx convertible and I made custom brackets where you have to remove the glove box, gauge cluster, and get up under the car near the trans to get out a few bolts that holds it in now
@@monroe2245 I connect my phone via usb and I can use my phone without any issues, I did wire the e-brake wire to the chassis of the stereo so it's constantly grounded so the unit "thinks" that the brake it on lol
I was installing Pioneer back in the 70s (anybody remember Supertuners?). Was always the best bang for the buck. Their home stereos back then were great as well...kind of went to shit--along with practically everything else--in the 80s; although I think their car stereos were still superior even then.
My father bought a Pioneer cassette deck in 1985 and installed it himself in his '85 S-10 Blazer, it proudly displayed "Phase Lock Loop (PLL)" tuning near the LCD, and it did receive amazingly-well for early digital tuning. Pretty robust deck, you could crank it quite a bit before it would distort, I accidentally glued the transport mechanism to itself in '97 after a head adjustment. I should have just left the head adjustment screw uncovered... Replaced it with a detachable-face Pioneer cassette deck, it worked for about a week before the slightest bump or button press would make the display blank out. My father ended up wedging cardboard shims all around the faceplate. I don't think he ever forgave me for destroying the original deck, and to be honest, I've never forgiven myself either.
Been a Pioneer fan for a long time! My first car, i bought in 1990, a 1978 Honda Civic, had a Pioneer KE7200 installed in it. The KE7200 had an LED screen on the cassette deck door. A shiny chrome deck with Dolby and auto-reverse. Solid deck that sounded great. I bought a 1988 Chevy van in 1996, and I bought a Pioneer Premier KEH-P7700. Top of the line cassette deck, and got the 12-disc CD changer. I still have that setup to this day, but don't have a vehicle for it right now...used that system for 12 years in that vehicle before I sold it. That van would rock!
I generally feel like.... when comparing items in a particular group of similar item, the mid range choice is most often the right choice. The MOST CHEAP (of whatever group of items it is that you're testing) always seems to lack basic features and the stuff it does have it seems to do rather mediocre. The MOST EXPENSIVE items tends to be overpriced but generally does everything very well for the most part. These are usually so expensive though that it often does not justify the price tag. The MIDRANGE item is often the best choice. Its a comfortable balance of features and quality at a reasonable price. It jay not do EVERYTHING some items can...but it will do what its supposed to, as well as some extras....for a fair price. To me, this test just proves something I've lived by all along. Midrange items are the way to go (IMO) 👍🏼💪🏽😎
I remember watching some very sophisticated complex scientific theory and explanation on the phenomenon u just explained. Which is as far as quality and desirability goes, the midrange or middle item of a set or group always tends to be beat out the other ends of the spectrum EVERYTIME (Hi-Lo). There is even a name for this phenomenon which I can not remember but it bridges over into quantum mechanics in why this is present in nature and civilizations.
Tiago Belo the unit is not very deep so I can actually see potential in one coming out with a lot of hollow space to hide things.... not that I’ve considered that 😂
I've always loved Pioneer- I had one head unit that I transferred to three different cars (until it was stolen, and I of course replaced it with another Pioneer) and as long as they continue to put out the kind of quality I have come to expect from them, I won't put anything else in my dash. (and it goes beyond their car stereos- I've had a Pioneer DVD player that loyally plays DVDs without a problem, and has done so for almost 20 years)
I put a Double DIN Android Auto head unit from, Boss Audio (Audiovox, one of the oldest, yet cheapest/affordable stereos around) to replace the Pioneer single DIN that was in my car. And for the price, it sounds great. I found with a lot of stuff nowadays, you're only paying for a name over quality.
The reason why I haven’t change my camry head unit I like the knob for those times that you have to lower the volume quick. Because clicking is annoying
I felt the same way but you get over it pretty quickly. Also helps if you get the maestro module so you can retain steering wheel controls. I hooked one up with my ddx9906xr, you’ll quickly forget all about the knob :)
There's a great company called NVX that makes very nice speakers at a competitive price point, similarly there is a company called Skar Audio that makes good subwoofers at an affordable price point. One tip I will offer is that if your head unit has crossover ("xover") settings, put a high pass on your front and rear speakers, somewhere between 60-100 Hz, this will depend on where the low pass crossover for your subwoofer is set. This will reduce the amount of super low end bass going to your speakers that they can't even produce, which can blow them out otherwise. Most aftermarket speakers will come with a frequency range listed on their spec sheet, you can use that to get a good idea of what your speakers are capable of doing, and what they are not. There are plenty of great channels such as Car Audio Fabrication if you want to learn crossovers and more.
This test is a game changer for anyone shopping for a new car stereo! I never knew there was so much difference between cheap and expensive options. Thanks for sharing your findings!
Do you know if used aftermarket headunits are worth it? I already have a cheap one that came with my car, but I want to buy one for my mom since her factory radio wont play CDs anymore.
I'm 60 yrs of age teenager & it's been Pioneer every time since 1980 and I got the NEW auto reverse cassette deck ! Lol Every upgrade since then has lasted 10+ yrs in my off road vehicle. (Avid stream fisherman) The deck I've had in 4 different trucks since 2001 has a 6 pack CD changer & everything still works flawlessly. I'll say it again, Pioneer every time !
@@saint-cetacean my thoughts exactly. Isn't it highly dependent on the speakers? I got good speakers and only want the bluetooth option with rear view camera functionality
The downside of both the brand name ones is they lack a volume knob. Thats probably the only upside of the $50 one. Not a big deal if you hook them to your steering wheel controls but if not a actual volume knob is much better than than having to push the small volume buttons along the bottom.
Lack of volume knob is definitely annoying but it has made me use the steering wheel controls more, so I guess that’s a bonus. Alpine actually sells an add-on volume knob for their new head units that you can mount where you want. When you consider many new vehicles put controls in the center console it’s a smart tactic.
I had that pioneer 1500nex for months and I freaking love that head unit. I've had alot of different brands over the years and that one was excellent for the price.
Worth mentioning, my Kenwood DVD/CD, Bluetooth head unit crapped put within a year. I replaced it with a Pioneer and have had no issues and have had it for about 5 years now. When looking for equal features, the Kenwood and Pioneer were much closer in price
Ken wood and pioneer are about the same quality and price wise. I think you just got a bad or failing unit. But I will say I do think pioneers entry level head units are better quality then kenwood. But the midrange and high end are both extremely nice.
Should’ve went with one of the new Sony Headunits. I got the AX-5000, and it’s way better than any kenwood I’ve ever owned. Only have to turn the volume to 3 when I’m driving. Kenwood seems too clunky with their UI and try to talk their features up too much just to charge you more
I was big into Pioneer back in high school. My best buddy and I got the same DEH-P3000IB installed in our cars at circuit city right when they came out. Kenwood makes a fantastic unit. Alpine is the best in every sense. You do get what you pay for. I've been installing car audio for 16 years. I have to have a CD player in mine, because yes we are in 2021, but I own hundreds of cds and I still buy cds.
I bought the budget Kenwood head unit about 7 years ago for around $450. It's moved through 3 vehicles and I've used it everyday. The calls are still clear and the Bluetooth works flawlessly. It's slow to react to touch, but that's expected from back then. 10/10 would recommend.
I've had the best experience with Pioneer too, and the reason i first went with Pioneer was because the car stereo guy i talked to at the shop said Pioneer units are generally better than the Kenwood's even though i first looked at a Kenwood unit that was more expensive than the Pinoeer one he reccomended to me and that i ultimately went with
I worked with car audio for a bit years ago and can confirm, Pioneer is just plainly better than Kenwood in pretty much every way. We got back probably 5 times as many defective Kenwoods as we did Pioneer. Their speakers aren't fantastic but their head units can't be beat for the price.
Money pit is my new favorite series since Hi-Low is over, I’m pretty sure this is the only thing getting my through quarantine
Quentin Frohling there’s part 2 of hi low on Facebook
@@alexgrant6965 and they've confirmed a new season with new cars! hopefully some time this year
When I saw the thumbnail I thought it was hi low honestly. I was just re watching some yesterday and I thought it was recommended based off that. Prob still was but diff video than I thought it would be! Glad too.
galactic dolan damn what do you think the cars should be? I say Mini Cooper S.
@@leanmeangreenbeanmachine3347 a volkswagen beetle.. I think it would be hilarious.
I love how every episode always starts in the morning and ends late at night
In true car guy fashion of course. the "30 min job" always turns into a few hours.
Yeah, I don’t know why my friends and family bother to ask me how long a job is going to take anymore. My estimate is always wrong. Every time.
Carl Anthony
“After this bit the rest will be a breeze!”
2 hours later
“Now this is the last hard bit left, and the rest will be a breeze”
2 more hours later
Repeat
the dedication xD
P
So much has changed technology wise since I was putting stereos in cars in highschool, but what apparently hasn't changed is Kenwood charges way too much for too little 😆
Yes and they fail on a regular bases. Their after sales service is appalling.
Best sound quality tho
I had one and i instantly returned it to get my $$$ back after trying it out, their interface is terrible when it comes to being user friendly, i bet they try to force you to play music with spotify
I used to install car audio and alarms and crap back in the day and Pioneer was always my preference. Solid MOSFET transistors and just an overall good build quality, user interface and reliability
While I dont have the exact one in the video, I have the one without the dvd, dmx907s. It is a little cheaper than one in the video at $650 but it's worth every penny. It was an unfair comparison, cause they really didnt go through a lot of the stuff that makes it expensive.
Just upgraded my own car's stereo, literally the first ever modification I've ever made to a car and it was surprisingly easy.
2 months done anything else ?
the sound system is also fairly simple
Just spent five hours upgrading my car's stereo and speakers.... I wouldn't call it easy, but it's nice to not owe Car Toys $300 for labor lol.
@@danielhebard1865 Speakers are more of a pain in the ass than just doing the stereo, depending on the car of course. The satisfaction when everything is in and youve done it yourself is great though imo.
Only works if your speakers aren't shit
Donut: spends over $1000 on radios
Me: shopping on FB marketplace for 500 dollar cars.
Why is this facts tho 😂😂😂
Me too bro, me too
It’s called money pit for a reason 😂
Just be thankful your shopping for a car...you gotta start somewhere and it's better than public transit. Also every trip in a 500 dollar car is an adventure.
Buy old civic. Best choice for 500$
came here for the stereo comparison, left with the desire to purchase a miata
Ew🤢
Pioneer stereo with kenwood sub 💯
Having worked for Mazda for 6 years mx5s (miata in the land down under) and they aren't fun to fix
Everybody knows that Blaupunkt is best for a Miata! ua-cam.com/video/ivDkluAdvts/v-deo.html
Do American cars not come with a sterio inbuilt?
this show is legendary
Ahya728 so is Lando Norris’s
I worked in car audio for over a decade. I left the field in 2011. It’s amazing how much double din video units have dropped in price since then. In 2011, a $500 unit would’ve been a trash heap and the top of the line Kenwood, Pioneer or Alpine was $2000.
I bought a "cheapie" Jensen VM-9313 flip-screen DVD stereo back in 2009 for my chevy van (was a 1.5 DIN) for $300. I got the bluetooth adapter. I figured I wasn't going to get but a few years out of it being it was dirt cheap, but was amazed how good it sounded with the JBL GTO629's I put in it at the same time. That deck still works to this day going strong! My only gripe is it doesn't have a screen dim mode for nighttime.
Paid $100 for my used JVC from Marketplace
Honestly, it blows my mind seeing the price of these things. We're living in an age where you can get some amazingly pixel-dense screens, some badass processors, and even $50 Amazon tablets with bigger screens rock better resolution than what you can find on most modern $500 units. Finding capacitive touch is way harder than it should be, and the resolution of the cameras you can attach is downright laughable.
I should be able to get 720p no problem for that balance of resolution and hardware demand, yet most of them are sitting at like 480p or less. When you get out of a modern vehicle with a modern backup camera and go into an older car with a headunit retrofitted, it's a downgrade unless you drop like $1,000 on a high-res head unit. And that's nonsense.
Furthermore, bootup times are awful. Either you need a current-sucking mode that fast-loads, or you're looking at somewhere in the 30-40 second range for a bootup. I don't want to wait 40 seconds to be able to use my backup camera, and I don't want to have a dead battery if I go on vacation for the pleasure of having fast-boot.
@@jackdedert2945 And? I bought a $3,000 item for $600 because someone didn't know what they had. Doesn't mean that you should suddenly expect that to be normal value or even think it can be compared to new costs.
@@rustler08 I rarely if ever buy medium to big-ticket items new. I'd rather spend a fourth of the money to get last generation stuff. I follow prices closely and buy when I can afford what I want, and snag things even below that price-point by being willing to wait. I dont have anything to prove.
it's weird that the cheapest one has the ONE thing I want the most in a head unit(other than the obvious)...a manual knob to turn for volume/channel etc. I hate not having a physical way to change volume/channel/song select, and I think it makes driving just a bit more dangerous, since you have to look AT the head unit, at least until you get used to it, in order to do anything at all. I liked the Pioneer the best, there's no reason to spend more than $300 for a car stereo, the rest of that money could be spent on speakers, insulation, better wiring, amp, etc.
I agree with you. I have a pioneer double din installed on my car and while I love it, I don't like how it doesn't have a volume knob. That said, it's not a big issue for me because I use the steering wheel to change the volume and radio stations. Most of the double dins I saw at Best Buy didn't have a volume knob, with the exception of a Sony that only had apple carplay (I use Android).
The newest pioneers have a touch pad version of volume buttons. While I would MUCH prefer a volume knob, the touch function is a little nicer than physical buttons Imo
omg this, I love my Sony 2din unit, but I miss my volume knob, despite having steering wheel controls. There is a trend in removing wheels for volume adjustment on things, I even find hard to get a wired keyboard with a volume knob on it! WTF
@@dild0sled I had the bigger version of that screen in my car for a few months, the boss BE10ACP-CFT. It looked ok, and it sounded ok. Overall for the price it worked pretty well. But there were a lot of bugs. The resolution on the screen wasn't great, but that doesn't really matter a whole lot. For the things that did matter, like power output, it didn't have a ton of power. Had enough to work the stereo, but not enough to make it sound like "effortless" power. It SOUNDED like it was having issues keeping up. Also for the last few months of me having it, it gave me a lot of issues such as crashing randomly, not connecting to android auto, freezing, etc. But all those were only once and a while. 95% of the time they never showed up. But the one thing that REALLY made me mad was it had a glitch that when it booted up it would glitch to full volume and you wouldn't be able to turn it down. For someone like me who has a significantly large stereo in my car, it caused some panic and scared me out of it. I didn't need to damage the hearing of someone else in my car if they ever were in it at the wrong time
I don't know what application your using it for, but if you have a full stereo set up, this head unit isn't going to allow you to get the full potential out of the stereo.
BUT If you just wanted to do the head unit, you'll be just fine, just be aware, there are a few small bugs. But like I said earlier, for the price, you definitely can't beat it.
@@RyanCorner2001 I'll have it outputting to an amplifier and all new speakers. Android auto is touchy, my WRX has a pioneer and android auto has never worked on my phones for more than an hour. My wife's and family's android phones all work perfectly on it. I have a pixel 5 too. I'm hoping it works better on this one.
0:38 Zach: let's make some noise...
3:12 Birds: no problem 🐦
Those are the beautiful parrots of southern california
That was so funny how he reacted lolllll
Money pit is one of the high points of my week! I love working and having it on, thanks for the great videos guys, Zach explains things in a fantastic understandable way
Being completely honest, its a part of whats driving me to maybe go back to school/take some online classes and learn more about mechanics just because its so interesting and cool!
@@Tschafthuizen That's the kinda stuff I love to hear!!
Went with the pioneer from the video a couple months ago when I got sick of not having Apple CarPlay in my truck (my work vehicle spoiled me, when you use it regularly it’s so hard to go back) and man I couldn’t be happier. The sound quality is great, never had an issue with calls, and it’a super responsive. It sucks that most vehicles made in the past decade or so ditched the din system, it looks kind of ugly but that ability to upgrade every once in a while is awesome
I love how Zach starts every money pit thinking "hey this gonna be quick" and then films until midnight
To be fair, that's working on cars in a nutshell
@@jenmarklevin96 haha no kidding, something you think might take an hour or two turns into an 8 hour night 😂
Yup, that’s par for the course
working on cars 101 lol
50 dollar unit: weighs nothing
People who remove their back seats and carpet to lower weight: WRITE THAT DOWN!
They just remove the entire unit
@@Omlet221 yup
Mixup 221
But they have to have their flex music, yknow, to flex their weight savings.
money pit!
Tom Lake Charles nope you care that much about weight you got no sound system except your exhaust
at 11:55 "took a little bit of figuring out" it was daylight when he started and got dark by the time his phone connected lol
To be fair, wireless carplay is a huge pain to set up first time. Even in new Audi's that I've driven it has been difficult. Hard to tell if this is kentwood's fault, or apple.
It wasn’t car play it was simple Bluetooth 🤣
Speaker loudness could also be associated with the speakers designed to be used with the unit. If the $700 unit is designed to work with different speakers, the $300 unit might sound louder with the same speakers, but potentially reduce speaker life or give the opportunity to blow them at max volume.
Noo i’ve had Kenwood before and the sound quality is not even close to that of Pioneer, i use to install stereos also and have compared many brands, Pioneer has the best sound quality over the others, and thats a fact.
How could it be speakers if the same car speakers are being used in this video? It is the unit.
Source=me @@the1withnoname496
Zach: Blasting music
Birds 🐦 : YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE MORE NOISE THAN US?
He must have the nicest neighbors. Or they are building birdhouses in his home and sending out invites to that local parrot population.
*Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary*
@@tenthyukillme2049 if you posted this at r/memes you would have gotten 10k upvotes
I think those wild parrots left my neighborhood for his.
Those birds wake me up every morning, I know that noise anywhere. Stupid green parrots.
“The only thing left to do is...” see how the return process is with these companies !
I was expecting that too lol.
Amazon. No hassle
TrackSol but will he have to send it back or get to keep it?
@@bagelbandit6076 How is it a return if he gets to keep it?
Until the end of this series, this *Miata* will become a legend...
what
Hope so
Yes
looks like this car will be on dirt 5
Built engine witb a turbo making 350whp?
That 1000-yard stare when the birds started squawking killed me. Another banger of a video; I always learn so much from these ones. Luh u Donut and Zach
Zach maybe my favorite of the new hosts, he didn't make me skip a second of this video because I was really interested. Cam score on this episode is def a 9.5-10
He’s definitely a worthy host and shows how much he enjoys being on TV or internet views. (:
7:55 he recognized it by the sound without looking. That must have happens so many times in his lifetime
Lol you’re right
Its like that moment when something breaks n its broken so often you immediately know what it is
I always come back to this video and remember ur comment every time that chair slides away
i came into the comments to see if anyone caught that. it was actually kinda cool lol
Back here in the comments....
In my experience pioneer has always been a quality/affordable brand, so I'm not surprised with the results
Same. Bought a 700€ pioneer a couple of years ago and it's still out there with its features. Backup AND forward camera support, CD/DVD-changer built in, plenty of preouts...
Blaupunkt also very good
Ngl, my pioneer avic w8500NEX... is by far the nicest stereo I’ve ever had or seen in my 2006 magnum with Infiniti speakers and 2 lightning audio 12” subs and 5000W competition amp... it bumps. Lmao. That being said, as it was the flagship model... “affordable” isn’t really the case. Still happy with my purchase though!!!
I just got my Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX in the mail today. I haven’t been able to get it to work properly yet unfortunately. Sucks cuz I was excited to finally have it, hopefully I can figure out the issue soon.
Update: I got my radio working, the problem wasn’t with the unit itself rather my car using a data stream to power on the radio rather than an accessory power wire. Had to add my own by tapping into the internal computer wires. Really enjoying the unit so far, but haven’t spent too much time with it yet
Pioneer for fine audio, Kenwood for yups with cash to burn and just another label
the stool escaping was probably one of my favorite parts of this video ngl.
3:20 Zach is boutta take the head-unit off some mfing birds
that got me
I DEMAND IT TO BE WEDNESDAY EVERYDAY!
I second that
@@joaquingarciaherrera7068 I third that
@@joaquingarciaherrera7068 I don't!!
That's a big mood. This show is what I look forward to every week.
Third that
Kenwoods have always been difficult to navigate. Pioneer has always been the undisputed champ in this department. 💁♂️
Blaupunkt 💯
Alpine headunits are lots better than these
Alpine are nice with all the additional gear bolted on
Also kenwood can die for no reason and get stuck in protect mode
When you read this and you have a Kenwood
I've been binge-watching Money Pit in preparation for buying a 2011 Crown Vic P71, and I am learning a ton and making decisions about what I want to upgrade. Thanks for the awesome content!
How’s the build going bro?
"IS HE DOING IT AGAIN HONEY?"
"YESS, HE TALKS TO HIMSELF AT HIS GARAGE AT THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT"
Lol
Imagine having a stereo system. Real OGs have a boom box duct taped to the side of the door
I bought a jbl boom box for $500 and keep it in my back seat so I didn’t have to spend 1400 to replace the speakers in my old jaguar
@@punguinzstudio Smart
@Dee Onreall nah there not the same lol and I'm only 16 and I think boom boxes are so cool lol
I also made that a year ago. A big Bluetooth Speaker on the backseat. Until I started Car-Hifi. I made the Front doors, New speakers on an amp. 4 speakers in the back. Also on an amp. And a Subwoofer on 1.100 Watts RMS.
Everything from Hifonics. It sounds a little bit better than the bt Box. Just a little bit lol
@chris colon It's a joke bud
This series is dangerous for me. Every episode I just think "I could use a new one of that for my car". And I'm still saving up for wheels and tires!!
I’ve literally been looking for a decent way to start looking for head unit. But I’ll be dumb and buy the 700 dollar one only because of the wireless car play. I’ve been wanting that for awhile.
Hahaha same bro
Uh uh I hope you're saving for that some gooooooooooood Volk!
hey bro i did the same thing, stick to it! i installed coils and wheels in one setting and now i love my car 1000x better.
I've been tempted to snatch a miata.. been seeing them on the road a lot more lately, is that your fault, Mr. Jobe?! Makes me want to put more money in my B16... Last year I upgraded my speakers and head unit to a Pioneer AVIC-W8600NEX from my stock navi Nissan radio... Worlds different!!!
The MAIN grievance I’ve always had with stereos is the U.I. It’s almost as if none of them have enough “RAM” and they always lag or aren’t as responsive if they’re touchscreen.
My mans out here spending 500$ on a head unit with stock cardboard speakers
probably they ll gonna spend on speakers too
Ha! It already has some alpine type-e speakers that sound pretty good. I talked about them at some point, but it didn't make the edit!
@@Donut dang now all you need is some amps lol
@@Donut *cough* wing/spoiler next? *cough*
Donut Media
Why can’t anyone see my comments?
Even though they’re expensive Kenwood and pioneer are some of the best out there
Jvc owns Kenwood now and are the exact same as Kenwood.
Alpine my friend
Is there any better?
Agreed! My old head unit was a Pioneer (in my old car from 99), was reliable and sounded great! But I've heard Kenwood is just as good.
I've been really close to putting a Pioneer back in my new car, but they don't make any options that make putting an "aftermarket" radio in my car look nice. So I've stuck with my GM factory unit.
Alpine!
The mid-tier brand is always the best brand, everyone knows that.
Facts
Tell that to Rolls Royce
The Chad lol those things break
Alex Hunt and what immortal car do you drive sir?
I got the best one for my car.
Installed 2 pioneers radio`s. One was a single din where a display would pop out with android auto support. Thing still works, now I have a double din pioneer radio. And works like a charm. Never had any problem and even when I had a question there was always a nice answer from their support page.
i love the smell of new electric equipment, Sometimes you can smell when something is seriously cheap.
I concur
Like that font that stinks out loud!
One of the best smells! I take those sniffs every time i open up new electronics🤣
Usually a burning smell if I’m the one installing it
Sometimes it's real good, other times you recognize that manufacturing-facility-somewhere-in-East-Asia smell. To be honest, they're probably all made somewhere in East Asia, but you know what I mean.
Damn harbor freight stools, always trying to escape
That stool probably knows he also bought the recalled jack stands and wants to GTFO before shit goes down - literally.
not from Harbor Freight... it still has all its wheels..lol
Next episode: my roof was cut open and head unit was stolen - hardtop roof install
Can't have shit in Detroit
No no, it should be "how to use 50 dollar unit as decoy cover for the high end one"
This video provides a helpful comparison between cheap and expensive car stereos. It's great to see both options tested side by side so viewers can make informed decisions about their audio needs.
Zach-Buys 1000$ miata
Also Zach - spends 1050$ on radios
THANOS: prefectly balanced, as all things should be
If that's a $1000 Miata I'll take 2
thats why its called money pit
0:38: Zack:"let's me some noise"
Birds:**ohh baby I been making noise before you were even Born**
"Do not use the unit in standard mode there goes the stool"
*shows stool making a break for it*
Comedy at it's finest
i laughed way too hard at this 🤣
Nick Brown seconded!
Loose stools are always good for a laugh.
"There goes the stool" got me lol.
next episode "is an ls swap worth it?"
*"Hey guys this is Austin, is the LS worth it?"*
Lmfaoo
Yes hell yes
SWAP IT
Yes
Do A Mod That Lets You Wink The Headlights.
He just needs to double click the button fast enough and it'll do it
You just need to pull a fuse
U just unplug a headlight
In my first car I couldn't afford good speakers so I wired in a big pair of home stereo speakers in the back seat. Held in with the seat belts. Sounded pretty good in the 80's.
I put a midpriced double din headunit in my '01 F250, gave me the same features as the Sync system the newer Ford trucks had. (Bluetooth, GPS, USB, hands free calling, reverse camera, etc.) Worked pretty good.
Kenwood head units have been "MEH" for about 10 years now, not a shock the pioneer was the "best performer" here.
Thats no fluke either. I put a top of the line Nav system similar into my wife's Jeep and just basic operation is garbage. tons of features with NO!! memory.
@@chads8267 is it a excelon one or not cause i been pleased with my older 9904
Pioneer or Alpine or nothing.
Sony ax1000 or whatever is p good
@@chads8267 I wish you could put the UConnect head units in other makes, Chrysler did a really good job with the UConnect system, features, sound, and quality wise.
I’m far from a pro, but I’ve been installing radios since roughly 2013 and feel slightly qualified discussing them. I’ve had boss, sound stream, SSL, pioneer, kenwood, jvc, and even the cheap o. IMO, kenwood was my least favorite. It had decent sound quality, but was a total pain to navigate. I’ve never had a pioneer let me down and even with their cheaper Walmart touch screen, the quality is great! The touch is responsive, call quality is great, very sturdy, and very simple. I love the audio quality of it, it can even make a low buck set of scosche speakers sound ok. Hands down my favorite head unit of all which I would love to see you try is the Sony XAV series. I’ve bought 2 and have ZERO issues with either. Simple interface, great layout, matte rubber bezel which matches OEM dashes really well as opposed to the glossy black bezel around the screen. Bluetooth connects immediately after initial pairing. It is a CarPlay/ android auto unit for under $250, and works perfect in that department. My only complaint(not a big deal at all) is when your listening to UA-cam, there’s a slight disconnect when pausing a song and the radio catching that pause. It has a volume knob, it’s a single din with a double screen, and my most favorite feature which I have yet to see on anything else is the option to import your own wallpaper. For under $250, I don’t think your going to find a better unit with the same features. There’s a CarPlay dual for $200 which looks nice, but after 6 months in my daily the screen started to have issues going black. With a backup camera attached, it started to go black after the camera triggered off and the car had to be shut off to restart the unit.
Dual is crap.
Is android auto wireless on that Sony unit?
@@ivanraguz3103 Sadly, no
@@ivanraguz3103 I read some reviews about the Sonys earlier today and literally not one said they had a positive experience using Android Auto. Most said that it simply failed to work but Apple Carplay worked fine. Strange.
what do you feel about Dual?
i was literally just thinking about getting a new car stereo this is awesome. Thanks Zach!
You're welcome!
I’m definitely not a fan of touch screens. But in my car I have a pioneer DEH-X6600BS and I love it! It sounds amazing and I have never cranked it to max power because it pushes my speakers too far. I have spent many hours making tiny adjustments to the ridiculous amount of sound settings to get the exact sound I’m looking for. That combined with a 10” sub, makes for an epic sound system.
TBH Pioneer is an absurdly well known and good Japanese brand. Still have my Pioneer headphones working perfectly.
I totally agree with that Statement, but when He looked at the Kenwood he named everything that doesn't matter! COMPLETELY Jumped Over the Most Important Feature! Hi-Res Audio!!!
Not Only CDs and DVDs but I'd be hoping it can Play Your SACDs in there being Hi-Res and All...But It IS WAV / FLAC / Vorbis Compatible at up to 24Bits and 196KHz! (not sure but it might even do 32Bits [what the specs said] but aside from DSD and DXD Sources which won't be read here I don't see much use for it yet...)
But Hi-Res Sources is pretty much a MUST Nowadays...For Music Lovers, it's sure worth a Try, though you might be disappointed or not even hear the Difference on Cheap Hardware, Especially Cheap Earphones!
Cheers!
Happy Listening to ALL Audiophiles! ;)
@@ohmmygod4963 found the audiofile
@@ohmmygod4963 ......PIONEER 80PRS......
I literally installed the pioneer DMH-1500NEX a week ago into one of my cars, all I can say that it it totally worth $300. It has so much features and the android auto and apple carplay really makes the interior look modern. All in all I would highly recommend that unit.
I have the same radio as well and I love it. One major thing Zach forgot to speak about was for convertible owners we all go with the middle of the road anyways to keep good sound with wind noise and also how much easier it is to be stolen if someone wants to. I own a 300zx convertible and I made custom brackets where you have to remove the glove box, gauge cluster, and get up under the car near the trans to get out a few bolts that holds it in now
Crap thing about Android auto, it locks you out of your phone.
@@monroe2245 isn't that kinda the point though? To keep you from using your phone while driving
James Reeves exactly lol
@@monroe2245 I connect my phone via usb and I can use my phone without any issues, I did wire the e-brake wire to the chassis of the stereo so it's constantly grounded so the unit "thinks" that the brake it on lol
This makes me want to go modify my car each time I watch money pit
I was installing Pioneer back in the 70s (anybody remember Supertuners?). Was always the best bang for the buck. Their home stereos back then were great as well...kind of went to shit--along with practically everything else--in the 80s; although I think their car stereos were still superior even then.
My father bought a Pioneer cassette deck in 1985 and installed it himself in his '85 S-10 Blazer, it proudly displayed "Phase Lock Loop (PLL)" tuning near the LCD, and it did receive amazingly-well for early digital tuning. Pretty robust deck, you could crank it quite a bit before it would distort, I accidentally glued the transport mechanism to itself in '97 after a head adjustment. I should have just left the head adjustment screw uncovered...
Replaced it with a detachable-face Pioneer cassette deck, it worked for about a week before the slightest bump or button press would make the display blank out. My father ended up wedging cardboard shims all around the faceplate. I don't think he ever forgave me for destroying the original deck, and to be honest, I've never forgiven myself either.
My grandma has the Supertuner III in her stratus
I still own a Pioneer Premier KEX-M900 SuperTuner IV, with the CD changer. Had multiple older units in the 80's as well.
Been a Pioneer fan for a long time! My first car, i bought in 1990, a 1978 Honda Civic, had a Pioneer KE7200 installed in it. The KE7200 had an LED screen on the cassette deck door. A shiny chrome deck with Dolby and auto-reverse. Solid deck that sounded great. I bought a 1988 Chevy van in 1996, and I bought a Pioneer Premier KEH-P7700. Top of the line cassette deck, and got the 12-disc CD changer. I still have that setup to this day, but don't have a vehicle for it right now...used that system for 12 years in that vehicle before I sold it. That van would rock!
Remember? Did they stop making them? Have a few supertuner 3s in garage 😂
I generally feel like.... when comparing items in a particular group of similar item, the mid range choice is most often the right choice.
The MOST CHEAP (of whatever group of items it is that you're testing) always seems to lack basic features and the stuff it does have it seems to do rather mediocre.
The MOST EXPENSIVE items tends to be overpriced but generally does everything very well for the most part. These are usually so expensive though that it often does not justify the price tag.
The MIDRANGE item is often the best choice. Its a comfortable balance of features and quality at a reasonable price. It jay not do EVERYTHING some items can...but it will do what its supposed to, as well as some extras....for a fair price.
To me, this test just proves something I've lived by all along. Midrange items are the way to go (IMO) 👍🏼💪🏽😎
I remember watching some very sophisticated complex scientific theory and explanation on the phenomenon u just explained. Which is as far as quality and desirability goes, the midrange or middle item of a set or group always tends to be beat out the other ends of the spectrum EVERYTIME (Hi-Lo). There is even a name for this phenomenon which I can not remember but it bridges over into quantum mechanics in why this is present in nature and civilizations.
"The middle path is best" - Vagabond every other chapter
"By the way, I figured out what the mule function was..."
Me: Does it make mule noises?
"Mute."
Me: oh GOD D-
no, it's hollow so it can serve as a drug mule
Tiago Belo the unit is not very deep so I can actually see potential in one coming out with a lot of hollow space to hide things.... not that I’ve considered that 😂
nearly spit my soda out as he said that
I've had Pioneer stereos in all of my cars and I could not be happier, never had a major problem with it and for the price it was always amazing
Me too always pioneer 💪🏾💪🏾
I've always loved Pioneer- I had one head unit that I transferred to three different cars (until it was stolen, and I of course replaced it with another Pioneer) and as long as they continue to put out the kind of quality I have come to expect from them, I won't put anything else in my dash. (and it goes beyond their car stereos- I've had a Pioneer DVD player that loyally plays DVDs without a problem, and has done so for almost 20 years)
I put a Double DIN Android Auto head unit from, Boss Audio (Audiovox, one of the oldest, yet cheapest/affordable stereos around) to replace the Pioneer single DIN that was in my car. And for the price, it sounds great. I found with a lot of stuff nowadays, you're only paying for a name over quality.
Day 20 of asking donut to do an b2b on their cars or maybe an up to speed
Up to speed on James' VW
Great idea
I'm down for this episode
Pls dont copy our bro's style (PaganiGaming)
Maybe ask in a differnt way
Lame
Next time they are doing speakers I’m calling it.
Yes ! I need to upgrade my speakers and tweeters
They have, if you look at their reply in one of the replies they have alpine e's , they didnt make the cut tho
Worst thing in more expensive head units is the absence of a volume knob...
The reason why I haven’t change my camry head unit I like the knob for those times that you have to lower the volume quick. Because clicking is annoying
I felt the same way but you get over it pretty quickly. Also helps if you get the maestro module so you can retain steering wheel controls. I hooked one up with my ddx9906xr, you’ll quickly forget all about the knob :)
@@aweminus3535 The problem is, not everyone has the steering wheel buttons which the knobs could compensate.
Agree, the volume knob feels so much better.
Agreed! One thing that needs to come back! But with all the new cars with steering wheel capabilities, it just isn't practical anymore..
thank you mr beast
No
7:59 lol even the stool is bored of quarantine 😂😂
I used to just have a cassette tape with an aux cord connected so i can play music from my phone through the cassette player lol
Haha, I used a discman to play cds to the take adapter in my old jeep, back in the day.
Og shit !
Same. My old ‘02 Subie had that, but oddly enough the stock stereo was awesome
I have the cassette aux thing to...such a genius invention. Although I don't have a stereo that requires it.
Haha the tape to cd 💿 adapters we’re dope back in the day too
What about speakers and subs? I blew mine out and a money pit on speakers would really help
There's a great company called NVX that makes very nice speakers at a competitive price point, similarly there is a company called Skar Audio that makes good subwoofers at an affordable price point. One tip I will offer is that if your head unit has crossover ("xover") settings, put a high pass on your front and rear speakers, somewhere between 60-100 Hz, this will depend on where the low pass crossover for your subwoofer is set. This will reduce the amount of super low end bass going to your speakers that they can't even produce, which can blow them out otherwise. Most aftermarket speakers will come with a frequency range listed on their spec sheet, you can use that to get a good idea of what your speakers are capable of doing, and what they are not. There are plenty of great channels such as Car Audio Fabrication if you want to learn crossovers and more.
Next episode??
I swear by cerwin Vegas. They've never failed.
Don’t get that info from here.
You can't go wrong with Rockford Fosgate or Kicker
This test is a game changer for anyone shopping for a new car stereo! I never knew there was so much difference between cheap and expensive options. Thanks for sharing your findings!
I'm getting the $50 headunit so i'll have the last laugh when a crackhead goes to steal it
🤣
Not cool man, I’m the crackhead that was gonna steal your radio.
based
Do you know if used aftermarket headunits are worth it? I already have a cheap one that came with my car, but I want to buy one for my mom since her factory radio wont play CDs anymore.
Problem is if the crackhead smashes your window and damages your dashboard just to steal a piece of crap that isn´t even going to use for himself :p
I love savagegeese’s videos on car audio. He goes into good technical detail and cuts through the marketing
Hell yeah, Jobe's listening to Justice!
Only the best
@@Donut Waters of Nazareth is up there with Phantom Pt.2 and Genesis, one of my favorite album.
It's a sign 🙏
I'm 60 yrs of age teenager & it's been Pioneer every time since 1980 and I got the NEW auto reverse cassette deck ! Lol Every upgrade since then has lasted 10+ yrs in my off road vehicle. (Avid stream fisherman) The deck I've had in 4 different trucks since 2001 has a 6 pack CD changer & everything still works flawlessly. I'll say it again, Pioneer every time !
*Music is sounding incredible dirtorted and shitty
Zach: WOW THIS SOUND GOOD
Probably crap-tier speakers and/or the mic is clipping.
@@saint-cetacean my thoughts exactly. Isn't it highly dependent on the speakers? I got good speakers and only want the bluetooth option with rear view camera functionality
@@aperkins07 Speaker upgrade definitely makes a difference, but a cleaner amplifier/head unit does too.
Zach: let's play music
Clips the shit out of speakers till they pop!
Zach: pioneer sounds better then kenwood
@@bennyblanco14 tbf if your amp hits speaker clipping before developing noticeable harmonic distortion, that's a pretty good amp
Can we get “Pop up and down headlights” Remix on Spotify?
Hell, I want it on iTunes so I can buy a copy to put on my phone.
@Thorin Ong yes the song is on SoundCloud
The downside of both the brand name ones is they lack a volume knob. Thats probably the only upside of the $50 one. Not a big deal if you hook them to your steering wheel controls but if not a actual volume knob is much better than than having to push the small volume buttons along the bottom.
Lack of volume knob is definitely annoying but it has made me use the steering wheel controls more, so I guess that’s a bonus. Alpine actually sells an add-on volume knob for their new head units that you can mount where you want. When you consider many new vehicles put controls in the center console it’s a smart tactic.
Qcc 10:49
13:32
I had that pioneer 1500nex for months and I freaking love that head unit. I've had alot of different brands over the years and that one was excellent for the price.
Dude I’ve got a 2002 Firebird and I’ve wanted to swap the radio unit for something with CarPlay and you’ve majorly helped me. Thanks man 🙏
That thousand yard stare he does when he hears the birds KILLED me lmao
I’ve had the same look in situations where you’re talking and a random animal starts to interrupt you so I could totally relate 😂
I love how neat and perfect Zach’s wire splicing and connections were!
Worth mentioning, my Kenwood DVD/CD, Bluetooth head unit crapped put within a year. I replaced it with a Pioneer and have had no issues and have had it for about 5 years now.
When looking for equal features, the Kenwood and Pioneer were much closer in price
Ken wood and pioneer are about the same quality and price wise. I think you just got a bad or failing unit. But I will say I do think pioneers entry level head units are better quality then kenwood. But the midrange and high end are both extremely nice.
8:56 - "Waters of Nazareth" My maaaan, love me some Justice
Eyyyyy another dude who listens!
Yesssss
Was gonna make this comment if I couldn't find it, the Cross album is a jam front to back
Thank you sir I may be a noob but never heard of such and now that I’ve listened to it my life has been changed
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought this !!!
"Mom can we have hi-low at home?"
"We already have hi-low at home."
Hi-low at home :
I got the notification and thought it was a new episode of hi-low 😂😂
@@franklyfettuccine4468 fr
@@franklyfettuccine4468 Pfffft-
I would enjoy for a video on how to install a backup camera- low (backup mirror) vs. medium (some wiring) vs. expensive AF (full wiring harness work).
The pioneer DMH 220 nex is bad ass . The amount of power and clarity is insane . With or without an amp
He spelled "Nolan's Score" (Nolan's Scroe) in the final evaluation 😂😂
Thought I was the only one that noticed that 🤣
On the song segment they also misspelled Media to Meida :) well they are hardworking guys
And starting @ 16:03 they left the Pioneer model number at the top of the screen instead of changing to the Kenwood model #.
and on the kenwood review part, they kept the pioneer model number xD
Should’ve went with one of the new Sony Headunits. I got the AX-5000, and it’s way better than any kenwood I’ve ever owned. Only have to turn the volume to 3 when I’m driving. Kenwood seems too clunky with their UI and try to talk their features up too much just to charge you more
Thank you for ending my two year search for a head-unit, Zach. I've had my eye on the prize the whole time.
The “Nolan Scroe”, I like that scoring system, especially the name
What’ll they think of next. The BaahhhhHhhhhh score for sound? Maybe it’ll be in an album soon as well. (:
also they wrote "Donut Meida" lol
Doug score vs Nolan score
You mispelled Score
The whole point of my comment was to point out that it was misspelled in the video, lol, go look
I was big into Pioneer back in high school. My best buddy and I got the same DEH-P3000IB installed in our cars at circuit city right when they came out. Kenwood makes a fantastic unit. Alpine is the best in every sense. You do get what you pay for. I've been installing car audio for 16 years. I have to have a CD player in mine, because yes we are in 2021, but I own hundreds of cds and I still buy cds.
"but you've seen me do that" (permanently installing them in the car) also zach: headunit floating in tombstone without bracket
*sees Justice on the playlist*
Me: Ah yes, a man of taste
Right!?
That first crappy touchscreen head unit only costs $25 here lol
Where? Here, in mexico costs around $45
here in Norway it costs 120$... but the Kenwood on the other hand costs just 550$ here and the Pioneer is around 400.
you can find it on aliexpress, just type 7010B :) i got one for around 20 bucks, best bang for the buck
It's $20 here in the philippines.
20$ here in canada
Thanks for putting this up. Bought the pioneer and installed in my car. This video inspired me to say “yea I could probably do that”. Donut’s the best
I love the money pit just bc of this video’s radio 📻 stuff and the Miata
You’re like 8
Sprayed Tc you’re like 7
@@dlozza2000 you're like 6
Why am i watching a video of car stereos at 3am Im not even into cars
when I saw your name I got spooked
I don't even own a car or even need one...
Come, come to the car community my brethren
Bruh the fuck its literary 3:11 am rn omfg...
Thats the power of Donut Media
All I came away with from this video is that the “pop up and down headlights” song isn’t on Spotify......
Fr
LMAO SAME!!!!! I just spent an hour trying to find it
I bought the budget Kenwood head unit about 7 years ago for around $450. It's moved through 3 vehicles and I've used it everyday. The calls are still clear and the Bluetooth works flawlessly. It's slow to react to touch, but that's expected from back then. 10/10 would recommend.
Day 151 of asking James to do an Up to speed on his Dad
I found you, now i can continue with my day!
Yeee
Day 3 of seconding this motion.
I literally look forward to new donut videos and this guys comment.
If you just do a quick Google you can see his dad died a while ago and left him a horse stable.
I've had the best experience with Pioneer too, and the reason i first went with Pioneer was because the car stereo guy i talked to at the shop said Pioneer units are generally better than the Kenwood's even though i first looked at a Kenwood unit that was more expensive than the Pinoeer one he reccomended to me and that i ultimately went with
I worked with car audio for a bit years ago and can confirm, Pioneer is just plainly better than Kenwood in pretty much every way. We got back probably 5 times as many defective Kenwoods as we did Pioneer. Their speakers aren't fantastic but their head units can't be beat for the price.
This guy goes the extra yard in all of his videos I love it.
Just bought a 50 dollar unit, has wireless car play and the audio is really crisp, think it honestly just depends on the brand you go with
And how much ram etc.